[Witches' Horses] Swallow's Tail

[named_by_rhyme]

Title: Things that don't mix
'Verse/characters: Swallow's Tail; outside perspective on Sascha, Helena and Petrovich
Prompt: 92D "rape"
Word Count: 2261 2282
Notes: Follows not everyone's treat food; early stages of 3 (not that Helena would ever admit that). They arrived in Berezniki in exchange of politenesses; they appear to have been in

Comments

1/2?!? wtf.

[billradish]

Horsepeople rarely minded that sort of thing anyway, long since accustomed to making their own repairs in the black. If anything he might get a smile or an extra few kopecks.

I like that he calculates that out. I like that he needs to.

The three people passing by his shop looked like solid trouble in several flavours.

I am so amused that it's fairly likely that so long as I knew we were in this verse, I'd probably be able to pick out who it was he was talking about, even without the icon and header info.

in his much-varied life.

Like that phrase.

The war had taught Oleg that invisible excellent service was just as effective as smiles and laughter, and less dangerous to his hide. He did his best to ignore trouble, in the hopes it would ignore him right back.

To my eye, Oleg is laying it on a bit thick about how hard his life is/has been. Which, in all honesty, makes him more believable to me.

If he'd grown up in a terem Oleg would ask Ilya Sevastanovich for a job tomorrow,Would recommend using "that one" instead of "he'd"

2/2

[billradish]

"Among my people, insulting parentage is worth starting a feud over," the Siberian replied, very slightly cheerfully. "My mother would have fed you to the reindeer, starting with your toes. She might have stopped and let you think about what you'd said every so often."

Important things for Rostovich to consider. How seriously do Sascha's people take feuds? And this man was raised by the woman he's talking about. That's important, that.

"Oh," she was growling at the Russian as she unslung the pack from her shoulders, "I'm just going to let you pick a fight with the local militia without so much as a boot knife, sir. Yeah. That's me."

Totally.

And while they're fighting, she'll be working on embroidering a pillowcase and crying about how she's going to die unmarried and entirely without value.

He had food, tea, water, and a project. He'd dealt with worse

Re: 2/2

[taennyn]

Well, Rostovich appears to have been a particular brand of idiot. I'm not sure the slightly oblique warning about how much shit Rostovich may have just landed himself in (given Sascha's cultural background [also his scary, scary maidre]) really sunk in, as such. I also am somewhat amused that Sascha only talks about what his socialization says, as opposed to what he'd do. :)

And while they're fighting, she'll be working on embroidering a pillowcase and crying about how she's going to die unmarried and entirely without value.

...... ow, fuck, rib, laughing, ow--

Re: 2/2

[billradish]

Oh, I know he won't get it. But he should. He really, really should.

I also am somewhat amused that Sascha only talks about what his socialization says, as opposed to what he'd do. :)

Well, generally, he's a lot more laid back than that. =P Also, his actions are rather speaking for him at present.

...... ow, fuck, rib, laughing, ow--

\o/

[taennyn]

:) I was struggling with how to show the speed and ease/grace that happens with the visual for this one, until I thought of putting it from an outside perspective. I'm still struggling with it, but that's more because my ability to portray images is imperfect and Oleg appears to be a very slippery fellow to get a POV from. >.>

Yeees. I think we're all wondering what exactly Oleg got up to during the war.

[taennyn]

Thus far, no, but given the breadth of the stories set in this particular Russia*, it's entirely possible we'll run into him again. A younger version in Sibir is possible (in which case we may actually get to know at least some of what he got up to), or a very slightly older one in Witches' Horses, for example.

*: the Falcons' Feathers and Morozko stories being more strongly influenced by other periods and peoples and thus not really in this version of Russia.

[taennyn]

Now if only they didn't come with their own agendas. >.>

[taennyn]

Given how developed the rest of the Swallow's Tail timeline is, I can at least be reasonably confidant he won't be joining the cast for this one. Oy.

[taennyn]

If skittish and oblique about Everything. >.>

:) This is the most directly visually diverse cast, which might help. (I swear I didn't do it on purpose, but dude. Dark end of the Slavic set [including the slightly sunken/hollow eyes], African by way of Greece, northern steppes/Saami/Mongol* with enough Swede to be blond, and dyed-in-the-wool Scandanavian. Let's just tick off the list, shall we? O.o;)

*: Technically Polotsovy, but that doesn't actually conjure up much in the way of visuals for me. >.>

[taennyn]

They just cover the counter, I think. So when he would leave at night he'd close the shutters, then leave the space and lock the door behind him. This time he locked himself in, instead.

[illian]

*cackles*