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+---- Thread: Only A Few Things [Solo] (/showthread.php?tid=1789)
Only A Few Things [Solo] - Casa - 25.Jul.13
Five years old. Casa turned five today. The normally curious and energetic child had woken up quiet today, much to the concern of her foster mother. Dae had been looking forward to her birthday for weeks, yet here she was, sitting quietly at the table, almost fragile-like. Worried about the girl, Elisel had sat down next her. "Casa, what's wrong?" She had never seen the child so still - she was normally bouncing off the walls, getting into things and asking questions to anyone and everyone who would listen. This was completely out of character.
Dae turned her face up to look at her foster mother, eyes sad. "Elli...who is my family?" The woman blinked, surprised by this sudden question. She had known it would come up eventually, but...this seemed to come from nowhere. She frowned, wondering what had spawned this question. This wasn't the sort of thing a five year old should be wondering about in the slightest. Settling down, she pulled Casa into her lap, petting the girl's hair softly. "Well...I'm your foster mother. I've taken care of you since you were born."
Casa nodded, blinking up at her foster mother expectantly, as if waiting for something. She had an almost nervous air about her as she continued, biting her lip. "But...where is my mama and papa? Renis says she goes to see her papa, but I don't have any. That's not true is it?" The woman felt her heart tighten as she looked down at the confused expression on her foster daughter's face. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and patted the little girl on the back, rubbing between her shoulder blades comfortingly. What a horrible thought to plant in the little girl's head! She'd have to speak with Renis about this. Smiling in a cheerful manner, she answered the little girl reassuringly. "You have a family, Casa. I promise."
Casa let her head hang for a moment, and then she glanced back up at Elisel, her eyes scrunched up tightly. "Then...then why don't they like me? Renis' family visits her." Casa looked down, her voice breaking softly. When she looked up again, a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Do they not want me, Elli? Did I...I did do something bad?" She burst into tears, crawling into her foster mother's arms. The woman could only rock her gently, holding the sobbing child until she cried herself out.
---
"R'sin. You will visit your child."
Elisel stood firmly in the doorway, her eyes narrowed. The bluerider glanced up uneasily from the scattered papers on the table in his room. Standing slowly, he shuffled over, running his hands through his messy hair. He glanced over the diminutive woman who was all but bristling at the entrance to his home. She stepped past him, slamming the door shut and stomping over to the bed.
"What's this about, Elli?" he asked tiredly, sliding back into his chair. He was so damn tired; he hadn't slept well yet again. Elisel was glaring daggers at him, and he squirmed, glancing away. "We had an agreement. I don't...I can't..." He felt his throat tighten, even after five years without her.
"Yes, we had an agreement. But it's time you moved on already. You have a daughter, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, and she needs her father more than ever." She picked up his pillow, throwing it at him before stalking closer. Yelping, he ducked and staggered back, his eyes wide.
"I held your daughter while she sobbed into my chest! It's her fifth birthday, and she cried her eyes out this morning, begging me to tell her she had a family. Beggin me to tell her she hadn't been bad, hadn't scared them away!" Her voice dripped acid as she stalked over to him, grabbing him by the tunic.
He stared at her in fear, voice shaking as he tried to defend himself; from outside, a deep growl rolled through the window. Letting go of his tunic and whipping around, she peered through the glass out at the blue. "Don't you scold me! Tell your piss-poor example of a rider to man up and take care of his child, and I won't have to threaten him! You should know better than to growl at me, dragon."
Turning back to R'sin, she hissed out a final warning. "If you don't come to see your child, I will make your life a living hell, R'sin. Don't you doubt me for a second." She threw open the door, storming out after one last thunderous glare tossed in the cowardly rider's direction. The door slammed shut, shaking the walls around it. R'sin sat on the floor, his stomach dropping away unpleasantly as he stared after Elisel's frightening departure. He picked himself up off the ground, shaking softly.
I...I think I need to go, Eykyth...can y-you take me to the Creche?
The blue rumbled from outside, eyes peering into the window as he waited for his rider to climb on. After R'sin settled onto his back, he pushed up into the air, wheeling softly on the currents as he headed back to the Weyr.
---
Casa peeked shyly up at the rider who Elli had brought over to her. The man gently reached out, his heart in his throat as he looked over the child behind one of his closest friends. She looked just like her mother. He handed her a small carved toy which she snatched up with a smile, settling down to play with it right away.
"Casa...this is your papa, R'sin. I told you you had family!" She dropped the toy almost immediately, biting her lip and looking nervously from Elisel to R'sin.
"My...papa?" Elisel nodded encouragingly, hoping the child would take to him like she did everyone else. After eyeing him for a moment (Elisel nudged him in the ribs, and he belatedly opened his arms to welcome her, still dazed over how much she looked just like her mother!), Casa rushed into his arms, a delighted cry escaping her lips. "Papa! I love you."
R'sin's felt his chest explode in a mixture of sadness and overwhelming joy, and he tightened his arms around his daughter, refusing to let go. How could he have ignored her for so long? She was everything he wanted, a reason to live and smile again. Holding her against his body, he let his tears slide down his cheeks as he whispered back to her, finally letting go of his old ghosts and stepped forward with his life.
"I love you too, baby girl. I love you too."