first fotd in a long time
Flavor of the Day - 06/08/09 - Tergiversation
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1262
Word Count : 642
Word of the Day : tergiversation - The act of practicing evasion or of being deliberately ambiguous
So this word screamed most of my cast, and my story in general. Highly spoilery. It's been fun while it's lasted - it's been most of a year. If you haven't caught me yet, I hope this gets it over with.
“Who was he?”
Ski whipped her head and shoulders round at the sound of Mother’s voice. “Who was whom?” she said.
“The father.” Mother tipped her head in the direction of the pudgy form creeping and crawling, on round, little limbs, through the grass. “Who was he?”
“That is a question best posed to Lyssa, is it not?” said Ski, as Mother made her way around the bench.
With a ruffling of fabric and the soft creak of the wood, Mother settled beside her and folded her hands in her lap. “I think not.”
Ski crossed and uncrossed her legs, hastily crossed them again, and picked at her skirts. “What, you think I can keep track of Lyssa’s love life?” she said, folds of blue cotton weaving between her fingers. “Are you expecting a list?”
“I should think,” said Mother, still watching the child, now flat on her back in the carpet of green, a feathery blossom crumbling in her tiny hands, “I would be able to determine the answer easily enough myself.” Her head turned slowly, eyes settling sternly on Ski’s own. “Were that the question.”
Ski swallowed hard and shuffled a few inches further down the length of the seat. “I thought that was the question.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Ski straightened involuntarily under her stare. “I think you know precisely what the question is, and I expect a proper answer.”
She stared back, combating the urge to devour her lip, while Mara blissfully littered the ground with a few dozen more petals. “You know?” she said, at last.
Mother sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, Masakari, what sort of fool do you take me for?” She turned back to the baby, leaving Ski to squirm on the bench beside her. “Your little farce may have passed in court, but I am your mother. You will kindly desist with the lies. Who was he?”
Mara coiled her fist around another stalk and plucked a dainty white bloom. Enormous, luminous, blue eyes settled on Ski, and her soft, little bow of a mouth split open in a crooked smile she couldn‘t help but return. “It matters little now,” she said, her hand rising to pull a fold in her blouse along the length of the chain that lay beneath. “He’s dead.”
“And whose idea was all this?”
“It was not our intent from the beginning to deceive. Lyssa meant well enough, but things got out of hand.” She hastily dropped the necklace, thrust a hand beneath the cloth to fish out the ring at its end. “The child is legitimate. Certainly now we could remedy-”
“Legitimate?” Her eyes settled on the band of gold and deep creases wove their way across her brow, “Ski…”
“I know.” Ski snapped her hand shut over the ring. “I know it was foolish, but-”
“And he is dead now?” The tone sent a shiver through her, and the only answer she could muster was a nod. “And can anyone else verify this… legitimacy?” Her nose gave a twitch as she continued to peer down it at the hand to which the ring had disappeared.
“Only Lyssa,” said Ski. “And Rune. But I could not tell you where to find-”
A hand waved her silent. “I think you two may have done the right thing.”
“What?” Her hand went slack, ring and chain falling back against her breast.
“You will continue this ruse of yours,” said Mother.
“But-”
“I may not be a fool,” said Mother, rising from her seat, “but there are certainly enough out there who are.” She scooped the girl from the grass, and Mara giggled as the bits of white that had gathered on her middle cascaded over them both. Returning her smile, Mother fingered a bit of the red golden fluff atop her small head. “I think she passes quite nicely.”
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1262
Word Count : 642
Word of the Day : tergiversation - The act of practicing evasion or of being deliberately ambiguous
So this word screamed most of my cast, and my story in general. Highly spoilery. It's been fun while it's lasted - it's been most of a year. If you haven't caught me yet, I hope this gets it over with.
“Who was he?”
Ski whipped her head and shoulders round at the sound of Mother’s voice. “Who was whom?” she said.
“The father.” Mother tipped her head in the direction of the pudgy form creeping and crawling, on round, little limbs, through the grass. “Who was he?”
“That is a question best posed to Lyssa, is it not?” said Ski, as Mother made her way around the bench.
With a ruffling of fabric and the soft creak of the wood, Mother settled beside her and folded her hands in her lap. “I think not.”
Ski crossed and uncrossed her legs, hastily crossed them again, and picked at her skirts. “What, you think I can keep track of Lyssa’s love life?” she said, folds of blue cotton weaving between her fingers. “Are you expecting a list?”
“I should think,” said Mother, still watching the child, now flat on her back in the carpet of green, a feathery blossom crumbling in her tiny hands, “I would be able to determine the answer easily enough myself.” Her head turned slowly, eyes settling sternly on Ski’s own. “Were that the question.”
Ski swallowed hard and shuffled a few inches further down the length of the seat. “I thought that was the question.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Ski straightened involuntarily under her stare. “I think you know precisely what the question is, and I expect a proper answer.”
She stared back, combating the urge to devour her lip, while Mara blissfully littered the ground with a few dozen more petals. “You know?” she said, at last.
Mother sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, Masakari, what sort of fool do you take me for?” She turned back to the baby, leaving Ski to squirm on the bench beside her. “Your little farce may have passed in court, but I am your mother. You will kindly desist with the lies. Who was he?”
Mara coiled her fist around another stalk and plucked a dainty white bloom. Enormous, luminous, blue eyes settled on Ski, and her soft, little bow of a mouth split open in a crooked smile she couldn‘t help but return. “It matters little now,” she said, her hand rising to pull a fold in her blouse along the length of the chain that lay beneath. “He’s dead.”
“And whose idea was all this?”
“It was not our intent from the beginning to deceive. Lyssa meant well enough, but things got out of hand.” She hastily dropped the necklace, thrust a hand beneath the cloth to fish out the ring at its end. “The child is legitimate. Certainly now we could remedy-”
“Legitimate?” Her eyes settled on the band of gold and deep creases wove their way across her brow, “Ski…”
“I know.” Ski snapped her hand shut over the ring. “I know it was foolish, but-”
“And he is dead now?” The tone sent a shiver through her, and the only answer she could muster was a nod. “And can anyone else verify this… legitimacy?” Her nose gave a twitch as she continued to peer down it at the hand to which the ring had disappeared.
“Only Lyssa,” said Ski. “And Rune. But I could not tell you where to find-”
A hand waved her silent. “I think you two may have done the right thing.”
“What?” Her hand went slack, ring and chain falling back against her breast.
“You will continue this ruse of yours,” said Mother.
“But-”
“I may not be a fool,” said Mother, rising from her seat, “but there are certainly enough out there who are.” She scooped the girl from the grass, and Mara giggled as the bits of white that had gathered on her middle cascaded over them both. Returning her smile, Mother fingered a bit of the red golden fluff atop her small head. “I think she passes quite nicely.”