Journey, part one
Jan. 27th, 2012 12:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lilfluffTitle: Journey, part one (for lack of a better title)
Setting: sci-fantasy alien invasion?
Content warnings: Slavery, rather blatantly implied past abuse (but none on page).
Summary: Oskar's happier after the invasion than he was before. But if there's one constant in life, it's change...
From an idea that came to mind while in that half-awake half-asleep state in which so many ideas are gained and lost.
Oskar sat in the corner of the office while the captain saw his appointments. Some of the others thought things were scary now, but Oskar knew better. Oskar was happy now. He had been just old enough to understand what was happening back the first time. Back when the war was lost and all the strangers moved in. Talking with their strange accents, insisting their way for everything was right, and telling everyone what to do. And while Pa never came back from the war their new master and his family did arrive to claim their home. He hadn't been old enough then to know what was happening when Ma or his sisters would be taken away for a night but he was still old enough to know they were lying when they said everything was okay. Old enough to know the only thing he could do was stay quiet and hope it would mean fewer beatings.
But the captain was different. The new war was lost before Oskar had even known it had started. Only when the soldiers in their strange uniforms showed up did he know anything had happened. But he knew whose side he was on when he got to watch master try to get his gun and get his nose get broken with a rifle butt instead. Seeing that and seeing the man who had been the bogeyman of his life tied up and marched out at gunpoint Oskar knew things were going to be better. He was old enough now to know they were only trading one master for another. But the new master didn't pull his sisters away at night and hadn't beaten him, not even once.
No beatings and he could sit out in the good light of the room the captain had taken as an office, instead of the cramped workroom off the kitchen, and polish the man's boots there. So what if the new rulers had turned out not to be human after they took off their helmets. If he'd been given the choice Oskar would have chosen the almost wolfish man who didn't beat him and had his bad tooth fixed over the cruel drunk of a human who used to own him, and he'd do so without looking back even once. Maybe he still got in a little trouble, he couldn't help it if the newcomers had so many strange things to stare at. Like the glowing map the captain had just called into the air over the desk, as if magic even if he said it wasn't, Oskar stared at the map for a few moments before remembering the boots and got back to work buffing the last coat of polish.
He'd just about finished when the captain made the map disappear and sent the men away a soon after. Giving the boots a last once-over he carried them to the desk, trying to stand at attention the way the captain's soldiers did, at least until his presence was acknowledged. Giving the captain a little smile as he held the boots up.
"All finished with this pair, Master Keir."
The captain inspected his work before reaching over to ruffle his hair. Oskar grinned as captain Keir reached into a jar on his desk, producing a small square of chocolate that he dropped into his waiting hands. "Good boy. Well done, I fear I'll be missing you right quick."
"Master?"
Missing? Master wasn't going to be leaving? Pa left and never came back. Master couldn't leave too. There was a buzz from the desk and the captain gave a little wave, "Sit for the moment and I'll explain after this."
Kneeling off to the side Oskar waited while Captain Keir spoke in his own language and a younger soldier entered the room, walking carefully with his left leg wrapped in a hinged metal splint. Oskar looked at the young man's uniform and tried to remember which rank had two stripes and a pair of buttons for an emblem. Captain Keir had spent a few minutes the week before explaining them to him but he had really only paid attention to the captain's own rank and those of the others staying in the house. The soldier saluted and spoke with the captain in their own language. Oskar knew a few words by now, but not enough to know what they were talking about. After a few minutes the captain said something else and set two glasses out on the desk. The soldier looked at the glasses and with a laugh said something more while losing the stiff posture. Taking a glass the soldier sat in one of the chairs by the desk and took a few sips while Captain Keir spoke some more, the captain seeming to have relaxed from his earlier seriousness as well.
Oskar stared at the uniform trying to remember the rank. Suddenly noticing that the soldier had noticed him and was staring back he quickly dropped his gaze. A few more words went back and forth and he recognized his own name in with the foreign words. Staring down at his lap Oskar tried to concentrate on the spots of shoe polish on his hands instead of the conversation. The soldier spoke sharply getting a stern reply from Captain Keir. As their words grew louder he hunched down trying to be invisible and ignore everything. He could hear a rattling from the metal splint as the younger man stood and one of them slamming a glass back onto the desk. The captain spoke a few more sharp words pushing back his chair at the same time and Oskar almost jumped up when he realized Captain Keir had spoken to him.
"Stand up. This is, eyes off the floor and look at him, this is my nephew Corporal Eugen. He will be heading back on the next medical withdraw to have treatment at a proper hospital."
Eugen started to say something only to be cut off by Captain Keir with a few barked words. The younger man answering with a single word and stood rigidly at attention again.
"I will be sending you to my home under his escort. You will show him the same obedience you have given me. Do you understand?"
Oskar glanced over at the corporal before staring up at Captain Keir with his mouth hanging open.
"I said, do you understand?"
"I, Yes Master. Go with him and do what he says."
"Good. Do that. He does not know as much of your tongue as I, so you will need to take this opportunity to learn ours. This will not be an excuse. I expect to receive back a favorable report on your behavior."
"Yes Master..."
Oskar started to say more but Captain Keir was already speaking to his nephew again his tone ever so slightly more relaxed. Eugen saluted again and Oskar got a gentle nudge to follow him as he stiffly walked from the room. With nothing else left to do Oskar obeyed and followed quietly at Eugen's side pretending not to notice the man's glare.
Part two hasn't been written yet. The ideas I had while half awake go a little further than this, but at least as of yet haven't grown to a full outline (or even really a true answer to the overall conflict of the story and an ending).
Setting: sci-fantasy alien invasion?
Content warnings: Slavery, rather blatantly implied past abuse (but none on page).
Summary: Oskar's happier after the invasion than he was before. But if there's one constant in life, it's change...
From an idea that came to mind while in that half-awake half-asleep state in which so many ideas are gained and lost.
Oskar sat in the corner of the office while the captain saw his appointments. Some of the others thought things were scary now, but Oskar knew better. Oskar was happy now. He had been just old enough to understand what was happening back the first time. Back when the war was lost and all the strangers moved in. Talking with their strange accents, insisting their way for everything was right, and telling everyone what to do. And while Pa never came back from the war their new master and his family did arrive to claim their home. He hadn't been old enough then to know what was happening when Ma or his sisters would be taken away for a night but he was still old enough to know they were lying when they said everything was okay. Old enough to know the only thing he could do was stay quiet and hope it would mean fewer beatings.
But the captain was different. The new war was lost before Oskar had even known it had started. Only when the soldiers in their strange uniforms showed up did he know anything had happened. But he knew whose side he was on when he got to watch master try to get his gun and get his nose get broken with a rifle butt instead. Seeing that and seeing the man who had been the bogeyman of his life tied up and marched out at gunpoint Oskar knew things were going to be better. He was old enough now to know they were only trading one master for another. But the new master didn't pull his sisters away at night and hadn't beaten him, not even once.
No beatings and he could sit out in the good light of the room the captain had taken as an office, instead of the cramped workroom off the kitchen, and polish the man's boots there. So what if the new rulers had turned out not to be human after they took off their helmets. If he'd been given the choice Oskar would have chosen the almost wolfish man who didn't beat him and had his bad tooth fixed over the cruel drunk of a human who used to own him, and he'd do so without looking back even once. Maybe he still got in a little trouble, he couldn't help it if the newcomers had so many strange things to stare at. Like the glowing map the captain had just called into the air over the desk, as if magic even if he said it wasn't, Oskar stared at the map for a few moments before remembering the boots and got back to work buffing the last coat of polish.
He'd just about finished when the captain made the map disappear and sent the men away a soon after. Giving the boots a last once-over he carried them to the desk, trying to stand at attention the way the captain's soldiers did, at least until his presence was acknowledged. Giving the captain a little smile as he held the boots up.
"All finished with this pair, Master Keir."
The captain inspected his work before reaching over to ruffle his hair. Oskar grinned as captain Keir reached into a jar on his desk, producing a small square of chocolate that he dropped into his waiting hands. "Good boy. Well done, I fear I'll be missing you right quick."
"Master?"
Missing? Master wasn't going to be leaving? Pa left and never came back. Master couldn't leave too. There was a buzz from the desk and the captain gave a little wave, "Sit for the moment and I'll explain after this."
Kneeling off to the side Oskar waited while Captain Keir spoke in his own language and a younger soldier entered the room, walking carefully with his left leg wrapped in a hinged metal splint. Oskar looked at the young man's uniform and tried to remember which rank had two stripes and a pair of buttons for an emblem. Captain Keir had spent a few minutes the week before explaining them to him but he had really only paid attention to the captain's own rank and those of the others staying in the house. The soldier saluted and spoke with the captain in their own language. Oskar knew a few words by now, but not enough to know what they were talking about. After a few minutes the captain said something else and set two glasses out on the desk. The soldier looked at the glasses and with a laugh said something more while losing the stiff posture. Taking a glass the soldier sat in one of the chairs by the desk and took a few sips while Captain Keir spoke some more, the captain seeming to have relaxed from his earlier seriousness as well.
Oskar stared at the uniform trying to remember the rank. Suddenly noticing that the soldier had noticed him and was staring back he quickly dropped his gaze. A few more words went back and forth and he recognized his own name in with the foreign words. Staring down at his lap Oskar tried to concentrate on the spots of shoe polish on his hands instead of the conversation. The soldier spoke sharply getting a stern reply from Captain Keir. As their words grew louder he hunched down trying to be invisible and ignore everything. He could hear a rattling from the metal splint as the younger man stood and one of them slamming a glass back onto the desk. The captain spoke a few more sharp words pushing back his chair at the same time and Oskar almost jumped up when he realized Captain Keir had spoken to him.
"Stand up. This is, eyes off the floor and look at him, this is my nephew Corporal Eugen. He will be heading back on the next medical withdraw to have treatment at a proper hospital."
Eugen started to say something only to be cut off by Captain Keir with a few barked words. The younger man answering with a single word and stood rigidly at attention again.
"I will be sending you to my home under his escort. You will show him the same obedience you have given me. Do you understand?"
Oskar glanced over at the corporal before staring up at Captain Keir with his mouth hanging open.
"I said, do you understand?"
"I, Yes Master. Go with him and do what he says."
"Good. Do that. He does not know as much of your tongue as I, so you will need to take this opportunity to learn ours. This will not be an excuse. I expect to receive back a favorable report on your behavior."
"Yes Master..."
Oskar started to say more but Captain Keir was already speaking to his nephew again his tone ever so slightly more relaxed. Eugen saluted again and Oskar got a gentle nudge to follow him as he stiffly walked from the room. With nothing else left to do Oskar obeyed and followed quietly at Eugen's side pretending not to notice the man's glare.
Part two hasn't been written yet. The ideas I had while half awake go a little further than this, but at least as of yet haven't grown to a full outline (or even really a true answer to the overall conflict of the story and an ending).
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 09:46 pm (UTC)Keir and the Varn Occupation -- I suspect Keir's suggestion for what the Varn can do with themselves is as they say 'anatomically impossible'. (Then again, with the Varn being masters of genetic manipulation... :p)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 11:26 pm (UTC)