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Paytience · Adventurer Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Posts: 65

Her knees curled tightly to her chest and the arches of her bare feet curled against the wood of the chair, she lay her head against the plush velvet. In the distance the brigands and the harpies could be seen dancing precariously around a fire pit. If they came any closer she had a good angle to jump down from and pluck their wings. It was one of the many reasons she liked this chair.

It was Arahim's Chair really and Arahim's home. Both of those facts were always right there at the edge of her mind. But the truth was that sometimes when the breeze was cool and the stars gazed down at her from their heavenly positions, she could almost swear this was her home too.

Her eyes drifted across then to the brand new door her older brother had installed. Just on the other side sat a bed, 2 chests and a table. Also all new. And also, according to Arahim, all hers. That thought sat heavy on her heart, the locked chest of baggage she carried around constantly supporting those two words easily. All hers.

Conciously her fingers caressed the smooth metal key he had given her to that new door. Silently she wondered if it could unlock the chest of baggage as well as that bedroom door.

Arahim · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject:

Morning sang bright and cool; a thin breeze running its fingers through Christopher's shaggy, red hair as he sat alone on the balcony just outside of his new aunt's bedroom. His little frame seemed swallowed up in the oversized velvet chair, the armrests all but hiding him.

At every sound, he peeked up over them expectantly.

Paytience stepped out onto the balcony in a quick dance that was half tentative, half stomp. She wore a sleeveless nightshirt and baggy pants cinched at the ankles. Her hair, though half tamed in a ponytail, showed clear signs of sleep induced beragglement.

She did not notice her nephew's grinning face as she threw herself into the chair next to him and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her fists.

"Hey!" a little voice called out happily, "Good mornin' Aunt Pay!"

Paytience, momentarily startled, could not help but to smile at the green eyed little boy leaning over the arms of his chair holding out a donut in his sticky little hand.

"I was waitin' for you in your chairs, cos I had two donuts...but this one is yours. See?"

"Good mornin' Christopher," she said, taking the sweet from him.

Arahim · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject:

Patience ate in silence, and allowed Christopher to ramble on about the men who built her room, and how he had handed stones to them, so really -he- had helped build her room.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I do like it," she replied, "I like it better knowing you helped build it."

"I picked out the bed too!" he chimed, "I picked it big so maybe if you get lonely, I can come sleep over..."

Pausing, and fighting a smile, Paytience rolled the thought over in her head. It was hard to feel lonely here, and the thought frightened her as much as it made her perfectly happy. It was nice to feel wanted. It was nice to belong.

And as for the dark thoughts that threatened to drown out that sentiment, it was impossible to give them any credence sitting here with a nephew she never knew she had, who clearly thought the world of her in so short a time. His innocent, accepting smile and bright eyes an echo of his father's, her brother's.

"How about even if I -don't- get lonely, you come sleep over some nights?" she asked as she pulled him over onto her lap.

Christopher grinned, and nodded, and sat quietly.

Paytience · Adventurer Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Posts: 65

Everything that she was to the outside world didn't matter when she was with her Nephew. Christopher took every pretense she had and sliced right through it with his smile. In that regard he was very much like his father.

As if on cue bright green eyes looked up from a face covered in stickiness. “I'm so glad you're home, Aunt Pay!”

Curiosity etched itself across her features and she ran her fingers through his hair. The garden breeze assisted causing the locks to toss haphazardly. He'd spent every night for 3 days in her room with her. Talking and laughing until he passed out from exhaustion.

He told her a little about Sylvan and a lot about Cezanne. She told him a little about her childhood and tried her best to leave it there. But at every turn he would smile and cock his head as if waiting for her to divulge some really big secret. The best thing she could do at those moments was hug him and change the topic.

“I think I smell chicken.” A smile spread across her face then and she grabbed him under his arms and set him next to the chair. “Your Daddy's cooking again!”

Infectious laughter filled the air and on the count of three they both raced down the stairs and into the kitchen where they simultaneously tackled an empty armed Arahim.

Paytience · Adventurer Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Posts: 65

“It's your home too, Pay.” The resignation in his voice was clear.

“I'm no mooch.” She bit the words back at him as if they were laced with acid.

“If you're doing this because you want to chip in and help out, fine. If this is to prove a point, then I have a problem.” He put his hands on his hips at that statement, the frustration growing in his dark eyes. Silently he waited for an answer he already knew was coming.

“It's the same thing dammit!”

“No Pay, it isn't. Not really.” Slowly he walked over to the dining room table and took a seat. Patting the one next to him softly he motioned for her to sit down. Giving a loud exasperated sigh she complied and swung her legs over the side to face him. An unwritten rule between them, he did the same and stared at her.

Every word and every gesture mimicked what Christopher had said, and what he himself had said many many times, including earlier that same evening.

“You don't have to buck against being comfortable, Pay.” He added the words in almost a whisper.

“Even if it means giving someone the power to hurt you?” She answered quickly and immediately regretted saying it. Instead of driving home the point that she was capable of it, had been raised as an expert at using people, she had the opposite effect.

“I can't believe that you would think I could do that?” Stunned was too light a word for the look on his face. And as she explained her position and tried to back herself out of the corner she had painted herself into, she watched him grow more agitated. She couldn't tell which thought affected him more, her thinking bad of him, or him knowing what she was really capable of doing.

Whichever way the scale fell, he didn't say. What he did do was hug her tightly and on his way up the stairs she heard him say, “I love you, Pay.” Her heart stopped as the phrase stuck in her throat. Her heart wanted it. Now if she could just turn off the calculated voice in the back of her head, she might actually be alright.

Kesla Fawn · Visitor Joined: 21 Aug 2010 Posts: 2

Across Britain, in a Tavern in Skara Brae known as “That Shattered Skull” the source of that voice in the back of Paytience's head sat waiting. Brilliant ice blue eyes that had cut many a person to the bone, shimmered beneath the candlelight.

“You've done well.” A tone so smooth that the razors were invisible to a perfected touch glazed over the narrow figure before her. Flipping her long waves of blond over her shoulder she smiled softly. One of many in her arsenal she knew it had done the trick when he leaned in with his pungent breath. “As promised.” Daintily she took her perfectly polished pale pink nails and deposited the handful of coins in his grubby paw.

“If'n you're wantin' more than just business..” He trailed off but she knew all too well where he was headed with that statement.

“Our arrangement suits me perfectly for now, Mr. Claude. I don't wish to alter the terms.. just... yet.”

No, this tool still has uses, Kesla Fawn thought as she rose from her position at the corner table. Lifting the skirt of her jet black dress she waltzed purposefully out the door. Paytience would be useful again as well.