Trouble in Cloverleaf, Continued, for @InspectrCaracal, 467 words

First part here
Second part here
Third part here.

This story is of questionable canonicality – it probably happened, probably about 100 years after Cya & Leo graduate from Addergoole (or about 93 years after the end of the world) – but the exact date is up in the air, as well as some details.

All Leo lines in this story are as-written by [personal profile] inventrix in the roleplay that sparked this


Leo stared levelly at Luke, taking his time about answering. Luke wondered if he was working around an order. Cynara always had been thorough about that sort of thing with her Kept.

“Outside the outer walls,” he finally came up with, “if you want to be completely certain.”

That was a lovely place for a trap. “Good.” It was also inarguably outside of Cynara’s domain. “Let’s go there.”

He stalked behind a silent Leo all the way to the gate. People stared. He didn’t mind. He was a Mara, after all. He was supposed to be frightening.

Leo was not the least bit frightened. They stood on the grassy plain outside of Cloverleaf, Leo returning Luke’s glare calmly. “Now that we’re safe,” he began, with more sarcasm than Luke had known Leo was capable of, “maybe you can explain why you’re here unannounced?”

Luke grabbed for words. I was worried sounded too weak, too stupid. You were an idiot was a matter of course for cy’Luca, sadly. If he visited every former student who’d been stupid, he’d never have time to teach.

“What happened?” he snarled. Leo knew why he was here. He was just wasting time.

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

No, he was taunting Luke, playing with him.

“Don’t give me that shit.” What sort of game was he playing? What was Cynara playing at? “Mike comes back from one of his little ‘field trips’, and there you are on the front page of this place’s newspaper, collared.

“So?” The little shit looked smug.

Luke reminded himself that punching someone else’s Kept was a crime, and that he really did not want to get in a war with Boom. He took several calming breaths and counted to ten in his head. “Leo. Who collared you?”

Either it hadn’t been the question Leo had been expecting, or Luke had hit a nerve. Leo’s smile was tight and humorless. “Cya, obviously. I thought you already figured that out.”

“Why in hell would you allow something like that to happen?” Was he stuck? Did he need help getting out of the situation? “Did she fuck with your head?”

Mike, he realized, would be yelling at him about his level of tact (or lack thereof) right now. Luke didn’t care. This was his Student.

His Student who was about as impressed with him right now as Mike would be. Leo was not shouting at Luke, but even he could tell the boy was close.

“No. She did not. I would appreciate it if you would avoid making unfounded accusations against my crew.”

It’s your crew that’s the problem. Luke barely managed to not say it. He counted to ten again and tried to calm himself down. They didn’t want a war. They didn’t want a war.


Next: soon

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