Gray Nightingale (Aiya) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
experiencepoints) wrote2015-02-23 12:31 am
experiencepoints) wrote2015-02-23 12:31 am
(no subject)
Neupos: Talking with grandma
Regained: Day 128
Poltergeist, Monster Maze
You're practically bubbling with excitement.
You start junior high in just a few days, and you're proud. You're going to see your grandparents, now, buckled into the backseat of the car, and you're peering out the window in excitement- It's been a long time since you've seen them! And you're driving out of the city, which you never get to see much. Lots of green fields, country roads, it's really exciting to you. And your grandparents! You don't get to see any of your grandparents much, but you love these two. It's been so long since you've seen them because they've been adventuring overseas, and only recently came back to Ashvara at all- And they wanted to see you, specifically. You're wearing your new school uniform, since they're leaving again for Basilia in two days, and you wanted to show them it.
As soon as you pull in the driveway, you're trying to quietly unbuckle, and as soon as the engine turns off, you're flying out of the car and running up to the door to ring the doorbell. As soon as your grandmother answers the door, you're throwing yourself into a hug, and she catches you with a laugh.
Your father greets her, as well, while your mother is more stiff and polite about it. You wonder why, but quickly get distracted as your grandmother ushers you inside.
You spend hours excited as her and your grandfather tell you stories about their adventures- They even have trophies. Ancient treasures, a sword unlike any you've ever seen that your grandfather tells you dates back all the way to the Blutgang Era, a pair of horns from a Great Fell Demon that her grnadfather slayed personally in solo combat- He took great joy in recounting that tale, and you listen in rapt attention as he talks about his magic sword techniques- Your gramma then continues with tales of fighting a serpent dragon on the way back on their ship, with her Dark Sword being all that could do real damage, but she had to eat a ton of damage to do it- She was sure they were going to wipe, at sea! How embarrassing.
Then the conversation turns to you. You show off the staff your parents bought you, and show your wind magic. They're impressed, already telling you what an amazing girl you are, a mage at that age! They hug you, and tell you they'll take you along with them sometime.
At that, you see your parents give each other looks from the corner of your eyes, and your face falls. You're not good enough for that, you'd only hold them back, you say...
Your grandparents echange a glance themselves. Your grandfather ushers your parents from the room, and your grandmother sits next to you on the sofa and hugs you.
She asks what's wrong. You tell her that it's nothing. It's not nothing, she argues back, if you feel that way.
"Do you have friends at school?" She asks.
You look away. "... One." You admit. "Yura. She's really nice..."
"Tell me about her." She pries gently.
You shift awkwardly. "Is it okay? Mom and Dad don't like hearing about her."
"Why's that?"
"... I don't know." That's not true, entirely, so you shake your head. "She's really nice. She wanted to be my friend, even when I couldn't talk to anyone else. And she's so cheerful. When I'm with her, I'm not as scared." Scared of failure, scared of making your parents sad, scared of not being good enough... "But Mom and Dad don't like her. Just 'cause she's Beast Tribe..."
"Is that it?" You can hear a hint of anger in her voice, and you regret saying anything, but that feeling is soon replaced by alarm as she keeps talking. "Your father still can't tell his head from a pile of pig droppings, huh... We'll straighten him out."
"That's not true!" You protest. "He just... They both care about me..."
"Aiya..." She hugs you with one arm. "Were you upset when I spoke poorly of him?"
"Yes!"
"Why?"
"Because you shouldn't speak badly about someone like that..."
"Is that all?"
"No... I love him, and you shouldn't talk about family like that..." You feel embarrassed and a little frightened, chastising your own grandmother like that, but she just smiles.
"And when you say you aren't good enough, how do you think the people who love you feel?"
You stop. That hadn't occurred to you at all before, but your grandmother continues on: "This Yura girl, too... If someone else said you weren't good enough, wouldn't she be saddened? That still holds even if you're the one who says it. Is that what you want?"
You shake your head vehemently. "Of course it's not!"
"What about when you're automatically defending your father. Is he right to shun your friend for something like that? Would you tell her that?"
"I wouldn't!" But, as for if he's wrong...
Noticing this, she hugs you again, leaning you against her shoulder. "Ai-ai, even your parents can make mistakes. I'd say they've made a lot. When they're wrong, you have to be brave and tell them. And you shouldn't put yourself down. It will make the people who love you sad."
"... Okay." You agree, hanging your head in shame. "I won't, Gramma."
"You're a wonderful, amazing girl, and we love you, and you are more than good enough for anything you want to do. We don't want you to be sad, either, okay? Remember that, Ai-ai. Relationships with people are like an adventuring party. It's no good unless everyone is doing well... And that includes you. So don't let yourself get attaacked, all right? And don't attack yourself."
You've kind of lost the thread of this metaphor, but you nod along anyway. You think you understand.
"Good girl. You're a better child than they deserve. Now, I should go clean out my ridiculous son's ears a bit..."
Never mind, you don't understand what that means at all, and she sounds mad...
Notes: Grandparents are bad ass. They're her father's parents. Also her grandmother is like fifty-five years old and has bright pink hair. Not even dyed, it's crazy.
Also writing this I made myself want an AU where her grandparents adopt her and take her on badass adventures around the world.
Regained: Day 128
Poltergeist, Monster Maze
You're practically bubbling with excitement.
You start junior high in just a few days, and you're proud. You're going to see your grandparents, now, buckled into the backseat of the car, and you're peering out the window in excitement- It's been a long time since you've seen them! And you're driving out of the city, which you never get to see much. Lots of green fields, country roads, it's really exciting to you. And your grandparents! You don't get to see any of your grandparents much, but you love these two. It's been so long since you've seen them because they've been adventuring overseas, and only recently came back to Ashvara at all- And they wanted to see you, specifically. You're wearing your new school uniform, since they're leaving again for Basilia in two days, and you wanted to show them it.
As soon as you pull in the driveway, you're trying to quietly unbuckle, and as soon as the engine turns off, you're flying out of the car and running up to the door to ring the doorbell. As soon as your grandmother answers the door, you're throwing yourself into a hug, and she catches you with a laugh.
Your father greets her, as well, while your mother is more stiff and polite about it. You wonder why, but quickly get distracted as your grandmother ushers you inside.
You spend hours excited as her and your grandfather tell you stories about their adventures- They even have trophies. Ancient treasures, a sword unlike any you've ever seen that your grandfather tells you dates back all the way to the Blutgang Era, a pair of horns from a Great Fell Demon that her grnadfather slayed personally in solo combat- He took great joy in recounting that tale, and you listen in rapt attention as he talks about his magic sword techniques- Your gramma then continues with tales of fighting a serpent dragon on the way back on their ship, with her Dark Sword being all that could do real damage, but she had to eat a ton of damage to do it- She was sure they were going to wipe, at sea! How embarrassing.
Then the conversation turns to you. You show off the staff your parents bought you, and show your wind magic. They're impressed, already telling you what an amazing girl you are, a mage at that age! They hug you, and tell you they'll take you along with them sometime.
At that, you see your parents give each other looks from the corner of your eyes, and your face falls. You're not good enough for that, you'd only hold them back, you say...
Your grandparents echange a glance themselves. Your grandfather ushers your parents from the room, and your grandmother sits next to you on the sofa and hugs you.
She asks what's wrong. You tell her that it's nothing. It's not nothing, she argues back, if you feel that way.
"Do you have friends at school?" She asks.
You look away. "... One." You admit. "Yura. She's really nice..."
"Tell me about her." She pries gently.
You shift awkwardly. "Is it okay? Mom and Dad don't like hearing about her."
"Why's that?"
"... I don't know." That's not true, entirely, so you shake your head. "She's really nice. She wanted to be my friend, even when I couldn't talk to anyone else. And she's so cheerful. When I'm with her, I'm not as scared." Scared of failure, scared of making your parents sad, scared of not being good enough... "But Mom and Dad don't like her. Just 'cause she's Beast Tribe..."
"Is that it?" You can hear a hint of anger in her voice, and you regret saying anything, but that feeling is soon replaced by alarm as she keeps talking. "Your father still can't tell his head from a pile of pig droppings, huh... We'll straighten him out."
"That's not true!" You protest. "He just... They both care about me..."
"Aiya..." She hugs you with one arm. "Were you upset when I spoke poorly of him?"
"Yes!"
"Why?"
"Because you shouldn't speak badly about someone like that..."
"Is that all?"
"No... I love him, and you shouldn't talk about family like that..." You feel embarrassed and a little frightened, chastising your own grandmother like that, but she just smiles.
"And when you say you aren't good enough, how do you think the people who love you feel?"
You stop. That hadn't occurred to you at all before, but your grandmother continues on: "This Yura girl, too... If someone else said you weren't good enough, wouldn't she be saddened? That still holds even if you're the one who says it. Is that what you want?"
You shake your head vehemently. "Of course it's not!"
"What about when you're automatically defending your father. Is he right to shun your friend for something like that? Would you tell her that?"
"I wouldn't!" But, as for if he's wrong...
Noticing this, she hugs you again, leaning you against her shoulder. "Ai-ai, even your parents can make mistakes. I'd say they've made a lot. When they're wrong, you have to be brave and tell them. And you shouldn't put yourself down. It will make the people who love you sad."
"... Okay." You agree, hanging your head in shame. "I won't, Gramma."
"You're a wonderful, amazing girl, and we love you, and you are more than good enough for anything you want to do. We don't want you to be sad, either, okay? Remember that, Ai-ai. Relationships with people are like an adventuring party. It's no good unless everyone is doing well... And that includes you. So don't let yourself get attaacked, all right? And don't attack yourself."
You've kind of lost the thread of this metaphor, but you nod along anyway. You think you understand.
"Good girl. You're a better child than they deserve. Now, I should go clean out my ridiculous son's ears a bit..."
Never mind, you don't understand what that means at all, and she sounds mad...
Notes: Grandparents are bad ass. They're her father's parents. Also her grandmother is like fifty-five years old and has bright pink hair. Not even dyed, it's crazy.
Also writing this I made myself want an AU where her grandparents adopt her and take her on badass adventures around the world.