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clonechildToday I started writing a fic for something I've been wanting to read for a while; namely, Caedmon and the founder of the Silver Falcons interaction. I was planning to do just a short little thing, maybe a drabble, consisting of mostly conversation. And then I started writing, and the beginning just happened. And none of it was conversation.
Fandom: The Last Remnant
Characters: Caedmon, the founder of the Silver Falcons (I don't know his name, so I just ganked the name for one of the Athlumian soldiers off the wiki, but caring enough to see if it was the name of a male mitra, and now his name is Cain \o/ trivia: his special stat is cooperation).
Warnings: one-sided xeno crush, ESL.
~ 1200 words, so definitely not a drabble.
ETA: forcypher as thanks for the Dreamwidth invite.
- - -
Night in Balterossa meant a sharp plunge in temperature. Caedmon never really noticed it, as his fur protected him quite well, but he’d heard the bitter complaints from several of the mitra and qsiti who didn’t appreciate the cold. It was, to be honest, something he’d never thought about, other people’s reaction to the weather.
There were a lot of things he’d never thought about before joining the Silver Falcons. Before, in his remote little village, surrounded by only a few other sovani – most of them relatives – he’d thought everyone would share his opinion about the different weather types: rain was annoying since it made your fur heavy and damp and it took a long time to dry, and you would get mud everywhere. Cold was preferable to heat, for warm temperatures made him want to laze around in the sun, curling up on a warm patch of grass to sleep. They didn’t often experience snow.
Working with the Silver Falcons and all the diverse mercenaries affiliated to it had been an exercise in, among other things, tact, emotions and respect for all races that were not sovani, with the obvious exception of the jhana. Qsiti, he’d found out, were partial to warmth, which energized them. Low temperatures made them sluggish and sleepy, but they liked rain. Mitra tended to hate all weather conditions equally and seemed to make a sport of complaining about it. It had to be warm, but not too warm, and certainly not too cold, and preferably dry and slightly breezy. Yama, meanwhile, loved cold rainy weather, but got quickly exhausted in the heat.
Being stationed in Balterossa had never been exactly ideal, what with it being so close to the largest desert in their world but he’d known that when he’d gone to visit several years ago. Then, seeing the Tao Tie had been his goal. Now, it was his work.
Work demanded a battle with a group of jhana for tomorrow and he was more than happy to oblige. They’d bought enough herbs and other medicinal components to last them for at least a week, and now everyone was checking on his or her weapons and armour to make certain it was in top condition. Assembling the squads had been more trouble. They’d had to send some of their best healers to Ghor because a fight had left the division there with several casualties. Furthermore, the Silver Falcon pride didn’t stop the members from infighting, which made putting squads together a delicate undertaking.
Approaching footsteps shook him out of his contemplations. He didn’t need to smell the scent coming near: the cadence and sound of the steps told him it was Cain – and when exactly had he become so attuned to at least that mitra out of hundreds of them in Balterossa that he could tell who was approaching him, simply by sound alone?
‘Evening,’ the founder of the Silver Falcons said, settling himself easily on the low wall surrounding the Tao Tie that Caedmon was standing next to.
‘Ah, good evening.’ Caedmon hesitated for a moment, when there was no reaction forthcoming. Cain did seek him out quite often simply to talk, but there was a battle tomorrow and – ‘My lances are in good order, though I’m thinking of doing an upgrade after this. Do you know if there’s a place I can buy some silver ore?’
‘Silver ore, eh?’ Cain hummed to himself for a moment. ‘If the rumours are correct there should be some to be found in Mojcado Castle.’ He turned to Caedmon and smiled. ‘Shall we go there the day after tomorrow, then, provided we are capable of moving?’
Caedmon’s lower arms tightened around his stomach. ‘You would not mind accompanying me? I know it is a selfish request, to take some time off from our work, simply to indulge in my own desire for some ore.’
Cain laughed at him, warm and amused. Had it been the reaction of another sovani, Caedmon knew it would have been an insult. But mitra seemed to laugh for reasons other than bloodlust or enjoyment in someone’s pain. It had been a lesson difficult to grasp, in the beginning; that mitra and yama would bare their teeth not in threat but in simple delight, because they were happy. Even qsiti did not immediately assume someone who was laughing was making fun of them. It seemed to be purely a sovani custom.
‘Wanting to upgrade your weapons is not selfish,’ Cain said, and his voice made Caedmon jerk to attention, daydream lost. ‘It’s a very practical request, really. And I’d be happy to go with you. It’s been some time since I’ve explored that castle last. I think I still have a map somewhere. And believe me, it’s not a place you want to go to without one. We could take some of the others with us, even. Call it training.’ His expression sharpened and then he reached out and took hold of Caedmon’s upper hands, which had started fussing with some smudges on his armour without the sovani even noticing. ‘No, really. It’s alright. It’s not a burden at all. You’re not being a burden, Caedmon. I’d be happy to help you out. We’re friends, aren’t we?’
Too distracted by the feeling of Cain’s hands on his, it took Caedmon a moment to whisper out a ‘Thank you.’ The tips of the mitra’s fingers were cold, but his hand palms were warm and it was distracting to feel the absence of fur, just smooth skin against his hands, mindful of his claws.
Then Cain released him. ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ he said with an apologetic smile. ‘I’d forgotten – sovani do not like to be touched, do they?’
Something in Caedmon’s throat seemed to make speaking difficult. ‘It’s – it’s alright,’ he murmured. ‘I don’t mind.’ At seeing Cain’s curious look (Caedmon’s vehemence to people in his personal space had become something of a legend among the Silver Falcons) he quickly elaborated. ‘I – I mean, I don’t mind when it’s you. Because,’ Cain’s eyes had widened now, and talking really was difficult and this was probably why most sovani thought only fools would show emotions, this feeling of your throat closing up and your stomach doing flips over itself, this hypersensitive feeling that if someone would touch your fur now you’d feel it all over your body, ‘because we’re… we’re friends, right?’
Cain’s shoulders relaxed, face softening into a warm smile that – oh, that was definitely not a threat or an insult, how could Caedmon ever have believed something so outrageous, because it made him feel… it made him feel –
‘I’m glad,’ Cain said. Then he rose to his feet and clapped Caedmon on the shoulder. ‘Don’t stay up too late, alright? We’re going to need your strength tomorrow. Sleep well.’
‘Right,’ Caedmon answered, preoccupied by the fact that he really could feel that simple, companionable touch all the way down to his feet. ‘Yes, good night.’ He watched Cain walk away, the mitra stopping every so often to chat with some other Falcons. Then he reached up and carefully touched one claw to that still tingling spot on his shoulder. Sleep did not come easily to him that night.
It didn’t matter. They still won the battle.
- - -
Caedmon needs, among other things, Silver Ore to upgrade his starting Valac Princeps. It can be found as treasure in Mojcado Castle. There are digging points for it as well, but Mojcado Castle is the closest to Balterossa.
The only times I've seen a sovani laugh - as far as I can remember of course - would be when Wyngale is talking about killing things. Maybe Snievan laughs, but Snievan's also not exactly a happy camper. Allan even tells us that Torgal used to say that only fools would show emotion.
Names I actually wanted to use for the founder of the Silver Falcons: Seth (turned out to be a female mitra), Sycune (yama), Agyptus (idem), Akaya (qsiti). More things about soldiers: Deirdre is actually a male qsiti. Fauna is a yama and his unique stat has actually nothing to do with plants - it's joker. Iris is also a guy and apparently really good at being paranoid. There's also a guy called Knox, with the rather appropriate stat of 'stubbornness'.
Please nitpick my grammar, sentence structure and horrible mix of British and American English :S
Fandom: The Last Remnant
Characters: Caedmon, the founder of the Silver Falcons (I don't know his name, so I just ganked the name for one of the Athlumian soldiers off the wiki, but caring enough to see if it was the name of a male mitra, and now his name is Cain \o/ trivia: his special stat is cooperation).
Warnings: one-sided xeno crush, ESL.
~ 1200 words, so definitely not a drabble.
ETA: for
cypher as thanks for the Dreamwidth invite. - - -
Night in Balterossa meant a sharp plunge in temperature. Caedmon never really noticed it, as his fur protected him quite well, but he’d heard the bitter complaints from several of the mitra and qsiti who didn’t appreciate the cold. It was, to be honest, something he’d never thought about, other people’s reaction to the weather.
There were a lot of things he’d never thought about before joining the Silver Falcons. Before, in his remote little village, surrounded by only a few other sovani – most of them relatives – he’d thought everyone would share his opinion about the different weather types: rain was annoying since it made your fur heavy and damp and it took a long time to dry, and you would get mud everywhere. Cold was preferable to heat, for warm temperatures made him want to laze around in the sun, curling up on a warm patch of grass to sleep. They didn’t often experience snow.
Working with the Silver Falcons and all the diverse mercenaries affiliated to it had been an exercise in, among other things, tact, emotions and respect for all races that were not sovani, with the obvious exception of the jhana. Qsiti, he’d found out, were partial to warmth, which energized them. Low temperatures made them sluggish and sleepy, but they liked rain. Mitra tended to hate all weather conditions equally and seemed to make a sport of complaining about it. It had to be warm, but not too warm, and certainly not too cold, and preferably dry and slightly breezy. Yama, meanwhile, loved cold rainy weather, but got quickly exhausted in the heat.
Being stationed in Balterossa had never been exactly ideal, what with it being so close to the largest desert in their world but he’d known that when he’d gone to visit several years ago. Then, seeing the Tao Tie had been his goal. Now, it was his work.
Work demanded a battle with a group of jhana for tomorrow and he was more than happy to oblige. They’d bought enough herbs and other medicinal components to last them for at least a week, and now everyone was checking on his or her weapons and armour to make certain it was in top condition. Assembling the squads had been more trouble. They’d had to send some of their best healers to Ghor because a fight had left the division there with several casualties. Furthermore, the Silver Falcon pride didn’t stop the members from infighting, which made putting squads together a delicate undertaking.
Approaching footsteps shook him out of his contemplations. He didn’t need to smell the scent coming near: the cadence and sound of the steps told him it was Cain – and when exactly had he become so attuned to at least that mitra out of hundreds of them in Balterossa that he could tell who was approaching him, simply by sound alone?
‘Evening,’ the founder of the Silver Falcons said, settling himself easily on the low wall surrounding the Tao Tie that Caedmon was standing next to.
‘Ah, good evening.’ Caedmon hesitated for a moment, when there was no reaction forthcoming. Cain did seek him out quite often simply to talk, but there was a battle tomorrow and – ‘My lances are in good order, though I’m thinking of doing an upgrade after this. Do you know if there’s a place I can buy some silver ore?’
‘Silver ore, eh?’ Cain hummed to himself for a moment. ‘If the rumours are correct there should be some to be found in Mojcado Castle.’ He turned to Caedmon and smiled. ‘Shall we go there the day after tomorrow, then, provided we are capable of moving?’
Caedmon’s lower arms tightened around his stomach. ‘You would not mind accompanying me? I know it is a selfish request, to take some time off from our work, simply to indulge in my own desire for some ore.’
Cain laughed at him, warm and amused. Had it been the reaction of another sovani, Caedmon knew it would have been an insult. But mitra seemed to laugh for reasons other than bloodlust or enjoyment in someone’s pain. It had been a lesson difficult to grasp, in the beginning; that mitra and yama would bare their teeth not in threat but in simple delight, because they were happy. Even qsiti did not immediately assume someone who was laughing was making fun of them. It seemed to be purely a sovani custom.
‘Wanting to upgrade your weapons is not selfish,’ Cain said, and his voice made Caedmon jerk to attention, daydream lost. ‘It’s a very practical request, really. And I’d be happy to go with you. It’s been some time since I’ve explored that castle last. I think I still have a map somewhere. And believe me, it’s not a place you want to go to without one. We could take some of the others with us, even. Call it training.’ His expression sharpened and then he reached out and took hold of Caedmon’s upper hands, which had started fussing with some smudges on his armour without the sovani even noticing. ‘No, really. It’s alright. It’s not a burden at all. You’re not being a burden, Caedmon. I’d be happy to help you out. We’re friends, aren’t we?’
Too distracted by the feeling of Cain’s hands on his, it took Caedmon a moment to whisper out a ‘Thank you.’ The tips of the mitra’s fingers were cold, but his hand palms were warm and it was distracting to feel the absence of fur, just smooth skin against his hands, mindful of his claws.
Then Cain released him. ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ he said with an apologetic smile. ‘I’d forgotten – sovani do not like to be touched, do they?’
Something in Caedmon’s throat seemed to make speaking difficult. ‘It’s – it’s alright,’ he murmured. ‘I don’t mind.’ At seeing Cain’s curious look (Caedmon’s vehemence to people in his personal space had become something of a legend among the Silver Falcons) he quickly elaborated. ‘I – I mean, I don’t mind when it’s you. Because,’ Cain’s eyes had widened now, and talking really was difficult and this was probably why most sovani thought only fools would show emotions, this feeling of your throat closing up and your stomach doing flips over itself, this hypersensitive feeling that if someone would touch your fur now you’d feel it all over your body, ‘because we’re… we’re friends, right?’
Cain’s shoulders relaxed, face softening into a warm smile that – oh, that was definitely not a threat or an insult, how could Caedmon ever have believed something so outrageous, because it made him feel… it made him feel –
‘I’m glad,’ Cain said. Then he rose to his feet and clapped Caedmon on the shoulder. ‘Don’t stay up too late, alright? We’re going to need your strength tomorrow. Sleep well.’
‘Right,’ Caedmon answered, preoccupied by the fact that he really could feel that simple, companionable touch all the way down to his feet. ‘Yes, good night.’ He watched Cain walk away, the mitra stopping every so often to chat with some other Falcons. Then he reached up and carefully touched one claw to that still tingling spot on his shoulder. Sleep did not come easily to him that night.
It didn’t matter. They still won the battle.
- - -
Caedmon needs, among other things, Silver Ore to upgrade his starting Valac Princeps. It can be found as treasure in Mojcado Castle. There are digging points for it as well, but Mojcado Castle is the closest to Balterossa.
The only times I've seen a sovani laugh - as far as I can remember of course - would be when Wyngale is talking about killing things. Maybe Snievan laughs, but Snievan's also not exactly a happy camper. Allan even tells us that Torgal used to say that only fools would show emotion.
Names I actually wanted to use for the founder of the Silver Falcons: Seth (turned out to be a female mitra), Sycune (yama), Agyptus (idem), Akaya (qsiti). More things about soldiers: Deirdre is actually a male qsiti. Fauna is a yama and his unique stat has actually nothing to do with plants - it's joker. Iris is also a guy and apparently really good at being paranoid. There's also a guy called Knox, with the rather appropriate stat of 'stubbornness'.
Please nitpick my grammar, sentence structure and horrible mix of British and American English :S
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-22 03:43 am (UTC)What a pleasant surprise to come home to!
I love the feel for little details here, all the tiny day-to-day things that Caedmon is learning about the other races. And his wry sense of humor. A-and his adorable crush. mmf. ♥
I think you're right about sovani laughing; Snievan probably does it as part of the Seven's group intimidation scene but I'm pretty sure I don't remember him doing it at any other point.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-22 08:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-23 02:45 pm (UTC)Ahahaha, too true. XD
Sovani are definitely fascinating; nice to get a glimpse into this one. ^^
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-28 12:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
From: