17.Oct.17, 02:11 AM
“Uh, yeah,” T’bia stumbled, surprised by the question. “Dad is too. Dunno how far back, though. Probably forever, because I don’t know of any family outside the dragonriders. Not that many are alive these days, what with the, you know, Plague,” the last word was whispered dramatically, T’bia’s blue eyes wide as saucers. He might not have been alive during the Plague, but he’d heard enough growing up in Katila to get some idea of how terrible it was, never mind the lingering ‘what if’ that it could have been him during those days, that he could have lost Jycenth who was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to him. Ever, ever, ever!
“Not at all!” T’bia grinned brightly when M’dox asked if he could use a barrel near him, the expression radiant on T’bia’s young face, though the shadow on his jawline belied the fact that he hadn’t shaved that day, and was actually older than he looked. Puberty had skipped by T’bia, leaving very little of its mark upon him, though it had refined his features slightly and his facial hair had made a valiant effort at growing, for the most part he hadn’t changed a lot at all. He’d also managed to avoid the hell of acne, though how was beyond the young man. It would have been typical of life to dump him in that vat head first, and yet, it didn’t. Maybe life felt sorry for him.
“It’s good!” T’bia cheered happily, splashing water as he shoved a couple of shirts into the rinsing barrel, and the liquid sopped up his arms and got sprinkles across his chest. “I’m closest to dad, but I help look after the girls when they are around, they’re only kids, under ten... I love kids, they’re precious, and always fun. My brother lives on his own now, which is fair, ‘cause so do I, I guess. My sisters are flight brats, but my brother and I share a mother,” his lips tightened on the last word, indicating the bad blood that rested between woman and son. It wasn’t something T’bia chose to share, and he moved on quickly. “But I’ve never really not had family around, you know? So I guess I don’t really have anything to compare it to, now I think about it.” T’bia blinked, and looked frankly at M’dox. “What was it like, leaving your family?” His curiosity was as frank as his expression.
“Not at all!” T’bia grinned brightly when M’dox asked if he could use a barrel near him, the expression radiant on T’bia’s young face, though the shadow on his jawline belied the fact that he hadn’t shaved that day, and was actually older than he looked. Puberty had skipped by T’bia, leaving very little of its mark upon him, though it had refined his features slightly and his facial hair had made a valiant effort at growing, for the most part he hadn’t changed a lot at all. He’d also managed to avoid the hell of acne, though how was beyond the young man. It would have been typical of life to dump him in that vat head first, and yet, it didn’t. Maybe life felt sorry for him.
“It’s good!” T’bia cheered happily, splashing water as he shoved a couple of shirts into the rinsing barrel, and the liquid sopped up his arms and got sprinkles across his chest. “I’m closest to dad, but I help look after the girls when they are around, they’re only kids, under ten... I love kids, they’re precious, and always fun. My brother lives on his own now, which is fair, ‘cause so do I, I guess. My sisters are flight brats, but my brother and I share a mother,” his lips tightened on the last word, indicating the bad blood that rested between woman and son. It wasn’t something T’bia chose to share, and he moved on quickly. “But I’ve never really not had family around, you know? So I guess I don’t really have anything to compare it to, now I think about it.” T’bia blinked, and looked frankly at M’dox. “What was it like, leaving your family?” His curiosity was as frank as his expression.