Title: Icicles
Author: Karina
Rating: PG
Pairing: Duo + Wu Fei
Notes: Challenge 206. Baby Series 4 #74. Takes place the day following Frozen Tableau.
Spoilers: None
Warnings:
Many thanks to ShenLong Deb for her work betaing this set of fics.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Characters from the series but the baby is mine.
Title: Icicles
"Is it me, or is uncommonly warm for this time of the year?"
Duo watched the slow but steady drip of water from the icicle nearest him, not just the one icicle but all of the jagged line tracing the length of the eaves. Beside him Wu Fei paused, glancing up and following his line of sight, frowning after a moment as he considered the steady drip.
"Perhaps it is just a brief thaw? We are heading towards spring after all."
The members of the Clan Council in attendance of The Chang glanced between the two men and the dripping ice, huddling in their heavy coats and wondered how anyone could consider the ambient air temperature anything remotely like warm.
"Mm. Maybe. Don't usually get this in Sanc quite so early though. I noticed when I was up at the falls the other day that the water is running a bit faster than I had expected. I might make a few enquiries as to how the weather is standing in the highlands."
Wu Fei half turned, looking up over the roof line of the buildings to where the partially frozen water fall cascaded over the cliff. They were too far away to hear the falls which was somewhat muted from its normal thunder at this frigid time of the year, and it sparkled silver and gold in the bright sunlight. What he could see of it, it was a magnificent sight. Though it was too far away from them for him to see any detail, never-the-less he fancied he might indeed see a hint of movement beneath the cathedral like pillars of ice. The falls never ceased flowing, but in deep winter the water ran beneath an outer shell of fantastical ice sculptures. Winter was the only time of the year there was not a swirling mist of spray surrounding that area of the city.
"Are you worried?"
For a long few minutes Duo stared at the dripping icicles an arms length from him and then looked up to the distant falls. "Not yet... but maybe. I'll ask around and see what the word is. If we get an early heatwave and the ice melts too quickly, we might have a few problems with the work up on the cliff. And I remember hearing about ice avalanches as the falls thawed about fifteen years ago giving some grief. Caused some damage to the local housing and businesses."
"The Watcher network would be aware."
Duo grunted softly at the assurance. "Yeah. I'll be giving my contact a call, see what the weather has been like in the highlands. If the peaks warm up too fast we could have all sorts of trouble, and I don't want my people on the cliff top if we cop a flood. Even a minor heatwave could soften the snow caps, and then if it rains... I don't know enough about weather yet to really judge the threat level."
End
Karina Robertson 2013