[FIN] No One More Precious [Jelanii | Cerith]

[scarlett arbuckle]

Vy

Her eyes narrowed, briefly, as Jelanii questioned her topic of choice, silently daring him to brush it aside. Thankfully, he took the cue for what it was, and she relaxed appreciatively.

Whatever attempts to remain unaffected by his explanations were thrown aside as soon as she heard of their siblings - that one of the triplets never had to experience being a tithe. She closed her eyes for a moment, pushing back a heat in her face that almost overwhelmed her, but opened them again, a sharp breath inhaled through her nose. Their father... he'd always been distant. But working with kappa grass was lucrative - even considering the fact that Obans frequently bought shipments for much less than expected. She'd been a spoiled child, at least as far as material possessions went, for her kind.

The children had been just babes when she left - and she hadn't given them much mind, before - she had had it hammered into her that Jelanii's time was precious. Why turn her gaze from her beloved twin to play with babies, when she would seen them for the rest of their lives? She almost snorted at the thought. Distantly, the idea of returning home to see them had been one of the reasons TO return home. And mother...?

Jelanii trailed off, and for a horrible sinking moment Cerith wondered if her mother was gone. Dead, or enslaved or... fine. Totally fine. She exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding - and she had the urge to reach across the table and smacking him for the temporary scare.

And quickly she wanted to smack him for another reason too. Cerith ground her teeth, briefly, wondering who he'd met - the girl she'd met at the beach - she was the only one she'd met that knew she'd come only to turn back. For a long moment Cerith fought to school her features, but then finally exasperation won - and she stared back at Jelanii, gesturing towards him roughly, "I was going back to a place I haven't been since I was a little girl, Jelanii. I grew up in Oba - I've lived longer in Oba than I did in Matori. And to be honest, standing on that beach, I realized I was homesick."  

[Vy]

Scarlett Arbuckle

"Homesick?" Jelanii asked and for a minute he was truly confused. She was homesick and so went back to Oba. Then it dawned on him what she meant. She was saying that Oba was her home. The realization was so shocking that Jelanii could only blurt out in disbelief. "What? Home? This place. This place that enslaved you, that has stolen from us, killed us, tortured us, stolen our friends and family. This is home to you. Are you insane?" He clenched the table. "What have they've done to you to even utter such words. Even Kani, whose whole family was put into slavery and the shifter brothers have enough sense to not consider this home."

His grip on the table was painful and without realizing it Jelanii had risen up in his seat. "By the gods, Cerith, even if you were young when you were taken from us, even if you don't consider Matori your home, this place certainly isn't one either." He felt fury rushing through him and he wanted to lash out, specifically in whatever Oban had brainwashed his sister to even imagining such a thing.

He shook his head. "This is even more of a reason to leave this place. If I could I would burn the entire country to the ground and let it smolder in its ashes. You deserve so much better this and I'll make sure you get it. A place that is a real home instead of this farce."  

[scarlett arbuckle]

Vy

I miscounted, this is only 9 out of 10 ( gonk ). Also I posted up two of the solos - I might have a third up by the time you read this too >3>

As soon as the words left her mouth, Cerith knew it was the wrong thing to say. Perhaps, she considered, lying and letting Jelanii believe she was a good little Matori would have been better? ... Lying to him, even if it would make him feel better, would only leave a bad taste in her mouth. Cerith paled at his tone as he echoed her, then leaned back in her seat, gripping her hands tightly until her nails dug half-moons into her palms, pressed against the rough wood of the tabletop. Soon, he was standing, looming over her - a presence that would have been intimidating to anyone else, but Cerith merely raised her gaze to his own, staring him down as best she could, jaw set and lips pressed together tightly.

Once he'd finished speaking, she took a deep breath through her nose. Then, a saccharine smile rose to her lips and she canted her head slightly to the side, her eyes narrowing a fraction. "Say whatever makes you feel better, Jelanii. But I'm not like her. I didn't have a family to be enslaved with. No - that's right!" She clapped her hands together, her smile broadening, more sarcastic than actually pleased. "MY family SOLD me. Kani can think of Matori as her homeland, and start a new life there. But me? I'd rather stay with the devils here than go back and pretend like I can trust anyone in Matori."

With this said, Cerith looked away and leaned back, the smile dropping to leave a tired expression, suddenly listless, shoulder shrugging in a passive 'I don't care' gesture. "... As it stands, I already decided to go with you, big brother. But that's why I didn't go back to see them for myself."  

[Vy]

Scarlett Arbuckle

That's awesome! I'll have to go and read them after I post.

"MY family SOLD me." The words slammed against Jelanii literally knocking him back into his seat. He sagged into his chair. Any judgment he had on his sister's situation was simply wiped away, because really, what right did he have to judge her. She was right. Their family sold her away. There was no home for her there. Still, certainly Oba wasn't a home either, but if she felt there was only a choice between the two, didn't it make more sense for her to consider Oba her home than the birth home that were supposed to protect her and instead sold her away? He cringed at the thought. Maybe a little of him could understand, but he could never accept Oba as home. He would rather claim no home at all.

For a moment silence reign between them, they both looking very much like the twins they were as they sat listless in their chairs. It hurt to know that she felt like she couldn't trust any Matorian, because what their family had done. And honestly, he couldn't blame her. All he could do was ask for forgiveness and try to give her a better life.

"You are right," Jelanii said and it was clear it was painful for him to admit this. "But I am glad you are coming with me. I can not erase the past, but I hope we can rebuild a future where you can find happiness." He swallowed and suddenly he realized just how important that was to him. To build Cerith a new home where she could be happy. "Thank you for giving me a chance to."  

[scarlett arbuckle]

Vy

We could end here or keep going, up to you razz

After his previous looming, Cerith felt the smallest flash of satisfaction when her words knocked into him, like a shockwave, and he collapsed back to his seat, sagging under the weight of the realization. It wasn't fair of her to weigh Jelanii down for what their parents had done - they'd only been eight years old when it happened - but it was far too soon for her to be in a forgiving, or even wholly logical mood. Instead, she lifted her eyes and regarded him silently, watching as he gathered his thoughts meticulously, turning thoughts over in his mind. Both were silent- Jelanii turned inward, while Cerith watched him, studying - looking for telltale twitches or tells that she could file in her mind, for later.

And so, after studying him so closely, when he spoke his almost naively optimistic, but utterly sweet words sank deep into her like a hot knife, twisting in her chest - guilt flowing deep to her belly. Cerith had the urge to reach out to him and grip his hand - but it showed as little more than a twitch of fingers before she, instead, tucked her hands in her lap. She nodded, and a small smile rose on her lips - still exhausted, but daring to hope. Her chances here in Sulburi were shot anyway - at least until she recovered, laid low. So if this... family reunion didn't last - if Jelanii really saw what she'd grown into and decided he didn't have the stomach for her, then she would at least have burned some time and be able to come back, ready to try again to forge a new life.

"Don't thank me just yet, Jelanii. There's a long road ahead of us, after all." She said, but her tone had softened, and now with the atmosphere between them at least somewhat eased, she turned and raised a hand for a server, finding herself utterly famished from the drama of the day.

And if they were to head out soon, she might as well be full for the journey.