Sometimes...There Are No Words [David]

[Kyrie Blaze]

Running yesterday...was a pretty awful idea, she had to admit. Kyrie hissed through her teeth as she applied a cold compress to her left side against her shirt. She choked a little, and then slowly swallowed the sound of agony. She stood, straight, and looked over to her sister.

"You need rest, Kyrie. You're going to wind up killing yourself with a punctured lung with this...or worse. Later."

Arianna's arms were crossed as she leaned a hip against the counter. Her brows were drawn down and she looked, in Kyrie's opinion, like she was a few minutes away from marching out the door, grabbing David by his ear...

...and either dragging him back to demand he release her sister from this stupidity and fix her himself, or... Or maybe hide her small blonde sister away.

Kyrie sighed and shook her head.

"I can not, Arianna...but, I will be more careful. I need to heal as quickly as possible."

"You won't heal if you don't take a few days. I'm pulling rank." Pale honey eyes flattened a little as she spoke...but a smile tipped her lips up. "If 'the Storm Dragon' doesn't like it, he'll have to go through me, because you're staying home. Don't even--!"

Arianna stuck a hand out, pointing at the blonde that was five inches shorter as she opened her mouth to say she had to. Slowly her hand tipped up and her index finger wagged back and forth.

"Don't even argue. I'm saying it as a doctor...and moreover, I'm saying it as your sister. You're resting today. Likely even tomorrow."

The blonde blinked her big blue eyes...and slowly sighed. For now, she would rest. But she couldn't stop, even so. Perhaps later she could slip out to go walk...and work with those that were finishing work with canning and preparing the vegetables. And then she could check on the seeds...and perhaps walk along to check up on the men. She couldn't afford for her presence to be cut off due to her injury...even if all she wanted to do right now was sleep. Instead of going to crawl back into bed like she really wanted to, she just stood, shoulders slumping, and she kept the chemical pack that had spent the last day in the freezer further against her pained side.

"I will go stir-crazy if I go back to bed right now. I could not fall asleep right now..."

Arianna frowned and stood to cross to her younger sister, tuck her arm over her shoulders, and lead her into the minimally furnished living room. She'd known Kyrie didn't always sleep well. When she was younger, she used to sneak out of her bedroom to the backyard to teach herself and practice parkour. She steered her towards the couch.

"At least rest on the couch for now."

[David B.]

Knock knock knock.

[Kyrie Blaze]

The two sister's looked at one another.

'Are you serious? She's only a few minutes late and they're breathing down her neck already?'

'...is something wrong? Are they alri--'

Before her sister could stop her, Kyrie slipped out from the protective arm slung over her shoulder with a pained sound and walked quickly to the door to open it, the cold compress slung onto the couch. Her blue eyes were sharp and keen, but her expression remained neutral. They flickered, looking to see who was there.

Arianna opened her mouth, the start of her sister's name on her lips, and then pressed her lips together and followed, absolutely prepared to kick however many bahookies she had to for Kyrie to rest.

[David B.]

David himself stood there.

He wore a white Tshirt, and dark blue jeans with a brown belt. His face went from neutral into an easy smile as he looked up into her eyes, not concerned with the other body in the house. He would clear his throat before-

"Hey. Can we come in?"

He stepped aside, still smiling but in a more reserved way, revealing the twenty five men of the Sky Force standing behind him, all of whom would clap fists to their hearts and wait for the invitation.

[Kyrie Blaze]

The blonde's eyes softened from worry to relief and even a quiet sort of comfort and ease. A smile ghosted over her lips and faded as she blinked at his words.

'We?'

She tilted her head but backed up to swing the door open for David with a nod and slight bow. Her eyes turned to gaze further outside to see who else was with him, and she stared for a moment as her heart gave several fluttered twinges in her chest. How could she deny them..? She swallowed, thickly, and moved backwards, holding the door open for them.

"Of course. You, all of you, are welcome in my home."

She stood at the door as Arianna backed off to watch, the ice pack in her hands. She gave it a measured squeeze as she watched David and...and many others all be invited in.

'This isn't resting.' She cast her gaze to her sister, who was not even paying attention, and then looked back to David. Nowhere in her gaze was there approval...but there was a patient tolerance. If he wasn't here to drag her sister out to do 'tasks' and run God knew how many miles, she would...permit this.

[David B.]

David stepped across the threshold, men piling in behind him as he moved into the living room. In moments, the house was packed with people, and David stood at the back. August walked up to the front, around his and everyone elses shoulders were Sky Force jackets.

In his hand was one too, that said "Barrial" on the back.

He watched her for a moment.

"Kiyr. Right after the war and your training with David, we got together and had a long discussion. We wanted you back in the Sky Force. But we knew Davids word was law and he had banned you. All this time, without one of our original members...it felt like a hole. So, we decided something- something we knew could anger the Storm Dragon, but it was something we had to do, for us and for you, to feel like a family again."

He stepped forward.

"We told him that his assessment, at the time, wasn't fair. That he knew it just like we did. We told him that tests replaced with tricks designed to make you fail only made us, and him look the fool. That if any of us were in your place, in front of an Elder, we would have accepted without issue. He argued. But slowly, came to our side. We told him we would have no choice but to resign as Sky Force members. All of us. We needed you back as our leader, and as one of us. In the end, the Storm Dragon relented."

He leaned in so David "couldn't" hear.

"Though, between you and me, he must have known we were right. He's not one to take the shit we said unless he agreed."

He gave a grin, and held out her jacket.

"Kiyr Barrial. Welcome back to the Sky Force."

[Kyrie Blaze]

The tiny blonde knew exactly who they all were by face alone. She didn't need the jackets slung around their shoulders to recognize them for who they were.

Sky Force.

Her house was filled quickly. Twenty five people not including David and August - all of them strong, brave, and true - packed in to her living room and stood with solid unity as she closed the door with a shaky breath. But when she appeared around the corner, she stood straight and tall as she came to a stop, looking at them all. From David to August and right down to the last man and woman, she knew them all--original and new members alike. Of course she had kept tabs on them and their numbers. Even without being part of the Sky Force, they were still Dragons and still family.

Her gaze fell to the jacket in August's hands and the writing upon the back - though partially hidden by the folds made from his grip - was unmistakeable. Her heart quickened painfully in her chest. First instinct was panic; had she done something else, now, that was a mistake? Something she wasn't even aware of that now it would be--?! She exhaled slowly, forcing the illogical fear out and away.

No, she had done nothing wrong. Their faces, though giving nothing away, were not hard. The feeling she was picking up from them was not harsh...but perhaps relieved, almost. Those wide blue eyes slid back to August as he said her name...and as he spoke, her eyes widened.

Further still, as he continued to speak. To explain. The blonde was shell-shocked, her gaze almost turning stricken in her slightly paling face when August stated they all - all of them - threatened--no, promised they would leave if the Storm Dragon did not revoke his decision.

She blinked several times at August's quietly murmured words.

For a moment, she stared at the jacket, her hand hovering a few inches from it, fingers twitching in a slight tremble. She didn't stretch them towards the jacket just yet. Her hand lowered an inch as she looked at David, disbelief and worry in her eyes...and a joy that was just begging to be turned on, full force.

So close...yet so far.

"No tricks? No promises that get me burned again..?" It was hardly even a puff of sound, the words escaping, unbidden. She had only meant to look at him, hoping the question in her eyes would be enough. But, it was not as if any of them didn't know what had happened, all the same.

Kyrie couldn't stand it if he said something in promise and tore it away, again. There was only so much of that she could take in both matters such as these and matters of a more personal nature.

Arianna watched, her arms lightly crossed in front of herself. Not irritated, as her posture was relaxed as she leaned against the wall just a foot or three away from Kyrie.

[David B.]

David smiled softly at her words.

"No tricks, Kyrie. Promise."

David cleared his throat.

"Yes, yes. Also, she will take my position as Sky Force leader. I have enough going on, I can have you men off my back and pawing at hers."

He would lead as an Elder anyway. Let others take the responsibility. Still...he felt the pang of loss yet was happy for her, that they loved her as much as they did.

[Kyrie Blaze]

There was a brief flicker and glint in her eyes before they brightened and flared in joy. A brilliant smile flashed across her lips before she turned back to August, her hand already lifting and stretching to take the jacket and hold it over her heart for a few long moments as she looked out over those gathered.

Her throat closed up. She didn't know what to say, but her eyes definitely reflected what she felt. Sometimes...there were no words. So she inclined herself forwards in a deep bow, the hand holding her jacket already over her heart. It was for David, but mostly for them. The flash of pain that shot through her ribs on the way down, while she was still, and on the way back up had a slight trickle of sweat work it's way down her temple...and she was glad she kept her eyes closed during it.

Carefully, she lifted the coat and slid it on after sweeping it over her shoulders, inhaling slowly to keep the pain from becoming too much...and to keep herself grounded in the moment, though really...

...she was already soaring.