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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 28, 2021 19:52:45 GMT -5
( 🤣🤣🤣 Okay. xD )
By the time they made it onto the deck, the ship had, in fact, been put into port. And unfortunately fir Parker, everyone knew why their captain hadn't been at the helm for it. Nobody said anything, of course, but their darting glances and knowing smirks could not be missed. Sol ignored them entirely.
Two hours after making port, Sol and Beckham declared the ship clean and released everyone to their day in the city. Sol's job wasn't done just yet, though. He had to take the departing slave into the city to get him on his way. He found Parker first, and told him to head out and have some fun, and that he would track him down as soon as he was finished.
☆~☆~☆ Seth lowered his head as if to kiss her but stopped just shy. "So ask," he said, a challenge and a promise.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 28, 2021 20:41:36 GMT -5
Parker let out a heavy sigh. His prayers would be unanswered tonight. "Don't even start," he warned them, even though he knew better than to believe he would be left in peace.
~*~*~
Anya hadn't expected the kiss to be as intense as it was, but she wasn't about to stop it short either. It was the kind of kiss that had her knees questioning their ability to hold her upright. Perhaps if left alone for long enough, they would have lost the battle. However, that was not to be.
For from the second bedroom, whose door had been open, Ryner stepped into the hall to head the the bathroom. He froze at the scene before him, struggling between laughing and going to break them up. The older brother in him said to break them up. The little shit in him said to use this to his amusement. "You're room is right there. Use it," he called to them, smirking.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 28, 2021 21:29:30 GMT -5
Parker cast Quill a baleful look, but he couldn't maintain it for long. He was going to ignore them, to not give into their idiocy. However, there was, among the embarassment, a small sense of pride and giddiness whenever he thought back to the moment. "I didn't think it'd work," he admitted, his own lips curling into a smile despite his best efforts to stop it. He really hadn't been trying to distract Sol, but he hadn't stopped it either. "But it feels pretty damn good."
~*~*~
Ryner grinned. "I've always liked you. What are you talking about?" he asked.
Anya glared at her brother, face bright red at being caught. She hadn't thought that any of her siblings would still be upstairs, but really she should have known. They always got up later than she did, especially recently. "Can you not?" she asked.
"Sorry, Cricket, but it's my job."
"To be an ass?"
"Only to you two, yes," Ryner said with a chuckle.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 28, 2021 22:08:35 GMT -5
"Maybe because he doesn't want you two idiots bugging him about it every time something happens," Parker said. Yes, he was still flustered by the idea of nearly the entire ship knowing what he and Sol were up to, but Parker had been wishing he had his brothers to talk to for a while now. Quill and Mason were the closest people he had to brothers here, and, yes, though there was much teasing, he felt as if he could broach the topic and not have to worry much about it.
~*~*~
"Seth!" Anya started, not wanting him to encourage Ryner's behavior. But it was too late.
"So you admitting you've already done it? Do I need to beat you up? Because I'd hate for that to be the case," Ryner commented.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 28, 2021 22:43:55 GMT -5
"No, actually." Even though I want to, Parker thought ruefully. With each passing day, it was getting harder to tell himself that he wasn't in love with the captain, but he knew that even if he loved him, he would still have to leave and the chances of anything working between them would not last. Why hurt Both Sol and himself for saying the L-word now. He would be hurting Sol by being another person who couldn't join his life on the seas, and he would be hurting himiself by completely giving everything away to the man he would have to leave. He wasn't sure either one of them were ready for that kind of thing.
~*~*~
"Ignore them. They're being idiots," Anya said. She had crossed her arms durring that conversation, and she didn't bother to undo them yet. With one last glare to Ryner, she added, "Come on, Aidan. I think Momma had breakfast ready." Then started to walk towards the stairs.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 29, 2021 15:53:29 GMT -5
Quill and Mason exchanged looks over his head. Quill's look said Should we? Mason looked tempted, but after a moment shook his head. Cap said not to. Quill shrugged and didn't argue.
Instead, he grabbed Parker’s arm and dragged him along faster. "Come on," he said. "There's someone we want you to meet."
☆~☆~☆ The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. At breakfast Ryner tried to get in a few more teasing jabs; Seth always responded by kicking him under the table and quickly changing the subject.
Next was training. Seth kept it short, more exercise and conditioning than anything. Aidan complained, of course, but after Seth told the boy he had a lot to get done today, he conceded. After the physical training, however, Seth took a half an hour to teach Anya how to put magic into her new bracelet. It was pretty simple and straightforward, though it did take a fair amount of concentration.
After the human training sessions, Seth spent some time first with Hero, teaching him to be comfortable around and on Stel. Not that he wasn't already. Many of their training sessions in the past had been done while Stel watching from nearby. This time, though, Seth added a new element: strapping Hero's harness to Stel's saddle. He didn't like that much at first, but a few handfuls of treats soon made it more than bearable. By the time Seth deemed them done for the day, Hero almost didn't want to leave.
Next came time with Pixar. Seth didn't want to leave the colt behind, but he knew there would be no training him to accept being carried like prey by a dragon. As it was, Pixar still shied away from any glimpse of Stel or Corrik. So no, bringing him wasn't an option. That left Felix. The middle Dorreh brother had been Seth's spotter over the past weeks whenever he worked with Pixar. Some days he would watch and work from a distance, and others he came close enough to give tips through the fence. The first few times he did that, he scared Pixar half to death. More recently, Seth had noticed that Pixar mostly ignored his presence. So today, Seth asked Felix to come in and officially meet Pixar.
Unsurprisingly, Pixar didn't appreciate Felix's intrusion. But after a few rowdy runs around the perimeter of his pen, he calmed down enough to realize Felix wasn't a stranger. After that, things moved smoothly. Seth got Pixar used to Felix's close proximity and touch, and he showed Felix the best ways he'd found to handle Pixar's moods and temper tantrums. Pixar showed Felix plenty of attitude, but by the time they finished for the day Seth was pretty confident Felix could handle the high-handed colt.
After lunch, Seth headed with Stel and Hero to a nearby town to do some shopping, though the trip also doubled as another training opportunity for the pup. He was gone for an hour or two, and looked empty-handed when he came back. Of course, everything he bought was simply stored away in a pocket. Most of it was for their trip anyway. He did, however, bring everyone back their favorite treat, which he handed out throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Just before dinner, Seth set up an archery range for himself and practiced. He hadn't done nearly enough of it since arriving here. He was a talented enough archer that most would say he didn't need constant practice, but Nick had taught him that one could never get enough practice.
Aidan was sitting on a hay bale behind him, throwing a stick for Star and Hero while watching Seth. When Seth had emptied his quiver for the second time, Aidan asked, "Seth? Will you teach me how to shoot a bow?"
"Of course," Seth answered immediately. He shot Aidan a grin over his shoulder. "When you're a little older."
"Maaaaan!" Aidan fell back on the hay bale with a dramatic flair that made Seth laugh as he went to retrieve his arrows.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 29, 2021 16:48:02 GMT -5
(Hang on, go back. What was that?)
Confused, Parker allowed his friends to guide him down the street. "Who?" He asked, a little wary. The last person they introduced him too got him drunk, even though she had been very nice company. Still, he didn't want to end up drunk again.
~•~•~
Anya was dreading the packing. She knew it was unavoidable, that sooner or later she would have to do it. She just wished she had a little more time to do it. Not because she had a lot of stuff to pack, but because she still hadn't made peace with the circumstances. Training helped to distract her, but it didn't last nearly long enough in her opinion.
As Seth went to work with Pixar, Anya had moved to the house to gather her things. Her mother was waiting for her. Maria knew that it was weighing on her daughter's mind, and truth be told, the woman was still fuming over the Elders's punishment for something Anya never caused. But now was not the time. She held ut back while she helped her youngest pack the clothes and other belongings. After a bit, Marcus joined them.
When she had left for Illera the first time, her parents had talked with her, telling her how proud they were and how they didn't want her to worry about leaving. This time was similar. They both made it very clear that what happened was not her fault, that she would never be banned from coming home, and if anyone had a problem with it, they would have to go through them. The fact of the attack or events that lead up to it were not enough to make them change their feelings towards their child. Or Seth for that matter. He was included in the conversation because they were aware of how close the two had gotten, how much they mean to one another. Neither parent could see them parting ways for a while, so as long as she deemed him suitable company, Seth would be welcomed back too. A fact that would be addressed later with the man himself later.
It was hard to listen to them, yet at the same time, Anya felt a peace settle over her with every word. Plenty of tears were shed, from almost every member involved, and soon the packing was finished. All that she had to do was ready Corrik's gear. That took less time than packing had been, and in no time at all, her dragon was ready to go.
She did her best to occupy herself for the rest of the day while Seth was out and about, but as soon as she saw him outside practicing his archery, the young woman was heading out to join him. Not necessarily to practice herself, but just to be bear him. Of course, Aidan was out there too, but that wasn't much of a surprise. The boy was glued to Seth at the hip. She would have been concerned if he hadn't been out here. "And why are we being dramatic this evening?" She asked playfully, coming to stop by Aidan's haybale with an amused smile.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 29, 2021 17:52:06 GMT -5
(AND THAT IS?!?!?!)
"If I say yes, will you quit shouting?" Came an answering voice to their right, causing Parker to startle a bit.
Among the shelves that appeared to be filled with books, a man in his late twenties was standing. He was tall, sandy hair, and a pair of dark-rim glasses rested on his nose. He placed several large volumes onto the shelf before turning and walking over to the group.
"Mason, Quill, lovely to see you both again. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He greeted with a smile, holding his hand out to the men.
~•~•~
"Hmmm, that's probably wise. We wouldn't want you running around putting hikes through everything," Anya said, though she was joking.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 29, 2021 18:25:47 GMT -5
( Sol will tell Parker soon enough. 😏 )
Mason and Quill didn't show any outward signs of surprise at Michal's appearance. Quill grinned and shook his outstretched hand, and Mason shook his head. "Nope. Shouting is part of my shining personality."
"'Shining' is not exactly the word I would use," Quill said dryly. Thrn, ignoring Mason's indignation, he gestured to Parker. "Michal, this is our friend Parker. Parker, this is Michal. He's an old buddy of ours."
☆~☆~☆ Aidan sat up. "I wouldn't do that!" he protested.
"Not on purpose," Seth agreed, returning. He was inspecting the head of one of his arrows. "But accidents do happen, and quite frequently, when first learning archery." Deeming the arrow fit for further use, he replaced it in his quiver and stopped beside Anya. "Hey, you," he said, but resisted the urge to kiss her on account of Aidan.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 29, 2021 19:10:31 GMT -5
(He better! XD)
"You're lucky it's not the only part of your personality," Michal said, but he was smiling. At the introduction, he turned his attention to their friend. He offered his hand once more. "A pleasure to meet you, Parker," he greeted.
"Pleasure is all mine, sir," Parker replied as he shook his hand, his raising coming up as he used the respectful term. Michal was older than him and newly acquainted, therefore, he would be called sir.
Michal's eyebrow raised and his free hand lifted to cover his heart. "Oh gods above, a country boy?" He asked, looking Parker up and down before looking back at Quill. "Where'd you find this cutey at?"
The comment was so unexpected it had Parker blushing and staring at the shop owner in surprise.
~•~•~
"And I meant more that you would want to try shooting at a variety of targets in an attempt to mimic Seth," Anya corrected. "Not that you would miss and hit the wrong things." She looked up at Seth as he stopped, smiling softly. "Having fun?" She asked.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 29, 2021 20:39:52 GMT -5
"Pardon?" Parker asked after a moment.
"Oh, stop that, you're being too much," Michal said. Living in a port city he was used to sailors and city folk. It was rare to have people from the more rural areas stop by his store. Not to mention he had a soft spot for the accent. "What's a little country boy doing all the way out here?"
"I, um, it's a bit if a long story," Parker said, a little out of place. Truth be told, he had never meet someone like Michal before, someone who acted openly flamboyant without being eccentric, for it was clear which way this man swung. And definitely not someone willingly throwing compliments his way.
"And I have plenty of time. Come," Michal said, gesturing for all of them to follow him into the store, "let me get you something to drink. What will be your poison of choice?"
~•~•~
She should join him. It had been a while since she had gotten out her bow, but she shook her head. "No, I'm good. I think I'll just watch you," she said.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 29, 2021 20:56:21 GMT -5
"Due to the city's new licensing issues regarding the selling on alcohol when not a liquor store or bar, I'm legally allowed to say no," Michal answered, walking around the counter and luling out a bottle of whiskey. He winked and smiled, "so we'll just keep this to ourselves."
Parker watched as the man turned to go to a back room, probably to fetch glasses. "Um, what's happening?" He whispered, more than a little lost.
~•~•~
Anya watched his smooth and flawless shot, schooling her face into an unimpressed expression. "Now you're just showing off," she said, trying not to smile.
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