Post by Miss Jack on Jul 31, 2008 3:05:07 GMT -5
[[Just a little drabble of Alexander and Armand as boys. Kinda a prelude to their private little spot on top of the castle.]]
“Higher, Armand.”
Again, Armand hoisted his small arm back as far as he could and launched the ball straight up into the air. It whirled and peaked, whistling with speed¾ pretty high for a six year old, not that either of them knew. Just as the ball started to descend, a compact fireball collided with it and the two exploded with gratifying smoke, noise and aplomb.
Alexander let out a whoop of delight, shaking his hips and shooting his fingers into the air like guns. The first of many victory dances.
Armand watched as the blazing remains of the ball spiraled downward through the air and landed in the garden. He winced.
“Another one, hurry Armand,” Alexander said.
“I can’t,” Armand said. “We ran out of balls.”
“Man.” But he got over it quickly, flopping into the grass on his back. He let out a hiss of smoke from between his teeth and spelled his name with it.
Armand walked over and laid beside him, resting his head beside his brother’s, with his feet in the opposite direction. “I wish I could shoot fireballs.”
“You will,” Alexander said, bored because they weren’t talking about him. “Dad said the right thing just hasn’t found you yet .”
“Simon gave me a sling-shot.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll show you.” Armand sat up and pulled a sling-shot from the waistband of his pants. He’d rarely left it out of his sight since Simon had placed it in his hand and showed him how to pull the band back and aim.
Alexander grabbed it and turned it over in his hand. “It doesn’t look like much.”
Armand quickly took it back, not wanting it to suffer the fate of so many other of his toys. “Watch.” He found a small rock and put it in the band. He pulled the sling-shot tight and asked Alexander what he should hit.
“Hit this,” Alexander said and flipped over, sticking his rear in the air and then laughing uproariously.
Armand considered it. But with a slightly regretful sigh, he turned and aimed instead at poppy weed. He closed one eye, aimed, and let loose. The rock whizzed through the air and knocked the red head of the weed clean off.
“Whoa!” Alexander stared with wide eyes, impressed. “Lemme try.” He grabbed the slingshot and pulled off a shot into the same batch of weeds. It flew several feet to the far left. “Dang. I just need a better target.”
“No!” Armand chastised. “You can’t aim at the house!”
“Relaaaxx.” Alexander had one arm pulled back as far as it would go, shaking slightly with the effort. Armand could already see where that stone was headed and where it was headed was their parent's window. They’d be totally busted, and he’d get his slingshot taken away.
Armand lunged for Alexander just as he let go. Armand knocked his arm to the side, and instead of hitting the window, the rock flew up high past the castle turrets, and knocked the ear off a gargoyle.
The two boys stared for a minute, and then Alexander said, “I never noticed that gargoyle up there.”
“Is it the only one?”
“Kinda looks like it from here.” He waited a beat and then said, “We should go check it out.”
“Are you crazy? It’s on like… the highest tower!”
“Yeah, but look at that window, if you gave me a boost, we could make it.”
It was a little farther than Alexander anticipated. Even on Armand’s shoulders, he couldn’t quite reach the edge of the roof to hoist himself up. On the two-foot terrace, Armand teetered.
“How many bricks do you have in your pockets?” he grumbled.
“Whoa!” Alexander wind-milled his arms. “Hold steady, you weakling.” He stretched out an arm--- sooo close. “I’ve almost got it! Move up, move up!”
Armand grunted as Alexander’s foot twisted into his neck. “Hurry and grab it before my spine telescopes.”
“Got it!” Alexander swung, dangling, from the rooftop. He twisted his head to glare down at Armand. “Hey--- don’t let go! Hold me up!”
Armand crossed his arms over his chest. “Forget it. You can support your own weight, bowling ball butt.”
Alexander scowled and wiggled himself, squirming for the top, trying to swing his leg up for leverage. He hung, limp, after several failed tries. “I can’t get it. Just give a boost, will you?”
Armand smirked and stepped forward. He stuck his finger in his mouth and got it nice and wet. Alexander’s eyes widened. “Are you nuts? What are you--- noo!”
He shrieked as Armand tried to stretch up and stick his wet finger in his brother’s ear. He jabbed and Alexander squirmed. “Hey-- no-- stop! OhcrapI’mfalling---” He yelled and landed directly on top of Armand.
THUMP.
“Nice landing. I’m probably paralyzed.”
“Except for your mouth, obviously. Give me my shoe.”
“No.”
After a few shoves and twists and insults, they got themselves upright, feet dangling off the terrace. They didn’t quite make the gargoyle, but it was still a long way up. And the tower connected to the turret and terrace was an isolated one, not used by anyone in the castle.
The sun didn’t set, because there wasn’t really a sun in Chimera, but it the light became dusky and more bluish. Armand yawned and Alexander kicked his feet languidly through the open air, their argument already forgotten.
“Hey look--- a firefly!” Alexander pointed, his face one of pure boyish delight. The glowing bug made a looping pattern around them and then disappeared. Alexander scrunched up his face, his shoulders hunching. After a moment, he twisted around, looking down his back at his butt.
Armand raised an eyebrow. “Your rear hasn’t lit, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I don’t even know which muscle to flex.”
“Higher, Armand.”
Again, Armand hoisted his small arm back as far as he could and launched the ball straight up into the air. It whirled and peaked, whistling with speed¾ pretty high for a six year old, not that either of them knew. Just as the ball started to descend, a compact fireball collided with it and the two exploded with gratifying smoke, noise and aplomb.
Alexander let out a whoop of delight, shaking his hips and shooting his fingers into the air like guns. The first of many victory dances.
Armand watched as the blazing remains of the ball spiraled downward through the air and landed in the garden. He winced.
“Another one, hurry Armand,” Alexander said.
“I can’t,” Armand said. “We ran out of balls.”
“Man.” But he got over it quickly, flopping into the grass on his back. He let out a hiss of smoke from between his teeth and spelled his name with it.
Armand walked over and laid beside him, resting his head beside his brother’s, with his feet in the opposite direction. “I wish I could shoot fireballs.”
“You will,” Alexander said, bored because they weren’t talking about him. “Dad said the right thing just hasn’t found you yet .”
“Simon gave me a sling-shot.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll show you.” Armand sat up and pulled a sling-shot from the waistband of his pants. He’d rarely left it out of his sight since Simon had placed it in his hand and showed him how to pull the band back and aim.
Alexander grabbed it and turned it over in his hand. “It doesn’t look like much.”
Armand quickly took it back, not wanting it to suffer the fate of so many other of his toys. “Watch.” He found a small rock and put it in the band. He pulled the sling-shot tight and asked Alexander what he should hit.
“Hit this,” Alexander said and flipped over, sticking his rear in the air and then laughing uproariously.
Armand considered it. But with a slightly regretful sigh, he turned and aimed instead at poppy weed. He closed one eye, aimed, and let loose. The rock whizzed through the air and knocked the red head of the weed clean off.
“Whoa!” Alexander stared with wide eyes, impressed. “Lemme try.” He grabbed the slingshot and pulled off a shot into the same batch of weeds. It flew several feet to the far left. “Dang. I just need a better target.”
“No!” Armand chastised. “You can’t aim at the house!”
“Relaaaxx.” Alexander had one arm pulled back as far as it would go, shaking slightly with the effort. Armand could already see where that stone was headed and where it was headed was their parent's window. They’d be totally busted, and he’d get his slingshot taken away.
Armand lunged for Alexander just as he let go. Armand knocked his arm to the side, and instead of hitting the window, the rock flew up high past the castle turrets, and knocked the ear off a gargoyle.
The two boys stared for a minute, and then Alexander said, “I never noticed that gargoyle up there.”
“Is it the only one?”
“Kinda looks like it from here.” He waited a beat and then said, “We should go check it out.”
“Are you crazy? It’s on like… the highest tower!”
“Yeah, but look at that window, if you gave me a boost, we could make it.”
It was a little farther than Alexander anticipated. Even on Armand’s shoulders, he couldn’t quite reach the edge of the roof to hoist himself up. On the two-foot terrace, Armand teetered.
“How many bricks do you have in your pockets?” he grumbled.
“Whoa!” Alexander wind-milled his arms. “Hold steady, you weakling.” He stretched out an arm--- sooo close. “I’ve almost got it! Move up, move up!”
Armand grunted as Alexander’s foot twisted into his neck. “Hurry and grab it before my spine telescopes.”
“Got it!” Alexander swung, dangling, from the rooftop. He twisted his head to glare down at Armand. “Hey--- don’t let go! Hold me up!”
Armand crossed his arms over his chest. “Forget it. You can support your own weight, bowling ball butt.”
Alexander scowled and wiggled himself, squirming for the top, trying to swing his leg up for leverage. He hung, limp, after several failed tries. “I can’t get it. Just give a boost, will you?”
Armand smirked and stepped forward. He stuck his finger in his mouth and got it nice and wet. Alexander’s eyes widened. “Are you nuts? What are you--- noo!”
He shrieked as Armand tried to stretch up and stick his wet finger in his brother’s ear. He jabbed and Alexander squirmed. “Hey-- no-- stop! OhcrapI’mfalling---” He yelled and landed directly on top of Armand.
THUMP.
“Nice landing. I’m probably paralyzed.”
“Except for your mouth, obviously. Give me my shoe.”
“No.”
After a few shoves and twists and insults, they got themselves upright, feet dangling off the terrace. They didn’t quite make the gargoyle, but it was still a long way up. And the tower connected to the turret and terrace was an isolated one, not used by anyone in the castle.
The sun didn’t set, because there wasn’t really a sun in Chimera, but it the light became dusky and more bluish. Armand yawned and Alexander kicked his feet languidly through the open air, their argument already forgotten.
“Hey look--- a firefly!” Alexander pointed, his face one of pure boyish delight. The glowing bug made a looping pattern around them and then disappeared. Alexander scrunched up his face, his shoulders hunching. After a moment, he twisted around, looking down his back at his butt.
Armand raised an eyebrow. “Your rear hasn’t lit, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I don’t even know which muscle to flex.”