Dragoncrest Cliffs hold me down before the crash

@Blixen

There was snow everywhere. If he'd had someone else to enjoy it with, then maybe it wouldn't seem like such a nuisance. Walking alone, following trails, trying to take a nap — he couldn't do anything with all of the stupid, no-good, annoyingly ubiquitous snow.

With a huff, Bobby made his way to the border to see if things looked any clearer away from the territory.

when's the last time she hung out with bobby just by himself? before the war, for sure -- blixen's not exactly tight knit with either of her brothers. given she wants to murder artaax half the time, and she finds bobby's performance in general to be lacking, it's not a surprise, nor something that bothers her. but hey, the family's all back together and they're in a time of peace, it wouldn't hurt to check up on him.

as if summoned by her thoughts, he materializes in front of her on her patrol. "hey!" the gona calls out, picking up her pace to intercept him. "whatcha up to?" she asks, her voice only slightly suspicious.

Hm? 

Bobby turned his head quickly, attention drawn to the call of his sister. With a wag of his tail and a slow lick of his chops, he trotted over to her side. Nothing, he sighed as the distance grew closer before delivering a nudge to her shoulder.

The chemistry between the siblings was something that he'd caught onto, but he'd attributed it to their family's reunion; it was hard to hold a grudge over someone who you'd spent months missing.What're you doing? he asked in rebuttal, though he was sure he already knew the answer.

hmph. she allows the nudge, returning it with a sisterly bump of the nose, though his lobbing the question earns him a tongue stuck out playfully. "checkin' on you," she tells him, straightening up a little bit. truthfully bixen doesn't mean to try and lord over her brothers, but bobby's lacksadaisical nature and artaax's competitive spirit push her into adopting an authoritative air she doesn't really try to. (and anyway, as far as she's concerned, they benefit from her presence, thank you). "how have you been? while we were away?"

The playful aura around his sister was like a breath of fresh air; maybe growing up was what he needed to realize that there were more important things to focus on. Of course, this idea hadn't solidified in him yet (nor would it any time soon), but it was there. Bobby made a fake lunge for his sister's tongue, though he stepped back as quickly as he had forward. I don't need you to check on me, he teased, chest puffed out with pride, I'm a man. A manly-man, actually. At least, that's how he saw it.

The next question hit a bit harder than he'd expected because, although it had weighed heavily on his mind, this was the first time anyone had bothered to ask. Bobby cleared his throat and shook his head with a plastered smile, I--you know, I was...I'm just glad that everyone is back. While they were gone, Bobby had disappeared from himself. He hadn't just abandoned his responsibilities and relationships but for a moment, he had genuinely clocked out. Better to just forget that part, though.

she barks, startled, the end turning into a laugh as she jumps out of the way of his mock-lunge. jeez! "ppfft, everyone knows men are naturally weaker," blix teases back (well, half-teases), "you're lucky to live in a pack led by such strong girls who'll deign to check in on you." 

were she more observant, the way he answered her would have spoken to something deeper, something worth exploring. but blixen is kind of a dummy when it comes to feelings, especially reading the feelings of others, so she takes the answer at face value, going to nudge him playfully with her shoulder. "yeah? me too. i bet you just napped the whole time we were gone though." her voice takes on a mock-exasperated tone despite the obvious sisterly affection she expresses: she thinks bobby's a bit too laid back for his own good, but it's bobby and she wouldn't have it any other way, so long as he learns to do his part.

For all intents and purposes, Blixen was hitting it right on the nose. Of course, Drageda was a working machine, but Bobby did tend to lack when it came to his responsibilities. Mhm, all of you here to feed me and pamper me; really, just to serve my greater good. Soon after finishing the bold statement, Bobby's face cracked up into a goofy smile to stress the fact that he was joking, had his sister not gotten the memo. There was no reason for Bobby to ever seriously talk about the subordination of the Drageda women, but even if there was, he would have never let it slip; he had too much (well hidden) respect. 

It came as a relief to find that Blixen didn't want to dig deeper into his vulnerable admission. Going along with her teasing, Bobby yawned, You're damn right. Best nap of my life! Then you all had to come back and ruin it, all yappy and excited. The commotion was something he had missed, even if he didn't admit it.

the urge to roll her eyes is too hard to resist, and she moves to nip at his shoulder playfully. "so sorry to ruin your fun," blixen teases. "anyway, since you're already here, come on my patrol with me." though affectionate, her tone is clear: it's not exactly a choice for the lazybones. besides, it'll give them a chance to catch up, right? she watches him expectantly, taking a few steps towards the border, waiting for him to start moving with her.

Coming out to borders to patrol had been Bobby's intent all along, though he would never admit it. Somewhere inside, he did feel the need to step up to the plate, but admitting that he'd been less than adequate meant being a man who he wasn't ready to be yet. Maybe once he grew in wisdom and maturity, Bobby would be able to admit his faults.

With a mock-thisisgoingtobesoboringuggghhh-sigh, Bobby took the steps necessary to meet Blixen were she stood. If I have to, he teased, despite the eagerness hidden inside.

sorry for the wait!

oblivious to bobby's secret desire, blixen feels incredibly pleased with herself for forcing her brother to be productive. "you have to," she agrees, lifting her head slightly authoritatively (maybe artaax is right and she does get too bossy with the boys -- she maintains she doesn't) as she steps forward to her patrol, expecting bobby to fall into line with her.

"so what'd you really do while we were gone?" blix asks, attention on the border as she makes small talk. it's all fun to tease, but hey, look, she's capable of empathy and checking in from time to time.

Fun and games were only one part of sibling-hood. While Bobby did appreciate joking around with his brother and sister every once in a while, he understood when it was time to stop. It was clear that Blixen was ready to take a break and be serious for a second, but Bobby didn't know if he could do it. I, uh, he laughed, averting his gaze from hers so that he might be able to hold in whatever it was he threatened to let go of.

I don't know. I goofed around, you know me. It was a weak attempt at loosening the seemingly constricting air between them, but Bobby hoped that Blixen would understand what he was trying to say. I'm not ready to talk about this yet, Blix. I need time.

yeah, this is why she doesn't really do the empathy thing. she sucks at understanding feelings and both artaax and bobby would rather die than share 'em. she watches him for a few minutes before shrugging, saying, "suit yourself." there's a lingering tension in the air she doesn't like, so after a beat the redhead bumps into his shoulder playfully, trying to knock him over as she pretends to be invested in her patrol.

No matter how many deep exhales Bobby ran through, he couldn't blow away the awkward air between them. While he might have preferred to just leave and let Blix continue the patrol on her own, she didn't seem to want him to go. Her head butt wasn't heavy enough to knock him over, but for the sake of theatrics, he allowed himself to topple anyway, crying out a dramatic, Oh! Woe is me!

After a moment or two lying on the ground, Bobby got up and bounded over to Blixen, jumping onto her back in a leapfrog motion, in an effort to send her knees a-buckling.

his dramatics are met with an attempted serious face that quickly turns into a somewhat childish snort, rolling her eyes at his antics. she takes a few steps past him, expecting him to pick himself up and fall back into line -- only to feel him topple into her, sending them both crashing to the dirt in an undignified heap. "bobby!" she hollers, surprised and squirming -- a playful growl escapes her as she kicks out at him, trying to work herself into a position to get her teeth into his shoulder (in a playful, fun way, of course).

It was all lighthearted fun; jokes were the only thing that Bobby seemed to be good at. Luckily, Blixen responded in the playful way that he'd anticipated, planting a firm hold onto his shoulder. Oh! he called out, arching his back and leaping as far away as his legs could take him (which really wasn't that far, honestly). I liked that shoulder! Bobby called out with a wide grin. He quickly crept forward and moved to grab a hold of his sister's scruff to bring her back down.