Trail Mix 17
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Trail Mix 17 (pantry/larder)
Toppings & Extras: Sprinkles, Milkshake (Eva, Carrie and kinda Rob and Ellie, since Marina originated them)
Word Count: 704
Rating: PG
Summary: Colin is triumphant. Eva doesn’t know whether to be amused or worried.
Notes: This directly follows this piece where Colin meets Nina’s Captain Jacob Graham and gets in a bar fight. Also, I have no doubt that Jacob will reappear at some point!
Eva brightened as she spotted a familiar person standing by the barn, talking animatedly to Rob, who laughed, shook his head and gestured for Colin to get himself in to the hostel.
By the time Colin actually made it to the door, Eva had returned to the front desk and was working on some accounts that she needed to balance. “Hey, Eva,” Colin said cheerfully as he let himself in.
“Colin!” she said, looking up and then staring at the vivid bruises and half-swollen shut black eye. “What in the world?” she started.
His look turned sheepish, almost that of a little boy being told off by his mother. “I got in a fight.” She paled considerably and he hastily continued. “Not a fight with the Three or anything! It was a harmless, not related to anything bar fight.”
“A bar fight?” she repeated, aware that Ellie was watching this with amusement. “Gods’ Breath, Colin! Ellie, can you watch the front desk for a few minutes?”
“Of course. Hi, Colin.”
“Hi, Ellie.” He grinned and Eva was fairly sure he attempted to wink. “Want some mail?”
The younger woman’s face lit up. “Really?”
He dug into his bag and produced two fat letters. “Got both of them this time.”
Ellie beamed and took them, clutching them to her chest. “Thank you, Colin!”
“I’m just the delivery boy,” he said even as Eva authoritatively put a hand on his back and pushed him towards the kitchen.
“What were you thinking, Colin?” Eva said. “A bar brawl?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” he said plaintively as she shoved him into a chair.
“Sit there. I’m getting you ice.”
He fingered the black eye for a moment. “Not sure ice is going to help.”
“For being stupid, you get to sit there and be quiet,” she told him, amused.
“Yes, ma’am.”
It took her a minute of rummaging to produce some ice. “It had to have happened recently.”
“Last night.”
“Gods’ Breath,” she said again, passing him the ice, which he pressed against his eye. “What happened?”
He grinned around the bag of ice. “I thought I was supposed to be quiet.”
“Colin,” she said in her best disapproving mother voice. Carrie would have been proud.
“I was in Bejen last night and got dragged into a brawl by one of the, well, I assume he was a pirate, pirate captain’s and his crew.”
“Pirates, Colin, really?”
“I was on their side.”
She could only stare at him. “This isn’t getting better...”
“But it was really fun! And then we got rather smashed afterwards. Which does surprising things to your pain tolerance. I’ve barely been in pain all day. Jacob was very nice to pay for all my drinks.”
Eva now squinted, examining his face more closely, looking past the bruises to note the bloodshot eyes. “Are you still hungover? Have you eaten anything today?”
“Yes and no?” he said, words coming out much more like a question.
She huffed, shaking her head as she stood, heading for the larder and their supply of bread. “This is one story you are not allowed to tell my daughter, understand?”
“Got it,” he said as Carrie bounded into the room.
The instant she spotted Colin, she beamed and ran over, climbing into his lap. “Colin! Hi! What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the ice and bruises.
“I fell,” Colin told her solemnly. “Always a good idea to watch your step on stairs.”
Carrie’s eyes went wide. “Okay,” she said, equally as solemnly. Eva tried not to laugh at the pair.
“Good girl,” he said, ruffling her hair.
“Carrie, hop down, Colin needs some food, which he can’t do with you on his lap,” Eva said.
“Okay, Mommy,” she said, scooting over so she was sitting beside him on the bench but stuck close to her friend.
Colin accepted the bread, glancing up impishly at Eva. “I promise to behave from now on.”
She laughed. “I very much doubt that, Colin, but I appreciate the sentiments.”
Carrie giggled as he set to the bread. Eva patted him on the shoulder as she headed back out front. “Tell me the rest later,” she added, intrigued and amused despite herself.
He laughed. “Deal.”
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Trail Mix 17 (pantry/larder)
Toppings & Extras: Sprinkles, Milkshake (Eva, Carrie and kinda Rob and Ellie, since Marina originated them)
Word Count: 704
Rating: PG
Summary: Colin is triumphant. Eva doesn’t know whether to be amused or worried.
Notes: This directly follows this piece where Colin meets Nina’s Captain Jacob Graham and gets in a bar fight. Also, I have no doubt that Jacob will reappear at some point!
Eva brightened as she spotted a familiar person standing by the barn, talking animatedly to Rob, who laughed, shook his head and gestured for Colin to get himself in to the hostel.
By the time Colin actually made it to the door, Eva had returned to the front desk and was working on some accounts that she needed to balance. “Hey, Eva,” Colin said cheerfully as he let himself in.
“Colin!” she said, looking up and then staring at the vivid bruises and half-swollen shut black eye. “What in the world?” she started.
His look turned sheepish, almost that of a little boy being told off by his mother. “I got in a fight.” She paled considerably and he hastily continued. “Not a fight with the Three or anything! It was a harmless, not related to anything bar fight.”
“A bar fight?” she repeated, aware that Ellie was watching this with amusement. “Gods’ Breath, Colin! Ellie, can you watch the front desk for a few minutes?”
“Of course. Hi, Colin.”
“Hi, Ellie.” He grinned and Eva was fairly sure he attempted to wink. “Want some mail?”
The younger woman’s face lit up. “Really?”
He dug into his bag and produced two fat letters. “Got both of them this time.”
Ellie beamed and took them, clutching them to her chest. “Thank you, Colin!”
“I’m just the delivery boy,” he said even as Eva authoritatively put a hand on his back and pushed him towards the kitchen.
“What were you thinking, Colin?” Eva said. “A bar brawl?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” he said plaintively as she shoved him into a chair.
“Sit there. I’m getting you ice.”
He fingered the black eye for a moment. “Not sure ice is going to help.”
“For being stupid, you get to sit there and be quiet,” she told him, amused.
“Yes, ma’am.”
It took her a minute of rummaging to produce some ice. “It had to have happened recently.”
“Last night.”
“Gods’ Breath,” she said again, passing him the ice, which he pressed against his eye. “What happened?”
He grinned around the bag of ice. “I thought I was supposed to be quiet.”
“Colin,” she said in her best disapproving mother voice. Carrie would have been proud.
“I was in Bejen last night and got dragged into a brawl by one of the, well, I assume he was a pirate, pirate captain’s and his crew.”
“Pirates, Colin, really?”
“I was on their side.”
She could only stare at him. “This isn’t getting better...”
“But it was really fun! And then we got rather smashed afterwards. Which does surprising things to your pain tolerance. I’ve barely been in pain all day. Jacob was very nice to pay for all my drinks.”
Eva now squinted, examining his face more closely, looking past the bruises to note the bloodshot eyes. “Are you still hungover? Have you eaten anything today?”
“Yes and no?” he said, words coming out much more like a question.
She huffed, shaking her head as she stood, heading for the larder and their supply of bread. “This is one story you are not allowed to tell my daughter, understand?”
“Got it,” he said as Carrie bounded into the room.
The instant she spotted Colin, she beamed and ran over, climbing into his lap. “Colin! Hi! What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the ice and bruises.
“I fell,” Colin told her solemnly. “Always a good idea to watch your step on stairs.”
Carrie’s eyes went wide. “Okay,” she said, equally as solemnly. Eva tried not to laugh at the pair.
“Good girl,” he said, ruffling her hair.
“Carrie, hop down, Colin needs some food, which he can’t do with you on his lap,” Eva said.
“Okay, Mommy,” she said, scooting over so she was sitting beside him on the bench but stuck close to her friend.
Colin accepted the bread, glancing up impishly at Eva. “I promise to behave from now on.”
She laughed. “I very much doubt that, Colin, but I appreciate the sentiments.”
Carrie giggled as he set to the bread. Eva patted him on the shoulder as she headed back out front. “Tell me the rest later,” she added, intrigued and amused despite herself.
He laughed. “Deal.”