Wayrift Origins: Entente (Leona)
-Originally posted Jan 29, 2001, Written by Syntyche –
We get to hear a little about what Leona thinks about Ben… before she blows his cover. What’s new? lol
………………..
Ahh…so C-Ben was running away from home yet again. And every time, he would leave Cecil’s nerves frazzled like the ends of a torn cape. Yet, he would always come back, the long journeys with no tangible fruit. And as always Cecil would scold him, although perhaps a deal more gently than her father would her, she thought.
~He was definitely odd.~
She reasoned quietly to herself; Ben was an adult-no-even worse, he was Cecil’s older brother! Her father had told her stories about him.. when tongue often relaxed after a good swig of moonshine. Apparently Ben didn’t have a hot-tempered father to contend with (like she had) and like her, he didn’t have a mother, either. (This was apparent, she thought to herself, by his lack of table manners) No authority figure, right?
But it would seem as if Cecil, was close enough, and in some ways, he was afraid of the disapproval of his paladin brother. Ben, too, couldn’t come and go as he pleased, at least not with complete liberty, despite all those super-infinite powers he had. Maybe life wasn’t so different between herself, and him.
[Wren wrote: “Sound like a pretty good deal to you?”]
~Whatever you say O, Creepy Dark Prince and Supreme-Master-Wizard-Golbez. Oh, and next time, be sure to PEEL your dinner off the walls before you leave next time you come over!”~
Leona had to admit, her first urge was to spit out those very words. She knew he was trying hide something- perhaps from the other man who was staring at his knee in thought. But looking at the rather precarious situation that she had worked herself into, she caught her tongue from wagging into the wind and getting herself in trouble. Elbow by elbow, she slowly rose up, crawling and wriggling like a worm freshly dug from the earth.
She looked feet, her arms, and then up at the grinning face who still held up the remains of her airship. She had to admit to herself, he didn’t look all that evil with the quizzical smirk across his face. He looked more like a big version of the page boy she had shined the night before.
Big. It was almost like that very thought, made his shadow grow ten times longer, and his dark green cloak expand in the wind like the fear in her mind. She had heard stories of his uncontrolled fits of anger. And unlike her father, his temper didn’t stop with roaring words.
Involuntarily, she took a step back.
~I’m not afraid of him. He’s not going to hurt me, right?~
She looked up at his eyes, squinting as if she was trying to look for answers beyond them. And when they gave no answers, the fear continued to well up.
~I’m Leona Pollendina, the bravest of all airship pilots. One little-ok-big Spinerat isn’t going to scare me! He’s scared too!~
Thoughts fumbled in her head. She had to break the still air. And so, she did something which might have been rather foolish. Taking a deep breath, she gave Ben the stiffest upper-lip she could, took the edge of his beautiful green cloak, and wiped her face and hands clear across the whole thing.
“Sure thing Ben! So, where we going now?” she smirked at him half-triumphantly, not sure whether to run madly screaming into the distance or to stand her ground. Compromising, she marched a few yards away to pick up her Baronian Becky doll, half covered in mud.
“And oh yeah, Ben, while you’re at it why don’t you put all those SUPER-DUPER magic powers to use and get my airship out of the mud. I mean, it isn’t as big as the ones you move for Cec.. ..il”
~Shiva! Leona! You first-class-airman-idiot! Wagging your tongue again!~
She had seen Ben scowl before- Memories surfaced of the time she secretly added Kaipoian hot peppers to his kantal-flavored ice cream. And she was expectant of that same look now. While it was funny then to see him dip his head into a bucket of water, it didn’t have the same effect now. Of course, she hoped he wouldn’t scream and jump around as much as he did that day.
“I’m… sorry.. about.. the.. ice…cream…” were the only words she could muster as shivering, she looked back and forth between Ben and his companion for some kind of response.