Post by wordy on Dec 14, 2012 10:00:53 GMT 10
Title: tales of the glories
Rating: PG
Prompt: #8 family affair
Summary: Christmas Eve.
A/N: Third in my Emelan modern AU series.
“Oh, what are you wearing?” said Sandry mournfully.
Briar looked down at his long-sleeved shirt and jeans. He’d found them on the floor of his room, but that’s where he kept most of his clothes. They looked fine. “What’s wrong?”
“Your shirt is wrinkled.” She tried to smooth the material along his shoulders, but it didn’t seem to make much difference as far as he could tell. He looked at Daja over the top of Sandry’s head, but she only shrugged.
The small crowd gathered outside the church was beginning to move, and the three of them let themselves get dragged along with the tide of people. Tris had disappeared almost as soon as they had arrived, and Briar spotted her standing on the lawn with Niko and Sandry’s uncle Vedris, deep in conversation. Along the bumpy horizon of buildings the sun was almost gone.
“Stop fussing,” he told Sandry, who tutted and finally kept her hands to herself once they had shuffled inside. One of the ushers handed them hymn books. Briar gripped his with both hands, resisting the urge to push up his sleeves. It was hotter in the church than he had anticipated, but the last time he had worn a t-shirt that old bag Isas Crane had almost given himself a broken neck trying to stare disapprovingly at his tattoo sleeve all night.
“We’re not sitting in the middle,” Daja said, resisting the way Sandry was trying to herd them forwards. The seats were beginning to fill up quickly and Sandry was getting that anxious look in her eyes. Two years ago they had made it to the Christmas Eve service five minutes late and had missed out on seats altogether. Daja looked to Briar with big eyes. “I always get stuck next to some old bloke that smells like ham.”
“I thought you liked ham,” he said.
“I’ll pound the both of you into ham if you don’t get moving!” said Sandry, pushing them along. “Look. Take that spot on the aisle.”
Daja plonked herself down quite happily, Sandry and Briar squeezing past her to get to their own seats. Up near the altar the choir was beginning to file into place. He could just make out Rosethorn’s dark hair shining red under the lights and Lark’s springy curls further along in the soprano section.
Tris appeared suddenly out of the crowd looking quite red in the face. “Jesus, it’s hot in here,” she said, squeezing past their knees and fanning herself with a hand. She nudged Briar with her leg and he slid over so that she could sit down between him and Sandry.
“Oh my God, Tris,” he said. “No swearing in church.”
Sandry gave both of them a look that said she was not amused in the slightest. Tris took off her glasses and began cleaning them on the hem of her dress, barely suppressing her smile. He poked her in the side and she twitched, but very maturely did not poke him back.
The organ began playing as everyone finished getting seated. Briar closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. It was going to be the longest two hours of his life.
Rating: PG
Prompt: #8 family affair
Summary: Christmas Eve.
A/N: Third in my Emelan modern AU series.
“Oh, what are you wearing?” said Sandry mournfully.
Briar looked down at his long-sleeved shirt and jeans. He’d found them on the floor of his room, but that’s where he kept most of his clothes. They looked fine. “What’s wrong?”
“Your shirt is wrinkled.” She tried to smooth the material along his shoulders, but it didn’t seem to make much difference as far as he could tell. He looked at Daja over the top of Sandry’s head, but she only shrugged.
The small crowd gathered outside the church was beginning to move, and the three of them let themselves get dragged along with the tide of people. Tris had disappeared almost as soon as they had arrived, and Briar spotted her standing on the lawn with Niko and Sandry’s uncle Vedris, deep in conversation. Along the bumpy horizon of buildings the sun was almost gone.
“Stop fussing,” he told Sandry, who tutted and finally kept her hands to herself once they had shuffled inside. One of the ushers handed them hymn books. Briar gripped his with both hands, resisting the urge to push up his sleeves. It was hotter in the church than he had anticipated, but the last time he had worn a t-shirt that old bag Isas Crane had almost given himself a broken neck trying to stare disapprovingly at his tattoo sleeve all night.
“We’re not sitting in the middle,” Daja said, resisting the way Sandry was trying to herd them forwards. The seats were beginning to fill up quickly and Sandry was getting that anxious look in her eyes. Two years ago they had made it to the Christmas Eve service five minutes late and had missed out on seats altogether. Daja looked to Briar with big eyes. “I always get stuck next to some old bloke that smells like ham.”
“I thought you liked ham,” he said.
“I’ll pound the both of you into ham if you don’t get moving!” said Sandry, pushing them along. “Look. Take that spot on the aisle.”
Daja plonked herself down quite happily, Sandry and Briar squeezing past her to get to their own seats. Up near the altar the choir was beginning to file into place. He could just make out Rosethorn’s dark hair shining red under the lights and Lark’s springy curls further along in the soprano section.
Tris appeared suddenly out of the crowd looking quite red in the face. “Jesus, it’s hot in here,” she said, squeezing past their knees and fanning herself with a hand. She nudged Briar with her leg and he slid over so that she could sit down between him and Sandry.
“Oh my God, Tris,” he said. “No swearing in church.”
Sandry gave both of them a look that said she was not amused in the slightest. Tris took off her glasses and began cleaning them on the hem of her dress, barely suppressing her smile. He poked her in the side and she twitched, but very maturely did not poke him back.
The organ began playing as everyone finished getting seated. Briar closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. It was going to be the longest two hours of his life.
I'm glad you're liking this series as much as I am. ;D
I love all the relationships and the little things like having Niko and Vedris, and a disapproving Crane, and hahaha the swearing in church bit. Lark being in the choir I can sort of understand because in the books she was a performer once, but Rosethorn was a little more surprising. Maybe she joined because Lark did? I can't believe Briar can hear the organ start to play and -not- be excited about the service, though. Organs are the best.
I was kind of looking for a modern parallel to their being dedicates, and though I don't picture Rosethorn and Lark being overly religious in this, I thought having them in the choir was enough to show that. Maybe Rosethorn did join because of Lark, though, I don't know. 
