Kraden lifted the hood of the fume cupboard to clear up the burned remains of his last batch of experiments, immensely cheered by the promising results he'd gotten from the upholstery samples doused in formulas J6 and L19.
It was a relief to be back at work; he hadn't been allowed to take dinner in the labs today, thanks to the Mercury Clan's visit. Not that he'd have minded so much, if he'd been able to speak to them himself. The hall had been packed to bursting, though, and he'd been stuck over at the other end of the main table, unable to even make out much of the conversation over the music. Perhaps that was what he got for cutting his arrival rather fine (not that he'd been late; he would never dare be late), but he really shouldn't be expected to step away from his work for so long. People weren't going to wait for him to finish before they started rebuilding their homes; if he wanted to make a real difference to his city's future, every hour was of the essence. When Nadya had taken the children upstairs to get some rest, the others had finally retired to the parlour for drinks, and he had been permitted to take his leave.
Kraden sat down at his desk to record the last half hour's work, and barely managed to put quill to paper before the door opened to admit another blasted interruption. When Lord Babi walked in, Kraden swallowed his irritation and rose to his feet. He would probably have to swallow a whole lot more than that in a minute, but he would also have the chance to report on his work and request that more of his associates were delegated to this project, and wasn't that what really mattered?
"How are the flame retardants coming along?" Babi asked, casting a curious eye over his equipment.
"Very well, my Lord. Exceedingly well, I might dare to say. I've come up with several varieties which might prove useful in resin production and timber treatment. We'll have to provide samples to the guilds for the final stages of quality testing. As for soft furnishings and - "
"Interesting. I'll read your full report later." Babi interrupted, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder.
"Yes, my Lord." Kraden sighed and knelt before him. His duties weren't all as pleasant as his studies, but they were a part of his life all the same, as inevitable as death and taxes. He untied his Lord's robes and took him into his mouth, aiming for a fast pace at first, until he felt Babi's fingers drumming at his shoulder in warning. When he slowed down, Babi hummed his approval and started to slide his lab coat down his shoulders.
A knock at the door interrupted them; Kraden sat back on his heels while Babi went to answer it, making himself presentable en route.
"Thank you, Annika. That will be all."
Kraden looked up when he heard Babi addressing one of the housekeeping staff; he'd more expected it to be one of his colleagues dropping something off, or something along those lines. The door wasn't open very wide, and he couldn't see into the corridor from this angle. His heart sank after a second, as he saw the boy from dinner follow Lord Babi into the room.
Alex glanced around, stared at Kraden for a heartbeat, then tried to bolt back through the door. Babi caught his arm and swung him round as he kicked the door closed, then shoved him up against it, twisting his arm behind his back.
"I've just gotten over a bout of CBD. You could still catch it if you - "
"Little liar." Babi cuffed him, then continued unbuttoning the back of his tunic.
"What makes you think I'm lying?" Alex asked, thoroughly indignant.
"Nikol has just been telling us how well you've been doing in your studies lately. These last few weeks in particular." Babi paused to stroke the boy's free arm, letting his hand linger over his slender little wrist. "He couldn't be more proud of you."
Alex let out a slow breath, slumping slightly against the door. His voice was soft and distant when he spoke again, staring dead ahead. "Thank you, father."
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timeasmymeasure
Ingratitude - 3
Date: 2011-09-05 03:29 am (UTC)Kraden lifted the hood of the fume cupboard to clear up the burned remains of his last batch of experiments, immensely cheered by the promising results he'd gotten from the upholstery samples doused in formulas J6 and L19.
It was a relief to be back at work; he hadn't been allowed to take dinner in the labs today, thanks to the Mercury Clan's visit. Not that he'd have minded so much, if he'd been able to speak to them himself. The hall had been packed to bursting, though, and he'd been stuck over at the other end of the main table, unable to even make out much of the conversation over the music. Perhaps that was what he got for cutting his arrival rather fine (not that he'd been late; he would never dare be late), but he really shouldn't be expected to step away from his work for so long. People weren't going to wait for him to finish before they started rebuilding their homes; if he wanted to make a real difference to his city's future, every hour was of the essence. When Nadya had taken the children upstairs to get some rest, the others had finally retired to the parlour for drinks, and he had been permitted to take his leave.
Kraden sat down at his desk to record the last half hour's work, and barely managed to put quill to paper before the door opened to admit another blasted interruption. When Lord Babi walked in, Kraden swallowed his irritation and rose to his feet. He would probably have to swallow a whole lot more than that in a minute, but he would also have the chance to report on his work and request that more of his associates were delegated to this project, and wasn't that what really mattered?
"How are the flame retardants coming along?" Babi asked, casting a curious eye over his equipment.
"Very well, my Lord. Exceedingly well, I might dare to say. I've come up with several varieties which might prove useful in resin production and timber treatment. We'll have to provide samples to the guilds for the final stages of quality testing. As for soft furnishings and - "
"Interesting. I'll read your full report later." Babi interrupted, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder.
"Yes, my Lord." Kraden sighed and knelt before him. His duties weren't all as pleasant as his studies, but they were a part of his life all the same, as inevitable as death and taxes. He untied his Lord's robes and took him into his mouth, aiming for a fast pace at first, until he felt Babi's fingers drumming at his shoulder in warning. When he slowed down, Babi hummed his approval and started to slide his lab coat down his shoulders.
A knock at the door interrupted them; Kraden sat back on his heels while Babi went to answer it, making himself presentable en route.
"Thank you, Annika. That will be all."
Kraden looked up when he heard Babi addressing one of the housekeeping staff; he'd more expected it to be one of his colleagues dropping something off, or something along those lines. The door wasn't open very wide, and he couldn't see into the corridor from this angle. His heart sank after a second, as he saw the boy from dinner follow Lord Babi into the room.
Alex glanced around, stared at Kraden for a heartbeat, then tried to bolt back through the door. Babi caught his arm and swung him round as he kicked the door closed, then shoved him up against it, twisting his arm behind his back.
"I've just gotten over a bout of CBD. You could still catch it if you - "
"Little liar." Babi cuffed him, then continued unbuttoning the back of his tunic.
"What makes you think I'm lying?" Alex asked, thoroughly indignant.
"Nikol has just been telling us how well you've been doing in your studies lately. These last few weeks in particular." Babi paused to stroke the boy's free arm, letting his hand linger over his slender little wrist. "He couldn't be more proud of you."
Alex let out a slow breath, slumping slightly against the door. His voice was soft and distant when he spoke again, staring dead ahead. "Thank you, father."