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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:04 pm
Sounds of the marketplace bustled around them from every direction: the tinkling of cart bells and the creak and clack of animal-drawn wagons. Leklans bleating. Sleek feral felines slinking through the shadows of the streets, hunting smaller prey and weaving between legs. Merchants and vendors of all stripes barked out their wares as the early afternoon masses ebbed and flowed around them.
It was a blisteringly hot day, Eowyn’s desert sun bearing down on each of its residents like it had a point to prove. Lithian felt as though it had sucked every possible spare ounce of water from the air, each indrawn breath hot and dry as it scratched down his throat, and its rays burned heedlessly into the skin of any individual who didn’t seek the comfort of shade. Fortunately, Lithian’s dark skin did not burn so fast as the paler, more vulnerable complexions of many of his fellow dovaa, but that did not stop the relief of shadier nooks from looking wonderfully tempting.
At the first opportunity, Lithian had stolen away from the watchful eyes of his family, as promised, and met up again with Casseth. To help protect their privacy, they’d walked to the far northeastern quarter of the port town, browsing leisurely through the wide array of market wares available and filling themselves on street food whenever hunger reared its head.
Now, Lithian followed close in Casseth’s wake, wiping carefully at the tips of his stickied fingers and then blinking, an amused smile plucking up at the edges of his lips as he watched Casseth shamelessly proceed to lick his clean. Heat aside, the day was magnificent and Lithian couldn’t have hoped for better.
Well, the heat and one other thing.
No matter when he looked, one glance at the surrounding crowd, and never once did Lithian find that they were not being watched. Casseth, in particular, but both of them as a pair as well. Narrowed eyes, pinched brows, heads that turned to whisper to another immediately after spotting them. Disgust, disapproval, distrust. When people saw them approaching, many would jerk out of the way, grimacing, as though bitter about the fact that they’d almost been touched by a hybrid.
Or hybrids.
Lithian frowned. In Casseth’s company, most likely assumed Lith, too, was a hybrid. He had grown up with enough commentary on it even within in the protective walls of the Celestial Plane where the natural assumption was that everyone was pureblood. Here, though? Walking beside an obvious hybrid in the middle of an open, mixed-market square? Lithian winced, met the eyes of one of those watching them, and watched the man’s expression go from a puzzled frown to an open sneer in the course of a half-second.
Lith swallowed, and edged closer to Casseth.
Worse than the looks, though, was how Casseth barely seemed to notice, as though he’d been so dulled to these kinds of reactions that they did not so much as phase him, and Lithian had to mentally face the question: Was Casseth used to this?
The undeniable, resounding ‘yes’ that answered him without the question ever being voiced made Lithian’s stomach sour, and his eyes flicked to Casseth’s relaxed features.
How had he built himself so much armor already? What was it like to exist with the ever-present weight of the knowledge that most did not believe you had the right to breathe the same air that they did, exist on the same plane that they did, because you were different?
Lithian couldn’t begin to imagine, and it hurt his heart to think about.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:07 pm
Casseth heard the whispers, saw the others staring at him. At Lithian. He frowned when Lith wasn’t looking, wishing he could do something about all the negative attention they were getting. It was one thing for him to go through it, he was use to it. Lith, however, was a pureblood, he didn’t deserve it and was most likely not as use to the mean things people decided to throw out there when they were feeling particularly nasty. He huffed as he licked at his sticky fingers, the sweet treat they’d been enjoying hadn’t lasted long. All he could do, for now, was ignore the whispers and looks and have a good time with Lithian.
Cas turned, grinning at his friend and tilting his head as he took in the look on Lithian’s face. Was he regretting coming into the market with him? Casseth wouldn’t blame him if he was. “Lithian...we can leave, if you like.” He fidgeted with the bracelet on his wrist, running his fingers over the smooth beads and biting his lip. “If they’re bothering you...I understa…” His words were cut off by a sneer and then a giggle from a girl nearby.
Casseth’s head jerked in the direction, his eyes narrowing on to a small group of pureblood dovaa as the girl and her friends burst into another fit of giggles. They were staring straight at Casseth. Just as he was about to send a ripple through the ground, towards the group, a mother and her small child passed by.
“Why’d those girls say that hybrid had an uruu on his head? Does he? Why would he do that?”
“Because hybrids are stupid creatures hunny.” Casseth visibly flinched at the woman’s words. The hurt from both the girls’ insult and the lady’s was evident. He clenched his teeth, his hand moving up to run over his poofy hair. That was it, he was tired of looking like this. He gripped a fist full of his hair in his hand and tugged. Grunting at the pain it caused.
“C’mon Lithian...I’m going back to the inn.” He didn’t wait for his friend to respond, instead, Cas stomped off, sending small vibrations through the ground in his frustration. He fingered the blade at his side as they entered where his dad and him had been staying. Bypassing the desk and anyone else that might stop him, for some reason or another, Cas stalked up to his room, slamming the door shut behind Lithian.
“This hair...I just can’t stand it anymore.” It was so much more than the hair and Cas knew this. Hair, however, was something he could at least control to an extent. He pulled the dagger out of it’s sheath, the sharp blade glinting in the dull light coming in from the window. Cas moved to the broken mirror that sat in their room and narrowed his eyes at his reflection. Second thoughts invaded his mind for the briefest of moments before he brought the blade up and started hacking his hair off, muttering to himself about stupid purebloods and his stupid hair.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:07 pm
Lithian opened his mouth when Casseth first asked to assure him that he was fine, but cut off in lieu of the same interruption that ended Casseth’s statement preemptively. His chest knotted at the commentary, a strange, tight, defensive anger bubbling up out of nowhere. How dare they—? What did they care, anyway?
Lithian’s fists bunched. A rarity, given that anger was mostly a stranger to him. Before he could open his mouth again, though, Casseth was talking, yanking at his hair and scowling. Some of the anger in Lithian petered out, replaced by a pinched, concerned look as his own shoulders dipped. “Casseth—”
But then Cas was stalking off, heading in tight stomps back towards the inn, and Lithian felt the subtle vibrations in the earth under his feet. The waves of Casseth’s renegade magic rippling off of him like a current in all directions as retreated from the scene. Silently, Lithian followed after.
The inn smelled of old wood, decaying fabric and the type of smoke men breathed as a pastime of sorts, and the aging plank steps up to the second floor and — presumably — the room Casseth was staying in creaked loudly as they scaled them. After the door shut behind them, it was all Lithian could do not to wince as Casseth drew out his dagger, scowling and snapping about his hair.
“Casseth…” Lithian shook his head, standing at his friend’s back as Cas stared at his reflection and reaching out several times, but never quite making contact. “Are you sure…?”
But then it was too late, and Lithian did cringe as Casseth began tugging and hacking at his hair, magic still radiating from him like a heatwave in his anger. Lithian opened and shut his mouth, wincing and biting his lip in turns as the dagger cut messily into Casseth’s mass of thick, unruly locks, seeming to slice ever nearer to his head, ear or fingers each time.
“Cas, please, just…you don’t have t—you’re going to hurt yourself…”
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:08 pm
Casseth’s hand stalled and he closed his eyes at Lithian’s words. He willed the tears, threatening to spill over, to stay back. Gritting his teeth he extended his wings out and then brought them back in close to his back, letting them disappear into their tattoos. His shoulders sagged as his hands fell to down to his sides. “Lithian…” He looked up, glancing into the mirror and looking at his friend’s reflection. An apologetic smile made the corners of his lips curl up. “Sorry. I just..My hair, I’m always being teased about it,” he said as he huffed out his frustration.
“What a thing to get mad about, hmm?” Casseth turned, holding the dagger out to Lithian, head tilting to the side. “Will you help?” This was something that had to be done. Something that would make him feel, at least somewhat, better. “I’m sure you could do better than this?” The look on Casseth’s face was hopeful. “Please…?”
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:08 pm
Lithian flushed, brow pinching with a shadow of his previous anger as his mind flit back to what had brought Cas to this in the first place, but more so than that, beneath the anger: concern. His eyes flicked over Casseth’s face, and then down to the dagger in his hand, a soft brush of a sigh escaping his lips. He shook his head, and reached out.
“You have every reason to be upset,” he murmured, taking the dagger carefully from Cas’ fingers. “But I don’t think a knife is the answer here…” He raised his spare hand up, grazing his fingers speculatively over the now horribly uneven hunks of Casseth’s hair before biting his lip and bringing his eyes back down to Cas’. “Wait here for me? I’ll be quick, I promise.”
Lithian set the dagger on the nearest countertop, and slipped out the door, hurrying down the steps and out, almost running to his intended destination from there. Luckily, the leatherworking shop was close enough that it was only a quick jog to it, and after an abashed, hurried explanation, he managed to pay the man off for a spare pair of scissors before rushing back towards the inn Casseth was staying at. Hoping Casseth hadn’t lost patience with him already, he darted back up the steps and into the designated room, out of breath by the time he made it in, but relieved to find Cas waiting still.
After a quick glance around the room, Lithian’s eyes stilled on a simple yellow towel draped loosely over the back of the one chair in the room, and he plucked it up, shaking it once to dust it before laying it on the stiff cot mattress and climbing up behind it. Folding his legs under him, he motioned Cas over. “Sit?”
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:12 pm
Casseth nodded and frowned as he watched Lithian retreat from the room, shoulders sagging even more the instant his friend shut the door behind him. He moved over to where Lith had laid the dagger and picked it up. He stared at the blade, contemplating going back to hacking off his hair. He stopped that thought in it’s tracks, slamming the dagger down, tip first, into the wood of the counter. “Not fair,” he muttered as he looked up into the broken mirror and ran his hand along the uneven parts of his hair that he had chopped off already.
His gaze flicked to the reflection of the door as it creaked open. Turning, he watched as his friend moved back into the room, scissors in hand. Cas frowned as he Lith climbed up onto the bed. “I…” He hesitated slightly, chewing on his lower lip as he glanced quickly back into the mirror. What else could possibly go wrong with his hair? If he didn’t let Lith at least try he’d look like an even bigger fool than he had before.
He huffed out as he sat down in front of Lith, tucking his legs up under him as well. He turned his head to the side and leaned back slightly so as to give Lith bettered access to the side of his head. “Mohawk. I want a mohawk. Have you...seen one before?” Cas asked as he looked at his friend from the corner of his eye.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:12 pm
Lithian nodded. “They’re popular among a lot of dovaa,” he said. “Particularly those who have especially large or sensitive horns. It breathes better, and doesn’t get in the way so much…” He reached out, hesitant at first, and carded his fingers gently through the hair at the sides of Casseth’s head, trying judge what he had to work with. His experience cutting hair was limited at best — namely, restricted only to a few experiences as a child that were more accident than ‘practice’ — but as he surveyed his material, he figured it was hardly possible to make it look any worse, and fortunately there was still plenty in the middle to leave a healthy mohawk.
This in mind, he drew a full breath and lifted his scissors, carefully pinching up sections of hair one at a time and snipping as close to the skin as he dared. Just the thought of trying to do this with a knife made him shudder, but he said nothing on that subject, working slowly around Casseth’s ears and then up.
“Tell me about something,” he asked after a moment, voice soft. “Something you learned or someone you’ve met, something you did or saw since I last saw you…what stands out?”
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:13 pm
Cas let his eyes fall shut as Lith worked on his hair, a contented sigh escaping his lips. At least Lithian didn’t judge Cas for being a hybrid. He accepted him because of who he was and didn’t judge him based solely on the fact that he was a hybrid. He couldn’t help it as his wings fluttered back into existence. The degree of comfort he felt around Cas made it very hard to hold back such a big part of who he was. He folded them in close to his body, trying his best to keep them out of Lith’s way as he cut away at his hair.
He cracked his eyes open, glancing at Lith and trying to decide what to tell him about. “Remember the stones I showed you? Someone tried to pickpocket me and they took those instead of the coins in my other pocket. A girl,” he murmured “She was with the gypsy caravan and a dovaa. Pretty.” His nose wrinkled up as he remembered the encounter. “She seemed alright aside from the pickpocketing.”
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:13 pm
Lithian blinked. The corner of his lip twitched up, amused, and he hummed, snipping further up. “Pretty, hm? What did she look like? The nerve of her, trying to steal your stones…” Just the thought of it — how worthless the rocks would be to a thief, but how important they were to Cas — got Lithian stifling a snicker. “I’m sure she was disappointed. How did you handle it?”
Lithian almost asked what a pureblood dovaa girl was doing travelling with a gypsy caravan to begin with, but decided against it. Casseth had likely had more than enough racial stereotyping to deal with for one day, and far from Lith to want to unintentionally make it worse with his presuppositions.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:13 pm
Casseth narrowed his eyes at Lithian’s teasing tone but remained still, not wanting the boy to nick him with the scissors in his hand. “Her hair was long, up in pigtails. White, smaller horns that came out from the front and went back.” He gestured with the hand away from Lithian and continued. “Scales along her cheeks and down her arms.” He shrugged lightly at the next question.
“She ran and I caught up to her, trapping her with sand around her ankles.” He chuckled at the memory of how she had reacted. She hadn’t been scared and had in fact grinned at him. “I...let her go.”
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:14 pm
Lithian smiled, shifting the middle peak of Casseth’s hair over and starting on the opposite side. “Did you you learn her name?” he asked. The process of cutting Cas’ hair was more relaxing than he anticipated, after he worked over his initial nervousness. Soft, despite its characteristic thickness and a striking pale blond that stood out against Lithian’s dark fingers.
“Chelle,” Cas answered, and Lithian’s smile edged up, playful.
“A name and everything,” he tisked. “First girl to break into the great Casseth’s earthen heart, maybe?” He blew on his friend’s hair, dislodging several of the stubborn loose strands of cut hair that remained and then finger-brushed over it as well to work off the last of them. “There,” he said. “Finished, I think…”
Lithian leaned back a bit, squinting and surveying his work, then shooting Casseth a sheepish smile. “See what you think?” he asked, nodding his head towards the fractured mirror. Not the best tool, perhaps, but better than nothing.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:17 pm
Casseth blushed at the teasing coming from Lithian. Chelle had been pretty and she hadn’t really judged him for being a hybrid. He reached up when Lithian pulled back and ran his fingers over the newly cut hair, the corners of his mouth curling up as he moved off of the bed, careful to not make a mess of the hair trimmings now covering the towel he’d been sitting on. Moving the mirror his eyes widened at the sight that stared back at him. “It looks great.” He beamed as he turned his attention to his friend. “Thanks Lith.”
Cas tensed as he heard the creak of the door, his head jerking over. Kilian stepped into the room and froze as his eyes took in Casseth’s new hair style. “What in the gods’ names have you done to your hair Casseth?” Kilan’s brows knitted together as he followed his son’s gaze over to the bed, eyes narrowing when they fell on Lith. It didn’t take long for recognition to click. “Aren’t you that boy we saved back on Aisko? ...Lithian wasn’t it? What are you doing here? Did you do that to him?” Kilian asked as he pointed to Cas’s hair.
Cas bit his lip as he took a step forward, stopping when Kilian gave him a look. “C’mon dad...he’s my friend and I asked him to do it.” His shoulders sagged and the smile that had been on his face faded. “I was tired of hearing all the teasing about it...at least this is something I can do something about. Don’t be made at Lith...please?”
Kilian’s gaze flicked back to his son, his expression softening at the sag of Cas’ shoulders. “It’s just hair, isn’t it? I’m sorry Cas. Though I am still not happy. Is that who you sneaked off to see yesterday?” he asked, nodding towards Lithian and getting a sheepish nod out of Cas.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:17 pm
Lithian flushed at the compliment, the nervousness that had built up as Casseth walked towards the mirror dissipating instantly. He grinned, and had just started to climb off the cot and gather up the towel when the door creaked, and he froze. As Casseth’s father stepped into view, Lithian felt his pulse speed up, and he cringed visibly at the first, harsh words out of the man’s mouth.
When addressed, the man’s tone sharp and accusing, Lithian’s throat tightened, posture sinking instinctively and curling in at the words. No matter how he tried, his tongue refused to budge, and his cheeks burned uselessly in their stead. When Casseth stepped in, Lithian’s shoulders dropped further, guilt overtaking him. The last thing he wanted was to rile Cas’ father up and get him in trouble on his behalf.
“I…” He swallowed, cheeks still burning as he hastily folded up the cloth on the bed to tuck the mess inside. “I can go, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—I don’t want…” He winced, hating his own habit of tripping over his words. “Please, sir, I asked to see him. I wanted to meet up with him again. It’s my fault…please don’t be angry at him for my transgressions. It was probably foolish of me, I should have…”
Lithian trailed off, uncertain what scenario would have pleased the man more, and eventually, he bit his lip, dipping his head in an abashed bow of apology.
“I’ll leave,” he murmured, “if you would rather not have me here.” And with that, Lithian started out the door, fingers already coiling tight, anxious knots around the loose ends of one of his braids as he scaled down the stairs.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:18 pm
Casseth’s gaze moved to Lithian, his brows knitting together as he tried to take the blame for what had happened. Cas, too, had wanted to meet back up with Lithian. His fingers glided over the bracelet Lith had given him. A way for Cas to find him if he wanted and he had. “Dad, he’s my friend. Please don’t be upset. I trust Lithian. I’ve been around him more than you realize…” He looked down at the ground when Kilian’s gaze snapped back towards him.
He watched as Lithian started to leave, hesitating only long enough to glance towards his dad. A slight nod of Kilian’s head was all the ok Casseth needed. He scooped up his pack, remembering that he had something in it he had been meaning to give to Lith. “Wait, Lith…” Cas called out as he bounded down the stairs, determined to catch up with his friend. “C’mon, at least say bye to me.” He reached out, grabbing hold of the boy’s wrist and tugging him to a stop. “My dad’s just over reactive and over protective.”
His cheeks flushed as he let his fingers uncurl from around Lithian’s wrist. “Besides, I have something for you. You can’t leave without it.” Cas dug through his pack, fingers curling around the small flask and pulling it out. He held his hand out, the water filled flask gleaming in the light of the sun. “I know your magic heals and the lake on Aisko, Vonafel, has healing qualities… So I just...well, I thought maybe you’d like...nnnh.” His cheeks flamed even darker. “Here.” He pushed his hand forward, willing Lithian to take the flask filled with the healing water from his home.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:18 pm
At the first sound of rapid footsteps down the stairs, Lithian’s pace slowed, and he glanced back, confused. He opened his mouth, but then Casseth caught his wrist, slowing him to a complete stop, and his own cheeks flushed, eyebrows pinching together as Casseth spoke.
When Cas mentioned a gift, though, digging into the pack hanging from his side and pulling out a narrow vial filled with pristine, white-blue liquid, Lithian felt his breath catch in his throat. His eyes darted over it, entranced and disbelieving. It seemed to shimmer. Glowing, almost, even in the light of the full day, a similar gleam to that of his own magic, though more ethereal somehow. Pure, raw magic.
Lithian swallowed, fingers almost quivering as he took the vial carefully in hand and breathed out. “Casseth…” Lithian’s throat tightened, though for an entirely different reason than minutes before, and his cheeks warmed again, a rich, dark red-brown as he forced his abashed eyes up to Cas’ face. “This is—I can’t even—I don’t…” He bit his lip, and swung himself forward, painstakingly careful with the vial but still managing to sweep Cas into a tight hug, lasting only as long as Lith dared before he darted back again, face glowing with heat. “This is one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me…thank you. I will treasure it always.”
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