First Impressions
by Cooking Spray
Disclaimer: Highlight address bar. Read carefully. Consult dictionary if needed.
Like "Paying Respects", this too was supposed to be written for the theme "look over here" on the LiveJournal community 30 Kisses. It was a whimsical first chapter that was supposed to set the pace of things. It was fun and short, too, so I thought it'd have a place here, even though it's hardly original.
It was a peaceful morning. The flow of customers into the Mace 'n' Vase had been naught but a trickle, and just as difficult to deal with as the metaphor implied. Val had woken and eaten breakfast without complaint, and was currently occupying himself with his playthings in a nearby corner, under the careful surveillance of Jillas and Gravos. Even the pedestrian traffic seemed to be less noisy than usual.
Filia tipped her head back, taking a delicate sip of her breakfast tea, unable to shake a feeling of imminent dread. It was much too peaceful for her liking. Something was bound to shatter it. Especially since the last remaining burden in question had yet to make his presence known. . .
"Good morning, my dear Filia!" came an annoyingly familiar voice just inches from her ear, automatically sending a lance of dread deep into her abdomen.
The ex-priestess jumped, startled. How did he always manage to catch her so off guard? The dread in her stomach hardened into anger before it could settle, and before she could think to keep her emotions in check.
"Don't call me that," she hissed for what must've been the thousandth time, knowing very well that she might as well have been talking to the wall. Xelloss' surprise visits had become a regular occurrence, despite much protesting and irritation on the part of the hostess. After a while, she'd given up bothering with greetings, even rude ones, and trying to urge swift partings. It was a waste of breath, and one that she did not wish to expend on such filth as the trickster priest.
As per usual, Xelloss turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to her scathing comments. "My, such a tongue you have! Do you kiss your son with that mouth?"
He'd only been there for ten seconds, and he was already beginning to tax Filia's patience. Ignoring his comment, she bit back her rising ire long enough to pick up the kettle of tea. The sooner she cut to the chase, the less of his verbal abuse she'd have to be subjected to, and the sooner she'd be rid of him.
"Tea?" she asked through clenched teeth, indicating a clean cup and saucer she'd wisely decided to keep handy and exercising every shred of willpower in her not to just whip out her mace and beat him senseless as she so desperately wanted to. He hadn't said or done anything truly unspeakable yet, but she was sure he was going to.
"Why, how thoughtful of you, my dear Filia! What honor do I owe this extraordinary show of kindness?" His cheerful tone grated on her, and his ever-smiling face begged to be dented in by something large and blunt.
"Just shut up and drink." She poured the tea carelessly and with haste, not caring whether or not it spilled over the sides of the cup.
"You're really a terrible hostess, do you know that? You could've scalded my fingers, the way you were swinging that thing around."
Filia airily took a sip of her own tea to calm her, but was even more incensed to find that it had gone cold. That blasted mazoku! "I don't owe any gratitude to guests who invite themselves into my home without welcome." They had this same conversation every time Xelloss came to visit. Sometimes it went on the way it was going for quite a while, and sometimes it was unglamorously short, but it almost always ended with violence. After all, that was what the rotten mazoku wanted from her.
The dragoness guessed this wasn't going to be one of the lengthier occasions, judging by the way she was already trembling in suppressed annoyance and frustration. Her fuse had always been short, but it was shorter this morning. Xelloss just sipped his tea with pretend oblivion, serving only to mount her displeasure. He could sense her negativity towards him, and was most likely just waiting until she cracked. She was his buffet. He didn't need the damned tea.
Just when she was about to reach her breaking point, the general-priest spoke up. "You're showing a surprising amount of restraint this morning, my dear Filia. I'm impressed. And you even remembered to brew my favorite tea! If I didn't know better, I'd say you're getting used to me." He quirked an eyebrow, still wearing his mask of grinning indifference, waiting for the explosive reaction.
She knew he was provoking her. He was good at it, the best. At times, it seemed to be his sole purpose in life, to give her misery. She knew she shouldn't give in. She knew she shouldn't stoop to his level and allow him the satisfaction of her hatred. All these things she knew, and he knew, and yet, against all better judgment, she was rising from the table, hand going to her hip for her mace, all blind ferocity.
He smirked, tasting his victory and floating into the air for his getaway. But just as she was about to swing the deathblow, a tiny voice called out from the corner.
"Mama, mama! Look over here! Look at what I can do!"
In the split second that her head turned toward Val's exclamation, her target dodged, leaving her swing to follow through and make contact with. . . the wall.
She cursed, defeat and rage burning her. Xelloss just winked and vanished, his laughter echoing upwards as he absorbed a very filling breakfast.
As the dragoness tried to pry her weapon from the splintered wood and plaster, still very much embroiled in her anger, Val's voice floated towards her again.
The toddler paused in the hallway before her, eyes bright. He held up a single finger, and said, in a perfect imitation of the trickster priest, "That is. . . a secret!"
At that, Filia slumped to the floor and moaned, her mace freeing itself from the wall and thudding next to her, sending a nice shower of debris into her freshly washed hair.
Anyone catch the quasi-appropriate meaning in the title? XD
Very pointless, yes, but classic Xelloss and Filia, nonetheless. I had fun with this. This was meant to be the very early days of their relationship. And everyone loves baby Val.
Thoughts?