Vienda - At home
Morning, 16 Loshis 2720
Morning, 16 Loshis 2720
Elspeth walked into the sitting room with a cup of coffee in her hands. The smell of the brew filled the room, creating a pleasant aura about the home. It was early morning, almost the ninth hour, and a gentle light was coming through the lace curtains. She took a seat in one of the chairs and took the journal that was sitting on the side table and began to jot down what she could remember of her dreams using a charcoal pencil. Being left handed, smears of the coal spread across the paper, but she was used to this and paid it no mind.
Daddy took me into his arms and hoisted me up, resting me against his chest. He smiled at me as we walked through the Market. He smelled like leather, and old books, and men. He looked at me with bright eyes, and his smile was wide. " I love you, bunny," he told me. He kissed my cheek and told me he loved me over and over again.
Then I was standing in a hallway. Daddy was standing at the opposite end, and he was looking at me. His face was expressionless. He was motionless. Levee stood beside me in the hallway, and she held my hand. She held it too tightly, her nails dug into my skin.
Then there was a blade in my hand. I looked down at the blade, and then looked up to Levee.
" You know what to do," she told me with a smile. She brought the blade up to her chest and pointed it at her heart. " Right here. Right here, and it will be quick."
I looked at her, and then back to daddy. He was still standing there, motionless. And then I ran. I ran straight at him, with the knife in my hand, and I held it up and lunged at him, and I----
"Good mornin', ma'am."
She jumped, startled, and looked up from the page. Levee walked into the room, her eyes puffy with sleep, her hair messy and unkempt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she told her, noticing her surprise. "Sorry I'm up late, I drank too much last night."
"It's alright," Elspeth told her, taking a deep breath and letting out a small giggle. "It's your day off--you deserve a bit of fun. How was your night out?"
"Honestly," Levee said, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "I could'a done without all the noise in the bar. I swear, I'm just gon' start goin' to Ivan's, 'cause I go anywhere else, and they're full o' people and noise. I just want a nice drink and some quiet, y'know?"
Elspeth smiled at her plainly. "I get that." She looked down at the journal on her lap. Her mind was racing with thoughts, and she felt a little uneasy. It had been some time since she had dreamt of her father. The pang in her chest felt dense, like condensed milk. Thick, and too sticky to simply wipe away. Levee walked over to where she sat and put a hand on her head.
"Hey," she said quietly. Elspeth looked up at her and met her eyes. She looked concerned. "You doin' alright, ma'am?"
Elspeth stood up suddenly, brushing her hand away. "I'm fine, thanks," she said, and walked over to the kitchen and poured a bit more in her own cup. She noticed her hands were shaking and took a deep breath. She had been awake for some time now, stirring to consciousness around the seventh hour. Her dreams as of late had really began to take their toll on her. She had always remembered her dreams well, and recently had tried writing some of them down, to see if maybe she could unpack them a bit better. She had always been someone who journaled. It helped her to think, to figure out exactly how she felt about things.
"Oy, you know not to read that journal there, right?" She asked Levee, suddenly realizing how embarrassing it'd be if she caught wind of her dreams. Levee looked back at her from where she was sitting, expressionless. She lifted up her cup and took a sip of her coffee.
"Ma'am, I can't read, y'know?"
Elspeth was quiet for a moment. Levee kept her gaze. Then they both burst into laughter. "Honestly, ma'am, how d'you go about forgettin' somethin' like 'hat? Honestly!" Still laughing, Elspeth walked over to her chair and sat down next to Levee. Levee looked at her, smiling. "And if I could, y'know I would ne'er go near ye stuff, ma'am. I respect ye too much, aye?"
"Of course, Levee," Elspeth responded. She reached over and placed her hand over Levee's reassuringly, as if to show she appreciated her. The fact was she didn't only appreciate her, she enjoyed her. Levee had lived in the flat with her for several years now, and she had only grown to like the tsat more and more. She was easy company, and a damn hard worker. She had a green thumb, and always treated the plants with respect. She hardly knew anything about her life before she came to live with her. Levee had never offered up any information, and Elspeth was always too awkward to ask. Often they only shared a few words between them each day, quietly working together in the greenhouse. Elspeth exclusively dealt with customers, seeing as most galdori wanted nothing to do with a witch like Levee.
"We'll need to remove the thermal masses from the greenhouse soon, y'know? It'll get too warm for the plants in there soon. Summer'll be here before we know it."
"Aye, ma'am."
"Levee?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Where do you come from?"
Levee met her eyes. She was not smiling this time. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, her eyes cold. Elspeth felt something in the air shift, something in Levee's weak field; it crept toward her, an alertness similar to a feral cat's. It made Elspeth's skin crawl.
"'dunno what you mean, ma'am."
"Where did you live, before you came to live with me?" Elspeth asked.
"I don' live with ye, ma'am. I work for ye. That there's a difference." With that, she stood and walked back to her small room and shut the door--loudly. Elspeth looked down at the floor.
"Alright then," she murmured to herself, lifting her cup to her lips. She took another sip of coffee.
Daddy took me into his arms and hoisted me up, resting me against his chest. He smiled at me as we walked through the Market. He smelled like leather, and old books, and men. He looked at me with bright eyes, and his smile was wide. " I love you, bunny," he told me. He kissed my cheek and told me he loved me over and over again.
Then I was standing in a hallway. Daddy was standing at the opposite end, and he was looking at me. His face was expressionless. He was motionless. Levee stood beside me in the hallway, and she held my hand. She held it too tightly, her nails dug into my skin.
Then there was a blade in my hand. I looked down at the blade, and then looked up to Levee.
" You know what to do," she told me with a smile. She brought the blade up to her chest and pointed it at her heart. " Right here. Right here, and it will be quick."
I looked at her, and then back to daddy. He was still standing there, motionless. And then I ran. I ran straight at him, with the knife in my hand, and I held it up and lunged at him, and I----
"Good mornin', ma'am."
She jumped, startled, and looked up from the page. Levee walked into the room, her eyes puffy with sleep, her hair messy and unkempt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she told her, noticing her surprise. "Sorry I'm up late, I drank too much last night."
"It's alright," Elspeth told her, taking a deep breath and letting out a small giggle. "It's your day off--you deserve a bit of fun. How was your night out?"
"Honestly," Levee said, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "I could'a done without all the noise in the bar. I swear, I'm just gon' start goin' to Ivan's, 'cause I go anywhere else, and they're full o' people and noise. I just want a nice drink and some quiet, y'know?"
Elspeth smiled at her plainly. "I get that." She looked down at the journal on her lap. Her mind was racing with thoughts, and she felt a little uneasy. It had been some time since she had dreamt of her father. The pang in her chest felt dense, like condensed milk. Thick, and too sticky to simply wipe away. Levee walked over to where she sat and put a hand on her head.
"Hey," she said quietly. Elspeth looked up at her and met her eyes. She looked concerned. "You doin' alright, ma'am?"
Elspeth stood up suddenly, brushing her hand away. "I'm fine, thanks," she said, and walked over to the kitchen and poured a bit more in her own cup. She noticed her hands were shaking and took a deep breath. She had been awake for some time now, stirring to consciousness around the seventh hour. Her dreams as of late had really began to take their toll on her. She had always remembered her dreams well, and recently had tried writing some of them down, to see if maybe she could unpack them a bit better. She had always been someone who journaled. It helped her to think, to figure out exactly how she felt about things.
"Oy, you know not to read that journal there, right?" She asked Levee, suddenly realizing how embarrassing it'd be if she caught wind of her dreams. Levee looked back at her from where she was sitting, expressionless. She lifted up her cup and took a sip of her coffee.
"Ma'am, I can't read, y'know?"
Elspeth was quiet for a moment. Levee kept her gaze. Then they both burst into laughter. "Honestly, ma'am, how d'you go about forgettin' somethin' like 'hat? Honestly!" Still laughing, Elspeth walked over to her chair and sat down next to Levee. Levee looked at her, smiling. "And if I could, y'know I would ne'er go near ye stuff, ma'am. I respect ye too much, aye?"
"Of course, Levee," Elspeth responded. She reached over and placed her hand over Levee's reassuringly, as if to show she appreciated her. The fact was she didn't only appreciate her, she enjoyed her. Levee had lived in the flat with her for several years now, and she had only grown to like the tsat more and more. She was easy company, and a damn hard worker. She had a green thumb, and always treated the plants with respect. She hardly knew anything about her life before she came to live with her. Levee had never offered up any information, and Elspeth was always too awkward to ask. Often they only shared a few words between them each day, quietly working together in the greenhouse. Elspeth exclusively dealt with customers, seeing as most galdori wanted nothing to do with a witch like Levee.
"We'll need to remove the thermal masses from the greenhouse soon, y'know? It'll get too warm for the plants in there soon. Summer'll be here before we know it."
"Aye, ma'am."
"Levee?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Where do you come from?"
Levee met her eyes. She was not smiling this time. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, her eyes cold. Elspeth felt something in the air shift, something in Levee's weak field; it crept toward her, an alertness similar to a feral cat's. It made Elspeth's skin crawl.
"'dunno what you mean, ma'am."
"Where did you live, before you came to live with me?" Elspeth asked.
"I don' live with ye, ma'am. I work for ye. That there's a difference." With that, she stood and walked back to her small room and shut the door--loudly. Elspeth looked down at the floor.
"Alright then," she murmured to herself, lifting her cup to her lips. She took another sip of coffee.
