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yrae
Title~ Apple
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All mine
Notes~ Talechasing mini-challenge, the word being 'apple'. As you may have guessed from the map of Assiraz the other day, I'm doing a bit more planning with the place. As such, here's part one of that. Introducing an upper-middle-class family who you'll see more of to characterise Assiraz. There'll also be a much poorer family coming along at some point. For now, welcome to Assiraz!
~ ~ ~
Aasia strode confidently through the cobbled streets of Assiraz’s Old City, her chin held high. It had taken some time for her to grow accustomed to the richly decorated old streets, but now, after having worked here for nearly thirty years, she not only belonged here, Aasia was a prominent figure.
‘Do get a shuffle-on, Reshin,’ she called over her shoulder, then turned and cast him a cheeky grin to show him she was joking.
Reshin gave a weary smile back. The cart he drew every morning rattled along behind him, heavy with milk bottles and boxes of fruit and anything else Aasia saw fit to pluck from the market stalls.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve considered my idea?’ Reshin half-panted.
‘You mean the horse idea?’ Aasia shook her head. ‘They’re inconvenient. We’d have nowhere to keep it at home, and even less places to keep it at the bar. And besides, if I got a horse, what use would I have for you then?’ She gave him another playful grin. Despite how long they had been together, the man still needed her reassurance that Aasia wouldn’t look for another.
‘I’m getting old,’ Reshin protested. ‘I won’t be able to do—’
‘Oh, nonsense,’ Aasia snapped. ‘You’re still younger than me, and I still manage everything just as well as I did ten years ago.’
She heard his anguished sigh over the rattling wooden cart, but he said nothing more. She gave a self-satisfied nod and readjusted her family Colours—bright yellow-green with an edging of white and pale pink. Just like an apple with a blossom, Reshin had called it when they first met. Aasia smiled quietly at the memory, just as her own Apple came into view around the corner.
Aasia had been very particular about the location for her cocktail bar. She wanted it far enough up the hill of Assiraz that her customers would have a perfect view of the setting sun, but not so far up that she missed out on the hill’s underground seepage. The sound of running water made people feel more relaxed, more inclined to buy another drink before they saw themselves on their way.
The bright green awning, matching Aasia’s own Colours, stretched out over the narrow street. Beside it, the stout old apple tree Aasia had planted when she had first opened the business was decorated with hundreds of pink buds. She had expected it would be in flower today, but only a small handful had burst since last night.
Reshin disappeared down the side of the building as Aasia unlocked the heavy street-frontage door and pushed it open. Inside, the tinkle of the underground spring sparkled by the far wall. She had fashioned the building to give her ‘creek’ a very particular route. It tumbled from the back wall in a little waterfall and ran along the edge of the building. At the front, it turned and crossed the floor where Aasia had a pair of bridges crossing it, then tumbled down another small waterfall and into a pond, where a half-dozen bright green and orange fish sparkled like jewels. From there, it drained unseen to the scullery, into a trough to keep her bottles of drink cool.
Aasia crossed the room and unlocked the huge concertina doors at the proper front of the building, then pushed them aside to open the room out. She stood there for a moment, looking out over the Old City and chewing her top lip again as she narrowed her eyes at one particular tree. In a few years, if it wasn’t cut down, that tree would grow above the horizon, blocking her perfect sunset view.
She huffed and turned back inside. ‘Is the boy here yet?’ she called down the stairs to Reshin.
‘Khaled?’ Reshin’s voice floated up from behind the bar. ‘No, not yet. It’s probably best for him.’
Aasia sighed. Reshin was right. Their son had completed his army training only last week. As much as she wanted to keep their family together, she knew the army was certainly the best place for Khaled.
She had once hoped her daughter would take over Apple when she was of age, but her mind was clearly wasted on cocktails. She worked at the palace now, and while she was hugely proud of her daughter, a small part of her was sad for her little bar, and for her family finally leaving the roost.
‘We’re going to need more staff,’ she mumbled, folding her arms under her chest.
Reshin’s footsteps clattered up the stairs and he panted as he gripped the banister. ‘What’s that?’ he asked.
Aasia shook her head. ‘Nothing, just talking to myself.’ She nodded towards the tables, stacked up and waiting inside, and gave him another cheeky grin. ‘If the boy’s not turning up, then I’ll need your help with these.’
Reshin’s shoulders sagged for just a moment, but he stepped out from behind the bar anyway. ‘We’re going to need more staff,’ he said.
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All mine
Notes~ Talechasing mini-challenge, the word being 'apple'. As you may have guessed from the map of Assiraz the other day, I'm doing a bit more planning with the place. As such, here's part one of that. Introducing an upper-middle-class family who you'll see more of to characterise Assiraz. There'll also be a much poorer family coming along at some point. For now, welcome to Assiraz!
Aasia strode confidently through the cobbled streets of Assiraz’s Old City, her chin held high. It had taken some time for her to grow accustomed to the richly decorated old streets, but now, after having worked here for nearly thirty years, she not only belonged here, Aasia was a prominent figure.
‘Do get a shuffle-on, Reshin,’ she called over her shoulder, then turned and cast him a cheeky grin to show him she was joking.
Reshin gave a weary smile back. The cart he drew every morning rattled along behind him, heavy with milk bottles and boxes of fruit and anything else Aasia saw fit to pluck from the market stalls.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve considered my idea?’ Reshin half-panted.
‘You mean the horse idea?’ Aasia shook her head. ‘They’re inconvenient. We’d have nowhere to keep it at home, and even less places to keep it at the bar. And besides, if I got a horse, what use would I have for you then?’ She gave him another playful grin. Despite how long they had been together, the man still needed her reassurance that Aasia wouldn’t look for another.
‘I’m getting old,’ Reshin protested. ‘I won’t be able to do—’
‘Oh, nonsense,’ Aasia snapped. ‘You’re still younger than me, and I still manage everything just as well as I did ten years ago.’
She heard his anguished sigh over the rattling wooden cart, but he said nothing more. She gave a self-satisfied nod and readjusted her family Colours—bright yellow-green with an edging of white and pale pink. Just like an apple with a blossom, Reshin had called it when they first met. Aasia smiled quietly at the memory, just as her own Apple came into view around the corner.
Aasia had been very particular about the location for her cocktail bar. She wanted it far enough up the hill of Assiraz that her customers would have a perfect view of the setting sun, but not so far up that she missed out on the hill’s underground seepage. The sound of running water made people feel more relaxed, more inclined to buy another drink before they saw themselves on their way.
The bright green awning, matching Aasia’s own Colours, stretched out over the narrow street. Beside it, the stout old apple tree Aasia had planted when she had first opened the business was decorated with hundreds of pink buds. She had expected it would be in flower today, but only a small handful had burst since last night.
Reshin disappeared down the side of the building as Aasia unlocked the heavy street-frontage door and pushed it open. Inside, the tinkle of the underground spring sparkled by the far wall. She had fashioned the building to give her ‘creek’ a very particular route. It tumbled from the back wall in a little waterfall and ran along the edge of the building. At the front, it turned and crossed the floor where Aasia had a pair of bridges crossing it, then tumbled down another small waterfall and into a pond, where a half-dozen bright green and orange fish sparkled like jewels. From there, it drained unseen to the scullery, into a trough to keep her bottles of drink cool.
Aasia crossed the room and unlocked the huge concertina doors at the proper front of the building, then pushed them aside to open the room out. She stood there for a moment, looking out over the Old City and chewing her top lip again as she narrowed her eyes at one particular tree. In a few years, if it wasn’t cut down, that tree would grow above the horizon, blocking her perfect sunset view.
She huffed and turned back inside. ‘Is the boy here yet?’ she called down the stairs to Reshin.
‘Khaled?’ Reshin’s voice floated up from behind the bar. ‘No, not yet. It’s probably best for him.’
Aasia sighed. Reshin was right. Their son had completed his army training only last week. As much as she wanted to keep their family together, she knew the army was certainly the best place for Khaled.
She had once hoped her daughter would take over Apple when she was of age, but her mind was clearly wasted on cocktails. She worked at the palace now, and while she was hugely proud of her daughter, a small part of her was sad for her little bar, and for her family finally leaving the roost.
‘We’re going to need more staff,’ she mumbled, folding her arms under her chest.
Reshin’s footsteps clattered up the stairs and he panted as he gripped the banister. ‘What’s that?’ he asked.
Aasia shook her head. ‘Nothing, just talking to myself.’ She nodded towards the tables, stacked up and waiting inside, and gave him another cheeky grin. ‘If the boy’s not turning up, then I’ll need your help with these.’
Reshin’s shoulders sagged for just a moment, but he stepped out from behind the bar anyway. ‘We’re going to need more staff,’ he said.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-25 07:51 pm (UTC)Plus it'll make 'em pee more and fit more drink in.
Anyway, I like this =D It's nice to see something other than politics from Kazin! Such a cute little family life and I loooove the description of the cocktail bar =D
Ha, you thought I wasn't going to comment on this.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-27 12:48 am (UTC)Of course I knew you were going to comment on this <3! I love you~