123rd Vhalar 717
"Papa, you make the best eggs," Vega was digging in to her breakfast with gusto, sitting around the table on her father's ship with him and her three cousins. Jo'qan looked at her and sighed. Her eye was still black and swollen, mostly closed over and her lip was split and bruised all down the right side of her face, with the cheek on the left turning purple already. It didn't stop or slow her down, she simply ate with her usual hunger. His nephew, her cousin, Reese, looked a sight worse than her; this certainly added to Vega's enthusiasm for her food. He was suffering, a lot. Vega had broken his nose and cheek too. They'd taken him to the Order of the Adunih after she'd pounded him and he had poultices and salves to put on his face. He was quiet and sullen and had not spoken to her this morning. A fact Vega had not cared about at all. He hadn't even replied when she greeted him with a cheery "Good morning!"
Vega had slept in her old bed last night, curling up with Bert and missing Arlo. He was off doing something with Pash and Kali'rial to do with U'frek. Which was just showing off really, she determined. More than showing off. Still, it was good to be home and sleep in her old bunk; even the gentle rhythm of the water was soothing, much more so than usual.
Jo'qan looked between the two of them and he sighed. Huw, the oldest of the three brothers, spoke. "It is not good to fight in such a way." Vega looked at him and smiled. It hurt, but she was damned if she was going to show it. "You're not the boss of me, Huw. Yer not the boss of this pair, either, but that's up to them. Mind yer beeswax." Huw looked at her and shook his head. "You are wild. You have become a wild savage living here among these humans." Vega laughed, again purposely ignoring how much it hurt and she motioned to Reese.
"You know, you might wanna not call me names. It didn't work out so well for yer brother. Let me tell you 'ow it is, Huw. An' you pair, an' all while we're here. Yeah, I'm not fully biqaj. That's true. I'm 'alf sev'ryn. But you know, it doesn't make me not a person, it doesn't mean I love or laugh or feel or fight less than you lot. I spent my child'ood apologizing to you lot in a 'undred different ways. Well, I'm not doin' it any more." She shrugged slightly, her bravery and bravado failing her so she glanced, briefly, at her father. The glint of pride in his eyes was enough to keep her going. "So, the next person who wants to 'ave a snide little dig, bring it on. An' I'll 'ave a snide little dig of my fist in your face."
Jo'qan looked at Vega and the slightest smile lifted his lips. Huw looked up at his uncle in some surprise. "You don't seem concerned, uncle." At his nephews words, Jo'qan sighed slightly. He was going to have to deal with this, he knew, and so he spoke.
"I'm not concerned at all." Jo'qan looked at the four children. They were, all of them, children to him and he spoke. "Eva has a quick and vicious temper. But if a non-biqaj called her a whore, you would all three of you defend her." He motioned to the three males and Jo'qan's eyes pinned them to where they say. Vega was not immune, though. "Eva, you need to remember that these boys are grieving and you, you try to challenge them. But you three," Jo'qan looked at the boys and he looked proud and fierce all in one. "Eva is my daughter and she is my blood. You insult her, you insult me. Let me be clear," in the moment he said that, Vega and her father looked very alike. Jo'qan turned to Reese. "I did not raise a whore. You do not call my daughter that again or you and I, we will have trouble between us." Reese looked at him and then nodded.
The three of them, the three cousins, traipsed out of the room and Jo'qan looked at her and nodded. "Come then, we will start." Vega looked at her father with a question on her face which she also spoke. "Start what, Papa?" He smiled. "You will have more options than to simply punch someone until their face is caved in. I will teach you. Come." Despite the pain in her face when she did it, Vega gave a wide grin and nodded. "Yes, sir," she said and she followed her father out.
Vega had slept in her old bed last night, curling up with Bert and missing Arlo. He was off doing something with Pash and Kali'rial to do with U'frek. Which was just showing off really, she determined. More than showing off. Still, it was good to be home and sleep in her old bunk; even the gentle rhythm of the water was soothing, much more so than usual.
Jo'qan looked between the two of them and he sighed. Huw, the oldest of the three brothers, spoke. "It is not good to fight in such a way." Vega looked at him and smiled. It hurt, but she was damned if she was going to show it. "You're not the boss of me, Huw. Yer not the boss of this pair, either, but that's up to them. Mind yer beeswax." Huw looked at her and shook his head. "You are wild. You have become a wild savage living here among these humans." Vega laughed, again purposely ignoring how much it hurt and she motioned to Reese.
"You know, you might wanna not call me names. It didn't work out so well for yer brother. Let me tell you 'ow it is, Huw. An' you pair, an' all while we're here. Yeah, I'm not fully biqaj. That's true. I'm 'alf sev'ryn. But you know, it doesn't make me not a person, it doesn't mean I love or laugh or feel or fight less than you lot. I spent my child'ood apologizing to you lot in a 'undred different ways. Well, I'm not doin' it any more." She shrugged slightly, her bravery and bravado failing her so she glanced, briefly, at her father. The glint of pride in his eyes was enough to keep her going. "So, the next person who wants to 'ave a snide little dig, bring it on. An' I'll 'ave a snide little dig of my fist in your face."
Jo'qan looked at Vega and the slightest smile lifted his lips. Huw looked up at his uncle in some surprise. "You don't seem concerned, uncle." At his nephews words, Jo'qan sighed slightly. He was going to have to deal with this, he knew, and so he spoke.
"I'm not concerned at all." Jo'qan looked at the four children. They were, all of them, children to him and he spoke. "Eva has a quick and vicious temper. But if a non-biqaj called her a whore, you would all three of you defend her." He motioned to the three males and Jo'qan's eyes pinned them to where they say. Vega was not immune, though. "Eva, you need to remember that these boys are grieving and you, you try to challenge them. But you three," Jo'qan looked at the boys and he looked proud and fierce all in one. "Eva is my daughter and she is my blood. You insult her, you insult me. Let me be clear," in the moment he said that, Vega and her father looked very alike. Jo'qan turned to Reese. "I did not raise a whore. You do not call my daughter that again or you and I, we will have trouble between us." Reese looked at him and then nodded.
The three of them, the three cousins, traipsed out of the room and Jo'qan looked at her and nodded. "Come then, we will start." Vega looked at her father with a question on her face which she also spoke. "Start what, Papa?" He smiled. "You will have more options than to simply punch someone until their face is caved in. I will teach you. Come." Despite the pain in her face when she did it, Vega gave a wide grin and nodded. "Yes, sir," she said and she followed her father out.
