18 Cylus 720
"My friend Bert, the large stuffed bunny, thinks that you're being rude."
The bickering children silenced at once and spun around to lay eyes on Yeva, a red haired maiden holding up a plush rabbit, hand crocheted and made of taffy pink yarn. Beside her stood the caretaker, whom she thanked, although the words were quickly drowned out by the shrill sounds of cheers, "Yeva's here! Yeva's here!"
Three of the children rushed forward, jumping over discarded toys to barrel through the doorway and bury their face into her legs, tiny hands grabbing onto her cloak, "You smell good!"
"What's that!"
"Is that for us?"
"Easy," Yeva laughed, gently shooing them all backwards while Ms. Hounsworth tried to assist in calming down their new wave of excitement, "I brought you some gifts, if that's alright," she glanced over at the matron who nodded with a smile. Yeva lowered the rabbit first, well received by Nicolette, a sweet girl standing in a brown smock dress and a single loose sock. The other was no where to be seen, neither on the floor, nor by the small table where they had all been gathered before interrupting, chipped teacups and faded teapot hinting at a little party. She hadn't quite heard the disagreement, but from what she gathered outside the door, someone had taken one too many biscuits and that had sent a flurry of name calling, "I hope you know that it's not nice to say mean things. Even when someone else makes us mad."
"Lucan told me to eat sand first!" Nicolette whined on the defensive, the bunny clutched to her chest.
"That's cause you were being a real Nellie!"
"That's enough!" Ms. Hounsworth looked mortified and began to put space between the children, "One more word and I'll wash your mouths out with soap! Do you even know what any of that means?" Hands on her hips, she stared the children down, each of them tucking their chin to their chest and pouting, clearly wanting to say more, "I'll have Miss Yeva take those toys right back, I will!"
"NO!" Nicolette looked close to tears, "I love it! Please don't!"
"Then behave yourselves!" she turned towards Lucan, finger wagging "And you! Apologize to Miss Yeva for using such crass language. Honestly, this behavior will not be tolerated and in the presence of guests! I've never-"
Yeva felt a tinge of guilt, somewhat responsible for drawing attention to the orphans. She grimaced but did not interfere, smiling in forgiveness as Lucan muttered his apology, "Thank you for that. Here, this is for you." Yeva reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of jacks and marbles. It seemed to briefly pull Lucan out of his mood, and he gave a soft thanks before retreating back into the room. At last, Eli shuffled forward shyly and Yeva crouched down to take his hands in hers, "Oh, what happened?"
On the little boy's face was a scratchy bandage, stretching across the length of his chubby cheek, "I was running and tripped on some ice."
"You poor thing," Yeva reached out, fingers hovering just beneath his jaw, "Maybe this will make you feel better?"
She handed him a handful of chocolate coins and smiled as he beamed, "Can I look at your face?"
Eli twisted away, shaking his head, "No, it hurts too much."
From across the room, Nicolette looked up from her rabbit, "He wouldn't even let Ms. Hounsworth put any medicine on it!"
"You know medicine will make it feel better, don't you?"
"Not Ms. Hounsworth's. It hurts! And it's stinky!"
"Like cabbage," Lucan added over his shoulder, hunched over and half distracted by the colorful balls of glass on the floor. He favored the blue ones, rolling them in his tiny hand and listening to them clink together.
The bickering children silenced at once and spun around to lay eyes on Yeva, a red haired maiden holding up a plush rabbit, hand crocheted and made of taffy pink yarn. Beside her stood the caretaker, whom she thanked, although the words were quickly drowned out by the shrill sounds of cheers, "Yeva's here! Yeva's here!"
Three of the children rushed forward, jumping over discarded toys to barrel through the doorway and bury their face into her legs, tiny hands grabbing onto her cloak, "You smell good!"
"What's that!"
"Is that for us?"
"Easy," Yeva laughed, gently shooing them all backwards while Ms. Hounsworth tried to assist in calming down their new wave of excitement, "I brought you some gifts, if that's alright," she glanced over at the matron who nodded with a smile. Yeva lowered the rabbit first, well received by Nicolette, a sweet girl standing in a brown smock dress and a single loose sock. The other was no where to be seen, neither on the floor, nor by the small table where they had all been gathered before interrupting, chipped teacups and faded teapot hinting at a little party. She hadn't quite heard the disagreement, but from what she gathered outside the door, someone had taken one too many biscuits and that had sent a flurry of name calling, "I hope you know that it's not nice to say mean things. Even when someone else makes us mad."
"Lucan told me to eat sand first!" Nicolette whined on the defensive, the bunny clutched to her chest.
"That's cause you were being a real Nellie!"
"That's enough!" Ms. Hounsworth looked mortified and began to put space between the children, "One more word and I'll wash your mouths out with soap! Do you even know what any of that means?" Hands on her hips, she stared the children down, each of them tucking their chin to their chest and pouting, clearly wanting to say more, "I'll have Miss Yeva take those toys right back, I will!"
"NO!" Nicolette looked close to tears, "I love it! Please don't!"
"Then behave yourselves!" she turned towards Lucan, finger wagging "And you! Apologize to Miss Yeva for using such crass language. Honestly, this behavior will not be tolerated and in the presence of guests! I've never-"
Yeva felt a tinge of guilt, somewhat responsible for drawing attention to the orphans. She grimaced but did not interfere, smiling in forgiveness as Lucan muttered his apology, "Thank you for that. Here, this is for you." Yeva reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of jacks and marbles. It seemed to briefly pull Lucan out of his mood, and he gave a soft thanks before retreating back into the room. At last, Eli shuffled forward shyly and Yeva crouched down to take his hands in hers, "Oh, what happened?"
On the little boy's face was a scratchy bandage, stretching across the length of his chubby cheek, "I was running and tripped on some ice."
"You poor thing," Yeva reached out, fingers hovering just beneath his jaw, "Maybe this will make you feel better?"
She handed him a handful of chocolate coins and smiled as he beamed, "Can I look at your face?"
Eli twisted away, shaking his head, "No, it hurts too much."
From across the room, Nicolette looked up from her rabbit, "He wouldn't even let Ms. Hounsworth put any medicine on it!"
"You know medicine will make it feel better, don't you?"
"Not Ms. Hounsworth's. It hurts! And it's stinky!"
"Like cabbage," Lucan added over his shoulder, hunched over and half distracted by the colorful balls of glass on the floor. He favored the blue ones, rolling them in his tiny hand and listening to them clink together.
