Post by Kypriotha on Aug 31, 2017 21:14:53 GMT 10
Series: Grime & Punishment
Title: Old Dog Blues (aka "Rosie is awesome but this is sad") (aka aka "I'm sensing a theme with Rosie's title suggestions")
Rating: PG
Event: Stormy Show Jumping
Words: 496
Summary: It's not smooth sailing in Beka's relationship with Holborn, but at least she has good friends to look after her. Title is again taken from a song (this time "Old Dog Blue" by Jim Jackson).
Beka heard the door downstairs slam, but made no move to get up from where she was curled up on Aniki’s window sill. Aniki heard the noise and raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. It could have been Kora, frustrated with one of her clients or after a fight with Ersken, slamming her way into her room on the same landing.
They both knew it wasn’t.
The door slammed again, quickly followed by the front door. Beka curled more tightly into herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her head against her chest. Pounce leaned against her side, but didn’t say anything.
Aniki came over and sat down on Beka’s other side, careful not to bump Achoo, who was curled up below the sill. Her voice was soft and gentle. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Beka jerked her head to one side – no. Aniki said nothing, just slowly lifted her hand to Beka’s shoulder and let it rest there. After a few minutes, Beka turned her head back and rested her cheek on Aniki’s hand.
“He says I’m no fun, that I’m like a nursemaid holding the apron strings too tight. Then he goes out drinking with his friends and either comes back angrier or doesn’t remember it all the next day.” Beka sighed and scrunched her face up, to try and hold in the tears that threatened to well up. “He’s just…he’s so unpredictable from one day to the next and I…I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
The tears Beka was fighting against spilled over and coursed silently down her cheeks. Aniki pulled her into a tight hug and Pounce gave a soft, continuous, rumbling purr that reverberated through both women.
Eventually Beka’s tears stilled and she pulled away, wiping her face with her tunic.
“Thanks,” she said softly, not quite meeting Aniki’s gaze. “Thanks for letting me sit here with you.”
“You can stay the night, if you want,” Aniki offered, but Beka shook her head.
“No. Thank-you, but…no. I should go down. He won’t come back again until much later and who knows…by then he might be in a good mood again.” Beka tried to give Aniki a weak smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.
She stood up, Aniki giving her hand a last squeeze before letting go. Whistling to Achoo, and with Pounce riding on her shoulder, Beka made her way to the door and downstairs, Aniki watching from the landing until she entered her own room. Aniki wished there was more she could do to help, but she knew that Beka was too proud – and too ashamed – to accept any more help than she already had.
Aniki sighed. She was used to seeing her friends get cut up in knife fights and bruised black and blue from brawls, but she didn’t like seeing Beka hurting like this. This wasn’t something Kora’s ointments could make better. She just hoped Beka wouldn’t have to hurt for long.
Title: Old Dog Blues (aka "Rosie is awesome but this is sad") (aka aka "I'm sensing a theme with Rosie's title suggestions")
Rating: PG
Event: Stormy Show Jumping
Words: 496
Summary: It's not smooth sailing in Beka's relationship with Holborn, but at least she has good friends to look after her. Title is again taken from a song (this time "Old Dog Blue" by Jim Jackson).
Beka heard the door downstairs slam, but made no move to get up from where she was curled up on Aniki’s window sill. Aniki heard the noise and raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. It could have been Kora, frustrated with one of her clients or after a fight with Ersken, slamming her way into her room on the same landing.
They both knew it wasn’t.
The door slammed again, quickly followed by the front door. Beka curled more tightly into herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her head against her chest. Pounce leaned against her side, but didn’t say anything.
Aniki came over and sat down on Beka’s other side, careful not to bump Achoo, who was curled up below the sill. Her voice was soft and gentle. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Beka jerked her head to one side – no. Aniki said nothing, just slowly lifted her hand to Beka’s shoulder and let it rest there. After a few minutes, Beka turned her head back and rested her cheek on Aniki’s hand.
“He says I’m no fun, that I’m like a nursemaid holding the apron strings too tight. Then he goes out drinking with his friends and either comes back angrier or doesn’t remember it all the next day.” Beka sighed and scrunched her face up, to try and hold in the tears that threatened to well up. “He’s just…he’s so unpredictable from one day to the next and I…I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
The tears Beka was fighting against spilled over and coursed silently down her cheeks. Aniki pulled her into a tight hug and Pounce gave a soft, continuous, rumbling purr that reverberated through both women.
Eventually Beka’s tears stilled and she pulled away, wiping her face with her tunic.
“Thanks,” she said softly, not quite meeting Aniki’s gaze. “Thanks for letting me sit here with you.”
“You can stay the night, if you want,” Aniki offered, but Beka shook her head.
“No. Thank-you, but…no. I should go down. He won’t come back again until much later and who knows…by then he might be in a good mood again.” Beka tried to give Aniki a weak smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.
She stood up, Aniki giving her hand a last squeeze before letting go. Whistling to Achoo, and with Pounce riding on her shoulder, Beka made her way to the door and downstairs, Aniki watching from the landing until she entered her own room. Aniki wished there was more she could do to help, but she knew that Beka was too proud – and too ashamed – to accept any more help than she already had.
Aniki sighed. She was used to seeing her friends get cut up in knife fights and bruised black and blue from brawls, but she didn’t like seeing Beka hurting like this. This wasn’t something Kora’s ointments could make better. She just hoped Beka wouldn’t have to hurt for long.