The Morning After They Return
*Splash* the sounds of Surion almost nearly literally jumping the spring for a bath the morning after they returned could be heard through parts of the cave
Torvil chuckled softly and opened an eye. "I should join him..." He murmured softly, slowly starting to roll out of bed so he could get up and bathe.
Ala rolled in her sleep as he got up a small smile on her face as she was happy he was back
Torvil chuckled and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead as he got up and headed for the bath, stripping down as he went.
Surion hummed quietly to himself not listening for anyone's approach he was playing with the water in a way he never had before
Torvil stilled his chuckles as he walked in on silent feet. He slid into the water, and watched his son play.
The waters moved and Surion looked up "Oh dad hi" he said with green eyes looking at him "This is .... different"
Torvil chuckled. "Yeah..." he murmured sinking a little into the water. "I really can't do much with water... Tho... I have this odd affinity with Blood. I don't know why..." He chuckled softly and sank a little more in the water. "Your mother would be the best to teach you..."
Surion nodded "Yeah guess I'll have to talk to her at some point soon" he mused and returned to cleaning up. "So what am I going to get from you" he asked curiously
Torvil chuckled. "The ability to have many children very quickly, a high metabolism, strength, perhaps wings and a tail... Oh! And a Demon that's more a pain in the butt than it's worth..." Torvil said as he floated on his back now.
Surion stared at him "Ok I think I like Mom's stuff that I inherited erm... better" he dunked under the water
Torvil sighed. "Most of them do..." Torvil murmured softly looking up at the roof. He knew what was going to come next... That moment when he would think, deep down, that it would have been better if Ala had found someone else...
Surion surfaced and shook the water from his hair and smiled looking at his father "What?" he asked curiously seeing his father staring at the ceiling
Torvil shook his head. "Nothing..." His voice was stolid and flat, and a bit hollow, but then, he hand these instances few and far between, and thankfully, the last one had not been around Surion.
"If you say so dad" Surion said quietly and headed out of the springs, he'd learned if his father wanted to tell him something he would
"Surion..." Torvil spoke softly slowly looking towards him. "Sometimes I wonder... What it would be like if you'd had a different father... If all of my children had had different fathers..." He sighed and looked away. "Sometimes... I think... It would have been better..."
"If I had a different dad I wouldn't be the person I am, none of us would, you are a wonderful father, you care and that's what matters" he said looking over his shoulder towards his dad
Torvil was shaking. "Yeah... But... I give you useless blood..." He murmured and slowly sank back into the water, his hair starting to billow up around him.
Surion stared at his father and shook his head grabbing a towel he went to his parents room and woke his mom "Dad's being weird in the bath mom" was his way of waking her
Ala sat up "Weird... k..." she yawned and headed for the spring as Surion disappeared into his room
Torvil was sitting in the water, stewing. He was useless to his child, at least as far as genetics were concerned... He gave them nothing but useless bloodlines...
"Surion said you are being weird" she said sitting on the edge of the spring
Torvil slid out of the water a little. "I'm useless to him... My Blood is useless to him... I don't give him anything useful at all, nothing like your line..." He sank into the water again.
Ala rolled her eyes her eyes turning green as she pushed the water aside "Stop being silly"
Torvil looked up at her. "I'm not..." He said softly. "Surion pretty much said it himself... He likes your bloodline abilities better... What use are mine neh? All I gave him was the ability to have a horde of children, the inability to get fat no matter how much he eats, perhaps wings later, and a demon that's going to haunt him for the rest of his natural life, which is going to be decently long..."
Ala crossed her arms "He's a kid Torvil, some things interest a kid more then others. Give him time..."
Torvil sighed and shrugged, sitting down on the now empty bottom of the pool. "Yeah... Yeah..." He murmured softly. "Though it seems that most of our children seek your abilities out more than mine..." He sighed. "Hell, they all take after you anyway..." He said even softer. "Which I think is better... I mean... Meh..." he brushed his hair. "Who wants white hair when you're a kid right?"
"Ok that's enough Torvil" she said shaking her head and getting up , her eyes shifted normal as the water fell back atop of him and she turned to walk away to let him sulk on his own for a while
Torvil let the water collapse on him and he sighed, stewing more... And more... and more... It got a lot worse before it got better. Torvil had a Semi-delicate Ego, and it was easily damaged, it didn't help that he'd spent most of his life having his ego abused. He slowly crawled out of the water and dried off, then went to go find some clothes.
Ala had crawled back into bed and gone back to sleep, she hadn't slept much during their absence
Surion himself was walking through the market looking at stuff
Torvil got dressed and headed out, unconsciously following his son. Jakath was also in the market... Looking for toys...
Surion wasn't looking at toys, he was in fact at that time looking at spears and knives
Jakath walked behind him. "Two booths down offer better deals..." He said, looking down at him.
Surion turned and looked up "Jakath" he said then looked towards the other booth "Thanks Jakath" he said he didn't actually have any money , he'd just been looking "Whatcha doing?" he asked
"Looking for toys..." He said softly, already perusing a both that was in eye shot. "Gotta keep the kids appeased..."
"Kids?" Surion looked at him, a questioning look in his eyes
"Yeah... Janie was late because she was pregnant... Erm... My fault... Now I have four kids to take care off and entertain..."
Surion looked at the ground "Oh" he bit his lip
Jakath nodded. "Yeah... That's pretty much what I said too... When I found out..."
Surion nodded "I guess... I should let you get to your... family"
Jakath shook his head. "I'm shopping right now, I've got time..." He said firmly.
Surion felt so odd around his cousin "Okay" he looked at the knives with not exactly full interest
Jakath smiled and looked them over. "Meh... Still better two over..." He muttered. Torvil entered the market, still following his son without thought.
Surion nodded and wandered two booths over looking at the weapons on display
The weapons were actually of higher quality and much cheaper. Jakath smiled. "Yeah... We tend to get all our stuff here... Helps when you have the Hunter's discount too..." He chuckled. Torvil was two booths away, browsing.
Surion nodded "Yeah that would help, though being broke doesn't... Dad was being... weird this morning, so I couldn't ask for anything"
Jakath blinked. "Torvil was being weird? How so?" He asked softly, not noticing him just a few feet away.
"He seems to think it'd be better if someone else was my dad, and my sibling's dad... which is kinda dumb..." Surion said running a finger along the blade of a spear
Jakath nodded. "Yeah... That is kinda odd..." He murmured not noticing that Torvil was closer still. "I wonder what brought that on..."
"I said I liked the abilities mom gave me better... That doesn't mean I don't like what he might have given me... Just I mean, what am I going to do with the ability to make a whack of kids, I'm still a kid myself, I'm not like you Jakath, I'm not going to grow like you, it's gonna be a long time before I can use that... but the healing I did on the hunt and then playing with the water this morning in the bath, those I can use now as I learn them"
"Well... I don't know too much about it... My mom's really hush when it comes to talk about your dad... She refuses to talk about anything that happened before what she calls, 'The end of the Dark Ages...' It's weird... She gets all quiet and defensive about it..." he sighed. "As for the whole Whack of kids bit... Yeah I can understand that.. There's not alot we Dragonics can do... I mean... Torvil taught the council that we can do a lot... like Alchemy and stuff... But... No one's tried..."
"I wanna try that at some point, Alchemy sound interesting... but am I ready for that is the question..." he said taking the spear in his hand to look at it better
"You are... Just about..." Torvil finally broke the silence. "Your Brother started at your age... Much to my chargin, and to the walls destruction..."
Surion spun surprised "Dad!, how long have you been standing there?" he said completely surprised
"About since... oh... 'I said I...' " Torvil admitted, perusing a section of pipes, looking them over.
Surion looked at the ground "Oh" he bit his lip his tail drooping a bit not having intended on being overheard
Torvil nodded. "It's alright, I understand now..." He said softly. "I can't blame you for feeling that way... I kinda want to apologize for how I was acting... I have a very easily bruiseable ego..."
Surion nodded "It's ok dad" he said still staring at the ground fidgeting with the spear in his hands
Torvil sighed. "No, it's not okay... you don't even know why it's that way, but that's a story for later... Like the spear?"
Surion looked at the spear and nodded "Yeah" he admitted but moved to put it back
Torvil shook his head. "Keep it..." He walked over to the booth and reached into his pocket, tossing the price of claw on the table.
Surion blinked and watched his father pay for the weapon "Thanks" he said holding it more firmly in his grasp
Torvil nodded and smiled. "I'm gonna hang out around here for a bit.... You're free to stay here or go with Jakath or go on your own..." He said slowly starting to wander to the next booth, but not before putting about ten claw into Surion's hand.
Surion nodded pocketing the claw "Thanks dad" he said and looked towards his cousin.. or at least see if Jakath was even still there
Jakath was there, waiting with a smile. "You wanna hang with me or go your own way, I'm good either..." He chuckled.
"I wanna see my sister I was slowly kinda heading that way anyways, uhm I don't want to keep you too long from your family either" Surion said biting the side of his lip
Jakath nodded. "Okay... Well I'm kinda going in the opposite direction, so I'll catch you later okay?
Surion nodded "Congrats Jakath" he said softly and then gave his cousin a wave as he kept moving through the market and then eventually out of the market and along the path towards his sister's cave
Vina was out of the cave for once, airing out clothing.
Surion walked up quietly behind her and stood there silently watching her from about 4 feet behind her
Vina turned around and saw him, smiling. "Hello Surion..." She said happily, before picking up a shirt that was neither hers or Joman's and handing it up.
"Hi Vina" Surion said with a smile he didn't really pay much attention tot he clothing "How are you?"
"I'm okay... Been better... Had birth..." She smiled softly, rubbing her stomach. "Dad... erm.. well... he was wrong for once..."
Surion nodded slowly "Oh ok" he said perplexed to say the least
"He said I couldn't have anymore..." She smiled at her little half brother.
Surion nodded "Ok Vina congrats" he gave her a small smile and fidgeted with the spear
Vina giggled and nodded. "Yeah... Their out with their fathers right now..." She smiled and went back to airing clothes. "It's good to see you again..."
Surion smiled "Likewise Vina" he said his left hand holding the spear his right resting on his upper left arm. "Vina.... Jakath says you are trying to get some stuff passed that has to deal with other kinds of peoples"
Vina nodded. "Yeah... It's not right that the cliffs is barred to non Dragonics... Hell Getting Joman and Malcolm in here was hell..." She sighed.
Surion nodded "Yeah, it is..." he agreed softly "What are you trying to get passed exactly... if you are allowed to tell"
"Surion, I'm an Elder on the council, I can say whatever I please about the things I wish to pass, unless it's sealed to the council, and this is not... I want to make it so that the Cliffs are open to anyone who wish to travel here... Mind, they have to enter on foot... And technology kept to a minimum, I don't want Culture shock
"I hope you manage it... In the future I might have someone special I want to introduce to family" he said with a nod
Vina smiled. "I'll try my best Surion... It's an uphill battle but with the help of Malkar we just might make it..." She smiled and put up another shirt. She sighed. "I just hope it's soon..."
Surion nodded "Yeah, though I myself aren't in a rush... I'm just a kid"
Vina giggled. "I know Surion, but the sooner the better you know..." She smiled and hung up another shirt.
Surion nodded "What else have you been up to?" he asked after searching for questions and things to talk about
Vina smiled. "Not much really..." She said softly. "Just being a mother, a wife, a lover, and an elder..." She smiled softly and then thought for a moment. "Wait right here!" She skittered into the house and came out with a large bag of claw. "Give this too mom and dad, tell them they won the pot... If they don't understand, tell them the stage..."
Surion stared at her as he took it... "Pot?" now he was confused
Vina giggled and poked his nose. "I'll tell you when you're older, maybe you might even participate..." She grinned,
Surion looked down at the bag "Errr ok, Uhm I should go I suppose, I don't really want to carry this all day..." he said
Vina giggled. "Okay..." She ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. "You have a fun stay alright, and thanks for visiting..." she smiled and went back to airing her laundry
Surion nodded and wandered back through the cliffs till he got back home
Torvil was wondering around the cave, he'd seem to have gotten better, there was a ghost of a smile on his face now
"Uhm dad?" Surion said leaning the spear against the wall as he entered
Torvil turned and looked at him. "Hey Surion.
"Uhm this is from Vina... said you won the pot... or something like that" he said holding the bag up his other hand scratching his head
Torvil chuckled and smirked. "heh... That's cute... I wondered if she took a shot at it...." He smirked and tossed the bag in the claw-cove and smiled
Surion stared at him confused as all heck
"Remember our talk we hand on the hunt..." Torvil chuckled.
Surion nodded "Yeah I do" he said the tips of his ears a lil pink at that reminder
"It's a sport here at the cliffs..." he chuckled softly and tossed his hair, brushing it.
"Er ok......" Surion shook his head he didn't even WANT to think about that
Torvil chuckled. "But enough of that... I was wondering if you wanted to hear the story of why I've got such and easily bruised ego..."
"Ok dad" he said and sat down on the couch to listen
Torvil joined him. "It started when I was born... at that time... My kind weren't accepted... Being shorter and having white hair was a sign of weakness..." He said softly.
Surion blinked "It was?" he asked looking at his father's hair and thinking of his mother's
Torvil chuckled softly. "yeah it was..." he smiled weakly. "From the day I was born till the day I left the cliffs, I was beaten, abused, neglected, and otherwise harassed..." He murmured. "I lived wherever I could find a place that I wasn't going to get hurt or chased out...
Surion wrapped his arms around his legs glad such was not the case for him
Torvil smiled. "That changed... After I did some things..." He said softly. "But then... That was a long time ago..."
Surion nodded slowly listening to his father's story
"It was after you aunt committed suicide... Yeah I know... It's weird... The perks of learning a little necromancy... Nearly killed me bringing her back..." He murmured.
Surion's eyes went wide and he stared open mouthed at his father
Torvil tilted his head. "Did the same for your brother not to long ago..." he murmured. "Did it to Malkar too..." he said softly.
Surion nodded "I see" he said with a nod watching his fathers movements
Torvil leaned back and looked up at the roof. "You can thank the man that bears your middle name..." He murmured softly. "He was present at your birth, you've yet to meet him tho... I was kinda hoping he'd be your god-father... but your mother hates him..."
Surion tipped his head "he was? I haven't? you did? she does?" he wasn't even sure he'd HEARD of another person who's name was Asmodeus
Torvil chuckled. "Asmodeus Grims, head of the second Tier of the Troublesome spirits division, Married to Dia, your mother's best friend..." he chuckled softly. "And your god mum..."
"Ok part of that made no sense and I'm not even going to try to fathom it" he said, he didn't remember the trip to the hidden city as an infant
Torvil chuckled. "He's married to your god-mum that's really all you need to know... Oh and that Your mother hates him with a passion, and I'm kinda sad to say it's not a mutual feeling..."
Surion nodded "Ok"
Torvil let out a sigh. "Maybe I can sneak in a meeting between the two of you..." He murmured.
Surion nodded slightly, he didn't know what the issues were and had no intentions to pry
Torvil let out a sigh. "It would be kinda nice..." he smiled softly.
"Kay dad" Surion said. "Dad how much longer are we staying at the cliffs?"
Torvil shrugged. "I don't know... Your mom's kinda the one deciding that... I'd say a little longer... Why?
"Kinda weird here now" he said quietly looking at the floor
Torvil sighed. "Yeah I know Surion, they're growing faster than you, and in a month your cousin's kids will be doing what he's doing..."
Surion nodded without saying anything vocally
Torvil sighed. "Your brothers and sisters were like that too..." He said. "You're I guess you could say, the lucky one..."
"No I'm not" he mumbled and got up heading for his room
Torvil sighed and got up, following him on silent feet, a skill one needed for many things here at the cliffs, though he knew that Surion probably knew he was following.
Surion wandered into his room, he was aware of his father but said nothing as he lay down on his head pulling his red and black blanket over his head his legs sticking out the end as he wrapped his arms around his pillow
Torvil sat down beside him and started to rub his back. "Surion..." He said softly. "I know it must be hard..."
"How would you know you didn't have everyone growing up around you and leaving you behind" he mumbled
Torvil sighed. "No... But then none of them would even give me the time of day anyway..." He said softly rubbing his son's back. "I know it's hard.... But soon... Soon you'll be older again..."
Surion didn't reply to his father's words
Torvil sighed and just kept rubbing his back then sighed again. "Alright... I get the message... I'll leave you alone..." He sighed and slowly stated to stand.
Surion had actually fallen asleep under the blanket
Torvil headed out into the living room, and flopped on the couch, he'd not know that his son had fallen asleep, and was slightly hurt by his silence, but it would pass..
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