(no subject)
Flavor of the Day - 05/11/10 - Matriculate and Pear #22. Sink or Swim
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1250
Word Count : 636
Word of the Day : matriculate - to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.
Not quite whipped cream (since Lyssa's not actually here) Ski's 18-19.
Ski held her breath as the headmistress drummed her fingers on the desk. Lips pursed and eyes narrowed, she was staring it the papers stacked in the corner. It was a big decision after all, no one had been admitted to the academy at such a young age, and it wasn’t as if she would be doing so based on Lyssa’s merit. But she and Mother were old friends -- not that that meant she should want to clean up Mother’s messes for her, but still…And Ski was her top pupil, surely that had to account for something.
“So she messed up,” Ski finally blurted, and she nearly jumped when Kinari turned her eyes on her. “Once,” she added hastily, and prayed no one had delivered the woman the rest of Lyssa’s long list of misbehaviors. The twitch of a smile that graced Kinari’s lips told her such hopes were in vain.
“She has borrowed horses, weapons, and even liquor on more than one occasion, set fire to the stables and her own room, been sanctioned more than a dozen times for brawling, and now finally expelled for causing injury to one of her classmates.” Ski quietly chewed her lip as the headmistress spoke. “And now you wish me to put a sword in this girl’s hands?”
“I wish you to grant her the discipline that goes along with such an offer.” Kinari sighed. “Look, I have seen your recruits this year. Lyssa could best them all, half with her eyes shut, and she is two years their junior. You could use her as much as she can you.”
There was another lengthy pause in which it seemed the air gathered weight. Ski kept her silence as she waited for a response, a lump rising in her throat.
“Masakari…” She wasn’t meeting her eye now. She plucked a quill from her desk and twirled it between her fingers. The tone spelled the beginning of the end for this conversation.
Ski thought of her sister, sulking in her room, thought of coming home for holiday to find her still sitting there, thought of Mother trying to foist her off on the first young lord that was willing to overlook the fact that she just might burn his house down. “She is not this bad child everyone thinks her to be,” she said, blinking back the sting that had suddenly taken up residence behind her eyes. Kinari frowned, but Ski stumbled on. “She simply finds the wrong means of seeking attention; the fights, the theft, the fire. Gods only know why fire. But in the right environment…” She stopped, suddenly aware that Kinari had lowered the pen and was staring at her. “What? Did…did I say something wrong?”
“No,” said Kinari slowly. She dropped the quill and put her hand to her lips. “No. I…” There was another sigh and a twist to her lips and gave Ski a look that made her want to squirm in her seat, as if she could determine her sister’s merit by weighing hers. “I think I shall take you up on your offer.”
She swept the top page off the stack and retrieved her pen. “Go and fetch your sister,” she said, shakily dipping the quill into its well. “I shall see to her placement.”
Ski found herself blinking at the paper as Kinari filled out the lines, her jaw hung open, trying to discern when and how the tide had changed in her favor. Deciding such things better left unquestioned, she uttered a nervous “thank you” as she pushed back her chair. “Thank you,” she said again, as she nearly tripped herself backpedaling for the door. “You will not regret this.” Now she just had to make sure Lyssa would live up to her end of the deal.
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1250
Word Count : 636
Word of the Day : matriculate - to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.
Not quite whipped cream (since Lyssa's not actually here) Ski's 18-19.
Ski held her breath as the headmistress drummed her fingers on the desk. Lips pursed and eyes narrowed, she was staring it the papers stacked in the corner. It was a big decision after all, no one had been admitted to the academy at such a young age, and it wasn’t as if she would be doing so based on Lyssa’s merit. But she and Mother were old friends -- not that that meant she should want to clean up Mother’s messes for her, but still…And Ski was her top pupil, surely that had to account for something.
“So she messed up,” Ski finally blurted, and she nearly jumped when Kinari turned her eyes on her. “Once,” she added hastily, and prayed no one had delivered the woman the rest of Lyssa’s long list of misbehaviors. The twitch of a smile that graced Kinari’s lips told her such hopes were in vain.
“She has borrowed horses, weapons, and even liquor on more than one occasion, set fire to the stables and her own room, been sanctioned more than a dozen times for brawling, and now finally expelled for causing injury to one of her classmates.” Ski quietly chewed her lip as the headmistress spoke. “And now you wish me to put a sword in this girl’s hands?”
“I wish you to grant her the discipline that goes along with such an offer.” Kinari sighed. “Look, I have seen your recruits this year. Lyssa could best them all, half with her eyes shut, and she is two years their junior. You could use her as much as she can you.”
There was another lengthy pause in which it seemed the air gathered weight. Ski kept her silence as she waited for a response, a lump rising in her throat.
“Masakari…” She wasn’t meeting her eye now. She plucked a quill from her desk and twirled it between her fingers. The tone spelled the beginning of the end for this conversation.
Ski thought of her sister, sulking in her room, thought of coming home for holiday to find her still sitting there, thought of Mother trying to foist her off on the first young lord that was willing to overlook the fact that she just might burn his house down. “She is not this bad child everyone thinks her to be,” she said, blinking back the sting that had suddenly taken up residence behind her eyes. Kinari frowned, but Ski stumbled on. “She simply finds the wrong means of seeking attention; the fights, the theft, the fire. Gods only know why fire. But in the right environment…” She stopped, suddenly aware that Kinari had lowered the pen and was staring at her. “What? Did…did I say something wrong?”
“No,” said Kinari slowly. She dropped the quill and put her hand to her lips. “No. I…” There was another sigh and a twist to her lips and gave Ski a look that made her want to squirm in her seat, as if she could determine her sister’s merit by weighing hers. “I think I shall take you up on your offer.”
She swept the top page off the stack and retrieved her pen. “Go and fetch your sister,” she said, shakily dipping the quill into its well. “I shall see to her placement.”
Ski found herself blinking at the paper as Kinari filled out the lines, her jaw hung open, trying to discern when and how the tide had changed in her favor. Deciding such things better left unquestioned, she uttered a nervous “thank you” as she pushed back her chair. “Thank you,” she said again, as she nearly tripped herself backpedaling for the door. “You will not regret this.” Now she just had to make sure Lyssa would live up to her end of the deal.