My turn to tease you, Sly
Chocolate #13. Humility bordering on humiliation
rating : PG
timeframe : fall 1254, 2 days after the ball
Ski curled her fingers into a fist. She ran her tongue over lips that seemed determined to stay dry as she scanned the numbered plate on the door. It was the right one, as it had been the first four times she read it. She swallowed hard and brought her knuckles to the wood.
Her knock triggered a groggy response from within the room, whose voice she recognized, though the words were lost. There was a shuffle and slap of bare feet across the floorboards. The knob gave a lurch and a click, and the door swung inward. From the other side, Lyssa thrust a hand into the disheveled mass of copper that framed her face and gave a deep yawn.
“Yeah?” she said.
“I need a favor.”
One auburn brow angled upward. “You?” said Lyssa, a smile settling along her mouth. “Need a favor from me?”
Ski put a hand to her temple. “Yes.”
“What sort of a favor?”
She closed her eyes and drew a breath. “A personal one.” She opened them to find her sister’s brow arching higher.
“This favor better not involve Mother.” The smile receded.
Ski shook her head. “Far from it.”
“What then?” Lyssa said. She gave the door a tug and motioned her inside. “Why all the nerves?”
“I… well…” Ski crossed the threshold into the narrow bedchamber, picking her way through the assortment of garments that littered the floor. Her hands wound themselves together in front of her. “I have need of a certain item you have been known to supply.”
“Oh?” said Lyssa, wading through the clutter without notice. Her tone changed as she grasped her sister’s meaning. “Oh,” she said, folding her arms over the thin nightgown that did little to cover her. She rocked back on her heels to take in Ski’s discomfort with a grin. “Unprepared, were we?”
Ski’s hand found its way to her temple again. “I am glad you find this so amusing, but kindly spare me.”
Lyssa gave a snort and shook her head. “I just knew I would see this one day.” She made her way to the wardrobe that stood alongside the bed. A door swung open in her grasp and she ducked her head inside. The long moments she spent rummaging in the thing led Ski to wonder if its contents were as well kempt as the rest of the room.
At last, Lyssa emerged with a cry of “Ah hah!” and a tiny blue vial. She came swaggering back with it clutched between her fingers. Ski extended a hand to accept it, but Lyssa pulled back, dangling the vial just beyond her reach. “Uh-uh.“ There was a malicious gleam in her dark eyes. “Details, my dear. Details.”
Ski groaned. She could have gone to Rune instead, but that would mean putting words to the whole matter, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to do that yet. Besides, it would surprise her if he had such a thing. “It is hardly any business of yours.”
Lyssa looked between her sister and the tonic with a grin. “I would like to differ.”
She sighed. “I had a lovely time with a friend, which I must say would fall far short of entertaining you.”
“Come now, you can do better than that.”
“I am not about to debase myself for your enjoyment.”
Lyssa’s hand closed over the vial. “Such a shame.”
Ski’s eyes narrowed. “You give me that vial, or you may find more than your voyeuristic expectations to be disappointed about.”
Lyssa handed it over with a sigh. “S'pose it would be cruel of me not to save you from your own foolish behavior.”
“Gods know I have done it for you more often than I should like,” Ski said, as her fingers curled around the glass.
“Next time,” said Lyssa, “I will make you talk.”
“Thank you.“ She slid the vial into a pocket as she headed for the door.
“Don’t make a habit of it. Last thing I want is a reputation for saving your hide.”
“I think you need not worry,” Ski muttered as the door closed behind her.
She leaned against the wall, with a quick glance in both directions before drawing the vial back out of her pocket. She uncorked it and put it to her lips, taking in the bitter liquid in one gulp, before continuing on her way.
rating : PG
timeframe : fall 1254, 2 days after the ball
Ski curled her fingers into a fist. She ran her tongue over lips that seemed determined to stay dry as she scanned the numbered plate on the door. It was the right one, as it had been the first four times she read it. She swallowed hard and brought her knuckles to the wood.
Her knock triggered a groggy response from within the room, whose voice she recognized, though the words were lost. There was a shuffle and slap of bare feet across the floorboards. The knob gave a lurch and a click, and the door swung inward. From the other side, Lyssa thrust a hand into the disheveled mass of copper that framed her face and gave a deep yawn.
“Yeah?” she said.
“I need a favor.”
One auburn brow angled upward. “You?” said Lyssa, a smile settling along her mouth. “Need a favor from me?”
Ski put a hand to her temple. “Yes.”
“What sort of a favor?”
She closed her eyes and drew a breath. “A personal one.” She opened them to find her sister’s brow arching higher.
“This favor better not involve Mother.” The smile receded.
Ski shook her head. “Far from it.”
“What then?” Lyssa said. She gave the door a tug and motioned her inside. “Why all the nerves?”
“I… well…” Ski crossed the threshold into the narrow bedchamber, picking her way through the assortment of garments that littered the floor. Her hands wound themselves together in front of her. “I have need of a certain item you have been known to supply.”
“Oh?” said Lyssa, wading through the clutter without notice. Her tone changed as she grasped her sister’s meaning. “Oh,” she said, folding her arms over the thin nightgown that did little to cover her. She rocked back on her heels to take in Ski’s discomfort with a grin. “Unprepared, were we?”
Ski’s hand found its way to her temple again. “I am glad you find this so amusing, but kindly spare me.”
Lyssa gave a snort and shook her head. “I just knew I would see this one day.” She made her way to the wardrobe that stood alongside the bed. A door swung open in her grasp and she ducked her head inside. The long moments she spent rummaging in the thing led Ski to wonder if its contents were as well kempt as the rest of the room.
At last, Lyssa emerged with a cry of “Ah hah!” and a tiny blue vial. She came swaggering back with it clutched between her fingers. Ski extended a hand to accept it, but Lyssa pulled back, dangling the vial just beyond her reach. “Uh-uh.“ There was a malicious gleam in her dark eyes. “Details, my dear. Details.”
Ski groaned. She could have gone to Rune instead, but that would mean putting words to the whole matter, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to do that yet. Besides, it would surprise her if he had such a thing. “It is hardly any business of yours.”
Lyssa looked between her sister and the tonic with a grin. “I would like to differ.”
She sighed. “I had a lovely time with a friend, which I must say would fall far short of entertaining you.”
“Come now, you can do better than that.”
“I am not about to debase myself for your enjoyment.”
Lyssa’s hand closed over the vial. “Such a shame.”
Ski’s eyes narrowed. “You give me that vial, or you may find more than your voyeuristic expectations to be disappointed about.”
Lyssa handed it over with a sigh. “S'pose it would be cruel of me not to save you from your own foolish behavior.”
“Gods know I have done it for you more often than I should like,” Ski said, as her fingers curled around the glass.
“Next time,” said Lyssa, “I will make you talk.”
“Thank you.“ She slid the vial into a pocket as she headed for the door.
“Don’t make a habit of it. Last thing I want is a reputation for saving your hide.”
“I think you need not worry,” Ski muttered as the door closed behind her.
She leaned against the wall, with a quick glance in both directions before drawing the vial back out of her pocket. She uncorked it and put it to her lips, taking in the bitter liquid in one gulp, before continuing on her way.