inkstains: contest 47, rebirth
May. 2nd, 2012 07:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
1stmatecontent note: abuse
Elia picked herself up off the immaculate floor of the kitchen, noting disconnectedly that her blood was ruining the blue and white color scheme of the room. She crossed the room on autopilot to fetch the sponge from under the sink and wet it. The linoleum was hard beneath her knees as she sank beside the small puddle, and she frowned at the floor as the blood reappeared just as soon as she had finished wiping it up. Her hand rose slowly to her face, wrist pressing under her nose, but it came away clean. Not broken, then. Not this time. The blood must be coming from somewhere else, perhaps her split eyebrow.
Anthea thundered back into the kitchen, fists clenched at her sides this time. "Have you at least got my fucking dinner ready?" she demanded, and Elia watched as another drop of blood slide from her face into the tiny pool beneath her.
"We have one apple and a case of Ramen in this pantry," she replied slowly, certain of the response her words would bring. "Even I can't make dinner magically appear in the absence of food."
Anthea did not disappoint: one fist slammed into the wall next to her before a foot connected with her gut from below. "I left the car with you today so you could go buy some fucking food."
"Cars tend to require petrol, and petrol requires money - as does food."
"Some homemaker you are, if you can't even balance a goddamn checkbook before you run out of money. Why don't you just make the food appear on the table, or at least make the car run without gas?" No punches landed, and Elia stared transfixed at the minuscule ripples as another drop of blood joined the others on the floor.
She sighed heavily and dragged her eyes from the morbid art to her wife's face. "I have a job in Canton."
Anthea didn't move for a long moment, apparently assimilating this new information. "No," she said finally.
"I start Monday."
"No."
"Billy Reynolds took me on as an accountant for--"
"I said no!"
Elia looked at the sponge still in her hand, contemplated wiping her forehead with it, and thought better of it. "I'll be able to buy the food, and it's only part time, so I'll still cook and everything." She dropped the sponge and watched it tumble to the floor in slow motion, imagining she could hear the dull thwack as it hit, somewhat wet on the corner that landed in her blood. "Anth...."
"You swore to me you'd never work outside of the home. You swore it on your wedding ring."
Elia curled her legs under her body and took a deep breath. "You swore I would never have to."
"And you don't. It's summer again. Business always picks up once school's out. Call Billy Reynolds right now and tell him--"
"No."
Anthea drew herself up, even as Elia slowly dragged herself to feet.
"This is my decision, Anth. Look at us. No savings. Twelve dollars to our collective names, with twelve thousand of debt. Living in your parents' house. My parents would help us if you'd just--"
"I'm not turning to the likes of them for help."
Elia smiled slowly. "And it comes out. You do remember that I'm also--"
"You're nothing like them."
"Because you think I gave it up to live with you?"
Anthea froze.
"Only when you're home. And you were quick enough a minute ago to suggest I use it to feed you."
"You promised."
Elia shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I promised to uphold your reputation and never let anyone know about my magic. To do the first, I've had to heal myself more times than I can count, this past month."
"You can't work in Canton without letting your secret out."
"As an accountant, I can."
Anthea let out a deep growl. "I hunt wizards for a living, El! You can't fucking work for one and expect me to keep my job!"
"The job that doesn't put food on the table that isn't even ours?" Elia reached for her wife, but the other woman jerked away from her. "You're always taking on the pro bono cases, baby. If I'm working, you can keep doing that without worrying about us."
"If you're using magic, I don't want you in my house anyway."
She nodded slowly and snapped her fingers once. Two suitcases floated casually down the hall, and Anthea stared at them in horror. "In that case, you'll want to move out in the next couple of months, because your own brother is about to manifest." She strode easily around the other woman and out into the sunshine, already planning how best to take the boy under her wing now that she didn't have the family connection anymore. Someone would have to help him control magical outburst on school holidays, or his well-meaning sister would hunt him just as ruthlessly as she had Elia.
Elia picked herself up off the immaculate floor of the kitchen, noting disconnectedly that her blood was ruining the blue and white color scheme of the room. She crossed the room on autopilot to fetch the sponge from under the sink and wet it. The linoleum was hard beneath her knees as she sank beside the small puddle, and she frowned at the floor as the blood reappeared just as soon as she had finished wiping it up. Her hand rose slowly to her face, wrist pressing under her nose, but it came away clean. Not broken, then. Not this time. The blood must be coming from somewhere else, perhaps her split eyebrow.
Anthea thundered back into the kitchen, fists clenched at her sides this time. "Have you at least got my fucking dinner ready?" she demanded, and Elia watched as another drop of blood slide from her face into the tiny pool beneath her.
"We have one apple and a case of Ramen in this pantry," she replied slowly, certain of the response her words would bring. "Even I can't make dinner magically appear in the absence of food."
Anthea did not disappoint: one fist slammed into the wall next to her before a foot connected with her gut from below. "I left the car with you today so you could go buy some fucking food."
"Cars tend to require petrol, and petrol requires money - as does food."
"Some homemaker you are, if you can't even balance a goddamn checkbook before you run out of money. Why don't you just make the food appear on the table, or at least make the car run without gas?" No punches landed, and Elia stared transfixed at the minuscule ripples as another drop of blood joined the others on the floor.
She sighed heavily and dragged her eyes from the morbid art to her wife's face. "I have a job in Canton."
Anthea didn't move for a long moment, apparently assimilating this new information. "No," she said finally.
"I start Monday."
"No."
"Billy Reynolds took me on as an accountant for--"
"I said no!"
Elia looked at the sponge still in her hand, contemplated wiping her forehead with it, and thought better of it. "I'll be able to buy the food, and it's only part time, so I'll still cook and everything." She dropped the sponge and watched it tumble to the floor in slow motion, imagining she could hear the dull thwack as it hit, somewhat wet on the corner that landed in her blood. "Anth...."
"You swore to me you'd never work outside of the home. You swore it on your wedding ring."
Elia curled her legs under her body and took a deep breath. "You swore I would never have to."
"And you don't. It's summer again. Business always picks up once school's out. Call Billy Reynolds right now and tell him--"
"No."
Anthea drew herself up, even as Elia slowly dragged herself to feet.
"This is my decision, Anth. Look at us. No savings. Twelve dollars to our collective names, with twelve thousand of debt. Living in your parents' house. My parents would help us if you'd just--"
"I'm not turning to the likes of them for help."
Elia smiled slowly. "And it comes out. You do remember that I'm also--"
"You're nothing like them."
"Because you think I gave it up to live with you?"
Anthea froze.
"Only when you're home. And you were quick enough a minute ago to suggest I use it to feed you."
"You promised."
Elia shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I promised to uphold your reputation and never let anyone know about my magic. To do the first, I've had to heal myself more times than I can count, this past month."
"You can't work in Canton without letting your secret out."
"As an accountant, I can."
Anthea let out a deep growl. "I hunt wizards for a living, El! You can't fucking work for one and expect me to keep my job!"
"The job that doesn't put food on the table that isn't even ours?" Elia reached for her wife, but the other woman jerked away from her. "You're always taking on the pro bono cases, baby. If I'm working, you can keep doing that without worrying about us."
"If you're using magic, I don't want you in my house anyway."
She nodded slowly and snapped her fingers once. Two suitcases floated casually down the hall, and Anthea stared at them in horror. "In that case, you'll want to move out in the next couple of months, because your own brother is about to manifest." She strode easily around the other woman and out into the sunshine, already planning how best to take the boy under her wing now that she didn't have the family connection anymore. Someone would have to help him control magical outburst on school holidays, or his well-meaning sister would hunt him just as ruthlessly as she had Elia.
