The Puzzle Got Broken
Aug. 2nd, 2010 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momemordrid There's a little frog living under our new air conditioning unit. :)
Anyway,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
writerighton had a fiction prompt of "puzzle" and "limits." Thought I'd give it a shot! I interpreted the prompts a bit literally, heh. ^_^;
characters: Arzti the Witch, Matteen and Jeriah (both around eight in this fic)
-
"Dad, Dad," Matteen said, tugging on Arzti's sleeve. "Dad, I'm bored."
Jeriah stood off to the side. He knew his father's spell had made it so Arzti couldn't notice him, but he was still afraid of the witch.
Arzti sighed. "I'm very busy right now, Matteen. Here, take this and go fly in another room." He gave something to Matteen, who ran off with it. Jeriah chased off after his cousin.
Aparently Arzti had given Matteen a puzzle. The pieces were cross-shaped clear crystals. Matteen was already examining the picture of how the completed puzzle was supposed to look when Jeriah followed him into the room. Jeriah took one look at the picture before finding fault with it. "No fair, he gave you a magic puzzle!"
"No he didn't."
"Yes he did, look at the picture! There's no way the pieces can set that way without magic," Jeriah insisted.
"No, that's just, that's just--the lower pieces are holding those up, see? That just a trick of the, an optical illusion, I mean."
Jeriah wasn't convinced, but agreed to help work on the puzzle. Matteen got distracted shortly afterwards and started playing with a top in the corner. Not long after that, Jeriah threw a piece across the room.
"What?!" Matteen exclaimed, startled.
"This is impossible! I told you it's a magic puzzle."
"So use magic," Matteen suggested reasonably as he fetched the thrown piece, his interest in the puzzle rekindled.
"I'm not wasting my time trying to figure out which vever to draw to solve a stupid puzzle." Jeriah looked almost as if he was pouting.
"Don't be like that," Matteen said absently as he examined the pieces. "Look, there are little lines on the ends."
"They're all the same."
"Oh, are they?" Matteen looked crestfallen. "Wait, no they're not! If, um, I mean, if you turn them this way they're--give that back!" He grabbed for the piece, but Jeriah held it out of reach.
"No, you're wasting your time," the brunet insisted, swatting at his cousin with his free hand. "You're too stupid, you'll just hurt yourself!"
"I'm not stupid, I've figured it out, give it back! You're stupid!"
"Am not!"
"Are too, how could I--could I hurt myself with a puzzle?"
"You hurt yourself with a pretzel!"
"You bit me!" Matteen lunged for the piece, slugging Jeriah in the process.
"Ow! You jerk, I'm bleeding!"
"Quit biting your lips then, ya crybaby," Matteen mumbled, trying to work on the puzzle.
Jeriah jumped on him and the rolled around on the floor, hitting and insulting each other.
"Stupid!"
"Ugly!"
"Fat!"
"What?!"
"You're fat!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Th-that's, that's muscle!"
"Muscle don't jiggle!"
Matteen had had quite enough of that, and managed to break away and grab a chair.
"WHAT THE DEPTHS ARE YOU DOING?!" bellowed Arzti suddenly. He was standing in the doorway, shaking.
Matteen shamefacedly replaced the chair while Jeriah shrieked and darted out the door. He prayed the spell wouldn't end now. He had never seen the little man so angry! He wasn't upset with his cousin anymore, he was worried about him. He lingered just outside the door.
Arzti pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a shuddering sigh. "Matteen, what are you doing?" he repeated in a calmer tone.
"Nothing."
"What were you doing with that chair then?"
Matteen stared at his feet. "Was trying to hit Jeriah," he admitted sullenly.
"Boy, I am at the limits of my patience with you!" Arzti shouted, losing it again. "For the last time, trying to hit your imaginary friend is not a good reason to break my furniture!"
"He's not imaginary, he's my cousin!" Matteen insisted, stomping his foot. "And I hate him," he added, staring right at Jeriah.
Jeriah squeaked. If the spell wore off now, Arzti would see him for sure! He ran off to hide in another part of the tower.
Anyway,
writerighton had a fiction prompt of "puzzle" and "limits." Thought I'd give it a shot! I interpreted the prompts a bit literally, heh. ^_^;characters: Arzti the Witch, Matteen and Jeriah (both around eight in this fic)
-
"Dad, Dad," Matteen said, tugging on Arzti's sleeve. "Dad, I'm bored."
Jeriah stood off to the side. He knew his father's spell had made it so Arzti couldn't notice him, but he was still afraid of the witch.
Arzti sighed. "I'm very busy right now, Matteen. Here, take this and go fly in another room." He gave something to Matteen, who ran off with it. Jeriah chased off after his cousin.
Aparently Arzti had given Matteen a puzzle. The pieces were cross-shaped clear crystals. Matteen was already examining the picture of how the completed puzzle was supposed to look when Jeriah followed him into the room. Jeriah took one look at the picture before finding fault with it. "No fair, he gave you a magic puzzle!"
"No he didn't."
"Yes he did, look at the picture! There's no way the pieces can set that way without magic," Jeriah insisted.
"No, that's just, that's just--the lower pieces are holding those up, see? That just a trick of the, an optical illusion, I mean."
Jeriah wasn't convinced, but agreed to help work on the puzzle. Matteen got distracted shortly afterwards and started playing with a top in the corner. Not long after that, Jeriah threw a piece across the room.
"What?!" Matteen exclaimed, startled.
"This is impossible! I told you it's a magic puzzle."
"So use magic," Matteen suggested reasonably as he fetched the thrown piece, his interest in the puzzle rekindled.
"I'm not wasting my time trying to figure out which vever to draw to solve a stupid puzzle." Jeriah looked almost as if he was pouting.
"Don't be like that," Matteen said absently as he examined the pieces. "Look, there are little lines on the ends."
"They're all the same."
"Oh, are they?" Matteen looked crestfallen. "Wait, no they're not! If, um, I mean, if you turn them this way they're--give that back!" He grabbed for the piece, but Jeriah held it out of reach.
"No, you're wasting your time," the brunet insisted, swatting at his cousin with his free hand. "You're too stupid, you'll just hurt yourself!"
"I'm not stupid, I've figured it out, give it back! You're stupid!"
"Am not!"
"Are too, how could I--could I hurt myself with a puzzle?"
"You hurt yourself with a pretzel!"
"You bit me!" Matteen lunged for the piece, slugging Jeriah in the process.
"Ow! You jerk, I'm bleeding!"
"Quit biting your lips then, ya crybaby," Matteen mumbled, trying to work on the puzzle.
Jeriah jumped on him and the rolled around on the floor, hitting and insulting each other.
"Stupid!"
"Ugly!"
"Fat!"
"What?!"
"You're fat!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Th-that's, that's muscle!"
"Muscle don't jiggle!"
Matteen had had quite enough of that, and managed to break away and grab a chair.
"WHAT THE DEPTHS ARE YOU DOING?!" bellowed Arzti suddenly. He was standing in the doorway, shaking.
Matteen shamefacedly replaced the chair while Jeriah shrieked and darted out the door. He prayed the spell wouldn't end now. He had never seen the little man so angry! He wasn't upset with his cousin anymore, he was worried about him. He lingered just outside the door.
Arzti pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a shuddering sigh. "Matteen, what are you doing?" he repeated in a calmer tone.
"Nothing."
"What were you doing with that chair then?"
Matteen stared at his feet. "Was trying to hit Jeriah," he admitted sullenly.
"Boy, I am at the limits of my patience with you!" Arzti shouted, losing it again. "For the last time, trying to hit your imaginary friend is not a good reason to break my furniture!"
"He's not imaginary, he's my cousin!" Matteen insisted, stomping his foot. "And I hate him," he added, staring right at Jeriah.
Jeriah squeaked. If the spell wore off now, Arzti would see him for sure! He ran off to hide in another part of the tower.
