(no subject)
Molasses #5. Bad Seed
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1265
Word Count : 666
The door swung open and Lyssa thrust her still steaming bundle beneath the nose of the familiar face that presented itself. Kairn, clearly still half asleep, hovered in the doorway, pants hung loose over his waist and not a stitch on him above that, and eyed the package in bewilderment
“Pie,” she said, when it seemed the offering had failed to explain itself.
“Oh.” Kairn forced a hand through rumpled hair, shuffling back a step as she pressed forward.
“What?” The door eased shut behind her. “You don’t like pie?’
“N-no,” said Kairn, still blinking at the thing. “I like it just fine. I just wasn’t expecting-”
With her free hand, she gave his bare shoulder a slap as she passed. “No worries, got your money too.”
Kairn scowled. “Not what I meant.”
“Where’s the kitchen?” she said, already scanning the dim chamber for her own answer. Her eyes settled on the table just as Kairn mumbled something and pointed her in the same direction. “I know it’s silly,” she said, setting out, “but I just couldn’t pass it up. It’s not like I have the chance to make this myself.”
Lyssa laid the pie on the table and peeled back the cloth. “You coming?” she called, eyeing the bit of blueberry on her fingers before bringing them to her mouth.
“Thought I’d get a shirt,” came the response.
She shrugged and turned to rummaging through the cabinets for plates and something suitable to cut it with. Coming up with a pair of mismatched saucers and a knife, she set to work on the pie. The blade slid through the crust, juices seeping over it as it sank lower. She scooped one fat piece and then another onto the plates and peered across the still house. It did not take that long to put on a shirt. With a sigh, she left the food, dipping a finger into the platter as she passed and licking it off.
“What is taking you?” she said, squinting into the thick shadows.
“Hmm?” She found Kairn leaning against an open doorframe, peering into the room beyond and sidled up to him.
“What-”
“Shhh!” He rounded on her.
“-are you doing?”
“Nothing, really.” He turned back to the room with a shrug and a smile. “Just can’t help myself sometimes. He looks so peaceful, you know?”
She followed his gaze to the form curled in the bed, tiny sides slowly heaving beneath the covers. “Yeah,” she said, with a smile at the thumb tucked in the boy’s mouth. “Mara does that too.” She eyed her own hand for any further traces of pie and, finding none, clapped Kairn on the back and turned back towards the kitchen. “Come on, pie’s getting cold.”
“Sometimes I just can’t wrap my mind around it.”
“Huh?” Lyssa paused.
Eyes still in the child, Kairn was frowning now. “How does that destroy the world?”
Lyssa sighed. “Stop telling yourself that.”
“But-” He tore his gaze from the boy to meet hers, desperation in his eyes.
She closed the distance between them in a few short paces and wound a hand around his arm. “Look,” she said, giving him a tug away from the door, “half the prophecies say he’s good, half say he’s bad, and most don’t make much sense anyway.”
“How can you just dismiss…?” said Kairn as he staggered along in her grasp.
Lyssa shrugged and gave the arm in her grasp a pat. “These things have a way of working themselves out.”
His eyes on hers, Kairn slowly shook his head. “You know, I wish I had half your faith.”
“Faith?” Lyssa snorted. “Right now I could care a lot less about faith, or prophecies for that matter” she gave him a shove towards the table, “and a lot more about pie.”
“Well,” said Kairn, with a hint of a smile and another shake of his head, as she propelled him into the kitchen, “good to know someone has her priorities in order.”
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1265
Word Count : 666
The door swung open and Lyssa thrust her still steaming bundle beneath the nose of the familiar face that presented itself. Kairn, clearly still half asleep, hovered in the doorway, pants hung loose over his waist and not a stitch on him above that, and eyed the package in bewilderment
“Pie,” she said, when it seemed the offering had failed to explain itself.
“Oh.” Kairn forced a hand through rumpled hair, shuffling back a step as she pressed forward.
“What?” The door eased shut behind her. “You don’t like pie?’
“N-no,” said Kairn, still blinking at the thing. “I like it just fine. I just wasn’t expecting-”
With her free hand, she gave his bare shoulder a slap as she passed. “No worries, got your money too.”
Kairn scowled. “Not what I meant.”
“Where’s the kitchen?” she said, already scanning the dim chamber for her own answer. Her eyes settled on the table just as Kairn mumbled something and pointed her in the same direction. “I know it’s silly,” she said, setting out, “but I just couldn’t pass it up. It’s not like I have the chance to make this myself.”
Lyssa laid the pie on the table and peeled back the cloth. “You coming?” she called, eyeing the bit of blueberry on her fingers before bringing them to her mouth.
“Thought I’d get a shirt,” came the response.
She shrugged and turned to rummaging through the cabinets for plates and something suitable to cut it with. Coming up with a pair of mismatched saucers and a knife, she set to work on the pie. The blade slid through the crust, juices seeping over it as it sank lower. She scooped one fat piece and then another onto the plates and peered across the still house. It did not take that long to put on a shirt. With a sigh, she left the food, dipping a finger into the platter as she passed and licking it off.
“What is taking you?” she said, squinting into the thick shadows.
“Hmm?” She found Kairn leaning against an open doorframe, peering into the room beyond and sidled up to him.
“What-”
“Shhh!” He rounded on her.
“-are you doing?”
“Nothing, really.” He turned back to the room with a shrug and a smile. “Just can’t help myself sometimes. He looks so peaceful, you know?”
She followed his gaze to the form curled in the bed, tiny sides slowly heaving beneath the covers. “Yeah,” she said, with a smile at the thumb tucked in the boy’s mouth. “Mara does that too.” She eyed her own hand for any further traces of pie and, finding none, clapped Kairn on the back and turned back towards the kitchen. “Come on, pie’s getting cold.”
“Sometimes I just can’t wrap my mind around it.”
“Huh?” Lyssa paused.
Eyes still in the child, Kairn was frowning now. “How does that destroy the world?”
Lyssa sighed. “Stop telling yourself that.”
“But-” He tore his gaze from the boy to meet hers, desperation in his eyes.
She closed the distance between them in a few short paces and wound a hand around his arm. “Look,” she said, giving him a tug away from the door, “half the prophecies say he’s good, half say he’s bad, and most don’t make much sense anyway.”
“How can you just dismiss…?” said Kairn as he staggered along in her grasp.
Lyssa shrugged and gave the arm in her grasp a pat. “These things have a way of working themselves out.”
His eyes on hers, Kairn slowly shook his head. “You know, I wish I had half your faith.”
“Faith?” Lyssa snorted. “Right now I could care a lot less about faith, or prophecies for that matter” she gave him a shove towards the table, “and a lot more about pie.”
“Well,” said Kairn, with a hint of a smile and another shake of his head, as she propelled him into the kitchen, “good to know someone has her priorities in order.”