For the micro stories, 30 or 41 for pillars of eternity 👀
thanks for the ask!! this one got away from me
micro-story 1-word prompts
Bianca sets aside the stack of laundry she's been carrying and, with a conspiratorial wink, motions for him to do the same. Lorenzo hesitates for a moment, then complies; she's acting strange, but there's probably a good reason for it.
"We have a lot of work here, right, aimico?" she asks him.
Lorenzo nods. It's just how laundry day is; at least they're doing the drying and not the washing, with all the sharp-smelling powders that make you dizzy about an hour in.
Bianca smiles.
"Well, what if I told you we could make it easier for us? You're ten years old now, a big boy; I think I can show you a little secret."
He's not sure what she means, but the way she says it makes this "secret" sound fun. He nods again; it earns him an approving look.
"Good boy," Bianca says. "I'm going to teach you a song. If you sing it right, you will work much faster - but you can't sing it when others are around, ac? Especially not when Master Riccardo is near. This is only for you and me, do you understand?"
He nods.
"Gellarde! Now, watch."
She straightens her back and takes a deep, noisy breath, then lets it out; it looks a little funny, but Lorenzo doesn't say anything. She takes another breath, and... it's not a song; it's more like a harsh whisper, her voice coming out breathy and hushed, as she pushes words out of her chest in a fast, even rhythm.
"Blessed was Fulgor, quickest of his tribe. Faster than arrows, light as wind."
She finishes the sentence, and then says it again. This time, Lorenzo notices, she sways a little on her feet, stomping out the same rhythm she speaks. She still looks funny, he thinks, and part of him worries that someone will pass by and they'll get in trouble for dancing instead of working; but the sound of Bianca's voice becomes strange as she recites the sentence a third time. It's a little deeper, now, and there's a quiet echo to it that wasn't there before; he can feel it as a buzz in his teeth.
"Blessed was Fulgor, quickest of his tribe. Faster than arrows, light as wind."
Now he feels the buzz in his spine, too, and in his arms and legs. It's an antsy feeling; suddenly it's hard to keep standing still, and he finds himself stomping along with Bianca's little dance, just to ease it off.
She notices him shuffling in place and nods shortly; then, way quicker than he's ever seen her move, she bends down, snatches her stack of laundry from the floor and begins to walk - almost skip - along the hallway, never stopping her "song". He hurries after her, and finds that it's easier than he thought; his body feels light, and the stack of sheets in his hands feels like it barely weighs anything.
As they walk, Lorenzo mouths the words to himself, trying to make sure he'll remember them later.
"Blessed was Fulgor, quickest of his tribe. Faster than arrows, light as wind."
She's not just saying words, he realizes as they turn the corner sooner than they ought have. She's matching them to her breathing and to her steps; it's more like a dance than a song, at this point.
He tries to match his steps and breathing to hers.
"Blessed was Fulgor, quickest of his tribe. Faster than arrows, light as wind."
Usually it takes a while to walk from the balconies back to the laundry room; it feels like they make the walk twice as fast. Only when the door is in sight does Bianca stop; he nearly stumbles into her, catching himself at the last second, just as she catches her breath, like she's been running.
She turns to him with a wide smile and shifts her stack to one hand to pat him on the shoulder with the other; she knows not to try ruffling his hair.
"Gellarde! You understand; I heard you sing along. You were a little off-rhythm, but you'll learn. You see how useful this is, ac?"
Lorenzo opens his mouth to respond, and realizes suddenly that he, too, is out of breath; not only that, but his throat stings a little, like after a harsh cough. He nods instead.
Bianca squeezes his shoulder.
"That's right, rest your voice. The first time is always a little taxing, but soon it will be easy for you; I can tell."
With her free hand, she picks up the other pile of laundry from him, and, from between two towering stacks of folded sheets, winks at him again.
"You'll make a great chanter, aimico."
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