[PRP] Different Stallions, Diff Choices (Aramis & Falarnon)

[Cajmera]

 

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

Aramis stood thoughtfully, watching his son Falarnon. At the moment, the younger stallion was preoccupied with, once again, his hat. As Aramis watched with a composed expression, his son scooped up the hat with his teeth, tossing it up into the air in one smooth motion. It was a trick of Aramis' own devising, the hat toss; the goal was to flip the hat up into the air and turn into the hat's path as it fell, allowing the hat to alight neatly on the tosser's own head. It was a deceptively simple trick, but one with enough pizazz to get the right sort of attention (particularly from the ladies!).

However, he could see that his son still had a long way to go. Although the hat toss had been smooth, even at a distance Aramis could see that Falarnon had put far too much energy into the toss. As if in response to Aramis' thoughts, the hat flipped over in midair, falling with more speed than it should and hitting Falarnon on the shoulder as it fell rather than landing where it should.

Sighing, Aramis trotted down the slope to scoop up the hat himself, setting it neatly on Falarnon's head. "Non, non, non. You need to approach with more finesse, more care un fils." A French cavalry horse at the time of his arrival in the New World, Aramis' speech was modulated with a gentle French accent that complemented his delicate mustache. Even now that he had lived in the Kawani land for years, he maintained a slight flavor of grace and 'foreigness.'  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

The foreign flavor that so distinguished Aramis was distinctly lacking in Falarnon, the younger of Ara's two sons. Though strongly resembling his father in terms of his dark blue coat coloration, primarily silver mane and tail, and thick curls, Falarnon was both taller and bulkier than Aramis. Though not exactly clumsy, he moved with a much heavier stride and more purposeful motions, with very little of the grace of his father. While the subject rarely came up in conversation, Falarnon had always felt awkward when under his father's gaze.

When he was a foal, Falarnon, or 'Larny" as he had been affectionately called by his mother had been a child of great timidity. Everything made him nervous, especially the unknown. He had been inseparable with his twin brother Vencel; even if there hadn't been an extraordinarily close bond between the two, Falarnon would have clung to Vencel merely as a source of comfort and familiarity. As an adult, he knew he owed a great deal of his independence to Vencel's patience with him and belief in him as the brothers grew up.

But while he'd grown out of his fear of 'the world at large', he had yet to outgrow his awe of his father. He'd tried to keep his reticence hidden, but could only wonder with discomfort how much Aramis' perceptive eyes could see. Like his father, Falarnon wore the silver cross of Aramis' birth country; even the hat he wore was a gift from Aramis, a memento of his past life. Neither ornament was something Falarnon would have sought out on his own, but the significance of each to Aramis was evident in the pride with which the older stallion wore them.

Perhaps if he wore the mementos, it would camouflage the fact he was ill at ease. Though he wasn't holding his breath, given that he couldn't even throw the hat properly!

He'd realized as soon as he'd released the hat that it had too much oomph behind it, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He'd attempted to salvage the throw by at least catching it properly, but the rotation had meant the upside-down hat had merely hit him on it's way down.

He sighed to himself as he bent to pick up the hat, only to be cut off by Aramis' expert interception. Of course...

"I'm trying, Father, but I'm starting to think this whole hat tossing thing just isn't for me. Maybe I'm meant to wear the hat and leave the flipping to you and Ven."  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

For his part, Aramis had always been vaguely aware there were differences between himself and his sons, but for his part had just chalked them up to a different upbringing. He was truly fond of both of his boys, taking pride in their developments, skills, and appearances. He had given them their hats from his own precious store of mementos, and Falarnon's cross was a very special heirloom for Aramis. It was undisputed that he cared for his sons, just as he, in his own way, cared for their mother. But this life was still so foreign to him in so many ways, his mate even more peculiar. He had never meant to settle down, especially not out here, but honor had gotten the best of him when Saiena had found herself 'in a delicate situation.' Two children later, here he still was.

To Aramis' credit, he had always tried to overcome his disappointment with how things had turned out. True, it was a life that had come about by his own making; however, a lesser stallion might have run off on his responsibilities. Aramis had tried to commit to doing the right thing, but there were times he struggled. He had never been one for domesticity, regulation, and the like. It was in his blood to be on the move, to be seeing, doing, exploring, meeting people. His affection for Saiena was indisputable, but there were times he resented her for...for what? Each time, it was something different. For being so innocent and believing the best in him? For being devoted to him? For giving into him and as a direct result, carrying his children?

He tried not to think about such things too much, because he knew he could not place blame on Saiena. No, it was best to just try to make the best of things.

That was why he spent so much time with his sons, trying to incite in them the great love of life that had so defined himself. Thus, the attempts to teach them some of his ways or, in the case of the hat, some of his tricks.

At Falarnon's comment, Aramis sighed internally. While this son looked the most like him, he was definitely proving to be a stranger in terms of behavior! Aramis had hoped, as Falarnon outgrew his youthful shyness, that he would end up adopting some of Aramis' more outgoing personality traits. But not being shy was hardly the same thing as being outgoing, Aramis had only begun lately to realize. And darned if that wasn't a complication he had no idea how to deal with.

But he did his best to be encouraging. "No, you are too hard on yourself, Falarnon. It merely takes practice. Surely you do not think I was born knowing how to do such things, oui?"  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

"No, Father, of course not, not exactly. But you have a lot more...flair than I do." Awkward as it was to say it, Falarnon wouldn't be able to dispute it. Aramis had been born with more flair than his younger son would ever had, and that was the end of it. It was as much a part of the older stalllion as his silver curls or his little mustache and goatee, traits that Fal had long since learned were uniquie outside of the world of unicorns. But that was Aramis; Falarnon himself felt no compunction to try and channel that flair for himself. Just because he no longer felt the same crippeling shyness that had so characterized his childhood didn't mean he wanted to be the center of attention.

And he knew that that quality would be something on which he and his father would never see eye to eye. Fal often found himself wondering how much of the awkwardness between them would vanish if they, or even just he himself, could move on past those differences. Indeed, sometimes he wondered if 'their' differences were all in his own head. That was the problem with not talking things out; you had no way to find out if your fears were justified, or if they existed solely in your own imagination. But in spite of knowing and accepting this fact as truth, Falarnon felt no inclination to discuss it directly.

It was much easier to just address the elephant in the room and move on.  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

At Falarnon's use of the word 'flair,' Aramis' muzzle twitched as the older stallion fought to suppress a sigh. It wasn't so much that Fal used the term; for his own part, Aramis was rather partial to the drama and style of the word. But Falarnon had said the word with a hint of disparagement, or so it seemed to Aramis, and he could not let that go by unremarked. While he tried to be tolerant with his sons' differences, he had always drilled in them the importance of respect towards their elders, specifically towards their parents. Aramis could understand that Falarnon might not have his own gifts for the dramatic, but just because he was having troubles grasping a concept did not justify becoming petulant.

Falarnon was treading on dangerous ground.

Carefully, so as to not display any temper on his own part, Aramis said, "Perhaps I do have more of a touch of the dramatic about me, but your own simplicity merits no shame. We are not all fit for a life of action and high adventure, I realize, nor are those things necessarily going to be thrust into everyone's laps. But surely you can give me a little credit, for wanting to teach you a little of my ways."

Aramis was rather pleased with that little speech; he had kept his temper, avoided censure, and even managed to work in a compliment on his son's obvious awkwardness. Surely that was something even Falarnon could find no fault with.  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

Oh, Falarnon could see what it was that Aramis was trying to do, and he supposed he ought to be grateful. He hadn't grown to adulthood around his father without picking up on some of the more pronounced nuances of his father's character: for one, his love of verbal wordplay. Falarnon's mother Saiena had often said (in a disturbingly dreamy tone of voice) that Aramis' most attractive feature was his voice, deep and smooth and rippling, with the slightest hint of an accent. With that voice, he paired a sharp mind and ready verbal repartee, which could either sooth the spirit or inflict insults with deadly accuracy.

The backhanded compliment in Aramis' little speech was not lost on Falarnon, who otherwise displayed no emotion as he surveyed his father. That was rather the crux of the matter though, wasn't it? Aramis was dramatic and showy, while Falarnon himself was, in his father's own words, 'simple.' He knew that Aramis did not mean to refer to Falarnon's intelligence, but it was still a teeth-grating remark.

But two could play at the careful word choice game, and he chose his own response with equal care. He'd been a bit too thoughtless in his opening salvo; no doubt he'd ruffled Aramis' feathers as well. "Your wishes do you credit, Father, as they usually do, but the fact remains that I am, as you so charmingly phrased it, 'simpler' than you. Maybe I'm just not cut out for working any of your dramatics, your action and adventure, into my life in any form. Maybe I'm just meant to embrace my simplicity."  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

Embracing simplicity...what an appalling thought. There were many things Aramis regretted about how he'd conducted himself since coming to the Kawani lands, but he had always held out hope for was that someday, he would figure out a reasonable, rational way out of this depressing cage of domesticity. And just as important as his own freedom was that of his sons, who he never wanted to see confined to one area and one set of behaviors. It never occurred to Aramis that either of his sons might actually enjoy their family life, that they might want to stay close to their relatives and raise their own families within that same protective circle. No, Vencel and Falarnon were his sons, with his blood; they were males. Therefore, they had to be filled with as much wanderlust as their father.

They simply had to be.

Aramis had often wondered what his life would have been like if he had had daughters rather than sons. He liked mares well enough, but he could not imagine having remotely as much proprietary interest in a daughter that he did for his sons. Sons were a stallion's legacy; daughters were just something he had to deal with until they were old enough to find mates. It was expected of mares to want to stay close to home and raise families, but not of stallions.

This belief had kept Aramis going through some rough times, when he felt all but strangled by the closeness of his home life. He had had his sons to teach, to talk with, to live through vicariously. Now that both boys were adults, he should be seeing them but rarely and laughing at their exploits when he did. Instead, both boys remained in the area, living responsibly and, apparently, simply. He still held out hope that they were late bloomers; Falarnon in particular. His older son, Vencel, seemed to have much more of an adventurous spirit, but he never went far without his brother, who seemed completely uninterested in any sort of adventure.

Darn twins and their closeness.  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

Falarnon wasn't surprised when Aramis made no response. That had always been his father's way, changing the subject or avoiding the subject when he didn't like it. He was used to being in charge of men, he expected everyone around him to fall into line behind him. That went for his sons now as much as it ever had for his soldiers.

Fal studied his father's brooding expression, the one Aramis got when he was thinking about something other than the topic at hand. His icy blue eyes were unfocused, looking at something off in the distance. Whether it was a memory, a dream, or a regret, only Aramis could say. And Falarnon doubted his father in a sharing mood. Whenever the topic threatened to veer into what his father deemed unsuitable territory, Aramis became a statue. They had never had a true discussion, because they had never been able to talk about anything meaningful.

He could feel himself wilting a bit internally. This was why he himself tried not to think about these serious matter too often, they tended to emotionally drain him. It was like his father was surrounded by a smooth, polished wall; in order to get to the real Aramis, he had to figure out a way to scale it.

Except he didn't want to. Why should he have to deal with an insurmountable object, just to talk to his own father?

So he gathered himself, drawing back his shoulders as he observed, "You're very quiet, Father. Don't you have anything to add?"  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

Aramis was not particularly pleased to be challenged, no matter how polite the tone. He hadn't said anything because he did not wish to say anything, end of story, and it was highly disrespectful for his son to insinuate otherwise. Obviously the loss of Falarnon's childhood timidity had done nothing for his respectfulness, or his sense of duty to his father. Once again, Aramis' mouth tightened, and he graced his son with a cool glare.

"I did not feel your remark was worth acknowledging, Falarnon. We both know that neither of my sons can possibly be 'simple' in any fashion; casting such aspersions on yourself also reflects on me, as you also know. Me, and your mother," He added the last almost as an afterthought; it was a balm to his spirit to remember that he hadn't been alone in his son's genetic makeup. Still, it was a son; he was the father, he was the one who truly mattered. "You should be more aware of what you're saying, and remember to be suitably proud of yourself and your heritage."

That ought to do the trick.  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

If Aramis expected Falarnon to break into applause, or suddenly 'see the light', he was going to be sadly disappointed. Once again, Falarnon was not surprised; however, it was depressing to hear confirmation of what he had always known. It didn't matter that Falarnon and his brother Vencel were adults, or that they were independent stallions. As far as their father was concerned, they would never be anything more than offshoots of Aramis himself; they were expected to have his behaviors, his mannerisms, his outlook on life. Even now, when it should be staring Aramis in the face that at least one of his sons would never be like him, Aramis was twisting that knowledge back around to how it reflected on HIM.

Still, Falarnon managed to keep his voice cool and his tone polite. However, he couldn't control the coldness in his eyes, a coldness that snapped with the brittleness of cracking ice. As he stared back at Aramis, it was as though an unseen line was materializing on the ground in front of them, a line that widened into a yawning gulf of separation.

"I have always been proud of my heritage, Father, and I like to think I have been a good testament to your parenting skills, yours and Mother's both. But I think I've grown past the point of 'reflecting' anything; we both know I'm not you, and, more to the point, I'm not like you. No amount of hat twirling is ever going to change that."  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

If Aramis had been displeased before, he was downright angry now. He had never been the sort of stallion who appreciated being challenged, and the idea that his own flesh and blood would show such rampant disrespect to him and his position in the family was appalling. Obviously something had gone horribly wrong in their management of Falarnon; Aramis would chalk it up to too much coddling when he was young. If they'd been sterner with him and forced that nonsense out when he was a foal instead of indulging him in his imagined fears and fancies, this conversation would be quite different!

He narrowed his eyes, meeting his son's expression with an equally cold gaze. "You forget yourself, Falarnon, if you think that merely being physically grown to adulthood means you can show me such disrespect. As your father, you owe me courtesy and respect at all times; I can't believe you feel in any way justified to spout off such rudeness, to my face at that!"  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

Falarnon suspected his father expected him to crumble and apologize. It would be only reasonable to expect such a thing from Falarnon, who, as far as his father was concerned, was weak and forgetable. How could a stallion so spindly, whatever his pedigree, do anything but collapse in the face of such a 'justifiably fierce outburst'? Because Falarnon knew his father well enough to know that Aramis was pulling out the big guns; his father had always hated to yell, and had always hated having to discuss distasteful matters. Though they were a long way from yelling, there was enough heat creeping into their voices to indicate Aramis was feeling just as provoked as Falarnon.

Except Falarnon was not feeling like crumbling, collapsing, or apologizing. Indeed, his indignation and upset was escalating right along with Aramis', perhaps even more furiously. Forget himself, indeed!

"With all due respect, Father, I disagree." His voice was cool, but there was no sarcasm or rudeness in his tone. It had never been his way to backsass, and he wasn't about to start now! That said, he felt that right was on his side, and he'd never be able to look at his own reflection ever again if he backed down now. "I don't believe there was disrespect in anything I said, or in how I said it. I don't agree with your views in this matter, but having a different opinion is hardly a sign of disrespect. I would never knowingly show you rudeness or discourtesy, and I don't feel this conversation has exhibited anything of that nature!"  

[Cajmera]

Aramis
~~~

He couldn't believe this. What had started out as a simple father-son outing, a chance to spend time together enjoying each other's company, had degenerated into complete mayhem. Aramis couldn't believe he was having this conversation, let alone with Falarnon; both of his sons were deferential, but Vencel had a bit more fire to his personality...or so Aramis had always thought. He'd never had any trouble with Ven before, but here was Fal, standing toe to toe with Aramis and talking back as though he had the right of the spirits on his side!

It would almost be a proud moment for Aramis, Falarnon finally displaying some strength of mind and all, if if weren't for the fact it was directed against Aramis. Ara hsad never been the type to take such behavior lightly; when he was still in the cavalry he would be the first to smack down any subordinate who failed to show him the proper respect. Although he was no longer in the army, as far as he was concerned a son was merely a different sort of subordinate.

"I can't believe one of my sons can stand in front of me and spout such nonsense! Not mean to show disrespect while casting judgement on my words and actions? If this is your idea of showing respect, than I wonder just what your definition of disrespect IS?"  

[Cajmera]

Falarnon
~~~

Fal had always known his father was a bit backwards when it came to certain things, but this was just ridiculous. In spite of himself, Falarnon could feel a lip starting to curl in distaste; with great effort, he forced it back down into an otherwise level expression. Trust a stallion of the old guard to make it personal; honestly, Falarnon couldn't see how he could have said anything except 'yes Father, of course Father' under the circumstances and met with Aramis' approval. Honestly, it was amazing they were making any progress in the conversation at all!

Though he supposed that the idea of 'progress' was all relative.

"I am not casting judgement, Father, but I do disagree with you! You say it's an insult to you and Mother to describe myself as simple, and then you accuse me of being disrespectful when I don't agree. I try to explain myself, you get even angrier. Honestly, what do you expect me to do? Would you prefer it if I just grinned and nodded like a fool in accordance with everything you say?"