Introduction: Hendricks
Jun. 30th, 2016 05:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonmagitechThe rearrangement of the guard had proven…troublesome. The Dapperclaws were still training their newest member, and no one was willing to go anywhere alone with the demon, and Gossamer had reassured her that the twins ran border patrol all the time with no trouble. Which was undoubtedly true. Fang just hadn’t considered the trouble it would cause for her.
They came into the office—her office—Smith on the left, Wesson on the right. It was difficult to tell, but they did have a slightly different bearing, and after a while you got used to it whether you wanted to or not. In between them was an Imperial who sat down and immediately began twiddling the end of his tail between his claws.
“Madam Matriarch—” Smith began.
“I don’t have time for games right now,” Fang said. This was more or less a lie, she wasn’t really doing anything, but she had very little patience for the twins’ damnable lack of directness. She’d asked the counselor how Bulletin had managed them, and he’d laughed her out of his office.
Wesson said, “Very well. We found this fellow out by the northern border—”
“They all come in that way, it seems,” Smith added. “You really should increase security there.”
“Not that we’re telling you how to run things—”
Fang sighed loudly.
“Right. He was running from some harpies—”
“Very suspicious behavior—”
“Indicative of a troublemaker.”
“He tried to sell us costume jewelry.”
“Though not under that name, of course.”
“It was all I had left!” the Imperial said, and in the ensuing silence looked away sheepishly. “Well, it was,” he muttered.
“We thought you might want a word with him.”
“Or we could have a word with him, if you like.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Fang said. “You may go. Return to…whatever it is you do.” She waited for them to flow out of the room before turning her attention to the Imperial.
“It’s not as if I came down here with the intent to scam,” he said. “I didn’t even know you were here! Well, I had a vague idea there was someone here, but—”
“You’re from Light,” she observed. “Surely you at least know something about us? I had the impression we were known among merchants, if only to keep them from selling to us.”
“Oh,” he said, “you’re that clan.” He brightened. “Maybe you can help me out, then! I’m not exactly on good terms with my home flight, myself.”
“Counterfeit jewelry business not working out for you?”
“That was a desperation thing. Mostly I’ve been getting in trouble for experimentation. You know…” He waved a claw vaguely. “Imbuing rings and necklaces and whatever with magic, for protective purposes sometimes. Or I’ve been trying to find a way to store magic inside a stone, and then when you break it—the point is, it doesn’t always go down too well. I mean, you always have to do some testing before you know if it’ll work, right? I keep saying, don’t give ‘em to your most valuable warriors, but they never listen.”
“Sounds…interesting.” Useful, maybe, with more testing, but she didn’t want to tell him that just yet. She’d always found it easier to get information out of someone who wasn’t sure if they were on your good side.
“Yes, well, it would be more interesting and better if I wasn’t always having to pack up and leave on short notice,” he said. “So much gets left behind. I’ve been kicked out of almost every clan south of the Beacon. I suppose I could go back to my birth clan, but I’d have to pass through a lot of places I’m banned from to get there…”
“Not much of a fighter?”
“Lightweaver, no! I got where I am today by running away at the first sign of trouble.” He paused. “Well, and sometimes just lying a lot. Either way, I’m not exactly cut out for a guard position. But listen, I could help you out! You like experiments down here, don’t you?”
“It varies, I think,” Fang said, with the edge of a smile. “I get the idea we’re pretty friendly to it. We’re not really looking for more instability right now, but—”
“I can make regular jewelry too. Sells for a pretty penny. It’s just boring.”
“Do you have an actual name?”
“Hendricks,” he said. “I may have to change it now, of course. I usually do when there’s a risk of someone coming after me. Good for security.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. I’ll have to consult with some of the others, but I can certainly let you stay for the time being, at least.”
“Oh, good! I’ve heard things about your lab. Let me just recover my stuff, I think those Skydancers may have…” He moved down the corridor with quite remarkable speed, given his size. Years of practice, she supposed.
They came into the office—her office—Smith on the left, Wesson on the right. It was difficult to tell, but they did have a slightly different bearing, and after a while you got used to it whether you wanted to or not. In between them was an Imperial who sat down and immediately began twiddling the end of his tail between his claws.
“Madam Matriarch—” Smith began.
“I don’t have time for games right now,” Fang said. This was more or less a lie, she wasn’t really doing anything, but she had very little patience for the twins’ damnable lack of directness. She’d asked the counselor how Bulletin had managed them, and he’d laughed her out of his office.
Wesson said, “Very well. We found this fellow out by the northern border—”
“They all come in that way, it seems,” Smith added. “You really should increase security there.”
“Not that we’re telling you how to run things—”
Fang sighed loudly.
“Right. He was running from some harpies—”
“Very suspicious behavior—”
“Indicative of a troublemaker.”
“He tried to sell us costume jewelry.”
“Though not under that name, of course.”
“It was all I had left!” the Imperial said, and in the ensuing silence looked away sheepishly. “Well, it was,” he muttered.
“We thought you might want a word with him.”
“Or we could have a word with him, if you like.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Fang said. “You may go. Return to…whatever it is you do.” She waited for them to flow out of the room before turning her attention to the Imperial.
“It’s not as if I came down here with the intent to scam,” he said. “I didn’t even know you were here! Well, I had a vague idea there was someone here, but—”
“You’re from Light,” she observed. “Surely you at least know something about us? I had the impression we were known among merchants, if only to keep them from selling to us.”
“Oh,” he said, “you’re that clan.” He brightened. “Maybe you can help me out, then! I’m not exactly on good terms with my home flight, myself.”
“Counterfeit jewelry business not working out for you?”
“That was a desperation thing. Mostly I’ve been getting in trouble for experimentation. You know…” He waved a claw vaguely. “Imbuing rings and necklaces and whatever with magic, for protective purposes sometimes. Or I’ve been trying to find a way to store magic inside a stone, and then when you break it—the point is, it doesn’t always go down too well. I mean, you always have to do some testing before you know if it’ll work, right? I keep saying, don’t give ‘em to your most valuable warriors, but they never listen.”
“Sounds…interesting.” Useful, maybe, with more testing, but she didn’t want to tell him that just yet. She’d always found it easier to get information out of someone who wasn’t sure if they were on your good side.
“Yes, well, it would be more interesting and better if I wasn’t always having to pack up and leave on short notice,” he said. “So much gets left behind. I’ve been kicked out of almost every clan south of the Beacon. I suppose I could go back to my birth clan, but I’d have to pass through a lot of places I’m banned from to get there…”
“Not much of a fighter?”
“Lightweaver, no! I got where I am today by running away at the first sign of trouble.” He paused. “Well, and sometimes just lying a lot. Either way, I’m not exactly cut out for a guard position. But listen, I could help you out! You like experiments down here, don’t you?”
“It varies, I think,” Fang said, with the edge of a smile. “I get the idea we’re pretty friendly to it. We’re not really looking for more instability right now, but—”
“I can make regular jewelry too. Sells for a pretty penny. It’s just boring.”
“Do you have an actual name?”
“Hendricks,” he said. “I may have to change it now, of course. I usually do when there’s a risk of someone coming after me. Good for security.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. I’ll have to consult with some of the others, but I can certainly let you stay for the time being, at least.”
“Oh, good! I’ve heard things about your lab. Let me just recover my stuff, I think those Skydancers may have…” He moved down the corridor with quite remarkable speed, given his size. Years of practice, she supposed.
