Summer fic challenge, part 3.
Sep. 17th, 2013 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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And I thought this was going to be the difficult one.
"Richter! Richter, look at this." Aster practically bounced over to the half-elf as he entered the lab, grinning like he was on the world's worst sugar rush and holding up a shining gemstone. "Look, it's perfect - I finally did it! This is the optimal cut for both beauty and protective effect. It reduces the dangers of lightning damage by a full twenty percent while still being stylish enough to wear as an everyday accessory! Here, try it on," he beamed, shoving the stone into Richter's hands while he was still looking too bemused to protest. "Isn't it great?"
Richter blinked slowly, then looked down at the stone, turning it over and over in his hands and watching the flicker-flash of fluorescent light off the polished facets. He did have to admit it was pretty (although he knew he had no eye for aesthetics); it made him think of a piece of sunlight turned tangible, a brilliant golden amber that would surely draw anyone's eye. "It's nice," he agreed, looking up at Aster again, "but is this what you've been working on all morning?"
"All night, thank you." Aster huffed in mock annoyance, folding his arms and trying not to look sheepish. "I was too excited to sleep, alright? I was just so close to finishing up and it was going so well, I couldn't just leave it and risk losing the flow...and besides, now it's done, so I don't have to focus so hard on it anymore! That's a good thing. Really. It is."
Letting out an amused snort, Richter turned the stone over once more before handing it back. "Twenty percent, you said? And...how many times did you let yourself get shocked to prove that one?"
Aster blushed, fidgeting and looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "Um...I lost count at thirty-seven and a half."
Richter sighed. No wonder Aster was so hyper right now.
"Richter! Richter, look at this." Aster practically bounced over to the half-elf as he entered the lab, grinning like he was on the world's worst sugar rush and holding up a shining gemstone. "Look, it's perfect - I finally did it! This is the optimal cut for both beauty and protective effect. It reduces the dangers of lightning damage by a full twenty percent while still being stylish enough to wear as an everyday accessory! Here, try it on," he beamed, shoving the stone into Richter's hands while he was still looking too bemused to protest. "Isn't it great?"
Richter blinked slowly, then looked down at the stone, turning it over and over in his hands and watching the flicker-flash of fluorescent light off the polished facets. He did have to admit it was pretty (although he knew he had no eye for aesthetics); it made him think of a piece of sunlight turned tangible, a brilliant golden amber that would surely draw anyone's eye. "It's nice," he agreed, looking up at Aster again, "but is this what you've been working on all morning?"
"All night, thank you." Aster huffed in mock annoyance, folding his arms and trying not to look sheepish. "I was too excited to sleep, alright? I was just so close to finishing up and it was going so well, I couldn't just leave it and risk losing the flow...and besides, now it's done, so I don't have to focus so hard on it anymore! That's a good thing. Really. It is."
Letting out an amused snort, Richter turned the stone over once more before handing it back. "Twenty percent, you said? And...how many times did you let yourself get shocked to prove that one?"
Aster blushed, fidgeting and looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "Um...I lost count at thirty-seven and a half."
Richter sighed. No wonder Aster was so hyper right now.