Aere Drabblet--Backstory Time!

[chibi_trillian]

Aere loved nights like this. Soft summer nights, just him and 'Ris together, lying out in his father's alfalfa field, watching the stars, cuddling, sometimes doing much more than cuddling...

Tonight had been one of the "more than cuddling" nights, and breeze was kind, drying the sweat from their overheated bodies and bringing the scent of sunwarmed grass. It was easy to forget that war threatened their tiny nation of Teim and to lose oneself in the moment when distractions presented themselves so willingly and with as much abandon as 'Ris did. He snuggled into 'Ris' strong arms, and murmured, "I don't want to ever leave here, 'Ris. I want to stay with you forever."

"You don't have to, lover. I worked hard enough to catch you, and I plan on keeping you. But don't you ever wonder what life is like outside this little town? Don't you want to travel to other places, to see new, exciting things, to meet new, entertaining people?" 'Ris said, waving his free hand dramatically at the stars and the vague "somewhere else" he wanted to go to.

Aere shivered. "Most of those 'other places' are fighting for their freedom, threatened by war, or enslaved by now. If Aleria falls to the north, Tiem will have to go to war too. Our standing army is a lot smaller than Aleria's. There's already talk of conscriptions. The Ruling Council is supposed to make a decision soon. I don't want to join the army; I don't want to kill people. I can't even stand to help out with slaughtering time here."

"Gods, you're depressing, love! We're too young to be conscripted!" 'Ris sniffed.

"Not anymore. They dropped the minimum conscription age two weeks ago to sixteen. You're sixteen now; I will be in a few months. Even my father will be conscripted--they raised the maximum age, too. That bit of legislation is what makes me worried that they're serious, 'Ris." Aere flipped over and propped himself up on his elbow, looking at his beloved with serious indigo eyes.

'Ris rolled his eyes and said, "You're worrying for naught, Aere. Aleria's generals are renowned for tactical genius, and Teim's fields are their army's food supply. If anyone can turn the Witch-Queen's army back, they can. They have a vested interest in making sure as many of Teim's farmers--including you, love--stay out in the fields as possible. You won't be conscripted, and neither will your pa."

"What about you, 'Ris? You're not a farmer," Aere said, feeling a stab of anxiety for his beloved.

"No, I'm a useless, feckless apprentice bard, and even if they can track me down for conscription in the first place I'll probably desert. If all else fails, we'll get your mother and father's consent to marry early because they know you'll be fair useless for anything if you're worrying about me all the time, and I'll claim spousal exception," 'Ris said, looking very smug.

Ah, his clever 'Ris always seemed to have an answer for everything. That was one of the reasons why Aere loved him so. Aere let himself be soothed by 'Ris' words, buried his face in 'Ris' warm shoulder, and whispered, "I just hope you're right, 'Ris. I don't want to lose you."

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[plotbunny-tiff.livejournal.com]

Nelon was actually surprised that Aere was letting him look at the exquisite jewelry that his beloved had given him so long ago, let alone touch them. After the Shiny Mobile Fiasco, Nelon thought he would get a major smack in the head if he even thought about the precious gifts. What was even better than the sparkling accessories was the beautiful story that went with them. Aere rarely talked about the past, so the few words of explanation that tied him to the items meant more to Nelon than all the jewels in the world. He handed them back carefully and smiled. "I'm sure he loved you very very much. I can feel it."

(In other words, stop writing better than me and getting me attached to dead characters, you gorgeous, evil woman, lest I plague you with Trillian/Lei yuri plotbunnies until the end of your days! ::maniacal laughter:: )