[ rayfa makes sure nahyuta is away when she decides to approach dhurke and talk to him. her hands are behind her back as if she is hiding something, too.
[Dhurke is always busy, or at least doing something to keep himself busy. It could be something as mundane as sweeping the floors in the apartment. He was still finding glitter after last month's festivities left his already glamorous son covered in it. He'll stop though when Rayfa addresses him unexpectedly. He takes note of her posture and how serious this seems.]
Consider me available. What is it that you want to talk to me about? [He couldn't quite hide how pleased he was that Rayfa approached him to begin with.]
[ ugh... there he is again, being so carefree? or at least, it looks like it! rayfa coughs awkwardly as she tries to calm herself before she speaks again. ]
Oh, all right. [This must be really serious. He'll set the broom against a nearby wall and settle on the couch since they were in the living room. He'll purposely make space for her as well.]
[ she shakes her head immediately, not wanting to sit down just yet. but with dhurke seated, she presents to him a stuffed red mitama. it could use some more work, but it was rayfa's first attempt at sewing! ]
It is an apology present. I was not certain if you would like it to be red or blue, however, I was told that red was more befitting... [ of royalty, she means. ]
[He stares, having expected her to make another request of some sort and not a gift. It didn't even matter to him that it wasn't perfect, he was genuinely touched by the gesture itself. He smiles brightly, accepting her gift, the red on the mitama shone even more vibrantly in his hands.]
I love it! I would have honestly accepted this in any color! Did you make this yourself? [There was a comforting warmth that lingered in the air. He wasn't saying this to be nice, he really meant it. Just one thing though] But what exactly are you apologizing for?
Edited (Because it kept feeling like I was forgetting something) 2016-11-29 07:41 (UTC)
[ her cheeks flush red at the praise. it's nice that dhurke actually likes what she made for him, but it's making her uncomfortable. the real emotion she's feeling is happiness and pride, though. proud that she's made him happy, and of course, she's proud of her work. she's forcing herself not to be happy, though, only because she's shy and she doesn't want him to see her like this. ]
I-- Yes, I made it! It was the first thing I had ever sewn. Now stop asking questions!
[ her happiness is making her cry, though, which is why her voice is all muffled as if she's stopping herself from tearing up, but it's already obvious in her eyes. ]
This is your first? [So much for no more questions. He turns the plush over a few times, marveling at Rayfa's handiwork.] The craftsmanship is not bad for your first time. You got some talent in sewing!
[He's beaming. How can he not just get up right now and give her a one arm hug? She looked like could use one anyway.]
You did a good job, and I'm honored to have the first thing you've made. [It's just a stuffed plush.]
[ NO, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. her shoulders tense up but she places a hand on his chest when he hugs her and pats it lightly. afterwards, she pushes him away. sorry, dad. ]
That is not all. I-- wanted to talk... about Khura'in. That is, if you would like to, of course.
[ she's at least showing him a lot of respect now. that's a huge change for rayfa! ]
[It's noticeable, how she didn't yell or threw any insulting names at him, how much she wanted to have this talk. The high emotions floating around the room disappears as Dhurke settles back down on the couch, still holding onto her gift in his hand. The sense that this was something serious were coming back to him.]
[ only a few things can fluster rayfa. being told she's wrong, and dhurke, apparently. her cheeks are so red, and her hands are shaking, but she balls them into fists to give her more courage. ]
I do not wish for you to think that I do not accept you as a father. It is just difficult as for my whole life until very recently, I had believed that it was... [ now she doesn't know how to refer to inga. ] my uncle. Please understand.
[His smile slowly becomes smaller and less enthused when Rayfa starts to tell him the difficulties of accepting him as her father. He had a feeling they would've talked about this sooner or later, he just wasn't in any rush to discuss it, preferring to make up for the lost time rather than bring up the past. It doesn't help that he would have to be reminded of the bastard who took his daughter as his own and then murdered him.]
It's all right. I understand, really. Keeping the truth from you was the only way to keep you safe afterall. [A bit of color seems to drain from the mitamah. Though his voice sounded reassuring, it's clear the decision to keep silent was a difficult one to bear. His wife and son probably felt it even worse, having to watch their own be taken care of by the enemy.] I know this will take time, so don't strain yourself over it. I'll still be here for you regardless.
[He glances in the direction of Rayfa's room where a certain cat was. A thought crosses his mind now that she mentioned that bastard. She didn't need to say his name, just any indication of him was enough to put him in a sour mood. It had been bothering him since Rayfa brought that cat home, and he was given a certain name. There's a cold tension in the air around them.] ...He must have treated you well.
[He wasn't look at Rayfa, choosing to stare at her gift instead.]
[ it's now that she takes a seat beside dhurke, showing her weak and vulnerable side as she really can't control it anymore. for almost a month now that they've been living together, rayfa has always worn a brave face. it's difficult to keep pretending. and as she sits, she leans on dhurke's side, hands still balled into fists by her knees. ]
He truly did, [ she says weakly, sniffing as she holds back a tear. ] He never belittled me or berated me. I truly enjoyed my time with him. He was very different from my aunt, who was very strict and seemed even hate me despite pretending to be my mother.
[ she isn't dumb though, and realises that the life that dhurke had once shown when she presented him the mitamah has disappeared. ]
I am sorry that we are speaking about him. And I am even more sorry for what he did to you. As much as... [ she cuts herself there. should she be telling dhurke that he loved inga? should she be telling dhurke he admired the man? no... that's probably an unwise choice. ] It was unforgivable.
[ and yet... he was still her "father". ]
Edited (I FIGURED OUT THE RIGHT SPELLING) 2016-11-30 14:38 (UTC)
[His feelings were mixed by what Rayfa claims Inga was like. On one hand, it was nice to know there was someone who treated his daughter right, on the other it was hard to imagine someone who willingly executeed lives like they were nothing could have a shred of sympathy. It felt more like the man was just getting back to him, insulting him by acting like a father he should have been to her. He squeezed the mitamah in his hand, the coldness in the room turned into something liken to a heat wave, dense and oppressive. It was difficult, even for a man who always tried to keep to the positive to look pass this. ]
A shame he couldn't express that same kindness to his own people. [There was venom in his voice. He could have made this about him, but he wasn't the only one Inga had wronged. There was none of his usual joy or reassurance on his face. He carried the look of pure hatred instead, looking like the rebel image the Kingdom had painted him. There was no excuse for it, even with that tiny bit of information about Inga couldn't erase what he had done. It disgusted him, he had nothing nice to say to Rayfa and he didn't want to try, not for that bastard.]
[ the awkwardness in the air is becoming toxic for rayfa, and she begins to tear up. she even coughs, trying to breathe properly, but her breathing's gone haywire, as well. it's not something of an emergency just yet, but she sure seems to be having a difficult time now. ]
I truly am sorry. Please, if there is anything I can do. [ to make him feel better. ] Braid Head, Horn Head, and I are doing our best to fix Khura'in to its former glory. Mother has been helping, as well...
[ she doesn't even know what she's talking about anymore. all her emotions are pouring out, and her grief is making the lights flicker a bit. thunder even rolls, if they can hear it. ]
I only wish to make amends. He may have done truly horrible things during his time, but he was still someone who showed me love and compassion. And-- [ she sniffs again, unable to control her tears anymore. she begins to wail. ] I do not ask for your forgiveness towards him, but I only wish to be your daughter! If you would have me--
[ things really aren't making any sense anymore and her thoughts are jumbled up. she feels lightheaded from all this crying, and the sky cries with her shortly after, as well.
and softly: ] Please. I will be a good family member. I take back all the wrongs I have done against you, if you would let me.
[A flurry of words were coming from Rayfa, apologies, crying for acceptance from him, telling him how compassionate that man was. And that just throws everyone thing else she said out the window, still fixated on how much Rayfa was trying to defend this man.]
How...how can you still say that? About that bastard after what he's done? [He tried, he really did to look pass this, but he just could not accept it, not after what that man had put him through. The room actually shakes in his rage, the heat becoming something muggy, like after a rainstorm. The stuffing is going to burst from that poor mitamah with the way he was squeezing it more tightly.] You didn't even consider he was playing you as well, to get to me? Playing the father that I could not have been for you?!
[Everything about this that he had kept to himself, to avoid hurting an innocent party could not be contained any longer. He was looking at her in utter disbelief, unable to see that insufferable man as anything else but a murderer, unable to see that Rayfa was already distraught.] This is exactly what he wanted! To convince you into believing he was more than just a lying, murdering scumbag, to wound me where it counted!
[ it's not that he doesn't see inga as a murderer. what ga'ran did was unforgivable, but ga'ran was never nice to her in the first place. it's easy to un-love a woman like her. but inga took care of her and rayfa respected him. despite what he's done, it's difficult to erase the past. but dhurke is slowly opening her eyes now, saying that she was just being used. and this in turn makes her grieve all the more. not for inga anymore, but for herself. ]
I-- was not aware... [ this is taking a toll on her, though, much like how it is when she tries to communicate a spirit. it takes too much out of her body at times and now she's feeling dizzy. her coughing is genuine too, as she struggles to breathe as she continues to cry. ] I believed that--
[ she can't even continue anymore. was the person she loved this whole time just playing her? she gave him a part of her, and while the executions were likely necessary because of the law, murdering dhurke was something else. now her world is being changed and she has no idea how to cope with it. ]
[Only Inga really knew if his feelings for her were true or not. But he's not here, and after what Dhurke had seen of him, having been tortured by him and then murdered, it's easy to see he could have manipulated his own daughter as well.
Regardless of the truth, the fact of the matter is Inga has managed to slip through the cracks and hurt him personally, leading him to take out his anger and frustration on Rayfa. The realization will come to him soon enough, now that he had made his outburst and start to see his daughter properly. She was crying, completely shaken by what had transpired, looking frailer than he had ever seen her. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breathe, to get his bearings once more. He still felt pain and hatred, but he needed to stop. What Inga did was not his concern, he needed to be here for Rayfa now and not let that man further tear this family apart. The shaking will start to subside, the stuffy atmosphere finally going away.
He moves to wrap his arm around Rayfa, pulling her into a hug, the gift laying forgotten in his lap.]
...I'm sorry. That was not right of me to take out my anger on you.
[ rayfa has never cried this much in a while. the last time this happened was when she was told by ga'ran that she was just "adopted" and that her true mother was somebody else. it hurt so much that it affected her work as the priestess in the high court of khura'in. this hurts so much too, as if her heart is being torn apart. thankfully it's not literal because she would certainly die if that happened.
not that she doesn't feel like dying now. she expected this talk to be painful, but not like this... not like this. it hurts so much, and she can't even say anything anymore. instead, she keeps crying and her sobs grow louder and louder. she wants to speak and apologise again, but all that comes out of her mouth are puffs of air as she struggles to breathe properly again. ]
[He squeezes her gently, rubbing her back to help calm her down. Seeing how much damage he's done to her has left him feeling guilty, the lowest of the low that he hasn't felt since he lost everything that day. No good parent would upset their child like this. It's the last thing he wanted to cause after not being there for any of them.]
...Listen to me, all right? [He nudges her gently, his voice much softer than what it was before.] You have done nothing wrong. You were just as much a victim to their schemes as our people were. And I should have come for you sooner, maybe it would have saved you from the suffering you're going through. [But sooner never happened and now they're all paying for it. This is what the cards have dealt them and he has to find a way to work through it.] There is nothing that you have to prove to me. No matter what you think or believe of me, I will always love you as my daughter.
[ dhurke is obviously trying to make her feel better and make her stop crying, but she can't seem to stop. his words only make her sob louder because now she begins to truly think that her whole life was a lie. as she cries some more, she coughs louder too. she tries to look at dhurke and mouth another apology, but nothing comes out.
eventually, though, the rain outside stops and rayfa heels. now feeling dizzy from her recent outburst, all she wants to do is lie down and sleep. it looks like she's been drained of life. a part of her does feel bright and happy, that all dhurke has for her is love, but she's still experiencing this huge revelation that is shaking her world. ]
Then... I wish to be the daughter that you have always dreamed me to be. You may tell me anything you like, and I will do it.
[Dhurke remains at her side, holding her in his arm, being patient with her. He wants to help ease this pain, but only time could heal something like this. All he can do is keep supporting her, that he'll stay with her even in the hardest of times. It's what father's do afterall. Eventually, after she had calmed down a bit, he'll plant a kiss on her head. Whatever uncertainty he had about how she would take this, he kept at bay so he could give her something more affirmative, that she is his own child. For him, he was happy, happy that he had another chance to hold his own daughter in his arm like this, to be able to kiss her after being separated from her when she was only a baby.]
I'm not going to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. I just want you to be happy, and get to know you better.
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