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redtailedhawk90Drabble #2 -- From this prompt set on ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
writers_muses:
Sanguine
Sanguine | The Room Where It Happened (Podcast) | Corra/Otto
"The color of the night is sanguine, sibling, and the mob is ready to play the game."
Otto pinched the bridge of their nose.
"Corra, you can just say that everyone is in position," they sighed into the key. "We've been over this."
"Negative, Upright," came the reply. "Can't let the moon pigs roast our birds of a feather."
Instead of answering right away, Otto peered over the edge of the roof. There were only a few main roads into the city from the outlying farms, and this was one of them. This particular road had the advantage of some building cover, which made highway robbery surprisingly easy. The checkpoint was little more than a wooden gate and a shack, in which there were usually only one or two guards. Unfortunately, it seemed like the cops had caught on to the Sands' modus operandi, and they had increased the boots on the ground to twenty.
The smart thing to do would be back off and start hitting other locations, but the people on the other side of the river really needed this food, and if they scrapped the mission now, there was no telling when they'd be able to get hold of another shipment. And besides, Corra seemed really excited.
"All right," Otto said. "The mark should be here any minute. Remember that if any pigs get in the way, don't have a chat with them, just tuck them into bed. We don't need any dodgies breaking a finger." A chorus of groans reached them through the key, but they heard the intake of breath that meant Corra was smiling, so it was worth it.
Right on time, a wagon turned the corner and came to a stop in front of the checkpoint. It was piled high with sealed crates: valuable produce and grain and animal goods. Two people sat on the bench up front, a lizardfolk and a kenku, both dressed plainly. Four guards broke rank to greet them. Otto couldn't hear their conversation from here, but the wagon drivers tensed, the lizardfolk's grip on the reins tightening.
"Time to lift the stuffing?" asked Corra.
"Time to lift the stuffing," Otto confirmed.
Ten Sands members poured from the buildings surrounding the checkpoint, converging on the wagon. Otto leapt off of the roof, using two guards to cushion their landing. There were a couple of cracks as the guards crumpled into the pavement, but Otto gave them each a blow with the hilt of their daggers to be sure they would stay down. Around them, Otto could hear the other guards being similarly incapacitated. They straightened up and threw a dagger at the thigh of a guard going after Corra, and he dropped with a scream. Corra whirled and extended her hand, pink energy shooting from her palm to strike someone behind Otto. They heard a whump as the person was hurled off their feet and thrown ten feet back. Two more guards froze in their tracks, weapons still raised, when Corra pointed at them.
The Sands quickly cleaned up the rest of the guards after that. Otto helped one of their women tie up the two Held guards, and when they turned around Corra was pointing her rapier at the lizardfolk in the wagon.
"We're not gonna hurt you," she was saying. "And we're going to pay you for your goods." Otto made a circular motion with their hand and the Sands began removing crates. They'd have to stash some of it in the city until they could come back for it, but this sort of load would keep people fed for a little while, at least.
By the time they had smuggled all of the crates over the river, the sun was coming up. Corra had been pensive the rest of the night, so Otto stayed quiet as they got ready for bed, waiting to see if she wanted to say anything. They turned out the lights and snuggled up to her on their makeshift mattress, wrapping their arms around her shoulders and pressing their forehead to hers.
"I know that speaking in thieves' cant is silly," she said finally. "It's just..." She trailed off. Otto kissed her nose in encouragement. "It's just, there's so little silliness in our lives right now. After the mess with Stanton, and the Feywild incursions, and trying to keep the people this side of the river fed. Tessa is a revolutionary, Seshmir leads his church, Tseer is gods-know-where with Wyatt. We have all this responsibility, and it feels like we'll never catch a break."
"I know," said Otto, smoothing her hair around her horns. "I feel like that a lot, too. I don't really mind when you use thieves' cant. It's cute." They kissed her again, and smiled. "You're quite the gentlewoman, to have made the beater out of this Upright."
Corra's laughter filled Otto's ears, and their heart with them.
writers_muses:Sanguine
Sanguine | The Room Where It Happened (Podcast) | Corra/Otto
"The color of the night is sanguine, sibling, and the mob is ready to play the game."
Otto pinched the bridge of their nose.
"Corra, you can just say that everyone is in position," they sighed into the key. "We've been over this."
"Negative, Upright," came the reply. "Can't let the moon pigs roast our birds of a feather."
Instead of answering right away, Otto peered over the edge of the roof. There were only a few main roads into the city from the outlying farms, and this was one of them. This particular road had the advantage of some building cover, which made highway robbery surprisingly easy. The checkpoint was little more than a wooden gate and a shack, in which there were usually only one or two guards. Unfortunately, it seemed like the cops had caught on to the Sands' modus operandi, and they had increased the boots on the ground to twenty.
The smart thing to do would be back off and start hitting other locations, but the people on the other side of the river really needed this food, and if they scrapped the mission now, there was no telling when they'd be able to get hold of another shipment. And besides, Corra seemed really excited.
"All right," Otto said. "The mark should be here any minute. Remember that if any pigs get in the way, don't have a chat with them, just tuck them into bed. We don't need any dodgies breaking a finger." A chorus of groans reached them through the key, but they heard the intake of breath that meant Corra was smiling, so it was worth it.
Right on time, a wagon turned the corner and came to a stop in front of the checkpoint. It was piled high with sealed crates: valuable produce and grain and animal goods. Two people sat on the bench up front, a lizardfolk and a kenku, both dressed plainly. Four guards broke rank to greet them. Otto couldn't hear their conversation from here, but the wagon drivers tensed, the lizardfolk's grip on the reins tightening.
"Time to lift the stuffing?" asked Corra.
"Time to lift the stuffing," Otto confirmed.
Ten Sands members poured from the buildings surrounding the checkpoint, converging on the wagon. Otto leapt off of the roof, using two guards to cushion their landing. There were a couple of cracks as the guards crumpled into the pavement, but Otto gave them each a blow with the hilt of their daggers to be sure they would stay down. Around them, Otto could hear the other guards being similarly incapacitated. They straightened up and threw a dagger at the thigh of a guard going after Corra, and he dropped with a scream. Corra whirled and extended her hand, pink energy shooting from her palm to strike someone behind Otto. They heard a whump as the person was hurled off their feet and thrown ten feet back. Two more guards froze in their tracks, weapons still raised, when Corra pointed at them.
The Sands quickly cleaned up the rest of the guards after that. Otto helped one of their women tie up the two Held guards, and when they turned around Corra was pointing her rapier at the lizardfolk in the wagon.
"We're not gonna hurt you," she was saying. "And we're going to pay you for your goods." Otto made a circular motion with their hand and the Sands began removing crates. They'd have to stash some of it in the city until they could come back for it, but this sort of load would keep people fed for a little while, at least.
By the time they had smuggled all of the crates over the river, the sun was coming up. Corra had been pensive the rest of the night, so Otto stayed quiet as they got ready for bed, waiting to see if she wanted to say anything. They turned out the lights and snuggled up to her on their makeshift mattress, wrapping their arms around her shoulders and pressing their forehead to hers.
"I know that speaking in thieves' cant is silly," she said finally. "It's just..." She trailed off. Otto kissed her nose in encouragement. "It's just, there's so little silliness in our lives right now. After the mess with Stanton, and the Feywild incursions, and trying to keep the people this side of the river fed. Tessa is a revolutionary, Seshmir leads his church, Tseer is gods-know-where with Wyatt. We have all this responsibility, and it feels like we'll never catch a break."
"I know," said Otto, smoothing her hair around her horns. "I feel like that a lot, too. I don't really mind when you use thieves' cant. It's cute." They kissed her again, and smiled. "You're quite the gentlewoman, to have made the beater out of this Upright."
Corra's laughter filled Otto's ears, and their heart with them.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-21 12:58 am (UTC)