Completed Blood is thicker than...Paint?

Mariana slowly began to wiggle out from beneath the bed. But she remained laying on the floor and looking at at Alistair. Arms crossed stiffly.

"Well, I don't want to kill anyone." A firm grumble as her lips puckered into a deep pout.

Harumph.

And as to what her brother said next.

"Well I am pretty good at running away and hiding aren't I?"
 
He already knew that. She did not want to kill. She would probably be really bad at it. The Academy was likely not the correct answer for her.

"I know you don't want to, but sometimes in life, you have to."

He sighed as he looked down at her. In a perfect world, she would not have to fight, but Vel Anir was anything but perfect. Maybe he could make it a bit more perfect for her.

The last question made his face scrunch up in a bit of a shrug.

"Not really. You aren't bad, but it's not as simple when dealing with mages and Dreadlords."

Mariana
 
The statement made Alistair pause, a small smile come to his lips, but it never reached his eyes. Instead, they were filled with sadness.

"Maybe they should...but they aren't. Unfortunately, a bad habit of lesser powers is a desire to squash those beneath them. It is for the very fact that we are not rich or strong that they think they can step on us."

Mariana
 
Mariana finally pushed herself off the ground and slowly sat next to her brother on the bed. Head hung as her chin rested in her hand, elbow propped on her thigh. She sighed, staring at the door of her closet that she'd painted in bright colors.

"Well, I'm okay with learning how to defend myself. Maybe. But I"m not going to become like them. Just to kill or step on others. That's dumb and will get them killed in the end."
 
Alistair nodded along slowly coming to his own decisions on the matter.

"Fine, then you will go to school for nobility. I will speak with Elise. As for self-defense, I will train you myself."

It was for the first time that he noticed the closet, and he just sighed. Maybe he needed to make a rule of only painting in the painting room, but he would refrain for now.

"Also, let's not say that second part. I am technically one of them."

Mariana
 
Nose scrunched slightly. She still wasn't sure how she felt about any school. But at least he wasn't making her go to the Academy. But at his last sentence her chin lifted as she quickly turned to look up at Alistair. Krixus blue eyes matching his own. Her hair, where it was highlighted, in his same dark color.

"No you're not like them. You could've squashed me but you didn't. I mean yes. You're a scary dreadlord but I haven't seen you kill just to kill or step on others just because you can. So, you're not dumb."

She took a small breath.

"I mean maybe I should still go check it out? Just to make sure?"

And for the first time, she didn't want to feel like she was disappointing him. Would he be disappointed if she didn't at least try?
 
Once again, Alistair looked at her with wide eyes, his mind still coming to terms with the fact that she could not and should not grow up to be like him.

"Don't if you do not have to. The things that Dreadlords see and do have a way of scaring you, even if you are there just to...observe."

The last thing he needed was her coming home shell-shocked for months, or even worse, not coming home at all.

"If you decide you have too then I will see what I can do, but you will not leave before I am satisfied with a basic level of self-defense."

Mariana
 
She grasped her smaller fingers in her lap, blue-gaze looking downward. Head hanging slightly. Without looking at Alistair she asked.

"So you won't be mad at me if I don't end up going to the Academy?"

Breath held in her little chest as she waited for an answer.

Then she exhaled.

"But I'm glad that you'll teach me how to be safe. Just in case." Still, she knew he had his work cut out for him. She was definitely more of a runner and hider. That was for sure.
 
Mad? No, the emotion definately wasn't anger. It may have been disappointment earlier, but that was through his own stubbornness. Mariana did not have to be like him. In fact, it would be nicer if she wasn't.

The best word to describe her refusal would simply be...worry.

"No, I won't. However, I will continue to strive to ensure your safety."

Mariana
 
Blue eyes darted away from her lap and back up to his face. Back up to a mirror of her own eyes. A quick, silent nod up at him.

They had an understanding.

Fingers squeezed in her lap. She was curious about one thing, though. "How're you going to teach me self defense?" Growing up and stuff was turning into A LOT of WORK. First it was learning the alphabet and reading. Now? He was making her learn other stuff. When was she going to have time to paint?!?!
 
For once, a small smile crept up onto his face as he got up from the bed and moved to the door. He looked back at her making sure to lock eyes.

"You'll learn the way I learned, with the sword. We will find you a small sword, but the rapier was designed for those with more speed than strength. It should be perfect for you."

He would not go as far as to reproduce the Academies training regime, but he would not make it easy on her.

Mariana
 
Mariana stood in the small courtyard behind their townhouse. The window from her bedroom didn't have this view - it looked over one of the alleyways on the side. But this was certainly her second favorite place in her new home. Alistair's mom had pots and pots of flowers and herbs out here. There were cobblestones and bricks that lay a path and made an ivy-bound will around the sides for privacy.

There was even a very small fruit tree in the middle. Mariana wasn't sure what kind of fruit yet, though. It wasn't season for whatever it was yet. But for once, her attention was on the rapier. Even she could tell it was a fine blade with a beautiful handle that was sized just for her.

Smaller.

Lost in thought, she waited for her brother to arrive.
 
Alistair swiftly strode into the courtyard while putting on some dueling gloves. He seemed to be in a hurry, perhaps just returning from some sort of meeting.

He had no sword at his hip, but there was a thin foil with a blunt stub at the end of it.

"No time to waste. Let's get started."

He stopped directly in front of her and firmly grabbed her leg pulling in front of her while moving her other foot a step back, placing her in a balanced fencing posture.

"This is the foundational stance of swordplay. When everything else fails, you can revert back to this...Now, hold it."

With that, Alistair took a step back and took in a chair that looked like had been out in the courtyard for years.

Mariana
 
"Hey that tickles," she swatted at his hand on her leg. But he moved just as quickly. She found herself suddenly very off balance. It just felt awkward. Hands waved frantically at her sides as she tried to keep her balance.

She used to jump from rooftop to rooftop in Vel Lameus and that seemed a lot easier than this was - with both her feet on the ground!

"This is it? How long do I have to hold it?" A small whine worked it sway into her tone.
 
Alistair scrutinized Mariana's stance very closely and did not seem to be satisfied. He on the other hand looked to be the most relaxed Mariana may have ever seen him as he was lounging about in this comfy chair.

"Until I decide you did it right. Stay on the balls of your feet. Weight should be spread evenly but quick to shift if needed. And no whining. You asked for this."

She had chosen this over the Academy, and she was getting a good deal. On Alistair's first day, he had just been beaten with a wooden sword to learn 'how not to get hit'. He had been very bad at it that first day.

Mariana
 
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Mariana looked downward at her own feet and the ground. Shifting her weight, she wobbled again and had to break the stance to keep herself from falling.

A huff to blow away her highlighted hair from her face.

"I'm not whining!" She whined. And re-shuffled her feet back the way he'd first put her in. After a few minutes she beamed up at him.

"I am DOING IT and making it look good!" Her hips gave a little wiggle. Mrs. Hursch came out to check on them. "Can I get either of you some lemonade?" She lofted a brow at Alistair.
 
"You look like a stiff breeze could knock you down."

Alistair reposted but sighed as he stood to his feet. He knew Mariana well enough to know that she would not listen if he just made her sit there the entire time.

"Alright, I want you to now start at one end of the courtyard and move to the other end there and back as many times as you can. However, make sure to follow the form."

He mimicked the stance he had shown her but then demonstrated a series of lunges and shuffles moving from side to side and forward, flawlessly intermixing them.

"Think of it sort of like a dance."

Al looked back to Mrs. Hursch.

"Yes, I would love a glass."

Mariana
 
She huffed indignantly at her brother's observations.

"Me too please," she called to the housekeeper. The woman shook her head but knew well enough not to speak on what she was seeing. With Alistair, she'd seen much stranger things. And she knew Alistair truly did love his sister and want the best for her. Even though how he went about it may not always show it.

The child had a long way to go if Alistair hoped she would be...somewhat safer on her own.

Meanwhile, Mariana mimicked her brother's movements and shuffled and lunged back and forth in the small, private space until she was huffing and her tanned skin garnishing a rosy hue. SKin and clothing slickened with a small layer of sweat. Mrs. Hursch had long since come back, deposting a glass of lemonade with Alistair, leaving one for Mariana on the stone steps that lead inside.

The pre-teen collapsed onto the top steps and began gulping down the lemonade.

"Don't you need to be somewhere?" It was a hopeful question, clearly wanting today's lesson to be done.
 
"No, I actually am free for the next few days, which means we will be spending the next few days practicing. Once I have to leave, Mrs. Hursh will assure that you keep following the drills."

Alistair explained as he finished the last glass of his lemonade. He waited a moment to allow Mariana to finish her drink and then have a small break.

Next to his chair sat a bag that Alistair had brought with him, as he looked into it, he pulled out these small bean bags.

"Alright, let's start that again. You don't have to follow any order, just keep using the steps I taught you."

Meanwhile, one of the small bags rested in his hand.

Mariana
 
UGH.

Maybe when she got better at her letters and could read she could forge a letter to get her brother away for a few more days so she wouldn't have to do these boring drills that made her tired. Still, she'd never do that. Though he was hard on her and making her work for her next meal...she really liked him being around. She just felt safer.

And his presence made her feet at home.

A feeling she hadn't had in a long time.

Finish the lemonade, she eyed him carefully before adjusting her legs like he'd told her. Then she began to move across the courtyard again.
 
Alistair waited until Mariana was about halfway across the yard, before taking one of the bags and throwing them at her. They were weighted enough to hurt, but not enough to cause a bruise, or at least a large bruise.

"Nope, the Calderan stance has to be smooth. Let your feet glide across the ground, don't pick them up too high. Their power comes from their contact with the ground."

Al did not wait to see if the bag hit, instead rummaging around for another bag prepared to throw, a small smirk on his face.
 
Whack

The first back smacked into her shoulder and she went careening off to the side. Stumbled and landed smack on her rear upon the courtyard steps. "Hey!" She grumbled, glaring at her brother's smug face. But the glare didn't twist her entire face.

"You are such a poop head!"

While it was a childish insult befitting her ago it was a strange upward step in progress. There was no way even a week ago, she'd feel comfortable enough to call her brother that. To banter with him now, as easily as she did. It signified a closer tie with him. A familiarity that had only grown with time and would only continue to grow.

Scrambling back to her feet, she stuck the tip of her tongue out at him before continuing on in the stance. This time correcting herself slightly. THis time better prepared to take the hit of an obnoxious beanbag.

"Just wait until I get my hands on some beanbags, brother!" She called, narrowly missing one he had coming her way.
 
Alistair casually rolled the bag in his hand as he watched her with a smirk on his face, still looking for mistakes.

"It's a shame you did not choose to Academy. You would probably have learned better insults there." After all, the teachers used them liberally.

He spotted another mistake and tossed another bean bag her way, this time aiming for her shoulder.

"Remember, keep yourself thin, not wide. The goal is to not get hit."

He did not even respond to her threat of retaliation. Unlike her, he knew these steps backward, forwards, and around. If some of the best rogue Dreadlords in the world could not hit him, then he was sure she could not.

Mariana
 
"Hey!" She yelped as another bag clipped her shoulder, sending a puff of dust into the air. "Oh I can think of other things to say," she clarified, shuffling back into place as she began the trek back down the courtyard, her body naturally adjusting to his corrections.

"But you keep going on and on about how I have to be more ladylike," another tip of her tongue out at him. She continued to do that for the next hour or two. She only got hit one more time. Clipped a few more and the rest were near misses.

"Okay," she huffed and collapsed on the ground. "I'm tired. And hungry."
 
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