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31_days2011-01-13 11:54 pm
swollenfoot.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2011-01-13 11:54 pm
[Jan 13][Original]The Missed Night
Title: The Missed Night
Day / Theme: Jan 13 / Wait, wait, don’t tell me!
Series: Original – Halycon’s Mandate
Characters: Ebony, Sean
Rating: PG
Not that she would ever admit it, but Ebony did gloat, if only in private. She preferred to be asked to do these things, rather than volunteer, and because she was studying in a preparatory sort of school, the usual individuals desperate to fill their college applications usually did end up filling their schedules pretty quickly, leaving her to get assigned to various projects. Teachers considered her responsible, while other students liked that she wasn’t so rigid, even if she was a little odd. At any rate, she liked to do things as seemingly effortlessly as possible while using all available resources, just to beat out perfection itself. Then, she’d lean back and watch everybody’s jaw drop in amazement.
Oh, yes. Gloating in private.
“Come, little one,” came an affable chide from the person standing in front of her, admittedly affecting in a royal blue ensemble. “Or do I need to turn and take your elbow?”
She huffed and waded forward (because the stunning and floor-length dress was wearing on her nerves). She put her hand lighting on his arm and smiled for her classmates.
“You have no idea how disturbing this is,” her escort murmured. “I thought your brother was totally pulling my leg, but, child, this deserves no less than a case study: inter-dimensional exile exacerbates juvenile delinquent character traits.”
“Oh, shut up, Savara,” she managed in between a beatific smile and a gracious thank you to an admirer. “It’s hard enough, trying not to kill you.”
“Spare me,” came the bored rejoinder from the older boy. “I remember a certain function where you embarrassed your grandfather and the entire city after you pushed an innocent young courtier into a vat of cooling chocolate during a state visit. You’ve become duplicitous, princess.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Very well, duckling. FYI, I still have burns scars on my left butt-cheek.”
“You are such a creep.”
Sean shrugged carelessly. “Your brother owes me an obscene amount of earth money, now, you know?” He guided her to an empty seat and patted her on the head once she was settled. “You ought to be more appreciative.”
“I haven’t tried to kill you yet, right?”
“Aside from the head injury earlier this evening, no.”
She ignored that, squelching the memory of his unexpected compliment. “Find me a little after midnight,” she instructed. “Preen and be likable and be invisible from me till then.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ruin your little plans.”
“Too late.”
And really, the posturing punk of a lordling was a constant reminder of how her plans were ruined. Being part of the prom’s planning committee was an unexpected honor and challenge. She had tapped her memories of distant worlds for inspiration for the décor and the mystic woods theme, which would have been a too little cheesy if not for the hints of Mardi Gras that appealed to her less romantic school mates. She didn’t planning on making as much effort on her appearance, but she was determined to offset that by extracting a promise from her famous alumnus brother that he would come and be her escort.
While Ebony herself couldn’t see what all the hype was about, Adrian had always been considered an incredibly attractive man, to the point that it was perfectly normal for him to be approached by some sort of agent every few months or so and by some sort of admirer every few hours. By this time, she should have been leaning back in her plastic chair, swilling down soda, and basking in the adulation of the masses.
But see, Adrian was also famous for not being scrupulous about his promises to females.
Sean was supposed to be almost attractive as Adrian---Ebony hated his guts, so she couldn’t tell at all. She supposed she had to make do with him, but because he wasn’t recognizably her brother, whatever lies she made up about their non-existent biologic relations, people were bound to make the wrong sorts of conclusion.
Overheard in the entrance of the gym, while Ebony was trying to unstuck her heel from a crack on the pavement:
“Ohoho,” said piranha-dress. “Did you see the guy Ebony Drynwyn came with? They have to be just cousins, right?”
“Oh please,” replied mushroom-hair. “He’s so totally into her. I mean, how many guys still did that thing they do in those period films. You know, take her by the elbow.”
“Ebony’s nice. It’s just that she always has this sort of man-hater vibe, you know?”
Overheard in the food-line while Ebony was trying to untangle her up-do from a low-lying vine thing:
“That whole fountain piece and dry ice effect is really something,” said taupe teacher to petticoat teacher. “The planning committee did a really good job.”
“I heard Ebony conceptualized most of it,” petticoat teacher said. “She is a brilliant girl. Odd, of course, but she’s a really smart girl.”
“I hear that boyfriend of hers is a photography student in some prestigious school in Europe.”
“That might explain the inspiration for the fantasy-voodoo theme she had going.”
“I did think it was a little too avant garde to be completely hers, but it really is well done.”
Overheard in the bathroom while Ebony was trying to zip her dress back up after it she had loosened it up after breathing became a challenge:
“You know,” said fish lips. “I never noticed that the weird girl isn’t really ugly.”
“Really?” said apple cheeks. “She’s always kind of stood out for me because she’s tall and thin.”
“Well, yeah, but you know how those models don’t really have pretty faces? I just didn’t expect her to clean up so well.”
“I think it’s more of because of her sexy date. I was hoping her brother would come with her, but this guy’s not bad at all. He was dancing with Amanda just now to that old Madonna song and when he dipped her, she looked like she was having an—”
Ebony just shut down at that point. Unfortunately, because she could hold up her dress while stopping her ears, she heard all about what apple-cheeks and fish-lips would imagine doing with her brother’s disgusting best friend, should they have been lucky enough to dance with him.
Sean ran into her much earlier than midnight.
“I hate you,” she told him factually.
He couldn’t think of why she made it a point to find and tell him, apparently, but decided to simply go along with the sentiment. “I know and I hate you right back?”
“You ruined everything.”
“…Ah,” he said slowly, as if forming an elaborate concept in his. “Don’t tell me you… you’re jealous?”
Ebony’s eyes could have sprung from their sockets. “AS IF!” she bellowed, feeling her pale face burn with horror and shame.
“Hey, hey! It’s not my fault I upstaged you.”
Feeling profoundly victimized, Ebony stomped out of the gym to sulk away the remainder of the night.
What an arrogant little prick he is, she thought, simmering in her murderous thought. She’ll show him. Whatever it is, she’ll beat him at something tonight!
Little did she know that only a few hours from then, she had beat him at something he had been awarded medals for, and it wouldn’t have made her any happier. For years later, she would regret not enjoying her last days of normalcy more thoroughly.
23:44 01132011
@__@ the juice is running out
Day / Theme: Jan 13 / Wait, wait, don’t tell me!
Series: Original – Halycon’s Mandate
Characters: Ebony, Sean
Rating: PG
Not that she would ever admit it, but Ebony did gloat, if only in private. She preferred to be asked to do these things, rather than volunteer, and because she was studying in a preparatory sort of school, the usual individuals desperate to fill their college applications usually did end up filling their schedules pretty quickly, leaving her to get assigned to various projects. Teachers considered her responsible, while other students liked that she wasn’t so rigid, even if she was a little odd. At any rate, she liked to do things as seemingly effortlessly as possible while using all available resources, just to beat out perfection itself. Then, she’d lean back and watch everybody’s jaw drop in amazement.
Oh, yes. Gloating in private.
“Come, little one,” came an affable chide from the person standing in front of her, admittedly affecting in a royal blue ensemble. “Or do I need to turn and take your elbow?”
She huffed and waded forward (because the stunning and floor-length dress was wearing on her nerves). She put her hand lighting on his arm and smiled for her classmates.
“You have no idea how disturbing this is,” her escort murmured. “I thought your brother was totally pulling my leg, but, child, this deserves no less than a case study: inter-dimensional exile exacerbates juvenile delinquent character traits.”
“Oh, shut up, Savara,” she managed in between a beatific smile and a gracious thank you to an admirer. “It’s hard enough, trying not to kill you.”
“Spare me,” came the bored rejoinder from the older boy. “I remember a certain function where you embarrassed your grandfather and the entire city after you pushed an innocent young courtier into a vat of cooling chocolate during a state visit. You’ve become duplicitous, princess.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Very well, duckling. FYI, I still have burns scars on my left butt-cheek.”
“You are such a creep.”
Sean shrugged carelessly. “Your brother owes me an obscene amount of earth money, now, you know?” He guided her to an empty seat and patted her on the head once she was settled. “You ought to be more appreciative.”
“I haven’t tried to kill you yet, right?”
“Aside from the head injury earlier this evening, no.”
She ignored that, squelching the memory of his unexpected compliment. “Find me a little after midnight,” she instructed. “Preen and be likable and be invisible from me till then.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ruin your little plans.”
“Too late.”
And really, the posturing punk of a lordling was a constant reminder of how her plans were ruined. Being part of the prom’s planning committee was an unexpected honor and challenge. She had tapped her memories of distant worlds for inspiration for the décor and the mystic woods theme, which would have been a too little cheesy if not for the hints of Mardi Gras that appealed to her less romantic school mates. She didn’t planning on making as much effort on her appearance, but she was determined to offset that by extracting a promise from her famous alumnus brother that he would come and be her escort.
While Ebony herself couldn’t see what all the hype was about, Adrian had always been considered an incredibly attractive man, to the point that it was perfectly normal for him to be approached by some sort of agent every few months or so and by some sort of admirer every few hours. By this time, she should have been leaning back in her plastic chair, swilling down soda, and basking in the adulation of the masses.
But see, Adrian was also famous for not being scrupulous about his promises to females.
Sean was supposed to be almost attractive as Adrian---Ebony hated his guts, so she couldn’t tell at all. She supposed she had to make do with him, but because he wasn’t recognizably her brother, whatever lies she made up about their non-existent biologic relations, people were bound to make the wrong sorts of conclusion.
Overheard in the entrance of the gym, while Ebony was trying to unstuck her heel from a crack on the pavement:
“Ohoho,” said piranha-dress. “Did you see the guy Ebony Drynwyn came with? They have to be just cousins, right?”
“Oh please,” replied mushroom-hair. “He’s so totally into her. I mean, how many guys still did that thing they do in those period films. You know, take her by the elbow.”
“Ebony’s nice. It’s just that she always has this sort of man-hater vibe, you know?”
Overheard in the food-line while Ebony was trying to untangle her up-do from a low-lying vine thing:
“That whole fountain piece and dry ice effect is really something,” said taupe teacher to petticoat teacher. “The planning committee did a really good job.”
“I heard Ebony conceptualized most of it,” petticoat teacher said. “She is a brilliant girl. Odd, of course, but she’s a really smart girl.”
“I hear that boyfriend of hers is a photography student in some prestigious school in Europe.”
“That might explain the inspiration for the fantasy-voodoo theme she had going.”
“I did think it was a little too avant garde to be completely hers, but it really is well done.”
Overheard in the bathroom while Ebony was trying to zip her dress back up after it she had loosened it up after breathing became a challenge:
“You know,” said fish lips. “I never noticed that the weird girl isn’t really ugly.”
“Really?” said apple cheeks. “She’s always kind of stood out for me because she’s tall and thin.”
“Well, yeah, but you know how those models don’t really have pretty faces? I just didn’t expect her to clean up so well.”
“I think it’s more of because of her sexy date. I was hoping her brother would come with her, but this guy’s not bad at all. He was dancing with Amanda just now to that old Madonna song and when he dipped her, she looked like she was having an—”
Ebony just shut down at that point. Unfortunately, because she could hold up her dress while stopping her ears, she heard all about what apple-cheeks and fish-lips would imagine doing with her brother’s disgusting best friend, should they have been lucky enough to dance with him.
Sean ran into her much earlier than midnight.
“I hate you,” she told him factually.
He couldn’t think of why she made it a point to find and tell him, apparently, but decided to simply go along with the sentiment. “I know and I hate you right back?”
“You ruined everything.”
“…Ah,” he said slowly, as if forming an elaborate concept in his. “Don’t tell me you… you’re jealous?”
Ebony’s eyes could have sprung from their sockets. “AS IF!” she bellowed, feeling her pale face burn with horror and shame.
“Hey, hey! It’s not my fault I upstaged you.”
Feeling profoundly victimized, Ebony stomped out of the gym to sulk away the remainder of the night.
What an arrogant little prick he is, she thought, simmering in her murderous thought. She’ll show him. Whatever it is, she’ll beat him at something tonight!
Little did she know that only a few hours from then, she had beat him at something he had been awarded medals for, and it wouldn’t have made her any happier. For years later, she would regret not enjoying her last days of normalcy more thoroughly.
23:44 01132011
@__@ the juice is running out