Sunshine Challenge 3: Yellow
Jul. 18th, 2020 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icecheetahFrom Sunshine Challenge 3
Prompt 3: Yellow
Yellow is a bright color that is associated with a variety of things including: joy, enlightenment, enthusiasm, alertness, danger, clarity, summer, expression, deceit, cowardice, confidence, satisfaction, and optimism.
All I feel is celestial desire
A distant joy is dancing all around me
All I see is yellow in the spring air
How beautifully the color worked itself in —CITIZEN, “Yellow Love”
Yellow can be a polarizing color, for some invoking the bright joy of optimism ... while serving as a symbol of duplicitous gutlessness for others. When has yellow been a prominent color in your life? Were you torn in two directions, or was its meaning clear?
In which Cinderella recieves a warning
Part 1
Part 2
Chapter 3: yellow
The woman at the door, Selene presumably, hadn't even opened her mouth before Thandi started to pull on Cindarella's hand. "Ella...Ella! Don't go yet! Play with me!" Her face was... creased. Frowning. Must've really not wanted Cinderella to go in.
"Thandi!" Ms. Architect scolded, "Let her rest! We don't know how long she's travelled!"
Selene, probably, laughed, her entire body flowing into it and her hands embracing the space in front of her mouth. "Oh my Ella! She's rather attached already."
"It's Cinderella-"
Selene, most likely, ceased her laughing to smile at Cinderella with a gentle glow, "Sorry Cinderella. Please, call me Selene. I came here to be a shepherd!" And she grasped Cinderella's hand for a shake. The hand was silken, delicate. Perhaps too delicate for that of a shepherd. Certainly so much so that Cinderella's hands, worn and roughened by a childhood of work, ought to scrape it all away.
Cinderella held that hand as loosely as she could.
And Thandi tossed herself into Cinderella's leg. "Ella! Ella! Come with me to see Grandma tomorrow! You'll need to wake up really really early! She lives in the forest and it's a long walk and she's really nice and-"
"Thandi..." Ms. Architect's voice was just tired. "Please..."
"Ella! Promise me!"
"... sure... ."
Ms. Architect grasped Thandi's shoulders, to pull her away. "Let's go home now." And she looked up to Selene. "If you are okay with Cinderella staying with you?"
"It would be my pleasure," Selene replied, her smile so broad it closed her eyes. She opened them for Cinderella. "I do hope we can get along."
"... yeah... ."
With a turn, Selene stepped and drew Cinderella into the house. "There is one spare bed, do you have much with you?"
"...no... ." Cinderella cast her gaze down at her patchwork dress. All that remained of the life she'd burned; the scraps she'd made her own, and nothing compared to the soft luxury Selene wore.
"Well, that makes things quite simple," Selene said, her voice's delight drawing Cinderella's gaze upwards again, "How fortunate you are, to truly get a fresh start! But first... sit down. I must do something about your hands!"
Hands? Of course. Selene would have felt how rough they were. And now the ashes and the dirt in the cracks and bends transfixed Cinderella. She scarcely noticed that she'd obeyed. Not until Selene emerged again, and so Cinderella stayed still.
Selene bore a jar filled with some yellow, waxy substance. "This should take care of everything!" she said, sitting down and opening it. The scent, a powerful, sweet and completely unfamiliar one, filled the air. And with a simple command, "Your hand, please?" Selene started to apply the wax.
It was not a wax.
The poultice was made with tiny, blunt, crystals. At first Cinderella through glass, but they slowly vanished and never, ever cut, even as they scraped away the dirt and old skin. When one hand was covered, and Selene moved onto the next, Cinderella licked it.
"...salt?"
Selene smacked Cinderella's hand down. "We do not lick these things. What may go safely on the skin might be poison to the tongue."
Cinderella stopped breathing. And waited.
All her attention returned to Cinderella's hand, Selene said, "But yes. You're right. Salt."
That... was it? Nothing more?
"The salt and the oils should soften your skin quite nicely."
Cinderella breathed.
If Selene noticed, she didn't react at all.
Cinderella dared lean forwards slightly. "Where did you get all this salt? Isn't it... expensive."
"Ah!" Selene closed... scrunched her eyes. "Where we... where I come from there's salt mines! I brought plenty when I moved here."
That could make sense bu-
"Now," Selene broke Cinderella's thoughts, "I should warn you. Thandi's Grandmother lives in the forest." She looked away, focused, on a wall. "I think there's wolves in there."
"What?"
"Sometimes our sheep vanish and never return. No matter how much we search or call," Selene turned back. "Wait a moment please." And again she vanished into another room. This time... she returned with a sword. A lavishly decorated sword, with gems in the hilt and scabbard. "If you're quite capable of carrying it, any wolves should know well enough to be wary of strangers wielding swords."
"Wait,where did you get this‽"
"Oh... well... it was... ." Selene took a deep breath, "It was to be my dowry."
Dowry? Such an exquisite sword was a DOWRY?
"Don't misunderstand," Selene continued, "It's quite traditional where I'm from. However, my husband-to-not-be fell for the blacksmith's son and-"
Cinderella opened her mouth for a question.
"-well, it was an arranged marriage in which no love was lost, but he was most dreadfully sorry about-"
Cinderella closed her mouth. Question unasked but answered.
"-the whole ordeal so gave it to me. Now!" Selene clapped, "I would be most distressed if my suspicions were confirmed with your disappearance, so please accept this gift."
The both of them were still, Cinderella did not answer.
And so Selene continued, "If you find that wielding a sword suits you, I'm sure someone in the nearby village could train you." She leaned over, and brushed Cinderella's shoulder. "We could ask when I get you some new clothes."
"You-"
Cinderella's stomach grumbled.
"Oh my!" Selene tossed her hands to her own mouth as if she wanted to catch the words. Or the red glow blooming on her face. "OF COURSE you'd be famished! My apologies. Please, stay still. I'll prepare something. As for your rat... I'll set out a bowl of milk, should she or any other need it."
"You don't-"
"Nonsense! Please rest!"
Cinderella sat back down. Ordered to rest. Ordered to not work. Given a sword. By a stranger... . Cinderella touched her shoulder where Selene had, the place where she still felt its presence.
It wasn't... it was pleasant.
Prompt 3: Yellow
Yellow is a bright color that is associated with a variety of things including: joy, enlightenment, enthusiasm, alertness, danger, clarity, summer, expression, deceit, cowardice, confidence, satisfaction, and optimism.
All I feel is celestial desire
A distant joy is dancing all around me
All I see is yellow in the spring air
How beautifully the color worked itself in —CITIZEN, “Yellow Love”
Yellow can be a polarizing color, for some invoking the bright joy of optimism ... while serving as a symbol of duplicitous gutlessness for others. When has yellow been a prominent color in your life? Were you torn in two directions, or was its meaning clear?
In which Cinderella recieves a warning
Part 1
Part 2
Chapter 3: yellow
The woman at the door, Selene presumably, hadn't even opened her mouth before Thandi started to pull on Cindarella's hand. "Ella...Ella! Don't go yet! Play with me!" Her face was... creased. Frowning. Must've really not wanted Cinderella to go in.
"Thandi!" Ms. Architect scolded, "Let her rest! We don't know how long she's travelled!"
Selene, probably, laughed, her entire body flowing into it and her hands embracing the space in front of her mouth. "Oh my Ella! She's rather attached already."
"It's Cinderella-"
Selene, most likely, ceased her laughing to smile at Cinderella with a gentle glow, "Sorry Cinderella. Please, call me Selene. I came here to be a shepherd!" And she grasped Cinderella's hand for a shake. The hand was silken, delicate. Perhaps too delicate for that of a shepherd. Certainly so much so that Cinderella's hands, worn and roughened by a childhood of work, ought to scrape it all away.
Cinderella held that hand as loosely as she could.
And Thandi tossed herself into Cinderella's leg. "Ella! Ella! Come with me to see Grandma tomorrow! You'll need to wake up really really early! She lives in the forest and it's a long walk and she's really nice and-"
"Thandi..." Ms. Architect's voice was just tired. "Please..."
"Ella! Promise me!"
"... sure... ."
Ms. Architect grasped Thandi's shoulders, to pull her away. "Let's go home now." And she looked up to Selene. "If you are okay with Cinderella staying with you?"
"It would be my pleasure," Selene replied, her smile so broad it closed her eyes. She opened them for Cinderella. "I do hope we can get along."
"... yeah... ."
With a turn, Selene stepped and drew Cinderella into the house. "There is one spare bed, do you have much with you?"
"...no... ." Cinderella cast her gaze down at her patchwork dress. All that remained of the life she'd burned; the scraps she'd made her own, and nothing compared to the soft luxury Selene wore.
"Well, that makes things quite simple," Selene said, her voice's delight drawing Cinderella's gaze upwards again, "How fortunate you are, to truly get a fresh start! But first... sit down. I must do something about your hands!"
Hands? Of course. Selene would have felt how rough they were. And now the ashes and the dirt in the cracks and bends transfixed Cinderella. She scarcely noticed that she'd obeyed. Not until Selene emerged again, and so Cinderella stayed still.
Selene bore a jar filled with some yellow, waxy substance. "This should take care of everything!" she said, sitting down and opening it. The scent, a powerful, sweet and completely unfamiliar one, filled the air. And with a simple command, "Your hand, please?" Selene started to apply the wax.
It was not a wax.
The poultice was made with tiny, blunt, crystals. At first Cinderella through glass, but they slowly vanished and never, ever cut, even as they scraped away the dirt and old skin. When one hand was covered, and Selene moved onto the next, Cinderella licked it.
"...salt?"
Selene smacked Cinderella's hand down. "We do not lick these things. What may go safely on the skin might be poison to the tongue."
Cinderella stopped breathing. And waited.
All her attention returned to Cinderella's hand, Selene said, "But yes. You're right. Salt."
That... was it? Nothing more?
"The salt and the oils should soften your skin quite nicely."
Cinderella breathed.
If Selene noticed, she didn't react at all.
Cinderella dared lean forwards slightly. "Where did you get all this salt? Isn't it... expensive."
"Ah!" Selene closed... scrunched her eyes. "Where we... where I come from there's salt mines! I brought plenty when I moved here."
That could make sense bu-
"Now," Selene broke Cinderella's thoughts, "I should warn you. Thandi's Grandmother lives in the forest." She looked away, focused, on a wall. "I think there's wolves in there."
"What?"
"Sometimes our sheep vanish and never return. No matter how much we search or call," Selene turned back. "Wait a moment please." And again she vanished into another room. This time... she returned with a sword. A lavishly decorated sword, with gems in the hilt and scabbard. "If you're quite capable of carrying it, any wolves should know well enough to be wary of strangers wielding swords."
"Wait,where did you get this‽"
"Oh... well... it was... ." Selene took a deep breath, "It was to be my dowry."
Dowry? Such an exquisite sword was a DOWRY?
"Don't misunderstand," Selene continued, "It's quite traditional where I'm from. However, my husband-to-not-be fell for the blacksmith's son and-"
Cinderella opened her mouth for a question.
"-well, it was an arranged marriage in which no love was lost, but he was most dreadfully sorry about-"
Cinderella closed her mouth. Question unasked but answered.
"-the whole ordeal so gave it to me. Now!" Selene clapped, "I would be most distressed if my suspicions were confirmed with your disappearance, so please accept this gift."
The both of them were still, Cinderella did not answer.
And so Selene continued, "If you find that wielding a sword suits you, I'm sure someone in the nearby village could train you." She leaned over, and brushed Cinderella's shoulder. "We could ask when I get you some new clothes."
"You-"
Cinderella's stomach grumbled.
"Oh my!" Selene tossed her hands to her own mouth as if she wanted to catch the words. Or the red glow blooming on her face. "OF COURSE you'd be famished! My apologies. Please, stay still. I'll prepare something. As for your rat... I'll set out a bowl of milk, should she or any other need it."
"You don't-"
"Nonsense! Please rest!"
Cinderella sat back down. Ordered to rest. Ordered to not work. Given a sword. By a stranger... . Cinderella touched her shoulder where Selene had, the place where she still felt its presence.
It wasn't... it was pleasant.
💛
Date: 2020-07-19 03:19 am (UTC)Re: 💛
Date: 2020-07-20 08:38 pm (UTC)Me too, to a degree!
no subject
Date: 2020-07-19 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-20 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-08-18 02:41 am (UTC)