[PRP] Twins and a Plus-One [Dol/Mari/Shahera]

[ShinosBee]

It was bound to happen sooner or later. It was probably better to get it done with and over now. Wasn't it? It only made him feel like he was probably going to have to either spend the evening digging a grave or on dragonback to another weyr, but that wasn't necessarily a bad sign, right? From the outside looking in, Dolmar came off uninterested and almost bored. There was no indication that his chest ached from the speed of his heart pounding, but he really would so much have rather lived (with Marinel, of course!) in a place like Highreaches at a time like this.

As soon as he spotted Shahera heading his way through the throng of folks jostling about to get to wherever they were meant to be at this candlemark he raised a hand to flag her over to his side. Well, at least it's be over quickly, right?

"Shahera, over here. Yes, no, of course. Thank you for coming today. There's something important I've the need to share with you, so do try not to make me regret it, hmn?" He glanced around to another hallway, where he'd cautioned Marinel to wait for him to be invited over. The more he'd bothered to think about it and the more often they'd spent time together, the more he'd come to view life without his brotger as irredeemable. He was the only family he had left now.

Thaliawen

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

Shahera had been confused when Dolly asked to meet her, but was perfectly willing to. So here she was, meeting him, if a bit lost on why the formality all of a sudden. “Really Dolly, you didn’t need to go about it in such a way. You could have grabbed me in the hall and I would have given you the same attention. All you had to do was ask.” She settled into her side next to Dolmar out of habit. “All right.” She could tell that he was nervous for all of his outward attempts to be calm. “I will try to not make you regret it.” She could be patient when called upon to do so. Shahera decided to let Dolmar steer this conversation today and curb her tongue. For now at least.

ShinosBee

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel was waiting in the hallway as instructed. He couldn't resist a peek, though, when he heard a girl's voice. Did Dolly have a girlfriend? If she wasn't his girlfriend, why was she speaking to him with such familiarity? Why was she using the nickname he'd given Dolmar?!

That was his nickname for him. He'd called him that as long as he could remember. Was Dolly really going to allow such informality? Marinel crossed his arms, an almost unfamiliar emotion building in his chest.

Dolly had a girlfriend. And Marinel did not approve.  

[ShinosBee]

Faranth between. Dolmar could already feel the vague itching sort of irritation that seemed to follow on the heels of Shahera's voice. Just one more thing to be overlooked, along with her sharding persistent familiarity with him, trampling all over his personal space. Just because his hand happened to go to her waist out of habit as well didn't mean she had to wedge herself right up against him like that—as if they were familiar in other ways, friends, or even lovers, perish the thought. He'd already tried to fight the losing battle that was forcing her to use his full and proper name. It was...strange to hear it out of anyone's mouth but Marinel's, even after so many turns. That'd gone over as well as a blue chasing a gold though, and he'd eventually given it up out of sheer exhaustion. Much better, of course, to ignore it, be above it (which, of course, he was).

"If you'd be some kind as to accompany me...and...try not to grow too terribly excited? There's someone that I suppose I'd like you to meet. He's just...oh, Marinel. You look as if Liasa's gone and stolen the last bubbly pie again." He'd led Shahera around to the side corridor, and had one slender brow raised at the sight of Marinel, Marinel, looking...angry. It was frankly a bit unnerving, as he'd seen the same expression ample times before...but only ever in the mirror glasses or still pools or water, never on Mari's face. "This..." He really was a bit baffled by the turn of events, blinking rapidly once, twice, three times before opting to simply charge on again. "This is Shahera, Mari. Shahera...this is Marinel." He slid his arm from around her side, stepping away just enough to fold his arms behind his back, prim and proper.

"I imagine you have questions."

faesinger

Thaliawen

 

[faesinger]

Shahera followed along, wondering where they were going this time. To meet someone and not get excited? What did that mean? It wasn’t far that they went before they were stopping again. She looked around for someone that she didn’t know, but failed to find them. Yet, he was using his twin’s name…and stuttering? What had happened that caused that? Shahera looked over at Nel, who she had admirably been stuck by the similarity between the two young men at first, and back at Dolly. Yes she could see it, but wouldn’t this have come up sooner if it was indeed what he was implying? As Dolly’s hand slid out from around her waist and he stepped back, she thought, he better not be messing with me. This was a stupid subject to mess about with.

“Hello, Nel, it is good to see you again. Dolly, you lost me. Are you implying that Nel here is your twin?” She looked at Dolmar suspiciously. He looked…almost earnest…and defensive. That was an odd look for him. All right. Say it was true…why was it coming up now? “Why is this coming up now? Instead of, oh say, months ago when we were first all here at the same time?” She turned back to Nel. He might be easier to read and tell if they were lying. Dolly was so sharding good at lying. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” It wasn’t an accusatory tone, just a baffled and a little skeptical. She was truly trying to understand.

ShinosBee

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"She stole the last two," Marinel frowned at his twin. That wasn't why he was upset. Why hadn't Dolmar told him?

Could one taste dislike? Mari could've sworn there was a foul taste in his mouth. He uncrossed his arms and folded them behind him. "Because we didn't realize until recently. Our entire hold was lost during Thread, so naturally we assumed..." That they'd lost each other. Grief had kept them from recognizing each other. What importance was it to this girl, anyway? "I'm sorry it took so long for him to introduce me," he added.

His eyes snapped onto his twin. "Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" His tone, unlike Shahera's, was accusatory.  

[ShinosBee]

Dolmar's meant the phrase purely as an expression, so it took him a beat to gather that, indeed, Marinel had taken it seriously. And apparently he'd been spot on. Really his brother ought to try a bit harder with the willful green—she might as well think she were gold for all her indulgences. The pose Marinel struck, so very similar to his own in the moment, made them seem even more identical. It really was like looking in a mirror. A mirror that added tan lines and longer hair, but all the same. "Not to mention he'd been going by that name, 'Nel', which I see he's given you too. He was always 'Mari' to me," Dolmar added. "I'd sent a rider to our home," His voice dropped, almost hushed on such a somber topic. "After that first fall. They came back to tell me almost nothing was left standing. No tracks from survivors." It had been agony at the time, though he'd hidden it well even at the Hall. "I'd stopped looking for his face in crowds long before I came here, so I—what?"

He was so completely dumbstruck by his twin's sudden accusatory question that his rare genuine moment of sharing ground to an inarticulate halt. Shahera? His...girlfriend? The idea was completely ludicrous! On par with an already-rare white dragon deciding, "yes, today I think I'll chase that gold dragon!" and then actually managing to catch her. "You think we're...? That she's...?" He thrust a hand in Shahera's general direction, all but disregarding her aside from as part of the current topic between him and his brother. "You really think that I'd stoop to consorting with someone like her in that way?" Ouch. "Marinel, she's an old dancing class partner from the Hall, nothing more. A candidate now too, which is why I decided introducing you two'd be better handled now than later but...really, Marinel? You think I'd make such an important choice without confiding in you first? And with her?"

To him it was the idea of their clashing personalities that made the thought of them together seem so horribly funny. They'd kill each other inside a sevenday!

faesinger

Thaliawen

 

[faesinger]

Shahera could feel her skepticism rising as she listened to Nel explain things. An eyebrow began to creep up even. Then all of a sudden he was accusing Dolly of having a girlfriend. She opened her mouth to ask why he hadn’t told Nel, but closed it again remembering that she had agreed to try to not make him regret things today.

Dolly’s explanations were met with a little less skepticism, but really it was the reaction to the question that caused her to believe them. Dolly, and she, had been asked before if they were significant to each other, and while Shahera was (almost) always polite about telling them no, Dolly usually cut the askers down into tiny itty bitty pieces verbally. To have him react the way that he did told Shahera that he actually cared about this person. Logically he was then telling the truth.

“Dolly dear, you composure.” Shahera was sure that Dolmar would understand what she meant. “Nel, Marinel, whatever you would prefer to be called, Dolly and I are most certainly not boyfriend and girlfriend.” She eyed Dolmar a little. “Though his reaction just now does bring into question why he felt it necessary to introduce us in such a way if I am ‘only an old dancing class partner.’” Thre was a mocking tone in her voice. It hid her annoyance. And she was actually annoyed at that, as surprising as that was to her. She thought she had been used to Dolly’s quips enough to not be.

A trill came and her firelizard was wrapped around her shoulders. One had never quite approved of Dolly, and was now glaring at him. Though the moment One noticed another Dolly he began to hiss quietly. Shahera reached a hand up to comfort One and smiled brightly.

“Well, I guess congratulations are in order then. I am delighted for you both.” She couldn’t remember if she had ever told Dolly that she had lost her own family to thread or not, so she did understand a little what it meant for someone to be still alive. She cocked her head to her side, and then sent a little thought to One, who grudgingly agreed and disappeared. “Do you plan to let everyone know?”

ShinosBee

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"You can still call me Nel if you like," Marinel offered. He hadn't changed his stance, but his expression had softened as he looked to his brother. Not a girlfriend. Good. Why did that idea bother him so much, anyway?

He reached out for Dolly's shoulder. "Good," he said, studying him. After that quick assumption, he could see the annoyance--but also familiarity? Just a class partner? Why was Dolmar so quick to want to introduce her, then? She must have been important.

"Dolly's my nickname for him," he said. "Sorry for my assumption, I figured my brother would have anyone else sent to the other side of Pern." He shrugged. "We've already told the candidatemaster and everyone who matters, it's not really anyone's business but ours."  

[ShinosBee]

He could definitely feel a tic starting somewhere in the vicinity of his temple. This, right here? This was why he'd thought it better to bring both of them to awareness now, rather than later. "Mostly I'd hoped to avoid an awkward moment if you two happened to meet and mistake the situation. Seeing as you'd already met though, I see my efforts were for naught." Despite the somewhat brusque note of his voice, he was making an effort to calm himself. Shahera had been present for more than one of his eruptions, when dancing became too taxing, or the idiocy of those around him...the chiding reminder to compose himself was a bitter pill to swallow, but she was...technically...right. Not to mention he was loathe to let his twin see that side of him, so angry, especially because Marniel wasn't the cause of the anger, not really.

The sight of Shahera's own tunnelsnake with wings hissing quietly at Marinel and himself...that actually won a small smile from the young man. The firelizard at least could see the resemblance, and he'd always thought it perhaps had had more sense than its master, despite the sour attitude.

"...Thank you, Shahera," Her congratulations seemed genuine enough, and on this matter he was happy to accept them, throwing in the slightest nod of his chin—as near to a bow as she'd ever be worthy outside a proper performance—her way. Having his twin back was a delight, at the heart of things, and the one thing he would have salvaged from the ruins of his previous life. Maybe that was really part of why he'd wanted them to meet. His old life was gone, except for this one string. His order-fixated mind wanted to tie that hanging thread off to something newer, to mesh it in between the unsinged part of the tapestry that made him up now. If he'd been feeling poetic about it or something. He'd also intended to ask Shahera to perhaps help him to keep an eye on Marinel, privately of course. His brother was a young man, grown and competent, but he couldn't help his protective instincts. As for Shahera...well, she needed as much protection as a wher needed from a sevenday old wherry.

faesinger

Thaliawen

 

[faesinger]

Shahera blinked a little at Marinel. She had been expecting him to understand what she was asking like Dolly would have. For him to not was disconcerting. “What I mean is, do I need to keep this to myself and pretend I don’t know anything? Even if it is none of their business, people gossip. Am I to fuel that gossip or kill it dead?”

Smiling at Dolly’s thanks and nod, she nodded back. It was frankly remarkable that they had found each other, and Shahera would have to ask for the story at another time. She made a note to herself to keep an eye on Marinel though. If he was like Dolly, things could get complicated fast. Or if he wasn’t he was a liability for her dancing partner, and she wasn’t interested in seeing Marinel used against Dolly.

She turned that smile back on Marinel. “I just out stubborned him over the nickname. Dolly here at least knows when he is fighting a losing battle. Besides, when dancing a certain level of familiarity is needed.”

One reappeared with a shriek in front of Dolly and began to chirp insistently at the man to take the package One was now holding. Shahera had almost brought it with her, and then decided against it at the last minute, again, leaving it on her bed. Not knowing why they had been meeting, she hadn’t wanted to bring it. But since it was a happy occasion she felt she could pass the package over without too much worry. Considering the contents, she would never be completely free of worry.

ShinosBee

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"Oh, no," Marinel hesitated for a moment. He'd already said people already knew. It wasn't some big secret. "I don't mind if people know," he said. It wasn't something he was ashamed of. He was proud to have Dolly as his brother. "Honestly, I've practically told everyone I've met."

He looked to Dolly. "Sorry, if you wanted to keep the gossip down," he said, and did seem genuinely apologetic. "I was so excited to have you back, I couldn't keep my mouth shut."

"He must have let you win," he said, then. "No one out stubborns my brother." Not him. Not their father. Not even some girl he danced with. "He probably just didn't think it was worth his time to argue. He does that a lot."

Oh, a gift for Dolly?  

[ShinosBee]

Dolmar didn't quite shrug in response to Marinel's apology—shrugs were unrefined, and thus not for him—but he did reach out to place a reassuring hand on his twin's shoulder. "They were going to find out regardless, and as you said. It's nothing to be ashamed of, or to hide." True, they had grown into very different sorts of people, and perhaps Marinel wasn't as refined as Dolmar would have liked, but...well, he was sure he himself was a bit more rigid than Marinel had hoped to find. They were twins, yes, but also individuals. And he loved Marinel, truly. They were all each other had left of their home, their history.

Of course, whatever poignant moment the twins had been having was obliterated by the sudden and loud arrival of One, screeching and hollering as was entirely typical. "Give it here then, if you're going to be so brazen about it!" Dolmar thrust out a hand, yanking the package (none to gently) away from the fluttering firelizard. It already didn't like him, so really, no harm in being a little rough, right? "What's this all about then, Shahera? Trying to win our affections? Some paltry costume trinket you've mistakenly though was in sty—"

As the wrappings opened in his hands, it felt like his throat was closing up. The bundle had contained...a few items. The first, the one on top had arrested him so. It was..broken. Wrong. Missing almost all of...all of it. The still half-wrapped items clinked metallically as his fist clenched tight to hold them, cradle them close. Long fingers plucked up the item in question, lifting it with a notable tremble. A small figure of a runnerbeast, carved from a pale blue stone. There was strange edging around it, where the stone had been flattened but not worked. A lip that wood had once wrapped around as part of a comb's handle. All the wood was gone, the sleek tines and smooth arcing back. Just this bit was left. The inorganic part. Even it bore faint streaks the blotted out the finer details of the carved shape.

"...This is...was...our mother's comb." In a flash he understood where it'd come from, how she'd gotten it. She couldn't have known what was, but...she had been there. She'd gone to the ruins of their hold. The comb had been a fixture atop their father's dresser, a relic of a better time, and one they'd never been allowed to touch. It was a bit too late to wish after it now, but logic couldn't quite smother the sharp ache that'd fixed oddly behind his breastbone.

faesinger

Thaliawen

 

[faesinger]

Shahera almost sighed as One decided on his own to deliver the gift. She reached out and collected the firelizard before he attached Dolly in retaliation for the rough treatment. “Wonderful. Gossip is so hard to to squash anyway. Better to tell the truth.” The firelizard was squirming in her hands. “You were supposed to bring it to me. It’s your own fault,” she admonished as One tried to get free to attack. Her grip was firm and unforgiving. Now was not the time for that.

“Some peddler was trying to sell the comb to the highest bidder, claiming it belonged to the Lord Holder’s wife. Gave some crazy story about it too, but really what convinced me was the way that certain of the crowd reacted. They were the ones had come to pay respects not pilfer. One in particular knew the comb and confirmed it had belonged to your Mother.” Shahera offered in explanation. “Didn’t seem right what was happening, so I…liberated…it from the peddler.” Along with some other things, but Dolly didn’t need to know about those. They were in no way related to him and thus none of his business.

Shahera turned to One and fussed for a bit trying to give the brothers time to process what she had just gifted to them.

ShinosBee

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel only paused a moment, long enough to assess the situation, before wrapping his arms around Dolmar. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he could say it, when he did find the words. His tongue and throat felt swollen, as if his throat had sealed itself. He swallowed.

He'd seen the comb, of course. It'd been on display on that dresser for turns. He'd never once been allowed to touch it. He hadn't thought about it in turns, but now that it was here, destroyed by Thread... Their entire hold had been. Their home. Their father. How did he comfort Dolly? How did he--no. He'd hated that place, once Dolly had left. He'd fled as soon as he'd been able. Why was this affecting him so much?

"Thank you," he managed, looking to Shahera briefly. He wasn't about to let go of Dolly. Not now.