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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:25 pm
D returned the kiss hesitantly and watched York. "York..." he said quietly. He was pretty sure he knew where this was going...his partner's stress levels were through the roof, and while he wanted to grab his partner and take him in the bedroom to vent off steam he knew that this had to happen sooner or later...and sooner seemed to be the way it was going to happen. "Just...don't go overboard..." he whispered before snatching up the dishes and slipping back into the kitchen.
Raleigh watched York stand up and have a whispered conversation with his partner. He idly wondered if he'd gone to far by telling D to ******** off...It was blatantly clear that the AI was his "father's" whole world. Every picture Raleigh could see on the book shelves had the pair of them together or with their daughters. He idly wondered if he should of come here...he wasn't welcome...he was an outsider, an intruder in York's life. That's all he and his brothers were...intrusions on their parents lives...But it wasn't their fault...they hadn't asked to be born...they just happened...but still hurt a bit when nobody really wanted you...
Raleigh swallowed hard and choked off tears. He wouldn't cry...he didn't care. Tears were for Lyon...not him. He was Raleigh...the tough one. He looked up at his "father" mentally daring him to do his worst.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 7:38 am
York nodded and took several deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. It was difficult; words fought to escape him as he struggled to come to a decision. Would Raleigh react better when he wasn't yelling, or when he was? He met his son's challenging glare with an angry one. Finally, he spoke. "Raleigh," he said softly, "you came here freely. No one forced you to come. If you can't get along with D, you can't stay here. I've tried to be patient, but I'm running out of patience. Just try to keep a civil tongue in your head, please?! I'm rather...highly strung, and I don't need to have a fight with you every time you open your mouth!"
York sat back down again. He didn't like where he was going, but he had to keep on. "If you're going to live here, we're going to need a little give-and-take. Now you've taken a lot, it's time for you to give." In a lower voice, he added, "And if this isn't enough for you, this is me when I'm holding my temper. I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with you."
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:27 pm
Raleigh stared at York when words rather than enraged snarls and blows came from the older male. Rho had never spoke to him...he'd only hit him...and somedays Raleigh would have traded places with Lyon to have Ayin punish him than Rho's beatings. He watched York sit back down and almost plead with him to cooperate. He waited until York was finished speaking before opening his mouth and wanting to tell York where he could go...but nothing came out...He was still in shock from asked and told rather than struck. He slowly closed his mouth and stared at York, green eyes showing the inner turmoil the rest of his features refused to show.
And then for some reason he felt himself get up and slip into the bedroom he'd been given to at least try to do as he'd been asked. He didn't know why...perhaps a deep and very real fear of being told to go...He didn't have anywhere else to go really...he didn't know anyone else, and he trembled at the though of Rho or Ayin finding him. There would be no mercy this time...
Raleigh paused at the door and gave York one last defiant look before sweeping into his room and closing the door, and then attempting to straighten the bed.
D wiped his paws and very slowly slipped out of the kitchen. He moved behind York's chair and wrapped his arms around his lover and nuzzled the back of York's neck. "You did alright." he whispered. "I'm proud of you..." he said. "You'll get through to him, Love...I know you will. Don't give up on him...he needs you more than he knows." D finished quietly twitching the end of his tail as he continued to nuzzle and comfort his partner.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:53 pm
York watched the storm raging in his son's eyes and bit his lip, wondering if he had been too aggressive. I'm a monster, he thought bitterly. I mean, he was asking for it, but...I was too harsh on him. I should've thought of a better way to say that. He would need to work on his temper; it wouldn't due for everything Raleigh said to anger him. Sooner or later...No. I don't want to think about that. It isn't even a possibility. I would never strike him. He watched his son, shuddering inwardly at the harshness with which he had treated him. And Raleigh went to his room!
Dumbfounded, York watched him, his jaw opening a little in amazement. It only partially made him feel better; but part of him whispered that he had cowed Raleigh, frightened him--no, not frightened...dispirited? Something bad. He held D's paws against his chest, stroking them. "Thanks, D," he whispered. He turned to look at his partner, worry showing through his good eye. "I just...feel like I was too harsh with him, maybe. I lost my temper...I could've hurt him..." Sadly, he leaned over and kissed D. "I won't give up on him, but I feel like a failure...like he's given up on me and he has reason to sometimes..."
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:09 pm
D stroked York's face and leaned in to kiss his partner's forehead. "But you didn't...and you wouldn't. You would never hurt a child, York. I know you." he said. D then sighed and whispered quietly. "That child is used to being hit York...look hard at him sometime...he's got discoloration all across his skin. Its hard to see through his fur...but it's there. I doubt he'd ever been lectured before....just beaten." D shuddered and hugged York tight to him. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly.
Raleigh peered out from his room and watched his "parent" and Delta. They were talking about him he could tell. He wondered if he was about to get in trouble again. Not like he couldn't handle it. He was used to trouble. He'd been in trouble most of his life, it was nothing new. He shuddered suddenly though and carefully closed the door over again before scurrying under the bed into the dark confined space under it. It was sometimes a bit unnerving to be in such a big space all by himself. He curled his tail around himself and hugged it trying to get a grip on himself and stop acting like such an idiot.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:22 pm
York wrapped his arms around D and buried his head in his partner's shoulder, nodding at his words. "Thanks for reminding me," he murmured. "Sometimes I forget what a nice person I am...how much I've changed from my parents..." He closed his eyes and listened to what D said.
An unfamiliar emotion rose from deep within, making his muscles tense. Not anger. Not hate. Rage. Fury at the thought of someone beating his son, someone who had no right to be anywhere near him had hurt his child. Numbly he let D pull him close, his eyes straying to the door that Raleigh was closing, his emotions running high. This is what it feels like, a strangely rational part of him murmured. To feel protective of a child... The girls had never been in any sort of danger except on their expedition to Command...but it wasn't the same as knowing that a stranger had beaten Raleigh black and blue. "I'll kill them," he hissed, surprised at the harshness of his voice.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:35 pm
D felt his partner tense and tightened his own hold on him shuddering slightly at the menacing tone that came from York. "York..." he said somewhat desperately, unsure what to do. He swallowed and clung to him. "Its alright...he's here now...nothing will happen to him." he said in a rush not wanting his partner, his life, his love to do something reckless like attack Ayin and Rho. He pulled York's face to him letting desperation show on his face and in his eyes. "York..." he said again quietly.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:24 pm
York looked into D's eyes. Shame replaced his fury at how much he was frightening his partner. "D," he whispered softly. He sighed and buried his face in D's shoulder once again, kissing his neck. "I feel like I can't do anything right," he continued in a low voice. "I know I've had worse days, but this has to make it into the worst five." He tightened his grip on D and stroked his back gently. "I'm getting angry...I'm never angry...not really angry. I just...someone hurt Raleigh...he'd be a normal happy kid...if someone hadn't hurt him...I feel so angry..." York gulped and closed his eyes. If Raleigh hadn't been there, he probably would have snuggled with D, but he still felt bad about losing his temper with Raleigh. "I ought to apologize to him," he murmured.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:42 pm
D relaxed slightly but continued to hold York close to him stroking his hair relieved that he wasn't about to loose York. "I know...it upsets me too...and not just because you're angry...but because I know that no matter what Raleigh did he didn't deserve to be hit. He's just a child...granted a very surly aggressive child...but a child none the less." he said.
He paused and considered that. "I suppose It wouldn't hurt to try. I should probably stay out of it." he said. He tilted York's head up and gently kissed him. "For luck." he said with a faint smile.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:55 am
York nodded, stroking D's back as he took deep breaths to calm down. "I'm sure he didn't deserve it. They're probably what made him the surly, aggressive child he is today." He found that in D's embrace he could always calm down; he could always feel better about whatever was upsetting him. He needed his partner for more than he could ever explain. York smiled back and returned the kiss. "No, it probably won't. I just hope he won't take it the wrong way." He chuckled and gave D a quick squeeze and released him, padding down the hall to Raleigh's room and knocking on the door. "Raleigh," he murmured softly. "May I talk to you?"
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:30 am
D watched York get up and watched his partner. He crossed his fingers and hoped that things would work out, not just for York's sake but Raleigh's as well. He sighed and then slipped off to his and York's room, close enough to hear if York needed him but far enough away so not to intrude.
Raleigh tensed at the knock on the door. He scurried out from under the bed and brushed himself off before creeping over and cracking the door open. "What?" he asked looking up at York frowning slightly.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:26 pm
York looked down at Raleigh and took a deep breath. He was beginning to have a few second doubts about this. Every time he talked with Raleigh, he was either ridiculed or thrown off balance. York had had more than enough shock and surprise for one lifetime; he didn't like it when the unexpected happened. And if Raleigh pointed out his flaws, he would probably lose his temper again, making him look like an incompetent or worse proving him a liar. I'm not a bad father...I've had children before...Kyna and Yvette are wonderful girls; Kyna's a mother of her own now, and our grandchildren are surely going to be good parents themselves!
"I...wanted to apologize for losing my temper earlier," York said softly. "I should've stayed calm and I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm sorry." Silently, York braced himself for whatever his son threw at him.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:33 am
Raleigh stood their staring up at York. He'd never had anything like this happen before. Ayin and Rho never told anyone they were sorry for anything. Not even Her. Or if they did they hadn't really meant it, and they most definitely did not apologize to the children they abused.
Raleigh turned his head slightly the light catching a slightly darker patch of fur around his eye, where a bruise obviously sat under his fur. He shifted his arms slightly revealing more of them, not noticing the attention they were bringing.
He finally looked up at York eyes hard. "Why the ******** should I care whether your sorry or not!" he snapped. "Like hell I care what you do." and with that he slammed the door over back in York's face and hid back under the bed to curl up feeling confused. He doesn't really care about me, he doesn't! Its all a trick! he gasped quietly and closed his eyes tight rocking slightly in the darkness under the bed.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:41 pm
York stared in shock. D was right. Raleigh's skin was covered all over in bruises of varying stages of healing. Anger poured into him again; he could imagine Rho, or possibly Ayin, beating Raleigh mercilessly, almost see the muscles against their skin...York had to squeeze his eyes shut tight to banish the image from his mind, but even that was almost not enough.
Once York could trust his emotions enough to open his eyes and look at Raleigh again, he flinched as he saw his son's green eyes, hard as stones. He flinched involuntarily at Raleigh's harsh words, his ears lying flat against his neck. "Raleigh--" he started, his words cut off by the slam of the door. He reached out feebly for the doorknob and falling once more. It was useless. Whatever he did, Raleigh wouldn't open up to him. Does he want love? Does he even know what it is? York sighed and squared his shoulders. He didn't like those bruises; they might still hurt. He knocked on the door again and opening it. "Raleigh, are you all right?" he asked softly.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:00 pm
Raleigh whimpered quietly and pushed himself against the wall hugging his tail tight to him as York entered the room. Here it comes! He's going to pretend to be all nice to me and Bam! Drag me out from under here and hit me! He could already feel the blows coming to his face and body. But no matter what he wouldn't cry out. Not a whimper would escape him while he was hit. Of course that had only enraged Rho more when Raleigh hadn't submitted to him, but Raleigh had had his pride, and he refused to show signs of weakness in the face of an enemy.
Raleigh's heart raced as he clutched his tail. He buried his face in it and tried to get control of himself. Please go away, please go away! You're just going to trick me! I know it! he mind raced and wished with all his might that York wouldn't find him. Of course the likely hood of that not happening was slim to none. There were only so many places to hide in this room.
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