Work Text:
"Londo!" Vir calls out as he lets himself into Londo's quarters.
The parlor is in disarray and the liquor cabinet is open. The door to the bedroom is shut. Vir sighs and picks a few pillows up off the floor and puts them on the couch before stopping and squinting at his own hands suspiciously. Maybe he shouldn't have done that? Being Londo Mollari's ambassadorial aide, even after these past years, never loses its complete and utter lack of charm.
"Londo, the council meeting is in fifteen minutes!" he calls again. "You told me to remind you, yesterday."
In the bedroom, there is a great deal of rustling. "Alright, alright!" comes Londo's voice, somewhat panicked. "Is that all?" Then, he starts hissing at someone, "Go! Hide in the closet!"
There is a quiet rumble of someone else's voice, that Vir can't quite make out.
"What do you mean why does it have to be you? I can't hide, these are my quarters! It's your reputation I'm trying to protect!" Londo snaps.
"Um, I can come back later!" Vir says, already backing away.
"No, no, it's alright!" Londo says. "Ah, when did you say the council meeting was?"
Vir checks the chronometer on the wall. "Thirteen minutes."
Londo curses. "Tell them I'll be late." When he comes out of the bedroom, he looks somewhat disheveled, in his dressing gown and wincing slightly with every movement.
"Are you alright?" Vir asks tentatively.
"Yes, Vir," Londo sighs. "Just… Pulled a muscle."
"Do you need Dr. Franklin?"
"Absolutely not, this will go away on its own." Londo levels a look at Vir. "I pulled a muscle in my side, Vir."
Vir tries not to turn red. He fails miserably. He didn't even know that could happen from… That. How vigorously would one have to be- Actually nope. Nope, nope. Any other image but that, please.
Londo's eyes narrow. "The Humans have an expression, 'discretion is the better part of common sense,' you understand, yes?"
"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I mean, it's important, but- You know- Um, I'm actually going to go now-"
"One moment," Londo says and grabs a sheaf of documents off of the low table in front of the sofa. There are some faint brivari stains and annotations in two sets of familiar handwriting, but otherwise nothing unusual. "Take these."
Vir puts them in his folder and begins to back out.
It's only then he notices the single blue eye staring balefully up at him out of an empty glass on the table. He stares back, then slowly raises his gaze up to Londo.
"A-Ambassador G'Kar left his eye here," he finds himself saying, to his own horror. The significance does not escape him, though it may have, at some point earlier in his career. This is more than a diplomatic incident. Those happen every day, on Babylon V. This is something historical (but also quite disturbing, from a personal point of view.)
Londo looks down at the prosthetic eye. More like glares. "Did he. I'll be sure to let him know," he says through his teeth.
"Well, I'll tell the captain and Delenn that you'll be there shortly…" Vir swallows.
"Are you alright, Vir? You look pale. This isn't the first time I'm late to a council meeting, Great Maker knows."
"No, but it's one of the rare times G'Kar is," Vir blurts and then dodges a cushion being thrown at him by Londo as he quickly ducks out of the ambassadorial quarters – Londo's exasperated ranting and G'Kar's booming laughter echoing down the hall behind him.
"If Vir knows, then Lennier knows, and if Lennier knows, Delenn knows – and what she knows, Sheridan knows. If Sheridan knows then most people are already starting to suspect. And if that many people know already, then Garibaldi definitely knows. The whole station may as well know!"
G'Kar's derisive snort cuts off Londo's spiralling. "You sound worried. Is the reputation of the new Centauri Prime Minister at risk?"
"Fah. My reputation has been ruined years ago. No, it's your reputation at stake here, G'Kar! Consorting with a Centauri? Your people will not be pleased, to put it lightly."
"If they'll even believe it. They look at me like I'm some sort of prophet."
"Perhaps now they'll stop."
G'Kar's expression lights up. "Ah! You may be onto something, Mollari!"
