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rainbowfic2025-01-30 02:21 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2025-01-30 02:21 pm
Entry tags:
Warm Heart #3; Beet Red #21 [Starfall]
Name: Wake Up Call
Story: Starfall
Colors: Warm Heart #2 (Worry); Beet Red #21 (On the ball)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 1974
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray, Leion Valerno. Takes place the next morning after Lucky Strike.
Summary: Viyony takes her suspicions to Leion.
Viyony knocked on the door to Leion's office and waited. She turned to face the street, folding her arms against herself and tapping one foot on the ground. The shop opposite were taking down wooden screens from the windows, and she watched until they had finished, then swung back around to try again, hammering her fist against the door. He must be there, surely? Even if he had been out doing whatever it was his work actually entailed, someone else would have had to come round and keep an eye on the kittens?
To her relief, she heard the bolts being dragged across and then Leion opened the door a crack. "Stars!" he said, and pulled it back to admit her. "It's you. I thought something must be on fire with such a racket at this hour. What's happened?"
Viyony stepped inside and waited for him to shut the door and then lead the way down the narrow hall to the office.
"Well?" he said. He pulled out a chair for her, gathering up a pile of files on top of it and dumping them onto the desk. "Not another dream, is it? Who's in trouble today?"
"No. It's not that. Only something odd that happened last night that made me think. Did you ever speak to the man who attacked Soldier Delver?"
Leion dropped back into his chair and screwed up his face, then rubbed a hand across his eyes. "What?"
"Oh, really," she said. "Why aren't you up earlier than this? You have a business to run!"
Leion paused. He leant forward onto the desk, with a gleam in his eye. "Because I was out until the small hours this morning pursuing my business, and—wait!" He stood hastily. "Mind the kittens!"
Viyony froze and then looked down. "Where?"
Leion held up a hand, and then disappeared under the desk. He reappeared with a wriggling grey kitten in his arm. It had grown quite a bit since Viyony had last been here. "Hang on. I'll go and feed them and that'll buy us some time to have a proper conversation."
"Do you do this when you have clients?" Viyony called after him. "You should put their box out of the way in the other room."
If Leion heard, he paid no attention. Viyony shrugged, and knelt down by Fern and her offspring, stroking them while she waited. Leion then swept back in, picked up the box and carried it and its furry contents away, before returning. He sat back at the desk, and picked up a pencil. "You were saying?"
"Nothing much yet," she said. "You are shockingly unprofessional, you know. You shouldn't let this place get so untidy!"
Leion's mouth twitched. "Good morning to you, too, Imai Eseray. It's always a pleasure to see you. Now, do you want to tell me what brought you here in such a rush at this hour, or would you prefer to continue criticising me?"
"I'm sorry," she said, giving a reluctant laugh and sitting on the chair opposite him. "It's only—well, say I had been a potential client, Leion! What would they have thought?"
He rested his chin on his hand. "It's only a mess because I was out late yesterday, as I said. I was looking for something before I left. Now, come on, what's wrong?"
"Did you speak to the man who attacked Soldier Delver?"
Leion frowned. "I thought you did."
"Not when it happened—after they arrested him. I know you questioned Eollan, because he told me, so I thought maybe you had talked to everyone."
Leion shook his head. "No. Tana gave me a copy of the Guardians' interview with the attacker. I spoke to Delver and Eollan—the High Council were interested in the overall pattern of these kinds of attacks. Worried that some were a cover for more subtle political activity, probably. This one seemed to be the genuine article, though. Delver was out delivering a message to Eollan—and you know me and the Barras—so I followed that up, but it didn't amount to anything." He grimaced. "No need for me to duplicate the Guardians' work."
"Oh, I was hoping you had," she said. "You see, last night, I went out with Eollan and Tess, and Laida and some of the others -"
"Did you? Lunch with me and dinner with Eollan—what a fast mover you are."
Viyony shook her head. "Don't joke, Leion. I haven't told you the important part yet. When we came out of the dining house -"
"No mere common eatery, then. Of course not."
Viyony rolled her eyes.
"Apologies. Please, continue."
"I think I saw your friend Chiulder. He was hiding in an alley across the road from where I was, but I'm sure it was him. Then this drunken idiot started yelling about North Easterners and threw a brick at me."
Leion's amusement vanished. He let go of the pencil. "Stars! You didn't speak to him, did you? You mustn't—ever. If you see him again, tell me at once—or better still, Tana. Or the Guardians of the Peace. You don't go near him!"
"I didn't," said Viyony. She added pointedly, "Also, I wasn't hurt, by the way. Thank you so much for asking."
Leion rubbed his forehead. "Good. On both counts."
"But it was very odd," she said. "The man who did it couldn't have known I was from North Eastern. Laida said perhaps he'd seen Eollan in his uniform, but he was looking straight at me. And I did see Chiulder, I know I did. And you say he can influence people—make them do things, sometimes."
"Yes, I understand." Leion drew himself up. "I don't like it, though. I'm so sorry. It didn't cross my mind he might follow you. I'm an idiot. I'm not really keeping you safe, am I?"
Viyony moved her hand forward on the desk, towards his, and then pulled it back, curling her fingers in against her palm. "Leion. I am all right."
"So you thought the next thing to do was run out this morning, all on your own?" Leion's brows closed together. "As long as he's hanging around, we'll both have to be more careful."
"Yes, but I keep thinking about how similar it was to the attack on Soldier Delver. I didn't see Chiulder that day, or I don't think so, but that boy last night, and the man who hit Delver—they both looked so confused afterwards."
Leion considered. "I see what you're getting at, but these attacks have been happening all over the city—and your friend Delver was parading about alone in Rosfallen blue. You weren't, though, and if Chiulder was lurking about—then, yes, that sounds plausible. He could have persuaded the man to do it. There are enough prejudiced idiots around that the odds of him trying that with some drunk and getting lucky are pretty high."
"But you don't believe me about Delver."
"Not exactly, but just because you linked the two attacks in your mind, it doesn't mean they actually were. But I will mention it to Tana. I'm seeing her later anyway—it was her business that took me out so late last night. Take that inconvenience up with her, if you dare!"
Viyony unconsciously started to straighten the mess of papers lying on the desk in front of her. "You say I'm not being careful, but you tell me Chiulder is dangerous and hates you—and then you're out at night on your own—that's more than careless, Leion."
"It was only a spot of observation," he assured her, smiling. "I was in a rather disreputable area of the docks, it's true, but safely hidden up on a roof, getting very cramped and bored, and nothing happened anyway. There's been a rise in firestone and firedust smuggling lately—just look at the assassination attempt back when you first got here—and Tana ropes me in on occasion if they're understaffed. I was sent off to the least likely location out of a long list. Nothing dangerous there."
Viyony gave a nod, although it didn't sound safe at all to her. "If you say so, Leion. It's not my business, of course. But could you see if there's any way you can talk to Delver's attacker? Something inside me keeps turning over when I think how similar both things were."
"And you did dream about Delver's attack," Leion agreed. "I will try, but I can't promise anything."
Viyony twisted her hands together on the desk, falling silent. Then she said, "You should be more careful, you know. It isn't your fault—but the only times I've been in trouble or danger since I arrived was when I was with you."
"Well, I've found you your warehouse," he said, "and if I'm not helping you, then I've no cause to see you any longer. Tana probably still has you followed sometimes, just in case."
"I didn't mean it like that." It was true, though. Viyony had originally only accepted Leion's invitations because he knew Portcallan and could direct her to the right people, for business and social purposes. Leion had, so he said, been concerned about people taking advantage of her affinity, after Mierly Modelen had shouted the secret aloud at Chamber Hall. "But you never seem to take things like that seriously. You still don't believe me about Kadia being to blame for nearly getting me arrested when we saw the High Governor, do you?"
Leion drew back. "I don't know, actually. Given how petty and spiteful it was—it does sound like her. What I don't believe is that she'd do anything worse than that. And I do take Chiulder seriously. I told Tam about him—and believe me, I don't tell Tam or Mother things like that if it's not serious. I could have found myself put under lock and key for my own safety before I'd got the words out."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Viyony.
Leion rose as she did. "You've got to still visit me occasionally, though. My niblings will complain if I ignore you again, these wretched cats are all your fault—and we still haven't had that affair."
"Are we going to?"
"Good question," said Leion, and grinned.
He escorted her out into the narrow hall and along to the front door. "Not today, though. As I said, I have to present myself and a written report to Tana and Imor Ufferden early this afternoon or else." He gave her a nod in farewell. "I won't forget to ask her about Delver's attacker, though—and I'll tell Tam that Chiulder followed you too. If you see him again, go straight to the Guardians or Tana, and keep well out of his way."
"I promise. But, Leion, please—you have to be sensible as well."
Leion held the door open for her. "One has to do unwise things to survive in this world. Anyway, I only creep around the back streets in the dark once every few weeks at most. At least I'm not doing something truly catastrophic—like personally tethering myself to a man I don't like for years. Life, maybe."
"That's unfair."
"It is. Very," he agreed. He stared past her around the street, looking, presumably, for any indication of that Chiulder might be lurking nearby, but there was no sign of him among the passers-by or people stopping to buy something from one of the little shops scattered up and down the road, and the street-seller on the corner.
Viyony stepped outside into the strengthening morning sunshine. "It seems safe enough."
"It does," Leion agreed. "But hurry home, and don't talk to strangers!"
"I don't think I will bother coming to see you again," she retorted.
He waved.
Story: Starfall
Colors: Warm Heart #2 (Worry); Beet Red #21 (On the ball)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 1974
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray, Leion Valerno. Takes place the next morning after Lucky Strike.
Summary: Viyony takes her suspicions to Leion.
Viyony knocked on the door to Leion's office and waited. She turned to face the street, folding her arms against herself and tapping one foot on the ground. The shop opposite were taking down wooden screens from the windows, and she watched until they had finished, then swung back around to try again, hammering her fist against the door. He must be there, surely? Even if he had been out doing whatever it was his work actually entailed, someone else would have had to come round and keep an eye on the kittens?
To her relief, she heard the bolts being dragged across and then Leion opened the door a crack. "Stars!" he said, and pulled it back to admit her. "It's you. I thought something must be on fire with such a racket at this hour. What's happened?"
Viyony stepped inside and waited for him to shut the door and then lead the way down the narrow hall to the office.
"Well?" he said. He pulled out a chair for her, gathering up a pile of files on top of it and dumping them onto the desk. "Not another dream, is it? Who's in trouble today?"
"No. It's not that. Only something odd that happened last night that made me think. Did you ever speak to the man who attacked Soldier Delver?"
Leion dropped back into his chair and screwed up his face, then rubbed a hand across his eyes. "What?"
"Oh, really," she said. "Why aren't you up earlier than this? You have a business to run!"
Leion paused. He leant forward onto the desk, with a gleam in his eye. "Because I was out until the small hours this morning pursuing my business, and—wait!" He stood hastily. "Mind the kittens!"
Viyony froze and then looked down. "Where?"
Leion held up a hand, and then disappeared under the desk. He reappeared with a wriggling grey kitten in his arm. It had grown quite a bit since Viyony had last been here. "Hang on. I'll go and feed them and that'll buy us some time to have a proper conversation."
"Do you do this when you have clients?" Viyony called after him. "You should put their box out of the way in the other room."
If Leion heard, he paid no attention. Viyony shrugged, and knelt down by Fern and her offspring, stroking them while she waited. Leion then swept back in, picked up the box and carried it and its furry contents away, before returning. He sat back at the desk, and picked up a pencil. "You were saying?"
"Nothing much yet," she said. "You are shockingly unprofessional, you know. You shouldn't let this place get so untidy!"
Leion's mouth twitched. "Good morning to you, too, Imai Eseray. It's always a pleasure to see you. Now, do you want to tell me what brought you here in such a rush at this hour, or would you prefer to continue criticising me?"
"I'm sorry," she said, giving a reluctant laugh and sitting on the chair opposite him. "It's only—well, say I had been a potential client, Leion! What would they have thought?"
He rested his chin on his hand. "It's only a mess because I was out late yesterday, as I said. I was looking for something before I left. Now, come on, what's wrong?"
"Did you speak to the man who attacked Soldier Delver?"
Leion frowned. "I thought you did."
"Not when it happened—after they arrested him. I know you questioned Eollan, because he told me, so I thought maybe you had talked to everyone."
Leion shook his head. "No. Tana gave me a copy of the Guardians' interview with the attacker. I spoke to Delver and Eollan—the High Council were interested in the overall pattern of these kinds of attacks. Worried that some were a cover for more subtle political activity, probably. This one seemed to be the genuine article, though. Delver was out delivering a message to Eollan—and you know me and the Barras—so I followed that up, but it didn't amount to anything." He grimaced. "No need for me to duplicate the Guardians' work."
"Oh, I was hoping you had," she said. "You see, last night, I went out with Eollan and Tess, and Laida and some of the others -"
"Did you? Lunch with me and dinner with Eollan—what a fast mover you are."
Viyony shook her head. "Don't joke, Leion. I haven't told you the important part yet. When we came out of the dining house -"
"No mere common eatery, then. Of course not."
Viyony rolled her eyes.
"Apologies. Please, continue."
"I think I saw your friend Chiulder. He was hiding in an alley across the road from where I was, but I'm sure it was him. Then this drunken idiot started yelling about North Easterners and threw a brick at me."
Leion's amusement vanished. He let go of the pencil. "Stars! You didn't speak to him, did you? You mustn't—ever. If you see him again, tell me at once—or better still, Tana. Or the Guardians of the Peace. You don't go near him!"
"I didn't," said Viyony. She added pointedly, "Also, I wasn't hurt, by the way. Thank you so much for asking."
Leion rubbed his forehead. "Good. On both counts."
"But it was very odd," she said. "The man who did it couldn't have known I was from North Eastern. Laida said perhaps he'd seen Eollan in his uniform, but he was looking straight at me. And I did see Chiulder, I know I did. And you say he can influence people—make them do things, sometimes."
"Yes, I understand." Leion drew himself up. "I don't like it, though. I'm so sorry. It didn't cross my mind he might follow you. I'm an idiot. I'm not really keeping you safe, am I?"
Viyony moved her hand forward on the desk, towards his, and then pulled it back, curling her fingers in against her palm. "Leion. I am all right."
"So you thought the next thing to do was run out this morning, all on your own?" Leion's brows closed together. "As long as he's hanging around, we'll both have to be more careful."
"Yes, but I keep thinking about how similar it was to the attack on Soldier Delver. I didn't see Chiulder that day, or I don't think so, but that boy last night, and the man who hit Delver—they both looked so confused afterwards."
Leion considered. "I see what you're getting at, but these attacks have been happening all over the city—and your friend Delver was parading about alone in Rosfallen blue. You weren't, though, and if Chiulder was lurking about—then, yes, that sounds plausible. He could have persuaded the man to do it. There are enough prejudiced idiots around that the odds of him trying that with some drunk and getting lucky are pretty high."
"But you don't believe me about Delver."
"Not exactly, but just because you linked the two attacks in your mind, it doesn't mean they actually were. But I will mention it to Tana. I'm seeing her later anyway—it was her business that took me out so late last night. Take that inconvenience up with her, if you dare!"
Viyony unconsciously started to straighten the mess of papers lying on the desk in front of her. "You say I'm not being careful, but you tell me Chiulder is dangerous and hates you—and then you're out at night on your own—that's more than careless, Leion."
"It was only a spot of observation," he assured her, smiling. "I was in a rather disreputable area of the docks, it's true, but safely hidden up on a roof, getting very cramped and bored, and nothing happened anyway. There's been a rise in firestone and firedust smuggling lately—just look at the assassination attempt back when you first got here—and Tana ropes me in on occasion if they're understaffed. I was sent off to the least likely location out of a long list. Nothing dangerous there."
Viyony gave a nod, although it didn't sound safe at all to her. "If you say so, Leion. It's not my business, of course. But could you see if there's any way you can talk to Delver's attacker? Something inside me keeps turning over when I think how similar both things were."
"And you did dream about Delver's attack," Leion agreed. "I will try, but I can't promise anything."
Viyony twisted her hands together on the desk, falling silent. Then she said, "You should be more careful, you know. It isn't your fault—but the only times I've been in trouble or danger since I arrived was when I was with you."
"Well, I've found you your warehouse," he said, "and if I'm not helping you, then I've no cause to see you any longer. Tana probably still has you followed sometimes, just in case."
"I didn't mean it like that." It was true, though. Viyony had originally only accepted Leion's invitations because he knew Portcallan and could direct her to the right people, for business and social purposes. Leion had, so he said, been concerned about people taking advantage of her affinity, after Mierly Modelen had shouted the secret aloud at Chamber Hall. "But you never seem to take things like that seriously. You still don't believe me about Kadia being to blame for nearly getting me arrested when we saw the High Governor, do you?"
Leion drew back. "I don't know, actually. Given how petty and spiteful it was—it does sound like her. What I don't believe is that she'd do anything worse than that. And I do take Chiulder seriously. I told Tam about him—and believe me, I don't tell Tam or Mother things like that if it's not serious. I could have found myself put under lock and key for my own safety before I'd got the words out."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Viyony.
Leion rose as she did. "You've got to still visit me occasionally, though. My niblings will complain if I ignore you again, these wretched cats are all your fault—and we still haven't had that affair."
"Are we going to?"
"Good question," said Leion, and grinned.
He escorted her out into the narrow hall and along to the front door. "Not today, though. As I said, I have to present myself and a written report to Tana and Imor Ufferden early this afternoon or else." He gave her a nod in farewell. "I won't forget to ask her about Delver's attacker, though—and I'll tell Tam that Chiulder followed you too. If you see him again, go straight to the Guardians or Tana, and keep well out of his way."
"I promise. But, Leion, please—you have to be sensible as well."
Leion held the door open for her. "One has to do unwise things to survive in this world. Anyway, I only creep around the back streets in the dark once every few weeks at most. At least I'm not doing something truly catastrophic—like personally tethering myself to a man I don't like for years. Life, maybe."
"That's unfair."
"It is. Very," he agreed. He stared past her around the street, looking, presumably, for any indication of that Chiulder might be lurking nearby, but there was no sign of him among the passers-by or people stopping to buy something from one of the little shops scattered up and down the road, and the street-seller on the corner.
Viyony stepped outside into the strengthening morning sunshine. "It seems safe enough."
"It does," Leion agreed. "But hurry home, and don't talk to strangers!"
"I don't think I will bother coming to see you again," she retorted.
He waved.
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Oh, are the cats Viyony's fault, haha?
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Ahh, I see. Is Marran the "Soldier Delver" they are talking about who was attacked earlier? (Sorry, I know I came into the story in the middle and am not up to speed on anything, haha.)
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Hey, I might get an answer to my previous question. Thank you!
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Oh, you will. XD *looks at WIP folder*
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I love the way their banter gets really serious really fast!
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Also the thing about mind control is very cool. Or bad. Cool for me. Bad for them.
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eeee, thank you! <3<3<3 (and, if so, then I am happy to say that you are only one (?) piece (of mine) away from one where they spend HOURS together totally not feeling/saying things.)
Also the thing about mind control is very cool. Or bad. Cool for me. Bad for them.
XD Leion is very against it.