(no subject)
Flavor of the Day - 4/3/11 - Abstemious with Gummies
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1277
Word Count : 731
Word of the Day : abstemious - marked by or spent in abstinence
Gummy Bunnies : Wine/Alcohol from origfic_bingo card
Well, this word led me to Lyssa and booze of course. I had a few ideas for it, but this one was the one that got done. This was visited before in the Lyssa/Kairn binge. Someday I'll figure out what she actually said to Rune.
Lyssa slammed her shaking hands down on the bar. Her palms pressed tight to the wood, the trembling made its way up into her arms instead.
A round, little barman shuffled into view, but Lyssa ignored him, leaning over the bar to stare at row upon row of bottles on the shelves. She ran her tongue across her lips as she scanned labels, and she could feel her hands begin to sweat against the counter.
Her throat was dry, her chest tight, and her empty stomach determined to tie itself in a knot. She could taste the bitter fruity tang rolling over her tongue as sure as she could hear Rune’s words ringing in her ears. She swallowed hard, but the phantom taste only grew stronger.
“What can I get ya?”
Lyssa blinked, settling back on her heels to turn to the barkeeper. “Nothing cheap,” she said. “Wine.” If she was going to break a few months of sobriety, she’d be damned if she was going to do it with her usual swill.
“Shit.” She reached for her purse. “How much have I even got?” she muttered. Her hands were shaking again as she sifted her fingers through the coins. Squinting, she picked out one crown and then another. “Got any strawberry?”
The barkeeper sniffed. “Not something I usually keep around,” he said, but he was bending over, reaching for the bottom shelf. Coins settled in her palm, Lyssa held her breath.
“You’re in luck.” He bobbed back up with a full bottle of crimson proudly displayed in his hand. He looked her over for a moment, his fist clenched around the neck, and wrinkled his nose. “Ten silver a glass,” he said, standing it on the counter.
“And for the bottle?” She ran a finger over the face of one of the crowns, her gaze fixated on the wine.
The barkeep made a face again. “Crown and a half?” he said, tentatively.
“Deal.” She slapped two of her gold coins down on the bar. “Keep the change,” she added, snatching the bottle while the man blinked at the money.
Lyssa spun away from the bar with the bottle in hand. She’d thought she’d feel better just holding it, but it felt heavy in her hand, heavier still in her chest. She scanned the bar and found herself adding a tall blonde to every table, glowering at her, at the bottle. She needed some air.
She swept through the room, out the door, heaving a great gasp of cold air as she stepped out into the night. There was a bench near the stable, and that’s where her legs carried her, depositing her and her burden of a bottle on the worn wooden seat.
She wedged the bottle between her knees, running a hand down its long, smooth neck before going fishing in a pocket for something to pull the cork. Her eyes stung and her nose itched. She ran the back of a hand beneath it and swallowed. She could still see Rune scowling at her and shaking his head. It figured. That’s what he’d want to say; it figured that she’d run off and grab a bottle and sulk. She thrust her hand back in her pocket to feel about.
“I thought you gave that stuff up.”
She jumped, catching the neck of the bottle in her fist as it bobbed between her knees. Kairn was standing not more than a few feet away, hands deep in his pockets, eyeing her not with contempt she’d expect anyone to show her at the moment, but with the biggest puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. He slowly raised one thick, dark brow.
“I-I did! What? This?” She pulled the bottle from between her legs. “This is nothing! See? Not open.”
He was looking at her like he wanted to believe her, and the weight in her chest and the burn in her eyes grew. “I just… I like holding it. See?”
Kairn sighed. “Lyss, are you alright?”
She bit her lip as tears began to well in her eyes and mutely shook her head. The next thing she knew, she was sliding across the bench to make room and he was settling in beside her. And then he had his arms around her and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“Shh,” he said, prying her fingers from the bottle. “It’s alright.”
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1277
Word Count : 731
Word of the Day : abstemious - marked by or spent in abstinence
Gummy Bunnies : Wine/Alcohol from origfic_bingo card
Well, this word led me to Lyssa and booze of course. I had a few ideas for it, but this one was the one that got done. This was visited before in the Lyssa/Kairn binge. Someday I'll figure out what she actually said to Rune.
Lyssa slammed her shaking hands down on the bar. Her palms pressed tight to the wood, the trembling made its way up into her arms instead.
A round, little barman shuffled into view, but Lyssa ignored him, leaning over the bar to stare at row upon row of bottles on the shelves. She ran her tongue across her lips as she scanned labels, and she could feel her hands begin to sweat against the counter.
Her throat was dry, her chest tight, and her empty stomach determined to tie itself in a knot. She could taste the bitter fruity tang rolling over her tongue as sure as she could hear Rune’s words ringing in her ears. She swallowed hard, but the phantom taste only grew stronger.
“What can I get ya?”
Lyssa blinked, settling back on her heels to turn to the barkeeper. “Nothing cheap,” she said. “Wine.” If she was going to break a few months of sobriety, she’d be damned if she was going to do it with her usual swill.
“Shit.” She reached for her purse. “How much have I even got?” she muttered. Her hands were shaking again as she sifted her fingers through the coins. Squinting, she picked out one crown and then another. “Got any strawberry?”
The barkeeper sniffed. “Not something I usually keep around,” he said, but he was bending over, reaching for the bottom shelf. Coins settled in her palm, Lyssa held her breath.
“You’re in luck.” He bobbed back up with a full bottle of crimson proudly displayed in his hand. He looked her over for a moment, his fist clenched around the neck, and wrinkled his nose. “Ten silver a glass,” he said, standing it on the counter.
“And for the bottle?” She ran a finger over the face of one of the crowns, her gaze fixated on the wine.
The barkeep made a face again. “Crown and a half?” he said, tentatively.
“Deal.” She slapped two of her gold coins down on the bar. “Keep the change,” she added, snatching the bottle while the man blinked at the money.
Lyssa spun away from the bar with the bottle in hand. She’d thought she’d feel better just holding it, but it felt heavy in her hand, heavier still in her chest. She scanned the bar and found herself adding a tall blonde to every table, glowering at her, at the bottle. She needed some air.
She swept through the room, out the door, heaving a great gasp of cold air as she stepped out into the night. There was a bench near the stable, and that’s where her legs carried her, depositing her and her burden of a bottle on the worn wooden seat.
She wedged the bottle between her knees, running a hand down its long, smooth neck before going fishing in a pocket for something to pull the cork. Her eyes stung and her nose itched. She ran the back of a hand beneath it and swallowed. She could still see Rune scowling at her and shaking his head. It figured. That’s what he’d want to say; it figured that she’d run off and grab a bottle and sulk. She thrust her hand back in her pocket to feel about.
“I thought you gave that stuff up.”
She jumped, catching the neck of the bottle in her fist as it bobbed between her knees. Kairn was standing not more than a few feet away, hands deep in his pockets, eyeing her not with contempt she’d expect anyone to show her at the moment, but with the biggest puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. He slowly raised one thick, dark brow.
“I-I did! What? This?” She pulled the bottle from between her legs. “This is nothing! See? Not open.”
He was looking at her like he wanted to believe her, and the weight in her chest and the burn in her eyes grew. “I just… I like holding it. See?”
Kairn sighed. “Lyss, are you alright?”
She bit her lip as tears began to well in her eyes and mutely shook her head. The next thing she knew, she was sliding across the bench to make room and he was settling in beside her. And then he had his arms around her and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“Shh,” he said, prying her fingers from the bottle. “It’s alright.”