Hmm, so putting the last three prompts together, we have that something has gone missing, which seemed mundane at first but, when you realised it, gave you chills? That's sort of a prompt in itself I suppose... :)
Missing "Let's go," said Rystin. He offered his hand to Fabian who looked at it and then shook his head. "I'd feel better if I walked out of here by myself," he said. "I'd feel like it was me doing the walking then." Rystin just nodded as though he'd been expecting that answer and they walked slowly out of the ruin and back into the verdant woodland. Looking around now, Fabian saw that the clearing was less natural that he'd thought on the way out; he could see where the trees had been gently pruned back so that their branches left a space, and where the bushes were just tucked in slightly on one side to make a space for a path. As he studied these signs more carefully he began to appreciate how subtle they were -- the bushes weren't symmetrical and didn't look like they'd had blades taken to them, so perhaps they'd been pressed aside by barriers until they grew naturally in the new direction. The tree branches had been removed leaving the tiniest scar possible, and there were branches whose curves were unnatural now he studied them: maybe they'd been trained in new directions when they were still young and just looked like they would intrude in the wrong direction. He pointed this out to Rystin at last, aware that he'd been silent for much of their walk. "The wisp-elves are expert gardeners," said Rystin. "There's a theory that their magic arose from the need to convince unintelligent things to do things for themselves in order not to have to damage them." "How does that transfer over to people, then?" "Some people aren't very intelligent," said Rystin. That killed the conversation all the way back to the substation. "What are you doing at the Museum at the moment?" asked Fabian as they looked for, and failed to find, seats on the sub. "Still working with the Maestro?" "We'll be opening the stasis cylinders tomorrow," said Rystin. "We got a bit delayed by the spell around your office, but the Maestro saw an opportunity and persuaded the Admiral that the same team that handled that could handle our cylinders too." Fabian quietly noted that use of 'our' and said nothing, but couldn't suppress just a tiny surge of pride. "When will I be told about this? Or am I missing out?" he asked, not really thinking about his words. Rystin reacted as though he'd been shocked with an electric prod though, sitting bolt upright and his mouth falling open. "I... oh! I... I thought... oh!" "The Maestro is going to tell me afterwards?" asked Fabian. He noticed Rystin's look of horror. "Oh no, calm down! This is entirely normal for that man; he'll think this is too dangerous to involve me, or he'll want to surprise me with the contents of the cylinders, or he'll just think that since I'm not magical and not a monster hunter then I shouldn't have a part in it. I've had this argument with him so many times. And lost, every single time." "Please don't tell him I told you?" "I won't," said Fabian. "But... Dread's team are helping you, you said? Then I think I know who is going to casually mention it to me in passing." He grinned broadly as the sub pulled into their station.
2 comments:
Hmm, so putting the last three prompts together, we have that something has gone missing, which seemed mundane at first but, when you realised it, gave you chills? That's sort of a prompt in itself I suppose... :)
Missing
"Let's go," said Rystin. He offered his hand to Fabian who looked at it and then shook his head.
"I'd feel better if I walked out of here by myself," he said. "I'd feel like it was me doing the walking then."
Rystin just nodded as though he'd been expecting that answer and they walked slowly out of the ruin and back into the verdant woodland. Looking around now, Fabian saw that the clearing was less natural that he'd thought on the way out; he could see where the trees had been gently pruned back so that their branches left a space, and where the bushes were just tucked in slightly on one side to make a space for a path. As he studied these signs more carefully he began to appreciate how subtle they were -- the bushes weren't symmetrical and didn't look like they'd had blades taken to them, so perhaps they'd been pressed aside by barriers until they grew naturally in the new direction. The tree branches had been removed leaving the tiniest scar possible, and there were branches whose curves were unnatural now he studied them: maybe they'd been trained in new directions when they were still young and just looked like they would intrude in the wrong direction.
He pointed this out to Rystin at last, aware that he'd been silent for much of their walk.
"The wisp-elves are expert gardeners," said Rystin. "There's a theory that their magic arose from the need to convince unintelligent things to do things for themselves in order not to have to damage them."
"How does that transfer over to people, then?"
"Some people aren't very intelligent," said Rystin. That killed the conversation all the way back to the substation.
"What are you doing at the Museum at the moment?" asked Fabian as they looked for, and failed to find, seats on the sub. "Still working with the Maestro?"
"We'll be opening the stasis cylinders tomorrow," said Rystin. "We got a bit delayed by the spell around your office, but the Maestro saw an opportunity and persuaded the Admiral that the same team that handled that could handle our cylinders too."
Fabian quietly noted that use of 'our' and said nothing, but couldn't suppress just a tiny surge of pride.
"When will I be told about this? Or am I missing out?" he asked, not really thinking about his words. Rystin reacted as though he'd been shocked with an electric prod though, sitting bolt upright and his mouth falling open.
"I... oh! I... I thought... oh!"
"The Maestro is going to tell me afterwards?" asked Fabian. He noticed Rystin's look of horror. "Oh no, calm down! This is entirely normal for that man; he'll think this is too dangerous to involve me, or he'll want to surprise me with the contents of the cylinders, or he'll just think that since I'm not magical and not a monster hunter then I shouldn't have a part in it. I've had this argument with him so many times. And lost, every single time."
"Please don't tell him I told you?"
"I won't," said Fabian. "But... Dread's team are helping you, you said? Then I think I know who is going to casually mention it to me in passing." He grinned broadly as the sub pulled into their station.
Greg - or, and I'm just spitballing here, or maybe I missed work because I was sick.
Ha, poor Rystin. He is very sweet, isn't he? Makes up for the rather complete lack of sweetness among the other museum staff :D
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