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rainbowfic2026-05-11 08:22 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2026-05-11 08:22 pm
Warm Heart #30; Vert #17 [Starfall]
Name: Confession Time
Story: Starfall
Colors: Warm Heart #30 (Love); Vert #17 (Sign of a ring)
Supplies and Styles: Silhouette
Word Count: 1180
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray/Leion Valerno, Ivina Gerro.
Summary: Leion comes to a decision.
Leion spent far too much of the little time they had left worrying about whether or not to say anything to Viyony about his feelings, and if he did, how and when to do it without causing trouble. In the end, less than two days before the wedding was due to take place, he slipped into the Gerro house in his mother's wake, carrying some extra crockery and cutlery for the celebration to be held there after the ceremony. He hoped the rest of it would be this easy, but doubted it.
Having duly placed a box of plates in the kitchen for Imai Diyela, he stepped through into the hallway at the same moment as Diyela's daughter Ivina emerged out of another door. Leion pulled up short.
"Is Viyony around?"
Ivina opened her mouth to answer, but then laughed and pointed to the stairs behind him where Viyony was at that moment descending with two large, empty bowls in her arms, one inside of the other.
"I'm here," said Viyony. She reached the bottom, and Ivina took the bowls from her. "I didn't think I was going to see you again before the wedding."
Leion moved nearer. "I know. What can I say? I changed my mind. Can I speak to you? In private, I mean."
"This way," said Viyony. She led the way through the entrance into the other half of the house, which was occupied by Ivina. She shut the door behind them and the chaos of wedding preparations faded into muffled chatter and thumps from various directions about the house. She carried on round the corner and into the study, before turning to face him. "Well?"
Leion cleared his throat. "I, er, wanted to say something now—it's the last time I'll see you."
"Aren't you coming to the wedding celebration?" said Viyony. She perched on the desk and looked upwards, tilting her head to one side. "Or are you expressing your disapproval by keeping away?"
"No, no. I'll turn up and show my face, but that's all, so I wanted to say a proper goodbye now. The thing is—I should tell you—I wanted to say-" His mouth dried.
"Something, presumably?" she prompted, after a prolonged pause.
"Yes. Quite," said Leion. He shifted his stance, meeting her puzzled gaze as squarely as he could. "First, this isn't me asking for anything. I know you mean to go through with the marriage anyway, and I've no intention of making things even more difficult for you."
Viyony rested her chin on her fist. "Not the most reassuring start."
"Maybe not," said Leion, "but my mother brought me up to tell the truth. Look, I want you to know—I think I ought to say -" He straightened. "Burn it all! I love you, I really do. If things weren't the way they are, I'd say a whole lot more." He rubbed his nose. "But since they are—I won't forget you, Viyony. If there was the smallest bit of hope—no, sorry, I said I wouldn't do that. But if you're must go around agreeing to marry terrible people who don't love you, you should know there is someone who does."
Viyony looked at him. "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"
"I rehearsed it to Fern earlier," said Leion. He sank down onto the desk beside her. "It was actually pretty moving then, I swear. You're a much more off-putting audience. Just—do believe me. It is true. I wish I'd realised sooner—maybe I could have done something."
"Probably not, you know."
"Thank you," he murmured. "Always so flattering. Anyway, I brought you a farewell present—for luck, and so you don't forget me."
Viyony put up a hand, her amusement crumbling. "No, Leion. Please, don't. I don't need -"
"It's all right," he assured her. "It really isn't much."
He passed her a small box. As she turned it over in her hands, he added, "It's just a starstone token from one of the stalls. I had it threaded on a chain. For luck, since you'll need it, and it's the sort of thing anyone might pick up as a souvenir. Nothing you'd ever have a problem explaining away."
Viyony stood and opened the box, angling her face away from him. She looked at its contents for a long moment, touching the fine silver links of the chain with one finger. She blinked away tears.
"I didn't mean to upset you. It's nothing, honestly. Even the chain was second hand."
She shook her head. "No. It's perfect. That's the trouble."
"I bought two tokens," he told her. "The other one is for me to cast into the ocean for you. You're going to need all the help you can get."
She closed her eyes and stilled, before giving herself a tiny shake and pulling the necklace out of the box. She tried to fix it around her neck, fumbling with the clasp and cursed under her breath.
"Here." Leion moved over to fasten it for her; as he did so, touching her neck, her hair tickling his fingers. She drew in an unsteady breath, and then turned, grasping his sleeve, after which they both stopped trying to be sensible for quite some time.
Viyony, now up against the wall, pressed a hand against his chest, holding him back. She looked down, catching her breath, before she said. "Leion. We can't."
"Yes," he managed. He sat down on the desk and tried not to look at her. "I mean no."
Viyony sagged against the paintwork. "And not here, not like this!"
"Burn it all," said Leion. "I know. I'm sorry."
She raised her head. Her mouth quivered. "I'm pretty sure I kissed you first."
"Only because I was trying to be noble about this whole appalling business."
Viyony gave a shaky laugh. "Were you? I didn't notice. Oh, dear. I suppose—you should go."
"Until the wedding, then," said Leion, with a flourish.
"Leion. Are you going to the costume party at the Ylies' tonight?" Viyony said. She took a step after him as he moved to the door, although she maintained a careful distance between them. "I was invited but I wasn't sure whether or not to go. Ivina wanted me to, but—I didn't know if you would be there or if that was a good idea."
He hesitated. "Oh, that. Yes, Kettah promised to sort out a costume for me, but I had pretty much the same thought about it—didn't want to make anything awkward for you."
"Then go. I don't expect I will—and if I do, it'll be knowing you'll be there."
Leion turned. "Oh?"
"Which is unlikely, of course," said Viyony. "You're right. It would be very unwise."
Leion nodded. "Then—goodbye, Viyony. It has been an honour, and I mean that."
"I love you too," she said as he went out the door, but so quietly he wasn't sure he'd heard right. Perhaps, like so much else, it was only wishful thinking on his part.
Story: Starfall
Colors: Warm Heart #30 (Love); Vert #17 (Sign of a ring)
Supplies and Styles: Silhouette
Word Count: 1180
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray/Leion Valerno, Ivina Gerro.
Summary: Leion comes to a decision.
Leion spent far too much of the little time they had left worrying about whether or not to say anything to Viyony about his feelings, and if he did, how and when to do it without causing trouble. In the end, less than two days before the wedding was due to take place, he slipped into the Gerro house in his mother's wake, carrying some extra crockery and cutlery for the celebration to be held there after the ceremony. He hoped the rest of it would be this easy, but doubted it.
Having duly placed a box of plates in the kitchen for Imai Diyela, he stepped through into the hallway at the same moment as Diyela's daughter Ivina emerged out of another door. Leion pulled up short.
"Is Viyony around?"
Ivina opened her mouth to answer, but then laughed and pointed to the stairs behind him where Viyony was at that moment descending with two large, empty bowls in her arms, one inside of the other.
"I'm here," said Viyony. She reached the bottom, and Ivina took the bowls from her. "I didn't think I was going to see you again before the wedding."
Leion moved nearer. "I know. What can I say? I changed my mind. Can I speak to you? In private, I mean."
"This way," said Viyony. She led the way through the entrance into the other half of the house, which was occupied by Ivina. She shut the door behind them and the chaos of wedding preparations faded into muffled chatter and thumps from various directions about the house. She carried on round the corner and into the study, before turning to face him. "Well?"
Leion cleared his throat. "I, er, wanted to say something now—it's the last time I'll see you."
"Aren't you coming to the wedding celebration?" said Viyony. She perched on the desk and looked upwards, tilting her head to one side. "Or are you expressing your disapproval by keeping away?"
"No, no. I'll turn up and show my face, but that's all, so I wanted to say a proper goodbye now. The thing is—I should tell you—I wanted to say-" His mouth dried.
"Something, presumably?" she prompted, after a prolonged pause.
"Yes. Quite," said Leion. He shifted his stance, meeting her puzzled gaze as squarely as he could. "First, this isn't me asking for anything. I know you mean to go through with the marriage anyway, and I've no intention of making things even more difficult for you."
Viyony rested her chin on her fist. "Not the most reassuring start."
"Maybe not," said Leion, "but my mother brought me up to tell the truth. Look, I want you to know—I think I ought to say -" He straightened. "Burn it all! I love you, I really do. If things weren't the way they are, I'd say a whole lot more." He rubbed his nose. "But since they are—I won't forget you, Viyony. If there was the smallest bit of hope—no, sorry, I said I wouldn't do that. But if you're must go around agreeing to marry terrible people who don't love you, you should know there is someone who does."
Viyony looked at him. "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"
"I rehearsed it to Fern earlier," said Leion. He sank down onto the desk beside her. "It was actually pretty moving then, I swear. You're a much more off-putting audience. Just—do believe me. It is true. I wish I'd realised sooner—maybe I could have done something."
"Probably not, you know."
"Thank you," he murmured. "Always so flattering. Anyway, I brought you a farewell present—for luck, and so you don't forget me."
Viyony put up a hand, her amusement crumbling. "No, Leion. Please, don't. I don't need -"
"It's all right," he assured her. "It really isn't much."
He passed her a small box. As she turned it over in her hands, he added, "It's just a starstone token from one of the stalls. I had it threaded on a chain. For luck, since you'll need it, and it's the sort of thing anyone might pick up as a souvenir. Nothing you'd ever have a problem explaining away."
Viyony stood and opened the box, angling her face away from him. She looked at its contents for a long moment, touching the fine silver links of the chain with one finger. She blinked away tears.
"I didn't mean to upset you. It's nothing, honestly. Even the chain was second hand."
She shook her head. "No. It's perfect. That's the trouble."
"I bought two tokens," he told her. "The other one is for me to cast into the ocean for you. You're going to need all the help you can get."
She closed her eyes and stilled, before giving herself a tiny shake and pulling the necklace out of the box. She tried to fix it around her neck, fumbling with the clasp and cursed under her breath.
"Here." Leion moved over to fasten it for her; as he did so, touching her neck, her hair tickling his fingers. She drew in an unsteady breath, and then turned, grasping his sleeve, after which they both stopped trying to be sensible for quite some time.
Viyony, now up against the wall, pressed a hand against his chest, holding him back. She looked down, catching her breath, before she said. "Leion. We can't."
"Yes," he managed. He sat down on the desk and tried not to look at her. "I mean no."
Viyony sagged against the paintwork. "And not here, not like this!"
"Burn it all," said Leion. "I know. I'm sorry."
She raised her head. Her mouth quivered. "I'm pretty sure I kissed you first."
"Only because I was trying to be noble about this whole appalling business."
Viyony gave a shaky laugh. "Were you? I didn't notice. Oh, dear. I suppose—you should go."
"Until the wedding, then," said Leion, with a flourish.
"Leion. Are you going to the costume party at the Ylies' tonight?" Viyony said. She took a step after him as he moved to the door, although she maintained a careful distance between them. "I was invited but I wasn't sure whether or not to go. Ivina wanted me to, but—I didn't know if you would be there or if that was a good idea."
He hesitated. "Oh, that. Yes, Kettah promised to sort out a costume for me, but I had pretty much the same thought about it—didn't want to make anything awkward for you."
"Then go. I don't expect I will—and if I do, it'll be knowing you'll be there."
Leion turned. "Oh?"
"Which is unlikely, of course," said Viyony. "You're right. It would be very unwise."
Leion nodded. "Then—goodbye, Viyony. It has been an honour, and I mean that."
"I love you too," she said as he went out the door, but so quietly he wasn't sure he'd heard right. Perhaps, like so much else, it was only wishful thinking on his part.
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Honestly!
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