sticks a n d stones

[Ginny Weasly]

"Well..." Cody hesitated, "I just want to know. What happened, Dad? Why were you gone so long?"
He sighed, "I missed you. I worried about you, Daddy. I don't want you to get hurt."
Still very much a small child.
Albeit one who could voice his worries more clearly than many adults.

[Xaver]

"I missed you too, Cody. Beyond words, truly. I am sorry you worried"
Xaver sighed, very softly.
Hating that his son was hurt.
And he was the base of the cause.

"You remember those men? Those Cats, as we call them?"
Knowing he did.
"I had a few problems with them. The conflict between our two realms has never been more stagnant, nor more heated. "

[Ginny Weasly]

He shivered, roughly, as Xaver mentioned the Cats. They'd been in his nightmares as of late.

"So they cut your hair?"
Cody raised an eyebrow, confused as to what that had to do with the conflict between the two realms. Even with his genius, he couldn't see what cutting one's hair had to do with anything.

[Xaver]

Xaver paused, for a sharp, long moment, before he nodded, once, bowing his head in response.

"Yes."
He pulled his gaze from the skies, and met Cody's similar blues.
"Amongst abuse. You see, when I am injured, when you are injured, it has been passed down through our bloodlines for our bodies to naturally respond to the said injury quicker. For us to heal, at a rate thousands-fold faster than that of Humans. To an extent. For example, a wound left untended may take longer to heal, and may scar. Bruises are the slowest to fade."

Xaver shifted Cody to a more comfortable rest against his hip.

"I would heal from almost anything the dealt me. Cutting my hair, was a way of.. In a sense, defacing me. It was a show of disrespect. In the Cat culture, disrespect is as severe as inflicting torture. And, if you shave a man's head, and pierce his heart, it is said you wound not only his shell, but his soul."

[Ginny Weasly]

"They pierced your heart!" Cody's hands went down to Xaver's chest, rapidly searching for his heartbeat. Upon finding it, he relaxed, then flushed.
"Oh...you mean.." He giggled at his silliness, 'I just got so scared."

"Xaver? Is Cody still out here with you? Dinner's ready." Ginny came to the sliding door, leaning against it tiredly. She managed a smiled for them, "Come on, angel boy. It's time to eat so you can go to bed."

[Xaver]

Xaver's smile was genuine, but shadowed.
"They didn't get the chance to finish," he murmured, quietly.

He turned, when Ginny approached, instinct and heartbeat sharpening at the sound of her voice.

"C'mon, kiddo. Let's get some grub in your belly. I bet your hungry."

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody turned, looking at Ginny before he smiled at Xaver, "Alright. But can I sleep n your room tonight?"

Ginny sighed, saying nothing but turning away from father and son, making her way back into the kitchen. Xaver's words replayed in her head.
She wondered why they had not pierced his heart.
She wondered, angrily, though not much, why hew had told Cody so bluntly what had happened. Or been attempted.

[Xaver]

"That depends on what your mother says, my son."

His own words replayed over in his head, and just as soon as he'd let them slip, he truly regretted them. He didn't wish for Cody to know the real troubles he faced. It was enough to live with the scares that got through Xaver and Ginny's protection.
Xaver knew, however, that he couldn't lie to the boy.
Just as well as he knew his son didn't want to be lied to - but he was still far too young to hear some things.

[Ginny Weasly]

((Weee, don't we wish we could skip boring parts of our real lives?))

After dinner, Cody looked at Ginny expectingly.
"Can I please sleep in your room tonight, Mom?"

Ginny stood from her seat, beginning to clean up the table. She shook her head at Cody, "Angel, you should sleep in your own room."

"Awwe, c'mon Mom. Please?" He whined, and Ginny frowned, setting the dishes in the sink with a clink.

She turned, looking at her son with and small frown, "No, Cody. I'd like to talk to your father alone. Go get ready for bed."
She was agitated, yeah.
Just a little bit.

[Xaver]

Xaver watched in the wake of his son's unhappy, storming figure as he disappeared down the hallway to the bathroom, his sharp ears catching the faucet being wrenched on with more than the necessary force, his expression unreadable.
He absently drummed his fingers against the smooth table-top, his gaze solemn, and heavy, as it ever slowly trailed from the hallway, to Ginny's face.

He could sense her anger.
It went far beyond common sense, and his own touch with the magics about them - but, as well, his sensitivity to empathy. He was in-tuned to her emotions.
And, right then, she was like a raging inferno..

Not good for him.

Duh.

"Your anger is so thick I can all but taste it," he said mildly.

[Ginny Weasly]

"You are a smart a$s." Ginny growled, turning back to the sink. She did nothing though, simply starred at the dirty dishes before turning and facing Xaver.

"You left again." She said bluntly. She leaned against the counter, "Good job on not being responsible for your son and his feelings."

She rubbed her eyes, "Jesus, Xav...way to worry me and Cody."

She waved her hand absently in Cody's direction, "And then, you come back and fill his head with things he'll have more nightmares about?" Ginny shook her pretty head, "Can't you learn to bite your tongue?"

[Xaver]

"I've been biting my tongue for more years than your pretty head has enamored this world. Why do so among the two souls that mean the most to me?"

Even as he was sitting there.
Biting his tongue.

He wanted to say that no, he hadn't left.
No, it wasn't his fault....
No... Don't blame...


But not again.
Never again.

Xaver didn't care if it had had nothing to do with his self, or his own choices.
He felt, just as deeply, that it was his own fault for his absence.

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny threw her hands up into the air, "Oh? Then why is it our son dreams of cat creatures? Of hooks? Now of things that pierce the heart as well?" She was frustrated, angry, upset, hurt. He'd been gone again, without so much as a good bye. She'd worried.

She folded her arms, "Whatever, forget it. It doesn't change anything no matter how much I say it."
She scowled, "To talk of something more important, have you decided what to do about the necklace?"
But it wasn't more important.
At least, not by her perspective.
Not right now.

[Xaver]

"He dreams because he has heard me speak of such things," he said, very quietly.
Tones not quite even.

At the mention of the necklace, Xaver adverted his gaze, focusing hard upon the table, before him.
He was quiet, for a moment, before he rose from his seat, turning, and gently sliding it back into place.

"Destroy it," he said harshly. "Mine, too."

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny jerked at his tone.
"Destroy it?" She echoed. But..

"Are you sure?" She liked the necklace that bore his emotions. But, if he said so...

She looked at him, scrutinizing him closely in the hard kitchen lights. Watched him as he stood there, her arms still folded across her chest.
He scowl still upon her face.