Drabble 2- A Crafter's Worst Nightmare
Feb. 2nd, 2023 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wouldratherbecraftingThe FC house was dark and quiet as Eon dragged himself out of his room for a late night lavatory break. He liked this time of night, when the world was still and the threat of empires and eikons and your run-of-the-mill hooligan tended to be at its least likely. He wouldn't say it gave him time to think (he would never do that) but it was a pleasant change of pace.
The very loud, very angry swearing of a certain Lalafell shattered that peace in an instant.
Thoroughly distracted from what he'd originally set out to do, Eon poked his head into the common area to see Xie half a second from throwing her grinding wheel into the wall. The goldsmith looked ready to murder. Weighing his options, Eon took a gamble and coughed to draw her attention. He figured if she tried to hit him with her hammer, he could just smash it with his axe since it was bigger. Sound logic. "So, uh, having trouble?"
Xieathe turned narrowed eyes toward the mi'qote. "Do you have any raw rubies on you by chance?" Her voice was like ice and Eon shivered.
"I don't really make a habit it having that kind of stuff around..."
The Lalafell seethed, then stomped over to the community chest and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. Composure instantly regained, the diminutive crafter returned to her workbench, righting her grinding wheel and preparing her materials. "Well, thank you all the same. I hope I didn't wake you."
Eon shrugged. "Nah, I had to take a leak." He paused, head tilted as she began grinding away at the raw ruby. "Whatcha making, anyway?"
She hummed to herself. "A music box." Pause. "Hopefully."
The mi'qote looked around the room, noticing for the first time several scattered stones on the common room floor. "How many?"
"Just the one," she replied easily. "Now, for the finishing touch..."
The rhythmic sound of stone grinding against stone suddenly screeched to a halt as the gem cracked and then fell apart in halves, not unlike the others Eon could see. Xie didn't move, head bowed over her tools as the air was all but sucked out of the room. Eon took a tentative step back, then another. He didn't even think about grabbing his ax as Xie slowly stood, shoulders quivering and fingers wrapped so tightly over her hammer her dark skin had turned almost white.
"Xie...?"
Her head snapped toward him and Eon regretted saying anything. A moment later the remains of the ruby were hurtling toward his head and he decided he really should get himself to the bathroom sooner rather than later.
The very loud, very angry swearing of a certain Lalafell shattered that peace in an instant.
Thoroughly distracted from what he'd originally set out to do, Eon poked his head into the common area to see Xie half a second from throwing her grinding wheel into the wall. The goldsmith looked ready to murder. Weighing his options, Eon took a gamble and coughed to draw her attention. He figured if she tried to hit him with her hammer, he could just smash it with his axe since it was bigger. Sound logic. "So, uh, having trouble?"
Xieathe turned narrowed eyes toward the mi'qote. "Do you have any raw rubies on you by chance?" Her voice was like ice and Eon shivered.
"I don't really make a habit it having that kind of stuff around..."
The Lalafell seethed, then stomped over to the community chest and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. Composure instantly regained, the diminutive crafter returned to her workbench, righting her grinding wheel and preparing her materials. "Well, thank you all the same. I hope I didn't wake you."
Eon shrugged. "Nah, I had to take a leak." He paused, head tilted as she began grinding away at the raw ruby. "Whatcha making, anyway?"
She hummed to herself. "A music box." Pause. "Hopefully."
The mi'qote looked around the room, noticing for the first time several scattered stones on the common room floor. "How many?"
"Just the one," she replied easily. "Now, for the finishing touch..."
The rhythmic sound of stone grinding against stone suddenly screeched to a halt as the gem cracked and then fell apart in halves, not unlike the others Eon could see. Xie didn't move, head bowed over her tools as the air was all but sucked out of the room. Eon took a tentative step back, then another. He didn't even think about grabbing his ax as Xie slowly stood, shoulders quivering and fingers wrapped so tightly over her hammer her dark skin had turned almost white.
"Xie...?"
Her head snapped toward him and Eon regretted saying anything. A moment later the remains of the ruby were hurtling toward his head and he decided he really should get himself to the bathroom sooner rather than later.
