The memory opens in a small study dominated by a desk covered in writing instruments—calligraphy brushes, sheafs of paper, an inkstone and stick of ink—and books. Lots and lots of books are stacked unsteadily by the desk, while the shelves that line the wall standhalf empty.
A younger Valor, around 20 or so, is seated on the floor next to the desk with a small piece of wood in his hand, which he is currently whittling into a small rounded shape over a cloth laid out across his lap.
Seated at the desk is a girl in her mid-teens who bears a distinct resemblance to Valor. She’s sitting with her back ramrod straight, gaze focused on the far wall and she recites what sounds like and complex passage from memory. Valor nods along, half-listening as he keeps carving the wood in his hands.
Suddenly, the girl breaks off her recitation, reaching for the book splayed open in her lap. “Wait, wait… Augh, it’s supposed to be ‘the silvered moon, not silvery,’ I always forget that...”
“Hey, you were pretty close,” Valor says encouragingly, brushing some sawdust off the half-carved figure in his hands.
The girl pages furiously through through the book, reviewing the dense text and her notes. “Close isn’t good enough, *******. It needs to be perfect, or I won’t—”
The narrow door to the study bursts open. Standing in the doorway is a tired-looking young man a few years older than Valor.
“What are you doing here?” he demands, looking at Valor.
Valor leans back against the wall to look up at him, apparently at ease, though his hand remains slightly tensed around the block of wood in his lap. “I’m off this morning.”
“You can’t just take off whenever you feel like it. Who’s supposed to cover the store?”
Valor shrugs. “Whoever you got to cover for me? You said it would be okay.”
The young man’s mouth thins. His gaze darts to the girl and then back to Valor. “We’ll talk about this outside.”
Silence stretches out for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then Valor starts gathering up his things, the little block of wood, the knife, the cloth he’d spread out to catch the sawdust. As he stands up, though, the girl suddenly breaks in, saying, “Heron, he did ask. Remember, it was when we were eating the longan Uncle Crake brought over....”
The young man pinches the bridge of his nose. “Dove… This doesn’t concern you. Focus on studying.”
Valor ruffles Dove’s hair on his way to the door. “Keep going, you almost had it.” He gives her another encouraging smile as he pulls the study door closed behind him.
Heron and Valor stand facing each other in a narrow hallway, and then by silent agreement move away from the study door.
“I can’t believe you made Dove cover for you,” Heron says first.
“I didn’t make Dove do anything!”
“You should know better than to get her involved, she needs to focus on studying—”
“I told you, I didn’t—”
“—and you can’t keep distracting her like this. You know how important it is for her to get into the Academy—”
“I wasn’t distracting her—”
“—and you need to stop being so irresponsible with the shop.” Heron glares at Valor. “That shop is ALL we have and you know it!”
After glaring back for a moment, Valor steps back and runs a hand through his hair, before turning away.
“*******! Get back here!”
“I’m getting changed.” Valor doesn’t turn around. “Unless you do have someone to cover for me?”
Heron’s mouth thins. “...Hurry up.”
The route back to his room takes Valor back past the study. The study door is slightly ajar, but as he rounds the corner, the door jerks shut.
So. Dove heard all of that.
Great.
- Aside from being younger, Valor noticeably is missing the red streaks in his hair, has brown eyes instead of red, and also doesn't look like he's wasting away from an incurable illness. - Dove is his baby sister. She’s studying for the Royal Civil Service Academy entrance exams and it’s Very Important for her to do well. - Heron is his brother and he’s a JERK!1 But he is right about the shop. - haha wow is it weird to have this many feelings about a memory because this feels like an overwhelming number of feelings it’s like he hasn’t had feelings about his own memories for a long time or something haha weird huh - Skill Gain: whittling!
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timeasmymeasure
002 | hanging out with his sister until his brother RUINS EVERYTHING
Date: 2021-09-12 07:17 pm (UTC)A younger Valor, around 20 or so, is seated on the floor next to the desk with a small piece of wood in his hand, which he is currently whittling into a small rounded shape over a cloth laid out across his lap.
Seated at the desk is a girl in her mid-teens who bears a distinct resemblance to Valor. She’s sitting with her back ramrod straight, gaze focused on the far wall and she recites what sounds like and complex passage from memory. Valor nods along, half-listening as he keeps carving the wood in his hands.
Suddenly, the girl breaks off her recitation, reaching for the book splayed open in her lap. “Wait, wait… Augh, it’s supposed to be ‘the silvered moon, not silvery,’ I always forget that...”
“Hey, you were pretty close,” Valor says encouragingly, brushing some sawdust off the half-carved figure in his hands.
The girl pages furiously through through the book, reviewing the dense text and her notes. “Close isn’t good enough, *******. It needs to be perfect, or I won’t—”
The narrow door to the study bursts open. Standing in the doorway is a tired-looking young man a few years older than Valor.
“What are you doing here?” he demands, looking at Valor.
Valor leans back against the wall to look up at him, apparently at ease, though his hand remains slightly tensed around the block of wood in his lap. “I’m off this morning.”
“You can’t just take off whenever you feel like it. Who’s supposed to cover the store?”
Valor shrugs. “Whoever you got to cover for me? You said it would be okay.”
The young man’s mouth thins. His gaze darts to the girl and then back to Valor. “We’ll talk about this outside.”
Silence stretches out for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then Valor starts gathering up his things, the little block of wood, the knife, the cloth he’d spread out to catch the sawdust. As he stands up, though, the girl suddenly breaks in, saying, “Heron, he did ask. Remember, it was when we were eating the longan Uncle Crake brought over....”
The young man pinches the bridge of his nose. “Dove… This doesn’t concern you. Focus on studying.”
Valor ruffles Dove’s hair on his way to the door. “Keep going, you almost had it.” He gives her another encouraging smile as he pulls the study door closed behind him.
Heron and Valor stand facing each other in a narrow hallway, and then by silent agreement move away from the study door.
“I can’t believe you made Dove cover for you,” Heron says first.
“I didn’t make Dove do anything!”
“You should know better than to get her involved, she needs to focus on studying—”
“I told you, I didn’t—”
“—and you can’t keep distracting her like this. You know how important it is for her to get into the Academy—”
“I wasn’t distracting her—”
“—and you need to stop being so irresponsible with the shop.” Heron glares at Valor. “That shop is ALL we have and you know it!”
After glaring back for a moment, Valor steps back and runs a hand through his hair, before turning away.
“*******! Get back here!”
“I’m getting changed.” Valor doesn’t turn around. “Unless you do have someone to cover for me?”
Heron’s mouth thins. “...Hurry up.”
The route back to his room takes Valor back past the study. The study door is slightly ajar, but as he rounds the corner, the door jerks shut.
So. Dove heard all of that.
Great.
- Aside from being younger, Valor noticeably is missing the red streaks in his hair, has brown eyes instead of red, and also doesn't look like he's wasting away from an incurable illness.
- Dove is his baby sister. She’s studying for the Royal Civil Service Academy entrance exams and it’s Very Important for her to do well.
- Heron is his brother and he’s a JERK!1 But he is right about the shop.
- haha wow is it weird to have this many feelings about a memory because this feels like an overwhelming number of feelings it’s like he hasn’t had feelings about his own memories for a long time or something haha weird huh
- Skill Gain: whittling!