Peanut Butter Week (Wood)
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Post NIEE
Challenges: Peanut Butter 5 (wood), Pomegranate (wild guess), Pineapple (don’t wait up for me)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Hot Fudge, Gummy Bunnies (August: Mistaken Identity), Malt (Summer Challenge 2011 #198: Tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed - "Ocean Breathes Salty", by Modest Mouse)
Word Count: 843
Rating: PG
Summary: Ted is caught off guard by his accidental catch.
Notes: Ted was aiming for Morgan but got Sage instead. PB Week 5.
Ted finished his makeshift meal and stood, burrowing around in his bag until he emerged with a length of rope. “Come here, Sage.”
“Or what?”
He stared at her, knowing that the effect of the fire on his face probably made him look more foreboding than usual. “Now.”
He didn’t miss the spread of emotions that darted across her face in rapid succession and was curious to see that whatever she was thinking about resulted in a total expression shut down. She went from looking annoyed with a touch of forced boredom to something unstable lurking in the back of her eyes. He latched on to this and determined that he had to figure out the cause soon, see what he might able to use out of Sage Opalin’s past. There had to be something.
Ted was surprised when she still climbed to her feet and made her way over to him. Although her body was rife with tension, she pressed her wrists together and turned her back to him. He was startled into commenting. “That’s surprisingly compliant of you.”
“As I said, you haven’t done your research,” Sage said, voice as tense as her back. “Now tie me up already or I might not be so compliant.”
He hesitated a moment and then decided to test that theory. He leaned forward until he was only an inch or two away from her ear. “Something about this you don’t like?” he said softly.
Her reaction surprised even him, as used to exploiting sensitive subjects as he was. She started, almost catching him in the chin with the back of her head. He jerked back and totally missed her spinning and her fist arcing in until it had slammed him right between the nose and eye. His nose immediately started gushing blood. “Either tie me up or leave me free, but don’t you dare get that close again,” Sage snapped, eyes blazing in fury. “I will kill you if you do. I will do what you tell me to because I acknowledge that you have the upper hand, but you do not have all the hand and I will prove that if I need to, do you understand?”
Ted automatically reached for his bleeding nose, knowing his surprise broadcast all too clearly on his face. “I should make you pay for that.”
“You’ll find that harder than you might expect,” she said, so furious she was actually shaking or, he wondered, was it something else entirely? Fear, perhaps?
“I suspect I would,” he said slowly. “I didn’t see that move coming.” How he hadn’t, he could not explain even to himself.
“No one’s perfect,” she said with an incredibly amount of sarcasm. He would get her back for that one at some point.
“Turn around. I’ll make it quick with minimal contact.” He knew he had gotten all the information out of her he would for the moment and his face hurt like hell.
“You’d better,” she snarled.
“I will,” he assured her as he swiped at the blood freely flowing from his nose and then stepped back up to her. Even with his assurance, he was not at all sure she would let him try again so Ted was a bit impressed when she repeated her earlier performance, presenting her wrists for him to tie.
He did as promised, getting them secured with minimum contact. “There. Come here,” he said, stepping over to the nearest tree and looping the rope around it as Sage stepped over, sighing to herself. He tied the rope off to her wrists. “Sit,” he ordered. “It will be more comfortable.”
“There you go being nice again,” Sage muttered.
He smirked. Nice was not a word often used to describe him although he was trying a bit with her. He needed her at least semi-compliant until they reached the others or things would be much harder on him. “I told you, I appreciate your wellbeing.”
“Except not enough not to try and smash my head in with a sword hilt.”
“That was not personal.”
“Right, because you thought I was Morgan.” Sage leaned back against the tree and shook her head. “I’m going to sleep,” she said, closing her eyes.
“Good night, Sage Opalin,” he said, using her last name just because she had admitted earlier that it bothered her.
He settled down across the fire, watching her as she shifted to make herself comfortable, mouthing something that seemed like an apology. He made a point of making all the right noises and then watched her relax and slip off into sleep. Ted sat back up and stroked his chin absently. Sage Opalin was an interesting specimen. There were obviously demons in her past that he hadn’t been able to dig up while planning this revenge, but he was certain that, whatever they were, he could both ferret them out and somehow incorporate it into his plan. This would make the revenge all that much sweeter, he was sure, since he wanted KIN to suffer and suffer they would.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Post NIEE
Challenges: Peanut Butter 5 (wood), Pomegranate (wild guess), Pineapple (don’t wait up for me)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Hot Fudge, Gummy Bunnies (August: Mistaken Identity), Malt (Summer Challenge 2011 #198: Tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed - "Ocean Breathes Salty", by Modest Mouse)
Word Count: 843
Rating: PG
Summary: Ted is caught off guard by his accidental catch.
Notes: Ted was aiming for Morgan but got Sage instead. PB Week 5.
Ted finished his makeshift meal and stood, burrowing around in his bag until he emerged with a length of rope. “Come here, Sage.”
“Or what?”
He stared at her, knowing that the effect of the fire on his face probably made him look more foreboding than usual. “Now.”
He didn’t miss the spread of emotions that darted across her face in rapid succession and was curious to see that whatever she was thinking about resulted in a total expression shut down. She went from looking annoyed with a touch of forced boredom to something unstable lurking in the back of her eyes. He latched on to this and determined that he had to figure out the cause soon, see what he might able to use out of Sage Opalin’s past. There had to be something.
Ted was surprised when she still climbed to her feet and made her way over to him. Although her body was rife with tension, she pressed her wrists together and turned her back to him. He was startled into commenting. “That’s surprisingly compliant of you.”
“As I said, you haven’t done your research,” Sage said, voice as tense as her back. “Now tie me up already or I might not be so compliant.”
He hesitated a moment and then decided to test that theory. He leaned forward until he was only an inch or two away from her ear. “Something about this you don’t like?” he said softly.
Her reaction surprised even him, as used to exploiting sensitive subjects as he was. She started, almost catching him in the chin with the back of her head. He jerked back and totally missed her spinning and her fist arcing in until it had slammed him right between the nose and eye. His nose immediately started gushing blood. “Either tie me up or leave me free, but don’t you dare get that close again,” Sage snapped, eyes blazing in fury. “I will kill you if you do. I will do what you tell me to because I acknowledge that you have the upper hand, but you do not have all the hand and I will prove that if I need to, do you understand?”
Ted automatically reached for his bleeding nose, knowing his surprise broadcast all too clearly on his face. “I should make you pay for that.”
“You’ll find that harder than you might expect,” she said, so furious she was actually shaking or, he wondered, was it something else entirely? Fear, perhaps?
“I suspect I would,” he said slowly. “I didn’t see that move coming.” How he hadn’t, he could not explain even to himself.
“No one’s perfect,” she said with an incredibly amount of sarcasm. He would get her back for that one at some point.
“Turn around. I’ll make it quick with minimal contact.” He knew he had gotten all the information out of her he would for the moment and his face hurt like hell.
“You’d better,” she snarled.
“I will,” he assured her as he swiped at the blood freely flowing from his nose and then stepped back up to her. Even with his assurance, he was not at all sure she would let him try again so Ted was a bit impressed when she repeated her earlier performance, presenting her wrists for him to tie.
He did as promised, getting them secured with minimum contact. “There. Come here,” he said, stepping over to the nearest tree and looping the rope around it as Sage stepped over, sighing to herself. He tied the rope off to her wrists. “Sit,” he ordered. “It will be more comfortable.”
“There you go being nice again,” Sage muttered.
He smirked. Nice was not a word often used to describe him although he was trying a bit with her. He needed her at least semi-compliant until they reached the others or things would be much harder on him. “I told you, I appreciate your wellbeing.”
“Except not enough not to try and smash my head in with a sword hilt.”
“That was not personal.”
“Right, because you thought I was Morgan.” Sage leaned back against the tree and shook her head. “I’m going to sleep,” she said, closing her eyes.
“Good night, Sage Opalin,” he said, using her last name just because she had admitted earlier that it bothered her.
He settled down across the fire, watching her as she shifted to make herself comfortable, mouthing something that seemed like an apology. He made a point of making all the right noises and then watched her relax and slip off into sleep. Ted sat back up and stroked his chin absently. Sage Opalin was an interesting specimen. There were obviously demons in her past that he hadn’t been able to dig up while planning this revenge, but he was certain that, whatever they were, he could both ferret them out and somehow incorporate it into his plan. This would make the revenge all that much sweeter, he was sure, since he wanted KIN to suffer and suffer they would.