Sky Min (gotsomebite) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-02-14 23:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, peony min, sky min |
Who: Peony & Sky
What: A spice-y present
Where: Peony’s room at the Mages Tower
When: Backdated to earlier this week
Rating: PG for Sky’s potty mouth
Status: Complete!
The thought had crept into Sky’s mind a few times when he worked -- temporarily -- at the Rosemary & Thyme that if spices were good for cooking, maybe his sister could use it in hers. He shook the thought off every single time, but as the saying went, “Fall down seven times, get up eight” and on his last day, the idea stuck. After he was paid, he snatched some random bottle from the shelf for her. Maybe it would make her onigiri even better, or something. It was only after he returned home that he took the small bottle out of his pocket and puzzled over what it was (what the hell was turmeric?) that he changed his mind. But the bottle, left on his nightstand, stared at him, and he knew he needed to do away with it quickly. But what to do with it? Sky didn’t cook -- cooking was for girls -- and while he didn’t spend his own money on it he wasn’t sure if he should just toss it. What a waste! And so, reluctantly, Sky found himself in front of Peony’s room on the ninth floor of the Mages Tower, scowling as he knocked. “One moment, please.” The hour was late enough that Peony had shut and locked the door to her office; the unexpected knock had come just as she stood at her kitchen counter, chopping vegetables. It had been a rather trying afternoon, and the dicing was a good way to clear her mind of thoughts of work; still, she felt little regret in setting her knife aside and wiping her hands on her apron before proceeding to the door. Quiz was already there, she noted, with his tail up and curved at the tip -- a friend, then. She was surprised when she opened the door even so -- she had expected Toku, maybe Merrion, even Ridley, but not the person who she found fidgeting on her doorstep with an irritated look on his face. “Sky,” she said, recognizing him now by his mannerisms, no longer uncertain in his identity even if she still had some uncertainty in their complex relation. “What a pleasant surprise. Please come in.” She did not mention the fact that it was already dark and nearing dinnertime -- he was not her child to tend, for all that she worried. “Have you eaten?” It was as though the aroma beckoned him inside -- even if it was just his sister. After stepping inside, Sky poked his head past Peony towards the kitchen. "Nope," he said, his stomach starting to rumble. "Whatcha making?" “Curry,” she answered. She had had a letter from Cyclone recently, and the reminder had been planted; the vegetables would make a hearty dinner and lunch -- and perhaps she might stop by Cormac’s clinic and offer him a portion as well. She did not doubt he rarely ate so well now. But of course, there would always be enough to stretch for one more. “Would you like to join me?” she asked, trusting that he would share the reason for his visit in due time. Even Pyr, who had become a regular visitor here, had not quite come to the point of arriving for no reason but her company; she sincerely doubted that Sky would do so when his brother would not. Still, she would play the oblivious hostess until he chose to speak. “It should be ready in about half an hour.” "Sure!" Sky replied more enthusiastically than he both intended and expected. While Peony's cooking was good, he'd never really partook without Pyr in some capacity. He cleared his throat. "Sure," he tried again, voice purposefully deeper. He played with the bottle of turmeric in his pocket a moment, wondering if it would be a good spice to add to curry. If it wasn't, damn if he wouldn't feel like a complete idiot. But at the same time, he had no use for the spice himself. So, after a few moments of hesitation, he presented the bottle to her. "Here," he mumbled. "For you. If you want it." Rare were the moments that Peony displayed surprise plainly on her face, but for a moment, it was there -- of all reasons she had thought Sky might come to visit her, a gift had never closed her mind. Then the surprise faded to be replaced with a smile as she reached to take the bottle. "Thank you. It is as if you knew exactly what I was making. Would you like to join me in the kitchen?" She was already moving in that direction, setting the bottle on the counter as she quickly assembled a makeshift snack plate of rice crackers and some of her freshly sliced vegetables to be set on the table (Sky may not come to visit often, but scholars did). "In case you are hungry now," she said before returning to her task. Fortunately, the vegetables were nearly ready for the pot, and she was able to busy herself with the making of the sauce. "Have you been well recently?" she asked. "It has been some time since I have seen you. You are staying warm and busy, I hope?" Sky couldn’t help but to beam with pride at her acceptance of the spice. “Was just luck,” he said. “Figured you could use it to make me and Pyr curry sometime.” A beat. “Maybe.” Pause. “If you want to.” He followed Peony into the kitchen, his eyes immediately falling on the food on the table. At her invitation, he stuffed three of the rice crackers into his mouth, nodding along to her questioning. He waited to swallow before finally replying, “Yep! Very warm and--” Too. “--busy. Got some extra money working that job at the spice shop. Where I got that spice, actually!” How he got it was a detail she didn’t need to know. “How about you?” The question fell out before he realized he was asking it, and he bit back a Not that I care or anything. “Perhaps you can take Pyr a portion,” Peony offered, keeping her smile -- ever so slightly amused -- hidden and her back turned. Sky’s obvious desire to appear indifferent was rather funny, but she knew better than to let him know she thought so. “For tonight, I hope you will make do with just my company.” The question was unexpected; she thought only a moment before saying: “Very busy. There is a great deal of guild business, and several other matters which have been claiming my attention.” It was not a happy thought -- Siana was still nowhere to be found, and she knew, rationally, that this meant that she would never be found alive. “Paperwork,” she said mildly, “for the most part.” As much as she wished to deepen her bond with him, she could not talk about her theories, or an officer’s disappearance, or any other matter of grave importance with a child. “Tell me about the spice shop,” she prompted. “I had not realized you were seeking secondary employment.” “Oh.” Paperwork sounded… boring. Wouldn’t magic councilors do more exciting things with their jobs, like blow things up or something? A thought popped into his mind -- a realization, really -- that he didn’t know anything about what Peony really did, and this lack of knowledge really bothered him. He’d ask Pyr later, though; he wasn’t going to look like an idiot now. But the spice shop was something he could talk about without looking stupid. “Was just for a week. Pyr’s friend’s… friend’s… friend? Went out of town or something and needed some people to watch the shop. ’s better than working at Arwel’s anyway. Pyr helped too. When he was done with training, of course.” It wasn’t as though Pyr had done anything wrong, but better to avoid getting him into (more) trouble. “Oh?” She turned back to him, the most important tasks done for the moment. The concoction on the stove would be left to simmer, its aroma soon to permeate the room. “That is very kind of both of you to do.” She took a moment to consider before venturing: “Forgive me if I am mistaken, but it appears you are still… somewhat displeased by your regular employment.” He had made comment on it often enough in their few conversations that the impression had formed. “Have you considered searching elsewhere?” Another pause before she added, “There are many merchants in Emillion. Perhaps if you gave me an idea of what you might rather do, I could attempt to assist you in finding something.” The thought of quitting had crossed Sky’s mind, but it wasn’t the thought of having to find a new job that stopped the consideration short; it was Zhang. Sky couldn’t quite describe it in words, but he did have some trepidation of disappointing his former mentor by giving up on the contact he’d given him so that he could follow Pyr to Emillion. Then there was that whole guild thing, and Sky didn’t know exactly what the consequences of leaving Arwel’s would be. “I dunno,” he admitted. “I mean, I don’t really hate doing the books.” It was the truth, and he was good at it to boot, otherwise he wouldn’t have tried to help the accountant at the spice shop. He was at least that self-aware. “But…” He wrinkled his nose. “Maybe if it was someone other than Arwel. Same shi--stuff, different boss. I don’t know though.” “Imports, then,” Peony said, filing it away for future consideration. “If I hear of any likely positions, I will pass the information along. Perhaps you will find it useful.” And perhaps not, but she would be glad to at least try to assist, if he allowed it. It would be good to be able to do something for him. With the food simmering on the stove, Quiz napping in an unoccupied chair, and Sky quickly putting away the snacks she had set in front of him, it was actually a much more pleasant evening than she had anticipated having. “I am glad you came by,” she said, hoping that he would not take it amiss, but feeling the need to say it anyway, to ensure that he knew he would always be welcome. “I hope you will feel free to do it anytime.” Sky pursed his lips and grunted a non-committal answer, glad that his mouth was full of the snacks enough that it would be more polite not to say anything than to speak. He chewed more slowly, considering her words a moment, and eventually deciding that yeah, maybe he could stop by more often. He wasn’t sure for what or why, but maybe. If he had good reason to. |