Prosy: Cold Date
Feb. 20th, 2012 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clare_dragonflyTitle: Cold Date
Word count: 1,208
Rating: PG-13
Prompt:aldersprig's: Creepy: as per Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, being turned into a statue
Notes: Apparently the secondary theme of this Garden of Prose is "meeting faerie lovers at Chatoyant College in the winter with disastrous consequences," though I suppose if I hadn't already established that Vertiline meets Marlin in the winter I would have done this one differently. This felt a bit like cheating because I have already established the presence of people turned into statues at Chatoyant College, but I hadn't written this part of the story before!
This is a direct sequel to Fire, Earth, and Water, a bonus story that shows more of the magical system used at Chatoyant College.
Vertiline swung on her cloak and walked out into the cold air. She shivered instantly, despite the warmth of her fur-lined cloak. It must have been too cold for snow—the sky was full of glittering stars, and other than that, it was deeply dark. The moon was either dark or not up. She wished she’d borrowed a candle from Professor Lal to light her way, but before she could change her mind and go back in, her date appeared.
She smiled at him in some relief. “Marlin. Are you sure you want to go out tonight? It’s lovely, but it’s so cold…”
“Of course I do,” he said, coming up and slipping an arm through hers. He had a cloak on, too; it was blacker than the night and seemed to envelop him entirely. “But I do hope you’re all right.”
“I think I will be.” She smiled at him. His slight embrace was sending warmth through her already. “As long as we stay together.”
He nodded and began to walk, following the path toward the south side of campus. “So, what were you doing in the magic building? Classes have been over for hours.”
“Oh, I was just showing Professor Lal a trick I figured out with magic. I’d offer to show it to you, but I’d need something flammable…”
“Perhaps in the restaurant,” he suggested, but despite his confident voice his feet seemed to falter for a moment. “Did you tell her where you were off to?”
“Well, I told her I had a date.” She squeezed his hand, smiling. “But since I don’t know what you have planned, I couldn’t exactly tell here where we were going!”
“Ah, well, you’ll enjoy it, I promise!” They had reached the front gates of the campus, which were, to Vertiline’s surprise, wide open; they were normally closed at sundown. Perhaps Marlin had arranged it specially, for there was a gorgeous carriage waiting for them, all black with silver trim, matching the night sky. It was pulled by a matching pair of coal-black horses.
She gasped as he escorted her closer to it. “Is this yours?”
“Oh, no, of course not, I’m only renting it. Here, let me help you up.” He did, then lifted himself into the carriage, shut the doors, and knocked on the ceiling to start it going.
“How can you afford even to rent a carriage like this?” she asked in awe, looking around at the velvet and silver trimmings. “It must cost hundreds of dollars.” Her father was one of the wealthiest men in their city, but she didn’t think even he would have been willing to rent this grand carriage.
“Ah, well, it’s more of a favor,” he said evasively. “Aren’t you shocked and embarrassed to be seen with me, with no chaperone?”
She laughed and waved her gloves at him. “Certainly not, don’t be absurd. Who’s to see us, anyway? No one who knows who we are, I hope.”
“I’m sure your parents would be shocked.”
“They are, but I have no intention of telling them, and I hope you don’t either.”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t do such a thing. Not until we are engaged, of course.”
They laughed at that, and changed the subject to other topics—gossip about the professors at Chatoyant College was a perennial favorite.
Dinner was lovely, taking place in a small, dark, elegant restaurant; she blew out the candle and showed him her trick with the fire, with which he claimed to be duly impressed, though she suspected his enthusiasm. The conversation was enjoyable, but nothing special; this was not the first slightly-improper date she’d had since she had come to Chatoyant College, and in her opinion it ranked somewhere above the middle. (The carriage and the restaurant, which seemed to be another casual display of wealth on Marlin’s part, contributed a great deal.) When they returned to campus, even fewer lights were on, and it was even colder, but a sliver of moon had risen in the sky. “I had a lovely time,” Vertiline said; she was mostly sincere. “Thank you very much, Marlin.”
“Won’t you walk with me?” he asked, offering his arm again.
“Ah—all right.” She did enjoy walking, and his companionship was not terrible. And even if it had been, she had no wish to offend someone she would be forced to spend class time with later. So they walked together. To her surprise, he took her to the east side of campus, away from where her dorm was, close to the forbidden woods. “If you wanted true privacy, all you had to do was ask,” she teased, “but I do hope you are not planning to take advantage of me, sir.”
“I would never presume to any such thing,” he said with surprising gravity. “You shall have only what you wish, Vertiline.”
She nodded, knowing that to be true—she had certainly inherited her strong will from her mother, and would not let this somewhat simpering boy guilt or bully her into anything. “It is a lovely night, despite the cold,” she said, attempting to change the subject to something less weighty.
“It is,” he agreed. “Perfect for a proposal.”
She laughed, then stopped, cut off abruptly by his change in expression. He whirled around and grasped her by both wrists, his face scrunched and twisted with anger. “It’s not a joke!” he shouted.
“All right,” she said, shaken. She widened her eyes and pouted her lips. She knew her beauty often calmed men, and while she did not doubt her ability to escape from Marlin if she had to, she would rather get him to relax and take her back to her dorm. “I believe you.”
“Vertiline Gravette, I love you. Will you marry me?”
She shook her head slowly, pouting her lips even more. “How can you love me, Marlin? You hardly know me.”
He shook her, rattling her teeth. “Just listen to me! You will be mine!”
She shook her head more quickly, growing frightened by his vehemence and irrationality. “Marlin, I’m not ready to marry anyone, and if I were, it wouldn’t be you.” She recalled with faint surprise that she did not know his surname, though he obviously knew hers.
He pulled her close with astonishing strength, pressing her corseted torso against his. His eyes were wide and mad. “You will. You will, or suffer the consequences.”
She tried to pull away from him, then tried harder, then burst into fake tears. She had no idea how he was holding her with such a strong grip, but now the only thought in her mind was getting away. “Please, Marlin, let me go! There is no need to do this! If you don’t let me go, I shall certainly tell my parents that you attempted to seduce me!”
He squeezed her wrists. Her hands were beginning to go numb from his grip. “Marry me!” he shouted into her face.
“No!” she cried. “I will not!”
“Then be damned,” he said, shoving her away from him at last. She stumbled backward, off-balance, but her limbs quickly stopped moving, her lungs expelled their air, she choked, and then was frozen in place forever.
Did you enjoy this story? You can read more stories in this world or see all my fiction posted at Dreamwidth!
Word count: 1,208
Rating: PG-13
Prompt:
aldersprig's: Creepy: as per Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, being turned into a statueNotes: Apparently the secondary theme of this Garden of Prose is "meeting faerie lovers at Chatoyant College in the winter with disastrous consequences," though I suppose if I hadn't already established that Vertiline meets Marlin in the winter I would have done this one differently. This felt a bit like cheating because I have already established the presence of people turned into statues at Chatoyant College, but I hadn't written this part of the story before!
This is a direct sequel to Fire, Earth, and Water, a bonus story that shows more of the magical system used at Chatoyant College.
Vertiline swung on her cloak and walked out into the cold air. She shivered instantly, despite the warmth of her fur-lined cloak. It must have been too cold for snow—the sky was full of glittering stars, and other than that, it was deeply dark. The moon was either dark or not up. She wished she’d borrowed a candle from Professor Lal to light her way, but before she could change her mind and go back in, her date appeared.
She smiled at him in some relief. “Marlin. Are you sure you want to go out tonight? It’s lovely, but it’s so cold…”
“Of course I do,” he said, coming up and slipping an arm through hers. He had a cloak on, too; it was blacker than the night and seemed to envelop him entirely. “But I do hope you’re all right.”
“I think I will be.” She smiled at him. His slight embrace was sending warmth through her already. “As long as we stay together.”
He nodded and began to walk, following the path toward the south side of campus. “So, what were you doing in the magic building? Classes have been over for hours.”
“Oh, I was just showing Professor Lal a trick I figured out with magic. I’d offer to show it to you, but I’d need something flammable…”
“Perhaps in the restaurant,” he suggested, but despite his confident voice his feet seemed to falter for a moment. “Did you tell her where you were off to?”
“Well, I told her I had a date.” She squeezed his hand, smiling. “But since I don’t know what you have planned, I couldn’t exactly tell here where we were going!”
“Ah, well, you’ll enjoy it, I promise!” They had reached the front gates of the campus, which were, to Vertiline’s surprise, wide open; they were normally closed at sundown. Perhaps Marlin had arranged it specially, for there was a gorgeous carriage waiting for them, all black with silver trim, matching the night sky. It was pulled by a matching pair of coal-black horses.
She gasped as he escorted her closer to it. “Is this yours?”
“Oh, no, of course not, I’m only renting it. Here, let me help you up.” He did, then lifted himself into the carriage, shut the doors, and knocked on the ceiling to start it going.
“How can you afford even to rent a carriage like this?” she asked in awe, looking around at the velvet and silver trimmings. “It must cost hundreds of dollars.” Her father was one of the wealthiest men in their city, but she didn’t think even he would have been willing to rent this grand carriage.
“Ah, well, it’s more of a favor,” he said evasively. “Aren’t you shocked and embarrassed to be seen with me, with no chaperone?”
She laughed and waved her gloves at him. “Certainly not, don’t be absurd. Who’s to see us, anyway? No one who knows who we are, I hope.”
“I’m sure your parents would be shocked.”
“They are, but I have no intention of telling them, and I hope you don’t either.”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t do such a thing. Not until we are engaged, of course.”
They laughed at that, and changed the subject to other topics—gossip about the professors at Chatoyant College was a perennial favorite.
Dinner was lovely, taking place in a small, dark, elegant restaurant; she blew out the candle and showed him her trick with the fire, with which he claimed to be duly impressed, though she suspected his enthusiasm. The conversation was enjoyable, but nothing special; this was not the first slightly-improper date she’d had since she had come to Chatoyant College, and in her opinion it ranked somewhere above the middle. (The carriage and the restaurant, which seemed to be another casual display of wealth on Marlin’s part, contributed a great deal.) When they returned to campus, even fewer lights were on, and it was even colder, but a sliver of moon had risen in the sky. “I had a lovely time,” Vertiline said; she was mostly sincere. “Thank you very much, Marlin.”
“Won’t you walk with me?” he asked, offering his arm again.
“Ah—all right.” She did enjoy walking, and his companionship was not terrible. And even if it had been, she had no wish to offend someone she would be forced to spend class time with later. So they walked together. To her surprise, he took her to the east side of campus, away from where her dorm was, close to the forbidden woods. “If you wanted true privacy, all you had to do was ask,” she teased, “but I do hope you are not planning to take advantage of me, sir.”
“I would never presume to any such thing,” he said with surprising gravity. “You shall have only what you wish, Vertiline.”
She nodded, knowing that to be true—she had certainly inherited her strong will from her mother, and would not let this somewhat simpering boy guilt or bully her into anything. “It is a lovely night, despite the cold,” she said, attempting to change the subject to something less weighty.
“It is,” he agreed. “Perfect for a proposal.”
She laughed, then stopped, cut off abruptly by his change in expression. He whirled around and grasped her by both wrists, his face scrunched and twisted with anger. “It’s not a joke!” he shouted.
“All right,” she said, shaken. She widened her eyes and pouted her lips. She knew her beauty often calmed men, and while she did not doubt her ability to escape from Marlin if she had to, she would rather get him to relax and take her back to her dorm. “I believe you.”
“Vertiline Gravette, I love you. Will you marry me?”
She shook her head slowly, pouting her lips even more. “How can you love me, Marlin? You hardly know me.”
He shook her, rattling her teeth. “Just listen to me! You will be mine!”
She shook her head more quickly, growing frightened by his vehemence and irrationality. “Marlin, I’m not ready to marry anyone, and if I were, it wouldn’t be you.” She recalled with faint surprise that she did not know his surname, though he obviously knew hers.
He pulled her close with astonishing strength, pressing her corseted torso against his. His eyes were wide and mad. “You will. You will, or suffer the consequences.”
She tried to pull away from him, then tried harder, then burst into fake tears. She had no idea how he was holding her with such a strong grip, but now the only thought in her mind was getting away. “Please, Marlin, let me go! There is no need to do this! If you don’t let me go, I shall certainly tell my parents that you attempted to seduce me!”
He squeezed her wrists. Her hands were beginning to go numb from his grip. “Marry me!” he shouted into her face.
“No!” she cried. “I will not!”
“Then be damned,” he said, shoving her away from him at last. She stumbled backward, off-balance, but her limbs quickly stopped moving, her lungs expelled their air, she choked, and then was frozen in place forever.
Did you enjoy this story? You can read more stories in this world or see all my fiction posted at Dreamwidth!
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Date: 2013-01-14 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-14 10:29 pm (UTC)