Post by Seek on Jul 6, 2011 4:26:01 GMT 10
Title: Relationship Advice
Rating: PG
Couple/Character: Matthias Tunstall
Event: 400 word dash
Words: 400
Summary: The evening before Matthias Tunstall is due to have the Puppy trim removed from his uniform, Akela Sanjiv, the Dog he’s assigned to, decides to have a talk. Or: Mattes gets relationship advice.
-
“Congratulations,” Akela said. When he smiled faintly, Mattes could count the crow’s feet around his dark eyes. He was weary, but even exhaustion lent the moment a sort of wonder. He’d made it past the probationary year. Tomorrow, the Puppy trim would go off his uniform. He’d be a full Dog. Akela held out his mostly-full tankard of ale. “To becoming a Dog!”
“Thanks,” Mattes replied, and they clinked tankards before drinking deep. This was good ale, nothing like the cheap watered-down ones they usually got at the end of their Watch.
“It’s something to celebrate,” Akela added, and in the following silence, Mattes was quite aware of how completely at ease the two of them were. It was something born of experience from working together, and Akela’s firm mentorship.
Akela was the one to speak up first. Mattes hadn’t seen him put away more than two tankards before: maybe this is a special occasion. Still, Akela was nursing the third one when he said, “Getting a partner’s something new, Tunstall.”
“Akela?”
“I’ve heard about your little fling with Anisa,” Akela mentioned, “She’s a Puppy in your year, isn’t she?” Mattes nodded.
“It’s different when you have a partner,” Akela said quietly. His eyes gleamed. “And when you’re a Dog.” His lips drew together in the gesture that Mattes had learned to read as: don’t ask any more questions. “How you work with your partner…that’s something. But what’s dangerous is when you let that become something else. Relationships…are tricky things, Tunstall, and they get worse when you get into one with your partner. Keep what’s on the street on the street. No one cares who you’re busy flirting with in your spare time.” He took a long haul from his tankard and set it down, drained, but didn’t call for another one. “Your partner’s going to need to trust you and work with you as a partner. Throw in being lovers, and things start to change. Sometimes…they don’t change in a good way. Understand?”
Mattes nodded, slowly. There was urgency in Akela’s voice, but as his mentor leaned back in his seat, his attitude made it clear that it was as much as Mattes was going to get out of him on the subject. That was it.
In other words: keep your hands to yourself, Mattes. Watch business is Watch business. Pleasure is pleasure.
Mattes snorted. That, he could do.
Rating: PG
Couple/Character: Matthias Tunstall
Event: 400 word dash
Words: 400
Summary: The evening before Matthias Tunstall is due to have the Puppy trim removed from his uniform, Akela Sanjiv, the Dog he’s assigned to, decides to have a talk. Or: Mattes gets relationship advice.
-
“Congratulations,” Akela said. When he smiled faintly, Mattes could count the crow’s feet around his dark eyes. He was weary, but even exhaustion lent the moment a sort of wonder. He’d made it past the probationary year. Tomorrow, the Puppy trim would go off his uniform. He’d be a full Dog. Akela held out his mostly-full tankard of ale. “To becoming a Dog!”
“Thanks,” Mattes replied, and they clinked tankards before drinking deep. This was good ale, nothing like the cheap watered-down ones they usually got at the end of their Watch.
“It’s something to celebrate,” Akela added, and in the following silence, Mattes was quite aware of how completely at ease the two of them were. It was something born of experience from working together, and Akela’s firm mentorship.
Akela was the one to speak up first. Mattes hadn’t seen him put away more than two tankards before: maybe this is a special occasion. Still, Akela was nursing the third one when he said, “Getting a partner’s something new, Tunstall.”
“Akela?”
“I’ve heard about your little fling with Anisa,” Akela mentioned, “She’s a Puppy in your year, isn’t she?” Mattes nodded.
“It’s different when you have a partner,” Akela said quietly. His eyes gleamed. “And when you’re a Dog.” His lips drew together in the gesture that Mattes had learned to read as: don’t ask any more questions. “How you work with your partner…that’s something. But what’s dangerous is when you let that become something else. Relationships…are tricky things, Tunstall, and they get worse when you get into one with your partner. Keep what’s on the street on the street. No one cares who you’re busy flirting with in your spare time.” He took a long haul from his tankard and set it down, drained, but didn’t call for another one. “Your partner’s going to need to trust you and work with you as a partner. Throw in being lovers, and things start to change. Sometimes…they don’t change in a good way. Understand?”
Mattes nodded, slowly. There was urgency in Akela’s voice, but as his mentor leaned back in his seat, his attitude made it clear that it was as much as Mattes was going to get out of him on the subject. That was it.
In other words: keep your hands to yourself, Mattes. Watch business is Watch business. Pleasure is pleasure.
Mattes snorted. That, he could do.