[Sweetwine Woods] Humble pie.
Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 5:53 pm
[img]/gallery/image ... e_id=10480[/img]
His explanation of having his stepfather's name, of his loyalty to the man made Vega proud of him, in truth, and she nodded her head. "I get that." It wasn't the same, Vega remained convinced, but didn't bother to argue it. He was right in that he was loyal to his stepfather and she bumped her shoulder against his with a smile. "You're a good man, Arlo Creede. We should go see 'im, maybe, do you think?" His stepfather, that was. Only if he wanted to, Vega was quick to add. But if he did want to, that was fine.
But he was getting worked up by the whole thing and there was just no need for him to, she said. It was fine, it wasn't important. When he asked about them having different names and the difference that made to their loyalty to each other, Vega shook her head."No, of course it doesn't. Arlo, chill out. No name is going to make a difference to that, don't be daft. Jus' .. you know, it's alright, I really am jus' trying to protect Papa is all." She'd known he was going to do this, she considered.
He'd known that she couldn't read and it didn't surprise her, in truth. They'd been travelling together nearly an arc now, it was hard to hide although, yes, she did try to. When he said it didn't make her less clever, it just meant she hadn't been taught, Vega rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder. "That's not true, Creede." He was quick to see it one way, but that wasn't how it was. "I was taught. Papa spent.. oh, Immortals, Arlo, I dunno 'ow long tryin' to teach me. Uncle too. They taught my cousins, an' they all can. I jus' can't. I can't catch the letters, they dance about too much." So, no, it wasn't through lack of teaching, she explained. It was just that she couldn't do it. "See? I even didn't say it's just cos I'm too thick. But it is. 'onest, though, they tried really 'ard to teach me, an' I wanted to learn." At first. By the end of it, she hadn't. They'd agreed, in the end, that it wasn't helping her, so they stopped.
When he exclaimed that he'd never heard anything like it, Vega's eyebrow raised and her eyes darkened dangerously. "Arlo, it killed 'er. Me bein' born killed 'er an' that's not somethin' to celebrate. I'm not tellin' you, so you can jog on." She sighed then and looked at him. "Once I'm twenty one, this one, I could celebrate it if I wanted. I don't. A'right?" It wasn't right, she said, so close after his mother's death to celebrate a trial where a mother had died. She wasn't doing it, maybe next arc. Probably not. His words sounded incredulous and Vega looked at him with some confusion, then she sighed. "The 79th of this season. I don't get it. I don't get why any o'this is important to you. It isn't important to me." All that mattered to her was that her father was alright. She was more than happy being who she was, where she was and with him ~ why did it need to be more complicated than that, she asked.
And then, he offered her his name. Very few things shut Vega up, but that one managed it, at least for a moment. Her eyes flooded a sudden, deep gold and she looked at him in amazement. Weren't they a clan of two? Her expression showed her surprise and then, for a few moments she said nothing as she tried to work out what she wanted to say, how she wanted to put it. "Arlo, that's real kind of you. But I don't wanna." She took his hand, then and looked at him seriously. "It's what other people do. It's a rule, innit? And we don't 'ave them except the ones I learn about when you break 'em." She looked at him and her eyes were entirely serious when she spoke, for all that she was teasing a little on that last bit. However, it was important that he understood. "Whenever I think about my future, you're in it. It's all of me, an' I'm all in. But we're not a clan, cos those 'ave rules. There's no rule that would make me disown my kid, you know, an' I choose my loyalties, so no, I don't wanna be in a clan. We're not a married couple, cos those sound well borin', an' we're not that. An' we 'ave rules between us, yeah, fair enough. But we're not like those other people. We're us." The last thing she wanted to do, she said, was hurt him and she didn't have words for how grateful she was for his offer. "But I don't wanna do what the biqaj would do, or the sev'ryn or the 'umans, Arlo. I'm 'appy jus' bein' us. I spent my life tryin' to fit in, you know?" Or not, she had to admit, as the case may be but he understood what she meant, she was sure. "I don't need anyone else's last name. I'm jus' gonna 'ave my own." She leaned over and kissed him, more gentle than her usual. "But I can't tell you 'ow grateful I am. I love you, an' I'm in it, all in. I 'ope you know that." If he didn't, she explained, apparently seriously, she was going to have to pound him.
But he was getting worked up by the whole thing and there was just no need for him to, she said. It was fine, it wasn't important. When he asked about them having different names and the difference that made to their loyalty to each other, Vega shook her head."No, of course it doesn't. Arlo, chill out. No name is going to make a difference to that, don't be daft. Jus' .. you know, it's alright, I really am jus' trying to protect Papa is all." She'd known he was going to do this, she considered.
He'd known that she couldn't read and it didn't surprise her, in truth. They'd been travelling together nearly an arc now, it was hard to hide although, yes, she did try to. When he said it didn't make her less clever, it just meant she hadn't been taught, Vega rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder. "That's not true, Creede." He was quick to see it one way, but that wasn't how it was. "I was taught. Papa spent.. oh, Immortals, Arlo, I dunno 'ow long tryin' to teach me. Uncle too. They taught my cousins, an' they all can. I jus' can't. I can't catch the letters, they dance about too much." So, no, it wasn't through lack of teaching, she explained. It was just that she couldn't do it. "See? I even didn't say it's just cos I'm too thick. But it is. 'onest, though, they tried really 'ard to teach me, an' I wanted to learn." At first. By the end of it, she hadn't. They'd agreed, in the end, that it wasn't helping her, so they stopped.
When he exclaimed that he'd never heard anything like it, Vega's eyebrow raised and her eyes darkened dangerously. "Arlo, it killed 'er. Me bein' born killed 'er an' that's not somethin' to celebrate. I'm not tellin' you, so you can jog on." She sighed then and looked at him. "Once I'm twenty one, this one, I could celebrate it if I wanted. I don't. A'right?" It wasn't right, she said, so close after his mother's death to celebrate a trial where a mother had died. She wasn't doing it, maybe next arc. Probably not. His words sounded incredulous and Vega looked at him with some confusion, then she sighed. "The 79th of this season. I don't get it. I don't get why any o'this is important to you. It isn't important to me." All that mattered to her was that her father was alright. She was more than happy being who she was, where she was and with him ~ why did it need to be more complicated than that, she asked.
And then, he offered her his name. Very few things shut Vega up, but that one managed it, at least for a moment. Her eyes flooded a sudden, deep gold and she looked at him in amazement. Weren't they a clan of two? Her expression showed her surprise and then, for a few moments she said nothing as she tried to work out what she wanted to say, how she wanted to put it. "Arlo, that's real kind of you. But I don't wanna." She took his hand, then and looked at him seriously. "It's what other people do. It's a rule, innit? And we don't 'ave them except the ones I learn about when you break 'em." She looked at him and her eyes were entirely serious when she spoke, for all that she was teasing a little on that last bit. However, it was important that he understood. "Whenever I think about my future, you're in it. It's all of me, an' I'm all in. But we're not a clan, cos those 'ave rules. There's no rule that would make me disown my kid, you know, an' I choose my loyalties, so no, I don't wanna be in a clan. We're not a married couple, cos those sound well borin', an' we're not that. An' we 'ave rules between us, yeah, fair enough. But we're not like those other people. We're us." The last thing she wanted to do, she said, was hurt him and she didn't have words for how grateful she was for his offer. "But I don't wanna do what the biqaj would do, or the sev'ryn or the 'umans, Arlo. I'm 'appy jus' bein' us. I spent my life tryin' to fit in, you know?" Or not, she had to admit, as the case may be but he understood what she meant, she was sure. "I don't need anyone else's last name. I'm jus' gonna 'ave my own." She leaned over and kissed him, more gentle than her usual. "But I can't tell you 'ow grateful I am. I love you, an' I'm in it, all in. I 'ope you know that." If he didn't, she explained, apparently seriously, she was going to have to pound him.