(no subject)
Title: When Reality Hits
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kitra, Shuang, Fai, Lana, Aldan
Flavours: Mango #22 [Damage Control]; Wildberry #12 [According to plan]; Tangerine #1 [Panic attack]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: N/A
Word count: 1,000
Rating: PG (cursing)
Summary: In which Shuang reveals the location of the dragon, a plan is formed, and Shuang and Kitra have a heart-to-heart of sorts.
"But, I think I know where our dragon is hiding."
There was a pause after Shuang's statement, where Lana leaned so far forwards that Kitra was sure she was going to fall out of her chair. "Well?" she said finally, impatiently. "Where is it?"
Shuang cast a worried look at Fai before he spoke this time. "I think Mei Ling has it."
Kitra watched, confused, as Fai's expression darkened. Lana looked as though she was trying to work out what they meant; but it was Aldan who wore a look of comprehension. Shuang threw him a bitter smile. "Yeah," he muttered.
"I've heard of her, I think," Lana said before Fai could speak. He still looked tense, Kitra noticed, and she backed up until she was almost sitting on the arm of the sofa.
"I was supposed to marry her," Shuang said, looking extremely uncomfortable now. It was a difference from the man she'd originally met, Kitra thought; she hadn't thought he would ever look even slightly ruffled. "She took it - badly - when I didn't."
"Very badly," Fai growled. "I'll get it. Shouldn't be too difficult."
Shuang blanched, and Kitra got the feeling there was something here that wasn't being said. Lana, however, frowned. "Wait just a minute," she said. "How do you even know that that's where the dragon is?"
"It was in the paper. The society paper. She got engaged to Lord Jun, and amongst the gifts he gave her for their engagement, there was mention of a giant jade stone. Sounds like a dragon's egg if I've ever heard it."
Lana nodded, then looked at Fai. "You can't go."
Fai stood, one fluid, smooth movement, but Lana just leaned back in her chair, unimpressed and not intimidated in the slightest. "You can't stop me."
"No, I can't," Lana replied. "But it's a stupid idea, and will get you killed. This woman knows you, you idiot. She knows you're not supposed to be around, or I'm guessing you wouldn't be hiding. She will tell someone, and they will find you. And if anyone fucks with what I'm doing here, I will kill you first."
Fai didn't seem to want to back down; his hands clenched into fists, but it was Shuang who spoke next. "We'll leave revenge for another day," he said quietly. "It's more important we get that dragon out of there."
Fai's jaw clenched and he sat down very stiffly, not looking at any of them. Kitra wondered if anyone would notice if she stood and moved over the other side of the room. Probably not.
"Well I can't go," Aldan said, "Because that would just be stupid."
"And I can't, for the same reasons as Fai," Shuang added.
Lana looked at Kitra, and Kitra felt her heart drop into her stomach. Oh, shit.
"Don't worry boys. I have a solution."
Aldan frowned, looking between Kitra and Lana. "And a plan? Do you have a plan?"
Lana's smile widened into something cat-like. "Of course."
*
The plan, as it turned out, was in two parts: part one, Kitra had to go and get the plans for Mei Ling's house - where she was still living because apparently she hadn't married Lord Jun, yet. Part two, Kitra had to break into a noblewoman's house and steal what she essentially thought was a priceless jewel. Oh, and, don't get caught. Mustn't forget that part.
Needless to say, Kitra was a little bit worried. Maybe there was even some panic creeping in there. She paced around the room and threw her hands up into the air in frustration - who was she kidding, exactly? This was near enough a full-blown panic attack; she didn't know what the hell she was going to do!
A knock on the door made her spin around, and she backed up when she saw Shuang standing there, his smile gentle.
"What do you want?" she snapped, eyeing the distance between herself, him, and the door. When Shuang saw what she was doing, the smile only widened.
"You must have realised by now we're not going to turn you in," he said softly, coming in and shutting the door behind him. Kitra frowned and backed up a little more. She didn't particularly like being trapped.
"Why's that?"
"You've got some control, Kitra," he said, staying over near the door, making no move to come closer. That was okay, then. "There's no need to, so long as you learn to handle this. If you can't-"
"Then what? You'll hand me over to the king himself?"
"No," Shuang scoffed. "We'll find a way to control it. Believe me when I say I want to help you."
He took a step forward, but Kitra walked back and he stopped. "Why do you want to help?" she asked quietly.
"Why not?" Shuang shrugged. "You've got magic, Kitra. And you should live in a world where that should be okay."
Kitra had a feeling that meant something else, but she didn't know what. She did take a step closer, though, recognising that there was something she shared with Shuang, something fundamental.
"When we get the dragon, what will happen then?"
"I think Lana's employers might step in," Shuang said. She was surprised he was telling the truth; Lana wouldn't. "And then that'll be something else we'll have to deal with." He sighed quietly.
"And eventually..."
He looked up at her. "What?"
"There's going to be another war, isn't there?"
Shuang frowned. "No." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her again, and when he walked closer, she let him. "What do you know?" he murmured.
"It's a feeling," Kitra replied. "There's something - hm, something big at the back of my mind, not with my, uh, magic. Something big is going to happen. I know it. It's been building since I first realised what I could do. Since before, I think."
Shuang sighed and touched the top of her head, briefly. "Thing is, you're probably right," he murmured.
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kitra, Shuang, Fai, Lana, Aldan
Flavours: Mango #22 [Damage Control]; Wildberry #12 [According to plan]; Tangerine #1 [Panic attack]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: N/A
Word count: 1,000
Rating: PG (cursing)
Summary: In which Shuang reveals the location of the dragon, a plan is formed, and Shuang and Kitra have a heart-to-heart of sorts.
"But, I think I know where our dragon is hiding."
There was a pause after Shuang's statement, where Lana leaned so far forwards that Kitra was sure she was going to fall out of her chair. "Well?" she said finally, impatiently. "Where is it?"
Shuang cast a worried look at Fai before he spoke this time. "I think Mei Ling has it."
Kitra watched, confused, as Fai's expression darkened. Lana looked as though she was trying to work out what they meant; but it was Aldan who wore a look of comprehension. Shuang threw him a bitter smile. "Yeah," he muttered.
"I've heard of her, I think," Lana said before Fai could speak. He still looked tense, Kitra noticed, and she backed up until she was almost sitting on the arm of the sofa.
"I was supposed to marry her," Shuang said, looking extremely uncomfortable now. It was a difference from the man she'd originally met, Kitra thought; she hadn't thought he would ever look even slightly ruffled. "She took it - badly - when I didn't."
"Very badly," Fai growled. "I'll get it. Shouldn't be too difficult."
Shuang blanched, and Kitra got the feeling there was something here that wasn't being said. Lana, however, frowned. "Wait just a minute," she said. "How do you even know that that's where the dragon is?"
"It was in the paper. The society paper. She got engaged to Lord Jun, and amongst the gifts he gave her for their engagement, there was mention of a giant jade stone. Sounds like a dragon's egg if I've ever heard it."
Lana nodded, then looked at Fai. "You can't go."
Fai stood, one fluid, smooth movement, but Lana just leaned back in her chair, unimpressed and not intimidated in the slightest. "You can't stop me."
"No, I can't," Lana replied. "But it's a stupid idea, and will get you killed. This woman knows you, you idiot. She knows you're not supposed to be around, or I'm guessing you wouldn't be hiding. She will tell someone, and they will find you. And if anyone fucks with what I'm doing here, I will kill you first."
Fai didn't seem to want to back down; his hands clenched into fists, but it was Shuang who spoke next. "We'll leave revenge for another day," he said quietly. "It's more important we get that dragon out of there."
Fai's jaw clenched and he sat down very stiffly, not looking at any of them. Kitra wondered if anyone would notice if she stood and moved over the other side of the room. Probably not.
"Well I can't go," Aldan said, "Because that would just be stupid."
"And I can't, for the same reasons as Fai," Shuang added.
Lana looked at Kitra, and Kitra felt her heart drop into her stomach. Oh, shit.
"Don't worry boys. I have a solution."
Aldan frowned, looking between Kitra and Lana. "And a plan? Do you have a plan?"
Lana's smile widened into something cat-like. "Of course."
*
The plan, as it turned out, was in two parts: part one, Kitra had to go and get the plans for Mei Ling's house - where she was still living because apparently she hadn't married Lord Jun, yet. Part two, Kitra had to break into a noblewoman's house and steal what she essentially thought was a priceless jewel. Oh, and, don't get caught. Mustn't forget that part.
Needless to say, Kitra was a little bit worried. Maybe there was even some panic creeping in there. She paced around the room and threw her hands up into the air in frustration - who was she kidding, exactly? This was near enough a full-blown panic attack; she didn't know what the hell she was going to do!
A knock on the door made her spin around, and she backed up when she saw Shuang standing there, his smile gentle.
"What do you want?" she snapped, eyeing the distance between herself, him, and the door. When Shuang saw what she was doing, the smile only widened.
"You must have realised by now we're not going to turn you in," he said softly, coming in and shutting the door behind him. Kitra frowned and backed up a little more. She didn't particularly like being trapped.
"Why's that?"
"You've got some control, Kitra," he said, staying over near the door, making no move to come closer. That was okay, then. "There's no need to, so long as you learn to handle this. If you can't-"
"Then what? You'll hand me over to the king himself?"
"No," Shuang scoffed. "We'll find a way to control it. Believe me when I say I want to help you."
He took a step forward, but Kitra walked back and he stopped. "Why do you want to help?" she asked quietly.
"Why not?" Shuang shrugged. "You've got magic, Kitra. And you should live in a world where that should be okay."
Kitra had a feeling that meant something else, but she didn't know what. She did take a step closer, though, recognising that there was something she shared with Shuang, something fundamental.
"When we get the dragon, what will happen then?"
"I think Lana's employers might step in," Shuang said. She was surprised he was telling the truth; Lana wouldn't. "And then that'll be something else we'll have to deal with." He sighed quietly.
"And eventually..."
He looked up at her. "What?"
"There's going to be another war, isn't there?"
Shuang frowned. "No." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her again, and when he walked closer, she let him. "What do you know?" he murmured.
"It's a feeling," Kitra replied. "There's something - hm, something big at the back of my mind, not with my, uh, magic. Something big is going to happen. I know it. It's been building since I first realised what I could do. Since before, I think."
Shuang sighed and touched the top of her head, briefly. "Thing is, you're probably right," he murmured.