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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jan 21, 2012 18:06:04 GMT -8
"I know about a pieces missing, yeah. I guess you need to think of him as the yin and Xaver as the yang. They are opposites, but they are indelibly connected. If you think you have pieces missing, think about how Xaver feels. Whether he likes it or not, Xences is his brother. It's his brother who is bringing death and destruction to his people and the things he loves. When all is said and done, and Xences needs to be stopped, who do you think that responsibility is going to fall to? The NHRA? They won't be able to do a thing. There is only one person who knows Xences well enough. That person needs to be as much like Xences as he is opposite of him." Nathaniel sat back slowly and let out a breath. He didn't mean to scare Kylie, but she deserved the truth. She might have figured everything out already, but if she gleaned any information from that little speech, Nathaniel would be happy.
"Missing him is a natural reaction, little bird. I don't know a person who doesn't miss their siblings when they've been away. Even if you don't know him, you know your family still misses him, even if he has changed so much." Nathaniel put his hand lightly on her's and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Xaver cares him, that is no question. He just hides it from you, from everyone. He wants to be a pillar of strength in your eyes. He doesn't want to show you any weaknesses. He wants you to look up to him, and he is afraid that you won't understand his feelings for his brother. Xaver is a complicated person, with a whole world on his shoulders. He tries to keep all of his problems from affecting you. He doesn't want you to be burdened with the problems that you can't control. He really is an amazing big brother." Nathaniel smiled and bit into the cone of his ice cream.
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jan 21, 2012 18:43:42 GMT -8
Kylie swallowed hard on the lump in her throat, licking her ice cream to give her mouth something to do as she fought the sudden trembling in her hands. Nathaniel was completely right, of course. No one had really ever been honest with her about the situation with Xences. Even Xaver, who always told her everything; his twin was always a subject of sore frustration and something he just avoided talking to her about altogether. It made complete sense and brought an unusual insight to the man and sibling she knew so well, and it made her sad.
Nathaniel hit everything so very squarely spot on that she averted her eyes to blink away tears. He'd listened; he understood.
"I do look up to him," she said softly, lowering her chocolate. "He is my best friend beneath the sun and her stars; I love my brother."
Kylie fiddled with the wax paper that was wrapped around the base of her cone, confused with her own emotions but beyond thankful that there was someone to listen to them.
"I so often feel so useless, Nate. Xaver has so much to deal with and Xences... I feel like I'm not contributing at all. What if a new race war does break out? What then? I don't know how to protect myself, you of all people should know that. How am I supposed to contribute to our people if I am taken care of by big men all the time? Between you and Xaver I could hardly get a date, let alone a life."
Light blue eyes lifted from her chocolate cone, bright and wide.
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jan 21, 2012 19:41:00 GMT -8
Nathaniel felt her hand tremble and gave it another squeeze. When she looked away to blink back the tears, he averted his gaze for her sake. He smiled kindly, "And he loves you, believe me. He knows that you love him, and that is why he tries so hard. You are such a good girl, and he just doesn't want to ruin that."
"You are contributing. You give Xaver a reason to fight. Every time you smile, he breathes more easily. Every time you smile, you make him strong again, no matter how tired he really is. He lives for you, silly bird." Nathaniel grinned.
"About the protecting yourself, though, that is a serious matter. Surely they taught you some self-defense, being a princess and all? Tell me they taught you something?" Nathaniel inwardly groaned, knowing how far back in tradition Lenity was. It was all too likely that Kylie was supposed to act the perfect young lady, and didn't know anything about getting her hands dirty. Well, that wasn't fair. He was positive that Xaver taught her something about getting her hands dirty. What he taught, though, was the question.
"Tell you what; If Xaver is okay with it, I'll teach you some self-defense. I know plenty, what with being a sleuth and all. I have to fight thugs barehanded, with knives, and with guns for a living. I know how to get the upper hand in a fight and I can teach some of that stuff to you." Nate nodded with certainty. If Kylie could take care of herself, that'd be one less worry off his shoulders.
"A date? Oh dear, I can see how that could be a problem around Xaver. I honestly don't have any say over what you do, silly bird. I wouldn't stop you from seeing someone. Well, I will amend that. I would stop him if I knew him to be a bad person. Don't mistake me for an overprotective older brother. That's not what I want to be. I want to be a friend." Nathaniel bit into his cone again, slurping up the ice cream that was left inside the cone.
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jan 21, 2012 20:11:24 GMT -8
"Xaver taught me some stuff, but..."
Kylie eyed Nathaniel for a moment before letting out a breath. It wasn't a Fallen lady's custom to ever talk about her home life. At least, that's what she'd been told...
"My father didn't approve of such things. Sometimes when I was little I would watched Xav in the training yards when he would visit us and he and Aaro would teach me some things..."
Her smile was sad. Kylie had lost both her parents not a year ago. Even though her father hadn't been the best of dads, she still missed him/ Felt wrongly to speak ill of him.
"Father was upset. He took it out on Xaver, and put an end to it then. Well. Officially, anyway. Xaver had me learning flight combat stuff whenever he could steal me away from Mom and her 'courtly duties'... I'm good with knives, not much else, really. I can fly really fast. I'm good at flying... Now that Xav's my sole guardian I've actually not trained to it since."
Kylie nibbled on her chocolate, sucking up a few stray gummy-bears and chewing on their frozen bodies. Her bright eyes lifted to his when he offered to train her, himself, excitement bubbling instantaneously.
"Xav's not like Father.." Realizing, with a sudden and startling thought, that Xaver had been more of a father to her than their real father ever had. "I think it should be OK. Especially if it's by you. All sleuthy and stuff."
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