Post by Dashiel nó Mandrake (I) on Feb 4, 2007 1:35:20 GMT -5
I was certain that the little brat who was trying to pick on me was doing it on purpose and I was of half a mind to let him get away with it before he insulted me.
“I bet you’re just a little baby playing guessing games and that you have no actual talent.” He had said, “Your mother wants you to be just like her and so you pretend to be good at things so she stays happy with you.”
The rest of what he was going to say I never heard because I turned around and grabbed his ear and twisted it till he screamed. And I didn’t let go even when he started to hit me with his fists. He wasn’t really that strong and it didn’t hurt very much, mostly because I couldn’t feel it past my rage. But eventually I had to let go because one of the older adepts who were teaching us finally came and broke us up, leaving me to stand there still angry but somehow very pleased with myself for getting back at the boy.
My mother was furious with me; this hadn’t been the only time that I had gotten in trouble for hurting another kid and she was obviously at a loss as to what to do with me. “The Dowayne would like to see you tomorrow.” She informed me that night as I made ready for bed. “I will be going with you to discuss a few things with him and I want you to be on your best behavior, alright?”
“I will be mother.” I told her, wondering why this time when he hadn’t asked for me before.
The next day, before my lessons had started we went to meet with the Dowayne of Bryony House. Mother talking to me nonstop telling me to do as I was told and not to misbehave and on and on so that I eventually ended up simply nodding a reply to her and ignoring her words entirely, my thoughts elsewhere.
The Dowayne was waiting for us when we arrived and my mother told me to wait for her outside while she talked with Gaspard alone for a minute. I shrugged and sat down near the door to wait for a few minutes, day dreaming, and before I realized the door opened and my mother called me to come in.
As I entered he seemed to have stopped mid sentence while she fetched me from the hall only to continue when I appeared. “She’s a very unusual child, my dear, I am certain now that she wasn’t meant to be an adept of Bryony. Though she does have some small talent with numbers and a good mind for guessing things, it has become apparent that she should be fostered elsewhere to her benefit since she isn’t getting along with the other children.” Gaspard said.
Turning to me he smiled, “Hello there dear,” he said by way of greeting, and I returned it in kind, mother was expecting me to be on my best behavior so I obliged.
“Tell me Dashiel, what were you doing with Lisle yesterday afternoon?” He asked me, getting right to the point.
“I was punishing him for insulting me.” I answered automatically, “He was making fun of me and he started calling me a baby. He also said that I was only pretending to be good at our lessons.” I said, my chin turning up at him and a little mischievous smile curling at the corner of my lips.
“My, my,” he said, his eyebrows rising at my words. “That isn’t very nice. But tell me why you decided to hurt him for it?” He asked.
“Well, he said that he was betting that I didn’t have any talents and that I was only pretending to guess at things to keep my mother happy with me. So I decided to take a little gamble of my own and see how he would react to his ear being twisted in return for his nasty words.” I answered.
“I see,” was his reply, “Thank you Dashiel, you may go now and wait for your mother in the hall.”
I left as he requested and returned to my place in the hall.
All I know about what happened next was what my mother told me later. She said that the Dowayne felt that I would have a better time with a different group of children who were less inclined to insult me for my talents and that I would more than likely be able to make friends with them since I was so much like them.
After that my mother packed all of my things and told me that I was going to be staying at a different house but that she would be sure to visit often. I then left for Mandrake house. I was at first upset at having to leave but by the time I arrived I thought only of what now awaited me in this new place.
I grew to like the other kids that I had classes with just as the Dowayne had guessed, and none of them ever teased me, in fact several of them are my friends now and I am ever grateful for him for seeing the odds tipping in favor of me leaving his house. Now I am free to play with desire and passion and cruelty to my heart’s content, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I bet you’re just a little baby playing guessing games and that you have no actual talent.” He had said, “Your mother wants you to be just like her and so you pretend to be good at things so she stays happy with you.”
The rest of what he was going to say I never heard because I turned around and grabbed his ear and twisted it till he screamed. And I didn’t let go even when he started to hit me with his fists. He wasn’t really that strong and it didn’t hurt very much, mostly because I couldn’t feel it past my rage. But eventually I had to let go because one of the older adepts who were teaching us finally came and broke us up, leaving me to stand there still angry but somehow very pleased with myself for getting back at the boy.
My mother was furious with me; this hadn’t been the only time that I had gotten in trouble for hurting another kid and she was obviously at a loss as to what to do with me. “The Dowayne would like to see you tomorrow.” She informed me that night as I made ready for bed. “I will be going with you to discuss a few things with him and I want you to be on your best behavior, alright?”
“I will be mother.” I told her, wondering why this time when he hadn’t asked for me before.
The next day, before my lessons had started we went to meet with the Dowayne of Bryony House. Mother talking to me nonstop telling me to do as I was told and not to misbehave and on and on so that I eventually ended up simply nodding a reply to her and ignoring her words entirely, my thoughts elsewhere.
The Dowayne was waiting for us when we arrived and my mother told me to wait for her outside while she talked with Gaspard alone for a minute. I shrugged and sat down near the door to wait for a few minutes, day dreaming, and before I realized the door opened and my mother called me to come in.
As I entered he seemed to have stopped mid sentence while she fetched me from the hall only to continue when I appeared. “She’s a very unusual child, my dear, I am certain now that she wasn’t meant to be an adept of Bryony. Though she does have some small talent with numbers and a good mind for guessing things, it has become apparent that she should be fostered elsewhere to her benefit since she isn’t getting along with the other children.” Gaspard said.
Turning to me he smiled, “Hello there dear,” he said by way of greeting, and I returned it in kind, mother was expecting me to be on my best behavior so I obliged.
“Tell me Dashiel, what were you doing with Lisle yesterday afternoon?” He asked me, getting right to the point.
“I was punishing him for insulting me.” I answered automatically, “He was making fun of me and he started calling me a baby. He also said that I was only pretending to be good at our lessons.” I said, my chin turning up at him and a little mischievous smile curling at the corner of my lips.
“My, my,” he said, his eyebrows rising at my words. “That isn’t very nice. But tell me why you decided to hurt him for it?” He asked.
“Well, he said that he was betting that I didn’t have any talents and that I was only pretending to guess at things to keep my mother happy with me. So I decided to take a little gamble of my own and see how he would react to his ear being twisted in return for his nasty words.” I answered.
“I see,” was his reply, “Thank you Dashiel, you may go now and wait for your mother in the hall.”
I left as he requested and returned to my place in the hall.
All I know about what happened next was what my mother told me later. She said that the Dowayne felt that I would have a better time with a different group of children who were less inclined to insult me for my talents and that I would more than likely be able to make friends with them since I was so much like them.
After that my mother packed all of my things and told me that I was going to be staying at a different house but that she would be sure to visit often. I then left for Mandrake house. I was at first upset at having to leave but by the time I arrived I thought only of what now awaited me in this new place.
I grew to like the other kids that I had classes with just as the Dowayne had guessed, and none of them ever teased me, in fact several of them are my friends now and I am ever grateful for him for seeing the odds tipping in favor of me leaving his house. Now I am free to play with desire and passion and cruelty to my heart’s content, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.