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We melt like sugar into black coffee
TAKING REQUESTS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY DRABBLES YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Give me an OTP and a detailed prompt, and I will give you a 100-300 word fic in response! I have been particularly itching to do crack fic lately - like, off-the-wall non-canon ships (like Samuel and Jay making out in the elevator). Or canon ships in really cracky AUs (Devo and Galen in Pokemon AU). OR PLAIN STUFF IF YOU WANNA BE VANILLA. I want to smash through them tomorrow (day off FINALLY), but I will have them done by the end of the week. Put multiple requests if you want, and I'll pick my favorite.
I also have my schmoop bingo board to get through, so you can use that as reference! It's here.
Gearing back into action, posting like a beast soon!
Give me an OTP and a detailed prompt, and I will give you a 100-300 word fic in response! I have been particularly itching to do crack fic lately - like, off-the-wall non-canon ships (like Samuel and Jay making out in the elevator). Or canon ships in really cracky AUs (Devo and Galen in Pokemon AU). OR PLAIN STUFF IF YOU WANNA BE VANILLA. I want to smash through them tomorrow (day off FINALLY), but I will have them done by the end of the week. Put multiple requests if you want, and I'll pick my favorite.
I also have my schmoop bingo board to get through, so you can use that as reference! It's here.
Gearing back into action, posting like a beast soon!
It's like Miniel got psychologically Rick-Rolled
Then she turned from him and fled towards the house, her scarf brought up over her nose and her wet eyes.
A smug smile tugged at Miniel's lips as he watched Asiel stare blankly after Ruchiel, then walk away, alone. The young angel he knew he was being mean-spirited, but couldn't help it. Miniel never completely trusted Asiel's intentions, and besides, if that guy was going to make a woman like their mother cry, then Miniel was going to be entitled to all of the mean-spirit he wanted.
He closed the curtain and returned to the kitchen table quickly, and related what he saw to Shemiel, who also visited for Sunday lunch. Shemiel didn't take well to his news, in fact didn't seem to believe Miniel at all until their mother ducked into the back entrance of the home, hunched over and still shaking. She seemed to have forgotten her two eldest were in the kitchen, but didn't bolt once she realized she was spotted. Instead she went to the cutting table, and tried to at least turn her tears away from them.
"Mother..."
"Ah, please, don't be worried." She curled her fingers over the edge of the table and looked out the window. "I'm quite alright."
Her children had known her for over twenty years each, and the act didn't convince them by any means. Shemiel stood from her seat and put her arms around Ruchiel's shoulders. She picked up the corner of her mother's shawl, and wiped a stray tear with it.
"Mother, it'll be festival soon," Shemiel said in a soft, thoughtful tone, which was odd even by Shemiel standards. "There will be so many people we can entertain, so you won't even realize he is gone."
Ruchiel didn't answer, perhaps not prepared to answer questions just yet, and tilted her chin towards her daughter. "Pardon?"
Shemiel pressed her fingers over her mother's shoulder. "Miniel seems to believe Asiel won't be visiting us for a while. Is that true?"
Their mother again seemed to have trouble processing the question, but within a few moments did shake her head. "No, Asiel won't be visiting. Not until spring, if not later."
Miniel rose from his seat as well. Feeling rather bold, he said, "He's going to Northhaven, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is." Ruchiel shook her head with percievable sadness. "It seems his brother is having a hard time, and needs some cheering up."
Miniel could understand that. The Keep seemed abnormally quiet in controversy lately, but only in favor of their beloved gossip about Northhaven. A year ago, Onayepheton (an Ofanim, as the gossip always included in a hush whisper) had ascended to the Master of Hearth of Northhaven. Asiel resented most questions about it. Miniel himself asked about it only once, in regards how he thought his brother would do. Because Asiel never answered questions about his own family directly or kindly, so he asked Miniel to imagine Kerkoutha as warleader of the Southern Invasion. Even if Kerkoutha cared nothing for battle, Miniel thought it was a rude comparison.
"Asiel can't help but put his own family first," Miniel said. "Mother, I think going is the right thing for him to do."
"Yes, that's exactly what I said to him." She wrung her hands together, and spoke much more softly. "But then he told me he didn't care about my blessing."
Those words cast a heavy weight over the three of them. Shemiel immediately looked crestfallen, and Miniel momentarially felt so awful that he forgot his grudge and ran to her side. He put his hand over her other shoulder, so the two siblings both could support their mother if need be.
"He could never manage to be delicate with people," he said. "How terrible..."
"Terrible?" She blinked and looked to her son as if she had no idea what he meant.
"That he's not delicate," Miniel repeated.
"Yes." Ruchiel nodded her head this time. "Yes, that is true. But I think that's why...exactly why he then asked me..."
She trembled before, but he looked at her again and though her movement seemed less like shivering and more like...nervousness? Their mother knotted her fingers, and spoke with a halting stammer. Miniel realized she more resembled a schoolgirl than the woman who raised them.
"You see, he said he wanted...well, Asiel, even he knows that alone, he isn't very good at encouraging people..." By then she couldn't seem to keep her words, or even her thoughts straight. Their mother pressed her hands over her cheeks, and then, of all things, a slight, small smile pulled at her lips.
"So he asked ...oh how do I say this...he said that cheering someone up goes better when you have two people working on it." She pressed her palms over her beet-red face completely. "And I agreed."
Miniel found himself barely able to speak for his shock. "He asked you to go with him."
"Mother, that is wonderful!" Shemiel, on the other hand could not restrain herself. She viced her mother into a fierce hug. "You haven't had a true adventure in decades, have you?"
"No, I haven't. I hadn't even noticed." She even giggled a little bit into her hands. "And I've never traveled so far during winter. Is this a good time for an adventure?"
"It's the best time," she encouraged. "And I bet he got you full leave on your duties already, right?"
"Yes. He did." Ruchiel took her hands off her face and blinked in a moment of delayed wonder, and turned to Miniel. "That was thoughtful of him, wasn't it?"
He nearly choked on the word. "Very."
They watched her set her shawl over a chair, then wander towards the back of the common room in a bit of a daze. "Oh. I've forgotten where I put the furs. I didn't expect to need them so soon..."
Shemiel nearly followed their mother to the closet, but Miniel grabbed her by the elbow before she could. "We can't let Mother go," he whispered.
"Why not?" His sister pat her hand on his shoulder. "Oh, you don't have to worry. The route to Northhaven has been secure for ten years now."
"No." He stared at her seriously. "I mean we can't leave her alone with him for so long."
Shemiel took a step back from Miniel, like she had been slapped. "I thought you were over this."
"I was. But they've been getting closer and closer, don't you see it? There are supposed to be lines, Shemiel, and one of these days he's going to go to far and hurt her-"
His sister didn't let him finish. "You're such a jealous little boy, Miniel," Shemiel accused too loudly. "You just don't like it that your mommy isn't fawning over you anymore."
"It's too long a time for two people, Shemiel," he said, frustrated that she didn't understand his point. "And I won't sleep for months if I have to worry about-"
"Miniel?," a hushed, very concerned voice interrupted behind him. Their mother stood there, nearly five storage baskets in her arms, having overdone herself in her excitement before. But now, the joy had all drained from her face. "Is something wrong?"
"Mother..."
"Did you need me to stay here, Miniel?" Ruchiel put her baskets on the table. She seemed to laugh at herself, as if she seemed to realize how silly it was to bring out all of them at once, but her voice lacked the cheer of before. "I mean, this trip was just going to be stupid fun, of course, and I really don't have to go if you need me."
For Miniel, his mother affected a calm smile. The fragile, fake smile she wore after their father died, all the way until he started visiting. The worst one. "You know I would do anything for you children."
Right now, Miniel could have what he wanted with a word, but instead his face went red with shame. Yes, sometimes he wished for a blizzard to blow Asiel out into the far, far East. But he would never, ever wish a moment's more pain on his mother.
"No. Everything is fine," he whispered. "I just meant to say, I will worry about you."
"I will worry about you too." Their mother touched his shoulder, but still looked hesitant. "Are you sure you don't need-"
Shemiel shoved herself between the both of them with a great, too-loud laugh. "Well, that is incredibly sweet of you to worry about our poor helpless Miniel, Mother," she said, discreetly grinding her heel into her brother's toes, "but Northhaven is going to be just so beautiful! You shouldn't even think of us while you are gone. I will even take care of everyone for you."
Miniel couldn't help a glare at his sister. "Am I not the oldest-"
Shemiel elbowed him rather hard in the ribs. "In fact, to help you out, Minnie and I will visit Master Israfel today, to see if he had any message he'd like to pass on to his cousin. And we'll ask around for more well-wishes for Uncle Ona."
"That is a splendid idea." He could literately see as his mother eyes went dazed, almost glassy with the same overwhelming joy she felt before. Ruchiel put her hands to her heart, then wandered back away to the closets. "Oh, perhaps I can quickly knit together some new mittens for the trip. Perhaps Sachiel is free tonight. Where have I put my wool?"
Left alone with his sister again, Miniel said, "Why'd you say that? That weird guy isn't our Uncle."
Shemiel grinned and turned away from him, towards the kitchen table.
"Brother, have you heard about the chapel at Northhaven?" Shemiel cut two pieces of bread for herself, then a slice of cheese. "All the girls say it looks like a winter dream, with glass windows carved from pure crystal." She wrapped the little sandwich in a napkin, and tucked it into her apron for later. "Do you not think Mother wishes to visit that chapel as well?"
He wondered why she changed the topic so abruptly. Then he looked at his mother, who clumsily dropped another few spindles of yarn onto the floor, and in his mind the connection finally clicked. "You don't mean, Shems..."
"I have chores to finish. But we can go in an hour, okay Miniel?" She slapped his shoulder enthusiastically. "Help mother if she drops anything heavy, won't you?"
He nodded numbly, and slumped back into his chair. Despair would flavor the rest of Miniel's meals that day.
Re: It's like Miniel got psychologically Rick-Rolled
--AHAHAHAHA MINIEL. Between his flustering over the whole affair and his insistence that Asiel is up to INDECENT THINGS and how he finally acquiesces, you hit Minnie RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
--ALSO SHEMIEL. I loved how you portrayed her softer side. It's not one she shows often. And her basically all but going YOU GO MOM was adorable. <3 Especially when combined with AND SHUT UP MINIEL.
--And I LOVED how she baited Miniel, which is totally Shemmie. The parting shot with the chapel was awesome. XDDD
--And also, giddy Ruchiel is absolutely adorable. <3
In summary, I ADORED THIS. Thank you so much. <3 <3 <3 <3
Re: It's like Miniel got psychologically Rick-Rolled
Re: It's like Miniel got psychologically Rick-Rolled
Not to mention it's just an adorable thought. <3