beekeeperofeden (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beekeeperofeden) wrote2017-09-23 12:03 am
beekeeperofeden) wrote2017-09-23 12:03 am
Entry tags:
fic: Tolerare
Yet more herding cats AU.
Takes place at the end of the Last Threshold, after Jarlaxle rescues them from Draygo Quick's castle. In the same AU as Testing Links and Limits, so there is already-established Dahlia/Drizzt/Entreri. Takes place before Sparks in the Night.
Wordcount: 1090
"He said he'd meet us outside of Luskan." Drizzt looked back at the city. Even at this distance, the lights were a yellow beacon against the night. Artemis leaned against him and scowled.
"All the more reason to get away as quickly as possible," he said.
"I wanted to speak with him again." Drizzt poked the fire with a stick.
"Why?" Dahlia asked, leaning closer. She was on Drizzt's other side. The two of them were solid and comforting around him. It was as if they had realized how alone Drizzt had felt during their petrification and decided to make up for lost time.
"It's not like he cannot find us after we've left," Artemis added bitterly. "That one never runs out of tricks." Dahlia raised one eyebrow, her expression slightly too mild for reproval.
"A good thing, too, or we might both be statues and Drizzt a prisoner."
"And for that we should thank him?"
"And for that we could tolerate his presence. For Drizzt's sake."
Drizzt wasn't sure how they could forget he was listening when they were arguing around his chest, but that seemed to be the case. He sighed.
"Hardly mine alone," he added, setting down the stick and resting a hand on Artemis' arm. "Jarlaxle said you did not have the full story." The full story about what, Drizzt wasn't entirely clear on, but it had been clear that Artemis had known what Jarlaxle had been talking about.
"Do not tell me you believe him."
"What could he hope to gain by lying to you?"
"I know not. And that's what scares me."
Dahlia reached around Drizzt's back to hold Artemis' hand. "Are you so worried you won't believe him?"
"No. I am worried I will."
-
When Jarlaxle finally arrived, the moon was high and everyone else was asleep. Artemis nodded at him, then walked away from the campsite. With trepidation in his heart, Jarlaxle followed until they reached a starlit clearing.
"I thought I told you to stay away from me." Artemis' voice was quieter than it needed to be. At this distance, only shouting or a fight would awaken the sleepers at the campsite.
"You deserve to know the full truth."
"More excuses?"
"No. I doubt you'll blame me any less after we're done talking than you do right now. But you should know."
"And you'll go away after that?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
"What?"
Artemis settled against the tree as if it belonged to him, and Jarlaxle remembered why he had once tried to make this man a king.
"Tell me."
And so Jarlaxle did. He stumbled a few times. He had practiced this over and over, in his head or in the mirror after he had learned Artemis might still be alive, but it was more difficult when facing him in reality. Artemis' expression did not change.
As the blue-gray light of dawn filtered through the dying leaves, Jarlaxle finished his story and stood up. He had been sitting for hours, he realized, and his limbs were stiff and cold. Artemis was studying him.
"You were going to come back for me?" he asked.
"Yes. It was never an option not to." Jarlaxle's voice cracked as he realized how very vulnerable that statement made him, and he turned to retreat. Frozen leaves crunched under his boots as he walked away.
"Wait." Artemis' voice was quiet. Jarlaxle stopped, a breath of hope frozen in his lungs. "If you're going to vanish again, you should tell Drizzt properly. He thought you were dead for a while. It mattered to him."
Jarlaxle turned to look at his old partner. He was looking away, towards the campsite, face impassive.
"'If'?" Jarlaxle asked.
Artemis shrugged.
-
When Jarlaxle returned to the campsite, he found it surprisingly easy to stay around. The group was packing up to leave again and Drizzt kept handing him things or asking questions.
Can you roll these up for me?
Have you seen where we put the kettle?
Quick, hand me that bag.
This was interspersed with commentary about their trip. Where the group was going next, what they were likely to do. After a while, when the sun was almost over the trees and washing the road with thin yellow light, Artemis came back to the campsite and didn’t seem surprised to see Jarlaxle still there. He stayed on the other side of the clearing, thoroughly ignoring both dark elves. Dahlia shadowed him, helping to lift things and casting wary glances at Jarlaxle from across the camp. As the group finished up packing and Drizzt showed no signs of ending the conversation, Jarlaxle realized what he was up to.
"We'll probably stop by the southernmost lake before we hit Ten Towns." Drizzt leaned over and picked up a bag. This one looked like bedrolls. "It has warm weather and will be a good place to rest. What do you think?"
Jarlaxle stayed silent long enough for Drizzt to look up and make eye contact with him. He smiled as Drizzt looked increasingly anxious.
"I look forward to seeing it," he said finally. Drizzt's shoulders released their tension and he grinned. He turned back to the bags.
"Who planned this?" Jarlaxle asked. Drizzt froze for a second, then smiled.
"I did. The others don't know anything about Ten Towns."
Jarlaxle glanced over to where Artemis and Dahlia were waiting by the road. Artemis’ back was to him and Jarlaxle couldn’t see his expression, but Dahlia was frowning.
“Did you discuss your travel plans with everyone else?” he asked.
“Last night, before you arrived.”
“And they agreed?” Jarlaxle wondered if the jolt of hope in his chest was as transparent to Drizzt as it seemed to himself. Drizzt nodded.
“Artemis said he’d let me know if he could tolerate your presence.”
If you're going to vanish again, you should tell Drizzt properly, Artemis had said. Jarlaxle shook his head in wonder.
“I never have gotten to see the two of you working together,” Jarlaxle acknowledged. "Every time it happened, I was elsewhere." Drizzt smiled absently across the campsite. The realization that Jarlaxle had admitted to being caught off-guard seemed lost on him. Jarlaxle leaned forward and poked him in the shoulder.
"Sorry, what?"
"Nothing." Jarlaxle grinned and decided this ambush was simply a fluke. He understood these two well and could be sure to predict them in the future, he knew. (Which only goes to show how very wrong someone can be when assessing their own observational skills.) "I look forward to traveling with you."
-
(Note: There are around twenty ways Jarlaxle's conversation with Artemis could have gone. This is the "healthy communication for everyone" AU, but I'm keeping the less optimistic routes on standby for various other fic notions.)
Takes place at the end of the Last Threshold, after Jarlaxle rescues them from Draygo Quick's castle. In the same AU as Testing Links and Limits, so there is already-established Dahlia/Drizzt/Entreri. Takes place before Sparks in the Night.
Wordcount: 1090
"He said he'd meet us outside of Luskan." Drizzt looked back at the city. Even at this distance, the lights were a yellow beacon against the night. Artemis leaned against him and scowled.
"All the more reason to get away as quickly as possible," he said.
"I wanted to speak with him again." Drizzt poked the fire with a stick.
"Why?" Dahlia asked, leaning closer. She was on Drizzt's other side. The two of them were solid and comforting around him. It was as if they had realized how alone Drizzt had felt during their petrification and decided to make up for lost time.
"It's not like he cannot find us after we've left," Artemis added bitterly. "That one never runs out of tricks." Dahlia raised one eyebrow, her expression slightly too mild for reproval.
"A good thing, too, or we might both be statues and Drizzt a prisoner."
"And for that we should thank him?"
"And for that we could tolerate his presence. For Drizzt's sake."
Drizzt wasn't sure how they could forget he was listening when they were arguing around his chest, but that seemed to be the case. He sighed.
"Hardly mine alone," he added, setting down the stick and resting a hand on Artemis' arm. "Jarlaxle said you did not have the full story." The full story about what, Drizzt wasn't entirely clear on, but it had been clear that Artemis had known what Jarlaxle had been talking about.
"Do not tell me you believe him."
"What could he hope to gain by lying to you?"
"I know not. And that's what scares me."
Dahlia reached around Drizzt's back to hold Artemis' hand. "Are you so worried you won't believe him?"
"No. I am worried I will."
-
When Jarlaxle finally arrived, the moon was high and everyone else was asleep. Artemis nodded at him, then walked away from the campsite. With trepidation in his heart, Jarlaxle followed until they reached a starlit clearing.
"I thought I told you to stay away from me." Artemis' voice was quieter than it needed to be. At this distance, only shouting or a fight would awaken the sleepers at the campsite.
"You deserve to know the full truth."
"More excuses?"
"No. I doubt you'll blame me any less after we're done talking than you do right now. But you should know."
"And you'll go away after that?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
"What?"
Artemis settled against the tree as if it belonged to him, and Jarlaxle remembered why he had once tried to make this man a king.
"Tell me."
And so Jarlaxle did. He stumbled a few times. He had practiced this over and over, in his head or in the mirror after he had learned Artemis might still be alive, but it was more difficult when facing him in reality. Artemis' expression did not change.
As the blue-gray light of dawn filtered through the dying leaves, Jarlaxle finished his story and stood up. He had been sitting for hours, he realized, and his limbs were stiff and cold. Artemis was studying him.
"You were going to come back for me?" he asked.
"Yes. It was never an option not to." Jarlaxle's voice cracked as he realized how very vulnerable that statement made him, and he turned to retreat. Frozen leaves crunched under his boots as he walked away.
"Wait." Artemis' voice was quiet. Jarlaxle stopped, a breath of hope frozen in his lungs. "If you're going to vanish again, you should tell Drizzt properly. He thought you were dead for a while. It mattered to him."
Jarlaxle turned to look at his old partner. He was looking away, towards the campsite, face impassive.
"'If'?" Jarlaxle asked.
Artemis shrugged.
-
When Jarlaxle returned to the campsite, he found it surprisingly easy to stay around. The group was packing up to leave again and Drizzt kept handing him things or asking questions.
Can you roll these up for me?
Have you seen where we put the kettle?
Quick, hand me that bag.
This was interspersed with commentary about their trip. Where the group was going next, what they were likely to do. After a while, when the sun was almost over the trees and washing the road with thin yellow light, Artemis came back to the campsite and didn’t seem surprised to see Jarlaxle still there. He stayed on the other side of the clearing, thoroughly ignoring both dark elves. Dahlia shadowed him, helping to lift things and casting wary glances at Jarlaxle from across the camp. As the group finished up packing and Drizzt showed no signs of ending the conversation, Jarlaxle realized what he was up to.
"We'll probably stop by the southernmost lake before we hit Ten Towns." Drizzt leaned over and picked up a bag. This one looked like bedrolls. "It has warm weather and will be a good place to rest. What do you think?"
Jarlaxle stayed silent long enough for Drizzt to look up and make eye contact with him. He smiled as Drizzt looked increasingly anxious.
"I look forward to seeing it," he said finally. Drizzt's shoulders released their tension and he grinned. He turned back to the bags.
"Who planned this?" Jarlaxle asked. Drizzt froze for a second, then smiled.
"I did. The others don't know anything about Ten Towns."
Jarlaxle glanced over to where Artemis and Dahlia were waiting by the road. Artemis’ back was to him and Jarlaxle couldn’t see his expression, but Dahlia was frowning.
“Did you discuss your travel plans with everyone else?” he asked.
“Last night, before you arrived.”
“And they agreed?” Jarlaxle wondered if the jolt of hope in his chest was as transparent to Drizzt as it seemed to himself. Drizzt nodded.
“Artemis said he’d let me know if he could tolerate your presence.”
If you're going to vanish again, you should tell Drizzt properly, Artemis had said. Jarlaxle shook his head in wonder.
“I never have gotten to see the two of you working together,” Jarlaxle acknowledged. "Every time it happened, I was elsewhere." Drizzt smiled absently across the campsite. The realization that Jarlaxle had admitted to being caught off-guard seemed lost on him. Jarlaxle leaned forward and poked him in the shoulder.
"Sorry, what?"
"Nothing." Jarlaxle grinned and decided this ambush was simply a fluke. He understood these two well and could be sure to predict them in the future, he knew. (Which only goes to show how very wrong someone can be when assessing their own observational skills.) "I look forward to traveling with you."
-
(Note: There are around twenty ways Jarlaxle's conversation with Artemis could have gone. This is the "healthy communication for everyone" AU, but I'm keeping the less optimistic routes on standby for various other fic notions.)