Still, Sua said nothing, still resolutely tagging tomes upon tomes of prophecies.
Myungjun said, “It’s deadly cold outside, and I don’t want to go out there.”
At that, Sua frowned, hands pausing. “Why would you go outside?”
They were both Third Assistant Librarians, clad in yellow waistcoats over their Keeper robes. It was their duty to handle newer books and prophecies and less dangerous artefacts, like non-magical weapons and clothing from distant or long-dead kingdoms and civilizations. They didn’t have to go outside for anything.
Not that they were trapped in the Library.
Nor were they trapped inside any particular building at any time. It was just that they lived on a glacier, and it was freezing outside all the time. Charter magic and hotsprings kept everyone warm and comfortable inside, so they rarely ventured outside. It was why all of them were so pale.
Myungjun said, “I lost a bit with Bomi and Yeoreum, and now I have to help with a Paperwing test flight.”
Sua sighed. “How many times have I told you not to make bets with the Twins?”
Making bets with two of the strongest Seers among the Keepers really was a bad idea. Myungjun wilted a little under Sua’s disappointed gaze, but sometimes his pride got the better of himself. Everyone knew that Keeper women could choose which kind of child they wanted to have, and most of them chose women. That Myungjun’s mother had chosen him was rare, and now he always had to prove himself, that he was worthy of standing among the Keepers.
He was a skilled Charter mage on account of coming from a strong bloodline — his father also having been a mage who’d come to visit the Library to do some research — and also his natural singing skill, as Charter magic could be used with music as well as the written word.
But he had no Seer skills at all, so he was never asked to help with the Fifteen Day Watch, and any time he was clumsy or foolish or just different, the others sighed with longsuffering and chalked it up to him being a man.
“I almost won,” Myungjun offered weakly.
Sua shook her head and resumed stitching index tags.
Myungjun resumed working alongside her, writing down the reference number of each tag in his indexing tome.
Finally Sua said, “You know they’ll have you doing something risky. Why do you always let them goad you?”
Sua didn’t get it. She didn’t understand how it was for Myungjun, his very existence constantly questioned. Why did a man exist among the Keepers? They had no need for men.
Except to test fly a new design of Paperwing — and possibly crash and die.
“You promised we’d become Second Assistant Librarians together.” Sua plucked at her waistcoat. “Yellow isn’t really my color, and it’s not yours either.”
“I promise I’ll survive,” Myungjun said. “And if I don’t — if I don’t, well, at least everyone will remember me.”
Sua slapped him on the arm. Hard.
He yelped and affected a wounded pout, rubbing his arm. The pieces of jade on her key bracelet had dug in hard. “What? I was just kidding.”
“No you weren’t. You know it’s dangerous.”
“But I’m really good at magic.” Myungjun glanced at her sidelong and picked up his calligraphy brush, resuming writing.
“Unless you can sing or whistle all the most important control incantations for the paperwing from memory,” Sua began, and cut herself off. She turned to him fully, needle and thread abandoned. “Myungjun. Did you steal the plans from the Makers and memorize all the incantations?”
Myungjun shrugged and made another entry in his index. “Maybe.”
“Myungjun!” Sua hissed, grabbing his arm and almost messing up his writing.
“Aish.” He shook himself free and turned to her.
“Did you?” she demanded.
He grinned at her. “Come outside with me and find out.”
As if on cue, a sending, genderless and ageless in its robes and skin that danced with charter marks, approached and handed Myungjun a folded scroll. Even without opening it, he knew what it was, because he recognized the calligraphy on the outside.
He was being summoned for the paperwing test.
“Bet on me,” he said, and headed for the main doors.
Sua followed. “You better earn me two dozen chore coupons.”
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timeasmymeasure
Fill: Astro/Billlie, Old Kingdom AU, Myungjun + Sua
Date: 2024-01-23 12:18 am (UTC)Sua, who was diligently stitching indexing tags on the spines of books, said nothing.
Myungjun said, “It’s absolutely freezing outside.”
Still, Sua said nothing, still resolutely tagging tomes upon tomes of prophecies.
Myungjun said, “It’s deadly cold outside, and I don’t want to go out there.”
At that, Sua frowned, hands pausing. “Why would you go outside?”
They were both Third Assistant Librarians, clad in yellow waistcoats over their Keeper robes. It was their duty to handle newer books and prophecies and less dangerous artefacts, like non-magical weapons and clothing from distant or long-dead kingdoms and civilizations. They didn’t have to go outside for anything.
Not that they were trapped in the Library.
Nor were they trapped inside any particular building at any time. It was just that they lived on a glacier, and it was freezing outside all the time. Charter magic and hotsprings kept everyone warm and comfortable inside, so they rarely ventured outside. It was why all of them were so pale.
Myungjun said, “I lost a bit with Bomi and Yeoreum, and now I have to help with a Paperwing test flight.”
Sua sighed. “How many times have I told you not to make bets with the Twins?”
Making bets with two of the strongest Seers among the Keepers really was a bad idea. Myungjun wilted a little under Sua’s disappointed gaze, but sometimes his pride got the better of himself. Everyone knew that Keeper women could choose which kind of child they wanted to have, and most of them chose women. That Myungjun’s mother had chosen him was rare, and now he always had to prove himself, that he was worthy of standing among the Keepers.
He was a skilled Charter mage on account of coming from a strong bloodline — his father also having been a mage who’d come to visit the Library to do some research — and also his natural singing skill, as Charter magic could be used with music as well as the written word.
But he had no Seer skills at all, so he was never asked to help with the Fifteen Day Watch, and any time he was clumsy or foolish or just different, the others sighed with longsuffering and chalked it up to him being a man.
“I almost won,” Myungjun offered weakly.
Sua shook her head and resumed stitching index tags.
Myungjun resumed working alongside her, writing down the reference number of each tag in his indexing tome.
Finally Sua said, “You know they’ll have you doing something risky. Why do you always let them goad you?”
Sua didn’t get it. She didn’t understand how it was for Myungjun, his very existence constantly questioned. Why did a man exist among the Keepers? They had no need for men.
Except to test fly a new design of Paperwing — and possibly crash and die.
“You promised we’d become Second Assistant Librarians together.” Sua plucked at her waistcoat. “Yellow isn’t really my color, and it’s not yours either.”
“I promise I’ll survive,” Myungjun said. “And if I don’t — if I don’t, well, at least everyone will remember me.”
Sua slapped him on the arm. Hard.
He yelped and affected a wounded pout, rubbing his arm. The pieces of jade on her key bracelet had dug in hard. “What? I was just kidding.”
“No you weren’t. You know it’s dangerous.”
“But I’m really good at magic.” Myungjun glanced at her sidelong and picked up his calligraphy brush, resuming writing.
“Unless you can sing or whistle all the most important control incantations for the paperwing from memory,” Sua began, and cut herself off. She turned to him fully, needle and thread abandoned. “Myungjun. Did you steal the plans from the Makers and memorize all the incantations?”
Myungjun shrugged and made another entry in his index. “Maybe.”
“Myungjun!” Sua hissed, grabbing his arm and almost messing up his writing.
“Aish.” He shook himself free and turned to her.
“Did you?” she demanded.
He grinned at her. “Come outside with me and find out.”
As if on cue, a sending, genderless and ageless in its robes and skin that danced with charter marks, approached and handed Myungjun a folded scroll. Even without opening it, he knew what it was, because he recognized the calligraphy on the outside.
He was being summoned for the paperwing test.
“Bet on me,” he said, and headed for the main doors.
Sua followed. “You better earn me two dozen chore coupons.”
Myungjun grinned at her. “Make it three.”