(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

[suncut]

[ There are always rumors about foreign leaders, but all of Dhani's had sounded foolish. A mild ruler with hair so long that it has to be carried by three men in single-file in order to keep it from touching the ground... Because it's a tradition, apparently. Fewer wars, longer hair, all of that nonsense. Hearing how this one had grown his (though the three-men detail MUST be an exaggeration- it just *must*), it hadn't instilled confidence in Umber. He could only imagine this ruler as feeble. Something must be wrong with him, the grasp he has on his kingdom must be weak... It's naive to think that a gentle hand could successfully control so much land. Then again, if true, it'll be easy enough for him to get his way and then get out of here. Just push until the flimsy thing agrees to whatever they need.

When Dhani is revealed to be entirely able-bodied and lively, Umber is a bit taken aback. He's unsure of where to even direct his attention- everything about Dhani is bold. His open face and steady voice, the gold glittering on and in his skin, the loud colors. Compared to him, Umber and his group of two others look positively plain, what with their usual light leathers, sun bleached fabrics, and scarf-like hoods. Umber's own hood is down, his eyes thickly rimmed in a functional black grease that makes the bewildered look he throws the figure on his left all the more obvious.

The figure, dressed similarly but a bit smaller and curved differently than the rest of them (a woman, most likely), silently lifts a shoulder in a shrug. ]

I suppose. [ Is it really an honor? He wouldn't be here in the first place if all was well. ]

Here. [ The hand taken in greeting smoothly pulls away to gesture at the person that had shrugged only a moment ago, who bends to lift and present Dhani with a large cage. Inside is a sharp-eyed bird of prey, colored a strange blue-black all over its body aside from its white belly and underwings. The one holding the cage is their best master falconer- she'd hand-picked this particular bird as a gesture of good will, and Umber trusts her judgement. ]

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani's own eyes are ringed in kohl, as if they weren't large enough as it was, framed in long lashes. He smiles - bright, dimpled - and bows his head in a thank-you, reaching for the cage. ]

Hello, my gorgeous thing. Do you have a name? [ He tuts in a welcoming sort of way under his breath, extending his fingers along the frame so that the bird might examine him, and switches briefly to his native tongue to speak with it. ] I apologize for the... decor, [ he gestures at himself, ] I tried desperately to get them to lay off, but what are you going to do?

[ He may be a weakling, still, however bold and bright he is. Barefoot, for fuck's sake, without a care in the world. Perhaps the colors are like wildlife: a loud warning with no consequence. ] That aside. Dhani Bhattacharya, king of Sankharthali. Come. We have a feast laid out for you, and we can talk. How was your journey?

[suncut]

[ The woman responsible for the bird answers first: ] That one was trained as Lirpja, but you can call it what you like. [ It makes no difference to her or the bird, whose chest feathers puff in curiosity at colorful Dhani. It responds more easily to whistles and flashes of light anyhow.

All of them, even Umber, seem to sag the slightest bit in relief at the promise of food and a more pleasant place to sit. They'd all ridden at a punishing pace, and while their horses had been bred for generations for exactly that, then human side of the equation tends to wear down much easier. Time is something they don't have the luxury of wasting much anymore, though. ]

It was fine. Productive. [ Which is his very roundabout way of saying fucking exhausting. Unlike Dhani, however, Umber can't stand to let himself come across as soft to a stranger.

Tired and burdened as he is, he nearly forgets the introductions. ] Umber. [ He clarifies his identity- their previous communications hadn't specified who exactly would show up, just "one of the brothers." The other two are named soon enough, indicated with a motion of his hand. The woman to start, and then their third. ] Marl, and Pallo. We hope we haven't kept you waiting.

[ Socializing politely is a chore. Why hadn't he convinced his brother to come instead? ]

[goldtoes]

Lirpja. Beautiful. Inside, then, yes? [ He turns his back on them without a care in the world for the fact that they might put an arrow or a sword through him, if they wanted to, and gathers his robes about his feet with one hand so he can take three, four steps up to the palace. ]

Productive. [ Dhani laughs, soft, shaking his head. ] You didn't, but I don't mind waiting. The time you've arrived is exactly the correct one, whatever time it happens to be.

[ What? ]

I can have you shown to your quarters if you'd like, before dinner, but if you'd prefer to sate your hunger first, just say the word, hmm?

[ It's not really a palace as much as it is a sprawling villa, one of massive windows and open arches and tile to let the breeze filter through. He glances around and finds a nearby hand of house, beckoning her over - ] would you be a lamb and ask the carpenter to come see me this evening? Thank you, my darling, [ and she's off cheerfully. Everyone seems happy to be here, in fact, even the boy sweeping dust out of the tiled hall with a straw broom. ]

[suncut]

[ Umber wonders if he hears Dhani properly; maybe he's tired to the point of words making less sense to him, but no- Dhani is simply eccentric. And... buoyant.

Correction, all of them are, from the passing servant girl to the sweeping boy. It's bizarre. Umber's people aren't perpetually sour or regularly abusive towards each other, but they are hardened in a way that seems entirely absent from these ones.

He ends up with a faint frown on his face, absorbing the contrast. ] We'd best eat first, I think. [ No, he knows they should. If any of them tuck away somewhere soft and quiet, they'll go unconscious. Best to get the formalities out of the way as soon as possible, before they all crash in a heap for a few hours. ]

[goldtoes]

As you wish. Smart choice, after travelling so far. I'm familiar with it, though mostly within the borders... even so, the territory is so expansive that it's sometimes weeks back and forth. [ As he moves, Dhani is shedding his gold, passing it to a waiting guard who looks - just - absolutely unimpressed with the whole ordeal, his mouth pulled into a bracket of a frown and his eyes tired. Off come the bracelets, and the chains, and the beads - he leaves the collar and the nose ring and the lip jewel, and the rest is abandoned to somebody who he assumes will take care of it.

There's a flash of steel at his hip. A scimitar, laid hidden in the layers of robe and silk and cotton. A dagger at his thigh, too, under it all - one he has never had need to use. ] I should say now that I encourage you to make yourselves at home while you're here. The space is as much yours as mine; there's training grounds to the east, if it interests you. A natural hot spring just in the mountains to the north that, for what it's worth, is a delight after a long ride; but do let me know so I can arrange transportation for you, I'd hate to have you walk.

[ The door to the dining hall is open when they arrive, although not especially busy - there's help puttering about, and it seems more a communal event than it does a strict one. There is no such thing as rank and caste, not really, here - there's three guards sat with two hunters and a couple of servants, dining together at the far end of the table; at the one Dhani gestures to, there is a feast laid out for - well. A king, really. He asked about a hundred questions and sent someone off to research at some point, and then badgered the cooks into creating a combinations both traditional for Dhani's people and familiar to Umber's, a mix of dishes that, he hoped, would ensure everyone had at least something to eat. ] Sit where you like, hm? I imagine someone will be coming through with ale or mead or... something... shortly.

[suncut]

[ The shedding has Umber snorting quietly under his breath. There's something absurd about it- treasures that could fund entire cities being passed so carelessly from hand to hand, but aside from that thought, the trinkets are hardly paid much mind. What really happens to catch Umber's eye is the flash of a weapon, his curiosity stirring. Pretty things are just that; pretty, and while his people have an appreciation for decoration, the heart of their attention tends to lie in practical objects. A bracelet is nice to look at, and can be traded for important goods when necessary, but a dagger, for example, is a lifeline.

Pallo is old and experienced enough that he finds no shame in treating himself to extra indulgences, so of course he's the one to perk up and express his interest in the hot spring. And all three of them will surely find themselves at the training grounds at some point. ]

You've done too much, really. There's no need to go so far with us. [ Umber has to say it, because the dining hall is something else. None of them quite expected such a spread.

Despite his protest, their familiar foods are a comfort, and the effort behind the gesture is endearing. Their home is fairly unforgiving and they've grown accustomed to working with what little the land provides. Most of their cuisine is made up of greens, seeds, root vegetables, small game. Fish are little and an uncommon treat, and large cuts of red meat even rarer. Anything out of the ordinary will absolutely catch their eye... Even Umber is eager to try some of the things that look new to him.

Damn Dhani and his overzealous preparation. ]

[goldtoes]

Perhaps not. But it's rare that we get guests; often I'm the one travelling elsewhere. [ Which is, of course, true - either he's travelling within his own borders or without, and rarely does anybody have any need for them.

Then again, anybody doesn't get to see the training grounds that Umber and his people will find later. Anybody doesn't get to see the precision of a crew of men and women who have been trained the same way Dhani has, in scimitar and hand to hand combat; anybody doesn't see the archers that can shoot a target nearly three hundred metres away, some on horseback. Everybody knows that Dhani refuses to engage in war.

What he doesn't say is how difficult this feast was to prepare - that, despite the spread, it took absolutely ages of arrangement - to have things brought in, to have them kept fresh and carted the long, long miles from home. He doesn't say how many strings he had to pull, how many favors.

He takes his seat not at the head of the table but across from Umber, making it especially clear that they are, as seems to be the case with him, welcome to anything and everything they might desire. ] If I'm being honest, I'm a touch too excited for the company, but what can I say?

[suncut]

Is it? [ The surprise in his voice is more obvious than he'd like. Umber and his own keep to themselves, of course, but that's mostly due to the difficult terrain boxing them in. Great for defense, though not so great when one of the primary methods in and out of the country is devastated. He'd assumed, though, that a massive kingdom such as this would be a hub of activity and foreign visitors.

Must not be much reason to travel to a place where there are no conflicts or issues to resolve.

Umber pauses in the middle of reaching towards a plate of nicely-arranged stuffed leaves, hand freezing in mid-air as he glances at Dhani, the empty seat at the head of the table, and then back again. He's learning that this ruler is... very informal. It's- different. How are his advisors not having a fit? Are they just as strange? Probably.

He clears his throat gently, placing a few of the leaf-rolls on to his plate at last. ] Your allies don't come to meet with you? To trade?

[ Probably for the best. If he goes to such lengths for all of his visitors, he'd have to sell all of his pretty gold things. ]

[goldtoes]

[ It helps, of course, that the advisors all know Dhani can handle himself. Dhani has never killed, but could if he needed to; Dhani has never drawn his blade in any way other than training or a playful spar. Dueling, for example, over the last chicken breast, or the last scone.

But Dhani's advisors know this. They let him do what he wants because he can be trusted to take care of himself. ] Rarely. I tend to be willing to meet in their territory, but we have few exports. Agricultural, primarily. Jewels and gold, but those are less in demand than things like rice. We are, for the most part, a very... mm. Humble. Country. A lot of farmers. Mining. Self-sufficient but not especially well positioned to trade.

LMAO THE LAST CHICKEN BREAST i feel that

[suncut]

[ It's such a strange arrangement. He nods slowly, his eyes averted as he browses the selection of things on the table. ] What's to stop them from taking your mines or your fields?

[ It's not a threat, not really. There's no need for it to be, yet. Dhani is very charming and startlingly generous, and Umber's intent in coming here wasn't to scare. But it's an important (if a little tense) question all the same. ]

THE SIBLING WAR the only war dhani has ever gotten into

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani's big brown eyes narrow a little, and when he smiles the dimples appear in his cheeks. ] An army.

[ And he's calm and easy as he says it, lifting a spoon of tabbouleh. He means it, though. They are disarmingly powerful, and ready to act on a moment's notice. ] It has, occasionally, happened. Not wars. But minor conflicts. There is a reason you don't hear much of them. They never get very far.

crush them dhani. never show mercy when it comes to snacks and siblings

[suncut]

You do have an army. [ Umber smirks, cutting a quick glance over at Marl, who snorts in to a cup as she drinks. She'd gotten in to a severe argument with one of their acquaintances back home. Their peer had insisted Dhani had no army, that there was no need because he simply bewitched any would-be enemies with dark magic, and that's why everyone adores him so much. She'd nearly lost her mind at how idiotic it'd sounded.

She may have been a little tipsy at the time.

A whole hidden army that can suppress threats before they become big news is enough to make Umber's chest flutter a bit all on its own, no magic needed. ] If you were to fight, you'd have to cut it, wouldn't you? [ He gestures at the hair. ] Or is that a tall tale?

[goldtoes]

I do. [ Dhani smiles again, peaceful and easy. Like he doesn't have the power to organize every able-bodied civilian into a makeshift militia in a period of under forty-eight hours.

He reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair. ] It's true, yes. A declaration of war. The woman who ruled some generations before me was nearly bald. She used to just shave it back to the skin. [ He huffs into his drink. ] But I don't tend to engage in conflict if I don't have to.

[suncut]

From one extreme to the other. [ It's said mildly, in an amused way- not meant to cut Dhani or the previous generations down. It's a funny contrast is all, and he can't help but think the bald woman would have fit right in with some of Umber's own. He'd probably have taken a shine to her. Strength is always magnetic.

Then again, here's one sitting right across from him. Hair to the floor and still holding down a country, what? Three, four times the size of his own? That has to be some sort of strength too... Umber just isn't completely sure of how it clicks with him yet. ] What if the one you marry isn't as peaceful? [ Strange enough to have an unwed omega ruling on his own for so long, and over such a large plot of land... What happens when he's claimed, then? Does that even matter here? Would the alpha he's bound to even have any right to rule? ]

umber's whole ass life is a Mess.

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani's eyes narrow and he laughs. ] She taught me how to handle a blade. She left me in good standing, I can promise you that.

[ He's calm and casual in everything he does, as he tears a piece of brown bread apart with his fingers and dips it into seasoned oil; beneath the table, he crosses his ankles. ] Compromise is everything. I choose diplomacy, but in saying that, whoever - if ever - I were to marry, there's room for that. It wouldn't be much a relationship if I chose otherwise, no? But then, also, I wouldn't choose to marry somebody who was a warmongering maniac, either.

If it comes to war, well - [ another piece of bread as he thinks. ] Even the farmers here can fight with their tools. The hair goes when it's time to go.

he...... yes.....

[suncut]

If ever? [ Oh, that's. Something.

Unlike his companions, Umber's all but forgotten about the lovely buffet right under his nose. He tilts his head in a curious, puppyish manner, leaning against his arms folded atop the table. Strange Dhani has gone and captured all of his attention. ] You can just- choose to do that? [ Or not do that... That, of course, being marriage. Children. The whole package, whatever. ]

cackles

[goldtoes]

Of course I can. I simply haven't chosen to yet. Or, rather, haven't found anyone the chemistry is - just there with. [ Dhani folds his hands under his chin and sets his eyes on Umber, instead, and if they were alone at the table it might be like a scene out of a romance. For now, it's just fascination. ]

My mother was in her late thirties when she had me, for instance. I've been busy. Crushes, here and there, but nothing I've elected to pursue. And no-one that has pursued me has really caught my eye, so there you have it.

his pikachu will never have an unsurprised face ever again

[suncut]

[ There's something absurd about the whole image. Colorful, cheerful Dhani denying suitors just because he can. On his own? He assumes it's on his own. No one speaks for him otherwise, why would they suddenly switch it up and tell him who to marry? Umber can't help laughing, because... because, what. Where is he? What sort of omega is this? It's so bizarre on this side of the continent. ]

Suppose that's good for us, anyhow. If we make an arrangement, there's no worry of someone coming along and ruining it. [ It's a reason why single omega leaders are avoided, back home. No one needs to suffer through a fallout of broken policies that comes from an alpha taking over and uprooting previous decisions. Better to just not put themselves in that position in the first place.

Not that it seems to matter here. Dhani can do whatever he likes and rule alone until his dying day, if that's what he wishes. Wild. ]

(•ิ_•ิ)?

[goldtoes]

[ Dhani bubbles with laughter when Umber does, bright and songbird-melodic. It's atrocious. The whole thing is terrible, and Dhani is terrible in how much unlike any other leader most people have dealt with. ]

Exactly. Politics are easier this way. And having choice in who we marry is something we've valued for a very long time - I don't imagine it's going to change soon. And when I find my person...

[suncut]

Still time. You don't look near your thirties. [ Dhani doesn't seem all that bothered or in a hurry, but he says it anyway.

And finally, Umber seems to remember food exists and that he should be eating it. Which is a wonderful thing, because Pallo sort of wants to die, what with all their chattering and stargazing across the table at each other. Hideous. He even goes so far as to pass Umber a basket of bread, hoping he'll take some and plug his mouth with it.

Bait taken. ]

[goldtoes]

[ Laughter, still. ] Twenty-two. So no, I have time. And I'd still carry children into my thirties, to be fair. Large families are also... a cultural tradition, to be fair, so you go as long as you can, as things tend to work around here.

[ Poor Pallo. His life. Dhani spares him a look and a wink (although one of the guards is eyeing Pallo from someplace down the other end of the table, too.) ]

[suncut]

[ Pallo enjoys the moment of peace while Umber chews at a wad of bread, and nearly sucks a candied almond down his own throat once he catches sight of the look and wink. Dhani apparently knows exactly what he is doing and is damn shameless about it... Marl, on the other hand, thinks the entire moronic boy-circus is hilarious. Male alphas are so easily flustered, it's the best sort of entertainment. She's decided she mostly likes this wicked oddball.

Umber's too set on searching the dining hall to bother with Pallo's slow and agonizing emotional death. He's glancing at many of the faces nearby, searching for features similar to Dhani's. If large families are traditional, there must be more of him around here? ] Where are the rest of them, then?

[goldtoes]

Ah, scattered about. My mother started late, as you know, but I'm the eldest of six. My brother mostly mans the training grounds with one of my sisters, and I can introduce you as well. The youngest are twins, a jeweler and a tailor that tend to operate in tandem, currently working on wedding attire. My middle sister - [ he points here to the huntress who's got her chair turned round at one of the tables with a mug of ale, her hair cut short and cropped - ] well, I think she could shoot an ant off an apple if you asked her to.

[ The middle child waves at them, and Dhani waves back. She looks like him, just as soft in the features with a wide nose and large eyes, the same trimmed half-brows Dhani sports. The hair is exclusive to leaders, though, once in warring tribes and now in cities, countries, armies. ] Six is small, admittedly, for families here. I imagine it comes out of the tradition of both needing children to work on the farms and in the mines, but also the sheer fact that maybe half of them would make it to adulthood. You'd hate to lose all of them. So... you have backups.

[suncut]

[ Their own families tend to run a bit smaller than these do, apparently, but they too know the necessity of having spares, so he nods in understanding. There had been a third brother in Umber's family, once upon a time. Two siblings had seemed maddening enough, he can only imagine what five would have been like. Interesting, for sure.

He's not sure he'll have the opportunity to meet all of them, but the huntress is an absolute necessity at the very least. ] I'll hold her to that. I hope she likes to gamble. [ Mastery of a ranged weapon, whether a bow or bolas or anything in between, is damn near essential where Umber is from. Of course the trio will want to see her skills in action. Perhaps they can rope the two at the training grounds in as well. Make it an all around mini-tournament.

Wait until they realize Dhani can give them all a run for their money just as well. ]