[PRP] Phony Feathers: Pet Tales from Moon Ashes [Rise & Co]

[Maxx D]

i. Total Eclipse . Of the Heart

Rise loved his children dearly. It was, he would always proudly proclaim, a pleasure and a privilege to bring up his foals and have them remain with him and Grey in the shop. They were one of the big three joys of his life (his lifemate and the shop being the other two), he would say. He was an eternally patient father. Nothing could faze him. Or so he thought.

He couldn't help feeling guilty about this. Sometimes he worried that he spoilt his children bad, as some warned him he would, especially in regards to My Very Best. That boy was good and capable...when he wanted to be. He taunted his siblings and whined about many, many things...particularly about his father's preferences in regards to his children. These remarks cut him terribly, since he was convinced of his love for all of them.

And yet sometimes he lay awake, wondering if he did indeed favour the girls of their clutch. He never dared to attempt answering that question, but he did think hard about Best. One day, Rise was fed up with his son's whining - and on his own, the patriarch of Rise & Co. herded back a couple of fine animals, specimens he’d hoofpicked from the wide reaches of the swamp. He entered the shop with a brilliant, flaming crane and an elegant dark turtle, leading them near the back of the shop to where the problem son was critically tasting a salted bird.

"Best," he addressed, and the head slowly turned upwards. To his fatherly amusement, the eyes widened.

"Look, son, you're always saying I favour the girls -"  

[Maxx D]

"You do." The retort. Young boys always had to counter surprise with hostility.  

[Maxx D]

"- and now," he continued, ignoring the noise, "here, I've brought a couple of pets back."  

[Maxx D]

"Pets. Too skinny to eat?"  

[Maxx D]

The boy was on a roll today. He pressed on. "...and you can choose one first, then give the other to a sibling of yours. There. Daddy loves you."  

[Maxx D]

Best fell silent, then got up to inspect the crane and turtle silently. He peered closely at the crane, nudging at a leg, evaluating its fiery feathers, examining the strength of its wing.  

[Maxx D]

Rise was satisfied, and left his son to decide with a chipper expression. It was a good sign that he was quiet instead of snippy, and perhaps he would be more pleasant to be around.  

[Maxx D]

Best had to admit that even along his stringent guidelines (frankly, he didn't know much about cranes, but it reacted sharply, looked strong and was quite handsome, like his amber markings), the bird looked quality. It would look majestic and fine next to him in the shop and in the field.
He looked skeptically at the turtle next. It was an alright turtle, with a selection of white dapples - not particularly exciting in his opinion, and it was slow. Who wanted to be followed by something so slow? Auntie Fade's Soup was a laugh and a half, and that's all it was good for. Best wasn't going to end up with a turtle. And who would want one?

Of course, it wasn't really a matter of want. Daddy did bring them both back for keeps, so it had to be around or Rise would question him. Now who should have the turtle?

His eyes swept the shop, and settled on the premiere grey-toned sibling with a massive smirk. With a nudge and a gesture, he claimed the crane - a nudge, it flapped, then settled and skulked alongside him as he pushed the turtle along towards his intended target.

"Hey, Left!"  

[Jun D]

Very slowly, Only the Ashes Remain turned away from his experiment - rocks were involved this time, rocks, vines and slender branches - to settle highly wary eyes on his brother. Nothing - and he meant nothing - that ever came from Best was good news. There must, he supposed, be something written across his face that designated ‘easy pickings’, for he was this bully brother’s favourite target, always.  

[Maxx D]

Best shuffled in front of the turtle quick. He really wanted some dramatic lead-up, and agonisingly resisted making some snide comment about his experiment. Instead, he grinned at his pale brother. "As you know, I'm very fond of you."  

[Jun D]

”As I know,” he retorted, wariness replaced by dry disdain at the blatantly ludicrous opener, ”you are a flagrant liar when it suits some hideous purpose of yours. What do you want now, Best?”  

[Maxx D]

"Really, Left," he sniped, annoyed now that he was being called out. "And you wonder why I don't bother to be nice to you. Anyway, I don't want anything from you - certainly not your twigs and rocks." He couldn't resist then. "I'm going to give you something."  

[Jun D]

”I TOLD you,” he snapped, turning back to his - his twigs and rocks - in unconcealed anger at the jibe just where it was most sore, ”I only screamed that time because you surprised me, not because it was a frog. Just go away, Best, I don’t want to play your childish games. Some of us,” he concluded, sniffing haughtily, ”have better things to do with our time.”  

[Maxx D]

The side of his mouth quirked up, remembering the good shriek and jump, and returned to his former grin. "Yes, like play your own childish games. Stuff it, Left - I have something to give you. It's a pet." He paused to bask in his giving temperament. How honourable of him to bestow a gift upon this unpleasant brother. "Dad brought me two pets - I chose one and had the freedom to give the other away. And as much as you suspect me, I chose you. Now look up and ready yourself - I shall introduce you two."  

[Jun D]

There was no way this could end well - no possible way there lay no ulterior motive below his lie of brotherly affection. No. Way. On. Earth. Nevertheless, curiosity killed. Against every iota of better judgment he possessed, Left turned around again.