Like Daughter, Like Mother
Tiny Way Of Life
chapter 38
by
copier
· original author:
a27293
"Want to talk about it?" Tien asks you, her tone gone suddenly coy, teasing, as she reaches out towards you. It reminds you of her daughter's. A knowing smirk adorns her face. You're about to back away from her approaching hand, when suddenly it stops and spreads flat, landing palm-up on the table. Inviting you to step on. "Come on," she says abruptly, standing up. "Join me for a drink? I want to talk to you about something."
"I-" you hesitate, as she stands over you expectantly, holding her hand out in front of you, fearing some kind of trap. You've all but forgotten about borrowing her phone. "I'm not, uh. Old enough to drink..."
You trail off, uncertainly, recognizing the irony. You hadn't been shy about admitting your teen drinking habits before, a fact that isn't lost on her. With a curt, dismissive chuckle, she lifts her other hand up to wag a finger at you scoldingly. "Come on, Stevie." She taunts, still holding her other hand out for you. Apparently, she hadn't missed her daughter's slip-up from earlier. "Did you forget your manners while you were out in the sewers? When a pretty girl invites you for a drink, you should accept," she chides. "Otherwise, she'll feel unwanted."
Tien smirks at you some more, as you struggle to come up with an answer. Honestly, you doubt you could have sparred with this woman a year ago, and your conversational skills are, admittedly, a little rustier since.
"Besides," she adds, seeing the cat, figuratively, grasp hold your tongue, "I can't be worse than all those friends of yours. No chance you'll end up in the drink this time, promise." She adds with a wink and a grin, causing you to blush again.
Well. There's no answering that, so you just step forward onto her hand instead. Swiftly, but smoothly, it rises, bringing you up to the level of her shoulder. "That's the spirit!" Your new friend's mother chirps, starting to walk.
Willing yourself to take deep breaths, to focus, you note that for all her care and candor, she's still holding you, either deliberately or subconsciously, below her eye level. When she talks, she's talking down to you. You're looking up at her. Subtle, but not insignificant. The power dynamic is clear. Still, she seems to be taking care to step gently and hold you steadily as she moves, then stops. "How do you take your drinks?" She asks, as if it just occurred to her.
"Straight." You answer. You've never been picky.
"No." Tien shakes her head. You note the play of her ponytail around her neck and shoulders. "I mean, what do you drink it out of?"
"Oh." Fair point. You think back. "My friends had a thing we made. We took a thimble, and dipped it in candle wax. More like a bucket than a beer glass, even for me, but it worked."
"Mmm..." Tien frowns slightly, thinking. One finger of her other hand tapping against her lips, drawing your attention. "I don't have a thimble," she says, snapping you out of it all of a sudden. "Maybe a toothpaste cap, washed out?" You're surprised you hadn't thought of that earlier. "That'd work," you answer, trying not to sound impressed. "If it's washed really clean, I guess." She nods, then goes on walking out of the kitchen.
At first, you think she's taking you to the living room, where you spotted a liquor cabinet earlier... but, she's not. To your surprise and increasing anxiety, she turns the other way down the hall, and opens the door to what you assume to be the master bedroom. What's going on, here? You wonder.
Then, you see that across the room there's the door to the master bath, which lies ajar. Without commenting, Tien starts to hum as she takes you inside - a familiar tune. Last time you heard someone humming it, you realize, you were being thrown around inside her mouth as you passed through this very room. You recognize the bathroom from Sora's photoshoot. You start to fidget, which Tien notices and seems to find amusing. Holding back laughter, she sets you down on the counter, then pulls a tube of toothpaste from one of the drawers.
"Relax, would you?" She reassures you, showing you the tube and making a show of twisting the cap off.
Oh.
Sora's mom washes the toothpaste cap out for you while you watch. First with just hot water, scrubbing the grooves out with a toothbrush from the cabinet above. Is that her toothbrush? No, don't think about it. Don't be weird. Then with rubbing alcohol from the same cabinet. Then water again.
"All right, off we go?" She asks kindly, handing you the cap and then holding her hand out. You take it and step on, less nervously this time. You sniff the cap, detecting just the slightest air of mint. Well, it'll have to do. For all her teasing, it seems like the doctor's just somewhat fond of you - maybe because she studied you all those years ago, or maybe because you get along with her daughter. Who knows? In any case, she doesn't seem mad about how her daughter was playing with you.
...well, at least not so far.
Not that you were at fault for any of it, but still...
You've just about stopped worrying and started to relax, when you see her grab something off the dresser as you pass by it, en route to the bedroom door, and slip it in her pocket. The camera. She gives you another one of those wicked little teasing grins, seeing you recognize it, and coming to the bedroom door she...
"I-" you hesitate, as she stands over you expectantly, holding her hand out in front of you, fearing some kind of trap. You've all but forgotten about borrowing her phone. "I'm not, uh. Old enough to drink..."
You trail off, uncertainly, recognizing the irony. You hadn't been shy about admitting your teen drinking habits before, a fact that isn't lost on her. With a curt, dismissive chuckle, she lifts her other hand up to wag a finger at you scoldingly. "Come on, Stevie." She taunts, still holding her other hand out for you. Apparently, she hadn't missed her daughter's slip-up from earlier. "Did you forget your manners while you were out in the sewers? When a pretty girl invites you for a drink, you should accept," she chides. "Otherwise, she'll feel unwanted."
Tien smirks at you some more, as you struggle to come up with an answer. Honestly, you doubt you could have sparred with this woman a year ago, and your conversational skills are, admittedly, a little rustier since.
"Besides," she adds, seeing the cat, figuratively, grasp hold your tongue, "I can't be worse than all those friends of yours. No chance you'll end up in the drink this time, promise." She adds with a wink and a grin, causing you to blush again.
Well. There's no answering that, so you just step forward onto her hand instead. Swiftly, but smoothly, it rises, bringing you up to the level of her shoulder. "That's the spirit!" Your new friend's mother chirps, starting to walk.
Willing yourself to take deep breaths, to focus, you note that for all her care and candor, she's still holding you, either deliberately or subconsciously, below her eye level. When she talks, she's talking down to you. You're looking up at her. Subtle, but not insignificant. The power dynamic is clear. Still, she seems to be taking care to step gently and hold you steadily as she moves, then stops. "How do you take your drinks?" She asks, as if it just occurred to her.
"Straight." You answer. You've never been picky.
"No." Tien shakes her head. You note the play of her ponytail around her neck and shoulders. "I mean, what do you drink it out of?"
"Oh." Fair point. You think back. "My friends had a thing we made. We took a thimble, and dipped it in candle wax. More like a bucket than a beer glass, even for me, but it worked."
"Mmm..." Tien frowns slightly, thinking. One finger of her other hand tapping against her lips, drawing your attention. "I don't have a thimble," she says, snapping you out of it all of a sudden. "Maybe a toothpaste cap, washed out?" You're surprised you hadn't thought of that earlier. "That'd work," you answer, trying not to sound impressed. "If it's washed really clean, I guess." She nods, then goes on walking out of the kitchen.
At first, you think she's taking you to the living room, where you spotted a liquor cabinet earlier... but, she's not. To your surprise and increasing anxiety, she turns the other way down the hall, and opens the door to what you assume to be the master bedroom. What's going on, here? You wonder.
Then, you see that across the room there's the door to the master bath, which lies ajar. Without commenting, Tien starts to hum as she takes you inside - a familiar tune. Last time you heard someone humming it, you realize, you were being thrown around inside her mouth as you passed through this very room. You recognize the bathroom from Sora's photoshoot. You start to fidget, which Tien notices and seems to find amusing. Holding back laughter, she sets you down on the counter, then pulls a tube of toothpaste from one of the drawers.
"Relax, would you?" She reassures you, showing you the tube and making a show of twisting the cap off.
Oh.
Sora's mom washes the toothpaste cap out for you while you watch. First with just hot water, scrubbing the grooves out with a toothbrush from the cabinet above. Is that her toothbrush? No, don't think about it. Don't be weird. Then with rubbing alcohol from the same cabinet. Then water again.
"All right, off we go?" She asks kindly, handing you the cap and then holding her hand out. You take it and step on, less nervously this time. You sniff the cap, detecting just the slightest air of mint. Well, it'll have to do. For all her teasing, it seems like the doctor's just somewhat fond of you - maybe because she studied you all those years ago, or maybe because you get along with her daughter. Who knows? In any case, she doesn't seem mad about how her daughter was playing with you.
...well, at least not so far.
Not that you were at fault for any of it, but still...
You've just about stopped worrying and started to relax, when you see her grab something off the dresser as you pass by it, en route to the bedroom door, and slip it in her pocket. The camera. She gives you another one of those wicked little teasing grins, seeing you recognize it, and coming to the bedroom door she...
16 views
·
June 2
Log in to comment