[b]Deep White (Part 1)[/b] “Speaking of Deep White,” Tuli prompted over dinner later that night, “I know it’s our first year spending this holiday together...but considering how things came about, I think it would be good for each of you to visit with your family, at least for the day.” “Mm, that’s a good idea,” Kylan nodded, “It’s been nearly three seasons since we saw Mom, and more than that for Dad.” Diya nodded her agreement, too. “Yeah, I guess we should let them know we’re doing okay, and life’s pretty good here. Adventures and all,” she winked. “Hmhm, I’m glad to hear it,” Tuli smiled, as if she took the remark as a personal compliment. “I’m...not so keen on it,” Sarahi admited hesitantly, “I felt better after talking to them at graduation...but they were still pretty ticked off about the whole thing. I don’t even know how I’d [i]begin[/i] to explain...the situation now. Besides, I’m still a little angry at Dad for what he called you,” she added with an apologetic look to Tuli. But the older Lioness just shook her head. “This holiday is important to families. Even families with rifts in them want to see each other. It’s the perfect time to heal those hurts,” she urged gently...ignoring a soft but contemptuous snort from Oro. Sarahi sighed, and nodded, but didn’t yield. “I know. I know you’re right, but...not every parent is as understanding as you, Mrs. Hope. Not every daughter, either, apparently. I’m just not ready to look them in the eye again yet.” Tuli looked a little hurt at the revival of the respectful but distant title, but mostly seemed concerned that Sarahi felt [i]this[/i] strongly about avoiding her family. “Sweetie—” she softly started, before being cut off by a quiet but harsh word from Oro. “Shut the fuck up,” he hissed through clenched teeth. It was hard to say if he was directing that at Tuli or Sarahi with his eyes fixed on the bowl of soup in front of him like he was reading fortunes in the broth. “If my dad showed up at the door, I’d knock the teeth out of him,” the Rabbit growled, a subtle tremble creeping into the hand holding his spoon above the bowl, “If it was Mom, I’d beat the alcohol out of her gut and bleed the drugs from her veins. I get it. I get being pissed at shit parents. But [i]your[/i] parents,” he turned his glare briefly on Sarahi, “...Deserve better than that. Maybe they’re not as nice as Tuli, or maybe it’s just that no one has tried to turn her kid against her yet. Either case, they’re not [i]bad[/i]. They love you.” She stirred her soup disinterestedly with her spoon. “Yeah. They love me. They just don’t respect me. You weren’t there. You didn’t hear—” The spoon bent in his grip, bringing his attention to his own growing instability. He carefully put it down on the table again, forcing himself to take a slow breath and calm down. “I tore up your sketchbook. I mocked your talent and your dream. I belittled you, and yanked your tail,” he reminded her in a [i]slightly[/i] gentler tone, “People will do some pretty shit things for someone they love, if they think it’s important. Not saying that’s right...but you have no idea how much it meant when you said you’d see me again.” A second breath, like he was fighting the urge to hyperventilate. “I just think you should give them the same chance you gave me. They’ll definitely respect you for [i]that[/i]. That’s all. Your call. I’ve said my piece,” he promised. Sarahi gave him a look that was half doubt and half concern for his health, as he continued to stare into his bowl, obviously working hard to keep his breathing steady and his teeth from cracking in the clench of his jaw. Nayeli and Tuli looked on in quiet concern for them [i]both[/i]. Diya and Kylan were staying quietly focused on their own dinner, trying not to exacerbate the lovers’ spat. “You might be surprised, actually,” she remarked dully, “I did send you home with scars, after all. Twice. I wouldn’t have blamed you for steering clear of me after that...and I was never happier than when you didn’t.” She waited a moment for him to say something more to that, but when it didn’t seem like he was going to comment, she turned to Tuli. “...Can I invite them here?” “Absolutely,” Nayeli answered before her mother could, reaching in front of Oro to offer her a reassuring hand. Her other hand was already resting on Oro’s arm, below the table. “We’ll be with you. And I think they will be, too. Really.” Sarahi nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” Looking at Tuli, she nodded again, more like a subtle bow. “And thank [i]you[/i].” Tuli just smiled with a relieved exhale, and nodded back. Sarahi looked back at Oro again...and pulled him into a hug. “Hey there,” she whispered in his ear, “You don’t look so hot today. Did something happen?” “...Yeah,” he growled, looking down at the scarlet arm Nayeli was holding, “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. You and I...should talk.” She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that, but nodded. “Good. Let’s take this outside,” he grunted, pushing back from the table. Sarahi blinked in surprise at that...as did Nayeli, whom he pulled away from. “Wait...[i]now[/i]?” the Sha'khari asked, not having expected this kind of urgency. He just waved for her to follow, like the answer should be obvious, and Sarahi gave a puzzled look to the rest of the table as she got her paws under her... “...Not to invite myself where I’m not welcome,” Nayeli asked hesitantly to his retreating back, “But may I listen to this? Something that bothers you this much...bothers me.” “Sure,” the Rabbit sighed, “I’m not trying to be secretive. You’re just not going to like what you hear, and Sarahi’s the only one...well, she’s the only one I can really turn to about this.” He was right: Nayeli did [i]not[/i] like hearing that, and neither did Sarahi for that matter. Worse still, they both suspected that was just the warning shot. Excusing themselves from the table, the girls followed Oro onto the front porch, despite the temperature outside at this time of day. The Rabbit paced to the end of the rail and back a couple of times, gathering his thoughts before looking Sarahi sternly in the eyes. He still didn’t speak for a moment, and that concerned the Sha'khari somewhat. Oro was rarely the type to hesitate, even when saying unpleasant things. He glanced briefly at Nayeli, then focused on Sarahi again and firmed his resolve. “I can’t ask this of her. Those three couldn’t pull if off if they tried,” he nodded curtly at the wall, suggesting the rest of their family inside, “I might...need you...to kill me.” Her chin fell slack. So did Nayeli’s. “I...don’t know which is more laughable,” Sarahi answered slowly, hopefully gently, but obviously extremely dubious, “You saying that, or you thinking I could do it any more than she could.” “Well, not yet, maybe,” he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest, “Lucky me, I don’t think I need it [i]right[/i] now. But you’ll have to get better with that spear. A lot better.” “Why in the world would she [i]need[/i] to?” Nayeli broke in. She hadn’t intented to inject herself in this conversation at all, just listen to it...but that wasn’t something she could let slide. Oro wasn’t joking. He didn’t have that kind of humor. He was seriously considering a situation where one of his best friends — one of his [i]wives[/i] — would have to kill him. And he thought it necessary for her to succeed. Oro gave her a narrow look, as if that one outburst fully explained why he wanted to talk to Sarahi alone about this. And she supposed it had, but it wasn’t like Sarahi was going to let him get away with not explaining his reasons either. “This,” he answered curtly, laying the back of his hands to each of their cheeks. And although he made no remark about it, the fact that neither of them flinched at the gesture was reassuring to him. Nayeli blinked, and took his forearm in her hands as she rubbed her cheek against the back of his palm, and Sarahi noticed the same thing she did: “You’re warm. [i]Really[/i] warm,” she noted, glancing out into the dark yard as if checking for a change in the weather. There was no snow tonight, but it was definitely cold enough to make some if the clouds broke. “Yeah. I can tell,” he grunted, flexing his fingers a little, “I was too distracted by the fact that we’d just killed someone at the time, but it’s been this way ever since I ate those two. Whatever this red stuff that [i]looks[/i] like fur is...I don’t think it’s actually part of me,” the Rabbit stated through gnashed teeth, “Just attached to me, or something. Hell, they might not even be [i]my[/i] limbs anymore, for all I know.” Taking them back from the girls’ cheeks, he poked the patch of red across his eyes. “I can still feel pressure well enough, but it’s like there’s a limit to how cold these spots can get, and how hot. My first shower after we got back was kind of jarring. I could feel the difference in temperature between these areas and the rest of me. And [i]this[/i] fucking thing,” he growled, extending one hand over the railing, “Doesn’t come [i]to[/i] me anymore. It comes [i]out of[/i] me.” Before their eyes, Gorgorond extruded itself from his palm like a blade being drawn. Sarahi was shivering suddenly, and not because of the chill in the air. “No,” she whispered, staring at his scarlet patches like she suddenly recognized them as signs of a plague, “No...you’re wrong. By all the forgotten gods...[i]please[/i] be wrong!” she practically begged, though obviously he was powerless to either grant or deny her wish. “I...think I know what you’re thinking, but...gods, Oro...!” “Yeah?” the Rabbit scowled, “Then [i]say[/i] it. Say it, accept it, and make the promise,” he demanded, thumping his bat on the railing once before discarding it over the side. “It’s not just my [i]outside[/i] that’s changing. I am fucking [i]hungry[/i], all the time. You might’ve noticed I’ve been eating [i]less[/i] lately, because there’s no fucking [i]point[/i]. I’m pretty sure I could scarf down the entire pantry and still be looking for more snacks, so I just stop at what seems reasonable to keep me alive. It’s not bad, at least...just fucking constant. And what I really [i]want[/i]...what I get this stupid idea might satisfy it...is souls.” The Sha'khari squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. “I hear what you’re saying. You think...you’re being possessed. And that it might not stop at your body.” Oro nodded, satisfied that she’d caught on, and probably understood the rest from there, too. “You’ve seen it. I [i]saw[/i] how you looked at me after that fight with the skeletons, and with the bears. You were right to be frightened.” Turning to Nayeli, who had gone very quiet and more than a little pale, he reminded her, “I told you, didn’t I? I wanted the neighbors to die, so I could [i]eat[/i] them. Hell, I wanted to eat them [i]before[/i] they died. This thing,” he clenched his fist, “Wants feeding.” “And you think I have the weapon,” Sarahi reasoned, clutching her stomach as it twisted inside her, “You think I have the [i]will[/i] to kill you, if it takes over. Gods forgotten...I thought we were going to talk about our [i]parents[/i] when we came out here! Not...not...[i]fuck[/i], Oro, you’re not some pet that caught rabies! How the fuck do you think [i]I[/i] could put you down?!” “Because your dick’s as big as mine,” he snarled, stepping right up in her face and taking a fist full of her shirt to prevent her from retreating, “And you’ve proven it more than once. I checked out on you in that last run. Did you pussy out then? Waste time in the freezing cold crying over my limp body? [i]Fuck[/i] no! You stepped up, you decided what needed doing next, and you got it done. The twins and I all would have died if you weren’t there with us,” he huffed, his expression softening a bit after the tirade. “I never deserved a friend like you. You’re woman enough to love me, and man enough to stand up to me. You are literally the only person on this entire fucking planet I [i]can[/i] depend on for this,” he growled, clenching his teeth as he knew those words must twist a knife in Nayeli’s gut. But it was true: Nayeli would sooner die by his hand than raise hers against him. Sarahi could make that other decision. “I made that woman promise to take the twins with her if we lost,” he added somberly, “And I fought tooth-and-claw to prevent her from keeping it. Same goes here. If I have any say at all in it, you’ll go to your grave old, wrinkled, laughably frail, and with a promise unfulfilled. But I want that promise.” She looked like she was fighting the temptation to bite the nose he was shoving in her face. He would have agreed he deserved it. But she managed to resist the urge, instead taking a deep, steadying breath and forcing her spine to stop trembling for a moment. “Okay,” she answered at last, quietly, “I’ll do it. If you...stop being you...I. Will. Kill. You. But fuck, Oro, you’d better not make me keep it,” she warned quickly, grabbing [i]two[/i] fistfuls of his shirt and pushing him back to hold at arm’s length, “I want to keep the vows we made [i]last[/i] week, not this one. So you’d better keep it together.” The Rabbit nodded, satisfied if not happy, and let go of her shirt. She wasn’t quite ready to release his, yet. “Fuck, it is [i]cold[/i] out here!” Sarahi hissed, resting her brow against his, “Can we take this inside now, please? I am tense from my ears to my tail, and just want to lie down.” “Sure,” Oro nodded, patting her shoulder in a rare display of sympathy as they turned toward the door, “I’ve only got one other thing to say anyway.” “And what is that?” the Sha'khari sighed, nodding thanks to Nayeli, who was holding the door for them as they passed by, back into the warmth of the house. Oro waved his wife in ahead of him, closing the door behind them, and followed the pair as they instinctively started for the stairs, seeking the warmth and comfort of the bedroom. “If it ever [i]does[/i] come to that...you’re going to want your parents. Much as I’d like it to just be my ego talking, I imagine you’re going to be devastated when it’s done—” “To say the least,” the Sha'khari sighed. Nayeli added, just as dejectedly, “And that makes two of us.” Oro nodded, pausing at the top of the steps. “And that’s my point. You two can lean on each other when things go to shit. I don’t doubt it for a second. But if something ever breaks you [i]both [/i]at the same time...you might need someone else to share your grief with. [i]She[/i] has Tuli,” he nodded to Nayeli, though he was clearly talking to Sarahi again, “And you can bet Tuli will be there for you, too. But I think you’re really going to want your own mother then. Your dad, too, for that matter. That’s why I think it’s important for you stay on good terms with them. And yeah, I know I’m a fucking hypocrit, and probably would have punched them both if I’d gone with you to pack up,” he added through gnashed teeth, “Doesn’t mean that would have been the right move. Actually, Tuli had it right, telling me to stay home. I think she’s got it right now, too.” Taking a deep breath, he blew a short, strong exhale. “Sorry. I know I said I’d already said my piece.” Sarahi, standing at the door to their room, hugged herself and couldn’t seem to meet his eyes. “...It’s really bothering you, isn’t it? Maybe more than me, even.” Nayeli wrapped her in a reassuring hug. “Yeah,” the Rabbit nodded, leaning up against the wall, “I don’t know why. They’re not like my parents, and you’re not like me, so probably everything will turn out okay even if you take a little more time. You [i]can[/i] wait, if that’s what you want. But fuck, it’s scaring me. I don’t [i]want[/i] you to be like me. Not that way. Even when he pisses me off, your dad...,” He clamped his teeth so hard they could hear the molars grinding. Clearly, he wanted to say more, but he seemed to have realized he was getting emotional, and lost in himself again, and was likely to say something he’d regret. So he clammed up and pushed past them into the bedroom...or tried, but both girls caught him before he could do more than open the door, and pulled him in against their sides. None of them said anything for a long while. They just stood there, holding one another, letting their hearts simmer down and their minds finish tucking away the extraneous thoughts for later. “Okay,” Sarahi said quietly at last, “I’ll invite them over. I’ll make up with them, somehow. And you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I [i]don’t[/i] need them for [i]that[/i]. Deal?” “Deal,” Oro grunted. Nayeli squeezed them both. “I’m counting on you,” she whispered, “Both of you. Keep coming home to me, okay?” “Okay,” Sarahi answered. With a somewhat relieved sigh, they released one another at last, and shuffled into the bedroom to unwind and settle down after the tense talk.[h2]Swordbrights[/h2] They had all been up early, in spite of all claims the night before of expecting to sleep in late. Sarahi could not remember ever experiencing a quieter Deep White morning. Not an uneasy quiet, nor a somber one...more of a contented kind. It probably helped that none of them were children, and none of the brightly wrapped packages under the tree would be loud, obnoxious toys. Tuli sipped coffee from her favorite winter mug while Oro handed out the gifts one by one, reserving those marked “to” or “from” the Runepaws for opening when they got back that evening. Even the normally grumpy Rabbit seemed uncommonly happy this morning, flashing a sincere smile to Sarahi and Nayeli as he handed them each a small box... That had been hours ago. Sarahi was sure they must have talked to each other at some point, but she couldn’t remember a single word that had been said. She was almost certain she took a nap along the way, but couldn’t tell if anything had changed between when she nodded off and when she came to. So far as she could tell, the smile hadn’t even had time to fall off her face. The tip of her tail flopped, lazily and contentedly, against the arm of the couch, while Oro leaned against her, nested in the curl of her lower body with Nayeli reclining against him in turn. Under the pleasant press of their weight, Sarahi felt warm, loved, and supremely contented with her life. She kept glancing down at the new pair of silver rings hugging the base of her tail, as if to make certain they hadn’t disappeared on her. Not that she had to look to tell: the [i]feel[/i] of the wedding bands was still very new, and she was keenly aware of them. In spite of that...she was having a hard time believing they were finally wearing them. Oro and Nayeli, too, each sported a pair, commemorating their commitment to one another. “Gods forgotten,” she whispered into that pervading quiet, “I have never wanted a ‘quiet, peaceful life’...but this is [i]so[/i] refreshing...” Her voice carried easily to every other ear in the room, and there was a general concensus of nods. “Just for a day,” Nayeli agreed, rubbing her cheek against Oro’s chest as she leaned against him. They would all be bored silly by dinner if it lasted, she didn’t doubt, but the events and excitement of the last year had begun to leave a constant, lingering tension in the house that had finally been broken by this morning. Silently, the four of them decided to make [i]this[/i] their yearly tradition, if they could. It couldn’t last, though. As the clock chimed midday, Tuli took on the responsibility of putting together a simple lunch for them, then started getting things together in the kitchen to prepare dinner. It was Deep White, and they would be having guests. Left-overs would not do, she insisted. Nayeli, ever the dutiful daughter, joined her mother as soon as her plate was empty, and Sarahi wasn’t about to leave all the work of preparing for her own parents to them. Oro wandered into the kitchen for about a minute...then consigned himself to the table in the breakfast nook, well out of the way. Given his lack of experience [i]and[/i] perpetual desire to nibble everything that passed under his nose, it was arguably the most responsible thing he could do. Nayeli giggled at the sight of him, chin propped on his hand and one ear making idle circles in the air above him. “If you’re desperate for distraction, there [i]is[/i] something you could do that you’ve gotten [i]very[/i] good at...” The Rabbit gnashed his teeth, instantly picking up on her insinuation. The grimace was quickly followed by a resigned sigh, however, and he pushed himself up from the table. “Ah, fuck it, sure...,” he agreed, pulling the usual spray bottles and rags out of the hall closet to go clean the bathrooms. It wasn’t quite dinner time when the doorbell rang, but the oven was doing all the remaining work. Sarahi took a deep breath and smoothed out the festive red skirt across her back. Oro had given her a frown when she went to change clothes, but she got to waltz around [i]quite[/i] comfortable in her own house every day now. Sarahi didn’t need to flaunt it in front of her parents, just to make them uncomfortable. With one more deep breath, she pushed a smile onto her face and opened the door. “Hi, Mo—” Her mother cut off her greeting with a tight hug, though she released it quickly, looking a little embarrassed at herself. “Um...hi, dear. I’m sorry, I guess I’ve just missed you.” Sarahi’s smile turned genuine. “I missed you, too. Hi, Dad,” she added, backing up to let them through the door. Her father probably would have crushed her in a hug as well, except that his arms were full of packages they’d brought for her and the rest of her new family. Her parents were like that, never leaving anyone out of a party if they were in any way expected. “Hello, sweetheart,” he greeted as he siddled through the door, putting the packages down in the first empty spot he could find and wrapping her in a warm hug exactly like she’d imagined. He didn’t look quite so happy to be here as her mother did, though, and Sarahi could guess why easily enough. “Um...is Mrs. Hope here?” he asked tactfully, knowing full well she was going to be at dinner with them. “Right here,” came the Lioness’ cheery answer from the kitchen, where she’d just been checking on the contents of the oven. She came around the corner to greet them, wearing a dazzling green-and-red dress as if attending a formal party. Their dinner was going to be anything but formal, of course, but Tuli had found she quite enjoyed getting to “dress-up” for occasions, now that she wasn’t just dressing for bed and work every day. “It’s good to see you.” Mr. Swordbright cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “I’m glad you can say that,” he started, glancing down at his daughter several times before he found the nerve to continue. “Mrs. Hope, the last time I saw you I said some...very cruel things,” he admitted, “Things I—” “Mr. Swordbright,” Tuli interrupted gently with a smile and a shake of her head, “You don’t have to break your pride for me. I understand. I forgave you before I even left your porch.” The big Lion nodded somberly. “You’re very generous. Thank you. Even so...I owe you a proper apology, and my daughter too. I am very sorry, and thank you for taking good care of her.” Sarahi, beside him, reared up on her hind legs just so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “Gods forgotten, Dad! I’m sorry for what I said, too! To you, too, Mom. Erg...I’ve been so worried about what I’d say today...what would convince you that I really am happy here. Thank you. Thank you for taking that off me.” Her dad chuckled and returned the hug in earnest. “I’m sorry we put it on you. Just looking at you, I know you’re not in a bad place. And despite all the grumbling I’ve done about Oro, I didn’t think the boy would deliberately mistreat you.” He quirked a brow at her, then, as they separated. “Where is the rascal, anyway?” “Staying well away,” came the answer from the dining room, “So you can enjoy your reunion for a while before I fuck it all up. Ow!” he finished, probably due to Nayeli pinching his ear. All four of them either winced or sighed. “I see you’ve still got your work cut out for you,” Mr. Swordbright remarked quietly to his daughter. “Well, I don’t know if he’d still be Oro if he didn’t cuss once or twice...an hour,” she rolled her eyes, garnering a chuckle even from her mom. Tuli invited them into the dining room while she went to pull the food out of the oven. Sarahi sat beside Oro, with Nayeli on his other side. Sarahi’s mother took the seat across from her, giving Mr. Swordbright the middle seat, across from Oro. That left Tuli on Mr. Swordbright’s other side...and the Rabbit smirked at the thought that this arrangement made it look like [i]both[/i] the males were sporting a pair of wives... “A pleasure to see you again, Nayeli,” Mr. Swordbright reached over the table to shake the girl’s hand, echoed by his wife, then looked at Oro like he wasn’t quite sure whether or not he should remark on the boy’s clothes. The Rabbit was wearing the khaki pants and light-blue button-down shirt Kylan had picked out for him to wear to interviews. Mr. Swordbright had [i]never[/i] seen the boy so dressed up...and was half afraid that if he complimented it, Oro would answer by changing back into his jeans and hoodie on the spot. “You...look like you’re doing well, boy,” the big Lion remarked neutrally, making a vague gesture to the house around them, “You bought this?” “Nope,” came the Rabbit’s reply a little too quickly, worrying the girls on either side of him. But he just wagged a finger between himself and Sarahi. “[i]We[/i] did. No way in Hell I could have done it without her.” When Sarahi and her parents instinctively frowned at his language, he snorted. “I respect your rules in your house. This one’s mine.” Mr. Swordbright’s frown deepened...but his silence said he found that fair enough. “It’s a holiday,” he remarked at last, “I came to see my girl, and to see how all of you are doing, not to make a fuss. Are you still as honest as you are vulgar?” the Lion asked, sincerely if not gently. He had always praised that one aspect of Oro, if no other: the boy would state his thoughts plainly, however mean, however rude, however undesirable. He’d sooner spit in someone’s face than lie to appease them. “Definitely,” Nayeli and Sarahi answered for him, nearly in unison, complete with matching eye-rolls. The fact that they were [i]so[/i] on cue with each other made them both giggle...and the sound was joined by Tuli, as she set down a large tray with an equally large bird still steaming on top of it. “Yes,” the older Lioness agreed as she divied up plates and silverware and started distributing the food, “I am always pleased to say my son-in-law is as honest as the night is dark, if nothing else.” “Son-in-law?” Mrs. Swordbright blinked, “Oh! I’m...sorry we missed the wedding,” she said hesitantly, looking back and forth between Sarahi and Nayeli, as if unsure now about how [i]they[/i] were getting on...or why her daughter was tolerating being a mistress. “Wasn’t much to miss,” Oro remarked, fork already in hand and dug deep into the mashed potatoes, “We were kind of in a hurry.” “...Yes, I imagine so,” Sarahi’s mother remarked quietly. Looking across at her daughter, Mrs. Swordbright sighed, “Sweetheart, I’m so glad to see you’re doing well. But...I still don’t understand...and I don’t think I [i]want[/i] to. I don’t want to think...this...is the life you’ve chosen for yourself.” “She didn’t fucking choose it,” Oro growled before Sarahi could answer. He was clearly about to say more, in his usual, blunt way, but Mr. Swordbright gestured for him [i]and[/i] Mrs. Swordbright to take a deep breath and consider their words for a moment. “I said I didn’t come to make a fuss,” the Lion reiterated, “And I meant it. I won’t argue or bark this time...but we have been told very little about what happened. And I mean no disrespect to you, Mrs. Hope, but I still don’t believe most of what we [i]were[/i] told, either. That’s why I asked if you can still be honest,” he looked Oro in the eyes, matching the Rabbit’s fierce earnesty, “Because I want to hear it. I would like to know [i]how[/i] my daughter got into this, and [i]what[/i] she is in, in detail.” Oro put his fork down on his plate, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “No, you wouldn’t. But I’ll tell you anyway,” the Rabbit scowled. “No, you won’t,” Sarahi interrupted with a growl, nearly stabbing his nose with her fork as she pointed it at him, “[i]I[/i] will. [i]I’m[/i] going to tell my mom and dad [i]everything[/i] that happened. And at the end, they’re going to accept that, regardless of how I ‘got into it’, I [i]have[/i] chosen this life for myself now.” She looked pointedly at her mother, in particular. “Can you do that?” It took her mother a long time to nod, and she still looked reluctant to do it even then. But she and Mr. Swordbright listened dutifully, and quietly, as Sarahi began the story with the day she and Nayeli found Oro passed out in the door of the Hope’s old house. She told it from her perspective, not trying to guess what Oro’s thoughts or motivations had been at the time...only her own, based on what he had told her, and what she had seen thereafter. She told them about the ghost, and meeting Organa that first time. She told them about The Gauntlet (which pretty well horrified her mother, on hearing how close they’d been to [i]not[/i] making it back from that). She told them about the curse...[i]all[/i] the details of the curse, including what Oro was doing to break it, despite the color it put in everyone’s cheeks except the Rabbit’s. By that point...Sarahi had to admit to herself that she was impressed. They were keeping their word. They were listening. Oh, they did [i]not[/i] look happy about it, but neither of her parents had interrupted with more than a single word, and those out of shock at particular details. She even told them about her second run...trying not to linger too much on the aftermath of the fight...and what they now suspected was happening to Oro. When she was done...there was a long period of quiet. The Swordbrights hid their displeasure behind the common motions of eating. It would be a shame to let dinner go to waste, and it was genuinely delicious. When his plate was empty, Mr. Swordbright pushed it back gently and sighed. “Is...there...[i]anything[/i]...we can do to help?” “Sure,” Oro grunted, and the Lion braced for his usual sarcasm. But the Rabbit continued sincerely, “Come back for New Year’s. Or let us visit you. Hell, swing by whenever the mood strikes. Tell me to clean up my mouth, and scowl at me when I tell you to fuck off. Just do what families do. You were always pretty good at that.” Mrs. Swordbright sighed. “I feel like an outsider in my own daughter’s life now. I don’t like it.” Sarahi answered her. “We’re not asking you to like it. [i]None[/i] of us likes [i]how[/i] it happened, I don’t think. But it has, and we can only move forward with it. I’m not unhappy about that, actually. And even when the curse is broken...I don’t intend to leave.” She said that more to Oro than her parents, actually...and although it was a statement, there was a suggestion of a question in there, as if she wasn’t entirely sure she’d still be welcome. Some lingering insecurity nagging at her. They’d taken vows, if only between themselves, but she was trying not to forget where his heart truly lay... “If you want to stay, then stay,” Oro grunted off-handedly, like he hadn’t even thought of other possibilities, “I’ll kick the teeth out of anybody that tries to [i]make[/i] you go.” Nayeli leaned in, looking past Oro to Sarahi, “Please. I’m happy. And I’m happy that you’re happy. And you know he’s happy, however aloof he tries to act. While all that remains true...I don’t think there’s anything else to say about it.” Mr. Swordbright blew a long exhale with his fingers knit over the bridge of his nose, and looked from Oro to his daughter. “...You’ve grown up so much these last couple of years,” he sighed at last, “Much as I don’t want to admit it, you’ve found a good...husband. It’s hard to argue against the bonds I see here. So I won’t try anymore. Take good care of my daughter, young man,” he said, looking Oro straight in the eye. The Rabbit didn’t even blink. “Like a fucking dragon guards its treasure,” he promised, making Sarahi blush. “...And clean up that mouth,” Mr. Swordbright frowned. “Fuck you,” Oro retorted. In spite of themselves, they both chuckled. Something in the air broke. Sarahi felt it...felt her whole body tingle for a moment, then relax. The pressure was gone. The fear was gone. Her family, on both sides, was whole again. She reached a hand across the table to her mother, who still looked a little dissatisfied, though she also seemed to agree that things had been settled. The Lioness took her daughter’s hand with a smile. “Remember when you told me to come home if I ever feel unsafe?” Sarahi smiled, shaking her head gently, “That’s honestly what I love about him most, Mom: I’m always safe with him. And Nayeli, too. I can get angry at them, and know it won’t drive them away. I can piss them off, and they’ll tell me [i]exactly[/i] why, but still hold me. We always know where we stand with each other...and it’s always close to one another. So don’t worry anymore, okay?” “Well...,” her mother gave her a wistful smile, “If you can handle all this and still be happy...you’re certaintly stronger than I am, dear, at the least. No, I don’t suppose I’ll worry about you [i]so [/i]much anymore...but a mother can’t help worrying a [i]little[/i] bit.” “Oh, preach it, sister!” Tuli giggled softly from the other end of the table. “Ooo! Something smells good!” came a voice from the foyer. Kylan and Diya had just returned home from visiting with [i]their[/i] parents...and seemed a little surprised to find the Swordbrights still at the table. “Whoops! Are we back too early?”