Spiced Pear 30, Rhubarb 19, Wildberry 7
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Spanning
Challenges: Spiced Pear 30 (soap & water), Rhubarb 19 (we have ways of making you talk) & Wildberry 7 (bad habits)
Toppings & Extras: Pocky Chain, Whipped Cream (first three)
Word Count: 700
Rating: PG
Summary: Jay’s love/hate relationship with water over the years.
Notes: Olympic FOTD and Pocky Chain. Jay goes by James all through his childhood.
“No bath, Mommy,” James said, face twisting as he tried to squirm from her grasp. “Gonna get dirty ‘gain ‘morrow!” he added with a wide, hopeful grin.
His mother laughed. “Then you can take another bath again tomorrow. This is what happens when you actually decide to eat mud pies.”
“Mud is yummy.”
“Mud is bad for you. What if you’d eaten a worm?”
The two-year-old thought that through. “P’otein!”
She plunked him in the water, chuckling. “I suppose I asked for that one. Did Brighton teach you that?”
He beamed. “Uh huh! Bri’s bestest,” he said and splashed happily.
**
“Race you to the river! Last one there has to play with Margie tomorrow,” Brighton cried and took off. James, Tessie and Lydia didn’t hesitate, sprinting after him down the well-worn path. By the time the trio reached the river’s edge, Bri had already stripped off his shirt. He flashed a cocksure grin over his shoulder. “Who was last?” he asked and then dove into the water.
The others exchanged glances, silently deciding not to tell. James tugged off his shirt. “Last one’s a rotten egg,” he said and took a flying leap into the water, coming up sputtering happily.
**
James dangled his feet in the water and stared out morosely over the river. A hand on his shoulder made him jump as Tessie joined him. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“My parents are dead and Bri ditched me like I’m a baby. Close enough.”
“You’re just proving him right. It’s been six months and you couldn’t even appreciate what everyone did tonight? You are a baby.”
“Shut up, Tess.”
“Okay,” she said, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder and kissing him firmly.
When he eventually pulled back in surprise, she grinned and shoved him in the water.
**
“Woo! Being clean time day!” Jay crowed, throwing himself at Jessie.
His friend sidestepped, causing him to bounce past ungracefully, barely keeping his balance. “Even if I were to catch you, you really expect me to do it before you take a bath?”
He grinned. “Good point.” Then he leaned forward, taking an appreciative sniff. “Oh! Beau, did you find the girls lavender soap?”
Jessie shoved him away.
“Just because we have limited water doesn’t mean we can’t occasionally manage decent soap,” Beau said, never looking up from his papers.
“I’m gone,” Jay said, snatching the soap and sprinting off.
**
“Being smart is not to your advantage right now, Jay. Dunk him.”
Jay struggled wildly but the brutes were too strong, bending him double and shoving his head under water mere seconds after he managed to gulp in a breath. He wiggled, lungs immediately protesting the lack of oxygen.
Time swum by, agonizingly slow, and then he had to suck in water. They dragged him up as he coughed and sputtered, instantly vomiting water.
Rees waited until he’d stopped before grabbing his chin. “How about we try answering the questions now?”
He nodded, not having the energy to fight anymore.
**
Jay eyed the bath uncertainly. He’d gotten by in Cavern Hall up to this point on sponge baths but now they’d won and they had pretty much endless water. Cautiously, he reached out and edged a finger towards it, just skimming the surface before retracting his hand like it’d bit him.
“Still can’t, hm?”
He started as Stella stepped through the door to join him. “No.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “That’s okay, you know.”
“I don’t like always feeling dirty. I miss water.” He skimmed his finger across it again.
“Give yourself time. It’ll come.”
**
He held his daughter out at arm length as the two-year-old giggled, bouncing in his grasp. “You are covered in mud, Andy, what in the name of the gods did you do?”
“P’ayed in the mud! Baf now?”
“Your mom won’t be home until tomorrow, squirt.”
Andy frowned. “All dir-tee, Daddy. Need baf.”
Jay bit his lip, glancing at the tub they used for baths. It was filled, because he had been planning on using the fresh water to do one of his quasi-baths. He took a deep breath. “I can do this, right?”
“Righ’!” she chirped.
Cautiously, he did.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Spanning
Challenges: Spiced Pear 30 (soap & water), Rhubarb 19 (we have ways of making you talk) & Wildberry 7 (bad habits)
Toppings & Extras: Pocky Chain, Whipped Cream (first three)
Word Count: 700
Rating: PG
Summary: Jay’s love/hate relationship with water over the years.
Notes: Olympic FOTD and Pocky Chain. Jay goes by James all through his childhood.
“No bath, Mommy,” James said, face twisting as he tried to squirm from her grasp. “Gonna get dirty ‘gain ‘morrow!” he added with a wide, hopeful grin.
His mother laughed. “Then you can take another bath again tomorrow. This is what happens when you actually decide to eat mud pies.”
“Mud is yummy.”
“Mud is bad for you. What if you’d eaten a worm?”
The two-year-old thought that through. “P’otein!”
She plunked him in the water, chuckling. “I suppose I asked for that one. Did Brighton teach you that?”
He beamed. “Uh huh! Bri’s bestest,” he said and splashed happily.
**
“Race you to the river! Last one there has to play with Margie tomorrow,” Brighton cried and took off. James, Tessie and Lydia didn’t hesitate, sprinting after him down the well-worn path. By the time the trio reached the river’s edge, Bri had already stripped off his shirt. He flashed a cocksure grin over his shoulder. “Who was last?” he asked and then dove into the water.
The others exchanged glances, silently deciding not to tell. James tugged off his shirt. “Last one’s a rotten egg,” he said and took a flying leap into the water, coming up sputtering happily.
**
James dangled his feet in the water and stared out morosely over the river. A hand on his shoulder made him jump as Tessie joined him. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“My parents are dead and Bri ditched me like I’m a baby. Close enough.”
“You’re just proving him right. It’s been six months and you couldn’t even appreciate what everyone did tonight? You are a baby.”
“Shut up, Tess.”
“Okay,” she said, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder and kissing him firmly.
When he eventually pulled back in surprise, she grinned and shoved him in the water.
**
“Woo! Being clean time day!” Jay crowed, throwing himself at Jessie.
His friend sidestepped, causing him to bounce past ungracefully, barely keeping his balance. “Even if I were to catch you, you really expect me to do it before you take a bath?”
He grinned. “Good point.” Then he leaned forward, taking an appreciative sniff. “Oh! Beau, did you find the girls lavender soap?”
Jessie shoved him away.
“Just because we have limited water doesn’t mean we can’t occasionally manage decent soap,” Beau said, never looking up from his papers.
“I’m gone,” Jay said, snatching the soap and sprinting off.
**
“Being smart is not to your advantage right now, Jay. Dunk him.”
Jay struggled wildly but the brutes were too strong, bending him double and shoving his head under water mere seconds after he managed to gulp in a breath. He wiggled, lungs immediately protesting the lack of oxygen.
Time swum by, agonizingly slow, and then he had to suck in water. They dragged him up as he coughed and sputtered, instantly vomiting water.
Rees waited until he’d stopped before grabbing his chin. “How about we try answering the questions now?”
He nodded, not having the energy to fight anymore.
**
Jay eyed the bath uncertainly. He’d gotten by in Cavern Hall up to this point on sponge baths but now they’d won and they had pretty much endless water. Cautiously, he reached out and edged a finger towards it, just skimming the surface before retracting his hand like it’d bit him.
“Still can’t, hm?”
He started as Stella stepped through the door to join him. “No.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “That’s okay, you know.”
“I don’t like always feeling dirty. I miss water.” He skimmed his finger across it again.
“Give yourself time. It’ll come.”
**
He held his daughter out at arm length as the two-year-old giggled, bouncing in his grasp. “You are covered in mud, Andy, what in the name of the gods did you do?”
“P’ayed in the mud! Baf now?”
“Your mom won’t be home until tomorrow, squirt.”
Andy frowned. “All dir-tee, Daddy. Need baf.”
Jay bit his lip, glancing at the tub they used for baths. It was filled, because he had been planning on using the fresh water to do one of his quasi-baths. He took a deep breath. “I can do this, right?”
“Righ’!” she chirped.
Cautiously, he did.