Post by Taxx on Jan 16, 2020 23:56:27 GMT -5
T'vir had smiled in the moment before Vitra wrapped her arms around him in a hug, but his return embrace was short before his hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back to arm's length. "You're taller," he commented, one hand moving to rest on top of her head to measure her new height; she pushed it away but laughed.
"And older. I'm just a Turn behind you now! It's so good to see you both- I've missed you so much."
"You just left this morning, little sister," T'vir replied, and she was pretty sure he was standing straighter now, taking advantage of the height he still had over her, if not the age anymore- and there was a definite emphasis on the little.
Vitra ignored it, but rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Not for me. This morning for you was... so long ago for me. But it was worth it!" She spun toward Tucseth again, who was now staring at Brauth, who'd edged up beside T'vir to stare at the strange new blue who had Impressed to his rider's sibling. "If I hadn't gone, I'd never have Impressed this soon. His name is Tucseth. Isn't he the most handsome blue?" She grinned at her dragon; he dipped his head to nudge her with his nose. I am, he replied with no attempt at modesty, and Vitra huffed a short laugh as she rested a hand against his muzzle.
"He's very handsome," Aleni agreed, and offered a bow to the blue. "It's lovely to meet you, Tucseth. I'm glad to see my sister found a lifemate while she was away." She smiled as the blue bent his head to her, and Riyobith who stood at her side, humming a greeting to them both.
"You would be," T'vir muttered, flashing a sour look at Aleni before turning back to Vitra. "No gold wanted you, then? Just a blue?"
Just a blue? Tucseth repeated, a low hiss punctuating the words, and Vitra bristled with him, squaring up against her brother. "Tucseth isn't just a blue. He's my blue, and he chose me. There weren't any golds in the clutch at all. I didn't want one- nothing against Riyobith!" she added to Aleni and her own gold, who remained silent and watchful. "But I wished for a blue, and I got one, and I'm happy. What else matters?"
"Nothing." Aleni replied first. "You got your perfect partner, and I'm happy for you."
"You know what Dad says," T'vir argued, a harder frown crossing his face with just a fleeting look at the blue whose gaze was fixed on him. "You shouldn't have run away from them, Vitra. And now you've gone and..."
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Vitra interrupted, suddenly aware of the fact that T'vil would find out- who knew when- and would look for her. Her arms wound around Tucseth's head and she hugged him, feeling his hiss shift to a low comforting croon.
"No. You asked me not to and I didn't. But he'll know, Vitra, and you know as well as I do that he won't be happy. You were supposed to..."
"Stuff it, T'vir," Aleni broke in. "Can't you just be happy for her? She got what she's wanted since you left, since she saw you Impress Brauth. And now she's got it. Why should she be any less deserving of that than you or me?"
"I wasn't talking to you!" T'vir snapped, whirling on Aleni. "This is your fault anyway! Just like you twisted the mind of that gold, now you've got to my sister. Now you're turning her into a freak just like you!"
Between the three there was silence that stretched on; Vitra stared at T'vir, stunned by his words. Was that really what he thought? How was he blaming Aleni? She'd been so young when Aleni had left Benden Hold, she'd barely remembered her when she'd come here. If she hadn't seen her at T'vir's Impression, she probably wouldn't have recognized her at all. In the course of hours, T'vir thought Aleni had brainwashed her? Not to mention the insult leveled at Aleni- and at her.
Freak? Tucseth's voice barely registered, or his gentle search for the meaning of the word. She barely felt the heat of his anger and distaste for the slur against his rider; she felt only her own disbelief at her brother's attitude, the twin surges of hurt and self-satisfaction that welled within her as Aleni looked away and T'vir openly sneered at the goldrider.
"T'vir!" Vitra's voice rang out sharp, anger driving out everything else for one fleeting moment, and when her brother turned to look at her, she drew back her arm and then struck, her palm landing true in a slap across his face. His head snapped to the side and his hand lifted to press against his cheek, already turning pink from the impact. His eyes were wide and shock flooded her, both T'vir and Aleni gaping at her. Brauth wailed, eyes spinning rapidly from red to yellow as he lunged, only to skid to a halt as Tucseth snarled, wings unfurling as he loomed behind Vitra. The stout blue moaned, his head edging toward T'vir to nuzzle his rider, careful not to do anything the bigger might deem a threat.
"Do not," Vitra began, taking a step toward her brother and poking a finger at his chest, "ever say that again. If you want to stay away from her, that's your choice. But she is my sister and I support her for being who she is, for being true to herself. As I have."
T'vir didn't say anything, just stared at her, and after a moment she stepped back again. "I'm sorry for that. But come on, let's just get along. Okay? There's so much I want to tell you both! It's been such an adventure!"
"And older. I'm just a Turn behind you now! It's so good to see you both- I've missed you so much."
"You just left this morning, little sister," T'vir replied, and she was pretty sure he was standing straighter now, taking advantage of the height he still had over her, if not the age anymore- and there was a definite emphasis on the little.
Vitra ignored it, but rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Not for me. This morning for you was... so long ago for me. But it was worth it!" She spun toward Tucseth again, who was now staring at Brauth, who'd edged up beside T'vir to stare at the strange new blue who had Impressed to his rider's sibling. "If I hadn't gone, I'd never have Impressed this soon. His name is Tucseth. Isn't he the most handsome blue?" She grinned at her dragon; he dipped his head to nudge her with his nose. I am, he replied with no attempt at modesty, and Vitra huffed a short laugh as she rested a hand against his muzzle.
"He's very handsome," Aleni agreed, and offered a bow to the blue. "It's lovely to meet you, Tucseth. I'm glad to see my sister found a lifemate while she was away." She smiled as the blue bent his head to her, and Riyobith who stood at her side, humming a greeting to them both.
"You would be," T'vir muttered, flashing a sour look at Aleni before turning back to Vitra. "No gold wanted you, then? Just a blue?"
Just a blue? Tucseth repeated, a low hiss punctuating the words, and Vitra bristled with him, squaring up against her brother. "Tucseth isn't just a blue. He's my blue, and he chose me. There weren't any golds in the clutch at all. I didn't want one- nothing against Riyobith!" she added to Aleni and her own gold, who remained silent and watchful. "But I wished for a blue, and I got one, and I'm happy. What else matters?"
"Nothing." Aleni replied first. "You got your perfect partner, and I'm happy for you."
"You know what Dad says," T'vir argued, a harder frown crossing his face with just a fleeting look at the blue whose gaze was fixed on him. "You shouldn't have run away from them, Vitra. And now you've gone and..."
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Vitra interrupted, suddenly aware of the fact that T'vil would find out- who knew when- and would look for her. Her arms wound around Tucseth's head and she hugged him, feeling his hiss shift to a low comforting croon.
"No. You asked me not to and I didn't. But he'll know, Vitra, and you know as well as I do that he won't be happy. You were supposed to..."
"Stuff it, T'vir," Aleni broke in. "Can't you just be happy for her? She got what she's wanted since you left, since she saw you Impress Brauth. And now she's got it. Why should she be any less deserving of that than you or me?"
"I wasn't talking to you!" T'vir snapped, whirling on Aleni. "This is your fault anyway! Just like you twisted the mind of that gold, now you've got to my sister. Now you're turning her into a freak just like you!"
Between the three there was silence that stretched on; Vitra stared at T'vir, stunned by his words. Was that really what he thought? How was he blaming Aleni? She'd been so young when Aleni had left Benden Hold, she'd barely remembered her when she'd come here. If she hadn't seen her at T'vir's Impression, she probably wouldn't have recognized her at all. In the course of hours, T'vir thought Aleni had brainwashed her? Not to mention the insult leveled at Aleni- and at her.
Freak? Tucseth's voice barely registered, or his gentle search for the meaning of the word. She barely felt the heat of his anger and distaste for the slur against his rider; she felt only her own disbelief at her brother's attitude, the twin surges of hurt and self-satisfaction that welled within her as Aleni looked away and T'vir openly sneered at the goldrider.
"T'vir!" Vitra's voice rang out sharp, anger driving out everything else for one fleeting moment, and when her brother turned to look at her, she drew back her arm and then struck, her palm landing true in a slap across his face. His head snapped to the side and his hand lifted to press against his cheek, already turning pink from the impact. His eyes were wide and shock flooded her, both T'vir and Aleni gaping at her. Brauth wailed, eyes spinning rapidly from red to yellow as he lunged, only to skid to a halt as Tucseth snarled, wings unfurling as he loomed behind Vitra. The stout blue moaned, his head edging toward T'vir to nuzzle his rider, careful not to do anything the bigger might deem a threat.
"Do not," Vitra began, taking a step toward her brother and poking a finger at his chest, "ever say that again. If you want to stay away from her, that's your choice. But she is my sister and I support her for being who she is, for being true to herself. As I have."
T'vir didn't say anything, just stared at her, and after a moment she stepped back again. "I'm sorry for that. But come on, let's just get along. Okay? There's so much I want to tell you both! It's been such an adventure!"
