#c: chalce

[the-city-sidere]

3. challenge (fatal) - dragon vs. self, Chalce

TW: violence, murder, decapitation

Most business in Ravenbarrow happened at night; its inhabitants tended to sleep late. At least, that was what Ayers snapped out when Rahman and Anaster got up early and started making noise while she remained in bed. But soon after, as Chalce was putting his boots on, an urgent knock came at their door.

Ayers grumbled and sat up as Anaster opened the door -- and then a young pearlcatcher pushed past him, calling, “Chalce? Chalce?”

Chalce dropped his second boot. “Filmarya?”

The other pearlcatcher ran to him and threw her arms around his neck; for a second Rahman thought she was trying to strangle him before he recognized a tight hug. In the second before she buried her face in Chalce’s shoulder Rahman registered how disheveled and wild-eyed she was.

After a moment she pulled away, her furious expression at odds with her previous embrace. “How could you?”

“Um, what?” Chalce blinked, stared, and seemed to gather himself. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I’m not stupid, Chalce. I knew the money wasn’t legal, but I didn’t think you’d do something like this.” Filmarya might have been small for a pearlcatcher, and wearing a pink dress with little flowers embroidered on the hem, but she had a very intimidating glare. “You can’t just move to Ravenbarrow! Do you know how dangerous -- if the law catches you -- and Mother would just die of shame -- ”

“I’m doing this for you,” Chalce said, helplessly.

“And I’m telling you to come home!”

Keep reading on AO3 >>

[the-city-sidere]

Chalce came from a dirt-poor family in Cabbage Park. He never considered himself anything special, but his sister? She was bright, she was smart, she was perfect. She deserved a better life than their financial situation could support, so Chalce started stealing, his unlawful gains getting her into better and better schools. But he couldn't steal solo forever -- his skills attracted attention from Ravenbarrow, and among all the thieves' guilds and criminal consortiums there, the Whisperweb got to him first. Insecure about his origins, Chalce tries to present a sophisticated front, but his facade still needs a lot of work. His accent alone gives him away as a Cabbage Parker; he's doing his best to drop it, to speak like a middle- or even high-class Siderian, but it especially slips when he's upset.

Chalce has died.

[the-city-sidere]

2. character building -- positive, Chalce & Anaster

“So, how’d you end up here?” Chalce said, almost wincing as he finished, because he could hear how different he sounded from everyone around him -- it was in the way he pronounced his vowels, the slow way his voice meandered from syllable to syllable. It was how everyone sounded back in Cabbage Park, which was the worst part. That bogsneak, Ayers -- she’d heard two words out of his mouth and said, “Cabbage Park,” smirking as if she’d won some kind of game Chalce hadn’t known they were playing. “Is that what we’re doing?” Anaster was shorter than Chalce, yet somehow still managed to give the impression that he was looking down at him. “Swapping stories? This is the Whisperweb: information isn’t free.” “Sorry,” Chalce muttered, turning away -- and turning over the sounds of Anaster’s voice in his mind. He couldn’t place the tundra’s accent; Anaster didn’t seem to have one. Could Chalce speak like he did? Swapping stories, Chalce mouthed to himself, trying to imitate how Anaster had said it. “No, wait,” Anaster said, his voice softening. Chalce turned back to see him wearing a conciliatory smile. It had the opposite effect, though: put Chalce’s guard up. No one else in Ravenbarrow had been nice; why should Anaster? “We should get to know each other. I just … don’t like talking about myself. Why don’t you tell me about you instead?” “Information isn’t free,” Chalce retorted, trying to make his accent sound like Anaster’s. He was afraid it just sounded weird. “What are you offering?”

Keep reading on AO3 >>