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rainbowfic2024-04-13 09:13 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2024-04-13 09:13 pm
Burgundy #2; Beet Red #1; Light Black #12 [Starfall]
Name: Sour Grapes
Story: Starfall
Colors: Burgundy #2 (varietal); Beet Red #1 (Walk softly); Light Black #12 (Leave)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti - April Food Challenge
Word Count: 899
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1313 Portcallan; Viyony Eseray, Kadia Barra. Follows on from Acid Drops.
Summary: Kadia makes a peace offering.
Viyony walked down the last few steps into the lower room of the eatery on South Riverside. She made her way past plush, empty seating until she found the person she'd come to see waiting for her at a window table.
"Well?" said Viyony, standing over the table.
Kadia Barra looked up. "I decided I owed you an apology."
"So I gathered," said Viyony, and slipped into the chair opposite. "I'd agree."
"Unforgivable, of course," said Kadia. "What can I say? It was my party, I was overexcited, a little drunk. I never stop missing Atino."
Viyony leant forward, elbows on the table, and rested her chin in her hands. "I don't think that's an apology."
"No," murmured Kadia. She nodded to a bottle of red wine, standing in the centre of the table between them. "This is the apology."
A member of the eatery's staff came over on cue with two glasses in one hand, and placed them in the centre of the table, next to the bottle. Kadia pulled back and waited in silence until he had poured out the wine, then she reached for one of the glasses and pushed the other across to Viyony. She gave the man a brief nod, and he retreated back behind the bar.
"You can't buy this for love nor money," Kadia said. "Our family business is chiefly in wine, you know. We still own the Barraos Vineyards, south of here. Eollan may have mentioned it?"
Viyony touched the glass lightly, running her fingertips down the smooth surface. "I don't think he did. So, this is something special?"
"Barra-Ossil 1302," said Kadia, with emphasis that meant nothing to Viyony.
"Good, I take it?"
"It's up to you to make up your own mind about that, too, isn't it?"
Viyony nodded. She moved her hand to hide her mouth, afraid of laughing. Everything about this meeting was the exact kind of thing Leion had warned her against the first night she'd met him, while Kadia's generosity was completely wasted on her. She was not a connoisseur of wine or spirits.
"I hate Leion for a reason," said Kadia, suddenly meeting her gaze. "Think what you like, but I meant what I said. Don't trust him. He does what his paymasters ask him to—and burn, drown and bury anyone else who might suffer for it."
Viyony tasted the wine, letting it sit on her tongue for a few moments, but it was only wine to her. Not too sweet or too dry at least, she could give it that. She put the glass down. "I'll bear it in mind."
"Oh, you'll do whatever you choose, of course," said Kadia with a shrug. "Naturally. I don't expect you to listen to me after the other night." She drew back. "Don't hold Eollan accountable for my behaviour anyway. He'd never play a trick like that."
"I know," said Viyony.
"So, what do you make of it?" Kadia raised her glass, letting the liquid hold the light for a moment.
Viyony smiled. "I expect it's excellent, but I'm no judge of these things."
"You know everything there is to know about dyeing, no doubt?"
"That is my business. Yes."
Kadia nodded. "Eseray, isn't it? Your home. Eollan told me. I gather parts of the building are ancient—Cyroyen, even? Sounds fascinating."
"He told you that?"
"I'm interested in architecture—art—history."
Viyony turned the glass around by its stem.
"Too rich for you?" said Kadia softly. "It is a little early in the day, I suppose."
Viyony glanced out of the window. The grand houses that lined Riverside opposite and the clifftop rising up behind them were bright with the afternoon sunlight. The Calla below glinted under the same light. It seemed darker than before in here. Viyony turned her head back to look at Kadia. Dark eyes met hers. The other woman raised her chin.
"It is," said Viyony. "As you say, it's not my family's line of work. I know about salt and vinegar, though—and what comes out in the wash and what doesn't."
Kadia stilled, and then smiled. "Ah. I've burned my bridges already."
"Well and truly." Viyony rose. "Thank you for the wine, anyway. It's been interesting. Let's not do it again."
Kadia remained seated. She took another sip of her wine. "Go, then. You'll be sorry."
"What?"
"What I said. You've made your choice and one day you'll be sorry for it. Don't expect any sympathy from me when that happens."
Viyony didn't hold back her laughter this time. "I'll never want sympathy from you, Imai Barra!"
"You sound very certain."
"Oh, but don't you know?" Viyony glanced over her shoulder as she headed towards the exit. "I was beginning to think everyone in Portcallan had heard. I can see the future!"
Viyony ran up the steps back up to the door onto the street. She had to wait for someone, presumably another member of staff, to make their way along the shadowy corridor from the kitchen to let her out. While she stood waiting, close up against the door, her amusement faded. What had Kadia wanted from her? And—more to the point—had she got it?
She left, emerging into the wide, sunlit street where she could breathe more freely, but the taste of Kadia's expensive apology lingered in her mouth, and she had no answer.
Story: Starfall
Colors: Burgundy #2 (varietal); Beet Red #1 (Walk softly); Light Black #12 (Leave)
Supplies and Styles: Graffiti - April Food Challenge
Word Count: 899
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1313 Portcallan; Viyony Eseray, Kadia Barra. Follows on from Acid Drops.
Summary: Kadia makes a peace offering.
Viyony walked down the last few steps into the lower room of the eatery on South Riverside. She made her way past plush, empty seating until she found the person she'd come to see waiting for her at a window table.
"Well?" said Viyony, standing over the table.
Kadia Barra looked up. "I decided I owed you an apology."
"So I gathered," said Viyony, and slipped into the chair opposite. "I'd agree."
"Unforgivable, of course," said Kadia. "What can I say? It was my party, I was overexcited, a little drunk. I never stop missing Atino."
Viyony leant forward, elbows on the table, and rested her chin in her hands. "I don't think that's an apology."
"No," murmured Kadia. She nodded to a bottle of red wine, standing in the centre of the table between them. "This is the apology."
A member of the eatery's staff came over on cue with two glasses in one hand, and placed them in the centre of the table, next to the bottle. Kadia pulled back and waited in silence until he had poured out the wine, then she reached for one of the glasses and pushed the other across to Viyony. She gave the man a brief nod, and he retreated back behind the bar.
"You can't buy this for love nor money," Kadia said. "Our family business is chiefly in wine, you know. We still own the Barraos Vineyards, south of here. Eollan may have mentioned it?"
Viyony touched the glass lightly, running her fingertips down the smooth surface. "I don't think he did. So, this is something special?"
"Barra-Ossil 1302," said Kadia, with emphasis that meant nothing to Viyony.
"Good, I take it?"
"It's up to you to make up your own mind about that, too, isn't it?"
Viyony nodded. She moved her hand to hide her mouth, afraid of laughing. Everything about this meeting was the exact kind of thing Leion had warned her against the first night she'd met him, while Kadia's generosity was completely wasted on her. She was not a connoisseur of wine or spirits.
"I hate Leion for a reason," said Kadia, suddenly meeting her gaze. "Think what you like, but I meant what I said. Don't trust him. He does what his paymasters ask him to—and burn, drown and bury anyone else who might suffer for it."
Viyony tasted the wine, letting it sit on her tongue for a few moments, but it was only wine to her. Not too sweet or too dry at least, she could give it that. She put the glass down. "I'll bear it in mind."
"Oh, you'll do whatever you choose, of course," said Kadia with a shrug. "Naturally. I don't expect you to listen to me after the other night." She drew back. "Don't hold Eollan accountable for my behaviour anyway. He'd never play a trick like that."
"I know," said Viyony.
"So, what do you make of it?" Kadia raised her glass, letting the liquid hold the light for a moment.
Viyony smiled. "I expect it's excellent, but I'm no judge of these things."
"You know everything there is to know about dyeing, no doubt?"
"That is my business. Yes."
Kadia nodded. "Eseray, isn't it? Your home. Eollan told me. I gather parts of the building are ancient—Cyroyen, even? Sounds fascinating."
"He told you that?"
"I'm interested in architecture—art—history."
Viyony turned the glass around by its stem.
"Too rich for you?" said Kadia softly. "It is a little early in the day, I suppose."
Viyony glanced out of the window. The grand houses that lined Riverside opposite and the clifftop rising up behind them were bright with the afternoon sunlight. The Calla below glinted under the same light. It seemed darker than before in here. Viyony turned her head back to look at Kadia. Dark eyes met hers. The other woman raised her chin.
"It is," said Viyony. "As you say, it's not my family's line of work. I know about salt and vinegar, though—and what comes out in the wash and what doesn't."
Kadia stilled, and then smiled. "Ah. I've burned my bridges already."
"Well and truly." Viyony rose. "Thank you for the wine, anyway. It's been interesting. Let's not do it again."
Kadia remained seated. She took another sip of her wine. "Go, then. You'll be sorry."
"What?"
"What I said. You've made your choice and one day you'll be sorry for it. Don't expect any sympathy from me when that happens."
Viyony didn't hold back her laughter this time. "I'll never want sympathy from you, Imai Barra!"
"You sound very certain."
"Oh, but don't you know?" Viyony glanced over her shoulder as she headed towards the exit. "I was beginning to think everyone in Portcallan had heard. I can see the future!"
Viyony ran up the steps back up to the door onto the street. She had to wait for someone, presumably another member of staff, to make their way along the shadowy corridor from the kitchen to let her out. While she stood waiting, close up against the door, her amusement faded. What had Kadia wanted from her? And—more to the point—had she got it?
She left, emerging into the wide, sunlit street where she could breathe more freely, but the taste of Kadia's expensive apology lingered in her mouth, and she had no answer.
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Here's your graffiti! Sorry for the delay!
1) "When something goes right/Well it's likely to lose me/It's apt to confuse me." - Something So Right, Paul Simon
2) tutu