Andromeda Promptathon
Jul. 19th, 2015 01:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scribblemynamePrompts can be:
- Quotes from the beginning of the episodes
- Quotes from the actual episodes/characters
- Prompts for the characters/world
- Prompts for fusions/crossovers
- Prompts for original characters in the Andromeda world
Why She Dances with Fire
Date: 2015-07-24 08:38 pm (UTC)“You pretty dancer.”
“Thank you. From you I consider that the highest complement.” Eshne Royston laughed, turning around to smile down at her nephew, glad she was not in her whole costume yet. The mask scared him, and she did not like wearing it herself, but she found it was a bit of protection that they both needed. If only Aedus hadn't died, then none of this would be necessary, but she knew better than to think too much about what would be different if her brother was alive. The past was done. The present was now, and they all had to survive it however they could.
“Dance?” Egann asked, holding his little hands up to her, and she took them, moving in a small circle that would not make the little one dizzy. He laughed, his smile so bright and so like his father's... Eshne bit back a sigh. She knew she would always remember her brother when she looked at his son, but she would like for it to stop hurting every time she did.
If only their village hadn't decided she was a witch—No. She was dancing. She was happy. All of that was forgotten. That was how it must be, how it should be.
“Eshne, lass, yer on in five minutes.”
“Phemie,” Egann said, letting go of Eshne's hands and running toward the door. He stood on his toes and tried to reach the handle, but he was still too small for that, thank goodness. One of these days, she'd lose him, always afraid he would run off during one of her performances and she'd lose the only family that she had left.
She crossed over to the door, scooping him up before she opened the door to the other woman. “Are you able to watch him while I'm gone? I hate asking, but he's still too young to be alone and I don't have anyone—”
“It's no trouble,” Phemie said, taking Egann into her own large arms. The strong woman had no trouble carrying about the three year old, and she never seemed to tire of it, whereas Eshne knew that she would want nothing more than sleep after she was done with her routine. “I miss the days mine were as young as this wee one.”
“He grows more and more like his father every day,” Eshne said, shaking her head. “Aedus would be so proud of him...”
“No tears now, lass. Ye've got to finish getting dressed, and ye cannot be spoiling your makeup with no tears,” Phemie admonished, pointing a thick finger at her. “I've got this one, now ye get yerself out there and make them stare in wonder.”
Eshne laughed, forcing herself back to the table and to the mask. As long as Egann couldn't see it, she could wear it. She pulled it down off the back of her mirror and placed it on her face, adjusting it to where she could see. She looked at herself and shook her head. She'd been ready to be a nun, and now look at her. She did not know of a much more wanton or disgraceful outfit, even as much as she tried to give herself some modesty.
The people saw only the fire anyway. She knew that. She was only a shadow in the flames, and even if her neckline was low and her skirt had a scandalous number of slits in it so that she could move without burning herself—not that she ever did, ever could.
She was the fire.
No one knew that, not even Phemie, and Eshne would not tell her, not after what happened to Aedus and his wife. This was a secret she knew must die with her, but not before Egann had grown, not until she'd seen to his safety. He was innocent, and he need not suffer because his aunt had some strange—she would not call it a curse for she did not believe that was what it was, but she did not understand how she could command fire, either.
She was not a witch. She'd never opened a spell book, never thought to ask anyone for any kind of spell, and though she knew her ancestors participated in pagan rites, she never had.
Still, when she wanted it, fire was hers.
She opened her palm, seeing the flame there, and closed it again, shaking her head and knowing that she would never allow anyone else to be harmed because of what she was. Egann would always be safe. She'd make certain of that, even if it took being whatever monster she was to do it.
Re: Why She Dances with Fire
Date: 2015-07-24 09:37 pm (UTC)Re: Why She Dances with Fire
Date: 2015-07-24 09:46 pm (UTC)I admit, it's got me tempted again. I'd abandoned it a year ago after starting Landon's scene, but I could use some of the table stuff or even other Andromeda quote prompts to fill it in.
(I admit to curiosity about what you'd think of the opening bits for the waters and Hugh.)