October Story Month #12
Title: Eight Uses of Face Paint
Author: kay_brooke
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 800
Story Arc: The Myrrosta
Summary: Lots of makeup gets used.
Note: Crossposted to Runaway Tales and Dreamwidth.
"I will tolerate her," said Degance. "I know that is what's best for the city. But I will not be her servant." She looked disheveled, her face white and angry.
"You are not her servant," said Martyn, looking up at her. "But she needs help to appear appropriate for the ball."
"You're allowing her to attend the ball," Degance forced out.
"Of course," said Martyn. "We must be welcoming. What is she to do, stay in her chambers all day?"
Degance said nothing. Martyn looked back down, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Help Mynlai prepare for the ball, please."
#
Shyrn found his daughter sitting in front of a mirror, an array of colorful, unopened tubs laid out before her. His heart clinched as he recognized his wife's old face paint. He thought he had thrown all of that away soon after her death.
Shyrn cleared his throat.
"Father," said Hopina, turning toward him. The seven-year-old smiled. "Can you help me?"
"With what, sweetheart?"
She pointed to the tubs. "I want to look nice for the Autumn Banquets. But I don't know how to put it on right."
Shyrn gathered her into a hug. He didn't know, either.
#
"Hold still," said Jay, applying another coat of ochre to Hever's face.
"That's too much," he complained.
She glared at him. "It only looks bad because you won't hold still."
"That's enough," he insisted. "It's your turn."
Jay rolled her eyes, but sat still as he applied the green and brown powders to her face. They were preparing fora training exercise, where they had to sneak through a woods full of enemies (their instructors) undetected. Jay and Hever had decided their best chance lay in blending in with the trees.
Hever sat back. "There. Ready?"
Jay took Hever's hand. "Ready."
#
"Do salkiys have face paint?"
Allia blinked. "I do not know that term."
Atro shrugged. "Never mind." Not that Allia needed face paint. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But he'd had a sudden vision of taking her back to the Court, introducing her as his wife. He would be open about her status with him, unlike his father and Mynlai. Of course there was no way to hide her salkiy heritage, so she would have to do what she could to fit in..
Atro smiled. But those were things to worry about later.
#
"This stuff is disgusting." Kyla wiped at her face.
Hopina slapped her hand down. "You'll smear it."
"I want it off!" Kyla cast a desperate glance at Jay, walking behind the other two. Jay merely smirked and shook her head slightly. Hopina thought Jay was a bad influence, and didn't approve of the friendship between her and her daughter.
"Don't look at her," Hopina snapped. Kyla swung her head back around, feeling her cheeks burn. Not that anyone could tell, with so much powder covering them.
"You are the daughter of the Emperor," Hopina continued. "And you must look it."
#
"This is all you have?" Cheyti asked.
Kyla gave her a puzzled look. She was the Empress of Ceenta Vowei and had all the face paint she could ever need. But that wasn't what Cheyti meant.
"Do you have any other colors?"
Kyla shook her head, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'll send a servant out for more."
Cheyti nodded, grateful but still embarrassed. Kyla's face paint, suited to her dark complexion, looked terrible on Cheyti's pale skin. Everywhere the woman looked was yet another reminder that she didn't belong, and she despaired of ever feeling like she was home.
#
"What is this?"
Ava and Tarika jumped, whirling around in guilt. One of the priestesses stood behind them, her face creased in disapproval.
"Nothing," said ?, throwing a saddle blanket over the powder pots. But it was far too late to hide their crime. If nothing else, it was obvious by the bright red decorating Ava's lips.
"We were only playing," said Ava. She knew face paint was forbidden, but Tarika had so little time for her lately, she had been happy when the older girl approached her.
"Throw it away," said the priestess, shooing them out of the closet.
#
"You shouldn't use that kind of paint," said Karina, perching herself on the side of her mother's chair.
Cheyti frowned. "I have always used this."
"It's bad for your skin," said Karina. "There's a new kind now. The base is made of eggs."
Cheyti put down her brush and turned to her daughter. "Is there anything you don't know?" She was surprised; she hadn't expected her daughter, whose nose was usually stuck in a book, to be interested in face paint.
"Many things," replied Karina, far too old for her eleven years. "But you should still use the new paint."
Author: kay_brooke
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 800
Story Arc: The Myrrosta
Summary: Lots of makeup gets used.
Note: Crossposted to Runaway Tales and Dreamwidth.
"I will tolerate her," said Degance. "I know that is what's best for the city. But I will not be her servant." She looked disheveled, her face white and angry.
"You are not her servant," said Martyn, looking up at her. "But she needs help to appear appropriate for the ball."
"You're allowing her to attend the ball," Degance forced out.
"Of course," said Martyn. "We must be welcoming. What is she to do, stay in her chambers all day?"
Degance said nothing. Martyn looked back down, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Help Mynlai prepare for the ball, please."
#
Shyrn found his daughter sitting in front of a mirror, an array of colorful, unopened tubs laid out before her. His heart clinched as he recognized his wife's old face paint. He thought he had thrown all of that away soon after her death.
Shyrn cleared his throat.
"Father," said Hopina, turning toward him. The seven-year-old smiled. "Can you help me?"
"With what, sweetheart?"
She pointed to the tubs. "I want to look nice for the Autumn Banquets. But I don't know how to put it on right."
Shyrn gathered her into a hug. He didn't know, either.
#
"Hold still," said Jay, applying another coat of ochre to Hever's face.
"That's too much," he complained.
She glared at him. "It only looks bad because you won't hold still."
"That's enough," he insisted. "It's your turn."
Jay rolled her eyes, but sat still as he applied the green and brown powders to her face. They were preparing fora training exercise, where they had to sneak through a woods full of enemies (their instructors) undetected. Jay and Hever had decided their best chance lay in blending in with the trees.
Hever sat back. "There. Ready?"
Jay took Hever's hand. "Ready."
#
"Do salkiys have face paint?"
Allia blinked. "I do not know that term."
Atro shrugged. "Never mind." Not that Allia needed face paint. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But he'd had a sudden vision of taking her back to the Court, introducing her as his wife. He would be open about her status with him, unlike his father and Mynlai. Of course there was no way to hide her salkiy heritage, so she would have to do what she could to fit in..
Atro smiled. But those were things to worry about later.
#
"This stuff is disgusting." Kyla wiped at her face.
Hopina slapped her hand down. "You'll smear it."
"I want it off!" Kyla cast a desperate glance at Jay, walking behind the other two. Jay merely smirked and shook her head slightly. Hopina thought Jay was a bad influence, and didn't approve of the friendship between her and her daughter.
"Don't look at her," Hopina snapped. Kyla swung her head back around, feeling her cheeks burn. Not that anyone could tell, with so much powder covering them.
"You are the daughter of the Emperor," Hopina continued. "And you must look it."
#
"This is all you have?" Cheyti asked.
Kyla gave her a puzzled look. She was the Empress of Ceenta Vowei and had all the face paint she could ever need. But that wasn't what Cheyti meant.
"Do you have any other colors?"
Kyla shook her head, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'll send a servant out for more."
Cheyti nodded, grateful but still embarrassed. Kyla's face paint, suited to her dark complexion, looked terrible on Cheyti's pale skin. Everywhere the woman looked was yet another reminder that she didn't belong, and she despaired of ever feeling like she was home.
#
"What is this?"
Ava and Tarika jumped, whirling around in guilt. One of the priestesses stood behind them, her face creased in disapproval.
"Nothing," said ?, throwing a saddle blanket over the powder pots. But it was far too late to hide their crime. If nothing else, it was obvious by the bright red decorating Ava's lips.
"We were only playing," said Ava. She knew face paint was forbidden, but Tarika had so little time for her lately, she had been happy when the older girl approached her.
"Throw it away," said the priestess, shooing them out of the closet.
#
"You shouldn't use that kind of paint," said Karina, perching herself on the side of her mother's chair.
Cheyti frowned. "I have always used this."
"It's bad for your skin," said Karina. "There's a new kind now. The base is made of eggs."
Cheyti put down her brush and turned to her daughter. "Is there anything you don't know?" She was surprised; she hadn't expected her daughter, whose nose was usually stuck in a book, to be interested in face paint.
"Many things," replied Karina, far too old for her eleven years. "But you should still use the new paint."