FIC: Clandestine [Tin Man]
Title: Clandestine
Author: atraphoenix
Fandom: Tin Man
Characters: DG/Airofday
Rating: PG
Summary: Their arrangement, for want of a better word, had developed by accident.
Author's Note: kseda made me do it.
It was the middle of the day and the tavern, which was never one of the O.Z’s busiest establishments, was all but silent. A sullen barkeeper disappeared through a side door when DG joined the cloaked figure that had been waiting for her by the bar. He’d learned a long time ago that it paid to be discrete. The Witch’s reign had passed, but eavesdropping was still a good way to get into trouble in the O.Z.
“Do you have my money?”
“That depends on the information you’ve got for me.”
Airofday pulled back her hood and gave her a wry smile.
“Of course, princess.”
***
Their arrangement, for want of a better word, had developed by accident.
At first, DG hadn’t understood the extent of the damage to the O.Z or the amount of work that would be needed to repair her shattered homeland. She’d stood on the balcony of the Witch’s tower with her family at her side, gazing towards the horizon and thinking, rather foolishly, that it was all over.
Really, the destruction of the Witch had only been the beginning. As well as rebuilding the infrastructure of the kingdom, they had to restore people’s faith in the monarchy and persuade the public that Azkadellia had been another injured innocent. The road was long and hard and filled with potholes that DG hadn’t foreseen.
It took her a long time to realise the truth and an even longer time for her to find her own way to help.
Cain and Jeb - a trusted former tin man and a trusted member of the resistance - stood by them. They helped the royal family communicate with the ordinary people of the O.Z, who had lost the most during the Witch’s reign and stood to gain the most now she was gone. Raw left the palace for long periods of time, but he always returned with good news about the Animals that were gradually coming out of hiding. And Glitch … well, Ambrose … and her mother worked wonders among the aristocracy, with Azkadellia in the shadows behind them and, eventually, at their side. DG was the odd one out.
After a while, she attached herself to her father. During his time in the Realm of the Unwanted, Ahamo had built up many contacts in the underworld of the O.Z. He aimed to use these contacts to hunt down the people - usually former military men and disgruntled advisors - who had served the Witch of their own volition and had no love for the House of Gale. She watched from the sidelines at first, but, after she made contact with Airofday, she started to provide information of her own.
She didn’t trust the other woman, of course. But she was fairly certain that Airofday didn’t trust her either and, in the end, some risks were worth taking. She would do anything to protect the O.Z, even if she didn’t want to - couldn’t - tell her allies who her informant was.
***
“There is a group of rebels hiding in the woods to the east of the Fields of the Papay.”
“How many?”
“Twenty former long coats, including a guard captain and two lieutenants.”
“I’ll pass the message on.”
Cain would be very interested in the particular piece of information. Satisfied, DG turned to leave.
“Hey, where’s my money?”
DG reached into her pocket, dropping a bag of platinums on to the bar with a soft ‘clink’.
“I’ll be in touch,” she said, turning away with barely contained disdain.
“I have a room in the inn on the far side of the central square,” Airofday said, her voice little more than a murmur. DG carried on walking without giving any sign that she’d heard her.
***
The peeling wooden door - which would have been locked in a more reputable establishment - swung open. Airofday was already undressed, lying on top of the sheets with her pale hair spilling across the dark pillow like a veil. She gave her visitor a smug smile.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
DG raised an eyebrow, slinging her leather jacket over the back of a battered armchair as she crossed the room to join her.
“Yes, you did.”
She always came.
***
They bickered constantly, but they’d only fought once.
Airofday wasn’t used to making mistakes, but she’d been pushing DG from the day they’d met and, eventually, she pushed her too far. Foolishly, and because she’d wanted to see how the other woman would react, she’d implied - slyly at first, but more and more overtly as her courage grew - that her relationship with Ahamo had been more than professional.
DG - hot tempered, headstrong DG - had raised her hand to hit her. Airofday had laughed, catching her wrist and encouraging DG to pour all her anger and distrust into a kiss instead of a blow.
It had all gone downhill from there.
***
Later, Airofday reclined among the tangled sheets, watching the movements of DG’s bare back as she attempted to pull on her clothes without revealing any more flesh.
“How did you know I was telling the truth about the rebels?” she asked.
“I didn’t. But you have to tell the truth or I’ll stop coming to you for information.”
“That isn’t the only reason you come to me.”
DG ignored her, so Airofday pressed on.
“What will you do when I finally lie to you? Will you hand me in to your tin men?”
Her tin men. As if Cain and the men he commanded belonged to anyone other than themselves. (DG wasn’t entirely comfortable with her newfound status - the fact that she was here in the first place was proof of that - but Airofday always enjoyed trying to rile her. More often than not, she succeeded.)
“I don’t know.” She didn’t need to turn around to see the other woman’s smirk. “It doesn’t mean I trust you.”
Sure enough, when she did up the last button and turned around, Airofday was smiling her familiar smug smile.
“Good. You shouldn’t.”
Author: atraphoenix
Fandom: Tin Man
Characters: DG/Airofday
Rating: PG
Summary: Their arrangement, for want of a better word, had developed by accident.
Author's Note: kseda made me do it.
It was the middle of the day and the tavern, which was never one of the O.Z’s busiest establishments, was all but silent. A sullen barkeeper disappeared through a side door when DG joined the cloaked figure that had been waiting for her by the bar. He’d learned a long time ago that it paid to be discrete. The Witch’s reign had passed, but eavesdropping was still a good way to get into trouble in the O.Z.
“Do you have my money?”
“That depends on the information you’ve got for me.”
Airofday pulled back her hood and gave her a wry smile.
“Of course, princess.”
***
Their arrangement, for want of a better word, had developed by accident.
At first, DG hadn’t understood the extent of the damage to the O.Z or the amount of work that would be needed to repair her shattered homeland. She’d stood on the balcony of the Witch’s tower with her family at her side, gazing towards the horizon and thinking, rather foolishly, that it was all over.
Really, the destruction of the Witch had only been the beginning. As well as rebuilding the infrastructure of the kingdom, they had to restore people’s faith in the monarchy and persuade the public that Azkadellia had been another injured innocent. The road was long and hard and filled with potholes that DG hadn’t foreseen.
It took her a long time to realise the truth and an even longer time for her to find her own way to help.
Cain and Jeb - a trusted former tin man and a trusted member of the resistance - stood by them. They helped the royal family communicate with the ordinary people of the O.Z, who had lost the most during the Witch’s reign and stood to gain the most now she was gone. Raw left the palace for long periods of time, but he always returned with good news about the Animals that were gradually coming out of hiding. And Glitch … well, Ambrose … and her mother worked wonders among the aristocracy, with Azkadellia in the shadows behind them and, eventually, at their side. DG was the odd one out.
After a while, she attached herself to her father. During his time in the Realm of the Unwanted, Ahamo had built up many contacts in the underworld of the O.Z. He aimed to use these contacts to hunt down the people - usually former military men and disgruntled advisors - who had served the Witch of their own volition and had no love for the House of Gale. She watched from the sidelines at first, but, after she made contact with Airofday, she started to provide information of her own.
She didn’t trust the other woman, of course. But she was fairly certain that Airofday didn’t trust her either and, in the end, some risks were worth taking. She would do anything to protect the O.Z, even if she didn’t want to - couldn’t - tell her allies who her informant was.
***
“There is a group of rebels hiding in the woods to the east of the Fields of the Papay.”
“How many?”
“Twenty former long coats, including a guard captain and two lieutenants.”
“I’ll pass the message on.”
Cain would be very interested in the particular piece of information. Satisfied, DG turned to leave.
“Hey, where’s my money?”
DG reached into her pocket, dropping a bag of platinums on to the bar with a soft ‘clink’.
“I’ll be in touch,” she said, turning away with barely contained disdain.
“I have a room in the inn on the far side of the central square,” Airofday said, her voice little more than a murmur. DG carried on walking without giving any sign that she’d heard her.
***
The peeling wooden door - which would have been locked in a more reputable establishment - swung open. Airofday was already undressed, lying on top of the sheets with her pale hair spilling across the dark pillow like a veil. She gave her visitor a smug smile.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
DG raised an eyebrow, slinging her leather jacket over the back of a battered armchair as she crossed the room to join her.
“Yes, you did.”
She always came.
***
They bickered constantly, but they’d only fought once.
Airofday wasn’t used to making mistakes, but she’d been pushing DG from the day they’d met and, eventually, she pushed her too far. Foolishly, and because she’d wanted to see how the other woman would react, she’d implied - slyly at first, but more and more overtly as her courage grew - that her relationship with Ahamo had been more than professional.
DG - hot tempered, headstrong DG - had raised her hand to hit her. Airofday had laughed, catching her wrist and encouraging DG to pour all her anger and distrust into a kiss instead of a blow.
It had all gone downhill from there.
***
Later, Airofday reclined among the tangled sheets, watching the movements of DG’s bare back as she attempted to pull on her clothes without revealing any more flesh.
“How did you know I was telling the truth about the rebels?” she asked.
“I didn’t. But you have to tell the truth or I’ll stop coming to you for information.”
“That isn’t the only reason you come to me.”
DG ignored her, so Airofday pressed on.
“What will you do when I finally lie to you? Will you hand me in to your tin men?”
Her tin men. As if Cain and the men he commanded belonged to anyone other than themselves. (DG wasn’t entirely comfortable with her newfound status - the fact that she was here in the first place was proof of that - but Airofday always enjoyed trying to rile her. More often than not, she succeeded.)
“I don’t know.” She didn’t need to turn around to see the other woman’s smirk. “It doesn’t mean I trust you.”
Sure enough, when she did up the last button and turned around, Airofday was smiling her familiar smug smile.
“Good. You shouldn’t.”