Serpent's Kiss - A Transitory Story
Feb. 12th, 2007 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alliancesjrThe sounds of Ezra-Muir’s night life filtered in through the open window; shouts, jazz music, and the occasional cat punctuating every few minutes with a yowl, became too much for Vanessa to stand as she refamiliarized herself with the fruits of her studies. With an annoyed mutter and wave of her hand, the window slid itself closed. Another flick of her hand, and the heavy curtains drew shut, obscuring the light from the garish neon signs across the street. Satisfied, she went back to poring over her spellbook.
Ring ring ring ring…
Vanessa bit back a growl as she sent a small flash of fire in the direction of the offending telephone.
Ring ring ring ring…
“Wonderful.” She reluctantly stood up and walked over to the completely-intact phone. “The inns that the elf had to send me to, and he puts me in one that invested in anti-spell electronics.” She pulled the receiver from its cradle. “Speak.”
A disgustingly cheery voice answered her. “Miss Mayweather, this is the front desk,” it said. “I’m just confirming that you’re in your room. The kitchens have prepared dinner and will have it sent up shortly.”
Dinner? “I didn’t order anything,” Vanessa replied, dangerously. The receptionist, however, cheerfully ignored her tone.
“I understand, ma’am. We received a call from your employer. He explained to us that you were going to be up all night working, and he wanted to make sure that you didn’t forget to eat.”
Death was too good for him. The elf needed to hurt. If he was going to micromanage every part of this project of his, then why did he place his thinly-veiled threats on Vanessa?
A growl from her stomach silenced her annoyed thoughts. Glaring in the direction of the offending organ, she sighed. “Very well. Send it up, but be quiet about it.”
“Right away, ma’am.” A click on the line announced that the receptionist had terminated the call. Vanessa neatly replaced the handset and went back to the tiny desk. Making note of the current spell listed in her book, she opened up a new notebook and started jotting down equations.
A tapping at the door interrupted her progress. Vanessa shut the spellbook sharply as she glared at the door to her room. She stood up and went to let in the chef as he wheeled the cart to the desk. “Bon soir, mademoiselle, bon soir, bon soir! The finest dinner in the city!” He stood, beaming, with his hand directing her gaze to the tray with a wide, sweeping gesture.”
“Fine, fine, just put it down and leave. I’m very busy.”
The chef was unfazed by her attitude. “But of course, mademoiselle.” With a flourish, he removed the metal top of the tray to reveal an assortment of food that made Vanessa forget all about her studies. Juicy roast beef, brilliant green salads, fresh looking fruits and vegetables, half a loaf of steaming wheat bread, and a creamy white soup covered the tray, with a large pitcher of water and a smaller pitcher of fruit juice on the underside of the cart. She placed a coin in the chef’s hand and waved him away, savoring the smell.
Gods alive, she hadn’t seen this much food since before her sentencing. Even a simple loaf of bread would have been better than the porridge and stale muffins that they served in the prison. Grabbing a spoon from the tray and temporarily forgetting her etiquette training, she greedily dug into the soup, which turned out to be a rich potato.
A tapping again interrupted her. This time, however, it was at the window. Confused, she went over to the curtains and slid them open—
—to find a snake, coiled on the window ledge. It jerked its head up in surprise, staring at her through the glass. It bared its fangs at her – poisonous, she could tell, by the glint on the tips – and pressed its nose against the glass. Its smooth brown skin shone in the artificial pink light from the restaurant sign. She stared back, intrigued; snakes didn’t frighten her. Her brothers used to fill her dresser drawers with snakes and toads they found in the gardens, hoping each time to catch her unawares and make her scream.
Geez, Squiggy, you’d think you’d have the decency to at least act frightened. You love those slimy things more than we do!
She shooed away the memory of Albert’s voice, continuing to stare at the snake on the pane. After a moment, it closed its jaws and resumed simply staring at her, not flinching as she reached up, unlatched the window, and slid it open. She reached out towards the snake, her hand moving steadily in a practiced movement.
The snake slowly moved forward. Vanessa placed her fingertips on its head, and stroked it gently. “Come, let’s get you out of the cold. I have food.”
It climbed up on her arm and allowed itself to be carried inside, dispassionately watching as Vanessa shut the window once more.
“Achan…” she said, not knowing why that particular word left her lips. She smiled as she sliced off a few chunks of beef and placed them in front of the snake. It looked at her reproachfully, but it ultimately decided to eat, not caring – at least this time – that the meat was unliving.
Satisfied, she turned back to her own meal. Savoring the last of the potato soup, she moved onto the remainder of the roast beef.
Her studies could wait.
Ring ring ring ring…
Vanessa bit back a growl as she sent a small flash of fire in the direction of the offending telephone.
Ring ring ring ring…
“Wonderful.” She reluctantly stood up and walked over to the completely-intact phone. “The inns that the elf had to send me to, and he puts me in one that invested in anti-spell electronics.” She pulled the receiver from its cradle. “Speak.”
A disgustingly cheery voice answered her. “Miss Mayweather, this is the front desk,” it said. “I’m just confirming that you’re in your room. The kitchens have prepared dinner and will have it sent up shortly.”
Dinner? “I didn’t order anything,” Vanessa replied, dangerously. The receptionist, however, cheerfully ignored her tone.
“I understand, ma’am. We received a call from your employer. He explained to us that you were going to be up all night working, and he wanted to make sure that you didn’t forget to eat.”
Death was too good for him. The elf needed to hurt. If he was going to micromanage every part of this project of his, then why did he place his thinly-veiled threats on Vanessa?
A growl from her stomach silenced her annoyed thoughts. Glaring in the direction of the offending organ, she sighed. “Very well. Send it up, but be quiet about it.”
“Right away, ma’am.” A click on the line announced that the receptionist had terminated the call. Vanessa neatly replaced the handset and went back to the tiny desk. Making note of the current spell listed in her book, she opened up a new notebook and started jotting down equations.
A tapping at the door interrupted her progress. Vanessa shut the spellbook sharply as she glared at the door to her room. She stood up and went to let in the chef as he wheeled the cart to the desk. “Bon soir, mademoiselle, bon soir, bon soir! The finest dinner in the city!” He stood, beaming, with his hand directing her gaze to the tray with a wide, sweeping gesture.”
“Fine, fine, just put it down and leave. I’m very busy.”
The chef was unfazed by her attitude. “But of course, mademoiselle.” With a flourish, he removed the metal top of the tray to reveal an assortment of food that made Vanessa forget all about her studies. Juicy roast beef, brilliant green salads, fresh looking fruits and vegetables, half a loaf of steaming wheat bread, and a creamy white soup covered the tray, with a large pitcher of water and a smaller pitcher of fruit juice on the underside of the cart. She placed a coin in the chef’s hand and waved him away, savoring the smell.
Gods alive, she hadn’t seen this much food since before her sentencing. Even a simple loaf of bread would have been better than the porridge and stale muffins that they served in the prison. Grabbing a spoon from the tray and temporarily forgetting her etiquette training, she greedily dug into the soup, which turned out to be a rich potato.
A tapping again interrupted her. This time, however, it was at the window. Confused, she went over to the curtains and slid them open—
—to find a snake, coiled on the window ledge. It jerked its head up in surprise, staring at her through the glass. It bared its fangs at her – poisonous, she could tell, by the glint on the tips – and pressed its nose against the glass. Its smooth brown skin shone in the artificial pink light from the restaurant sign. She stared back, intrigued; snakes didn’t frighten her. Her brothers used to fill her dresser drawers with snakes and toads they found in the gardens, hoping each time to catch her unawares and make her scream.
Geez, Squiggy, you’d think you’d have the decency to at least act frightened. You love those slimy things more than we do!
She shooed away the memory of Albert’s voice, continuing to stare at the snake on the pane. After a moment, it closed its jaws and resumed simply staring at her, not flinching as she reached up, unlatched the window, and slid it open. She reached out towards the snake, her hand moving steadily in a practiced movement.
The snake slowly moved forward. Vanessa placed her fingertips on its head, and stroked it gently. “Come, let’s get you out of the cold. I have food.”
It climbed up on her arm and allowed itself to be carried inside, dispassionately watching as Vanessa shut the window once more.
“Achan…” she said, not knowing why that particular word left her lips. She smiled as she sliced off a few chunks of beef and placed them in front of the snake. It looked at her reproachfully, but it ultimately decided to eat, not caring – at least this time – that the meat was unliving.
Satisfied, she turned back to her own meal. Savoring the last of the potato soup, she moved onto the remainder of the roast beef.
Her studies could wait.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-12 09:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-12 10:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-12 11:43 pm (UTC)I give you a cushy job, and you bitch.
I order you some dinner so you can study, and you bitch.
Is there no PLEASING you?!
Why in my day...*insert long rambling speech here*"
--Dallus Ziroh
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-13 07:55 pm (UTC)-Rikitikitavi
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-13 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-13 10:14 pm (UTC)