(no subject)

[goldtoes]

[ Traditional of the indigenous people of Sankharthali, a leader cuts his hair when he wages a war - a signal to the opposition of conflict.

Dhani's, when left loose and straight, moves about his feet thick and dark and coarse. His advisors pull it up out of his face and away from his temples, loosely contained so that it ought not to drag about the floor. When he's working in the fields alongside his people he has it pulled up in colorful fabrics.

Now, as he moves out of the archway and toward the stairs, it's pulled back and woven into place, ghosting at his ankles; he's dressed in bright, warm colors, saffron and reds and crimsons, a collection of loose, light robes with a headchain and hands, arms and ankles decorated in golden jewelry; his nose and lip are both pierced.

Flanked by a pair of bodyguards, he shoos them away and has them stand back as their guest arrives - he has no desire to be intimidating, even if they've dressed him up like a plaything. It's the best way to showcase the exports - precious metals, jewels, beautifully woven fabrics. It feels too ostentatious, still. ]

Welcome, my friend. It's an honor to have you visiting -- [ his hands are gentle and soft as he reaches out to take one of his new guest's, and his accent is cozy and warm. ]

Comments

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani looks perfectly satisfied by this, and nods. He's been sort of grazing on the last of his food, sipping at juice they had squeezed just that afternoon, and... as he's about to speak, his sister walks past and bops him in the head with her bow, catching the end in a long strand of hair and pulling it loose from its tie.

He stares into the far distance for a moment, into some sort of void, and then exhales a dramatic sigh. ] War never changes.

Pardon her, but you'll like the others. She's the worst one of us. The baby of the family has a fork scar from years ago, thanks to her. I'll have someone let Mal'aat know we're coming or he'll be busy, with our luck, if we show up unexpected.

[suncut]

[ The sister catches Umber's eye, and he glances up to watch her pass just in time to see her bop her brother with the bow. Her brother, who only rules the entire place.

He's not sure what's funnier- the whole concept, or the thousand-yard stare Dhani's stuck with for a moment. Whichever it may be, it leaves him with a broad grin. ] She's absolutely feral. [ Fork scars, bow assaults at the table. Umber is very entertained. He's only met two of the six so far, and he's already stunned at how... lively they are.

How did their mother manage? ]

I'll believe that one was the worst, but should I be warned of anything before meeting this next one? [ There won't be forks there, at least... Hopefully. ]

oi this got long

[goldtoes]

She is, as I said, the worst. [ Dhani rubs his face with both hands, existentially tired, but with a fondness to it in the way he shakes his head and smiles. ] But being the middle child in a family like ours will... absolutely do that to you.

[ They're all a tad strange, to be fair. The twins share a mind, and tend to talk in unison or finish each others' sentences and paragraphs; Mal'aat is quiet and stoic, and their other sister is a fierce, talented bladeswoman who is especially harsh on her students.

Dhani, though, rises once they've all had a chance to finish eating, to chatter and settle in a bit, and they begin the wander back to the grounds. He refers to them as if they're a small little outfit, but in reality there are barracks, stables, a smithy and a fletcher, an expanse of acres upon acres of land walled in by stucco and stone and tile. ]

Mal'aat is quiet, but he's... er. Domesticated, [ he's talking as they move through bright, open corridors, some with open arches that sprawl into courtyards and gardens and fountain; his hair sweeps breezily along behind him. ] Something tells me none of you are startled by scars, so I don't feel the need to warn you about that. Just because he's quiet doesn't mean he's annoyed, he's just --

[ Used to being spoken over, mostly. Dhani has alerted a guard to pass the message along as they leave the dining hall, so it's reached the sprawling plains of war-games long before they've arrived. And, for all the peace of his kingdom, the strength they have shows here; something like two-hundred strong are doing drills in strict formation, the orders being shouted in their native tongue by a woman through a horn taken from a yak; others are scattered about the grass, drinking water and finishing evening meals and pottering about causing trouble. Archers long across the hills work on their aim.

Atop a dark kathiawari horse with a bald white face, Mal'aat approaches once he notices them (which takes... longer than it should.) The sides and back of his head are shaved, the rest of it pulled into a neat tie to keep it out of his face - the left half is mottled pink with burn scar and a clouded eye, and the discoloration disappears down under his clothing. There's a quiver on his hip, as if he'll need it here, and a water skin on the other side. He nods, curt. ] Dhani.

[ Dhani, in turn, seems hardly put off by the shortness and steps back to grandly introduce his new friends by name, and then sets off chattering about the bird (Mal looks maybe a fraction interested in what his brother is on about, and rather seems to be quietly analyzing their visitors.) ] --anyway, I've had the carpenter send off already, so --

[ Is he still talking? He's still talking. ]

LMAOOO mal has like 1 word for every 60 of dhani's, i love them

[suncut]

[ Magnetic as Dhani is, Umber thinks he'd pick the feral sister first if they ever need to split up in to teams of some sort. She's ruthless, and the others fear her. Definitely top choice.

The next brother being described as domesticated causes him to snort quietly. And as it turns out, he's as enchanting as the rest of them in his own way- the scar dominating an entire half of his face is attention-grabbing, naturally. Umber is impressed rather than disturbed, as are the other two. Scars are a testament of strength and survival, generally something to be worn without shame. There are exceptions, of course- scars given for punishments, or scars that are self-inflicted in an attempt to gain clout. But those circumstances likely don't apply here.

Once Umber has satisfied at least a portion of his curiosity with Mal'aat, he turns back to gawking at the grounds, subtly taking a quick head count and assessing the skills he sees being displayed. Meanwhile, Marl nods in greeting, and Pallo attempts to gain the pretty horse's attention by clicking his tongue.

Dhani could probably talk for days, but Umber manages to slip in there somewhere. ] Is this every day? These drills?

this entire goddamn family is FERAL,

[goldtoes]

[ The horse rotates one ear toward Pallo, and turns her - his - whoever's - head a fraction of a degree, an acknowledgment of the attention but really, terribly, deliberately paying no attention to him. Mal sighs and lays slack into the reins, patting the side of the horse's neck in a sort of fine, go, not with annoyance as much as it is too tired to bother arguing with an animal that outweighs him by a quarter-ton. ]

Every day, yes. [ Mal'aat responds - Dhani sulks for a fraction of a moment and then barrels through, cutting him off. ]

It's best to be prepared, don't you think? [ He's pretty when he smiles. Mal'aat rolls his eyes and dismounts because his horse is about to tip him forward trying to scoot closer to Pallo; he's under five and a half feet tall with a limp and tosses the reins lazily over the horse's neck. Dhani... is still talking. ]

You are, might I add, part of a very exclusive group. Almost no one gets to see... this. [ He gestures to all of it. ] But you're free to use it as you wish, while you're here. You're our guests, and our students will give you space. No scheming up `assassination plots, though, yes? [ No. ]

throw both of the boys in a river somewhere, they're useless

[suncut]

[ Dhani is rather pretty when he smiles. Speaking seems to make him smile a fair bit, perhaps Umber should keep him going so he can observe a few more. ]

No assassination plots. My manners aren't quite that bad. [ Would a plot even work? Seems more likely that Dhani would knock an arrow out of the air with a wall of words, or sweetly charm a damn assassin. No, Umber will just have to find a way to settle with him instead of trying to find a way to kill him.

Step one is spending more time with him and getting to know him better... yes. He raises an arm, sweeping it in the direction of one of the drills in action- possibly finishing up, but there's enough activity for him to use it as a prop. ] What's happening here? Do tell me more. [ It's absolutely an excuse to usher Dhani away, steal him for himself for a moment. The story behind whatever he's begun walking towards doesn't really matter, he just likes to watch Dhani talk.

Marl thinks it's hideously obvious and looks vaguely pained. Pallo, on the other hand, couldn't give less of a shit. He's entertaining himself with Mal's horse, has stepped closer and lifted a hand to allow it to smell. If it'll allow face rubs, he will absolutely indulge. ] Strange ears. [ He's never seen a horse with ears curved inward, so it's eye-catching. ] Beautiful eyes, though. [ The horse's rider ain't half bad either...

Umber and Pallo are both unsalvageable. ]

i love them they're the worst

[goldtoes]

I should hope not. I am, I'll have you know, armed and... well. [ Armed and dangerous sounds absolutely ridiculous, so Dhani doesn't say it. Instead, he traipses off with Umber, and maybe it's the silks or maybe just the way he walks, but he might as well be floating as he ghosts along next to him toward the drills. ]

My sister leads the morning and evening drills, both our kalaripayattu and our silambam groups; she has very little patience but it keeps everyone on their toes. Mal'aat leads our archers and our riders, mostly. It's important everyone can fight without a weapon in a country where they're often inaccessible and unattainable - I may have mentioned previously that most of our farmers can fight with makeshift arms from tools, but that's a form of its own that's been sort of passed down over generations.

[ He pauses to watch them, hands folded in front of him. ] Peace never lasts forever.

[ Mal'aat seems unconcerned, because he trusts his horse's judgment - with ears that overlap at the tips, it certainly is a strange one. ] Mm. [ And then, realizing this is probably poor socializing, he continues: ] Kathiawari and marwari horses both have them. The ears. Don't ask me why, I don't know. [ Rude. But in his defense, he is clearly a teenager and clearly a little bit banged up and worse for wear, all things considered. ] Sorry about my brother. He never shuts up.

[suncut]

[ Umber glances out of the corner of his eye. There certainly are many layered, flowing silks to stash weapons behind, so he doesn't doubt it. He nods, and then turns his attention towards the drills and Dhani's narration. The morning ones would be lovely, if they're anything like what he sees now. ] How early does she start? [ He'd like to watch from the beginning, if he can manage. Something graceful would soften the impact of the morning.

Pallo doesn't even look up when Mal'aat finally manages a whole sentence- just smirks a little, caressing his palm between the horse's eyes. ] I can tell. [ Welp. No sugar-coating that one. ] There's hardly any words left over for you to use, it's a shame. [ Definite shame on Dhani, hoarding them all. Let the grouchy cute one speak too. ]

[goldtoes]

[ Oh no. Oh, no, no. This is a terrible, no good, very bad choice that Umber had made, to ask this, and Dhani - as if he knows, or perhaps just wants to spend more time with Umber - narrows his eyes, smiles, and turns his head a fraction of a degree. ] Four-thirty. If you're interested, I can meet you tomorrow with tea and breakfast. There's a nice place to overlook it.

[ Wretched.

Mal shrugs. ] You get used to it, which is why he's king and I'm not. [ He shifts his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, arms folded over his chest; the middle sister spots Marl unoccupied since the boys have found themselves busy, and brightens at the chance to play diplomat (please, no.)

Mal reaches up and pulls loose hair down idly to cover mangled ear, looking altogether self-conscious about it. ] Still not as bad as the twins, though.

[suncut]

[ Wretched for sure. Umber hums, giving a subtle nod in approval while he keeps his eyes on the trainees and acts like this isn't something he's entirely too interested in. ] Yes, please. [ He's been bribed with breakfast... just breakfast, nothing else, obviously. ] Will you be armed then too? [ There's a little hint of a smirk there. Maybe after the morning drills have finished, he can lure Dhani in to a bit of a sparring match. Exercise is always a good way to start the day.

Marl would agree, if she weren't busy eyerolling over this weird attempt at flirting (someone save her from the men, please), while Pallo has chosen to conveniently forget Umber exists at all- it's fine, he's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Pallo digs his fingers in to the underside of the horse's mane somewhere at its neck, scritching calmly. ] Did you want to rule? [ It's an awkward question, although asked very mildly. Curiously. ]

[goldtoes]

I'm always armed, my darling. [ Dhani winks.

But he's not a liar. And he's already deciding what he'll bring for breakfast as he leans into the wall, pursing his lips. ] Tomorrow then, in the morning. I'll retrieve you at four so we can watch them set up?

[ The middle sister, who has not been introduced by name yet and simply remains a wild, feral presence, even as she bounds over to them. ] Mal, are you boring them?

[ Mal'aat sighs at her. She seems to either not notice or not care, and prods him with the end of her bow, attention shifting to Marl. She beams. ] C'mon, you deserve better than standing around with my brothers.

[ Mal'aat looks mildly relieved, though mostly at his sister leaving rather than anything else. ] Absolutely not. I'd be horrible at it.

[suncut]

I'll keep my hands to myself. [ Haha. Oh, god. ] I'll be ready by four.

[ If Marl could get away with it, she'd swarm the sister like a life raft, but she has dignity, damnit. She does step forward, though, and practically sweeps her along to... somewhere not here, exasperated as she expresses her gratitude. ] Thank you. Your brothers are fine, it's my two that're the problem.

[ Pallo tsks and shoos the girls away with a wave of his hand, though he's glad to be free of Marl's stormy presence. He'll remember to give her shit next time she's interested in someone. ] Well, I don't find you boring at all. You're the runt of the litter, aren't you? [ Not literally... more like he seems to be the more quiet, placid one of the bunch. The one trying to exist while the rest of the litter climbs and tumbles all over it. ]

[goldtoes]

Perfect. I'll see you then. [ Dhani looks absolutely chuffed with this, and he's lit up with it, eyes crinkled and dimples in full force.

The middle sister laughs, braying and eager as they trot off across wherever. Anywhere but the brothers. ] Saanvi. [ She sticks her hand out in what is probably a greeting. ] My brothers suck too, it's fine. If they need us, they know where to find me, so.

[ So it didn't matter.

Mal'aat actually bursts into laughter, startled, clasps his hands to his chest and shakes his head. ] You're not wrong. Here -- do you want to see the other horses? [ He doesn't seem inclined to actually take the reins, but he trusts that his horse will follow him (and it does, trudging along behind him at an amble, because Mal does not move that fast.) ] I kept to myself, mostly. Saanvi is a beast, Dhani talks too much, the twins are... a unit, more or less.

[suncut]

[ It's the dimples, damn it. Why did he have to have dimples? Umber tries (and fails) to smother an actual smile, turning for a moment to steal a glance at the cackling sister as she and Marl join forces.

Marl takes hold of Saanvi's hand after it's extended, and just. Doesn't let go. Nope, she's Marl's now. Temporarily. ] You have a bow. Can we shoot something? I want to shoot something. [ There they go, off to stick some poor target full of arrows. Typical girl-bonding.

Pallo perks right up at the mention of more horses, grinning. ] I'd love to. If they're all like this one, you have a unique breed. [ The others in his party don't quite appreciate them like he does. His family is known for breeding a sound line, so of course this would be relevant to his interests. ] Is this how you spend your time? With actual animals? [ He can see why, if so. ]

[goldtoes]

[ Saanvi is more than eager to drag Marl off to play with arrows, and there are enough spare bows and fuckall to goof around with to keep them busy for a while. Dhani relaxes a little with the realization that everyone is occupied. Which means he has Umber to himself and doesn't have to worry about occupying the rest of them.

Mal'aat shrugs. ] Animals and weaponry. [ He walks with a limp, and moves over to the other side to give his good ear to Pallo, not the damaged one, and folds his arms over his chest. ] I spend most of my time away from here, admittedly. I tend to be... in the field, not traipsing around the palace. When I'm here, it's - uh, here. [ He gestures to the stables as they approach them. ] Mostly, yes. Kathiawari, marwari, and two or three scattered about from here and there. This one, for example, was a gift from - oh, hell, I don't know. Somebody. But he's a biter. [ He gestures to a small, fluffy, stubborn looking Mongol horse who stares at them through a shaggy mane of black. He looks like he wants to kill them with his eyes. ]

[suncut]

[ Now that Umber has no one to judge him or "remind" him of their purpose here, he'll stealth a bit closer and ask about a tour of the inside of the palace. Where they'll all be staying, important areas he may need to find, so on and so forth. It just won't do for him to wander around like a lost child, will it?

Pallo tends to be less subtle than Umber when it comes to expressing his interest, but he's biding his time for now. Watching Mal carefully, taking in the way he limps and which side he favors, how he guards himself. Does the scarring go further down, he wonders, or is it a completely unrelated injury that causes the limp? So many curiosities... He almost doesn't register the furious little beast when he turns to glance at it. It takes a moment for him to realize what he's looking at, and then he laughs. ] He's so angry! [ And small!! And fantastic... Pallo absolutely adores it. He takes only a single step closer to where the horse is, beaming even though it's staring at him with a face full of murder. ] It's fully grown?

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani, of course, is more than eager to show him around. Anything and everything he wants to see, of course. Their quarters - they've been given a wing to themselves, each their own rooms in a connected bit of home rarely seen, and with small welcome gifts to greet them as goodwill. Woven blankets, brightly colored, folded on beds with small pieces of jewelry atop.

Sighing, Mal shakes his head. Horses get him talking, though, it seems. ] He has looked like that since day one. Exactly as tiny and exactly as angry and exactly as horrid. Every time they give him a bath, he goes and rolls in the dust, and if you -- [ To demonstrate, Mal reaches for the corner of the stall where the hay is. He does not reach inside, mind you, just sort of moves his hand near the other door, and the horse kicks angrily at the wood as if to tell him, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off. ] There are maybe... three people that can ride him. Though I can't fucking imagine why you'd want to.

umber is so gonna be wearing one of the jewelries in the morning UGH

[suncut]

I love him. He'd be a perfect battle horse. [ Pallo is genuinely tickled. The kick snapping against the wood got him laughing again, and he's still grinning now. ] Can't you imagine it? You wouldn't have to ride him, just let him loose in the field. [ Wouldn't it be wonderful to see an enraged tiny-horse barreling through lines of fighters? In little horse armor? He wants an entire army of them, honestly. ]

You've got your hands full with him... I'd be willing to muck his stall, you know. For a small fee. [ Oh boy. It begins. ]

Good. dhani will be delighted

[goldtoes]

Oh, trust me, he's a battle horse every damned morning when I have to bring him in from pasture. [ But Mal is smiling, despite himself, a crooked half-grin where the scarring mutes it on one side.

He could get an entire army of them if he wanted to, but he'd like to live, and even just the one is too much. He raises one eyebrow and scoffs, amused even through how grumpy he looks with his arms folded and his mouth screwed up to one side. ] A small fee.

[suncut]

Mhm. [ Pleasant and patient, he nods. And makes the mistake of leaning his weight on the stall, which angers the occupant and causes another grumpy kick. Pallo snorts in amusement, telling the mean little thing that he'll be with him in a moment, before glancing back to Mal. ]

A tiny fee. [ He waves a hand dismissively. The teeniest, tiniest fee... ] I'll charge you only a single kiss this time. [ A pause. Better add some insurance. ] Maybe an extra if I'm injured by your monster. [ Awful. Hideous. What a cheesy strategy. Does it even work? Sometimes... ]

[goldtoes]

[ Mal'aat stares at him.

He clearly has no idea what to do with this offer, and it isn't for lack of interest as much as it is utter bafflement at the prospect that he's the target of Pallo's. ] What?

[ Not intending by any means to sound this dumb, he presses his lips together and straightens up. Finally, stupidly and trying not to smile: ] ... I suppose.

[suncut]

[ Ha. Victory. A rather cute victory, if he's allowed to say so- he notices Mal'aat trying to avoid smiling.

Pallo brightens immediately, grinning shamelessly. ] Wonderful. [ ...Then his grin falls, and he looks down at the tiny nightmare that walks the earth. ] Now how do I get him out? [ Perhaps he should have picked an easier horse to barter with. ]

[goldtoes]

[ Mal, smug, has his arms crossed over his chest as he tips his head to one side. ] Very carefully?

[ But that's not really fair, and he doesn't want Pallo to lose a finger or three, so he just shakes his head. ] Tell you what. I'll get him out if I get my kiss first.

[suncut]

[ Purely from the look on Pallo's face, it's clear he wasn't expecting this twist. ] Oh, my hero. [ He smirks, rewarding Mal's boldness with gentle touch. He reaches out to gently curl his fingers around one of his wrists, carefully prying it loose from where it's resting crossed against his chest. ] Come here then, let me see you.

[ Pallo tugs him closer, though leaves his hold loose and easy to pull out of in case Mal suddenly spooks. ] Just the one?

[goldtoes]

[ Stepping closer, he lets himself be caught up in gentle fingers, flexing the other anxiously at his hip for lack of anything else to do with his hands. ] There isn't much to see, [ he clips back, playful, and oh, he's omega, too, isn't he.

Of course he is. Nothing can be easy here, apparently, and poor Marl's entire life has become some sort of absurd surreal comedy in the span of an evening. ] How many would you like?