#once again interrupting your not regularly scheduled ghoa content with more trash man

[sea-and-storm]

EXILE -- Reed Stoneshore

“You deserve to feel safe,” his sister sighed as she tossed the small purse of gil in Reed’s direction. “And happy.”

His hand shot out to catch it, but the sudden movement caused a flare of pain in his barely-healed gut that contorted his face into a grimace. Seeing the reaction, Lyra's expression turned apologetic.

She seemed so sincere that Reed might have actually believed it.. but he’d known ever since they were young that his elder sister was nothing if not the spitting image of the father he so deeply resented. That she was still trying to convince him - of all people - of how much she cared for him while simultaneously exiling him from their shared home was proof enough of that.

“Piss off,” he hissed as he shoved the purse into his pack along with the meager few belongings he owned. That she had been the one to have to retrieve them for him while he was abed, all because he was being nursed back to health by her as well, made his temper flare hotter than the forges at Naldiq and Vymelli’s.

“I mean it, Reed,” she insisted, though impatience was beginning to worm its way in through the cracks of her act. Lyra never could stand it that Reed could so plainly see through her chocobo-shite when the rest of the bloody world seemed to fall for it hook, line, and sinker.

“Do you now?” he challenged, starting forward down the pier towards the awaiting ship and physically pushing past her as he did - and bit back another grimace as his weakened body protested at the shove. “No, what you’re meanin’ is that Mother, our sisters, and you deserve to feel safe an’ happy – and you think that I’m goin’ to ruin it for all of you ‘less you ship me off to the bloody New World.”

He bit back an annoyed groan at the sharp, clipped sound of the heel of her boots against the dock as she followed hot on his heels - clearly incensed by his provocation. Though she might’ve been a far sight better at suppressing her temper than he, his Dutiful Sister still had her tells for those that knew where to look.

For a mercy, at least, she at least had the kindness - faked or not - to refrain from wrenching him around to face her as she grabbed his arm and forced him to a stop.

“Gods damn it all, Reed!” she hissed, her voice low to keep from attracting attention from the porters and deckhands coming and going along the busy pier. The ship she’d booked passage for him on would be disembarking for Tuliyollal soon, and fortunately for her, all were too busy with their final preparations to stop and listen to the heated bickering of two siblings. 

“Everything I’ve ever done for you, I’ve done because I love you - despite your best efforts to dissuade me from it - because I want you to be part of this family again! But I don’t know how to bloody help you anymore because you won’t let me!” Her fists curled at her sides to stop the trembling in her fingers. “So if I’ve got to make you get a fresh start halfway around the damned world so that you can get your head straight and get over hating Father for–”

There it was.

He would’ve laughed at the predictability of it - of her inability to keep their father out of any argument the two of them ever had - if he wasn’t already seething.

“I’ll get on your fuckin’ ship–” Reed cut her off with a snarl, roughly shoving her back and away from him. Though between having yet to see his strength fully return and Lyra’s fancy new training from the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss, she didn’t so much as sway before steadying herself. “--and I’ll go to the New World if it’ll get you to quit your bloody sham of givin' a damn about me.” 

His voice dropped to a low growl, quiet enough to pass only between the two of them. “But you’d best believe that if I find that sorry sack of chocobo-shite that threw in with the Garleans and left his ‘precious family’ to rot, I’ll relish every gods-be-damned moment of openin’ his throat myself!”

Lyra’s face twisted in barely contained fury, freckled cheeks bright red from the effort it took to bite back the truth she so stubbornly held tight to her chest from escaping. What Reed wouldn’t give to hear her - just once - admit that she hated him.

Yet as always, it seemed he would be denied the satisfaction.

“You are the most incorrigible bastard ever born, you know that?” she hissed, stepping back and throwing her hands up in frustrated surrender. That, at least, caused a flicker of smug satisfaction within him. “Go on, then! Go and ruin your life all over again, if that’s what you really want! Gods know you’re sure as shite good at that!”

Reed had nothing more to say. Nothing that would’ve made any difference, anyroad. Wordlessly, he turned, stalking off towards the merchant ship that would be carrying him to this ‘new life’.

This time, his sister didn’t pursue him. Only a soft, colorful curse escaped her before he could hear her turning, the fast staccato of her steps growing fainter as she stormed away.

But the irony of the moment didn’t escape him as he made his way to the ship at dock’s end. It had only taken about twenty years, but finally, the two eldest Stoneshore siblings had agreed on something.

Without a doubt, Lyra was right.. Reed knew he’d likely find a way to ruin this fresh start, too.