C: Baashir - Blog Posts

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he was looking at her; a pair of orbs that were identical to her own, though it felt more like he was able to see right through her. still, her shoulders remained as poised as they always were, and she held his own gaze in a manner that was confrontational, but curious; how she had been taught she needed to deal with her oldest brother and his peculiar ways. "you are staring at me." she commented, her tone still trying to sound casual; she felt far from it though, for she knew he must have spotted her.

"why?" women all across dorne smoked, and yet, ruqaiyah of house dayne was expected to maintain some level of perfection the others did not. what if they were already perfect, even in their skewered choices?

she was the one who broke the gaze first, extending her bangled arms forward to push the plates toward the ruling lord of the house - there was much about the siblings that mirrored one another, but there was also much of ruqaiyah that mirrored her mother. she had noted that the best way to gain the approval of her mother over the years was to simply replicate her; and suddenly she was no longer pretending. "i was a girl when i made you promise such a thing, bhaiya." she spoke, her voice softer than it had been.

she had no issue with pushing the plates toward her brother, doting on her brother; because he understood the weight of perfection too. so she would play her role, considering he played his too. they were a perfect dollhouse, in perfect line up - and none would see the cracks if they were not on the other side of the mirror. "you need not do such things now. you can let things go, you know?" she commented, directing for the servant to keep the jug on the table - she would refill his cup herself.

"it was my candle." the words came so casually from her lips, and yet, his next words caused her to look up from the goblet she was refilling. she almost allowed the wine to spill over in the rush of excitement; how long she had been waiting for him to agree. she had wished and thought of court often: so many spoke of sunspear, and now it was her time to see it for herself.

"what do you have to get in order? i've done it all for you." did that mean her own marriage would be happening soon? "you told me i could find you a bride before i marry." she reminded; had he? she was not entirely sure that was what he meant by his words; she was not entirely sure he had said anything like that. he had not. "has the prince asked of me? is that why?" a slight break in her formal nature, she seemed to shoot out question after question, not letting him reply.

Bash looked at his sister, he often worried about the way she did things. They were too much alike depending upon who was asked about the comparison. In some ways he knew it was perfect. His sister kept things afloat, some would assume he left his mother in charge but he did not. His sister was his heir and as such she was left to run Starfall and every report was correct, there were no complaints. She ran things the way she was meant to run them. And Baashir was proud of her but he had to wonder how much of her activities were as they were because of him. Such as this smell of smoke. And, of course, the orange glow from her balcony.

"You probably don't remember this, sister." Baashir smiled at her, nodding in thanks to servant who came in with the plate of cheese and dried meat, a similar nod going to the person who brought in a bowl of fruit floating in a bowl of cream which brought a true smile to his face. He grabbed a spoon and then looked up again.

"Whenever I would leave I always promised that I would come home by your window so you may be there when I return. Every time I look towards your window. And even though you had no idea I was coming home, I looked." He took a bite, raised the bowl and took a drink of the sweet milk then sat it back down. "And suddenly I saw this orange glow."

Bash shrugged a shoulder, "perhaps it was a candle. It is dark." He reached over and grabbed one of the pieces of beard and took a bite from the side as he always did. As soon as he started to eat he knew he would be here for quite some time. It made his mother happy to feed him and he was always happy to eat. Especially after leaving a place where he thought the food was shit. Too much venison and pork.

"I'll be here while I get some things in order. And while you get you r things together. It's time for you to come to court, sister."

★

the seat in which baashir now sat upon their grand table had been years in the making; it was constantly referenced that someday he would be the next ruling lord of starfall, spoken about more than any other thing in their family. her marriage, and his lordship, and his marriage: only one of those things had happened, and yet there was often a picture that was painted. that life was as it should be, like there was not someone missing at the table: she had always struggled to see the portrait of her father upon the wall behind what was once his seat.

this change was hardly new, and yet, she thought of it each time baashir sat down in the chair. what was missing, what once was, and whether this was all it was supposed to be.

her amethyst gaze looked over to the sight of her mother trailing behind a message boy, something about a message from their cousin safeerah; she could still hear their mother's voice ringing from the halls as he uttered his next words. so he had not seen her, but he had smelt her. "smoke?" she allowed a puzzled expression to cross over her features that appeared as though they had been chiselled from marble, from glass, from the stars itself.

"do i?" she asked again, her hand resting upon the chair; and yet, she was inwardly cursing at herself.

of course he would smell it, because he knew the smell all too well. there was little use in becoming angry and defensive, because he would see that. instead, she feigned genuine confusion - not even denying smoking herself. she did not want him to think that was the first thing on her mind. "i do not smell it, but maybe it was the incense i had burning in my room, or the new fragrance could be using too much sandalwood. serves me right for trying out new ones."

she almost mirrored his actions, folded arms coming upon the table stop, white gold bangles shimmering beneath the crystal chandelier that hung above them. a silent challenge, that he could read too much into. she would pretend to be upset if she needed to, and get their mother involved. "you've arrived just before safeerah - she'll be so happy to see you too." they had not been able to see her since the funeral of their rashid.

"are you staying long?" how much will you be around to be on my head and monitoring me?

The Sword of the Morning was 1 and 10 when he first tried one of the smokes that were growing in their popularity as the countries separated and other regions increased their trade with the East or perhaps, he knew nothing about who smoked where and made broad assumptions. Baashir Dayne would never admit to the latter, so he supported the former. And while he didn’t smoke often, he still enjoyed smoking after a meal. Smoking after a particularly rough day or when he finished his games with Rashid. But Rashid was dead, and he was in constant need of reminding everyone he remembered. How could one forget? One couldn’t.

Baashir Dayne was familiar with the smell of smoke. The smell of the dried, brown leaves burning within its place. Could be anyone was his first thought. But when he entered his mother was there, as she always was, greeting him. There was excitement, arms thrown around his neck and brief whispers of how she missed him and wished he stayed home even longer. And this would be a lengthy stop but not one long enough for her, that he knew. But, soon, the son of the Starfall would return and all would be right. If he believed his mother.

“Bhaiṇa.” Bash greeted her, returning the hug, he then paused as he looked at her. The smell caught him first. Smoke. She smelled like smoke and if anyone noticed the subtle changes in his expression it was always Ru that noticed and tugged at mother’s skirts. She was too old to tug at skirts now. And clearly believed herself old enough to take up some smoking but then she mentioned food and him being fat. “No I’m not. I didn’t eat because I knew there would be …”

And before he could finish his mother was giving orders for trays of fruit and cheese, trays of raw veggies and hard meats, and anything could be made hot. Bash didn’t try to stop her. It was their jobs to make sure the lord of the house had a full belly before bed.

“Sit down.” Bash look at her as he allowed his cloak to be removed and then he removed his own sword belt, lying it down on the chair directly across from them. Sitting as he always did, stiffly, forearms resting against the tabletop.

“You smell like smoke.” He said as their mother left the room.

who: @baashirdayne when and where: baashir dayne returns from kings landing, deciding to divert to starfall first. his sister has little inclination of the idea, expecting not to see him for some time longer; that was until a sudden flurry of dayne guards came into the courtyard right beneath her balcony.

the smoke was between her fingers, against her lips as she inhaled and exhaled into the night sky; the sound of her bangles gently twinkling in the night sky. the eldest lady of starfall had been desperate for a smoke for the majority of the evening, and considering her mother had only left her chambers some moments ago, she practically flung herself onto the balcony. first ensuring none were in the courtyard, she used a candle to ignite her smoke, and relished in the peace. finally. why did her mother bother asking her for her opinion if she would not take it?

she was exhaling again, when there was a sudden flurry of horses stampeding through the smaller courtyard; horses, the flag of house dayne, and she found herself practically faltering backward at the sudden movement.

"shit." she muttered, her eyes briefly meeting with baashir dayne's for a split second: what was he doing back here? was he not supposed to go straight back to sunspear as first minister? had he seen her with the smoke in her hand? it was now lowered at her side, and as he entered into the grand keep, she knew her mother and the household fawning over him would buy her some time.

when he entered, she took the opportunity to drop the smoke - if anyone asked, she would blame one of the guards travelling onward to sunspear. slipping her lilac robe over her rose coloured nightgown, she opened her door, beginning to make her way down the halls. the peacocks were calling, almost as though they knew he was back. and then he turned a corner, where she met him half way.

"bhaiya!" ruqaiyah exclaimed, her voice feigning excitement. it wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him. but had he seen her smoking? "why did you not tell us you were coming back?" she asked, placing her hands together in the symbol of peace before reaching forward to embrace him, kissing his cheek.

"i would have ensured dinner would be served later. it is too late now, you need not put on even more weight for eating at this time." her words were casual, looking up at him. "you must be so tired."