#Halliel doesn't actually know where Syn is in the diplomatic party but she's assuming like. servant level

[ace-malarky]

Snippet Sunday 8/12

Hello it is Shapeshifter WIP's anniversary tomorrow so I reworked the first scene I ever wrote for it lmao

context? who needs that. all you need to know is that this is. perhaps. where Syn (or perhaps Halliel, maybe both!) Realises Some Things

~~

Syn had a familiar itch in their leg. They'd been sitting still too long - it was one of Halliel's parties - they knew what normally happened now, they just. couldn't.

So it was time to leave.

Syn got to their feet as gracefully as they could, letting their skirt settle against their legs.

"Going for another drink, Vale?" Peri asked, and held out his glass.

Syn shook their head, tucking their hair back behind their ears. "I should be going," they said, pitching their voice to carry over the music. They made a face. "Early morning tomorrow."

"Aw, that's rough." Peri rested his glass back on the bookshelf beside him. "Catch you around, yeah?"

Syn nodded. "Of course." They made their way out into the hall, past another few people standing around chatting, and crouched to pick up their shoes.

"You're leaving?" Halliel asked. "It's early. Conly, tell Vale why they shouldn't leave." She bumped her wing against Conly's shoulder, interrupting her conversation with Kit and Hail.

Syn laughed. "I can't, I have work in the morning." They straightened up, pushing their glasses back up their nose. "Thank you for inviting me. I've enjoyed myself."

Conly hummed, leaning against Halliel's side. "How early do you have work?"

"From about eight," Syn replied, trying not to smile. They were familiar with this game.

"And it's only - it's not even midnight! Just drink coffee for breakfast! You haven't been drinking that much, you'll be fine."

Syn glanced at Halliel over their glasses, arching an eyebrow.

Halliel covered her mouth, pretending to cough.

"Or - or you just don't sleep! You just go the whole night and then you don't get the shitty oh I didn't get the right amount of sleep disorientation! There." Conly grinned from ear to ear and offered Syn her glass. "You're welcome, Vale, now come on."

"I don't think no sleep is better than little sleep." Syn pushed Conly's drink back towards her, careful not to spill any.

Conly cackled. "Vale, come on now. The night's barely getting started!"

"Yes, well," Syn shrugged, reaching for the handle without looking at the door, pulling it open.

The cold hit them in a blast and Conly swore, all her fur fluffing up and ears flattening against her head.

"Rather you than me," she said, and retreated. "Enjoy your sleep, cop out!" She grinned and waved, turning back to the others and draping her arm over Hail's shoulders.

Halliel followed Syn outside and pulled the door shut but not closed. "Are you safe? They haven't found you out?"

"No," Syn replied. "They don't have a clue." They blinked and pushed their glasses up again.

Halliel walked Syn down to the stairs, stopping before the door. "I wish-" she laughed- "I wish it was over sooner. So you could come back."

"I know," Syn replied. "It uh - yeah. Same."

"They're here in Verial anyway, surely you could just - disappear? Come back? There can't be much more to get out of them."

"I can't yet. If I go missing-"

Halliel sighed. "I know, I just…" She drummed her fingers against her elbow, shifting about like she was looking for something to grab onto. "This is hard, Syn."

"I know." Syn, dreaming, took hold of Halliel's hand and smoothed over her fidgeting fingers. She was warm, even outside of the flat, even out in the cold stairwell. A beacon, always.

Halliel went still, even her wings relaxing from their tensed hold against her back.

"I know." Syn lifted their joined hands, bending over slightly, and pressed a kiss to Halliel's knuckles. They smiled and started to let go, meeting Halliel's eyes over the edge of their glasses as they slipped again. "But we have to be safe, I can't-"

Halliel twists her hand over, taking hold of Syn's hand herself and tightening her fingers just slightly.

Syn raises an eyebrow, words choked in their throat, and watched as Halliel brought their hands close enough to brush a kiss of her own over Syn's knuckles.

"Just - don't be a stranger."

"I won't," Syn said, voice oddly hoarse. They cleared their throat. It was loud at the party, they'd had to raise their voice to speak to everyone, that was all. "I - I'll see you around."

They were imagining the pain in Halliel's eyes, surely. It was a messed up situation, but they'd agreed, they'd chosen to leave and help but-

Halliel released their hand. "Early start, then?"

Syn took a breath and nodded, dropping their hand to their side. "You'd hate it."

"I do," Halliel agreed. "All of it."

Syn shifted, took off their glasses, put them back on.

Halliel opened the door to the stairs. "Get back safe, alright?"

"I make no promises." Syn forced a grin and bumped Halliel's wing as they slipped by, into the stairs.

The door took a long time to close behind them.

Outside was cold, and Syn's breath crystalised in the air. They pulled their hood up to shield their face, ducking their head. Shoved their hands into their pockets, curling them around the last of the warmth.

~~

(In the flat after they both walk out; "so that's Syn, right?" "yeah, that's definitely Syn" "skies alive where's the bingo sheet. What's the betting at just now" "I'm surprised they didn't break" "why do you think they left, look at the time" "oohhhhh Syn's Special Hour" (their one new friend who never met Syn; "what the fuck are you on about"))