![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
screamingdickpuncher) wrote2010-02-22 08:07 pm
(no subject)
"Hm," mused Yvienne, "I don't mean to insult your certain skill, but I must admit, I rather expected the bodyguard I hired to be a man."
"Will that pose a problem?" asked the woman before her. She was all straight back and dark hair, and was not at all bigger than Yvienne, which gave her a fairly unimposing build, as far as bodyguards go. Still, her face and voice were both brick flat in a way that Yvienne supposed could be unsettling, and she carried herself with an air of clear confidence.
More problematic than her gender, really, was her scent: it wasn't at all unusual, perhaps a touch more floral than average, and it had Yvienne smothering the undignified urge to pace around her in circles as if they were predator and prey instead of newly established associates.
"No, no," Yvienne replied, beaming her reassurance, "it's just that I had been so hoping for a torrid romantic affair with a ruggedly handsome man, completely devoted to my protection. You must understand my disappointment." Her new bodyguard pursed her lips very slightly, which could equally have been a sign of sympathy for Yvienne's plight or a small show of disgust; it was difficult to tell, when it made no discernible impact on the overall effect of her expression. "You would be the youngest daughter of the Kingdiamonds' main branch, would you not? What was your name again?"
"My name is Lariatte Kingdiamond," answered Lariatte Kingdiamond.
"Yvienne Magnolia, as you may be aware. I look forward to being in your care, Miss Lariatte. I do hope we become good friends." She offered Lariatte an outstretched hand and her most charming smile. Lariatte lifted her own arm partway out, but then hesitated pulled back before they made contact.
"More importantly, Lord Lightsphere did not inform me that I had been referred to another of his kind. Will you be quite at ease with this arrangement?"
"Oh." Yvienne hadn't expected her to bring it up- she felt her smile startle off her face, but replaced it after only a moment. "Yes, don't worry. I appreciate your consideration, but I assure you, my self-restraint is very good. I'm perfectly confident that I won't unexpectedly eat you."
At that, Lariatte took her hand so easily and suddenly that Yvienne might have jumped, if her nerves had been working quite the same as they would for a living person. "In that case, you'll be safe with me, Lady Yvienne Magnolia." Her grip was firm and warm through the silk of Yvienne's gloves.
"Just 'Yvienne' is fine," she told her, the first word broken apart by a small laugh. Lariatte nodded a silent agreement, and they dropped their hands. "Come, come, do make yourself comfortable. As requested, I'll fetch my schedule for your reference." Lariatte obediently walked to a couch to sit as Yvienne hurried off, calling a maid to bring them tea as well as she went.
When Yvienne returned and gave Lariatte her schedule, sitting beside her on the couch, Lariatte stared at it for so long that Yvienne became restless and began to search her face for clues to her thoughts. Lariatte's eyes, narrowed critically, flitted over the page again and again as Yvienne watched and waited for her response.
"Is this correct?" questioned Lariatte, sounding almost wary. Yvienne tilted her head with a puzzled hum and took the papers back to scan them over once herself.
"Yes, it seems to be," she confirmed, handing them back to Lariatte once more. "What makes you ask?"
Lariatte lowered her eyes to stare at the first page once more before finally replying, "It seems like an unusual amount of shopping trips."
Yvienne laughed. "Oh, I try to fit in as many as I can! After all, you can never really have too many."
"I see." Lariatte went quiet for a bit as she set the schedule on the coffee table before them and reached for her teacup, taking a well-mannered sip before continuing. "If you're not planning to travel, I must ask, why is it that you suddenly have a greater concern for your safety?"
"You're so professional," hummed Yvienne. "It's all this politics, with the prime minister elections coming up, you know. January isn't so much in harm's way himself, since if he were to die now, of all times, naturally all fingers would immediately point to his opponent, but as for vocal, influential supporters like myself... I have my own fair share of enemies, after all. Well, I'm not so bothered about it, personally, but it would break January's heart if someone were to be killed for associating with him." Lariatte raised her eyebrows, infusing the gesture with a coolness Yvienne hadn't previously thought it could convey.
"I don't doubt it would. May I ask what potential threats were already present against you?"
"Oh? I expected a person of your family's reputation to be quite well-informed." Yvienne only meant to tease, but Lariatte took a sip of her tea and answered in all serious.
"I am, of course. However, besides Lady Lightsphere and her lord, I have not worked closely with anyone especially entangled in your affairs, or you in theirs, as the case may be. Because of this, much of my knowledge of you is only basic information. It would be best for me to hear of your current political circumstances in detail."
"My," Yvienne exclaimed, "do you mean to imply that January placed you in the service of his wife? Why, I can think of no higher compliment to your trustworthiness." Lariatte frowned, somewhat. It was perhaps the clearest expression Yvienne had yet to see her make.
"I was, although officially I was employed for his own guard, and given Lady Lightsphere's skill in weaponry, I would judge him to be much more in need of one. But as is not uncommon," she murmured, her head slightly inclined, so she nearly looked down on Yvienne, "Lord Lightsphere is frequently more concerned for his loved ones than for himself."
"Oh, but with the lady of that house, you're bound to protect a secret just as well as a life." Lariatte took another sip of her tea, and Yvienne followed suit, not wanting to let it get grow cold.
"That never posed any difficulty for me."
"You see? The words of a truly reliable person. Some people would be quite scandalized to learn of it, you know. That the wife of our future prime minister is not wholly woman, nor even man--why, imagine how happily Tenial would use such a thing against him. I'm sure he'd do his best to paint January as some sort of sexual deviant, all while encouraging people to vote for him instead. As if anyone with a brain couldn't see that January is practically a nun compared to Tenial."
Yvienne thought she could really identify Lariatte's emotions, this time: she looked uncomfortable.
"It didn't strike me as so scandalous."
"Oh, it isn't," Yvienne agreed. "I imagine Tenial wouldn't find it so, either. But therein lies the difference between us, you see: unlike you, Miss Kingdiamond, Tenial and I see the potential for it."
Lariatte's silence, though it didn't manage to hamper Yvienne's smile, felt somehow heavier in the air than most. "What you're saying is that you're an unreliable person, you mean."
"Now, I wouldn't say that," Yvienne hummed. "I've also protected them for all this time, after all."
Lariatte set her teacup back on the table and didn't reply. "Might you answer my question now?"
"Yes, of course," agreed Yvienne. "Well, I'm only barely a political figure, as I'm sure you're aware. I do very little in the way of governing, and often in regards to legislature I simply throw my support behind January's opinions on matters."
"Pardon me for saying so," Lariatte cut in, "but you should be aware that there are those who would want to kill you for your inaction alone."
"I suppose there are. I imagine we'll be adding them to the list of possible assailants, then, somewhere below Tenial's minions. And as for other matters, of course, there's my impending marriage to General Krohiten."
That got a real facial expression out of her: still fairly subdued, but unmistakably surprised.
"I heard no news of a proposal. Was it unannounced?"
"Oh, there's been no proposal just yet," Yvienne laughed, "but you can understand how that would hardly matter. Krohiten is a very handsome, powerful man, so naturally I have my fair share of love rivals, unknown to me as they are."
"I see." Lariatte brought her tea back to her lips, considering the information. "It's a bit of a vague group, compared to the others."
"I'm sure you'll manage. You know to be especially prepared, now, don't you?" Yvienne smiled just a bit brighter. "Us unreliable gossipers aren't such terrible sources of information."
"I didn't mean--"
"I know you didn't, Lariatte," she assured her, taking a sip of her own tea. Lariatte went quiet again, at least for a moment.
"Isn't he much older than you?" Yvienne was taken aback- and then laughed.
"My, as much as your family involves themselves with our nightlife, you're certainly still humans! We don't age in remotely the same way as you do, you realize."
"Yes," Lariatte admitted, "but with your unusual birth..."
"You thought I might be more humanlike, being born, rather than made?"
"Not precisely," she murmured, which was close enough to a yes.
"How careless," chided Yvienne. "All it means is I've no memory of being human at all."
no subject
Naturally, the first response to the new knowledge was to weaponize it. While on the surface, most still pretended to present a unified community, each species had its members who wished to see their own kind in power above the others. Specialized tools and weapons developed quickly, and were even more quickly put to use for assassinations; figures of power spent fortunes on protective details, but the problem persisted that bodyguards of their own species were susceptible to the same weaknesses--and bodyguards of other species could easily turn on them from their post.
The theories say that the political turmoil of the nightlife came to the attention of the daylight because of a number of murders which utilized sunlight: humans, who had been previously ignorant, could perhaps hear the screams.
However they came about to join the nightdwellers, once in the community, the leader of a human warrior clan saw the precariousness of their lives and capitalized on it. The prey of most night creatures, humans naturally had lesser physical capabilities--but had no supernatural weaknesses. And the human clan which stepped into the affairs of the dark had for centuries trained to push themselves to the very limits of human potential, until their speed, strength, senses, and reflexes were more than comparable to those of their predators.
With a reputation built speedily on the backs of their honesty and ability, so the Kingdiamond family came to be the most skilled and respected guards-for-hire in the community, and remained so for generations.
And now, Yvienne watched those years of history and theory at work, running a sword through a man right in front of her.
"I'm impressed," she confessed to Lariatte, as the woman wiped blood from her blade with a handkerchief. Yvienne peered down at the corpse but observed Lariatte scanning their surroundings out of the corner of her eye. "I've never seen a man's movements stopped so swiftly. He even got his claws out, but hadn't the opportunity to use them. Is it a silver blade?"
"Silver is a poor material for swords. It has been treated with a product of wolfsbane." She swung it in a slow arc toward Yvienne, and though it stopped with the tip still beyond a foot from her person, Yvienne couldn't keep her lip from curling unattractively. "Among other things."
"Goodness, Lariatte, don't go swinging that about so." scolded Yvienne, making a shooing motion with a gloved hand. Lariatte obediently sheathed it, now that she seemed to have confirmed there were no further immediate threats. "I see, so it's especially effective against several of us."
"Any of you," Lariatte corrected smoothly. "And naturally a blade would be sufficient against another human, as well."
"You're certainly prepared. Of course, now I really ought to be wholly grateful for that-- not ten days into your service, and we've already found need of your skill. It seems that January's concerns were perfectly well-founded."
"It seems like his reasons for concern were also insightful."
"Yes, yes, a wolf like Tenial, I've noticed." In truth, Yvienne was considering sending the man a thank you card; the stench of canine blood was effectively ruining any appetite she'd previously held for her guard, and more importantly, it would annoy him to receive it.
"A trained assassin," Lariatte corrected. "The kind is not always so telling."
"If he were a professional, why attack us so brazenly out in broad moonlight?" Yvienne questioned, eyeing the man with skepticism. She was tempted to nudge the body with her boot, but the smell was rather discouraging.
"It was not an attack," Lariatte replied, pushing open the man's bloodied jacket with the end of her sheathed sword. "It was a plant." Indeed, rather than guns or blades, the inside of his coat was lined with tightly sealed pouches. "The scents are repressed, but with the right substance, proximity would be enough." Yvienne looked at her now, astonished.
"How did you spot that?" she asked.
"His manner. I am trained for this," Lariatte stated with a frown as she hooked her sword to her belt once more.
"Of course," Yvienne agreed. "You've clearly made no mistake, I apologize if I've insulted you. But you're so young, aren't you? I didn't expect you would be quite so experienced." Lariatte tossed her dark hair over one shoulder and looked elsewhere.
"I'm twenty-one," she confirmed simply. "Would you prefer for me to clean up the body or for us to move on? The store is not far. We have time, either way."
"Why, you're nearly half my age," Yvienne couldn't help but comment. "Change of plans! Let's pay a visit to January. I believe I now owe him an admission of wrongness."
Lariatte gave her a perfectly flat look, but Yvienne had already turned around and started off in the exact opposite direction. Lariatte spared the corpse a glance as well, and Yvienne missed that too.
When they reached the Lightsphere residence, January welcomed them at the door with his familiar warm smile. "Yvienne, Miss Kingdiamond. I wasn't expecting a visit."
"January!" Yvienne exclaimed as she threw her arms around him, much to his amusement, and kissed him on each cheek. "I do hope you have time for us in that busy schedule of yours."
"I've learned to make time when you arrive on my doorstep," he answered, stepping aside to clear the doorway. "Please, do come in, both of you." Yvienne led the way through the foyer and into the connecting sitting room, where they were intercepted by the ever-striking figure of January's wife.
"Oh? Here's an interesting pair," said December. A broadsword which hung loosely from one hand a moment ago slowly, lazily began to tap at the witch's leg as light eyes peered over their small group with interest. Behind Yvienne, Lariatte reached up to pull back her thick curls, and Yvienne thought she could imagine an air of inevitability descending upon them.
"Lady Lightsphere," greeted Lariatte, just as Yvienne said, "Good evening, December."
"Good evening, ladies," December answered, with the traces of a grin forming. "You might have good timing, I was getting a little antsy. Mind if I borrow your bodyguard, Miss Magnolia?"
"Please, have her," Yvienne answered, offering her open palms. "Engage in your muscular proclivities, I assure you I give my approval." December laughed over Lariatte's frown, and the two took their leave, off to the back courtyard. January's sigh, fond and faintly tired, could have easily been inspired by the behavior of any one of them.
"Come, let's sit, I'd appreciate a long talk. How have the two of you been getting along?" he asked Yvienne, offering her his arm. "I hope you haven't come to return her to us. You have fairly different natures, I realize, but it gives me ease to know she's beside you."
"Oh, we have our dissimilarities, but nothing that would compel me to be so dramatic," she answered, bringing her free hand to her chin as she settled the other in the cold bend of his elbow. "And even if there was such an issue, it seems to be that her talent is quite worth any manner of difficulty. In fact, she has already saved my life! So soon after acquiring her, isn't that astounding?" January's head turned toward her disconcertingly fast. His eyebrows drew together tightly as he pursed his lips, thinking so intensely Yvienne could almost see it in his eyes. "And look, not a scratch on me," she added, before he could make up his mind on his own comment. "She was so efficient, I could scarcely believe it."
January's frown remained, but the knot in his brow loosened somewhat. "She's quite reliable," he stated in agreement as they seated themselves on a couch beside one another. "During her time in service to us, she was especially invaluable to December. She even provided some training in self-defense, as well as ample practice, as I'm sure you can imagine," he added, his expression relaxing further. It amazed Yvienne what mere mention of December could do to his face at times.
"My, I wonder if I ought to learn something of the sort as well," laughed Yvienne.
"I agree, I hope you ask it of her. December had to badger her into it, but now I'm sure she has more confidence as a teacher," January answered, entirely genuine. Yvienne stuck her lower lip out at him for a moment, but released it with a heaved sigh.
"Oh, it is a good idea, but I truthfully have so little interest in such a pursuit... Anyway, wouldn't it be strange to have such a young teacher? She told me she was twenty-one! Twenty-one years of age!"
"But remember, you age at half the rate of humans," he reminded her patiently, "so in a sense, she would be a year or two more mature than you. And there's no replacement for experience, in many ways, but she has used her years productively, however few."
"It sounds as though you mean to say I have not," Yvienne accused. "I suppose you'd be right, as usual. You would be the one to know about experience, wouldn't you? You old fogey."
"Now, I'm quite young myself. I'm not even a thousand. You've grown up with a skewed sense of age," he teased.
"I can hardly be blamed for that, I think."
"You certainly can't," he agreed. "As well, you can't be blamed for being targeted as you were today." Yvienne huffed critically at his weary tone, but he paid it no mind. "What happened, exactly?"
"A man approached me with his pockets lined with seasonings, and I had no inkling he was there until he was already quite on his way to death." She flapped a hand and sighed theatrically. "A wolf, and a trained man, by Miss Lariatte's account."
"It sounds to be Tenial's doing on the surface, certainly, but..." He trailed off.
"But the man is quite the diligent character," finished Yvienne. "I could hardly imagine him ordering a job of that nature."
"Yes, you're exactly right." January offered a half-smile.
"Well, enough about my well-being, what about yours? I can tell just by looking at you, you've been going out in daylight all too often lately, haven't you? You may be a daywalker, but the sun is still dreadful for your complexion!" He laughed helplessly, even as Yvienne swatted his shoulder.
"Like your company, my sunlit walks are quite important to me. I don't mind getting a bit leathery, if I'm allowed to keep them."
"Honestly, January! How can I scold you if you distract me with flattery?" She gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes, but laughed. "I'm shocked December isn't the one to fuss over you this way. I'm sure that one would be a better hand at it than me."
"Oh, December fusses," January chuckled, "but it appears to be the case that the two of us are equally exhausting. Now, truly, Yvienne, I am curious- how have you been getting along with Miss Kingdiamond?"
"Oh, she is so frigid!" exclaimed Yvienne, pressing a hand to his chest as he laughed into his fist. "I've never met someone so stone-faced! It's truly the disposition of a well-trained guard to be so unflappable, I mean no disparagement to her professionalism, but as a person, it's perfectly dreary to be around! I don't believe I've once seen her smile!"
"I assure you she is capable of it," he told her, composing himself. "But even without it, I think you'll find, she's far from being as stiff and cheerless as that."
"Oh, you know I trust your judgment, January, but it's terribly difficult to imagine her as anything else. Why, a woman her age should have some sense of spontaneity, and yet every time we stray the slightest bit from the schedule I gave her on her first day, she gives me this disapproving look. It's only recently that she's gotten well enough used to it to stop scolding me about it- honestly, January, a future prime minister should have a bit more dignity in his laughter, don't go around snorting like that. I don't think I've said anything that absurd, have I?"
"No, no," he agreed, "I was just thinking you may have a point."
Out in the courtyard, December slammed the broadsword's tip into the ground and leaned on it heavily. "I give, I give," the witch all but wheezed. "Let me catch my breath, you monster."
Lariatte clipped her sword, still sheathed, back to her belt. "I did advise you to use a lighter weapon," she commented.
"Yeah, well, I like to be versatile." Fingers drumming on the hilt of the sword, December eyed her as she untied her hair. "I can hardly imagine you working for Magnolia, of all people."
"She's less difficult than you," Lariatte commented, to which December barked out a laugh. "But I admit I'm not entirely comfortable with her."
"Oh?" December's fingers stopped drumming. "Just a difference of opinion, or something more than that?"
Lariatte pursed her lips, considering her answer before she spoke it. "She was attacked earlier tonight." At December's raised eyebrow, she continued, "The timing is concerning. Ten days after gaining a bodyguard? Surely that would be long enough for the news to reach whoever planned it."
"Ahh. And normally after hearing that, you'd think most people would want to postpone their assassination attempts, at least until they have some countermeasures planned out, huh?"
"Exactly. And the attack was made to look like a man sent by your lord's opponent, but why would he be so rushed and sloppy?"
"Wait," December realized, "you're suspicious of Yvienne?" Lariatte didn't answer. "That's ridiculous. January practically raised her- that's nearly as ridiculous as being suspicious of me."
"And once I was also suspicious of you."
"Which I think goes to show how paranoid you are."
"It wasn't paranoid," she corrected easily. "You are perfectly capable of murdering a man."
"Tch." December yanked the sword out of the ground and swung it up onto one shoulder. "You can read people's natures all right, but you've got work to do when it comes to their motivations."
"It's better to be cautious," answered Lariatte. For a moment, December was quiet.
"I bet she didn't let you bury the body, huh?" Lariatte's silence was answer enough. "We're not human, remember. Life and death aren't the same to us. Don't be too harsh on her just for that."
"I know."
"Do you really think she could kill a man?" asked December.
"No," conceded Lariatte, "but she could ask it of someone else."