This is why I made no guarantees last time I updated...
...because I knew it would be a while before I would again. *looks sheepish* So here's a two-part story (which may grow to a three-parter) for Christmas! :D
Title: The Idea.
Fandom: Count Cain.
Characters: Cain, Merry, Riff.
Prompt: 092 - Christmas.
Word Count: 673.
Rating: G
Summary: It's Christmas at the Hargreaves' - and Merriweather and Riff are up to something...
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Count Cain and all associated characters, settings, etc., belongs to Yuki Kaori-sensei. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate, and happy holiday of choice/December if you don't! :)
“Are you going out again, Brother?” Merry asked, her lips threatening to turn down into a pout.
Cain allowed Riff to sweep his cloak over his shoulders and smiled crookedly at Merry, one hand toying with his hat. “I won’t be gone long.”
“You better not be. It might snow again,” she warned, still frowning.
“I’ll be back before supper,” he replied lightly. Riff gave him an approving nod and opened the front door. Cain moved to walk out of the house when a quiet question stopped him.
“You promise?”
Cain turned and walked to crouch before Merry, who was looking down at the ground with sad eyes. “I promise,” he said seriously.
Merry looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Shake on it?”
He held out his hand and she took it. “Before supper, or you can have all of your presents early.”
Her face lit up and she hugged him tightly around the neck. “Thank you, Brother!”
He laughed softly as she dropped back down to the floor. “But you had better behave while I’m out.”
She favored him with her most sweetly innocent face. “Don’t I always?” Still at the door, Riff cleared his throat meaningfully and looked away when she glanced at him.
Cain smirked at his butler. “Oh, of course,” he said agreeably. He perched his hat on his head as he straightened. “You might practice your piano while I’m out,” he said as an afterthought, turning again. Merry stuck out her tongue in response, but he had already gone out the door.
As Riff closed it and began to bolt the locks, she said thoughtfully, “Riff?”
“Yes, Miss Merry?”
“What does Brother want?”
Riff paused as he turned from the door, a crease between his eyebrows. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Miss Merry.”
Merry sighed. “For Christmas,” she explained.
Riff’s look lightened. “Ah,” he said. He walked back into the main parlor, Merry trailing him like a bright little shadow, and slowly began to gather up dishes from the tea his master and mistress had just finished. “What would you like to give him?”
Merry crossed her arms with a huff. “That isn’t how it works, Riff,” she scolded. “I need to give him something he would like, especially since we’ve never had Christmas together before. I can’t count on him liking whatever I give him.”
Riff, despite being of the opinion that whatever his adored little sister gave him his master would cherish, tried to think of ideas. “What about a book?” he offered.
“Brother has loads of books. What if I gave him one he has already?”
Riff pursed his lips as he stacked the plates atop one another. His next thought had been ‘poison’, but of course that was a wildly inappropriate idea, not only for a gift in general but particularly for Miss Merry. “What if you drew him something?”
Merry handed him her empty teacup as she flopped into her chair and let her head drop to the table. “That’s boring, Riff. And I can’t draw that well.” She sat up suddenly. “What if I told his fortune?”
“But you can do that at any time,” Riff countered, drawn into the discussion despite himself.
Merry slumped down again. “That’s true.” She toyed with a teaspoon until Riff gently took it from her to put it with the other dishes. A pair of maids entered with curtsies and swept the tea things from the room at a nod from Riff. Merry kicked at the legs of her chair pensively until Riff frowned at her. She stopped and asked curiously, “What does Brother like?”
Riff tapped his fingers together, feeling as if he were undergoing an impromptu interrogation. “Well. Reading-” about poisons “-parties-” if he can flirt “-mysteries, science-”
“Mysteries?” Merry interrupted him.
“You know Master Cain likes to solve mysteries, Miss Merry.”
Merry was sitting upright, a broad smile on her face. “Riff, that’s it! It’s brilliant!”
“What is, Miss Merry?”
“We’ll give Brother a mystery for Christmas!”
To be continued (sometime after Christmas)…
My Little Damn Table.
Title: The Idea.
Fandom: Count Cain.
Characters: Cain, Merry, Riff.
Prompt: 092 - Christmas.
Word Count: 673.
Rating: G
Summary: It's Christmas at the Hargreaves' - and Merriweather and Riff are up to something...
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Count Cain and all associated characters, settings, etc., belongs to Yuki Kaori-sensei. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate, and happy holiday of choice/December if you don't! :)
“Are you going out again, Brother?” Merry asked, her lips threatening to turn down into a pout.
Cain allowed Riff to sweep his cloak over his shoulders and smiled crookedly at Merry, one hand toying with his hat. “I won’t be gone long.”
“You better not be. It might snow again,” she warned, still frowning.
“I’ll be back before supper,” he replied lightly. Riff gave him an approving nod and opened the front door. Cain moved to walk out of the house when a quiet question stopped him.
“You promise?”
Cain turned and walked to crouch before Merry, who was looking down at the ground with sad eyes. “I promise,” he said seriously.
Merry looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Shake on it?”
He held out his hand and she took it. “Before supper, or you can have all of your presents early.”
Her face lit up and she hugged him tightly around the neck. “Thank you, Brother!”
He laughed softly as she dropped back down to the floor. “But you had better behave while I’m out.”
She favored him with her most sweetly innocent face. “Don’t I always?” Still at the door, Riff cleared his throat meaningfully and looked away when she glanced at him.
Cain smirked at his butler. “Oh, of course,” he said agreeably. He perched his hat on his head as he straightened. “You might practice your piano while I’m out,” he said as an afterthought, turning again. Merry stuck out her tongue in response, but he had already gone out the door.
As Riff closed it and began to bolt the locks, she said thoughtfully, “Riff?”
“Yes, Miss Merry?”
“What does Brother want?”
Riff paused as he turned from the door, a crease between his eyebrows. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Miss Merry.”
Merry sighed. “For Christmas,” she explained.
Riff’s look lightened. “Ah,” he said. He walked back into the main parlor, Merry trailing him like a bright little shadow, and slowly began to gather up dishes from the tea his master and mistress had just finished. “What would you like to give him?”
Merry crossed her arms with a huff. “That isn’t how it works, Riff,” she scolded. “I need to give him something he would like, especially since we’ve never had Christmas together before. I can’t count on him liking whatever I give him.”
Riff, despite being of the opinion that whatever his adored little sister gave him his master would cherish, tried to think of ideas. “What about a book?” he offered.
“Brother has loads of books. What if I gave him one he has already?”
Riff pursed his lips as he stacked the plates atop one another. His next thought had been ‘poison’, but of course that was a wildly inappropriate idea, not only for a gift in general but particularly for Miss Merry. “What if you drew him something?”
Merry handed him her empty teacup as she flopped into her chair and let her head drop to the table. “That’s boring, Riff. And I can’t draw that well.” She sat up suddenly. “What if I told his fortune?”
“But you can do that at any time,” Riff countered, drawn into the discussion despite himself.
Merry slumped down again. “That’s true.” She toyed with a teaspoon until Riff gently took it from her to put it with the other dishes. A pair of maids entered with curtsies and swept the tea things from the room at a nod from Riff. Merry kicked at the legs of her chair pensively until Riff frowned at her. She stopped and asked curiously, “What does Brother like?”
Riff tapped his fingers together, feeling as if he were undergoing an impromptu interrogation. “Well. Reading-” about poisons “-parties-” if he can flirt “-mysteries, science-”
“Mysteries?” Merry interrupted him.
“You know Master Cain likes to solve mysteries, Miss Merry.”
Merry was sitting upright, a broad smile on her face. “Riff, that’s it! It’s brilliant!”
“What is, Miss Merry?”
“We’ll give Brother a mystery for Christmas!”
To be continued (sometime after Christmas)…
My Little Damn Table.