[ With caution, Brandon tucks one of the messengers into his sleeve, leaving the other free to bet pet slowly. They are indifferent to such physical shows of affection, so it's merely like his verbal reinforcement of before. He would never dream of trying to pet actual hyenas, let alone hyenas in a humanoid form. The relaxed rhythm of his hand against their feathers is a mild projection. ]
You must be important to him.
[ Not an actual hypothesis of his. Her reaction, or Ivor's, to that statement might be informative, however. ]
[ He likes the look of Brandon's pet, the slow stroking motions. It leaves him discontent to remain where he is, and he crosses the gap between them to be back at Hekate's side. She wraps her arm around his shoulders without bothering to look down into his face. They are both an odd little paradox of weakness and will. Hekate's unbreakable belief in herself, bolstered by Ivor's unending devotion to her. She refuses to succumb to the clan, to the witches, to the House, the only place she will accept is at the crown.
And that is what makes her what she is: ]
We are Morrisons.
[ Ivor has a hoarse voice, dry and disused and tight. ]
[ Hekate's expression shows pleasure to hear Ivor assert himself, he was small and adoring, but she would not have kept him as her own if he could not show his teeth. In her youth, she had been forced to make up for her lack of size with her viciousness. All those years the two of them spent off the Hill have made them both smarter and wiser, above their animal beginnings. ]
[ The feathers shift under the pressure of his fingers, ruffle a little, settle again as he scratches. His eyes move between Ivor and Hekate, expression placid as he thinks. Haran evidently only counts Qetzi'ah and Tavor as his cousins; Qetzi'ah herself evinced little interest in the hyena's affairs. But here, as everywhere, there are gradations of power within every rank, hierarchies inside hierarchies.
He offers no dispute to Hekate's statement, which might make the purpose of his own preceding one obvious. ]
I came to give gifts to the Morrisons. I see that deer aren't to your liking.
[ Is it telling of him, to take on the additional burden of another gift when it is to two who appear weak and unregarded, but also different and clever? Will the others notice, would Dinah take offense? So it's not an outright offer, and echoes Hekate's oblique conversational tendencies. ]
[ Hekate raises an eyebrow, gauging him. Unlike Dinah, she sees and understands perfectly well what such a gift represents, and may just be interested in the bargain... If he can be useful to her. ]
When the House was full, there was trade from other lands.
[ Plucking up the thread from earlier, how he has come from far, far away. ]
[ This time, the lowered gaze comes with a hint of smile so that the show of humbleness is acknowledged as such, unlike his posturing toward Haran and Qetzi'ah. Thus he positions himself like them, nominally answerable to others above him, and like them, not as subservient as the position might call for. Brandon takes one step forward as well, leaving behind his mark in the path, but halting politely should Hekate and Ivor not wish him to draw close. He offers them the gently fidgeting bundle of feathers in his hands, seemingly to at least touch, perhaps to pet like he did if they wished.
There's no head, no easily discernible body shape. Just wings folded in complicated arrangements, some tucked tight, others twitching, one or two extending in a stretch. There is a seed of something dead buried deep inside, but still living flesh also, strange configurations of honeycomb-hollowed bone and small mechanisms. ]
Your feet don't have to leave the dirt, if you'd like to see other lands again.
[ Ivor sniffs at the thing in his grasp suspiciously, but then his curiosity gets the better of him and he slips from Hekate's arm, going down on one knee to look at the bundle of feathers at eye level. The mixed smell of death and magic does not disturb him, it is the smell of a life upon the Hill, and yet so subtly different... He extends the tip of one finger to tickle the golem's body, ruffling its feathers to watch the way it twitches in response.
His intense frown relaxes, replaced instead with a childlike peacefulness as he toys with the thing's reactions. ]
[ She watches her brother in silence, amused by his curiosity, but affectionately so. His hidden well of gentleness has always been the balance she needed when in the thrall of her ferocity. She does not take her eyes off of Ivor when she replies to Brandon, ]
That would be interesting.
[ Not precisely assent, but it is meaningful enough on a Hill that hears all. ]
[ The messenger ruffles and soothes just as it had under Brandon's hand, softer and less oily to the touch than the black and iridescent sheen would have suggested. If this were any other situation, if his own preferences were something to be indulged rather than ignored, Brandon would watch Ivor as well, not insensible to the fact that his earlier projection can be easily turned back on him.
But it is quite impossible to forget where he is and who he stands before, so it's Hekate he watches, and Hekate's plausibly deniable agreement at which he shuts his eyes and smiles. ]
Then it will take your mind's eye wherever you want to go, after it's accepted you.
[ Brandon makes both hands flat beneath the messenger so that it might easily be taken. What he says is mostly true; it will certainly do that, though it requires no such adjustment time. It will do whatever Brandon tells it, including passing on information about how Hekate and Ivor use it, if they choose to. ]
[ Ivor looks up at Hekate with an expression that clearly demonstrates his longing. He most certainly wants the thing, even if she might be wary of it. His pleading look is considered impassively, but then she nods, a tiny little motion. That's all he needs, Ivor reaches out and gently takes the gift, cradling it in against his chest with such pleasure.
Hekate's eyes flicker up to Brandon then, placid. She does not want him to think that she can manipulated through her brother, the look on her face is there to say that her concessions to him are never without thought. ]
We'll see.
[ No promises, no thank yous. She motions Ivor to get up and come to her, he does, still staring down at the faceless bundle of feathers he holds. ]
[ He only glances at Ivor, and then only at his hands and the care with which he holds the messenger, which is pleasing. It still might be dissected, broken, or destroyed in due course, but the same can be said of everything he brought to the Morrison House as well as himself. He accepted those dangers before coming.
(The messenger itself trembles and twitches, as it would no matter who was holding it. Its movement is only smooth when free to fly around.)
Returning his gaze to Hekate, Brandon's expression gives her nothing but gratitude and restrained interest, no acknowledgment at all of her unspoken point. The difference between ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist is both slight and important, the body language equivalent of I would never. He inclines his head to her and returns to his former spot to brush out the mark he made, the line of his shoulders relaxing. ]
Thank you. And keep it near to you while you sleep to let it grow accustomed. If you have any questions...
[ Brandon turns his hand palm up with a hint of irony as if to say I'm at your disposal, walking backward a step or two before turning to get back in the House. ]
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no subject
You must be important to him.
[ Not an actual hypothesis of his. Her reaction, or Ivor's, to that statement might be informative, however. ]
And is this what you want to be?
1 / 2
And that is what makes her what she is: ]
We are Morrisons.
[ Ivor has a hoarse voice, dry and disused and tight. ]
no subject
And no one is important to Haran.
no subject
He offers no dispute to Hekate's statement, which might make the purpose of his own preceding one obvious. ]
I came to give gifts to the Morrisons. I see that deer aren't to your liking.
[ Is it telling of him, to take on the additional burden of another gift when it is to two who appear weak and unregarded, but also different and clever? Will the others notice, would Dinah take offense? So it's not an outright offer, and echoes Hekate's oblique conversational tendencies. ]
no subject
When the House was full, there was trade from other lands.
[ Plucking up the thread from earlier, how he has come from far, far away. ]
no subject
[ This time, the lowered gaze comes with a hint of smile so that the show of humbleness is acknowledged as such, unlike his posturing toward Haran and Qetzi'ah. Thus he positions himself like them, nominally answerable to others above him, and like them, not as subservient as the position might call for. Brandon takes one step forward as well, leaving behind his mark in the path, but halting politely should Hekate and Ivor not wish him to draw close. He offers them the gently fidgeting bundle of feathers in his hands, seemingly to at least touch, perhaps to pet like he did if they wished.
There's no head, no easily discernible body shape. Just wings folded in complicated arrangements, some tucked tight, others twitching, one or two extending in a stretch. There is a seed of something dead buried deep inside, but still living flesh also, strange configurations of honeycomb-hollowed bone and small mechanisms. ]
Your feet don't have to leave the dirt, if you'd like to see other lands again.
1 / 2
His intense frown relaxes, replaced instead with a childlike peacefulness as he toys with the thing's reactions. ]
no subject
That would be interesting.
[ Not precisely assent, but it is meaningful enough on a Hill that hears all. ]
no subject
But it is quite impossible to forget where he is and who he stands before, so it's Hekate he watches, and Hekate's plausibly deniable agreement at which he shuts his eyes and smiles. ]
Then it will take your mind's eye wherever you want to go, after it's accepted you.
[ Brandon makes both hands flat beneath the messenger so that it might easily be taken. What he says is mostly true; it will certainly do that, though it requires no such adjustment time. It will do whatever Brandon tells it, including passing on information about how Hekate and Ivor use it, if they choose to. ]
no subject
Hekate's eyes flicker up to Brandon then, placid. She does not want him to think that she can manipulated through her brother, the look on her face is there to say that her concessions to him are never without thought. ]
We'll see.
[ No promises, no thank yous. She motions Ivor to get up and come to her, he does, still staring down at the faceless bundle of feathers he holds. ]
You should go now, guest. They return.
no subject
(The messenger itself trembles and twitches, as it would no matter who was holding it. Its movement is only smooth when free to fly around.)
Returning his gaze to Hekate, Brandon's expression gives her nothing but gratitude and restrained interest, no acknowledgment at all of her unspoken point. The difference between ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist is both slight and important, the body language equivalent of I would never. He inclines his head to her and returns to his former spot to brush out the mark he made, the line of his shoulders relaxing. ]
Thank you. And keep it near to you while you sleep to let it grow accustomed. If you have any questions...
[ Brandon turns his hand palm up with a hint of irony as if to say I'm at your disposal, walking backward a step or two before turning to get back in the House. ]