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Molasses #25. Self Destruct
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1267 same day as Zero Tolerance
Word Count : 480
“Lyssa?”
She hastily stuffed the bottle beneath a leg, but not fast enough that Ski didn’t notice, not well enough that she would miss the neck of the thing protruding from between her thighs.
“Lyssa,” she said again, this time with a sigh. “What did I ask of you?”
The fabricated look of innocence lasted all of a breath, before she followed Ski‘s gaze and retrieved the bottle from her lap. “I’m not in your house, am I?” Ruddy faced, she swayed a bit as she jabbed the half empty bottle at her.
“Quite close enough.” Ski made a swipe at the thing, but Lyssa yanked it away. “Fine example for your daughter,” she said, hands settling on her hips.
The mouth of the bottle to her lips, Lyssa shot her a rude gesture. She gulped loudly and drew the back of her hand across her lips. “What I do best.”
Ski made another lunge, her hand closing over Lyssa’s. “Really,” she said, prying her fingers from the bottle, “what has gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” Lyssa scowled at the bottle as it slid from her reach, “just relaxing a bit.”
Ski raised a brow. “With half the bottle?”
Lyssa shrugged. “All right, relaxing a lot,” she said. “Not like I do this all the time.”
“Often enough lately,” she said. “Whatever is doing this to you?”
“As if you need to ask.”
Ski turned the bottle over in her hands, squinting at the label. “It has been seven years, Lyssa.”
“Right.” She set to plucking at the grass around her. “As if you’re not still mourning.”
Ski glared at her over the bottle. Eyes still on her lap, Lyssa twirled a blade of green between her fingers. “It is scarcely the same. You could find Rune.” He hand clenched around the glass. “Gods know you could find him more easily now than ever.”
“And tell him what?” Lyssa tossed the strand of grass out onto the lawn and plucked another. “I couldn’t face him now.”
“Of course.” Ski gave the bottle a shake. “Better your liver than your pride.”
Lyssa’s eyes narrowed, and she pressed a palm to the ground. “Maybe I should go find him,” she said, pushing to her feet. She swayed a moment before her, a slow, deliberate blink as she fought to focus on her face. “S’pose he’d be just thrilled to have a daughter.”
Ski s froze, throat tight and knuckles white along the neck of the bottle.
Lyssa gave her a bleary-eyed look up and down before curling her hand over her own. “What I thought,” she said, as Ski blinked at the hands peeling her stiff fingers from the glass. “Don’t worry.” She tucked the bottle under her arm as she set a slow, wavering pace towards the house. “Your neat little world is safe. Just leave my liver and my pride alone.”
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1267 same day as Zero Tolerance
Word Count : 480
“Lyssa?”
She hastily stuffed the bottle beneath a leg, but not fast enough that Ski didn’t notice, not well enough that she would miss the neck of the thing protruding from between her thighs.
“Lyssa,” she said again, this time with a sigh. “What did I ask of you?”
The fabricated look of innocence lasted all of a breath, before she followed Ski‘s gaze and retrieved the bottle from her lap. “I’m not in your house, am I?” Ruddy faced, she swayed a bit as she jabbed the half empty bottle at her.
“Quite close enough.” Ski made a swipe at the thing, but Lyssa yanked it away. “Fine example for your daughter,” she said, hands settling on her hips.
The mouth of the bottle to her lips, Lyssa shot her a rude gesture. She gulped loudly and drew the back of her hand across her lips. “What I do best.”
Ski made another lunge, her hand closing over Lyssa’s. “Really,” she said, prying her fingers from the bottle, “what has gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” Lyssa scowled at the bottle as it slid from her reach, “just relaxing a bit.”
Ski raised a brow. “With half the bottle?”
Lyssa shrugged. “All right, relaxing a lot,” she said. “Not like I do this all the time.”
“Often enough lately,” she said. “Whatever is doing this to you?”
“As if you need to ask.”
Ski turned the bottle over in her hands, squinting at the label. “It has been seven years, Lyssa.”
“Right.” She set to plucking at the grass around her. “As if you’re not still mourning.”
Ski glared at her over the bottle. Eyes still on her lap, Lyssa twirled a blade of green between her fingers. “It is scarcely the same. You could find Rune.” He hand clenched around the glass. “Gods know you could find him more easily now than ever.”
“And tell him what?” Lyssa tossed the strand of grass out onto the lawn and plucked another. “I couldn’t face him now.”
“Of course.” Ski gave the bottle a shake. “Better your liver than your pride.”
Lyssa’s eyes narrowed, and she pressed a palm to the ground. “Maybe I should go find him,” she said, pushing to her feet. She swayed a moment before her, a slow, deliberate blink as she fought to focus on her face. “S’pose he’d be just thrilled to have a daughter.”
Ski s froze, throat tight and knuckles white along the neck of the bottle.
Lyssa gave her a bleary-eyed look up and down before curling her hand over her own. “What I thought,” she said, as Ski blinked at the hands peeling her stiff fingers from the glass. “Don’t worry.” She tucked the bottle under her arm as she set a slow, wavering pace towards the house. “Your neat little world is safe. Just leave my liver and my pride alone.”