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rainbowfic2014-01-08 07:13 pm
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2014-01-08 07:13 pm
Admin Yellow #23, Dirt Brown #8, Octarine #14
Mods, could I have a new story tag for one-off pieces? Something like "kay's miscellany".
Name:kay_brooke
Story: The Drakes
Colors: Admin Yellow #23 (I don't know who to trust anymore), Dirt Brown #8 (gnome), Octarine #14 (It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,029
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Finley Drake doesn't like her sister's news.
Note: I posted this in my writing journal back in October and always meant to post here but didn't until now. I have one other piece already written in this world, but I'm not sure I'll write any more, so it doesn't get its own story tag for now. Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
Leaves drifted lazily down from the maples decorating the heavily-treed front yard as Finley stepped outside. As she let the door slam behind her, a wind reared up, turning the leaves into a whirling storm. Finley swiped past them. Perfect, of course, perfect for the mood she was in, but she had time for nothing but anger.
There was blessed silence for just a moment, and then Finley heard the door slam again, the sound of footsteps crunching through the carpet of leaves. Toward her. Finley growled and walked faster, breaking out into a jog, her breath coming faster in the cold air.
“Fin!” came a cry behind her. Finley's longer legs had outpaced her sister's, and she knew that if she kept going, she would leave Janelle behind entirely.
But then what? She could walk all the way to the end of the estate, cross the street, tromp up the hill that overlooked the nearby city. She could walk all the way to the city. She could walk all night. But to what purpose? She would have to come back to the house eventually, and when she did Janelle would be waiting for her.
Finley's pace slowed, and soon she heard her sister's heavy breathing coming up behind her as Janelle tried to cross the distance between them.
“You are really quite pathetic,” Janelle snapped as she drew up next to Finley. “Running away like a child. Embarrassing me in front of Oliver like that.”
Finley ground her teeth and said nothing.
“What do you want me to do?” Janelle sounded exasperated, which didn't happen often. “What can I do you happy?”
Finley heaved a heavy sigh. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, not now or ever. But if Janelle insisted... “First, I want Oliver out of the house. He shouldn't even be there. You know Mother and Father wouldn't have stood for it.”
“He's becoming part of our family,” said Janelle. “Mother and Father were wrong about him, and they're not here to say any different, now are they?”
Finley took a few steps forward, fully intending to start running again. How dare Janelle sully their parents' memory like that. How dare she bring the man they had hated into their house, and so brazenly disregard their wishes. It didn't matter that they were no longer living.
But Janelle grabbed her arm before she could take off again. “Finley!”
“Second.” Finley whirled around to face her. “If you really want to make me happy, you will not marry him!”
Janelle's mouth thinned into a disapproving line. “You have no say over whom I marry, and no, I will not leave him because you want to be a brat.”
“Can't you see how terrible he is?” Finley couldn't believe how stupid her siblings were proving to be. Ever since their parents had died it was like everyone had turned into different people. First Elliott had married that vapid bitch Joanna, and how many months had it been since Elliott had even sent a letter to Finley? The sibling he had once been closest to? No, it was all about Joanna now.
And then Alex, feuding with everyone and walking out. Refusing to take any visits or calls from his family. Busily doing everything he could to take shameful advantage of their tragedy for his own gain, with no thought as to what his actions were doing to his siblings. And now Janelle, marrying that stupid brute of a man she had only taken up with originally as a small attempt to rebel against their parents.
“He is the man I have loved for three years,” said Janelle evenly. “Marriage is only inevitable at this point.”
“I don't believe for a moment that you truly love him,” said Finley. “He's nothing but a cruel idiot. Don't you remember what he did to that cat?”
Janelle didn't answer, but her silence told its own story. Finley snorted and turned away. Janelle always had an excuse for Oliver. What she didn't understand was why. Why him? If Janelle was so desperate to marry, she was almost certain to quickly find a much more decent man. Why had she stuck with Oliver for so long?
“You don't understand,” said Janelle quietly.
“No, I don't. I don't understand any of this.”
“You did the same thing when you found out Elliott was getting married,” said Janelle. “I know what this is really about, Fin. We're all trying to move on with our lives, and you're stubbornly clinging to the past. Things are going to change. You can't keep us all frozen in time. That's not going to bring them back.”
“This has nothing to do with them!” Finley yelled.
“I think it's part of it,” said Janelle. “But this has to happen. We're all adults now. It's not good for us to keep living in their house, to depend only on each other like we did when we were children. I think, Fin, you need to grow up.”
“Says the woman who only went out with Oliver to make Mother angry.”
Janelle closed her eyes. “Perhaps that's how it started. But I love him. I truly do.”
“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?” Janelle opened her mouth to answer, but Finley threw up her hands. “No. I don't want to hear you defending him anymore. You do what you want. You clearly can't be reasoned with. I'm done talking to all of you.”
“So you're taking a page out of Alexander's book.”
“Don't ever, ever compare me to him,” said Finley. “You're all insane, every one of you. You most of all.”
“Fin--”
“Don't talk to me.” And then Finley did run, flat out, toward the edge of the estate. Janelle would never catch her, even if she tried.
Maybe she would just keep going after all, all the way into the city. Take her portion of the inheritance money and buy a little flat. Get away from her sister and brothers forever.
See how they liked that.
Name:
kay_brookeStory: The Drakes
Colors: Admin Yellow #23 (I don't know who to trust anymore), Dirt Brown #8 (gnome), Octarine #14 (It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,029
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Finley Drake doesn't like her sister's news.
Note: I posted this in my writing journal back in October and always meant to post here but didn't until now. I have one other piece already written in this world, but I'm not sure I'll write any more, so it doesn't get its own story tag for now. Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
Leaves drifted lazily down from the maples decorating the heavily-treed front yard as Finley stepped outside. As she let the door slam behind her, a wind reared up, turning the leaves into a whirling storm. Finley swiped past them. Perfect, of course, perfect for the mood she was in, but she had time for nothing but anger.
There was blessed silence for just a moment, and then Finley heard the door slam again, the sound of footsteps crunching through the carpet of leaves. Toward her. Finley growled and walked faster, breaking out into a jog, her breath coming faster in the cold air.
“Fin!” came a cry behind her. Finley's longer legs had outpaced her sister's, and she knew that if she kept going, she would leave Janelle behind entirely.
But then what? She could walk all the way to the end of the estate, cross the street, tromp up the hill that overlooked the nearby city. She could walk all the way to the city. She could walk all night. But to what purpose? She would have to come back to the house eventually, and when she did Janelle would be waiting for her.
Finley's pace slowed, and soon she heard her sister's heavy breathing coming up behind her as Janelle tried to cross the distance between them.
“You are really quite pathetic,” Janelle snapped as she drew up next to Finley. “Running away like a child. Embarrassing me in front of Oliver like that.”
Finley ground her teeth and said nothing.
“What do you want me to do?” Janelle sounded exasperated, which didn't happen often. “What can I do you happy?”
Finley heaved a heavy sigh. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, not now or ever. But if Janelle insisted... “First, I want Oliver out of the house. He shouldn't even be there. You know Mother and Father wouldn't have stood for it.”
“He's becoming part of our family,” said Janelle. “Mother and Father were wrong about him, and they're not here to say any different, now are they?”
Finley took a few steps forward, fully intending to start running again. How dare Janelle sully their parents' memory like that. How dare she bring the man they had hated into their house, and so brazenly disregard their wishes. It didn't matter that they were no longer living.
But Janelle grabbed her arm before she could take off again. “Finley!”
“Second.” Finley whirled around to face her. “If you really want to make me happy, you will not marry him!”
Janelle's mouth thinned into a disapproving line. “You have no say over whom I marry, and no, I will not leave him because you want to be a brat.”
“Can't you see how terrible he is?” Finley couldn't believe how stupid her siblings were proving to be. Ever since their parents had died it was like everyone had turned into different people. First Elliott had married that vapid bitch Joanna, and how many months had it been since Elliott had even sent a letter to Finley? The sibling he had once been closest to? No, it was all about Joanna now.
And then Alex, feuding with everyone and walking out. Refusing to take any visits or calls from his family. Busily doing everything he could to take shameful advantage of their tragedy for his own gain, with no thought as to what his actions were doing to his siblings. And now Janelle, marrying that stupid brute of a man she had only taken up with originally as a small attempt to rebel against their parents.
“He is the man I have loved for three years,” said Janelle evenly. “Marriage is only inevitable at this point.”
“I don't believe for a moment that you truly love him,” said Finley. “He's nothing but a cruel idiot. Don't you remember what he did to that cat?”
Janelle didn't answer, but her silence told its own story. Finley snorted and turned away. Janelle always had an excuse for Oliver. What she didn't understand was why. Why him? If Janelle was so desperate to marry, she was almost certain to quickly find a much more decent man. Why had she stuck with Oliver for so long?
“You don't understand,” said Janelle quietly.
“No, I don't. I don't understand any of this.”
“You did the same thing when you found out Elliott was getting married,” said Janelle. “I know what this is really about, Fin. We're all trying to move on with our lives, and you're stubbornly clinging to the past. Things are going to change. You can't keep us all frozen in time. That's not going to bring them back.”
“This has nothing to do with them!” Finley yelled.
“I think it's part of it,” said Janelle. “But this has to happen. We're all adults now. It's not good for us to keep living in their house, to depend only on each other like we did when we were children. I think, Fin, you need to grow up.”
“Says the woman who only went out with Oliver to make Mother angry.”
Janelle closed her eyes. “Perhaps that's how it started. But I love him. I truly do.”
“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?” Janelle opened her mouth to answer, but Finley threw up her hands. “No. I don't want to hear you defending him anymore. You do what you want. You clearly can't be reasoned with. I'm done talking to all of you.”
“So you're taking a page out of Alexander's book.”
“Don't ever, ever compare me to him,” said Finley. “You're all insane, every one of you. You most of all.”
“Fin--”
“Don't talk to me.” And then Finley did run, flat out, toward the edge of the estate. Janelle would never catch her, even if she tried.
Maybe she would just keep going after all, all the way into the city. Take her portion of the inheritance money and buy a little flat. Get away from her sister and brothers forever.
See how they liked that.
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Thanks for reading!