To rix_scaedu‘s prompt “Fridmar and Bowen…” in this flash-fiction meme (LJ).
This is Addergoole, current timeline, 2 years later, and 2 years after that.
Short non-AdderHooligan summary: Bowen, at the time of the first snippet, badly-Kept by an abusive Agatha. Fridmar, his Mentor, is known for having as his Students the darker sorts (see Rozen).
Year Five, Week Six
Bowen sat uncomfortably in his Mentor’s office, fiddling with his collar. He had orders about what he could say and couldn’t, but going up against the edge of his orders was sometimes enough; his face twisted and his ears went flat, and people seemed to understand what that meant.
“There’s got to be a way,” he said quietly, not quite begging. Professor Fridmar shook his head slowly.
“Being Ellehemaei about being strong,” he said, in his thick Russian accent. “What doesn’t kill you, et cetera. Find ways to be stronger.”
Year Seven, Week Eight
Professor Fridmar frowned over steepled fingers at Bowen. “Shira has been talking to me.” His tone suggested he didn’t like Professor Pelletier talking to him about anything; Bowen could already guess what this was about.
“Yeah?” Never show your cards.
“She says Adannaya has seemed strange lately. The girl is not complaining…” His look said what they both knew, that Ada wasn’t going to say anything against Bowen. “But Shira does not think she is happy.”
Bowen met his Mentor’s gaze evenly. “What doesn’t kill you, et cetera,” he quoted.
Year Nine, October
Bowen was unsurprised to find his old Mentor standing in his living room. They all knew, by now, that the professors stopped in on their former students, “to be sure they were all right.”
Cybele had let him in, pretty, doll-like Cybele, who ran his house. The Professor was sipping the tea Tanith had brought him, and studying the two women thoughtfully. When Bowen walked in with Kate, one bushy eyebrow rose.
Bowen couldn’t help but grin. The girls were happy, with or without orders. “Stronger,” he laughed. “And better.”
This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/106882.html. You can comment here or there.
Bowen’s Harem! Yeah! I hope he wound up being good to Adannaya. (Now I have to post this in my LJ with a link back to you. Is that right?)
Oooh! That’s what that question meant. I think the meme meant “post the call for prompts in your journal too.” But yes. In my head!canon, Penny had a talk with him. At Friedmar’s quiet urging.
It’s probably too late for this call – would you like me to post the new one? Penny’s quiet word might have been as simple as “Do you want her to think about you the way you think about Agatha? Do you want her to be like you at the beginning of last year? And what about your kid?”
It wouldn’t take all that much, honestly, just a clue-by-four. I think Bowen respects/is confused by/likes Penny.
She does feed him. 🙂
She’d feed both of them 🙂
Penny is awesome like that .
*came here after reading the expanded version* Oooh, so Agatha is not an alternate name for Adannaya. Makes more sense now.
Apologies! This one needed a longer author’s note. (That happens when people ask for stuff in the middle of a 2.5-year-old-serial) Yes. Agatha Kept Bowen last year. Err, Year 4.
I am easily confused by similar names. 😀
I am, too, which is unfortunate. Addergoole has Mabina/Manira, Shiva/Shahin, Shera/Shira…
So he’s abusive himself and ended up with a harem? That doesn’t sound good at all. But your reply earlier implies that it is? I’m confused.
He starts out repeating the behaviours he knows, and, somewhere in there, learns how to not be that way. I only had 270 words to work with 😛
Well, yeah. That’s not many words. Makes more sense now.
It needs one or two more sections.