Post by Alliecat on Feb 27, 2012 14:16:25 GMT 10
To: Shhasow
Message: This is probably not what you were expecting, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!
From: Allie
Title: Halfway There
Rating: PG
Words: 853
Wishlist Item: 1. Prickly!Alanna/Anyone
Summary: Does love means nothing if it cannot be felt?
A/N: Occurs during LR (of SotL).
Buri stood at Alanna’s door, waiting. Her brow was in furrows, her arms crossed as she tried to fight the urge to listen through the keyhole. Her respect for Alanna and Thayet, who was trying to soothe her friend about Liam’s latest outburst, kept her curiosity at bay, though it was a hard fight.
As she was considering leaning forward (just a little bit, mind, purely to correct her posture), Thayet opened the door. “Did you have any luck?” Buri asked, though before she could finish her question Thayet offered a quick shake of the head.
“She’s inconsolable,” Thayet said with a sigh. “The first time, when Liam burst about the dress, was easily fixed. The second time too.” Thayet slid to the floor, her back pressed up against the floor. Her skirts crumpled beneath her, but she either did not notice or couldn’t bother to fix it. “Alanna’s really frustrated, Buri. She’s tired of this—of Liam not knowing what he wants.”
“Do you want me to try?” Buri asked, seating herself beside Thayet.
Thayet shrugged. “If you want.” She paused, fiddling with the pendant hanging from her neck. “Did you look for Liam? Maybe, if he’s not —“ She trailed off, catching Buri’s gaze.
“He’s left the house.” Thayet nodded, and for a minute, the two sat in silence. “What did you say to her, Thayet?” Buri asked, her tone soft.
“Not very much. Alanna paced while I watched and periodically reminded me of Liam’s fickleness.” She offered a smile. “Whatever makes her feel better, I guess.”
Buri nodded, and after a moment, stood. “I’ll go see if I can help.”
“Alanna, it’s been a week,” Buri said. Alanna raised her eyebrows, as if to say So? Buri swallowed, and continued, “Liam’s apologized four times. Have you decided what to do?”
“I...” Alanna shifted her gaze to the floor. “No,” she whispered. “I can’t.”
“Maybe it’s time to finish things.” Buri said. She held up her hand, silencing Alanna before she could protest. “Maybe it will be better for you if things are on your terms.”
Alanna shook her head. “I know I should.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I just can’t, Buri. I try to picture myself speaking to him, telling him I want us to stop, but I can’t.”
“I you don’t give him any news soon Liam will grow tired of this dance,” Buri swallowed, surprised of her own harshness. “I mean,” she said, attempting to draw back her words, “He’s confused. He may assume you have decided not to continue.”
Alanna didn’t respond. She moved to look outside the window, her back completely to Buri. Buri, her heart beating in her chest, wondered if this was a moment she could offer Alanna a proposition she had been considering for some time. (Looking back, perhaps “considering” was too calm a word for her emotions.) She walked forward and put her hand on Alanna’s shoulder, but was almost shocked when she gathered the courage to speak.
“Alanna, I’ve been wondering,” she began, her clammy hand falling back to her side as Alanna turned around, “If you would like to maybe blow off some steam with me?” As soon as the words left her mouth she realized how wrong they mnust sound to someone else, how appalled Alanna must be. (In the moment she instinctively hoped that Alanna had misunderstood, that she had believed Buri to be offering a game of chess. But the way that Buri tilted her and angled her hips left little to be interpreted.)
“Buri,” Alanna said, her voice soft. She paused, her lips slightly parted and shifted her gaze to the floor. (Buri began to prepare herself for embarrassment, and started to wonder whether she could pack her bags and leave that afternoon. She scolded herself no, that no personal shame could be allowed to distract her from her duty to Thayet.) “It’s not that I haven’t ever wanted to be with you in that way,” Alanna said, now looking back at Buri, “I have. Several times. But it wouldn’t be fair to you. Not when I’m like this.”
“You have?” Buri whispered, her mouth faintly hanging open. In the past months Buri had hoped, prayed even in a moment of desperation, for Alanna to feel the same way, but had considered it a fool’s dream. “I’m not asking for your hand. It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she said, her voice stronger. “I can cope with that. I want you to be happy, Alanna. Whatever it takes.”
“Buri, no,” Alanna said. Buri noticed that her hands were trembling ever so slightly and took some steps back. “Okay,” she said, perhaps for her own closure, in the hopes that now she could stop having the same damned fantasy. She wanted to ask Alanna if she wanted any tea, for Buri could think of nowhere to go but the kitchen to relax over a cup, but couldn’t bring herself to speak.
She closed the door quietly, all the while her eyes trained on Alanna’s face and her ghostly purple eyes.
Message: This is probably not what you were expecting, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!
From: Allie
Title: Halfway There
Rating: PG
Words: 853
Wishlist Item: 1. Prickly!Alanna/Anyone
Summary: Does love means nothing if it cannot be felt?
A/N: Occurs during LR (of SotL).
:::
Buri stood at Alanna’s door, waiting. Her brow was in furrows, her arms crossed as she tried to fight the urge to listen through the keyhole. Her respect for Alanna and Thayet, who was trying to soothe her friend about Liam’s latest outburst, kept her curiosity at bay, though it was a hard fight.
As she was considering leaning forward (just a little bit, mind, purely to correct her posture), Thayet opened the door. “Did you have any luck?” Buri asked, though before she could finish her question Thayet offered a quick shake of the head.
“She’s inconsolable,” Thayet said with a sigh. “The first time, when Liam burst about the dress, was easily fixed. The second time too.” Thayet slid to the floor, her back pressed up against the floor. Her skirts crumpled beneath her, but she either did not notice or couldn’t bother to fix it. “Alanna’s really frustrated, Buri. She’s tired of this—of Liam not knowing what he wants.”
“Do you want me to try?” Buri asked, seating herself beside Thayet.
Thayet shrugged. “If you want.” She paused, fiddling with the pendant hanging from her neck. “Did you look for Liam? Maybe, if he’s not —“ She trailed off, catching Buri’s gaze.
“He’s left the house.” Thayet nodded, and for a minute, the two sat in silence. “What did you say to her, Thayet?” Buri asked, her tone soft.
“Not very much. Alanna paced while I watched and periodically reminded me of Liam’s fickleness.” She offered a smile. “Whatever makes her feel better, I guess.”
Buri nodded, and after a moment, stood. “I’ll go see if I can help.”
::: One Week :::
“Alanna, it’s been a week,” Buri said. Alanna raised her eyebrows, as if to say So? Buri swallowed, and continued, “Liam’s apologized four times. Have you decided what to do?”
“I...” Alanna shifted her gaze to the floor. “No,” she whispered. “I can’t.”
“Maybe it’s time to finish things.” Buri said. She held up her hand, silencing Alanna before she could protest. “Maybe it will be better for you if things are on your terms.”
Alanna shook her head. “I know I should.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I just can’t, Buri. I try to picture myself speaking to him, telling him I want us to stop, but I can’t.”
“I you don’t give him any news soon Liam will grow tired of this dance,” Buri swallowed, surprised of her own harshness. “I mean,” she said, attempting to draw back her words, “He’s confused. He may assume you have decided not to continue.”
Alanna didn’t respond. She moved to look outside the window, her back completely to Buri. Buri, her heart beating in her chest, wondered if this was a moment she could offer Alanna a proposition she had been considering for some time. (Looking back, perhaps “considering” was too calm a word for her emotions.) She walked forward and put her hand on Alanna’s shoulder, but was almost shocked when she gathered the courage to speak.
“Alanna, I’ve been wondering,” she began, her clammy hand falling back to her side as Alanna turned around, “If you would like to maybe blow off some steam with me?” As soon as the words left her mouth she realized how wrong they mnust sound to someone else, how appalled Alanna must be. (In the moment she instinctively hoped that Alanna had misunderstood, that she had believed Buri to be offering a game of chess. But the way that Buri tilted her and angled her hips left little to be interpreted.)
“Buri,” Alanna said, her voice soft. She paused, her lips slightly parted and shifted her gaze to the floor. (Buri began to prepare herself for embarrassment, and started to wonder whether she could pack her bags and leave that afternoon. She scolded herself no, that no personal shame could be allowed to distract her from her duty to Thayet.) “It’s not that I haven’t ever wanted to be with you in that way,” Alanna said, now looking back at Buri, “I have. Several times. But it wouldn’t be fair to you. Not when I’m like this.”
“You have?” Buri whispered, her mouth faintly hanging open. In the past months Buri had hoped, prayed even in a moment of desperation, for Alanna to feel the same way, but had considered it a fool’s dream. “I’m not asking for your hand. It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she said, her voice stronger. “I can cope with that. I want you to be happy, Alanna. Whatever it takes.”
“Buri, no,” Alanna said. Buri noticed that her hands were trembling ever so slightly and took some steps back. “Okay,” she said, perhaps for her own closure, in the hopes that now she could stop having the same damned fantasy. She wanted to ask Alanna if she wanted any tea, for Buri could think of nowhere to go but the kitchen to relax over a cup, but couldn’t bring herself to speak.
She closed the door quietly, all the while her eyes trained on Alanna’s face and her ghostly purple eyes.
:::