family dinner [open search thread!!]

[Kat]

Kasia kept her soft gaze on her youngest son as she passed him the plate of roasted beans. Already, a slab of pan-fried fish sat on the man’s plate, but the boy had not yet noticed the fish. Instead, he held his fork poised above the white fish, while his lips parted in the form of a hesitant and distracted from. His large, brown eyes flashed towards his sister Delilah and her husband, who sat close to her and whispered small comments into her ear at various intervals in the family dinner. Jackson’s gaze remained turned towards his sister, and he watched the couple interact with a sad turn of his head. His head drooped hanging on his neck as if it weighed a great ton, and his shoulders curved over his plate, as if he attempted to hide the rest of his body from the world.
”Would you like some beans, Jackson?”
Kasia questioned, but before Jackson could even turn his gaze towards her, she had already dropped a large dollop of vegetables next to his cut of fish. She sighed, her body deflating as she noticed her son’s complete lack of acknowledgment of her question, and she lifted her own fork and knife. As if Jackson was a child, Kasia cut the fillet of fish into small, bite-sized chunks of meat, and the man did not even register that the action was occurring. His eyes glazed over with a hazy film of distraction, as he continued to look at married couple on the other side of the table.

Even though Delilah was six years older than Jackson, the younger man had married first. Delilah and Jove had only been married a year. Thales had yet to settle down, which meant that Jackson had actually been the first of the family to marry. Jackson finally realized that he had not been paying attention to the dinner at hand, and he turned towards his food, setting his fork onto the plate to scoop up a mouthful of fish. He ate it slowly, his bites calculated and lazy, but after he had eaten that one bite, Jackson dropped his fork onto the plate, still clasping the end loosely between the fingers on his right hand. He pushed the white fish into the green beans. The colors contrasted in a pretty display of light and dark tones. At that moment, Delilah leaned towards Jove, so that her mouth twitched next to his ear. He gave a brief nod, and then he coughed, a small, meek bark. Delilah took a small, fluttering breath, and then she leaned her body towards her family as she prepared herself to speak.
”Jove and I have an announcement.”
Delilah announced as she fixed a large, bright smile on her face. The smile was rather false in appearance, almost too sugar coated and sweet.
”I’m pregnant.”
Delilah explained, and her smile increased and turned into a large grin. She was excited, that was clear, even if her eyes still lacked the proper engagement of joy which the words should ensue.

As Delilah spoke, Jackson felt the fire begin to build in the pit of his stomach and wrap up towards his heart. His eyes narrowed, and his hand released the fork which fell onto his plate with a small clink of metal against porcelain. It was not fair. Delilah looked so happy, so absolutely content, but she was living the life that Jackson was supposed to live. He was the one who was supposed to have conceived the first child in the family. Isabel and him had been trying for months, and he knew that the pregnancy would have occurred soon had Isabel not died. The one thing that Jackson did right was marriage. His siblings were better at everything, and yet, he had not only secured the most amazing, perfect, and ideal woman, but he had done it before any of the rest of his family. Delilah was stealing that from him, and she smeared the memory of his wife with her happiness. The thought charged Jackson’s mind, flashing through his consciousness in a blaze of red. How dare Delilah call a family meeting and announce this news! He was the one who was supposed to have a child, a family, and she just stomped into the house and spoiled his well crafted vision of normalcy, which he had been building, his emotional apathy which denied everything he felt. It was a safe flatness, but the thought of his sister’s family, of her new child, encroached upon his fragile emotional walls.

Jackson’s heart began to beat against the walls of his ribcage, and he gasped a breath, and another, and another, until his chest became tight with anxiety. He wheezed, and then he pushed the chair away from the table, his arms straight and his body erect. From his standing position, Jackson towered over his family, still seated at the table. Kasia turned her head towards her son, her kind, green eyes scanning over his form. Her eyebrows knitted together as she watched him, her mouth twisting into a small, concerned smile.
”Are you alright, Jackson?”
Kasia questioned, and Jackson nodded his head, a small slow nod.
”I just need to go outside for a walk.”
Jackson announced, as he shuffled away from his family. He burst through the front door, and he moved slowly onto the stoop of his house. He dropped his body onto one of the stairs, and once he was seated, he dropped his head into his hands. With his face cushioned in his callused palms, Jackson twisted the ring on his right hand with his left fingers in small, short spins.

[zeis]

Sweepriding was one of Valenph's great joys. She loved the wide expanses of land and sky all around them, and the whistling of the wind over her wings. It was a peaceful gusty silence only broken by the constant trading of thoughts between rider and simourv. Though it wasn't just because she got to spend loads of time with M'ari, but because it made her feel alive. The keen watchfulness the job demanded from her, searching for any and all signs of koxi on the earth below her as they soared past. It awakened a predatory feeling in her, a feeling of power and control.

Such philosophical thoughts ran unconsciously through her head as she sailed into Itnala, with a customary caw to the riders on duty. The air was warmer down here at the port city, and filled with the sounds and smells of the ocean. She breathed deep as she passed low over the houses, warbling a pleasant evening greeting to the citizens below. On her back she felt M'ari shift against the harness, to lean out and wave. The response was the usual, a mix of awe and terror, cries of wonder and recognition mixed with gasps of surprise as her shadow whipped past. The emotions were too many and too complex for her to truly read, and in the mosaic of people that were going about their lives below her, she almost managed to miss one in particular.

The green simourv suddenly backwinged furiously, earning a startled yelp from M'ari, and sending a small torrent of neon green feathers wafting from her wings into the wind. She whirled around on the spot mid-air, and flapped tentatively back to where she had felt it. It was a strange feeling of recognition, and by now she knew what it meant even though the specifics of it were unclear. She could not say what caused it, or why, but simply that it was there. M'ari peered curiously down at the houses below, slightly alarmed by his simourvs sudden turn around in behavior. What's wrong?

There's someone here. Valenph said distractedly as she flew much more slowly now over the houses, hovering a bit awkwardly here and there and making certain people below a bit more nervous. The streets were wide enough for her to land if she was careful, but she didn't want to till she found what she was looking for. She fluttered from one house to the next, circling in an effort to locate the source of it. M'ari squinted at the slightly nervous and staring people below them, wishing he could see whatever it was that Valenph could. There's a lotta someones here. Which one are ya talkin' about?

I don't know, I'm looking. She respond a bit dismissively, swinging in the direction of a street that felt right. The feeling was stronger here. The long flight from the Eyrie to here had left her wings a little tired, and trying to hover about so much wasn't doing any favors. She needed to land, but she was close enough now she thought that it wouldn't be a problem. M'ari guessing her intent yelled down for the people below her to get out of the way, and several took the hint, while some, namely children simply stood and stared. As gently as possible she mentally suggested they get out of the way, and waited patiently as they scattered at hearing the voice in their heads. Valenph set herself down the street from Jackson's house gently, folded her wings tight against her body, and curled her tail close and low to the ground so she wouldn't disturb anyones property.

"Sorry!" M'ari called after a particularly frightened bunch of kids with a slightly sheepish grin. He wasn't sure if terrifying the citizenry was a good way of getting them used to the simourv's presence, but hey, he figured if one walking in the streets wouldn't do the job nothing would. You probably just scared away whoever it was. No, they're still here. Valenph said without any doubt, shaking her head and staring down the street, trying to pick out the one that called to her. Well, let me handle it from here- hey! Unheeding of his words, Valenph pawed slowly and carefully down the street, head low to the ground, and peering down alleyways and in windows.

[Kat]

((My worst post in awhile, but it will do.))

The whole area around Jackson buzzed with excitement, but the large man, who curled over his own body, slouching on the stoop, was unimpressed. He did not stir, in fact, and instead, Jackson stared at his hands, clasped around themselves, as if he could conjure up happiness through his own fingers. The gesture provided him no comfort. He was in pain, and he could not detach himself from it. Jackson did not care for the simourvs. They had failed him, when he needed them most, when he needed them to save his Isabel, and he their bodies reminded him of the incident. Even though the simourvs had saved him, even though the simourvs had made it eventually and destroyed the koxi which would have only killed more people, more members of Jack’s community, but Jackson had been failed, and he regretted every moment that he lived without his Isabel. The man only twitched when Valenph landed across from him, but his eyes did flash upwards so that he could see the green giant across the way from him, before he moved his eyes back to the ground. His fingers next left each other. The ring continued to turn. It was a thin golden band against his dark skin. The contrast was immense and stunning. It was not an impressive ring by any means. The ring, in fact, was thin and small, but at the time, it had been all that Jackson had been able to secure.

Jackson did not notice the pattern of the green simourv’s actions. She was a vast creature, that he knew, but he did not know that she searched. He did not know that she swept down and she searched among the houses. Jackson refused to look. He refused to acknowledge the presence of the large creature. He ignored Valenph out of spite. The people scurried around Jackson. They swerved out of Valenph’s way, darting in all directions while still maintaining a fascinated closeness with the creature, but Jackson did not budge. He knew he was far enough away to avoid being hit or being hurt, and that was enough security for him. He twitched in his seat, though, which was all he granted the simourv. As the rider called out small apologies to the scared public, Jackson only snorted with distain. He refused to do anything else. He had no idea that he was the subject of the quest, because had he know, Jackson would have moved away to avoid the confrontation.

[zeis]

Valenph. M'ari hissed mentally, leaning close to her and tugging insistently on her riding straps. This is not good public relations. He pleaded, watching people scatter with a slightly nervous look. It wasn't the people he was afraid of really, but events that happen have a way of changing when the tale gets around. If that tale of a male green simourv rider terrorizing the public got back to the Saiyaie council members, they would definitely demand an explanation from Ro'za. The Phoenix would shut them up he knew, but he didn't care to have the gray-riders disapproving eye on him at any time.

I don't care. Valenph sighed as she picked up he pace a little bit, pacing eagerly but carefully down the broad city street as the feeling of whoever it was got stronger. This was important, and not because the call for search had recently been given again. No, this was important because whoever it was, there was something very intense about them. Something that needed to be addressed. The green simourv didn't know what it was, but it was a demanding and urgent feeling. She was starting to feel like none of these houses were right, or that maybe the person was hiding when she saw Jackson.

M'ari blinked as his green made a bee-line for a rather dour looking fellow sitting on the stoop of a house. She stopped in front of the house, and simply sat down, lowering her great head to the man's eye level, but maintaining a respectful distance away. Her black unreadable alien eyes gazed intently at him, reflecting the image of his stubborn self-reflection back at him. He had what she had been looking for, but the confusing and elusive wafts of emotion that came from him were dark, bitter. Upsetting. She wanted to help, but how could she? I found him. She spoke quietly to her rider, as he slid down her side, no real triumph in her voice.

You did. M'ari replied a little unsurely, as his boots hit the ground with a gravelly thud. He kept one hand gripping Valenph's harness, and simply stood there looking the man over. The guy was obviously upset about something, though whether sad or furious he couldn't tell. Seeing depressed and upset people in the street wasn't uncommon in Pohono with all the terror and destruction caused by Xymokoxi and other tragedy. The green-rider ran a hand through his thick black hair, and called out to the stranger. "Hey. Sorry about uh..." He glanced at his bonded, parked rather obtrusively in front of this mans house blocking the street. "This, but... are you okay?"