#tal-vashoth

Harding stepped back up to the counter and scrambled up onto the high counter. Not only were the shelves in this house absurdly high, but the counters were too. Stupid, blasted qunari and their stupid tall bodies. Her attempt to get onto the counter failed, and she dropped back to the floor with another sigh. This was starting to feel like it was more trouble than it was worth, but she was determined to make some semblance of a good impression. With a frown she looked around and spotted a stool. Herding ran over and grabbed it, carrying it back to the counter.

With the addition of the stool, she was able to get up onto the counter on her knees. Balancing was a little precarious and she reached up for the bowl she was looking for. Blast it, she still couldn’t reach it. When Taash got back she was going to kick them in both shins. Still muttering to herself she looked around and then stood up on the counter. She would not make a good impression if she got caught putting her feet all over the kitchen counters. Harding could hear Ma cussing her out all the way from Ferelden.

But! She managed to get her hands on the bowl. Harding let out a small whoop of success and bent down to put the bowl on the counter. Good. Now she could start mixing her favorite salad. Taash said that Shathann preferred light foods with lots of vegetables and fruit. And she didn’t have to actually cook anything to make it. Now that the bowl was secured she could get down, and she turned to drop off the counter. One of the cabinet doors hit her back, but she paid it no mind. Until she dropped one foot off the counter and suddenly found herself hanging free, hoisted by her own pants.

“What?!” Harding shouted and scrabbled through the air, trying to grab anything that would give her enough leverage to get back to the counter. Andraste, please spare her this humiliation. Harding grumbled angrily as she strained to reach the other cabinet door. “Come on, please,” she begged. She would even go back to services if she could just get out of this.

The sound of a throat clearing was like ice in her veins. Harding dropped her hands and turned her head to look at the doorway. Shathann and Taash stood side by side, shadowed by the bright light pouring in behind them. Well, at least Taash was amused. Shathann, on the other hand, looked… Pissed? Offended? Maker’s breath, the woman was impossible to read. Taash had a point. Shathann always looked unimpressed at best. And now here she was, dangling from her kitchen cabinets like some sort of kitchen gremlin.

“Hi,” Harding managed awkwardly to break the silence. Where was a sudden darkspawn horde when you needed one? Or, this was Rivain, maybe some possessed skeletons or something. Anything to disrupt this moment. Maybe she could spontaneously combust.

“Mom, this is Lace,” Taash said, not able to hide the amusement in their voice at all. “Lace, this is my Mom.” Shathann just shook her head slightly and gave Taash a nudge before turning and walking over to the table where she seemed to keep her research. Taash crossed the small house to Harding easily and grabbed her gently under her arms, lifting her off the knob her pants were caught on. To further Harding’s humiliation, Taash did not put her down immediately, instead holding her up at eye height.

“So um… what happened here?” Harding narrowed her eyes in annoyance.