LJ Idol Season 9 Homegame
Aug. 6th, 2014 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i_love_freddieIt had been hate at first sight.
From the moment Kane Theaza entered the Howling Wolves assassin's guild, recruited from the streets at twelve summers of age, he found a rival in Jonas. Both the same age, they loathed each other on sight. No one ever really knew why; though it was speculated that Kane was envious of Jonas' relatively stable upbringing within the guild, while Jonas was jealous of Kane's confidence and his ability to fight anyone and anything that got in his way.
“You are such a show-off,” Jonas muttered, having overheard Kane being praised for a nice bit of sword-work.
“And you are a stupid little creep,” the street-boy shot back, “and I know which I would rather be.”
“Your mother was a filthy whore!”
Kane laughed. “You are hardly one to talk. At least I knew who my mother was.”
“Enough!” Benny said exasperated, stepping in between them as Jonas flew at the other boy. “Honestly, you two will be the death of me.”
They went to extreme levels in an attempt to one-up the other. Jonas slipped a potion into Kane’s drink that made him hiccup uncontrollably for more than an hour. Kane retaliated by dumping a huge amount of itching powder in the wizard’s bed, leaving him in discomfort for days. To get revenge, Jonas used a spell to turn Kane’s precious long sword invisible. In a rage, the hotheaded young warrior tipped a bucket of water over his head, soaking not only Jonas, but also drenching his spell book.
They took every opportunity to taunt each other about everything and anything, and now and again, their hostility would spill over into white-hot rage and it would come to blows, resulting in them having to be pulled apart. Kane received his fair share of scrapes and bruises, but Jonas usually came off worse in their physical fights, for he wasn’t used to fighting with his fists in the same way that Kane was, and the young warrior was a lot bigger than him.
Thankfully for everyone, they did not have to work together. Kane trained with the young assassins and worked individually with Benny. Jonas was no thief – he was useful purely for his inborn ability to bend magic to his will and so he studied with the guild wizards. So mostly they were apart; though that infuriated Jonas for one simple reason – he hated that Kane got to spend so much time with his little brother.
Cory possessed the blood of two races, for his mother had been elven and his father human. Lance Daemae had been a favored assassin within the guild until he had been killed on a mission – leaving behind two sons, Cory and Jonas. He had the delicate facial features, the small and slight build and the pointed ears of his mother’s race, and his father's clear and piercing eyes. At six summers old, he was six years younger than the two older boys, but he looked even smaller than that – Kane originally had him placed at only about four. He was quiet and solemn, rather nervous and jumpy at times, but he was no pushover.
Until Kane had entered the picture, Cory had worshiped his older brother and followed him everywhere. Even though the wizard-in-training was often resentful of the constant attention and could be snappy and hostile, it still did not deter the half-elf. Until Kane came on the scene and immediately won the younger boy's admiration and affection.
------
“Who do you like best?” Jonas asked Cory. “You like me best, don't you? I taught you to read.”
“I practice sword-fighting with you,” Kane countered.
“I can do magic tricks.”
“I can beat up people who bully you.”
The little boy looked from one to the other, not sure what to answer. He loved his half-brother, even though Jonas was not always very nice to him, but he also liked Kane – who was strong and brave, and always patient with him.
“Come on,” Jonas cajoled. “I am your brother, you have to like me best.”
“No he doesn't! I hate my brother.”
“Leave Cory be!” Benny called from the next room. “He doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to.”
Cory lifted his thumb to his mouth as he considered carefully. Suddenly he broke into a smile. “I chose Mr. Bunny,” he said happily, holding up his tattered blue fluffy rabbit.
------
It was dark outside. Kane lay on the small bed, drifting between awakeness and sleep. In the distance, he could hear the waves hitting the docks. Suddenly a creaky floorboard jolted him into alertness. “Who is that? Benny, is that you?”
“No...” Cory shuffled into view, his hair tousled and his head lowered. He clutched the stuffed rabbit he always slept with. Although he couldn’t see well in the darkness, Kane had a suspicion that the younger boy was close to tears but trying to hold it back. “I want my mother…” His voice shook and suddenly it was too much for him and he burst into tears. “I want mother! I miss her… why did she have to die?
“Ssssh!” Kane put a finger to his lips. “It's okay Cory, don't cry. You will get in trouble if they catch you out of bed.” Still the child sobbed. “Look, come and get in bed with me. Plenty of room for two. But you have to be quiet, okay? Mr. Bunny wouldn't want you to be sad.”
Cory nodded and sniffed once more, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Soon the room was quiet as his eyes closed. Kane was once again on the verge of sleep when -
“Cory? Are you in here?”
“Jonas? Piss off, I'm sleeping.”
“I had a nightmare,” the young wizard muttered, his voice almost inaudible as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. “There were flames and... and blood. I didn't want to sleep alone by myself.”
“Quit whining,” Kane said sleepily, “you will wake Cory.” He paused for a second; he knew all too well what it was like to have nightmares. “Get in if you must, but shut up.”
An hour or so later, having finished his work for the night, Benny went to check on Kane. Standing silently in the doorway, he smiled at the sight before him. The three of them laying side by side. Kane tossing and turning, his hand clutching at the blanket, not relaxed even in sleep. Cory with his thumb in his mouth, cuddling his toy rabbit. Jonas curled up in a ball, snoring quietly.
They looked so innocent.
From the moment Kane Theaza entered the Howling Wolves assassin's guild, recruited from the streets at twelve summers of age, he found a rival in Jonas. Both the same age, they loathed each other on sight. No one ever really knew why; though it was speculated that Kane was envious of Jonas' relatively stable upbringing within the guild, while Jonas was jealous of Kane's confidence and his ability to fight anyone and anything that got in his way.
“You are such a show-off,” Jonas muttered, having overheard Kane being praised for a nice bit of sword-work.
“And you are a stupid little creep,” the street-boy shot back, “and I know which I would rather be.”
“Your mother was a filthy whore!”
Kane laughed. “You are hardly one to talk. At least I knew who my mother was.”
“Enough!” Benny said exasperated, stepping in between them as Jonas flew at the other boy. “Honestly, you two will be the death of me.”
They went to extreme levels in an attempt to one-up the other. Jonas slipped a potion into Kane’s drink that made him hiccup uncontrollably for more than an hour. Kane retaliated by dumping a huge amount of itching powder in the wizard’s bed, leaving him in discomfort for days. To get revenge, Jonas used a spell to turn Kane’s precious long sword invisible. In a rage, the hotheaded young warrior tipped a bucket of water over his head, soaking not only Jonas, but also drenching his spell book.
They took every opportunity to taunt each other about everything and anything, and now and again, their hostility would spill over into white-hot rage and it would come to blows, resulting in them having to be pulled apart. Kane received his fair share of scrapes and bruises, but Jonas usually came off worse in their physical fights, for he wasn’t used to fighting with his fists in the same way that Kane was, and the young warrior was a lot bigger than him.
Thankfully for everyone, they did not have to work together. Kane trained with the young assassins and worked individually with Benny. Jonas was no thief – he was useful purely for his inborn ability to bend magic to his will and so he studied with the guild wizards. So mostly they were apart; though that infuriated Jonas for one simple reason – he hated that Kane got to spend so much time with his little brother.
Cory possessed the blood of two races, for his mother had been elven and his father human. Lance Daemae had been a favored assassin within the guild until he had been killed on a mission – leaving behind two sons, Cory and Jonas. He had the delicate facial features, the small and slight build and the pointed ears of his mother’s race, and his father's clear and piercing eyes. At six summers old, he was six years younger than the two older boys, but he looked even smaller than that – Kane originally had him placed at only about four. He was quiet and solemn, rather nervous and jumpy at times, but he was no pushover.
Until Kane had entered the picture, Cory had worshiped his older brother and followed him everywhere. Even though the wizard-in-training was often resentful of the constant attention and could be snappy and hostile, it still did not deter the half-elf. Until Kane came on the scene and immediately won the younger boy's admiration and affection.
------
“Who do you like best?” Jonas asked Cory. “You like me best, don't you? I taught you to read.”
“I practice sword-fighting with you,” Kane countered.
“I can do magic tricks.”
“I can beat up people who bully you.”
The little boy looked from one to the other, not sure what to answer. He loved his half-brother, even though Jonas was not always very nice to him, but he also liked Kane – who was strong and brave, and always patient with him.
“Come on,” Jonas cajoled. “I am your brother, you have to like me best.”
“No he doesn't! I hate my brother.”
“Leave Cory be!” Benny called from the next room. “He doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to.”
Cory lifted his thumb to his mouth as he considered carefully. Suddenly he broke into a smile. “I chose Mr. Bunny,” he said happily, holding up his tattered blue fluffy rabbit.
------
It was dark outside. Kane lay on the small bed, drifting between awakeness and sleep. In the distance, he could hear the waves hitting the docks. Suddenly a creaky floorboard jolted him into alertness. “Who is that? Benny, is that you?”
“No...” Cory shuffled into view, his hair tousled and his head lowered. He clutched the stuffed rabbit he always slept with. Although he couldn’t see well in the darkness, Kane had a suspicion that the younger boy was close to tears but trying to hold it back. “I want my mother…” His voice shook and suddenly it was too much for him and he burst into tears. “I want mother! I miss her… why did she have to die?
“Ssssh!” Kane put a finger to his lips. “It's okay Cory, don't cry. You will get in trouble if they catch you out of bed.” Still the child sobbed. “Look, come and get in bed with me. Plenty of room for two. But you have to be quiet, okay? Mr. Bunny wouldn't want you to be sad.”
Cory nodded and sniffed once more, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Soon the room was quiet as his eyes closed. Kane was once again on the verge of sleep when -
“Cory? Are you in here?”
“Jonas? Piss off, I'm sleeping.”
“I had a nightmare,” the young wizard muttered, his voice almost inaudible as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. “There were flames and... and blood. I didn't want to sleep alone by myself.”
“Quit whining,” Kane said sleepily, “you will wake Cory.” He paused for a second; he knew all too well what it was like to have nightmares. “Get in if you must, but shut up.”
An hour or so later, having finished his work for the night, Benny went to check on Kane. Standing silently in the doorway, he smiled at the sight before him. The three of them laying side by side. Kane tossing and turning, his hand clutching at the blanket, not relaxed even in sleep. Cory with his thumb in his mouth, cuddling his toy rabbit. Jonas curled up in a ball, snoring quietly.
They looked so innocent.
