Shades of Blue - Short Affair 14th Dec

[otherhawk.livejournal.com]

Prompt Word - Snarl
Prompt Colour - Powder Blue
Word Count - 633

"Alright. So. What have we learned today, tovarisch?"

"That you do not look at women's faces. Oh, no. Wait. I was aware of that already."

"Mmm. I was thinking more something along the lines of 'When the police are trying to talk to you, you, be polite. Don't snarl at them'."

"It was hardly a snarl. I merely suggested, in what I will admit was a forthright manner, that they should move out of my way as I was currently pursuing - "

" - the wrong woman."

"Something I was unaware of at the time, and the blame for which can be laid solely at your shoes."

"Feet."

"Which are in your shoes."

"You know, I really don't see why you're blaming me for you inadequa - "

" - excuse me?" - "

" - Inadequacies. I gave you a perfectly fine description."

"A brunette. In a blue dress. There were several women who matched that description in the vicinity."

"A powder blue dress, I think you'll find is what I actually said. And if you hadn't spent so much time arguing - "

" - It was an entirely inadequate description. There are many different powders that could be blue. For example, oxidised zinc, in powder form, would be a sort of blue, as would cobalt. They both look very different. And, come to think of it, dried paint could become powder, and that could come in any shade of blue you like."

"Yes. But if I'd meant oxidised zinc or cobalt or 'any shade of blue you like' that's what I would have said. I meant powder blue."

"But you did not state what sort of powder."

"The sort of powder that's coloured powder blue!"

"A statement which is so reductionist as to be absurd."

"Illya. Powder blue is a particular shade of blue."

"I appreciate that, however my point is that as I am clearly unaware of just what shade that might be, your description was useless. Perhaps if you had been able to describe the woman's face, instead of having been so obviously fixated on her powder blue swathed figure, we might not now be in our current predicament."

"I'm sure you would have managed to uncover a whole different predicament for us to enjoy."

"What would you wish me to do? Memorise the entire colour chart with their idiosyncratic names?"

"It would be a start. There are more colours than black, you know."

"Black is not a colour. And what do I look like to you? A fashion designer?"

"Hardly. But you know what? Go ahead and memorise that colour chart. Your evaluation is coming up at the end of the month, and as your direct supervisor - "

" - you would not."

"Just try me, pal."

"..."

"..."

"And to think, all this could have been avoided, if you had only said she was wearing a sky blue dress."

"But she wasn't. It was powder blue."

"Did you know, that the ancient Greeks had no word for blue? They distinguished colours by whether they were light or dark. Their word for dark blue could also mean dark green or brown. So at times it would seem as though someone's hair was being described as blue, or the sky as brown. It makes you wonder whether they did, in fact, see the colours in the same way as we? Language can do much to shape our way of perceiving the world around us."

"..."

"..."

"...so.....are you saying you didn't see the same colour dress as me?"

"No. It is simply interesting."

"You know, every now and then, I start to wonder whether your sole purpose is to torment me."

"Here comes the police officer again. Now, what colour would you say his uniform is?"

Comments

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Most excellent dialogue. I love the fashion designer reference, and the chemical and classical world lectures, and...

Great last line, too. Of course, so are all the others.

[otherhawk.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you liked it - Napoleon is definitely having to put up with a few too many lectures there.