Chapter Text
Hauling glass for ‘The Starry Sword’ was about as fun as it sounded. The rods were heavy, and shifted in the crate, and it took a lot of effort to not break them. When they did break, the pieces had to be sorted into bins of similar sized pieces, and the glittering splinters lodged themselves in fingers and hid in folds of clothes. Shelves had to be swept before they were restocked, and all-in-all, it was not work Qifrey ever wanted to repeat.
So he repeated it, over and over again.
After the fifth crate, his arms and fingers ached.
“Oi!, where’ve you been?” Olruggio sat on his knees on the floor, carefully placing empty decorative ink vials into the lower shelves of a display case.
“I finished shelving the rods in the workshop, and then I got a little …lost in the storeroom.”
“You? Lost? No way.” Olly shot him a smirk as Qifrey approached, and he gave him a playful flick to the gold tassel on his cap.
“Not that kind of lost!” He rolled his eye. “Mister Nolnoa has different concentrations of ink for different uses. He has every conceivable magic dye! I got lost going through it all with him. He even has powdered roaming scallop shells! And kettlegourd seed extract! Some of the things he has here I’ve never even heard about. I don’t know what I’m going to pick out at this rate. I could spend all day in here- all week in here, and I don’t think I’d ever be bored! This shop is truly incredible. Did you know that-“
Olruggio snorted. “You’re such a magic nerd.”
“Excuse me…? This coming from the king of magic nerds, who, might I remind you, stayed up all night studying books about magic towns?”
“Aye! And my magic nerdery makes money.” Olly stuck his tongue out at him.
“My dear Olruggio, greed is so unbecoming of one so young. Surely money can’t be the only motivating factor for Olruggio of the Torch, Boy Genius, Wonder Child of Ghodrey.” Olly gave him a punch in the thigh for that one. He looked up at Qifrey from his position on the floor, still carefully stocking ink bottles, his eyes glittered with mischief.
“Well, my dear Qifrey, you’d be wrong. Greed is absolutely THE motivating factor.” He made a sweeping motion in the air, as if he was dusting the thought away. “And, you see, I have this best friend… ‘es a pretty hopeless cause. I figured, maybe I’m nice enough, ya know. Left to his own devices, the guy might starve.”
“Mmm. What altruism. That guy sounds like a problem.”
“Real troublemaker, that one. Walks straight into the ocean an’ nearly drowns his’sen on occasion-“
“One time!”
“-That I know of. But, I kinda like ‘avin him around, so what can you do?”
Qifrey felt Olly playfully tug on his ribbon, so he leaned down close, a sly grin on his face as he whispered;
“Watch it Olly, this close together, do you want to get accused of canoodling again by Mister Nolnoa?”
“Canoodling!!” Olruggio immediately burst out laughing, grabbing Qifrey by his collar before he could pull away, holding him in place to whisper back.
“I’ll give you canoodling.”
Qifrey’s face heated and his stomach flipped. He tried to jerk away, only for Olly to tug him down further. He was close enough where he could feel Olly’s lips against his ear, the tickle of his hair as it blew with the rumble of Olly’s breathy voice as he snickered “I win.” Before playfully shoving Qifrey away.
His hand shot to cover his ear. He could hear the roar of his pulse and feel it in the tips of his fingers as he staggered backwards.
“That was r-rather-.” Qifrey squeaked out. It was the boldest, most outright flirtatious thing Olly had ever intentionally done, and he seemed to realise it too.
“I-it was something Alaria told me to do a few weeks ago, to ‘put you in your place’. I’ve been t-too embarrassed to try it.” Olly looked away, slight flush to his ears as he half covered his face with his hand.
“Of course it was Alaira.” Meddler!
“That was payback…. for earlier.” He still wouldn’t look at him.
…
…..
“That….that was not a real kiss!”
“Shhhh!” Olly fumbled one of the glass vials he had picked up, saving it right before it shattered against the stone floor. He again looked as if he were caught doing something naughty and flushed deeper.
Qifrey sank down on his heels.
“I’m…. I’m sorry, Olly. I really was just aiming for your cheek. Like Alaria and I usually do when we want to tease you.”
“I know, but it still happened and it made me feel…. I don’ know.” He still wouldn’t meet Qifrey’s eye. Instead he studied the floor. Qifrey watched as Olly bit the inside of his cheek and traced a line in the stone. “Alaira has been…. alluding to things lately and it’s got me a little…. confused.”
Oh-ho boy. Alaira was absolutely going to get ink in her tea next time he saw her.
Qifrey sighed, putting a hand on Olruggio’s shoulder.
“That’s not very like you to put stock in other people’s silly opinions. Pay no mind to whatever weird things Alaira is saying to you. Or anyone else, for that matter.” He stood, pulling Olly up with him. “Now cheer up Ol-broodio, Mr. Nolnoa is bound to have more back-breaking labor for us to spend our day off on!”
“Just ask before you do that next time, oka-“
As if summoned, Mr. Nolnoa burst from the storeroom, wiping his hands on his cloak front, clouds of white shimmering powder billowed around him. His triangular spectacles were so smudged with dust, Qifrey wondered how he could see at all. He gave a cough while waving his hand around his face to clear the air.
“Ah! There ya are lads, I have a few special conjurin’ inks to mix for some clients. You there, dark haired boy.”
“Olruggio, sir.”
“Aye, Olruggio, can you run up to the top of the stairs and grab me the large empty mixing flask? It’s on me desk in the back corner. Qifrey lad, can you help me mix? The powder needs to stay in suspension, and that requires two …… consistent! …….. Very Tricky!... ” Mid sentence, Mr. Nolnoa had turned abruptly and begun walking back to the store room, chatting all the way as if Qifrey were in step with him, instead of paces across a room.
“Hmm. He’s a bit..…..”
“Cracked?”
“That’s the third time he’s forgotten your name.” They both snickered.
“I like him, though. ‘E’s, er, fatherly.” Supplied Olruggio as he dramatically trudged up the spiral staircase, as though it were the biggest burden of his life.
“Agreed.” Qifrey shook his head as he turned away from Olly’s theatrics.
It was honestly nice to be around an adult like Mr. Nolnoa. For all his eccentricities, he really did possess a direct and simple kindness. It wasn’t just Qifrey’s peers at The Hall that treated him a certain way, even most of the adults regarded him with suspicion and a certain amount of resentment. He almost never went to the magic stationers at The Hall, even though it was probably stocked just as well, if not better. The owner of the shop there was a severe and cross woman who did not allow Qifrey in without being accompanied by Beldaruit. They were usually in and out in five minutes- to restock conjuring ink, or replace a spent quire.
Lost in thought, Qifrey perused the dozens of lovingly carved pens, skimming his fingers over the intricate details. There were some with minute stellar patterns, or flower motifs. It was truly a showcase of Mr. Nolnoa’s devotion to the craft and Qifrey found himself smiling, thinking of what it would be like to spend many afternoons in this shop.
Mr. Nolnoa had been so encouraging of his questions earlier, explaining the contents of every jar he pointed to, praising Qifreys knowledge of the effects of the ingredients. It really was fatherly? Grandfatherly? Maybe? Qifrey didn’t know.
He was so absorbed in his musings he didn’t notice when his hand had left the display and wandered up the trunk of the Silverwood that stood tall and ancient in the middle of the shop.
He flinched back.
Ever since the tower, he made a point to evade proximity to…. His future. He didn’t avoid thinking about it, necessarily. How could he? Getting comfortable by purposely ignoring it was a problem. So he thought about it. Sometimes it was all he could think about, especially lately around Olruggio. But that could also be a problem, if he got too comfortable with the idea of his fate…A careful balance of resentful acceptance, rueful anxiety, was what was generally settled upon.
Hand still hesitating outstretched, he nervously, delicately, touched his fingers to the trunk.
And.
Nothing happened.
He closed his eye, pressing his palm to the smooth silver-white bark.
And!
…..
Still nothing happened.
He let out a long, stilted breath. Qifrey wasn’t sure what he was expecting- an… answer? a hum, a connection, some impression of the creature this used to be? Maybe it was a scalewolf once, a dragon…. Maybe it was human. He traced patterns in the bark with the pads of his fingers, imagining the cruor that pulsed up the trunk.
He felt some profound sadness for the thing that-was-before the Silverwood. Did it live a long, happy life before it succumbed to fate, or did it happen abruptly- early? Did it have a family that mourned it?
No one would ever know.
It was an identity lost to time, lost in silver.
How quickly would his be lost?
Maybe in hundreds of years, a kind and quirky old man would make a magic stationer’s shop around him.
“Oi!” Olly was right next to him, startling him so badly, he knocked his own cap off snatching his hand back from the Silverwood. “You….. alreight?” Qifrey hadn’t even heard him come back down the stairs.
He sucked in a shaky breath.
“Qifrey? What’s happened?”
“Oh, no. Nothing.” Qifrey wiped a hand across his eye and cheek, finding wetness there. Olruggio, with arms full of empty ink flasks, eyed him with distress. “Sorry, dust in my eye.” He gestured to the room. In the stillness between them, light streaked in from the third-story windows, igniting lingering dust motes.
“…Reight.” Olly’s eyebrows remained scrunched in worry, as he glanced to the Silverwood, then back to Qifrey, then down to the floor where his cap lay.
“I thought-“ Qifrey cleared his throat, making sure to inject levity into his tone. “I thought Mr. Nolnoa said THE empty flask on his desk?” He swiped his cap off the floor, shoving it into his waist bag.
“Aye, he did….” Olruggio clearly wasn’t convinced of the change of subject, still eyeing Qifrey.
“’The’, as in one.”
Olly sighed. “I’ll let you venture a guess as’t how many flasks and desks there are up there.”
Qifrey forced a laugh, grabbing Olruggio by the upper arm as he pushed him towards the workshop.
He spared one last glance over his shoulder at the Silverwood.
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They spent hours in ‘The Starry Sword’, even after the store officially opened. Mr. Nolnoa was insistent that they had been helpful enough to be rewarded with belt accessories. It was more than generous, as the leather items were some of the more expensive items in the shop. Qifrey settled on a new ink and pen holder fashioned out of a shiny dark leather he was rather fond of. Olruggio found a pen strap that was an odd enough shape to accommodate the searneedle for quick retrieval.
Qifrey had plenty of pocket money saved up from several Silver Eves since he almost never spent anything there.
Today he nearly blew it all in one go. He purchased several magic dyes that Mr. Nolnoa let him mix himself. One was an ink that wouldn’t bleed when introduced to water- very useful. Another was a decorative ink that would settle into fake gold when heated properly, also waterproof; that one would be fun for contraptions, and Qifrey had been playing with casting seals on tea cups lately. Lastly he had gotten an ink that would turn invisible when dry- what fun that one would be!
They had also both pitched in to buy a matching set of three pens; One for each of them, and Alaira, as her current pen was covered in so many bite marks it was a wonder she never got mouth splinters.
Mr. Nolnoa waved them off as they left, encouraging them to come back any time they wanted, and especially if they wanted to help- Qifrey was more than happy to agree.
Routing back to the main street brought them to the first one of the Cafés Olruggio had researched, by this point they were both nearly sick with hunger, and they stopped in for an early supper. Olly’s eyes sparkled with delight as they were greeted and led to a secluded table by a shaded window, overlooking the festivities. He gestured animatedly between bites of sandwich and sips of tea to booths he wanted to visit. It was interesting, again, to be able to go out like this, almost like adults, and not have weird looks and whispers follow them. Is this what being outside of The Hall would always be like? Qifrey would take this every day forever. Or…. for whatever time he had.
Qifrey watched, resting his chin in his palm, as Olly stared out of the window, eyes bright and inquisitive, small smile on his face. If only he could keep this image bottled away in his mind. He traced Olly’s backlit profile, the way his hair brushed the tips of his eyelashes when he blinked. The way his sun-freckled nose scrunched, and his mouth turned up when he found something amusing.
Qifrey felt his ribcage give and unpleasant squeeze and he tore his eyes away, back stiffening as he sat up straight. He pulled his hands into his lap and stared at them, picking at the dirt under his thumbnails.
Outside of the cool dim lighting of the café, Kahln had grown terribly hot and balmy in the late-afternoon sun. The clouds that had been over the mountains early that morning loomed tall and billowing in the fresh summer sky as they drew closer. Olruggio removed his cap and unfastened his robe clasp as they walked. He insisted on trying a few of the game booths; mostly to “ooh” and “aah” over the design of the contraptions they employed, and not to actually play any of the games. He lost all but one, where the game involved angling a heat contraption to fill and pop a balloon, and the prize was frozen honeytree nectar on a stick- a treat that was apparently popular in Ghodrey.
He gloated for the next hour about being the master of fire magic.
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The sky lit up, and Qifrey turned as they crested the hill, thinking he was going to see the start of the magic light display in Kahln, only to find lightning forking the sky. A low rumble of thunder whispered across the grass.
“Glad we left when we did, storm’s coming up fast.”
In the distance, he could see rain bands dancing over the river, edging closer to the island. Lightning flickered again, and an unpleasant warm gust of wind licked at Qifrey’s face. The darkening sky was an odd blue-green against the black-out of the clouds, and the last buttery orange ray of sun slipped below the horizon. Finally, the rain crossed the river, and he could see it churn white with the force of impact against rooves and buildings as the clouds unleashed their water on Kahln.
“It’s bloody gross out.” Olly billowed his tunic around his armpits trying to cool himself. He always ran hot. He grabbed for one of Qifrey’s hands, placing the palm on his forehead and sighed. “You’re always so nice and cool.”
“Ugh! And you’re always all sweaty!” Qifrey pushed him away, shaking it off in fake disgust. That fact that Olruggio was sweaty was decidedly not the problem. The Problem was Olruggio looked exactly like he had the other night, when Qifrey nearly fell forward off the settee in the study. Bright eyed, flushed cheeks, hair wild in the wind. Olly bit his bottom lip to wet it before giving Qifrey a silly grin. “What are you-”
Suddenly Qifrey found himself being tackled around his middle and wrestled to the ground. He could hear Olruggio’s breathy laugh against the back of his neck as he fought to turn around. He managed to worm his arm under Olly’s to break the hold, and used his legs to trap one of Olruggio’s arms. Olly’s recent growth spurt had put their impromptu wrestling matches back on equal ground. There were several months where Qifrey’s tallness was significant enough that he won easily every time, much to Olruggio’s chagrin. The last several weeks, Olly had also begun to fill out his frame more, and was currently using that weight advantage over Qifrey’s spindly limbs. Olruggio tried his best to stand, nearly knocking Qifrey loose, but slipped in the process, sending the pair of them tumbling into the tall grass and down the hill. Blinkbugs scattered into the air in their wake, and their boisterous laughter mixed with the low rolling of the thunder.
They came to a stop at the base of the next hill. Qifrey’s sides ached as he laughed, his eye was shut streaming tears, and one hand clutched at his tunic over his chest, the other arm was trapped somewhere under the shuddering mass of a laughing Olruggio. He heard Olruggio’s telltale hiccup as he tried to suck in air between fits.
“Yer a-“ Hiccup, “A reight berk…. you know that, don’t you?” Olruggio laughed between words
“Me?! You started it!”
“I know!” Olly admitted, sending them both into another laughing fit. He felt Olly’s weight shift, and opened his eye to find Olly leaning over him, lopsided grin on his face. “You look as if you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.” He lifted a hand to pick grass out of Qifrey’s hair.
Lightning blinked in the sky.
“I have! And you!” Qifrey pushed himself up onto his elbows, inches away from Olruggio’s face, landed a quick peck on Olly’s dirt-smudged nose. “Look just as awful!”
“Oi!” Olly squeaked, collapsing onto Qifrey, “For that I’m gonna get sweat aaaalll over you.” He wound arms underneath him to pull him close. “Nice an’ cool. Like me own personal ice pack.”
Qifrey shifted to wrap his arms around Olruggio’s back. Being close like his, he couldn’t stop thinking about the Silverwood from ‘The Starry Sword’ earlier, or rather, his own mortality.
His own guilt.
“Canoodler.” Olly sighed against Qifrey’s shoulder.
His best friend was so pure, so innocent and so sweet. One day soon Qifrey was going to break him. Either by leaving him in death, or behind in life. The thought made his throat close up, his ribs ache. He pulled his arms tighter around Olly, as if the closeness would evaporate the sinking feeling.
Thunder boomed, sending field-birds screeching into the nearby trees.
“Does…. Stuff like that really bother you?” He finally asked, burying his burning face in Olly’s hair.
“…. I don’t… dislike it.” He glanced up at Qifrey, adding in a small voice. “Especially when it’s you.”
“O-oh?”
“I just get embarrassed.” Qifrey wasn’t sure if the booming in his head was thunder, or his pulse. The first fat rain drops hit his face and he sat up, spilling Olruggio into his lap with a complaint.
“C’mon, we’d better get to the old Sheperd’s house, quick.”
“Reight, can’t let Mister Pretty-boy get wet.” Olly winked, clasping Qifrey’s hand and hauling them both off the ground.
“Pretty-boy?” Qifrey complained.
“Yeah, afraid the rain’ll muss your hair or something.” He taunted.
Qifrey opened his mouth to object when lightning split the sky above them, followed immediately by a violent whip crack of thunder that rattled their teeth.
“Really wish I’d drawn casting seals on me new shoes….. Ready to make a run for it?” Olly yelled over the roar of the gusting wind, and thunder.
Qifrey gave a nod, and they both ran as fast as their legs could carry them.
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They had not beaten the rain. By the time they made it to the ruins of the building, they were both soaked through. The rain came down in such heavy drops, any dirt they had on them from their tussle in the grass had been washed clean.
Panting under the only overhang that remained somewhat dry, Qifrey frantically scribbled a water repellant spell onto the brick wall with Olly’s searneedle wand, fighting the sheets of rain the wind blew sideways into his eyes and mouth. Olly thudded his back against the cool stones, and slid down the wall. Qifrey closed the outer ring of his spell, relieved when water was no longer sloshing over him. He wiped his face across his upper arm and sighed, copying Olruggio by sliding down to the floor against the wall.
“Ugh!” he complained as he peeled his cloak from his shoulders, hating the way his clothes clung to him.
“I didn’t realise it was possible to drown on land like that!” Olly said as he fished out his quire, taking his wand back from Qifrey.
Qifrey blew air out of his mouth, displeased. “That’s why I hate water!”
“Aye, aye. ‘Ere, I’ve got a spell for ya I’ve been playing with. Though, it’s so hot out, might feel none too good. But, eh.” He tore the page from his quire and set it down in front of Qifrey. The sigil lit up in a comforting golden light, wrapping Qifrey in a warm breeze, stripping the water out of his clothes and hair. He was already so hot and gross feeling, the warmth of the fire magic in the spell was a bit uncomfortable. But the gentleness and reassurance he was enveloped in was something that he only ever experienced with Olruggio’s magic. He smiled at him in awe.
Olly had drawn a second one for himself, and Qifrey watched as Olly’s hair curled around his face in the gentle breeze of his spell. Eyelashes lit golden and fluttering against his cheek. His eyes slowly slid open, catching Qifrey’s stare and holding it. One side of his mouth lifted in a half-smile, and Qifrey’s heart jumped to his throat.
“Why d’you look at me like that?”
“Like what?” Qifrey’s mouth felt dry, and he swallowed. The spells faded out, leaving them in near darkness.
“I don’t know. That’s the problem.” Olly lit a small pyreball. Not enough to give off heat, but just enough to see by. “Alaira said-“
“This again? I wish you’d stop listening to things Alaira says…”
“But I need to know Qifrey. I…. am I the person you…” Olruggio’s face flushed deep red, the tips of his ears colouring. “Actually want to kiss?”
“I-!” Qifrey looked away and fiddled with his fingers. His pulse was deafening in his ears. His face burned with shame. How was he supposed to answer this? Why couldn’t he just say “No! Of course not!” and laugh it off like a normal person? Damn it Alaira. Damn it!
“Ah.” He heard Olruggio sigh.
Qifrey’s eye felt watery, as if he were about to cry.
“Do you….. hate me for it?” He asked in a whisper. He half- wished Olly would say yes. Be disgusted with him. Tell him he ruined their friendship. Break his heart instead. Make this Easy.
The silence stretched.
He heard Olruggio shuffle next to him, and flinched when a hand was placed on his shoulder.
“Not even a little.”
Qifrey’s eye snapped open, and his vision was filled with Olly’s. He was close, gentle smile on his face. His midnight blue eyes danced orange with the reflection of the pyreball, and they held no judgement, no disgust. Only a kindness so true and honest, it hurt to look at.
Qifrey flung himself at him, both arms wrapping around Olruggio’s neck, pulling him into a hug.
“Oi! Air, Qifrey, air!” He tapped against Qifrey’s arm rapidly until he loosened the hold. Olly pushed a hand against his chest, pulling back just enough to look him in the eye.
“You really? You… It doesn’t bother you that I- I never wanted you to know. I never expected- I don’t expect you to feel- Why don’t you hate me?”
“Boy, that’s a lot! Er.” Olly pushed back a little further, but still left his hand buried in Qifrey’s tunic above his heart. His other hand came up to bashfully play with the dark hair at the nape of his neck. “You’re really going to make me say some embarrassing stuff here, aren’t you?” He looked down to the floor between them, pink blush across his nose again.
“I just got cornered into admitting-somewhat- I want to kiss you. Like fully. On the mouth. And you’re embarrassed?”
“Fair point…” Olly’s face went several shades pinker. He sighed, dropping the hand from his neck to grip one of Qifrey’s arms. “You’re my best friend, Qifrey…. I want to be with you forever. Like, my whole life. I want to rebuild this place, side-by-side, run away from The Hall together. “ He was looking up through his eyelashes, holding Qifrey’s gaze again. “I… don’t know if I feel the same way you do, but I did mean it. When I think about it, if it’s you, I really don’t mind, if you…”
Qifrey shifted, a hand gently coming up to hook a single finger under Olly’s chin to lift his face up. He felt the hands in his shirt-front tighten and tremble. He slid his hand from Olruggio’s chin to his cheek, and his eyes frantically danced over Qifrey’s face.
“Can I?” He asked. His other hand came up, brushing Olly’s messy fringe away from his forehead, settling to cup his other check, and tip his face slightly closer.
“Mm.” Olruggio gave a nearly imperceptible nod, shutting his eyes forcefully in anticipation. His eyebrows were pinched so tightly, Qifrey would have laughed if he wasn’t so enamored. His ridiculously beautiful best friend, with his ridiculously beautiful, kind soul, wanted to spend his life with him. Whatever form it would take.
Thankfully, the thought didn’t comfort him like he feared it would. He really would destroy Olly, and Olly’s kindness would destroy him.
He moved closer, close enough where Olruggio’s breath mingling with his own, playing across his parted lips.
“Olly?” he whispered.
“Y-Yeah?”
“Is this okay?” He was so close now, their lips brushed lightly with each word. He thumbed over Olly’s cheek.
“S-stop teasin’ and do it already. I c-can’t take much more of this. ‘M gonna explode.” He felt Olruggio shiver again, as their lips touched fully on the word ‘more’.
Qifrey took the permission and leaned in the rest of the way, getting a responding noise of surprise from Olruggio. He pulled away just as quickly.
They both pushed slightly away from each other, hands going up to cover their mouths. Qifrey touched his lips with the tips of his fingers, seeing if the tingling sensation was imagined where they had just been pressed against Olruggio’s. Olly looked to be doing the same, flush spreading down his neck and under his collar, his eyes flicked up suddenly.
They stared at each other for a few long seconds.
Then, they both burst into awkward laughter.
“Yer so red right now!”
“So are you!”
“I can feel it! My face feels on fire.” Olruggio reached out, grabbing Qifrey’s arm and tugging him to sit back against the wall. He nestled in next to him, looping his arm around Qifrey’s, and leaning his head on his shoulder. “Now tell me about- what'll we call this place now- Your Atelier? What’s this room going to be?”
Qifrey set his head on top of Olly’s, letting the sound of the pouring rain calm them as they fell asleep together, discussing plans for the future.
A future, however long he had, full of laughter, and tea, and inventing, and stolen kisses in the rain.