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rainbowfic2013-07-11 09:15 am
dray) wrote in rainbowfic2013-07-11 09:15 am
Entry tags:
Iceberg #6, Silver #8
Name: dray
Story: Edilion
Colors: Iceberg #6 (The Longest Night), Silver #8 (Filling)
Supplies and Styles: Canvas
Word Count: 1092
Rating: PG
Warnings: Some strict-mother fear-mongering
Summary: Fara keeps a vigil on Jael and gets a visitor.
Notes: Comments and critique are always welcome! I'm actively looking for suggestions on interim pieces to write: between other scenes, of certain characters not focused on here, anything that catches your attention that you'd like elaborated on. Any interest in collaboration for AU stuff is so totally welcome; toss me a PM if interested!
Fara had no idea what time it was, now that the sun had set. Her eyes were droopy, and it was so dark outside that nothing slipped in under the heavy drapes that kept their room from the seeping cold... but she couldn't sleep. Jael lay in her huge fluffy bed and Fara was nestled in beside her -- on the young girl's good side, of course, now that Jael had hurt her arm so badly. The eight year-old Edilion felt truly awful. If she'd figured out some way to impress the stupid Cuper children she could have avoided her younger cousin getting hurt in the first place.
To have Jael defend Fara's honour after she'd gone and dislocated her shoulder, too... Fara didn't know how to repay that. She didn't understand that kind of loyalty. Her other cousins never treated her that way. The best that Fara had to compare this feat of good will were her two cousins, Sesona and Cariadne, putting her in their favourite old dresses and cooing over how marvellous she looked... and while that was nice, Fara knew they wouldn't break an arm over her. She felt too anxious about what was going to happen to Jael to feel honoured, though something beneath all of Fara's worries spoke truthfully: "I owe you one, maybe forever."
The younger girl was drifting in and out of sleep. Occasionally Fara's father would check in on the two, but Fara was under a grounding so strict that she had to ask permission of the servant outside to use the rest-chamber. It was only when Fara felt herself nodding off that her mother passed through the door, quiet as the night. "Fara," she alerted her daughter.
The girl straightened up immediately, running her hands through her bedraggled black hair to tidy it by instinct. "Yes mother?"
Colette fa Edilion straightened the second bed that was her daughter's, then seated herself near the head of it so that she could better look at her girl. "Is she sleeping yet?"
Fara checked on her cousin. Jael was dozing, certainly, though with the way that her arm was pitched, every time she moved even a little bit, wrinkles of pain creased her wide, freckled forehead. The elder Edilion girl placed her hand upon her friend's forehead, smoothing the six-year-old's warm black hair back. "I think she is," Fara decided. For now, anyways.
"Well, that's a small miracle." Colette crossed her hands over her knee, looking down her nose at her daughter. "What did you learn today?"
The room went very still for Fara. The prospect of a midnight quiz was a new and unwelcome one, worse than any kind of spanking; Fara had spent the entire evening fretting over Jael already, and to be shamed on top of all of that left her mind in a panic. "Um," she began.
"Don't stutter," Colette frowned, though what could have been a harsh tone seemed softened by some intention that Fara couldn't fathom. "This isn't a lesson, Fara. What did you learn about Maura's children?"
"Oh." Fara bit her lip. The tone of the quiz shifted pure anxiety to something less dire which, though welcome, was unexpected! "They're mean," she finally found it in her to say. Fara wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say, but she felt it with all of her heart. "They're tough, and they argue everything."
To her surprise, Colette laughed. "I always thought you were an apt little girl." She smiled ruefully across the way. "Tell me what happened today."
Fara, shocked by her mother's interest, folded her hands in her lap and looked at her from under dark, tousled bangs. "Really?"
"Yes, really." When her mother brought up a hand to stave off a sudden yawn, Fara knew for certain that she wasn't playing some kind of game. Colette looked tired, as tired as Fara felt.
Still, she had it in her to go over the events of the previous day. Fara spared no expense. She even, blushing, hushed-quiet, repeated the horrific curses that some of the children had tossed at one another. She expected a sharp warning... but Colette barked a laugh instead. Covering her mouth when Jael turned in her sleep and woke herself with sudden pain, Colette rose from Fara's bed. "Fara, don't ever say those phrases in polite company." She cast her daughter a stern stare that was obviously feigned. It was the first that Fara ever recognized, and for that, she felt truly... something. Flattered and confused, all at once. Unsure of how to reply, she nodded instead and blushed profusely.
Colette leaned over the bed, placing her own palm over Jael's forehead. "Darling," she spoke, her voice softer than Fara ever remembered hearing before, "you're as tough as a Mouser Daemon and infinitely more intelligent to boot. Heal up."
"Yes ma'am," Jael groggily murmured. The young Edilion girl sank back into her bed as though she wished to escape Colette's direct gaze, feeling a haze of embarrassment and flattery all sinking in at once.
Colette slipped one lithe arm around her daughter and scooped her out of Jael's bed. "Tomorrow morning your father will be coming in to speak with you. The meetings I've been in have been for your benefit, Fara." When the girl was placed on her own bed, Colette helped to work off little slippers. Fara wondered if she was dreaming already, somehow having slipped into sleep while she was guarding her cousin... but Colette continued, "we've nearly commenced the finalizations, but Maurrer wants to speak with you first. You're to stay in your room and keep an eye on your cousin in the mean time -- don't get yourself into further trouble or I will come after you, do you hear me?"
Fara had been about to yawn, but Colette's words stopped her cold. "Yes, mother," she replied, anxious. It was only when her mother pulled the furs up over the blanket and kissed her daughter's forehead that Fara realized that she may have been joking.
"Sleep well."
"I will."
"Don't let the Caetrans bite."
"I won't."
"Especially not Zenite. You don't want to gargle like your cousin Eean."
Fara stayed awake for a long time after her mother had taken the light out of its orb and left the room, thinking about those last words.
Had her mother just let her in on a grown-up joke?
She never did that.
Maybe, for all that today had been the worst of the worst, Navale wasn't entirely bad.
drayStory: Edilion
Colors: Iceberg #6 (The Longest Night), Silver #8 (Filling)
Supplies and Styles: Canvas
Word Count: 1092
Rating: PG
Warnings: Some strict-mother fear-mongering
Summary: Fara keeps a vigil on Jael and gets a visitor.
Notes: Comments and critique are always welcome! I'm actively looking for suggestions on interim pieces to write: between other scenes, of certain characters not focused on here, anything that catches your attention that you'd like elaborated on. Any interest in collaboration for AU stuff is so totally welcome; toss me a PM if interested!
Fara had no idea what time it was, now that the sun had set. Her eyes were droopy, and it was so dark outside that nothing slipped in under the heavy drapes that kept their room from the seeping cold... but she couldn't sleep. Jael lay in her huge fluffy bed and Fara was nestled in beside her -- on the young girl's good side, of course, now that Jael had hurt her arm so badly. The eight year-old Edilion felt truly awful. If she'd figured out some way to impress the stupid Cuper children she could have avoided her younger cousin getting hurt in the first place.
To have Jael defend Fara's honour after she'd gone and dislocated her shoulder, too... Fara didn't know how to repay that. She didn't understand that kind of loyalty. Her other cousins never treated her that way. The best that Fara had to compare this feat of good will were her two cousins, Sesona and Cariadne, putting her in their favourite old dresses and cooing over how marvellous she looked... and while that was nice, Fara knew they wouldn't break an arm over her. She felt too anxious about what was going to happen to Jael to feel honoured, though something beneath all of Fara's worries spoke truthfully: "I owe you one, maybe forever."
The younger girl was drifting in and out of sleep. Occasionally Fara's father would check in on the two, but Fara was under a grounding so strict that she had to ask permission of the servant outside to use the rest-chamber. It was only when Fara felt herself nodding off that her mother passed through the door, quiet as the night. "Fara," she alerted her daughter.
The girl straightened up immediately, running her hands through her bedraggled black hair to tidy it by instinct. "Yes mother?"
Colette fa Edilion straightened the second bed that was her daughter's, then seated herself near the head of it so that she could better look at her girl. "Is she sleeping yet?"
Fara checked on her cousin. Jael was dozing, certainly, though with the way that her arm was pitched, every time she moved even a little bit, wrinkles of pain creased her wide, freckled forehead. The elder Edilion girl placed her hand upon her friend's forehead, smoothing the six-year-old's warm black hair back. "I think she is," Fara decided. For now, anyways.
"Well, that's a small miracle." Colette crossed her hands over her knee, looking down her nose at her daughter. "What did you learn today?"
The room went very still for Fara. The prospect of a midnight quiz was a new and unwelcome one, worse than any kind of spanking; Fara had spent the entire evening fretting over Jael already, and to be shamed on top of all of that left her mind in a panic. "Um," she began.
"Don't stutter," Colette frowned, though what could have been a harsh tone seemed softened by some intention that Fara couldn't fathom. "This isn't a lesson, Fara. What did you learn about Maura's children?"
"Oh." Fara bit her lip. The tone of the quiz shifted pure anxiety to something less dire which, though welcome, was unexpected! "They're mean," she finally found it in her to say. Fara wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say, but she felt it with all of her heart. "They're tough, and they argue everything."
To her surprise, Colette laughed. "I always thought you were an apt little girl." She smiled ruefully across the way. "Tell me what happened today."
Fara, shocked by her mother's interest, folded her hands in her lap and looked at her from under dark, tousled bangs. "Really?"
"Yes, really." When her mother brought up a hand to stave off a sudden yawn, Fara knew for certain that she wasn't playing some kind of game. Colette looked tired, as tired as Fara felt.
Still, she had it in her to go over the events of the previous day. Fara spared no expense. She even, blushing, hushed-quiet, repeated the horrific curses that some of the children had tossed at one another. She expected a sharp warning... but Colette barked a laugh instead. Covering her mouth when Jael turned in her sleep and woke herself with sudden pain, Colette rose from Fara's bed. "Fara, don't ever say those phrases in polite company." She cast her daughter a stern stare that was obviously feigned. It was the first that Fara ever recognized, and for that, she felt truly... something. Flattered and confused, all at once. Unsure of how to reply, she nodded instead and blushed profusely.
Colette leaned over the bed, placing her own palm over Jael's forehead. "Darling," she spoke, her voice softer than Fara ever remembered hearing before, "you're as tough as a Mouser Daemon and infinitely more intelligent to boot. Heal up."
"Yes ma'am," Jael groggily murmured. The young Edilion girl sank back into her bed as though she wished to escape Colette's direct gaze, feeling a haze of embarrassment and flattery all sinking in at once.
Colette slipped one lithe arm around her daughter and scooped her out of Jael's bed. "Tomorrow morning your father will be coming in to speak with you. The meetings I've been in have been for your benefit, Fara." When the girl was placed on her own bed, Colette helped to work off little slippers. Fara wondered if she was dreaming already, somehow having slipped into sleep while she was guarding her cousin... but Colette continued, "we've nearly commenced the finalizations, but Maurrer wants to speak with you first. You're to stay in your room and keep an eye on your cousin in the mean time -- don't get yourself into further trouble or I will come after you, do you hear me?"
Fara had been about to yawn, but Colette's words stopped her cold. "Yes, mother," she replied, anxious. It was only when her mother pulled the furs up over the blanket and kissed her daughter's forehead that Fara realized that she may have been joking.
"Sleep well."
"I will."
"Don't let the Caetrans bite."
"I won't."
"Especially not Zenite. You don't want to gargle like your cousin Eean."
Fara stayed awake for a long time after her mother had taken the light out of its orb and left the room, thinking about those last words.
Had her mother just let her in on a grown-up joke?
She never did that.
Maybe, for all that today had been the worst of the worst, Navale wasn't entirely bad.