we need love, but all we want is danger; any

[Kushiel]

As much as Kushiel hated it when his mother read his mind, it tended to annoy him when other people could not. Explaining himself was a difficult and cumbersome process and he didn’t like to do it. That wasn’t to say that he expected anything less than complete understanding. Assuming lenience would be a mistake. So, it was a vague sense of annoyance that Kushiel fixed the girl with an exasperated look. He opened his mouth, fully prepared to say that her presence was enough to give him a headache before he looked at her again and decided against it.

He had better things to do then torment the new girl. Or, at least, he really should have better things to do than torment the new girl. He didn’t, at the moment, but that was all just details. He was still looking at her with a strange combination of curiosity and misplaced grouchiness when she spoke again. He couldn’t help the tiny, reluctant smile that tugged at his lips.

“Well excuse me for keeping an open mind.” He said it was some level of sarcasm, but couldn’t fully fight down his improving humor. Kushiel could now see that his theory was a bit outrageous. Still, he wasn’t about to admit that, and stranger things had happened. She obligingly supplied him with a stranger theory not a minute later. He laughed aloud at her words, and his sense of righteousness came flooding back.

“Oh ho, so I’m crazy for thinking you’re from the future, when in fact, you’re just saving the word.” He affixed her with a withering look.

“Hello Ms. Pot, I’m Mr. Kettle.” Yes, because she was most certainly the pot calling the kettle black. If one of them were crazy it was most definitely her. He was still gloating, obviously and flamboyantly, when Straia appeared. He grinned widely at her, not at all ashamed of the childish conversation he had stooped to. It would never occur to Kushiel to be ashamed. At her introduction however, the gray stallion did deflate a little.

“Ms. Pot is your sister? Well that is…unexpected.” He glanced back at the new mare, Lucrezia as it turned out, and tried to see the family resemblance. He could not find any similarity, partly because he couldn’t imagine Straia ever endeavoring to save the world. It just didn’t really seem like her thing. Kushiel let the awkward pause go one for a little too long before jumping back in to make it more awkward.

“So are you hoping Straia will help you save the world?” Again, he asked the question with no small amount of doubt. The whole situation seemed to be missing several pieces. Lucrezia was attempting to valiantly save the world single handedly and just happened to materialize in her sister’s kingdom? And where did Kushiel fit into all of this? Was he the dashing antagonist or the fumbling, unwilling sidekick? He was fine with the former, the latter was completely out of the question. He looked at both the mares, hoping one of them would fill him in promptly.