Fragment: Unexpected Inquiry (March writing prompt for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
nexus_crossings)
Mar. 31st, 2016 09:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rekindledtitan“Still alive, rookie?”
She never knew how Kaolin managed to sneak up on her, hiding his familiar tread among the noise of the docking bays. Blaze straightened up from checking her Sparrow and lifted a hand to him. He’d never come to find her before.
“Good to see you, Kaolin! That’s a new cloak.” The old one had been green and blue. This was golden brown at the hood, grading down to dusty grey, crossed by v-shaped bars in faded black. He nodded, half turned so she could see the back.
Then, unexpectedly: “How does it look?”
A joke? Blaze gave him a puzzled look. Didn’t sound like he was kidding. Always hard to tell with Kaolin though. Hunters kept their own counsel, she’d learned that much. He’d certainly never asked her judgment on anything. His eyes met hers, glowing green with inner light; his face gave away nothing. She looked over the cloak, said honestly: “It looks good. Fits you well.”
He shook his head. “No. I want to know if it’s right.”
Blaze frowned. This was new. She barely knew anything about Hunter symbolism. Wasn’t sure how regular it was, even. But if he wanted her opinion, she’d give it. “All right. What does it mean?”
“You tell me.”
She stepped around him and looked at the cloak draped over his shoulder: the brown-tinged bars bent by the ripple of the cloth. The simple white Hunter’s sigil arrowing up between the shoulders.
“It’s functional,” she said. Thinking out loud. Kaolin listened, head canted. “Quiet, uncomplicated. Hazy. Looks like late sunlight through cover. Or a valley, maybe. Broken shapes, colored like dust and stone. Good camouflage. Something for the field, not the Crucible. Clear ID, Hunter’s mark. Kinda looks like outward motion.”
“Hmm.”
“That make sense to you?”
“Yeah. Suits me.” He adjusted the cloak, added carelessly, “Thanks.”
“Sure. Any time. But what’s it-” He was already disappearing down the dock. “…Huh.”
Didn’t come back to explain, either. At least she knew which cloak to watch for.
She never knew how Kaolin managed to sneak up on her, hiding his familiar tread among the noise of the docking bays. Blaze straightened up from checking her Sparrow and lifted a hand to him. He’d never come to find her before.
“Good to see you, Kaolin! That’s a new cloak.” The old one had been green and blue. This was golden brown at the hood, grading down to dusty grey, crossed by v-shaped bars in faded black. He nodded, half turned so she could see the back.
Then, unexpectedly: “How does it look?”
A joke? Blaze gave him a puzzled look. Didn’t sound like he was kidding. Always hard to tell with Kaolin though. Hunters kept their own counsel, she’d learned that much. He’d certainly never asked her judgment on anything. His eyes met hers, glowing green with inner light; his face gave away nothing. She looked over the cloak, said honestly: “It looks good. Fits you well.”
He shook his head. “No. I want to know if it’s right.”
Blaze frowned. This was new. She barely knew anything about Hunter symbolism. Wasn’t sure how regular it was, even. But if he wanted her opinion, she’d give it. “All right. What does it mean?”
“You tell me.”
She stepped around him and looked at the cloak draped over his shoulder: the brown-tinged bars bent by the ripple of the cloth. The simple white Hunter’s sigil arrowing up between the shoulders.
“It’s functional,” she said. Thinking out loud. Kaolin listened, head canted. “Quiet, uncomplicated. Hazy. Looks like late sunlight through cover. Or a valley, maybe. Broken shapes, colored like dust and stone. Good camouflage. Something for the field, not the Crucible. Clear ID, Hunter’s mark. Kinda looks like outward motion.”
“Hmm.”
“That make sense to you?”
“Yeah. Suits me.” He adjusted the cloak, added carelessly, “Thanks.”
“Sure. Any time. But what’s it-” He was already disappearing down the dock. “…Huh.”
Didn’t come back to explain, either. At least she knew which cloak to watch for.
