And people think Gadriel's some kind of monster? "That's nice of you." Genuinely.
"No." She was quick to reply. "This is what I was bringing you. It's — uh. A pet." Had he ever had one? Doubtful. "An animal companion. You're always out here by yourself and you've seemed... upset a lot lately." Not that she helped much sometimes, but. "Come here and sit down and I'll take him out."
"It is money. And it is nice to feel useful." Even if the use is partially 'eye candy'.
Gadriel sat down next to her, curious.
He has never had a pet. No time or space on a battle barge for animals. But he is familiar with the concept. "Like Archmagos Barcus's cat. Satchel." He like Satchel. Fellow predator vibes. He had shared fish with her.
"Never met Satchel, but yeah." She said, lifting the top of the box up and off so he could see the creature inside. It was a small winged kitten, orange with a white muzzle and little tufts of white on the tips of its ears. It clearly could not fly properly yet; wings flapping uselessly but excitedly when the box was opened.
"He's a baby, so be gentle when you pick him up. I brought stuff to take care of him." A nod to the bag beside her.
"Satchel is very nice." Which means it had taken her 0.46 seconds to con Gadriel into sharing his fish.
Is he--
He supposed that was an invitation, and he reached carefully into the box, scooping up the orange ball of fur and feather. "Warm," he observed. He didn't know why that surprised him.
She didn't need to worry about him being gentle. He had gotten accustomed to how fragile things were here. "What is its name?"
"Doesn't have one." Nina watched him for a moment; unable to keep herself from chuckling when the tressym kitten batted at a woodchip still plastered to his skin. She reached down to the bag beside her and started pulling items out — a bowl, a ball of string, what looked like a colorful feather on a stick, a parchment wrapped package of meat.
"You can name him whatever whatever want. He's yours."
"Elion?" That sounded like a purposeful choice. Maybe it was the name of someone he knew, to think of it so quickly.
She shrugged. "Figured he would pick it up on his own. I heard they're smart. Or, you could visit more and maybe Assan and the dragons could help him learn." She reached over to gently pet the cat's head. "And yes, we have dragons now."
"One of my fallen brothers." Elion, the first to fall under the leadership taken from him and given to Titus. The first Titus refused to mourn. The first wedge between Gadriel and his lieutenant.
"Would Assan be gentle with him?" Listen, little Elion is going to be the most gentle-parented cat in this entire place and nobody better hurt him.
"Delightful. More heresy." Seriously, Nina, give his poor brain a break.
"You would have liked him, Nina." Who knows. If one Space Marine nearly drove Nina nuts on a regular basis, maybe two would have been worse. Imagine two Gadriels.
"I would have to supervise." So, okay, play date is going to happen. Does he have to bring snacks? He's not sure how this works.
"Nina, everything that is not Terran in origin is suspect." And possibly heresy. But he's used to it by now. He's teasing. Mostly. "What killed their parent?" Does something need killing? He and Elion could take care of that.
She probably would have. For all Gadriel annoyed her, Nina knew it was because he was her brother. That's just what siblings did — and she could handle two of him, even if they'd definitely drive her crazy.
"We can all supervise." Always bring snacks.
She shrugged. "I don't know if it was natural causes or something else, but she was gone almost as soon as we got there. Davrin and I weren't going to just let them be born alone and scared."
Nina was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, by the way, for how I acted the other day. It has to be hard not having the support of your brothers here. But you — you have me, you know. And I have you. And I shouldn't forget that."
"Some of these strays can be dangerous, Nina. Just...be careful." Not little Elion here. Look at him, trying to swat at one of Gadriel's armor communion ports. Perfect little predator.
He scooped up Elion, trying to get the kitten to look him in the eye. "No more garbage for you. That is not balanced nutrition." He needs balanced nutrients, obviously. But that brought up..."what does he eat?" Yes he's super well responsible here. Best cat dad ever.
"As careful as I always am." Read: not at all. Nina laughed. "I brought some chicken and fish for him." She motioned to the wrapped package she had pulled out earlier. "They're carnivores. Once he's a little older he'll probably hunt his own food if you're keeping him out here."
"If you need me to come and kill your 'dragons' when they go feral, please let me know."
Listen, if your life turns into a trainwreck, he will show up to stab the hell out of that train. In another world, in another context, it would be romantic as all get out to have someone volunteer to come and slay your dragons. Very swoonie. But this is Gadriel and Nina is his sister.
He gave Elion a gentle wiggle. "We eat the same things! I will hunt for you until you can catch your own." Elion responded by swatting at Gadriel's nose.
He was a little distracted with little Elion, who was flapping his little wings unable to take off but trying hard. "Do you want to fly? Here." He picked up Elion by the belly, to zoom him around.
Oh. Wait. He stopped, Elion flapping his wings impatiently. "Nina." His voice gets serious and almost, SHUT UP, emotional. "Thank you. For this. And everything." But mostly his little orange son
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thecodexabides) wrote2025-01-01 01:22 pm
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"No." She was quick to reply. "This is what I was bringing you. It's — uh. A pet." Had he ever had one? Doubtful. "An animal companion. You're always out here by yourself and you've seemed... upset a lot lately." Not that she helped much sometimes, but. "Come here and sit down and I'll take him out."
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Gadriel sat down next to her, curious.
He has never had a pet. No time or space on a battle barge for animals. But he is familiar with the concept. "Like Archmagos Barcus's cat. Satchel." He like Satchel. Fellow predator vibes. He had shared fish with her.
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"He's a baby, so be gentle when you pick him up. I brought stuff to take care of him." A nod to the bag beside her.
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Is he--
He supposed that was an invitation, and he reached carefully into the box, scooping up the orange ball of fur and feather. "Warm," he observed. He didn't know why that surprised him.
She didn't need to worry about him being gentle. He had gotten accustomed to how fragile things were here. "What is its name?"
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"You can name him whatever whatever want. He's yours."
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"I will call him Elion." Same ferocious energy. It would be nice to have some companionship.
One thing though. "How will he learn how to fly correctly?" Is there like....cat school he should enroll him in?
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She shrugged. "Figured he would pick it up on his own. I heard they're smart. Or, you could visit more and maybe Assan and the dragons could help him learn." She reached over to gently pet the cat's head. "And yes, we have dragons now."
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"Would Assan be gentle with him?" Listen, little Elion is going to be the most gentle-parented cat in this entire place and nobody better hurt him.
"Delightful. More heresy." Seriously, Nina, give his poor brain a break.
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"I think he would be." Assan was a rebellious little guy sometimes, but he had been playing nice with their hatchling so far.
Nina frowned. "Dragons are heresy, too?" A genuine question. "Their mother died. We couldn't just leave them there to fend for themselves."
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"I would have to supervise." So, okay, play date is going to happen. Does he have to bring snacks? He's not sure how this works.
"Nina, everything that is not Terran in origin is suspect." And possibly heresy. But he's used to it by now. He's teasing. Mostly. "What killed their parent?" Does something need killing? He and Elion could take care of that.
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"We can all supervise." Always bring snacks.
She shrugged. "I don't know if it was natural causes or something else, but she was gone almost as soon as we got there. Davrin and I weren't going to just let them be born alone and scared."
Nina was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, by the way, for how I acted the other day. It has to be hard not having the support of your brothers here. But you — you have me, you know. And I have you. And I shouldn't forget that."
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That sounded...alarming. "And you just...carried these baby tyranids home?" STOP BEFRIENDING XENOS.
But that does raise a question. "Where did you find Elion?"
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"I have a habit of picking up strays. I was one myself." She muttered. "They're fine. You worry too much."
Uh. "...He was eating garbage outside one of the taverns."
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"Some of these strays can be dangerous, Nina. Just...be careful." Not little Elion here. Look at him, trying to swat at one of Gadriel's armor communion ports. Perfect little predator.
He scooped up Elion, trying to get the kitten to look him in the eye. "No more garbage for you. That is not balanced nutrition." He needs balanced nutrients, obviously. But that brought up..."what does he eat?" Yes he's super well responsible here. Best cat dad ever.
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"As careful as I always am." Read: not at all. Nina laughed. "I brought some chicken and fish for him." She motioned to the wrapped package she had pulled out earlier. "They're carnivores. Once he's a little older he'll probably hunt his own food if you're keeping him out here."
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Listen, if your life turns into a trainwreck, he will show up to stab the hell out of that train. In another world, in another context, it would be romantic as all get out to have someone volunteer to come and slay your dragons. Very swoonie. But this is Gadriel and Nina is his sister.
He gave Elion a gentle wiggle. "We eat the same things! I will hunt for you until you can catch your own." Elion responded by swatting at Gadriel's nose.
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Nina laughed. It was always funny seeing a big guy and a tiny animal. She was reminded of Caleb bringing home that puppy off the street—
Her laughter faded off at the thought. She shook her head. "I'll let you two bond."
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Oh. Wait. He stopped, Elion flapping his wings impatiently. "Nina." His voice gets serious and almost, SHUT UP, emotional. "Thank you. For this. And everything." But mostly his little orange son
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"You're welcome." She stood up, brushed herself off, and kissed the top of Gadriel's head, giving the kitten another pet. "Enjoy bonding time."