[Suikoden] A journey of false starts.
Sep. 22nd, 2005 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runicloreI've started and discarded several bits of ficbits since the green and nutty entry, which in itself was irritating. But we won't talk of that, because, like... it'll irritate me. :p There are a few posts in my notebook that were written at school, but I'm being lazy about typing them as usual. Thus, this entry.
This operation will hopefully encourage me to hurry up and post something decent (several somethings), so I can push it down out of sight. Besides, you know the stuff I usually post here isn't my worst, even if it sucks. I can do worse.
For instance: I suck at Albert's POV.
---
The horizon was already darkening by the time Albert returned to the suite Luc had reserved in Vinay del Zexay. The lamps along the corridors were already lit, but when he entered the sitting room it was still dim. The windows were thrown open to admit the salty breeze; when the curtains billowed back he could see the ocean and the remains of the sunset, broken by the skeletal shapes of masts and sails. His companion was a silent shape beside one of them, a gauzy curtain draped over one of her slender shoulders. She didn't turn to acknowledge his presence. Only a twitch of her hair let him know she'd heard his entrance at all.
Albert flicked his gaze over the rest of the room as he removed his gloves and unbuttoned his jacket. There was no sign of the others, which meant they'd not returned from Crystal Valley yet. The table was strewn with books and papers, as if Sarah had been studying, but from the look of it they were long abandoned.
"I take it you have received news?" he queried softly.
Sarah gave a slight nod. "Master Luc has been detained for further briefing." She pulled the window shut and brushed the curtain away, finally turning around. "Yuber said he would be back tomorrow for your report on the council's conditions."
Albert couldn't suppress a sigh. If Luc would not be returning, the negotiations would be left to him. It would only be a matter of time, but there were plans in Harmonia that needed tending. Anyone could make this deal with the council as long as the Temple was backing their effort; even Sarah, despite her naivete, might eventually hammer out something negotiable. It wasn't as if they planned to keep their word.
"Then I suppose we will be here a while." He smoothed the coat over his arm and walked toward his room, asking as he passed, "Have the servants come by yet?" The rest of the inn was lit, yet his room was pitch black, the curtains drawn, and the parlor was quickly dimming into darkness.
"I told them not to disturb us until dinner." She snapped her fingers, and the lamp on his nightstand sprang to light. He paused, blinking. "Do you need something?"
"No." It was easy to forget about her little quirks when she looked so normal most of the time. Dressed in Harmonian attire with her pale coloring, Sarah looked like anyone he had ever met at the Academy. She might even be Harmonian by descent, though neither she nor Luc deigned to enlighten him on that matter. Sarah never failed to be stiffly formal in declining whenever he asked, though given her normal behavior, it would be a wonder if she could manage any other kind of response.
He tossed his coat over a chair and loosened his collar with one hand, staring at her magical light. What she'd done was beyond his fledgling sense of runic energy. Not as spectacular as what Luc had outlined to him at their last briefing, perhaps, but it was the first sign of magic he'd seen from her yet.
If she was truly Sindar... why, he didn't know enough to even guess at the possibilities that offered them. They were a mystery. She had inherited that much at least. He'd watched her read different manuscripts from different cultural centers and eras, everything known to the One Temple that he was allowed to remove for research. The research department would kill to have such knowledge at their disposal.
Why Luc wanted to destroy his rune when he had such skill at his disposal-- it was tragic. He had the means to destroy Harmonia from within, or to take whatever power he desired. If he wanted to die, surely the high priest would oblige.
"Sarah," Albert called, hoping his voice would carry to the other room. He would not complain about the turn of Luc's ambitions. If the mage insisted, there was more than enough to gain from humoring him.
"Yes?"
He glanced back. "If it won't trouble you--"
"Wake you when dinner arrives?"
He paused, and nearly turned before remembering his state of dress. "Yes. Please."
She bowed, and reached to pull his door closed as she straightened. "As you wish."
Was it experience anticipating Luc's needs that allowed her to second-guess everything he thought to ask her, Albert wondered, or just another disturbing layer of her mystery? This was their first time working together alone. He'd no idea if she was always like this, or simply uncomfortable in his presence.
If it was the latter, that would make two of them. Sarah wasn't what one could call conventional company.
In fact, though he'd tried to keep her presence quiet upon their arrival to the city, it seemed she was difficult to miss. The council's eyes and ears were certainly keen. Each one he'd met that day left their compliments and made suggestions; it wasn't difficult see what they were thinking.
Sarah would be appalled. It brought a faint smile, that thought, as he collapsed onto his bed and scrubbed his hands through his hair. Albert wouldn't dream of poking fun at her, but it was the first pleasant thought he'd had since laying eyes on the first Zexen nobleman.
The light began to fade, and Albert let his eyes slip closed. Sleep wasn't long in coming.
-----
It is also true that, despite the fun I had RPing Alanis, I will never be able to write more than three paragraphs about her outside of Budehuc MUCK.
---
The crash of waves against the quay was the first sound to greet Alanis every morning, and the sharp sea breeze the first scent to waft in through her window. Bells tolling and coarse shouts also drifted through, and sometimes the snap of ropes or sails. Their new flat was practically on the water, a little south of the main docking area for ships incoming to Vinay del Zexay. It was what people termed 'the good part of town,' just beyond the bustle of the market place, but not so far away that her father's trading company wouldn't attract customers and potential investors.
Living in the good part of town left something to be desired for eleven-year-old girls, however. She hadn't ventured outside since the family moved in two days ago, but her window faced the street, and so far she had seen no other children running or playing outside. It seemed all she saw were carriages and guildsmen. When she did see someone close to her own age, they were dressed up like dolls and leashed to their parents' sides.
It was only ten in the morning, but she'd given up on seeing anything of interest pass below her window. She pushed the shutters open wide and leaned on the sill, legs tucked beneath her on the seat. The wind was welcome relief from the stifling heat trapped inside their flat. Things would be better for her if she'd leave the house, but the idea was at once exciting and repellent. Zexens were every bit as stuffy as Harmonians, and they'd just come from there.
-----
Likewise, anything about Sarah's childhood at the Temple will descend into angst, and so I can never actually get to the part where the priests come into the picture :
---
Spring at the Temple, cool and refreshing by normal standards, was actually rather stifling for the Sindar girl who had arrived with the priests a few days ago. It was nothing like the crisp, chilling mornings she knew from home, where the spires of the Northern Ruins were still frosted with snow. For Sarah, it was summer that melted the ice, and not the early March sunshine.
A faint breeze touched with the scent of roses lifted the curtains of the room the priests had left her in. It was plain, yet even then, finer than anything she knew before arriving to the Temple. The table was made of dark wood, and high enough that she had trouble seeing over it, even sitting on the chair. It was a hard chair, without any cushioning, and made a satisfying clacking sound when she kicked her legs back and forth.
The dress was also a gift, white with blue trimming and lace at the cuffs. The skirt was fluffy and embroidered with pretty flowers and little eyelets. It swirled and flew up when she spun around, but the priest had yelled at her to stop that.
It seemed like hours since he'd left her in this room with instructions to keep quiet. She hadn't said a word, or even moved from her chair, but the wait was beginning to get dull.
After thinking on the matter for a few minutes Sarah slid from the chair and made her way to one of the windows. They were huge, starting near the floor and ending so high she had to tilt her head all the way back to see the top. She pushed the gauzy curtain out of the way and leaned against the sill to peer out. She was too high to climb out, but she could look down at the people walking by underneath.
They were all dressed like the priest that took her from home. And they all looked the same, with light hair cut the same way, like a bowl around the head; mostly, they were boys, which made Sarah wrinkle her nose at them. Boys were never nice. The priest hadn't been nice either except for giving her the dress.
-----
... and that's just too bad, because I have some interesting ideas about her early childhood. I think they're interesting, anyway.
There's also a Sai bit I could post, but I won't.
This is grave #3, for a round of stories I probably won't ever finish. Too bad, but alas, that's life. Some ideas die, and sometimes the urge to write real fan fiction dies too, and leaves us with pointless posts like this. =D
This operation will hopefully encourage me to hurry up and post something decent (several somethings), so I can push it down out of sight. Besides, you know the stuff I usually post here isn't my worst, even if it sucks. I can do worse.
For instance: I suck at Albert's POV.
---
The horizon was already darkening by the time Albert returned to the suite Luc had reserved in Vinay del Zexay. The lamps along the corridors were already lit, but when he entered the sitting room it was still dim. The windows were thrown open to admit the salty breeze; when the curtains billowed back he could see the ocean and the remains of the sunset, broken by the skeletal shapes of masts and sails. His companion was a silent shape beside one of them, a gauzy curtain draped over one of her slender shoulders. She didn't turn to acknowledge his presence. Only a twitch of her hair let him know she'd heard his entrance at all.
Albert flicked his gaze over the rest of the room as he removed his gloves and unbuttoned his jacket. There was no sign of the others, which meant they'd not returned from Crystal Valley yet. The table was strewn with books and papers, as if Sarah had been studying, but from the look of it they were long abandoned.
"I take it you have received news?" he queried softly.
Sarah gave a slight nod. "Master Luc has been detained for further briefing." She pulled the window shut and brushed the curtain away, finally turning around. "Yuber said he would be back tomorrow for your report on the council's conditions."
Albert couldn't suppress a sigh. If Luc would not be returning, the negotiations would be left to him. It would only be a matter of time, but there were plans in Harmonia that needed tending. Anyone could make this deal with the council as long as the Temple was backing their effort; even Sarah, despite her naivete, might eventually hammer out something negotiable. It wasn't as if they planned to keep their word.
"Then I suppose we will be here a while." He smoothed the coat over his arm and walked toward his room, asking as he passed, "Have the servants come by yet?" The rest of the inn was lit, yet his room was pitch black, the curtains drawn, and the parlor was quickly dimming into darkness.
"I told them not to disturb us until dinner." She snapped her fingers, and the lamp on his nightstand sprang to light. He paused, blinking. "Do you need something?"
"No." It was easy to forget about her little quirks when she looked so normal most of the time. Dressed in Harmonian attire with her pale coloring, Sarah looked like anyone he had ever met at the Academy. She might even be Harmonian by descent, though neither she nor Luc deigned to enlighten him on that matter. Sarah never failed to be stiffly formal in declining whenever he asked, though given her normal behavior, it would be a wonder if she could manage any other kind of response.
He tossed his coat over a chair and loosened his collar with one hand, staring at her magical light. What she'd done was beyond his fledgling sense of runic energy. Not as spectacular as what Luc had outlined to him at their last briefing, perhaps, but it was the first sign of magic he'd seen from her yet.
If she was truly Sindar... why, he didn't know enough to even guess at the possibilities that offered them. They were a mystery. She had inherited that much at least. He'd watched her read different manuscripts from different cultural centers and eras, everything known to the One Temple that he was allowed to remove for research. The research department would kill to have such knowledge at their disposal.
Why Luc wanted to destroy his rune when he had such skill at his disposal-- it was tragic. He had the means to destroy Harmonia from within, or to take whatever power he desired. If he wanted to die, surely the high priest would oblige.
"Sarah," Albert called, hoping his voice would carry to the other room. He would not complain about the turn of Luc's ambitions. If the mage insisted, there was more than enough to gain from humoring him.
"Yes?"
He glanced back. "If it won't trouble you--"
"Wake you when dinner arrives?"
He paused, and nearly turned before remembering his state of dress. "Yes. Please."
She bowed, and reached to pull his door closed as she straightened. "As you wish."
Was it experience anticipating Luc's needs that allowed her to second-guess everything he thought to ask her, Albert wondered, or just another disturbing layer of her mystery? This was their first time working together alone. He'd no idea if she was always like this, or simply uncomfortable in his presence.
If it was the latter, that would make two of them. Sarah wasn't what one could call conventional company.
In fact, though he'd tried to keep her presence quiet upon their arrival to the city, it seemed she was difficult to miss. The council's eyes and ears were certainly keen. Each one he'd met that day left their compliments and made suggestions; it wasn't difficult see what they were thinking.
Sarah would be appalled. It brought a faint smile, that thought, as he collapsed onto his bed and scrubbed his hands through his hair. Albert wouldn't dream of poking fun at her, but it was the first pleasant thought he'd had since laying eyes on the first Zexen nobleman.
The light began to fade, and Albert let his eyes slip closed. Sleep wasn't long in coming.
-----
It is also true that, despite the fun I had RPing Alanis, I will never be able to write more than three paragraphs about her outside of Budehuc MUCK.
---
The crash of waves against the quay was the first sound to greet Alanis every morning, and the sharp sea breeze the first scent to waft in through her window. Bells tolling and coarse shouts also drifted through, and sometimes the snap of ropes or sails. Their new flat was practically on the water, a little south of the main docking area for ships incoming to Vinay del Zexay. It was what people termed 'the good part of town,' just beyond the bustle of the market place, but not so far away that her father's trading company wouldn't attract customers and potential investors.
Living in the good part of town left something to be desired for eleven-year-old girls, however. She hadn't ventured outside since the family moved in two days ago, but her window faced the street, and so far she had seen no other children running or playing outside. It seemed all she saw were carriages and guildsmen. When she did see someone close to her own age, they were dressed up like dolls and leashed to their parents' sides.
It was only ten in the morning, but she'd given up on seeing anything of interest pass below her window. She pushed the shutters open wide and leaned on the sill, legs tucked beneath her on the seat. The wind was welcome relief from the stifling heat trapped inside their flat. Things would be better for her if she'd leave the house, but the idea was at once exciting and repellent. Zexens were every bit as stuffy as Harmonians, and they'd just come from there.
-----
Likewise, anything about Sarah's childhood at the Temple will descend into angst, and so I can never actually get to the part where the priests come into the picture :
---
Spring at the Temple, cool and refreshing by normal standards, was actually rather stifling for the Sindar girl who had arrived with the priests a few days ago. It was nothing like the crisp, chilling mornings she knew from home, where the spires of the Northern Ruins were still frosted with snow. For Sarah, it was summer that melted the ice, and not the early March sunshine.
A faint breeze touched with the scent of roses lifted the curtains of the room the priests had left her in. It was plain, yet even then, finer than anything she knew before arriving to the Temple. The table was made of dark wood, and high enough that she had trouble seeing over it, even sitting on the chair. It was a hard chair, without any cushioning, and made a satisfying clacking sound when she kicked her legs back and forth.
The dress was also a gift, white with blue trimming and lace at the cuffs. The skirt was fluffy and embroidered with pretty flowers and little eyelets. It swirled and flew up when she spun around, but the priest had yelled at her to stop that.
It seemed like hours since he'd left her in this room with instructions to keep quiet. She hadn't said a word, or even moved from her chair, but the wait was beginning to get dull.
After thinking on the matter for a few minutes Sarah slid from the chair and made her way to one of the windows. They were huge, starting near the floor and ending so high she had to tilt her head all the way back to see the top. She pushed the gauzy curtain out of the way and leaned against the sill to peer out. She was too high to climb out, but she could look down at the people walking by underneath.
They were all dressed like the priest that took her from home. And they all looked the same, with light hair cut the same way, like a bowl around the head; mostly, they were boys, which made Sarah wrinkle her nose at them. Boys were never nice. The priest hadn't been nice either except for giving her the dress.
-----
... and that's just too bad, because I have some interesting ideas about her early childhood. I think they're interesting, anyway.
There's also a Sai bit I could post, but I won't.
This is grave #3, for a round of stories I probably won't ever finish. Too bad, but alas, that's life. Some ideas die, and sometimes the urge to write real fan fiction dies too, and leaves us with pointless posts like this. =D
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Re: Albert fic
Date: 2005-09-24 04:43 am (UTC)Glad you liked it, in any case! I felt passionate hate for it back when I wrote it, so someone needs to give it the love it needs. :p