prosethings!
"Daddy!"
The library door blew inward. An angry young lady stormed toward the desk at the back, fists clenched. Her dark hair billowing behind her as she went just made her seem that much more intimidating, as though it were floating on her anger alone. When she finally caught the attention of the man - her father - she pointed to the source of her anger: the tall, redheaded figure behind her, grinning like the cat who caught the bird.
"Daddy, Eithan's bein' a nuisance again!"
"Aww, is the head of the family goin' to daddy for help against your mean big bro-"
"Eithan, be nice to your sister." Lord Aaron Paine stared at his children like they were both being absolutely ridiculous (which they were) before turning back to his paperwork.
"Are you both serious?" Eithan gave his father an incredulous smile. When he turned it on his sister, he was greeted with a tongue sticking out at him and a flick to the forehead. "Hey! Geez, come on, you're bein' a little brat!"
"And you're bein' a right jackass, teasin' and keepin' things from m-"
"Arianna! Diction and language!"
He wasn't even finished speaking before she straightened her posture and cleared her throat. "Of course, father."
"Eithan!"
"Yes sir!"
"Tell your sister whatever the hell it is she wants so badly to know."
"But-"
"Eithan..."
"Alright, okay." Eithan sighed.
"Are we done here, or are we still acting like five-year-olds?" They nodded, then shook their heads. "Great. Let me finish my work, please."
They left the library, a little slower than their initial burst into the room had been. They walked through the corridor in silence, Eithan with his hands in his pockets and Arianna with her head held high like a proper head of house. The second they rounded the corner, a tiny explosion popped right next to Arianna's ear, and Arianna's elbow rammed into Eithan's gut in retaliation.
"Freakin' tell me already!" she demanded over his coughing fit, her relaxed accent easily returning.
"Maybe... when I... can breathe...!" He leaned against the wall, trying to pull some much needed air back into his lungs.
"You baby," she said with a snort, but she folded her arms and waited with an expectant look.
He took a few more moments to exaggerate his recovery. And when that was done, he took one last deep breath. "Val's comin' over tonight, and I, uh," he cleared his throat, pretended to cough, just to hide the sappy smile tugging at his lips, threatening to override his smirk, "I'm askin' her. You know, the question. Tonight."
Arianna's eyes went wide. She smiled, for a moment, but that smile quickly vanished, replaced with a glare. She shoved her brother. "Why didn't you just tell me that?!"
"Because you hit me!" He snapped back, standing up straighter so he could use his height advantage and glare down at her.
"You made fun of me!"
"Yeah, but you hit me!"
"After you called me a tone-deaf, dying cat!"
Eithan laughed. "Yeah, that was a good one. I mean, you were screachin' and squawkin', I didn't know you were tryin' to actually sing--aaah!"
Arianna started toward him. Eithan flinched backwards, preparing for a punch to the face... but he found Arianna's arms thrown around his neck instead. He was confused. Where was the pain? The yelling? Where was the fist in his face, or the nails digging into his arm? He smiled down at his sister, and (warily) gave her a pat on the head.
She turned up to him, smiling sincerely. "It's about time, you idiot."
"I know," he agreed, "I know. I'm not puttin' it off anymore."
The library door blew inward. An angry young lady stormed toward the desk at the back, fists clenched. Her dark hair billowing behind her as she went just made her seem that much more intimidating, as though it were floating on her anger alone. When she finally caught the attention of the man - her father - she pointed to the source of her anger: the tall, redheaded figure behind her, grinning like the cat who caught the bird.
"Daddy, Eithan's bein' a nuisance again!"
"Aww, is the head of the family goin' to daddy for help against your mean big bro-"
"Eithan, be nice to your sister." Lord Aaron Paine stared at his children like they were both being absolutely ridiculous (which they were) before turning back to his paperwork.
"Are you both serious?" Eithan gave his father an incredulous smile. When he turned it on his sister, he was greeted with a tongue sticking out at him and a flick to the forehead. "Hey! Geez, come on, you're bein' a little brat!"
"And you're bein' a right jackass, teasin' and keepin' things from m-"
"Arianna! Diction and language!"
He wasn't even finished speaking before she straightened her posture and cleared her throat. "Of course, father."
"Eithan!"
"Yes sir!"
"Tell your sister whatever the hell it is she wants so badly to know."
"But-"
"Eithan..."
"Alright, okay." Eithan sighed.
"Are we done here, or are we still acting like five-year-olds?" They nodded, then shook their heads. "Great. Let me finish my work, please."
They left the library, a little slower than their initial burst into the room had been. They walked through the corridor in silence, Eithan with his hands in his pockets and Arianna with her head held high like a proper head of house. The second they rounded the corner, a tiny explosion popped right next to Arianna's ear, and Arianna's elbow rammed into Eithan's gut in retaliation.
"Freakin' tell me already!" she demanded over his coughing fit, her relaxed accent easily returning.
"Maybe... when I... can breathe...!" He leaned against the wall, trying to pull some much needed air back into his lungs.
"You baby," she said with a snort, but she folded her arms and waited with an expectant look.
He took a few more moments to exaggerate his recovery. And when that was done, he took one last deep breath. "Val's comin' over tonight, and I, uh," he cleared his throat, pretended to cough, just to hide the sappy smile tugging at his lips, threatening to override his smirk, "I'm askin' her. You know, the question. Tonight."
Arianna's eyes went wide. She smiled, for a moment, but that smile quickly vanished, replaced with a glare. She shoved her brother. "Why didn't you just tell me that?!"
"Because you hit me!" He snapped back, standing up straighter so he could use his height advantage and glare down at her.
"You made fun of me!"
"Yeah, but you hit me!"
"After you called me a tone-deaf, dying cat!"
Eithan laughed. "Yeah, that was a good one. I mean, you were screachin' and squawkin', I didn't know you were tryin' to actually sing--aaah!"
Arianna started toward him. Eithan flinched backwards, preparing for a punch to the face... but he found Arianna's arms thrown around his neck instead. He was confused. Where was the pain? The yelling? Where was the fist in his face, or the nails digging into his arm? He smiled down at his sister, and (warily) gave her a pat on the head.
She turned up to him, smiling sincerely. "It's about time, you idiot."
"I know," he agreed, "I know. I'm not puttin' it off anymore."