EXCOLO: GUARDIANS

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

Chapter 1: Another Beautiful Day in the Dome

It is early evening as I leave my office, sunset streaking through the Dome, the pale glow of the Gate coming from the east so that there is light from both sides. I love this time of day. The clouds are scudding fast, and I think there may be a storm tonight. I find myself regretting I do not have any particular reason to go into the Outer Districts tonight. The city under the Dome is very graceful, of course, but I like to be in the open air.

However, I have arranged to meet a friend for a drink, and so I stroll the three blocks from the university to Illyria, a bar popular with academics and the artistic crowd. As well as Guardians, of course. There is something of La Belle Epoque to the warm wood and soft lights. I absently tap the bust of Shakespeare for luck as I come in - his forehead is worn from thousands of patrons doing this, though no one knows from where the tradition originated - and I find a table. I flip through an e-newspaper on the table viewer as I wait for my drink to arrive. I minimise The Excolo Times; it is a worthy paper, well written and reputable, but I am interested in The Recorder. We are keeping an eye on some of its reporters.

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[parras-siren.livejournal.com]

It isn't a terrible sort of place, I suppose, and really, one can't work all the time. And they do make an excellent silver fizz.

I sip it at the bar, because really, I'm not sure I want to be here all that long, and look for faces I know. Oh, there's darling Miao. I do think she might have put on a tiny bit of weight since I last saw her, but really it mostly just makes her look healthy.

She's with Lex Shairan, and I smile with some satisfaction - they do work ever so well together, and it would be ever so convenient if they ended up a couple. Heaven knows we could use that particular combination of abilities in one individual. The idea that either of them wouldn't abide by their reproductive duty to Excolo Corp - well. It's really more a moral duty than anything, and they're both so very conscientious. The powers that be are convinced that sooner or later we're going to work out the mechanics of the Guardians' talents, and I've been hearing ever such interesting things coming out of the breeding programme.

I'm thinking of going over when that Donner individual joins them. A most interesting combination of talents at that table, now. His is really rather intriguing, if a little macabre. Perhaps he and Miao...? I look at them thoughtfully.