Esanx
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- Posted: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 00:06:31 +0000
"How do you make love potions?" wondered Leyi, looking to her teacher.
"Love potions?" scoffed Vil, her sagging jowls flapping with her response. "Why?"
"Just curious," sighed the girl, watching a young couple walk by the window. They look so happy. Their hands seemed to fit together perfectly. Their faces were redder than the blood herbs that Leyi sliced earlier. She rapped her fingers against her leg. These fingers were made for holding and intertwining.
Vil followed the girl's gaze and frowned when she spotted the couple. "So you're thinking of cheating on your betrothed?"
"Betrothed?" squeaked Leyi, hopping in her seat. "I'm betrothed? To who? Is he handsome?" The questions fell from her lips like petals from hastily plucked flower.
"Child, child," began Vil, silencing the girl with a wave of her calloused, scarred hand. "You're betrothed to your work." Leyi's excitement shriveled. "And one day, you'll become a true alchemist like myself." She gave Leyi a toothless smile.
"But can't I do both?" whined Leyi, rocking in her seat with her legs swinging.
"Both? Explain, child."
"Can't I find love and learn alchemy?"
"Oh, certainly! Anyone can learn alchemy, whether they be in love or alone. But if you wish to master it, then you must devote your life to it." The elderly woman slumped forward and looked over Leyi. "And you do want to master it, do you not?"
"I think I can do both," exclaimed the girl, thrusting herself forward to meet Vil's glare. "I bet I can!"
Vil shook her head slowly and eased back into her chair. She closed her eyes and hummed. "Child, you cannot," she mumbled with closed eyes. "Trust me, no one can."
"Maybe they never tried hard enough," offered Leyi, shuffling in her chair to move it closer to her teacher.
"They've tried, deary. Trust me."
"But they've never tried as hard as me. You said I have a real talent for this." reminded the girl, scooting closer on her seat.
"Talent is only a helping hand, child. Real accomplishment comes from hard work."
"But I work hard! Really hard! I stay up later than the sun itself!" Her nose now touched her teacher's. Vil opened her eyes and grunted.
"You're awfully close, child," warned Vil, pulling her face away.
"Close to finding love!" mewled Leyi. She widened her eyes and made her lips tremble. "Let me try, at least!"
Vil twisted and turned, but Leyi only moved closer. "Oh, fine!" roared the elderly alchemist, throwing up her hands in defeat. "But if you begin to slack on your studies, the lad goes."
"Lad?" Leyi's face twisted in confusion and she yanked away.
"The boy you want to be with." groaned Vil, exhaling.
"I don't have a boy yet. Or a girl." confessed the young alchemist, blushing.
"Then why did you want to make a love potion so badly? Or get my approval?"
"Oh, I want to find love, that's all!" She jumped from her chair. "So I'm going to go find it now!"
"You can't find love in one day!" shouted Vil as Leyi raced out of the room. "And move your chair back to where it was!"
Leyi returned with her head lowered as she pushed the chair back to its original spot. "Better?"
"Better, child."
"Yay!" She ran through the room and stopped before the shop's exit "Ready or not, here I come!" bellowed the girl, punching the door open.
"Be gentle with the door, dear." called out Vil.
"Y-Yes, ma'am." apologized Leyi, closing the door gently behind her as she left.
She saw boys her age race by with sticks in their hands while calling themselves knights. One glanced at her, and she felt her face heat up as their eyes met. I-I forgot the love potion!
"Love potions?" scoffed Vil, her sagging jowls flapping with her response. "Why?"
"Just curious," sighed the girl, watching a young couple walk by the window. They look so happy. Their hands seemed to fit together perfectly. Their faces were redder than the blood herbs that Leyi sliced earlier. She rapped her fingers against her leg. These fingers were made for holding and intertwining.
Vil followed the girl's gaze and frowned when she spotted the couple. "So you're thinking of cheating on your betrothed?"
"Betrothed?" squeaked Leyi, hopping in her seat. "I'm betrothed? To who? Is he handsome?" The questions fell from her lips like petals from hastily plucked flower.
"Child, child," began Vil, silencing the girl with a wave of her calloused, scarred hand. "You're betrothed to your work." Leyi's excitement shriveled. "And one day, you'll become a true alchemist like myself." She gave Leyi a toothless smile.
"But can't I do both?" whined Leyi, rocking in her seat with her legs swinging.
"Both? Explain, child."
"Can't I find love and learn alchemy?"
"Oh, certainly! Anyone can learn alchemy, whether they be in love or alone. But if you wish to master it, then you must devote your life to it." The elderly woman slumped forward and looked over Leyi. "And you do want to master it, do you not?"
"I think I can do both," exclaimed the girl, thrusting herself forward to meet Vil's glare. "I bet I can!"
Vil shook her head slowly and eased back into her chair. She closed her eyes and hummed. "Child, you cannot," she mumbled with closed eyes. "Trust me, no one can."
"Maybe they never tried hard enough," offered Leyi, shuffling in her chair to move it closer to her teacher.
"They've tried, deary. Trust me."
"But they've never tried as hard as me. You said I have a real talent for this." reminded the girl, scooting closer on her seat.
"Talent is only a helping hand, child. Real accomplishment comes from hard work."
"But I work hard! Really hard! I stay up later than the sun itself!" Her nose now touched her teacher's. Vil opened her eyes and grunted.
"You're awfully close, child," warned Vil, pulling her face away.
"Close to finding love!" mewled Leyi. She widened her eyes and made her lips tremble. "Let me try, at least!"
Vil twisted and turned, but Leyi only moved closer. "Oh, fine!" roared the elderly alchemist, throwing up her hands in defeat. "But if you begin to slack on your studies, the lad goes."
"Lad?" Leyi's face twisted in confusion and she yanked away.
"The boy you want to be with." groaned Vil, exhaling.
"I don't have a boy yet. Or a girl." confessed the young alchemist, blushing.
"Then why did you want to make a love potion so badly? Or get my approval?"
"Oh, I want to find love, that's all!" She jumped from her chair. "So I'm going to go find it now!"
"You can't find love in one day!" shouted Vil as Leyi raced out of the room. "And move your chair back to where it was!"
Leyi returned with her head lowered as she pushed the chair back to its original spot. "Better?"
"Better, child."
"Yay!" She ran through the room and stopped before the shop's exit "Ready or not, here I come!" bellowed the girl, punching the door open.
"Be gentle with the door, dear." called out Vil.
"Y-Yes, ma'am." apologized Leyi, closing the door gently behind her as she left.
She saw boys her age race by with sticks in their hands while calling themselves knights. One glanced at her, and she felt her face heat up as their eyes met. I-I forgot the love potion!