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rainbowfic2013-09-22 11:46 am
auguris) wrote in rainbowfic2013-09-22 11:46 am
Entry tags:
Transparent 23
Name: auguris
'verse: Ghost Sight
Story: Broker of Death VI
Colors: Transparent 23. Atmosphere
Supplies and Styles: Pastels: a crowd, Canvas
Word Count: 1112
Rating: R
Warnings: Gender dysphoria, brief violence, vomit.
Summary: Broker visits Krixos for the first time, and meets Elina. Concrit welcome. (If the warnings need improving, please let me know.)
Broker leaned into the cushioned booth, letting his breath out slow. He sat sandwiched between a Healer he'd met earlier in the day and a Talentless woman he'd met twenty minutes ago. Aimless magic washed over him thick enough he swore he could smell it, too many threads to follow back to their owners: reds and blues and greens and blacks. Each person here -- the bouncer, the bartender, every patron and dancer -- gave off magic, barely adult wizards drinking and smoking and dancing close.
The woman -- he'd tried to catch her name, Ella or Nina and someone had called her Henry but that had to be wrong -- put her hand on his arm. Pink lips mouthed, "Okay, lovey?" He put on his best smile and told her sure, but she said, "get some air with me?" so he couldn't have been very convincing.
She led him to the alley behind the bar, populated by a puking woman, her put-upon friend, and a couple of guys either too drunk or too into each other to have their make-out session disturbed by a little vomit. Nina or Ella made a face and moved further down the way, closer to the street.
"This was meant to be an improvement," she said, and Broker laughed.
"It's not worse," he said, and she beamed. "I appreciate it."
"You seemed a little overwhelmed," she said, shrugging. "I was, too, when I first moved here. My little village had I think seven wizards? And about as many humans as wizards inside the bar. You learn to live with it." She pulled her coat tighter around herself. "At least you didn't let Elijah get you drunk."
The Healer he'd left at the booth. "I don't think he was actually giving me alcohol. The hells is a Split Sunrise, anyway?" She snorted into her hands. "Cough syrup is stronger than whatever that was."
"Oh, you're adorable." She stood close, peering up at him through her eyelashes. "You know, you look familiar."
He grinned. "Nah, this is my first time in Krixos. Unless you've been to Caydoon, but I know I'd remember you."
"Really? You've never been to the city before?" She smoothed his coat lapels. "What's in Caydoon that kept you away?"
"My apprenticeship," he said. "That's why I'm here." He lifted his hand to show her his silver Adept ring.
"Oh Lady's sake, Elijah said something but I wasn't paying attention at all." She examined his hand. "Healer?"
"Seer," he said, and her eyes went wide.
"And you're larking about with us pleebs in the streets," she said, her grin sharp. "How did Elijah drag you down here?"
Broker slid his hands into his pockets. "He asked me? And I said okay?"
"I'm teasing," she said, patting his shoulder. "How does one go about graduating their Seer apprenticeship, anyhow?"
"Clear a haunting," he said. "Nothing big. We should go back inside, you're shivering."
"Oh no, not while I have the full and undivided attention of an Adept Ghost Seer. That's quite a mouthful." She drew his hands out of his pockets. "I'm surprised the Circle let you downtown."
"Elijah sort of snuck me out." Her hands were cold. "I don't think my M--" He didn't have a Master anymore. "--anybody knows where I am," he amended. He hadn't told Master Vider, or even made eye contact with anyone. He stood in a nearly empty alley behind a loud bar full of people he didn't know in a city so many magnitudes larger than his home village it seemed fictional, alone with a woman whose name he didn't know.
"Was it difficult?" she asked. "Your haunting."
"I've dealt with worse." When she asked he answered, "in White Rock," and her eyes went wide again.
"How is that -- who did you say your Master was?"
He understood his fear response on an intimate level -- a Seer had to know when he was afraid, how to process that fear, how to tamp it down and hide it; strong emotions drew a ghost out of its routine, could turn a pale shade into a poltergeist. He kept a smile on his face as he slowly said, "Donat Vider," kept from drawing away as his palms grew slick.
She regarded him closely, examining his face. "You're Havard," she said, breathing out his dead name, "Havard Eisvur. I thought you were dead--"
He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the brick. "How do you know me?" he hissed, snapping a ward across his skin.
"Lady please let go of me--"
"Are you one of them? Did you kill my--"
"It's me!" She tore the choker from her throat and the glamour fell. Her face thinned while her neck grew thicker, her hourglass straightened to flat plains -- "Havard, it's me, it's Henry," her voice dropped and Broker stepped back, releasing the woman who had turned into a scrawny teenager boy.
"Lady's grace," he murmured. "You're Henry? You're that kid who was always following me around when I was home?"
"Yes," she said, sounding miserable. "Are you going to attack me again?"
"No, of course not. Lady, I'm so sorry, I thought--" That you were a Follower of Morgause. That they found me. "I mean, I didn't-- look, I had no idea, it's not my business--"
"Sure." She fiddled with her choker before putting it back on; even knowing it was a glamour he couldn't see it. She must have paid a damn fortune for the thing. "We should go back inside," she said, voice back to normal. He followed her to the door, not sure if he should -- but he needed Elijah's help getting back to his hotel room.
She stopped him with a hand on his chest. "Why did you-- do that?"
Broker glanced down the alleyway. "The fire wasn't an accident." Her hand went to her mouth. "I don't think the people who did it know I'm still alive."
"And they'll come after you?"
"Maybe. I don't know. I can't risk it, they killed my entire family." He made himself look her in the eye. "I am really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or make you, um, reveal yourself--"
She pat his arm. "I understand. I scared you first." She let out a breath. "I'm just glad you're not angry."
He shrugged. "I know people do that, for like--" he rubbed the back of his neck. "Dressing up, or--"
"Hush, you were doing so well, don't ruin it."
"Sure, sorry. You know, I never actually caught your name."
She gave him a little half grin. "It's Elina," she said, and went back inside.
auguris'verse: Ghost Sight
Story: Broker of Death VI
Colors: Transparent 23. Atmosphere
Supplies and Styles: Pastels: a crowd, Canvas
Word Count: 1112
Rating: R
Warnings: Gender dysphoria, brief violence, vomit.
Summary: Broker visits Krixos for the first time, and meets Elina. Concrit welcome. (If the warnings need improving, please let me know.)
Broker leaned into the cushioned booth, letting his breath out slow. He sat sandwiched between a Healer he'd met earlier in the day and a Talentless woman he'd met twenty minutes ago. Aimless magic washed over him thick enough he swore he could smell it, too many threads to follow back to their owners: reds and blues and greens and blacks. Each person here -- the bouncer, the bartender, every patron and dancer -- gave off magic, barely adult wizards drinking and smoking and dancing close.
The woman -- he'd tried to catch her name, Ella or Nina and someone had called her Henry but that had to be wrong -- put her hand on his arm. Pink lips mouthed, "Okay, lovey?" He put on his best smile and told her sure, but she said, "get some air with me?" so he couldn't have been very convincing.
She led him to the alley behind the bar, populated by a puking woman, her put-upon friend, and a couple of guys either too drunk or too into each other to have their make-out session disturbed by a little vomit. Nina or Ella made a face and moved further down the way, closer to the street.
"This was meant to be an improvement," she said, and Broker laughed.
"It's not worse," he said, and she beamed. "I appreciate it."
"You seemed a little overwhelmed," she said, shrugging. "I was, too, when I first moved here. My little village had I think seven wizards? And about as many humans as wizards inside the bar. You learn to live with it." She pulled her coat tighter around herself. "At least you didn't let Elijah get you drunk."
The Healer he'd left at the booth. "I don't think he was actually giving me alcohol. The hells is a Split Sunrise, anyway?" She snorted into her hands. "Cough syrup is stronger than whatever that was."
"Oh, you're adorable." She stood close, peering up at him through her eyelashes. "You know, you look familiar."
He grinned. "Nah, this is my first time in Krixos. Unless you've been to Caydoon, but I know I'd remember you."
"Really? You've never been to the city before?" She smoothed his coat lapels. "What's in Caydoon that kept you away?"
"My apprenticeship," he said. "That's why I'm here." He lifted his hand to show her his silver Adept ring.
"Oh Lady's sake, Elijah said something but I wasn't paying attention at all." She examined his hand. "Healer?"
"Seer," he said, and her eyes went wide.
"And you're larking about with us pleebs in the streets," she said, her grin sharp. "How did Elijah drag you down here?"
Broker slid his hands into his pockets. "He asked me? And I said okay?"
"I'm teasing," she said, patting his shoulder. "How does one go about graduating their Seer apprenticeship, anyhow?"
"Clear a haunting," he said. "Nothing big. We should go back inside, you're shivering."
"Oh no, not while I have the full and undivided attention of an Adept Ghost Seer. That's quite a mouthful." She drew his hands out of his pockets. "I'm surprised the Circle let you downtown."
"Elijah sort of snuck me out." Her hands were cold. "I don't think my M--" He didn't have a Master anymore. "--anybody knows where I am," he amended. He hadn't told Master Vider, or even made eye contact with anyone. He stood in a nearly empty alley behind a loud bar full of people he didn't know in a city so many magnitudes larger than his home village it seemed fictional, alone with a woman whose name he didn't know.
"Was it difficult?" she asked. "Your haunting."
"I've dealt with worse." When she asked he answered, "in White Rock," and her eyes went wide again.
"How is that -- who did you say your Master was?"
He understood his fear response on an intimate level -- a Seer had to know when he was afraid, how to process that fear, how to tamp it down and hide it; strong emotions drew a ghost out of its routine, could turn a pale shade into a poltergeist. He kept a smile on his face as he slowly said, "Donat Vider," kept from drawing away as his palms grew slick.
She regarded him closely, examining his face. "You're Havard," she said, breathing out his dead name, "Havard Eisvur. I thought you were dead--"
He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the brick. "How do you know me?" he hissed, snapping a ward across his skin.
"Lady please let go of me--"
"Are you one of them? Did you kill my--"
"It's me!" She tore the choker from her throat and the glamour fell. Her face thinned while her neck grew thicker, her hourglass straightened to flat plains -- "Havard, it's me, it's Henry," her voice dropped and Broker stepped back, releasing the woman who had turned into a scrawny teenager boy.
"Lady's grace," he murmured. "You're Henry? You're that kid who was always following me around when I was home?"
"Yes," she said, sounding miserable. "Are you going to attack me again?"
"No, of course not. Lady, I'm so sorry, I thought--" That you were a Follower of Morgause. That they found me. "I mean, I didn't-- look, I had no idea, it's not my business--"
"Sure." She fiddled with her choker before putting it back on; even knowing it was a glamour he couldn't see it. She must have paid a damn fortune for the thing. "We should go back inside," she said, voice back to normal. He followed her to the door, not sure if he should -- but he needed Elijah's help getting back to his hotel room.
She stopped him with a hand on his chest. "Why did you-- do that?"
Broker glanced down the alleyway. "The fire wasn't an accident." Her hand went to her mouth. "I don't think the people who did it know I'm still alive."
"And they'll come after you?"
"Maybe. I don't know. I can't risk it, they killed my entire family." He made himself look her in the eye. "I am really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or make you, um, reveal yourself--"
She pat his arm. "I understand. I scared you first." She let out a breath. "I'm just glad you're not angry."
He shrugged. "I know people do that, for like--" he rubbed the back of his neck. "Dressing up, or--"
"Hush, you were doing so well, don't ruin it."
"Sure, sorry. You know, I never actually caught your name."
She gave him a little half grin. "It's Elina," she said, and went back inside.