Fic: Like a Home & Warning
Both are sequels to Come Out Ahead. Written for the writerverse Weekly Drabble Challenge.
Title: Like a Home
Word Count: 494
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/RPF etc): none
Prompt: Cup of Tea
Summary: Pliya makes Kilce drink tea because that's what she does when she's worried.
I have never found much comfort in tea, especially as it's cold almost as soon as it's poured into the cup. Still, it makes Pliya happy to be able to make some for me so I let her as I snuggle into the corner of the small couch. Our room is homey, thanks to the small touches that my roommate brought with her from home. That is the difference between the two of us. She has a home that she is still able to go to, that has items with which to make this dorm room liveable. I, on the other hand, am here by the grace of the Chancellor. No street rat is worth the price of a scholarship. Or, has been before. They made an exception for me. The price I pay is keeping the good Chancellor's most hideous secret. That and putting up with almost constant harassment from the other students.
So I'm going to get the most out of my time here. That includes accepting every little scrap of goodness that Pliya sends my way. So far, it has been more cups of tea than I am comfortable drinking and an offer to cut my hair. While I took her up on that last offer, I only let her trim up the fringe at my forehead before I got too scared to continue with the rest. If she offers again, I might just let her trim up the rest.
"So, you won?" She hands me the cup and I take it, suddenly grateful for the excuse to do something with my hands. It's only since I arrived back at the room that I've been overtaken with an attack of nerves, my fingers twitching about as if I've fallen ill with palsy.
"I won. I just didn't get to bring home my earnings. It was such a pile of coins, Pliya. Bigger than any I've ever seen before in one place. Oh, how they glittered in the lamplight. A thing of beauty."
She contemplates her next words carefully, the beads in her hair clicking together in the most comforting of tones. Pliya is never quiet, even when she sits in contemplation. "Perhaps you went to far this time, Kilce. It was a dangerous endeavor without the arrival of the Honor Guard. Next time, they may decide that they don't like you taking all their money away from them. Those that have money are never easy seeing it slip away from them."
"But you have money," I blurt out because I almost never contemplate my words before speaking them. "And you don't mind using it."
Her eyes are bright even though her lips don't curve into the smile that I see there. "Using money and losing money are two entirely separate things. Just be careful. Promise me."
I find myself nodding my head. Some things don't need to be thought about. Promises to Pliya are surprisingly easy to make. Besides, I'm always careful.
Title: Warning
Word Count: 361
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): None
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/RPF etc): some violence
Prompt: Collapse
Summary: Kilce gets caught unaware and paths cross.
But maybe not too careful. This thought comes to me as I spit blood and dirt out of my mouth. There's still someone pressing me down into the cobbled stones with a heavy boot but I can breath so it's not as bad as it could be. If I need to, I can probably get away but I find that I'm interested to see what this attack is about. This is the first of its kind since I've been here and I'm curious. Who has enough anger toward me that they want to injure me as the first recourse?
"Stay away from the Library, Strat."
Ah, how I love my nickname. Seems everyone has one here. Mine is an endearing combination of street and rat that was given to me on the first day by a rather unsavory Monitor that smelled like a horrid mixture of garlic and tea tree oil. It's never used in polite conversation but having me face down on the street isn't polite in the least bit.
"I don't even know where the Library is," I growl back, furious that I'm being accused of something that I haven't done. In the next breath, I'm screaming in pain as another foot comes down, hard, on my hand. It's all I can do not to pass out from the pain of it.
"See that you never find out."
They leave me to grovel in the dirt for I don't know how long, my hand tucked protectively near my stomach as I try to figure out how to make the pain stop. There's an audience around me now. I can hear them talking to each other but I'm in too much pain to care. Someone touches me and I lash out with my good hand, my feverish brain assuming that this is just the next battle in this new war.
"Tevan, help me. We've got to get her to a Healer. Something's wrong with her."
I try to tell them to be careful with my hand but someone takes hold of my arm and the pain is too much to handle. I collapse onto a warm body without another thought.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.
Title: Like a Home
Word Count: 494
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/RPF etc): none
Prompt: Cup of Tea
Summary: Pliya makes Kilce drink tea because that's what she does when she's worried.
I have never found much comfort in tea, especially as it's cold almost as soon as it's poured into the cup. Still, it makes Pliya happy to be able to make some for me so I let her as I snuggle into the corner of the small couch. Our room is homey, thanks to the small touches that my roommate brought with her from home. That is the difference between the two of us. She has a home that she is still able to go to, that has items with which to make this dorm room liveable. I, on the other hand, am here by the grace of the Chancellor. No street rat is worth the price of a scholarship. Or, has been before. They made an exception for me. The price I pay is keeping the good Chancellor's most hideous secret. That and putting up with almost constant harassment from the other students.
So I'm going to get the most out of my time here. That includes accepting every little scrap of goodness that Pliya sends my way. So far, it has been more cups of tea than I am comfortable drinking and an offer to cut my hair. While I took her up on that last offer, I only let her trim up the fringe at my forehead before I got too scared to continue with the rest. If she offers again, I might just let her trim up the rest.
"So, you won?" She hands me the cup and I take it, suddenly grateful for the excuse to do something with my hands. It's only since I arrived back at the room that I've been overtaken with an attack of nerves, my fingers twitching about as if I've fallen ill with palsy.
"I won. I just didn't get to bring home my earnings. It was such a pile of coins, Pliya. Bigger than any I've ever seen before in one place. Oh, how they glittered in the lamplight. A thing of beauty."
She contemplates her next words carefully, the beads in her hair clicking together in the most comforting of tones. Pliya is never quiet, even when she sits in contemplation. "Perhaps you went to far this time, Kilce. It was a dangerous endeavor without the arrival of the Honor Guard. Next time, they may decide that they don't like you taking all their money away from them. Those that have money are never easy seeing it slip away from them."
"But you have money," I blurt out because I almost never contemplate my words before speaking them. "And you don't mind using it."
Her eyes are bright even though her lips don't curve into the smile that I see there. "Using money and losing money are two entirely separate things. Just be careful. Promise me."
I find myself nodding my head. Some things don't need to be thought about. Promises to Pliya are surprisingly easy to make. Besides, I'm always careful.
Title: Warning
Word Count: 361
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): None
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/RPF etc): some violence
Prompt: Collapse
Summary: Kilce gets caught unaware and paths cross.
But maybe not too careful. This thought comes to me as I spit blood and dirt out of my mouth. There's still someone pressing me down into the cobbled stones with a heavy boot but I can breath so it's not as bad as it could be. If I need to, I can probably get away but I find that I'm interested to see what this attack is about. This is the first of its kind since I've been here and I'm curious. Who has enough anger toward me that they want to injure me as the first recourse?
"Stay away from the Library, Strat."
Ah, how I love my nickname. Seems everyone has one here. Mine is an endearing combination of street and rat that was given to me on the first day by a rather unsavory Monitor that smelled like a horrid mixture of garlic and tea tree oil. It's never used in polite conversation but having me face down on the street isn't polite in the least bit.
"I don't even know where the Library is," I growl back, furious that I'm being accused of something that I haven't done. In the next breath, I'm screaming in pain as another foot comes down, hard, on my hand. It's all I can do not to pass out from the pain of it.
"See that you never find out."
They leave me to grovel in the dirt for I don't know how long, my hand tucked protectively near my stomach as I try to figure out how to make the pain stop. There's an audience around me now. I can hear them talking to each other but I'm in too much pain to care. Someone touches me and I lash out with my good hand, my feverish brain assuming that this is just the next battle in this new war.
"Tevan, help me. We've got to get her to a Healer. Something's wrong with her."
I try to tell them to be careful with my hand but someone takes hold of my arm and the pain is too much to handle. I collapse onto a warm body without another thought.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.