Lessons Learned

MERCURY

He cocks his head owlishly to the side,
"Where?" he asks, his tone lilting into amusement. Of course, he couldn't see where Gwyd was looking! His eyes didn't work. Though it would be funny later, perhaps it was a poor joke to make in the interim. Well, for Gwyd anyway. Jupiter, however, slowly creeps out from behind his father to pick up the shiny bug to present it, gently nudging it against his chest until he tilts his narrow head down to take it from him,
"Thank you. I'm sure it's lovely. You must have worked very hard to find one you liked. I know how important bugs are to you, and you wouldn't dare bring me a sub-par one." His voice holds an uncharacteristic warmth that seems reserved only for his child, because it resumes its sarcastic bite once he speaks to Gwydion again,
"And what have you brought me, walking pound of flesh? My child spared you a bit, but you still must pay. Perhaps I should simply take my price from your hide," he pulls himself upright, a ghastly and ghoulish thing of spidery black and gilded silver, and moves forward towards him with such speed and unnatural motion that it could have literally been a jump-scare, especially since he draws almost intimately close, snapping his exposed jaws at him nearly a hairs' width away from the skin of his nose.

"I'll accept an IOU for now. And you will bring me something suitable. But first..... you will apologize to my son."

table by rae - image from Pixabay

Gwydion watched as Jupiter retrieved the bug for his father and his father thanked him for it. He took a few wary steps back and decided that it was probably time he high tailed it out of here. He was just about to make a run for it when jaws snapped dangerously near him and he let out a yelp and ducked. He placed a paw over his eyes and pleaded, "Please don't hurt me!" His tail tucked between his legs and he quivered beneath the beast.

"I'll accept an IOU for now. And you will bring me something suitable. But first..... you will apologize to my son." The russet boy lowered his paw and peered up at the man, then past him to the boy he'd been harassing only moments before. "S-Sorry," he sniveled, trying his best not to start fully crying. He lifted himself back up and took another step back... "It won't happen again," he promised the both of them. That was all he could do before he turned to make a break for it.

[ exit gwydion unless stopped ]

art from raven