Title: Purchasing Presents
Prompt: Crowded Malls (6/25)
Character(s): Lucivar Yaslana, Marian, Jaenelle Angelline
Word Count: 266
Why, angst, why? This didn't turn out as expected.
"Remind me why I'm here again?"
Marian and Jaenelle looked up from the bolt of fabric they were inspecting, turning to Lucivar at the same time. He thought, perhaps, it might have been smarter to say nothing.
"Because you're Daemon's brother," Marian replied.
He supposed that was a good enough reason.
The women went back to inspecting fabrics, in search of the perfect color for the shirt Marian was going to stitch for him. Lucivar wandered away, having already given his thoughts on the matter. He approached the shoes on display near the window, eyeing a pair with great interest. The polished leather shimmered in the midmorning light. Picking up one of the shoes, he turned it about, inspecting it.
It was good quality, study and serviceable despite its flash.
He scratched his arm before turning the shoe over, inspecting the soles. The same fine craftsmanship was evident there, and he reached out with a psychic thread to Marian and Jaenelle just as a young woman brushed herself against his back.
All of herself.
It took him a minute to realize she was screaming because he had broken her wrist. Disgusted, he stepped back, into Marian's hand.
"Someone call a Healer!" The girl's companion was as hysterical as the girl.
Jaenelle appeared beside the woman, and Marian pushed him out of the shop, poking and prodding until they were outside. Then he realized how confined he had felt, how trapped.
She leaned against his side, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "We'll shop somewhere else," she told him.