authorized borrowing

[namesthesky]

Aya is little used to having the opportunity to set her own priorities, but she likes it. She's not hurting for any material resources, and the organization of the attic would produce those more than anything else; and she has this entire bookshelf closer to hand. So the attic, which may or may not contain ghosts, languishes; and she steadily works through the book collection. Right now she is on the third in a series of myths from the old religion; this volume is about Aelare, the trickster.

Comments

[namesthesky]

"It's really good. I love coconut."

[anotherbreeze]

"Good!"

The potential for retribution over the painting doesn't seem to be weighing on him at all. Then again, if his father might decide to be angry with him at any moment... how is that different from any other day?

[namesthesky]

Aya cuts another sliver.

[anotherbreeze]

Aelare grins at her.

[namesthesky]

"You seem awfully pleased about having made me a cake."

[anotherbreeze]

"Well, you like the cake," he explains.

[namesthesky]

"Yes, I do. You seem inordinately happy about having made me a well-received cake."

[anotherbreeze]

"Am I? I think I'm exactly the right amount of happy."

[namesthesky]

"Why is the right amount of happy so exuberantly large?"

[anotherbreeze]

"Because that's how happy I am."

[namesthesky]

"Does that mean if you were some other, perhaps smaller, amount of happy, that would be the right amount too?"

[anotherbreeze]

"Sure."

[namesthesky]

"Why this amount and not that amount?"

[anotherbreeze]

"I don't know. I guess I'm just the kind of person who really, really likes," he waves a hand vaguely, "things like this. Getting drawings of foxes and giving cake."

[namesthesky]

"You get so excited."

[anotherbreeze]

"Seems so."

[namesthesky]

"I started your magpie," she adds. "Before I went downstairs."

[anotherbreeze]

He smiles. Happily.

[namesthesky]

Aya giggles.

[anotherbreeze]

Well in that case, so does he.

[namesthesky]

Aya finishes the magpie the following morning (after having a slice of cake for breakfast). She tucks it under his door.

[anotherbreeze]

Aww!

He puts it up just below the fox - there's room. They can be friends.

[namesthesky]

Aya relaxes a little when he returns unmaimed from dinner. She works her way through an encyclopedia of geography.

[anotherbreeze]

The following day, however...

It's not as bad as what she saw before. But if she keeps an eye on the door into the hall when she notices that he is a little late coming back from dinner, she will be able to catch him coming in with tears in his eyes, moving a little stiffly.

[namesthesky]

(She brought plenty of gauze up, after the first time. She still has it.)

"I'm sorry," she whispers.