Harrowheart (
westfallcorndog) wrote2016-08-14 06:42 am
Annarchy and Ageswaps (For Viatorus)
"Are there any mages around?" a young girl shouts. Her voice already sounds hoarse; presumably she's been at this for a while now as she walks along the sidewalks of the Nexus. She's found herself at the edge of the crowded Downtown district where highrises and quirky restaurants are soon to give way to The Underbelly. At a loss for where she is or where she ought to be going, she simply goes. If she walks in a straight line long enough she's sure to find someone who'll help her. Right?
"I need a mage's help! Anybody?" she tries again. She looks to be about twelve with dusty blonde hair, tanned skin, large front teeth, and a look of utter confusion on her face. She wears a red plaid shirt rolled up to the elbows and a pair of canvas shorts stained and smudged long ago by dirt and grass. Her arms are wrapped around her tightly and she looks in all directions like a person expecting to be ambushed.
"I– I can tip?" she tries, though not too loudly. Who knows what'll happen if she announces that she has money in the city?
"I need a mage's help! Anybody?" she tries again. She looks to be about twelve with dusty blonde hair, tanned skin, large front teeth, and a look of utter confusion on her face. She wears a red plaid shirt rolled up to the elbows and a pair of canvas shorts stained and smudged long ago by dirt and grass. Her arms are wrapped around her tightly and she looks in all directions like a person expecting to be ambushed.
"I– I can tip?" she tries, though not too loudly. Who knows what'll happen if she announces that she has money in the city?

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He looks between Harrowheart and Isidor, then, checking to see if this response is acceptable, and rubbing his phone instead of checking it, lest he draw Anna's attention to it.
"It's... part of my job to make sure he has everything he needs," Isidor elaborates. "Including his own property and income."
It's only then Viatorus glances down at his phone and tries (and fails) to hide a smile, then he returns to the conversation at hand.
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Harrow gasps, legitimately offended! He swats Anna's hand. "Don't make gross jokes!"
"I wasn't!" she protests. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant it's more like how everyone takes care of Lawrence now that he's... Lawrence."
Harrow pulls a face and nods knowingly. He explains to the others, "Lawrence got a divorce. I think I told you that once, Isidor, huh? He had a wife and thought he was gonna have a kid, but when his wife had the kid it turned out it wasn't his. She ran off on him, he decided he was done with love, and he told my family that Heather could take over the family legacy. It's only right that she takes care of him now. So she's like a sister, but she's kinda like a wife... Except where it counts."
"Right." Anna nods definitively.
Harrow stage whispers to the Durants, "If you ever meet Lawrence, don't talk about love around him. Or his robot arm."
"Or his hairline," Anna says with a laugh.
Harrow smears his hand across his mouth to hide his smile. He raises his chin at Viatorus to get his attention. "How's old age treatin' you, man? How's havin' a beard? Do you have a bald spot? Isidor, does he have a bald spot?"
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As per usual, Viatorus has half slipped out of the conversation by the time it turns to him. Vague musings on robot arms from Harrowheart's mystical world are interrupted as he tries to catch up. Belatedly he replies, "Hm? Oh. It's fine. The beard's a bit itchy..."
But Isidor is already grinning at Harrowheart's line of questioning, leaning back and reaching over to scratch at the back of her brother's head. "Not quite, but it looks like it could be thinning."
"It's not!" Viatorus exclaims, shocked and defensive, he bats his sister's hand away and gently covers his head with his other hand. He huffs at Harrowheart then, wagging a finger. "I bought you cake!"
"You're never growing a beard," Isidor declares now that she's properly looking at him. "It makes you look ridiculous. Like a scruffy hermit."
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When Harrow is reprimanded he raises his eyebrows and puts his hand on his chest in feigned offense. "Oh? Do you want your cake back? I can do that for you!" He sticks out his tongue and slowly starts to put his finger in his mouth, but Anna squeals and quickly grabs his hands.
"Not while I'm around! You're so gross! UGH!" She's still laughing and smiling, though, and that's what matters.
Harrow complies without putting up a fight. It was enough for him to see his sister lose her mind for a second. He doesn't even mind that she keeps his hands pinned to the table with both of her own.
Anna attempts her best businesswoman tone and decides to steer the conversation into saner territory. "Miss Isidor, all mages ought to have beards."
Harrow shakes his head, causing his longer-than-usual hair to bounce with the motion. "Uh, Khadgar doesn't have a beard, and he's the greatest mage on the planet, soooooo... Like, you're super wrong?"
Anna tsks and turns up her nose. "He had a beard. The most famous beard in the world. Just because he got it cut off doesn't mean he never had one."
Harrow mimic's Viatorus' wagging finger at Anna. "You're saying a mage needs a beard once in his life? So Viatorus has his now, which means he can shave it off and never grow it again, and Isidor can be happy."
Anna opens her mouth to retort, but he's got her there. She crosses her arms over her chest and turns her head to consider Viatorus' beard. "Mister Durant, I think you look dashing and masculine. It just needs... Maybe... A trim? It would suit your personality if it were closer to your face, I think."
Suddenly Harrow pounds a fist on the table, rattling the plates and shaking the drinks. "No!" he shouts, then points a finger right at Viatorus' face. "He needs SIDEBURNS!"
He bites his lower lip eagerly and, wide-eyed and grinning, starts to nod. Do it, Viatorus...
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Naturally, Viatorus is far more interested in mention of another mage, but the two children are far too fast and excitable for him to get a word in edgeways until they leave him one. By that point they've given him proposals to consider.
Isidor's quicker to share her opinions. She wrinkles up her nose and shakes her head. "Not sideburns. He'd look like an Amish pastor wearing tweed."
"Shaving all the time is a lot of hassle, though," Viatorus pipes up. "Maybe if I keep it trimmed..."
Judging by Isidor's scrunched up face, she'd undecided on that one.
The pause is enough to allow Viatorus a chance to steer the conversation himself. "Do only mages have beards in your world, Anna? Or do you think your brother would look good with one too? It might make him more dashing and masculine too."
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Anna explains, "Beards are for anyone who can grow them. My dad had a beard, shorter than yours. He keeps it nice and tidy. Lawrence has..."
"Scruff?" Harrow offers. Anna nods. He continues, "Dwarves grow beards, too. It's important for them. I've never seen one clean-shaven. Night elf druids normally have beards? It makes them look natural. Lotta worgen grow beards for the same reason."
Anna, suddenly very sober over a realization, quickly interrupts. "But my brother can't grow a beard. Because he's dead. He's going to look the same forever."
Harrow rubs at his forehead. He's not going to let the conversation end like that. He's plowing forward, utterly ignoring Anna's comments. "Isidor! If you could grow a beard, would you? N...Not that you... Look like you need... Uh. Not that you're not perfect like you are or, uh..."
Light, he's so sweaty. So, so sweaty. Maybe Anna's morbid comments were a better topic after all...
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"I've never thought about it before..." She hesitates, distracted by Harrowheart's clear nervousness. With a bit of concentration, she looks away and remains composed, persisting with the topic presented to her. "If I was a man, maybe... Maybe something Italian, or Spanish. A beard, but expertly groomed. Thin, sharp lines." Her gaze roams over to her brother again and she smirks. "Nothing as lazy or scruffy as Viatorus'." She turns her smile to Anna. "What about you? Would you grow a beard?"
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Isidor's return of the question distracts Anna from her confusion. She laughs delicately, surprised at having been asked it. "Me?" What a novel idea. Growing a beard...
"I like being a woman," she's sure to say. "I haven't thought about being a man or growing a beard, really." She leans across the table and whispers loudly for Isidor (and certainly the brothers) "It's a silly question, isn't it? The kind of question a boy would ask."
But still, she's not above considering it. She rests a hand on her chin, index finger over her lips, and she thinks.
"Everyone in my family is tall," she says. "So if I were a man, I'd be tall too. And we work outdoors, which means I'd probably look strong. My hair is light... I don't think any of those things would make a thin beard look good on me. I don't think I'd want to grow one at all. But if I did? Mine would have to be full, like my father's... Though a goatee might be fun!"
She puts her first two fingers on her chin to show what she means. Her broad smile shows her large front teeth. Despite her tendency to dip into a negative mentality, the casualness and pointlessness of this conversation has done her good.
Harrow smiles softly at Isidor for the effect she has on his sister. He waits a moment, lets a small amount of silence sit between them. With much less anxiety he says to Isidor, "You're the only one at the table who's the right age. How about that? If you could change that, would you be older or younger?"
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"A goatee might be nice. And you could braid it, or braid things into it," she suggests, adding a little fuel to the harmless daydream. As for Harrowheart's question, she shakes her head. "I like the age I am now. I can keep up with my brother and nobody is dismissive of me. If I could change, I would choose not to."
"She's always been a middle aged woman," Viatorus tells them, failing to hide a smile. "She started bossing people around as soon as she could talk."
"Don't say things like that!" Isidor snaps, embarrassed, before Viatorus' large smile and tilt of his head makes her realise the irony of her response. Flushing red, she holds her breath a moment, then laughs. "You'd be lost without me bossing you around."
Viatorus nods. "I would."
"I'm glad Viatorus isn't young, either," Isidor continues. "I'd never find him."
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Anna asks Isidor, "Did he run away when he was a boy? Were you always chasing him? We used to find Harrow up trees all the time."
Harrow barks a laugh at the memory. He rubs his neck and looks down at the table. "Shoot... It's been forever since I climbed a tree..." Then, looking to Isidor he guesses, "I bet Viatorus spent all his time in dreams when he was a kid, huh?"
Anna's eyebrow's twitch with her curiosity, and out of the corner of her eye Harrow catches it. He smiles smugly, as if he's about to share something about himself he's very proud of. "Viatorus is a dream mage."
Her eyebrows rise and she actually gasps. For a second she even looks afraid, but after looking at Viatorus' friendly face she's quickly soothed. She smiles in awe and without realizing it adjusts her posture so that she looks very proper. One must be well-presented when meeting such a specialized sort of caster, after all!
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"You have something in common then. Viatorus used to go up trees all the time too. He was always looking for somewhere quiet to read or sleep," Isidor tells them.
"Different places mean different feelings when you drift off, which means different dreams," Viatorus jumps into explaining. "It was interesting, and important to testing out my skills."
Isidor is all too happy to share the ordeals of being the dreamwalker's sister and patron. It's with light hearted exasperation that she continues. "As soon as I would turn away for two seconds he would tuck himself away somewhere strange and hidden and fall asleep. So he wouldn't hear me calling him." She leans closer. "One of his favourite spots was on top of bookcases. We had high ceilings and bookcases that would stretch up to them. Sometimes there was a bit of a gap between the bookcase and the ceiling. He'd use a little air magic to get up there, out of the way and hard to spot."
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"Shoulda put a bell on him."
Anna tisks and elbows him, but he only keeps grinning.
"Not like a cow! Like a cat!" He says, as if that makes it somehow better.
Anna squares her shoulders and steps up to bat for Viatorus. "I think I'd like to sleep on top of a bookcase too, if I could. It sounds lovely and pleasant. And quiet!"
"Not a lotta quiet around our house," Harrow says with a laugh. "You know, V and Isidor don't have to share a room? They each get their own rooms."
Anna "ooh"s quietly. "And they have their own library? Wow... I wish we were mages! I'd love to spend all day reading and never the same book twice. I don't think I'd ever sleep, even if I was a dream mage."
Harrow pats her back and she chooses to change the subject. "Ms. Durant, what sort of mage are you? I want to say... Fire. Or are you something special? Like a chronomancer?" Oh, so exotic!
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Viatorus comes dangerously close to rolling his eyes, but doesn't quite. "It was nice. Before people found out."
Calming, Isidor stumbles a little at Anna's question. "I'm... just a patron. I don't really specialise as much as a scholar, like Viatorus, would."
Beside her, Viatorus blinks at her, confused. "But you are a specialist." It's his turn to be proud as he announces, "Isidor is one of two mages in the entire world to have mastered the art of wielding pure magic."
"I wouldn't say I've mastered it," she interjects.
He levels a look at her. "Everyone else thinks so."
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Anna, too, is incredibly curious about all of this. She scoots forward, which gives her brother an excuse to do the same. Both of them are taking shallow breaths to keep themselves as close to the table (and by extension, the Durants) as possible.
"I'm sorry..." Anna starts quietly. "What does that mean? Pure magic?"
She exchanges a look with her brother, the most magical person she knows, but he only shakes his head in tiny motions. He doesn't know either, and so nods in the direction of the Durants. They'll explain, he's sure.
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"Vercor Augustus Durant, our current Archon, became an accomplished scholar by discovering how to harness pure magic. That is, using magic in it's purest, most refined form. The most refined that we know of, anyway." He shifts forward so that his elbows can rest on the table and his hands can wave as he talks. "Mostly this allows for more efficient spellcasting. Once you master it you can use more powerful magic with a fraction of the energy." He hesitates and then sobers slightly. "It can also be used by itself. Offensively it's known as dragonfire, which is why some people call the Archon 'der Drache'." He pauses to look at Anna, "It means 'the dragon'." Then he straightens again to smile at his sister. "And Isidor is the only person so far to be able to use it."
"It's new magic. After a few generations everyone will be using it," she tells them with forced certainty.
Viatorus is clearly not convinced. If anything he smile turns goofy. "I doubt that."
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Suddenly she takes her brother's nearest arm in a death grip and locks eyes with him. "You have famous friends!" Such a wild notion! "You! A-and now me!"
Harrow laughs humbly and half-heartedly waves a hand to dissuade her. "Iiiiiidunno about that. They're just my pals? They're Viatorus and Isidor?" The whole idea is so beyond him. Maybe it isn't humbleness, but an inability to comprehend that his two casual friends are more than simply magical aristocracy.
"No." Anna insists sternly. "On their world they're Khadgar and..." She glances at Viatorus. Who is he to be compared to? "Anduin."
Harrow laughs incredulously. "Noooo... They're just my friends..." But his ability to deny the truth is waning along with his smile. The reality is dawning and the pieces are falling into place. Famous, titled father. Masters of magic. Mansions, riches, servants. He looks back at Lyall. Bodyguards.
Anna is right, and the very obvious reality of the situation is hitting him in earnest for the first time in a way that visiting their home and seeing their lifestyles somehow did not. These are important people. Not important in the way he knows people to be -- not in an emotional, unquantifiable way. Legitimately important. If their names aren't famous on their own world yet, they will be someday.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, looks down at his lap, and mutters, "They're just... Viatorus and Isidor."
To convince himself of it he looks up at his friends and forces a smile. He'd rather live in deliberate ignorance of reality than confront the reality of his friends' stations. In a cheerful, hopeful way he asks them, "Right?"
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The two Durants look at each other for a split second. Viatorus starts, shrugging his shoulders, his features rolling in and out of confusion and irritation. "We're not famous."
"Yes we are," Isidor's quick to retort. She stares at her brother like he's gone mad.
Viatorus sighs, tilts his head at her and looks at her in a way that suggests she ought to recant. "Isidor, most of the world doesn't even know about magic."
"There are plenty of people who do. Important people, other mages, magical beings..." The fervour with which she speaks makes Anna's guess of her being a fire mage seem extremely fitting. "Our family has paved the way of magic casting and study for years. Our journals form the most in depth library of magical study the world knows of. Everyone who's part of our world knows it. Even as business people we own flourishing companies. We are famous. To everyone but the general populace."
Still, Viatorus shakes his head calmly. "We're not. Our family, our bloodline, is. But us? We're only known because of the Archon. The two of us are just Durants to those people. Isidor and Viatorus are the people Harrowheart and Anna know."
"'Just Durants'," she snorts and crosses her arms tightly. For a moment she looks as if she's about to make a snarky remark, but freezes and returns to looking unhappy at him instead.
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Her brother, meanwhile, rides the emotional roller coaster. He and Viatorus share matching looks as Isidor continues to impart the importance of the Durant family and what it means for everyone currently at the table. Viatorus' continued attempts at humility hearten him, but Isidor is there to tear it down every time. It's too hard to look at her when she's being so haughty, so full of herself. He presses his lips into a thin line and shakes his head.
Anna catches him and once again she's elbowing his side. "What's your problem?" she demands, but doesn't let him speak. She knows what his problem is. "So they're famous? So it sounds like they're rich, too? What's the problem?"
She must know what she's doing. This is her brother, after all. Surely she knows his opinions on the class divide. He immediately snaps back, "It's only the biggest problem ever, Anna! Being rich is like... It's like top five in the list of bad things in the universe!"
His words are interrupted by Anna poking him right in the forehead with a stern finger. "And the others are rude people, jealous people, people who disrespect their friends, and the Scourge. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You wouldn't be acting this way if Mom were here." Instantly he frowns. He downcasts his eyes, but that doesn't stop there from being a finger still boring a hole in his forehead.
Anna continues, still serious as ever. "So your friends are rich? So they're famous?! Stop being such a Lawrence! Be happy for your friends! They're nice, and they're lucky, and they deserve to enjoy what they've got! It sounds like their family worked hard –"
"Our family works hard..." Harrow tries.
Anna sits back in her chair and wags her finger whilst she shakes her head with gusto. "No, don't you even. Everyone works hard. How we live's got nothin' to do with how they live, ya fool." Oh, she's riled herself up into her accent now. She reaches over and takes her brother by both cheeks and forces him to look at the Durants.
"They're your friends," she says. "And you like them. And they make you laugh. And you make them laugh. That's all that matters in life. So Mister Durant, don't be so worried and humble. And Mister Weatherhill, don't be so rude! Be a good friend and be happy for the fact that they got somethin' in life."
She releases him, and Harrow sighs heavily. How embarrassing. His cheeks are totally pale, his eyes averted. He folds his hands on the table and mumbles something that sounds like 'Sorry,' but it's difficult to tell.
Anna continues shaking her head. "When we get home, we are so having a talk."
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As the rant unfolds, Isidor goes from looking surprised to amused. At the end of it all, she laughs. "So this is why you didn't introduce us sooner, is it?" She smirks as she lifts an eyebrow at Harrowheart. "You were afraid she'd agree with sense?"
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Anna knows what he's going to say. She knows, and she's already looking so remorseful. She puts her hand on his and stops him. She can interrupt him one last time. "Because there's something I know about him that he's afraid I'd tell people. But I promised I'd keep it secret." She turns to her worried brother now and firmly reminds him, "And I have. It's not something I'd tell anyone, ever, no matter what."
He smiles weakly, but the mere mention of there being a secret of his she's keeping is enough to keep him quiet. He squeezes her hand, and she squeezes back.
She says, "And even though he's been so embarrassing... I guess I have too. And... Even though I came here wanting to ruin everything for him... I... I had a wonderful day." Now he really perks up. He's reluctant to smile and worried what might come next, he can't help himself from being a little optimistic. "I had a wonderful day with my brother for the first time in... Years."
"I can't believe it's been that long," Harrow whispers.
Anna shakes her head. "It doesn't feel like it. Today, looking like this... It feels like you're my brother again."
He puts his other hand on top of hers and, smiling softly, assures her, "I've always been your brother. And I always will be. When I'm with you and when I'm gone." His mouth hangs open like he's got more to say and her lips part as well, but both of them are quiet. It feels so awkward suddenly. So public. He reaches out to pull her into a one-armed hug and she accepts, laughing.
"We're still having a talk," she tries to scold.
"Oh definitely," he says with another laugh. "About how Isidor and Viatorus are cool... And all the rest of the rich people suck."
Anna immediately cuffs him on the head and disengages from the hug. "You idiot! We were having a moment!"
He grins so widely at all three of them and takes such terrible satisfaction in shrugging. Smug little shit...
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"Speaking of talks..." Isidor tips her head to stare down her brother. "You and I need to have one too." Viatorus sighs wearily, but Isidor ignores him, instead turning to the two children. "And we've intruded enough on your privacy today."
Viatorus can see where this is leading, so he leans forward. "It has been lovely to meet you, Anna. I hope you come and visit again."
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Harrowheart rolls his eyes and follows his sister to his feet. As he leaves he stops by Viatorus, smiles, holds his arms at his sides to give his friend a moment's notice, then dives in for a powerful hug. Well, as powerful as a young boy's arms can be. When he disengages from the hug he points a finger at Viatorus and says, "Think about the sideburns."
Anna grunts. She takes her brother by the arm and tries to gently lead him away from the long-suffering Durants. "You're so dumb," she whispers.
Harrow laughs and follows along. "Yeah, well, that's why they like me! I'm a vacation from their usual company: Smart-asses like you." He keeps on laughing even as his offended sister swats his arm.
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Harrowheart's hug is unexpected. That it doesn't choke the life out of him is even more unexpected. Viatorus freezes in surprise for a split second... and then laughs, patting Harrowheart's arm. "I will."
"No you won't," Isidor mutters through a smile.
It's a charming sight to see, two siblings reunited and on good terms again. Well worth the small bill for a few cakes and hot chocolates.