Advent Noion

8

lepfnanbol calls out from within the helm above, "we're here now!"

she jumps from the couch, excitedly looking out a side window, "let me take a look-"

the spirit-house is situated atop a winding cliff with just enough space to maintain its footing. beyond the window, the helix-studded chasm endlessly stretched out ahead affords a view comparable to the forgotten starry night skies aboveground.

horrified, she backs away from the glass, "i wish i didn't look."

he remains, looking out with awe, "the helix is actually pretty..."

she makes her way to the helm ladder as lepfnanbol climbs down, "lepa, where are we? i still don't see anything outside."

lepfnanbol motions above, walking to the library, "etla, climb up and see for yaself. i can trade my brews and resupply."

she climbs up the ladder, repeating after him, looking outside once more, "etla, et la la..."

the chasm crosses over, creating an impassable separation between two sections of buildings jutting out from face of the cliff, situated dangerously on either side of a long and narrow bridge.

-

she tugs on his shawl, dragging him along through the shabby market, "hey, look! he's got noion."

he groans, feeling his empty back pocket, sighing, "ugh, i wish i had lak."

she grins, looking at the noion, before coughing loudy, bumping him into the stall, knocking all the noion off, "kah! watch it!"

she winks to him.

the vendor angrily shouts at him, pushing him back, securing the fallen noion, "hey, you! keep away from my stall!"

she grabs a bundle of noion as the vendor turns away, placing it behind her back as the vendor replaces his noion back onto the stall.

-

she walks with jfion along the edge of the lane just outside town, when a childish voice calls out from behind, "i saw what you did! you stole his noion."

she turns around, hiding the noion behind her, smiling nervously, "eh, what! what are you-"

the boy points, glaring at her, "behind your back! i watched you steal it."

he notices the noion, finally understanding the situation, nodding, "hmm, so that's what happened."

she laughs at the boy, "haha! big deal, i only took some noion."

the boy glares at her, "it wasn't yours to take!"

~crunch~

she bites into a stick, mocking the boy, "it's mine now, see?"

the boy walks over, intent on retrieving the noion, "you can't do-"

she swoops the small boy up by his coveralls, hanging him out over the railing, laughing, "ha! i can't do what?"

the boy screams, looking to him for help, "ahhh! help!"

he sits down, watching the boy's shoes flail about, "if he keeps it a secret, it should be fine."

-

they sit together near the edge, their feet off into the twinkling light below, listening to the clanking metal sounds and croaking bugs around them.

he looks down at the noion on his lap, thinking back to midheaven, "why were you in the infirmary?"

she leans back, smiling, "i wasn't?"

he glances at her neck, "you must have forgotten. were you there from a head injury?"

she frowns, "maybe. i don't know, but i might have done something bad."

he faces her, confused, "bad?"

she nods, "i don't remember why, but i felt bad everytime i looked at clarel's face."

he shrugs, "she seemed fine to me."

she looks away, "yeah, but kampo and some detective also said things-"

she pulls a cigarette from her sleeve, placing it between her lips, "but i know clarel's fine, i even asked her before leaving..."

silence.

~crunch~

she leans forward, examing the sticks on his lap, grinning, "you sure enjoy that stuff."

he grins, "bolmoa grows noion-"

~crunch~

she interrupts, recoiling from the crunchy stick, "eh, that nasty stuff?"

he continues speaking with a mouthful, "but the fields became too bright, so we started tunneling-"

she plays with a lighter, trying to start a flame.

he swallows the noion, gulping, "and they found a special helix underground-"

she interrupts, looking into the chasm, "a special drill?"

he nods, looking down over the edge, "yes, but no one is allowed near it."

she sucks away her cigarette, "why? what would happen?"

he crosses his arms, "i don't know."

silence.

she bumps his shoulder, pointing ahead through exhaled smoke to the sparkling chasm, "what about this? much better than some boring tunnel helix!"

-

she groans under the weight of a jug of brew, "eugghhh! why do you have so much, lepa?"

lepfnanbol smiles, pushing an empty dolley back toward the stack of crates, laughing at her, "haha! ya don't have to do that when i got this, ya know?"

she dismisses lepfnanbol as she finally reaches the door of the warehouse, "ha! i can't let you do all the-"

~crash~

he opens the door, knocking her down, cracking the jug, and spilling brew everywhere.

lepfnanbol leans against the crates, looking down at the mess, "what was that about helpin me out?"

he apologizes, "forgive me! i was coming out to help with-"

lepfnanbol shoos them away, laughing, "haha! you two, go and play inside now! can't have ya helpin out like this any more..."

she lays in the dirt, defeated, licking red brew off her arm.

-

the boy shrieks, "ah, it's her again!"

she growls at the boy from across the room as the older woman kneels down, "you shouldn't react to our guests like that, aufri-dear."

she kneels alongside the older woman, "aufri, eh-"

she pulls his cheeks apart, teasing him, "hello there."

the older woman giggles, "hehe, look at that. so cute, aufri!"

he enters, dragging in a bundle of blankets from the other room.

lepfnanbol kisses the older woman's hand, looking around the place, "this will work fine, thank ya aujien!"

aujien blushes, "stay as long as you like, lepfnanbol!"

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aan