[House of Lives Lived] Secrets Stapled There

Philomena is given an artistic proposition

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[House of Lives Lived] Secrets Stapled There

Postby Philomena on August 19th, 2015, 12:28 am

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House of Lives Lived, Abura
Summer 17, 514
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Minnie was growing used to the fish, though she suspected she would never like it. Partly, she blamed this on her own lack of manual dexterity.

She sat at the edge of the gazing pool in the thin sliver of the early morning sun. A wind had come in over the night, down from the north, and lifted some of the oppressive heat, making it almost pleasant, though this was helped considerably by the water flowing around them, still chill from the Spring. Belslea rested in the water beside her, her face a bit puffy with sleepiness - it was getting late for her, for with the heat of the summer, it was better to become nocturnal for a few months, if one could help it. Minnie watched as the girl took her fish, hooking a finger through the jaw and pulling up, then back, pulling the skin off with all the aplomb of a tailor pulling out a bad stitch. Minnie had tried this trick any number of times, but never quite gotten the hang of it, her fingers pulling clumsily at the slippery-rough membrane and inevitably tearing holes in it, leaving bits of scale and thing ribbons of skin on the body. Belslea had, often enough, offered to do the work for her, but it was a thing Minnie felt she should wish to do for herself - she felt, even in her incompetence, like something less of a foreigner taking the work into her own hands. the same way she had begun to feel more comfortable in the narrow garment of the place, even if it would have humiliated her at home.

The kelp, on the other hand, she had begun to grow almost fond of. A book-keeper in the House of Lives Lived had introduced her to the trick of tearing it fine in a glass jar, and leaving it overnight with a bit of vinegar, fish-oil, and salt, which gave it a strong, sour flavor to counterbalance the blandness of the fish. Semiyr had laughingly asked her to keep the stuff outside, as she could not stand the smell of it, and the two had had long playful conversations on the madness of humans, who would eat failed wine or cider, on purpose, as a flavoring for food that was perfectly nourishing without it, but Minnie found the flavor delightful - moreso, perhaps, from the pride of preparing it herself.

She smeared a bit of the stuff down the side of her fish, watching with sleepy delight, the lazy, half-conscious strokes of the girl’s tail, keeping her above the water (sheerly out of polite deference to Minnie herself, she knew, for purposes of conversation).

“Art thine fingers better, Onti?"

Minnie chuckled. She’d smashed them under the corner of one of the boxes while they transported a cache of records from late in the 4th century to a higher tier of the shelves, and the girl had been much concerned given the volubility of Minnie’s swearing afterwards, “Yes, Belslea-la much better, thank you."

“If thine fingers ache, I could skin thy fish for thee?” the girl looked at the fish in Minnie’s hand with the concern of a child who does not understand how her mistress could be so incompetent at such a simple task.

Minnie laughed again at that, “No, I will manage, dearie. We’d best be seeing y’home soon, eh?"

The girl shook her head bravely, a mouth full of fish flesh, “I am fine. I am not even tired."

Minnie smiled, “Your eyes belie you, girlie. Even wise young Akvatari training to be geldscriers must have sleep, hmm? I wouldn’t want you to fall asleep and drop a geldbox."

The girl shook her head, solemnly, “Oh, no, I would not, I promise!"

“Och. I believe you, Belslea-la. But you canny stay up no more! Krindre will already tut at me for how late you are. Finish your supper and off you go."

Minnie took a messy bite of the kelp-kraut and fish, and stretched her toes in the water. The moon was low sinking below the far off edge of the sea, its image magnified by the blushing sky to be as broad as a wheel. Its light in the water was the color a fresh walnut, and wavered in elusive snips at the tops of the waves. Then as Minnie watched the gold-brown being swallowed by the gold-yellow of the coming sun, a flash of white appeared reflected in the far end. Minnie’s eyes went up, to see what cast the light-shadow, and smiled, “Well, speak of a Lady and see her train."

Belslea looked up and dropped her fish onto the shore, with a happy grin “Krindre! Krindre!” Her wings flicked free of the water and vaulted her up into the sky, where her white-winged ‘sister’ seemed to hang suspended, so effortless was her passage. But she grew larger, so that by the time Belslea wrapped to tiny arms about her neck with a child’s laugh attached, Krindre Leibsänger’s sharp, painted eyes were clearly seen.

Minnie smiled, with the pleasant pang she often felt seeing people who loved each other, as Krindre kissed the child. Then Belslea began piping, “Krindre, Krindre, I learned a song today from my Onti, because we were working, and she was really busy and writing lots, and sometimes when she does that she sings, and she was singing a song, so I listened and I know the whole thing, now!"

Minnie chewed her lip, mildly concerned as to what ditty she might have been absently singing while she worked, and whether it were one she’d have been glad to teach a child. Krindre laughed kissing the little girl back, once on each eyelid, “Slow, my little Geldscrier, slow! I am not so clever as thou seem to be, and shall get confused."

She floated down to hover just above Minnie. It was a habit at once fascinating and unsettling to Minnie, who craned her neck back like a child, “A fine evening, Mussy Leibsänger."

Krindre smiled with a bemused wisdom, almost the same face she offered Belslea, who was settled now in the crook of the Leibsänger’s arm, “Indeed, Doctor Geldscrier, so fine we shall be formal, it seems."

Minnie flushed and giggled - it was indeed a bona fide giggle, almost a titter, and it annoyed her to no end that she couldn’t manage to sound like she was over the age of twelve with the Leibsänger, “Have I kept Belsea-la too long? I’m very sorry."

Krindre looked almost confused by the question, “I do not see that I should be concerned if though keepest her late, “ Belslea gave her an only-barely stifled told-you-so face from Krindre’s arm, “What is this La? Is this apprentice in thy dialect?"

Minnie shook her head, smiling, “Oh, oh no… it’s… well hard to explain. Sort ‘dear little thing’ or something like that. Its street argot. Force of habit, I’m sorry. What is it that brings thee here then?"

Krindre curtsied, bowing slightly to support the weight of the child, “Well, I am to here to make use of thy services, Philomena Geldscrier."

Minnie smiled, “Oh thou’ve a parcel for the geldbox? Yes, yes, I’m sure Semiyr will be delighted at the visit, I will retrieve it and meet thee at the office.” Minnie noticed, distantly the dialect lacing into her speech, and half-smiled at it.

Belslea stirred, now, tumbling out of Krindre’s arms, “No, no, let me get it, I will show thee, Krindre, how I get them!"

Krindre smiled, with the look an adult gives a child when pretending to be amazed, “Thou, little Bel-slea-la? Thou gettest them all on thy own?"

Belslea smiled proudly, “Yes, I know how to check the book and everything!"

Minnie smiled and winked at Krindre, who smiled back with a bit of confusion in her face at the gesture. Minnie blushed, an shrugged, and they both followed Belslea in through the hatch.

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