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Sage sort of wrinkled his nose in response to joras protest about Lyra. He couldn't really argue with that, though, so he sighed in defeat. "I suppose she is my daughter. Attempting to bend the laws of the world comes with it," he noted with a fond twitch of his lips moving upwards slightly. He finished putting away the breakfast dishes and such then, sort of just leaning against the counter to look over at jora with his normal crooked grin plastered on his face. "Me? Dispenser of discipline?" He shook his head, still very amused. "No, I'm pretty sure that's your role,* he mused lightly, sort of recalling all her more bossy tendencies. He loved those tendencies, of course, and would do anything for her. Follow her anywhere, willing or unwilling. He would do anything for her. She had that power over him. But she never abused it. Never used it to manipulate him into doing anything he didn't want to do. And that's why he loved her so much. Well...partly anyway. There was just so many reasons. His smile turned softer when she pressed her lips to his jaw though, and he sort of just rigged her in gently. "I know," he noted softly. "And you haven't stopped. ...even when I'd given up," he added. She never would stop either, he knew that. He hummed softly in agreement as she continued to mention their home and children, both real and not yet conceived. "Well give them everything," he agreed softly. He'd give them the world if they asked ...nothing would ever change that. |
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Jora let out a quiet huff of laughter at his defeated sigh, tilting her head at him with a mock-smug look. “Exactly. She’s yours—chaos is in her blood,” she teased, though the warmth in her tone gave her away. Truth be told, she loved that about both of them. The trouble, the curiosity, the way they never stopped testing the edges of what was possible—it kept their lives from ever going dull. When Sage leaned against the counter with that crooked grin of his, she raised a brow. “Oh, please. If I’m the dispenser of discipline, it’s only because someone has to keep you two from setting the house on fire.” Her smirk softened as her gaze flicked toward Lyra, who was humming to herself, utterly absorbed in her drawing. “And I’m pretty sure she’s already plotting to overthrow both of us.” She didn’t miss the shift in his tone when he pulled her closer, the way his voice dipped quieter. Her chest tightened, and she wrapped her arms fully around him, holding on like she could anchor them both there in that moment. “And I never will,” she murmured back. “You’re stuck with me, even when you’re ready to give up. Especially then.” Resting her cheek against him, she let the steady rhythm of his breathing wash over her. His promise—we’ll give them everything—settled deep within her, and she believed it, because she knew he meant it with every part of himself. “We already are,” she said quietly. “And one day, they’ll know just how lucky they were to be born to us.” She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, her lips curving in a small, certain smile. “And I’ll remind you, every single time, that you were worth it all.” |
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Sage chuckled softly when she mentioned the chaos came with his blood. "Oh, I'm sure she is," he hummed. "Well ...maybe she'll want to overthrow you, but if I keep spoiling her she'll be on my side," he added, clearly teasing. Lyra loved them both, he knew that. They all did. Though he simply grinned at jora when she mentioned being the dispenser of discipline, chuckling softly. "Oh, not the house. One of the old sheds, maybe," he noted with a sort of shrug. "I put too much work into the house to burn it." He was laughing though, clearly having a good time. He did want to go work on some things ....weed the garden, fix up some parts of the dock, work on their boats, that sort of thing. But he had all the time in the world to do that. So they could do this now. He hummed as jora continued to speak though, smiling softly at her. "Good," he hummed. "Because I'm not going anywhere," he noted firmly. Even when he felt like giving up, she was still there. She gave him the strength he couldn't find in himself. He humemd in agreement when she said they were already giving them everything, nodding along softly. They had a good life here. "I'm sure Lyra already knows," he noted. "And when the next one comes, they'll know soon too." He squeezed her gently as she mentioned him being worth it, pecking her head softly. "One day I'll be able to believe you," he hummed softly. He wanted to. He just....wasn't there yet. |
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Jora smirked faintly at his teasing about Lyra, though the corner of her mouth softened. She knew their daughter loved them both too much to truly turn against either of them, but she let him have his joke. “She might try,” she said dryly in her mind, “but she wouldn’t win.” There was no edge of competition in the thought, just quiet amusement. The mention of burning the shed instead of the house earned a short laugh from her. She knew exactly how much work he’d poured into the place they lived—every nail, every board, every stubborn bit of paint. “Fair,” she thought silently, her eyes warm. She couldn’t blame him for protecting what they’d built. As he spoke, her gaze lingered on him. She caught the firmness in his tone when he promised he wasn’t going anywhere, and though part of her had always known it, hearing it again rooted her deeper. He had his moments of doubt, but even in those, he stayed. That was worth more than words. She let herself relax into his presence, into the steady hum of his agreement when she’d said they were already giving their children everything. It was true—they had built something safe here, something whole. The thought of another child, of Lyra guiding them just as they guided her, filled Jora with a quiet, fierce pride. When he said one day he might believe her about being worth it, she didn’t push him. She only gave a small, knowing smile, leaning her head slightly toward the place where he’d kissed her. He might not see it yet, but she did. And she’d keep showing him until he couldn’t deny it anymore. |
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Sage couldn't help but snicker when Jora mentioned Lyra wouldn't win the fight if she picked. "No, I don't imagine she would," he mused, amusement lacing his words. He could imagine the scene now...Lyra, goats clenched and feet stomping, and Jora, standing there with her arms crossed, both women with the same ferocious look on their face. Jora as a mother would win, of course....but he had a sneaking suspicion he'd be caught in the crossfire a bit, with each party telling him to do something. It was vaguely amusing to think about. He threw jora an amused look as she curled in, sort of leaning into her and pecking her head again, a soft laugh rising in his throat. "You should actually get dressed now," he noted after a moment, sort of nodding towards the clothes shed set on the chair earlier. "I'd hate for your mother to wander in and think I make you wander around naked," he added with a wink and grin, squeezing her one more time before releasing her and moving to try and get Lyra to clean up a bit. It was a tough job for sure, but soon enough the little girl was running around not sticky anymore and sage had plopped onto the couch with a sigh. |
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Jora couldn’t help but smirk at his snicker, rolling her eyes even though there was an edge of laughter in her tone. “You’d be wise to stay out of that battle if it ever came to pass,” she warned lightly, though the image of Lyra with her goats squaring up against her made her want to laugh outright. She knew Sage was right—Lyra’s stubbornness was a force of its own, but Jora’s would always win out. Still, it was oddly endearing that he could find amusement in the idea rather than dread. She tilted her head into the kiss he dropped on her, a quiet hum of contentment escaping her as she stayed nestled against him a moment longer. But his next words earned him a scoff and a swat against his shoulder as she pulled back to glare at him with mock offense. “You make it sound like I’m parading around here indecent. Don’t flatter yourself,” she quipped, though a small grin tugged at the corner of her lips as she moved to fetch her clothes. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment as he turned his attention to Lyra, watching the way he coaxed the little girl into cleaning up without losing patience. It softened something in her chest, the sigh that left him as he collapsed onto the couch afterward only sealing it. Pulling her shirt over her head, she arched a brow, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Worn out already? You’ve only been at it an hour.” |
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(finally alive, lol. I should have more time now that I'm back on campus and not working quite so much xD) Sage tried for a neutral face and nodded with a grunt when she mentioned staying out the that battle, though he huffed out a breath and let himself chuckle again after only a few moments. "I'm not sure that'll even be possible, how bossy the two of you are," he teased lightly, throwing her a small wink. Sage sort of yelped when she swatted at him, giggling as he halfheartedly ducked away. Jora still got his square on the back, but of course it was all on play. It didn't hurt at all. "Ah, well, you never know who might walk through those doors," he noted lightly, moving to help Liz off the chair and onto the floor. Of course, when she teased him about being worn out, he just made a face at her, fondness thick in his tone as he spoke. "Says the person who made me do all the work cleaning up the kitchen," he teased. Jora did plenty of work, he knew...and he liked helping out. "She has too much energy," he added with a roll of his eyes. |
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Jora couldn’t help the little smirk that tugged at her lips when he teased about how bossy she and Lyra both were. “That’s because we’re right,” she shot back, playful but with just enough bite that he’d know she meant it at least halfway. She swatted at him when he winked, satisfaction sparking when he yelped and ducked even though she still caught him squarely. It made her laugh, soft and warm, shaking her head at his dramatics. “You’re lucky my mother hasn’t walked in yet, or you’d really be in trouble,” she quipped, though she leaned back comfortably, watching as he helped Lyra down from the chair. Her eyes softened when he complained about cleaning, though she only arched a brow at him. “I think you’re just too easy to distract,” she teased, stretching her legs out a little as if she had been the one truly exhausted. “Besides, you do it better than me.” When he mentioned Lyra’s energy, Jora let out a small laugh, tilting her head toward him. “She gets that from you,” she countered gently, her voice carrying a quiet fondness. She didn’t mean it as an insult, not when both of them adored the little girl’s brightness. If anything, it made her heart ache a little—in the best way. |
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Sage just grinned at her as she swatted at him, snickering softly to himself as she spoke. "Hmmm.... probably," he noted with a nod. "I'll probably wind up right in the middle with both of you tugging on an arm." He rolled his eyes as he spoke, a fond tone lacing his words. Though, he wrinkled his nose at her when she mentioned her mother, huffing out a breath. "You're the one beating up your husband," he whined, still clearly joking around. "Why would she be mad at me?" He shook his head and pouted at her next comment, crossing his arms from where he sat on the couch. "That's your fault, you're just really distracting," he noted, corners of his lips twitching upwards as he sat there, groaning when she mentioned he was better at cleaning. "Oh lucky me," he grumbled, though of course he didn't mind. He grunted with a nod as she mentioned the energy though, throwing a quick glance in the direction their daughter had gone. "Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't be too hard on that lady at the orphanage. I was probably one hell of a kid," he noted. Of course, beating him wasn't right, but he could see why she hated him so much at least. |
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Jora laughed softly at his dramatics, shaking her head as if she had no choice but to put up with him. “You make it sound like we’re going to rip you in half,” she teased, her voice warm, her eyes glinting as she watched him pout and roll his eyes. “Though maybe you deserve it for all that backtalk.” At the mention of her mother, she gave him a pointed look, though her lips twitched up despite herself. “Because you encourage me,” she countered easily, tilting her chin at him. “If you’d stop laughing every time I hit you, maybe she wouldn’t have reason to glare at us both.” When he crossed his arms and called her distracting, Jora’s laugh deepened, the sound spilling out of her before she could hold it back. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said smoothly, leaning back and stretching with a small sigh. His grumbling only made her grin. “Oh, don’t pretend you don’t like it. You’d go stir-crazy if I let you sit around.” Her teasing quieted some when he glanced toward the hall, her gaze softening as she followed it. For a moment, she didn’t say anything, just let the thought linger. Then she reached over, brushing her hand against his arm in a subtle, grounding touch. “Maybe,” she agreed gently, her voice softer than before. “But none of that was your fault, Sage. Not one bit of it.” She held his gaze, steady and firm, making sure he knew she meant it. |
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Hurricane ! Follow Evacuation Routes.
