Redirected Attention

Sanria settled  herself in Sandrine's Tea Shop in the castle amongst the cushions and looked over at a man who appeared average and non-descript. Tenchi was his name, and it was a name that had crossed her desk several times, though she had not had the mental capacity  to even begin to deal with the application.  Now, however, she was desperate to give herself a little distance with which to think.  She needed to raise her head above the woes of her family circumstances and really do some work. 

They spoke for a time, teacups in hand, about his discovery of the island and the Keepers.  His voice was gentle as he spoke, as though humble and a little unsure.  He also  seemed to start  when a member of the Keepers would arrive, each new face catching him unawares, as though he had been somewhere for a long while where no people had been. 

Vorcet  came, then  Kineada, then  Orn (accompanied by two crying babies which gave  Sanria pause  to collect her  grandchildren that she had not  seen in many days).  The questions  were from all angles, the interview, which it had become, was a success.  The few hours spent in conversation with Tenchi helped to refresh  Sanria in ways nothing else had.  In a unanimous agreement, they welcomed Tenchi into the Keepers of Balance.

Though she wondered about his past, Sanria could tell that he was a good soul. Moreover since Kineada knew him from a previous time.  She excused herself, swapping  infants to give a pacified  Regina to Orn in exchange for a squalling Reggie, and went to her office.  She calmed the baby boy with a warm  smile and gentle squeezes, then  held him in her arm as she looked through the other  accumulated papers on her desk.  Others wished to join, others needed to be reached.

Sanria gave a deep sigh as Orn walked in and pushed the work to the back of her mind.  She could sense Tenchi roaming the  castle and she smiled. The  family on the  island had grown and  for the better, she felt.  "We  have more who wish to join us, Orn," she said, nodding to the papers. "Oh, really?" he replied, looking quite flustered, Regina having started crying anew.  He patted the  baby's back with a new parent exasperation. "Soon," Sanria chuckled, taking  both babies into her arms to give Orn a moment's peace.  "We'll get to them soon."

Family

Matinus read in the library.  He was aware that he was on edge.  His mom had suddenly left to go to the castle, saying there was someone there she had to meet.  And like that, she was gone.  His dad was downstairs, like there was something wrong with him, too.

Matinus sighed deeply.  He could see that ever since the family trip, his dad and his mom weren't looking at eachother the same.  He tried to keep Nioma entertained, tried to stay out of the way, but he could really feel that something was wrong.  They said they loved each other, but he could see on their faces it wasn't love. It was... like.

Still, he held on to the hope that they were going to work it out.  Adults worked things out.  Then he heardthe woman talking to him, Claire.  He knew her voice because his whole body seemed to cry out with joy for a second that his real mom had come home.  Then he sat there, frozen.  He didn't need his "real" mom, he had a mom.  Sanria.

Then his dad called him and he knew he couldn't disobey. He trailed down the steps slow and looked over at the purple lady who stared at him.  She tried to be nice and all that, but it scared him.  His dad looked at her the way he should be looking at Sanria.  It made him mad then.  No way was this mom going to take Sanria away from him.

When he tried to run out the front door, his dad sent him to his room with magic.  He still snuck out anyway and listened at the top of the stairs to the two of  them talking.  He never once heard his dad say he loved Sanria.  He seemed to care more about Claire.  This  was wrong, all wrong.

After Claire left, and Matinus was worried she wouldn't, he went downstairs.  There was no way he would leaveSanria - if his dad wanted to be with Claire, fine, but Sanria was his mom now.  She was a Keeper, she worked in a floating castle full of dragons and silver people, Orn was teaching him adventure stuff when he saw him, and Nioma was his little sister - even if she did get annoying sometimes.

Matinus had his family, and that was the end of it.   He remembered the days his dad ignored him completely. He remembered days where he was dirty and Mirin had to tell him to take a bath.  He remembered how, when Sanria first came, she asked him if his dad brushed his hair... then she took care of him.  If his dad wanted to go back to that... he was going to go alone.

He saw his Dad's face and eyes and could tell his dad was a little scared of what he said.  It made him feel a little bad, but he had to tell the truth.  The truth was that Sanria loved him, and he could feel it and see it. More than he saw from his dad.  He only hoped that some time, sometime soon, Sanria and his dad could look at  eachother and feel love.  Maybe if he prayed to Lathander really hard... something just might change.