Welcome To The Family (PreciousKitten and Naturan)

[Naturan]

@PreciousKitten

As the ship pulled into the harbor and the anchor dropped, all Cygnus Argyros could think was 'Thank god'. He hated traveling by sea. The waves made him suck to the stomach, the constant rocking and the smell of nothing but the seas giving rise to nothing but nausea. The only reason he never puked was sheer willpower, and nothing else. A dragon such as he did not belong on the seas nor the oceans, he was given wings for a reason after all. Most of his time was spent on land, but the skies? That was his preferred method of travel. The only reason he did not do so now was to travel with his family and his materials.

An elder dragon, he had plenty of time to accumulate wealth in his years, and while pillaging and hoarding used to be the way a dragon would make money, trade, and business relations were a far more lucrative way to do so. On this particular journey, he was here to deliver goods personally, something he never usually did. He had others to see to it for him, so he didn't have to waste his time on trivial matters, but this trip served a dual purpose.

It had been forever since he'd seen his children.

Long since had they sprouted their wings and flew off into the world, looking to make their marks and live their own lives. His eldest, Altair, had since gotten into politics, while his daughter married and had her own children. He hadn't seen them in nearly half a decade, and since this trip would take him to an exotic island known for its grand vacations and extravagant leisure, he figured it would be an amazing opportunity for a reunion, just the family. Of course, he had one more son, his youngest, Castor, though their relationship was strained, at least on Cygnus's side.

Castor had always been hardheaded, refusing to listen to any of the wisdom his father would impart when it came to anything. Time and time again he'd watched his son, passive but silently determined, run his head into a metaphorical wall over and over again. Lyra, his daughter, had a killer business instinct about her, one that brought her great success and her father's pride. Altair was cutthroat and ruthless, finding any way to achieve his goals, spreading his name well and far, almost as far as his father's. But Castor? Castor often found himself in trouble due to his timid and all too trusting nature. He was naive, forgiving, and easily fooled, all traits his father could forgive if he would just listen.

Case in point, Cygnus was happy to see all his children, Castor included, but Castor had recently taken up with someone Cygnus couldn't stand. A Nekotama girl had stolen his son's heart, and he was sure had stolen his son's wallet as well. They'd met a few times before, Cygnus and this Nekotama, and didn't like her. That was why when the invite went out, it specifically mentioned family only. He only prayed the boy's reading comprehension would not fail, or worse, he'd married the little bitch in their short time together already.

Transferring everything from the ship to the shore was an easy job for Cygnus. After all, he wouldn't be the one doing any of the work, his servants would be. Taking a carriage to the resort itself left him anxious, his leg tapping against the carriage floor in an attempt to dispel his excited energy. He could see the faces of all his children and grandchildren already, enjoying a vacation like they did all those years ago.

He walked through those resort doors and into the lobby, expecting to see the faces of his family, and he was not disappointed.

"Father!" Altair greeted with a toothy grin.

"It's been too long!" Lyra spoke up next, and unlike her brother, she was quick to embrace him in a hug, her children eager to do the same. He greeted his grandchildren with a hug as well, ruffling their hair before shaking his son in law's hand.

Now it was his turn to greet Castor, and he was eager to hug him, but he paused in place, his smile falling away as he laid eyes upon his youngest son and who he was with. "Castor..." His tone was almost a warning already. Gods damn it, it said the family only! He didn't bother trying to hide his irritation, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Father...I uh...I couldn't just...leave her behind. She never even met Lyra or Altair." Castor spoke nervously, a sheepish look on his face as he explained himself. "I love her." He knew full well his father would hate this, but he figured it would be better to ask for forgiveness than permission. What would he do, send her home? "It'll be fine, don't worry. Right?" He looked to his lover, a smile on his face.

 

[PreciousKitten]

Blue slitted eyes were lazily wandering over the expanse of the upcoming island visuals, but honestly the notion of it all only caused her to sniff in a sort of indifferent manner. Sure, the Nekomata had all but sweet talked her way into being invited to come along, despite the invitation that explicitly penned it as being 'family only' It was likely yet another one of the numerous attempts from Cygnus to try and sequester his son and attempt to talk some sense into Castor, knowing that most of the reason that the female was with his son was for his money and the benefits it allowed her.

Viorica never once deemed the affection that she held for the younger dragon to be as serious as love, lust and civility were the only emotions that the female could admit to sharing with absolute certainty. Despite his father's protests, her interest was not in harming his precious son - plenty of men in his stature were granted the companionship of trophy wives and it just seemed to go along with the rich standard. She got to be pampered and treated like a rightful princess, meanwhile Castor got the validation and intimacy that he so desperately craved.

An outstretched hand was taken by one with delicately trimmed nails, each one pristine and obviously recently tended to by a professional before the trip. Her dark tanned complexion taking on a sort of glimmer in the oncoming sunlight, though the oncoming heat even through the short black dress she wore caused the pampered feline to pout on the spot. Rich cinnamon tail lazily swaying behind her frame as the pair walked up toward the front of the vacation home, barely even a couple of minutes in this climate and already the gorgeous fur was beginning to wilt.

"Ugh, it is so damn hot here." Viorica hissed out in clear disdain, choosing to remain back while Castor went up to greet his father who wad of course, not the least bit happy to see her here. Honestly, that notion alone caused a feline smirk to cross her delicate features as if the disgust from Cygnus brought her personal joy. Both arms were casually crossed over her chest as the way that both his sister and father appeared to be looking at her with hardened eyes.

"What, disappointed that you were not able to get him alone again to spread even more lies?" She inquired with a raised brow, ever since the Neko had met Cygnus there was a mutual dislike for each other. Hell, at times that feeling bordered on absolute hatred and clawed at their skin like physical nails each time they were within feet of the other. "I merely told him that I had not gotten the chance to meet his siblings, otherwise this was all Castor. Perhaps you should be looking at your son that way instead of me for a change."

Fangs were visible as she casually ran her tongue over them in boredom, barely even arriving and already the vacation had hit a standstill. Typical, Cygnus was likely to cause such a fuss over this that it would not surprise her if he ended up trying to send her home and driving a bigger wedge between himself and his young son. Viorica could at the very least respect his determination, obviously only wanting what was best for his beloved son and knowing that the feline was only there for the money and not undying love.

"By all means - If this is just going to become an all out fight perhaps I should just go back after all. I tried to tell Castor you would end up exploding with that temper of yours." Viorica managed to send a challenging stare in the direction of the patriarch, right now they were locked in a game that required tact and subterfuge to get ahead. She was already one step ahead by becoming the sacrificial martyr, one wrong move or word from Cygnus and the current battle would go in her favor.

"Can't we just get along for the time being, if not for the sake of the trip - but just because this is the first time you have gotten Castor to visit in months?" Check and mate.

 

[Naturan]

Cygnus felt a migraine coming on the moment the first sound passed through Viorica's lips and entered his ear. Her tone was grating on his ears, not because her actual voice was terrible, it was far from it, part of how she charmed his idiot son, he was sure. No, it was because everything she said, she felt, was designed to irritate him, painting herself as some victim and himself as the bad guy.

"Viorica," He said her name, unable to keep his distaste for her out of his voice, "Forgive me if I wanted to spend time with my family, and just my family." He apologized sarcastically, fury in his eyes as they focused on her. They had only just begun speaking and she was already being a thorn in his side. "I know not a thing about spreading lies, nothing I would say to him about you would be untrue."

He crossed his arms, exhaling heavily. His children knew what that meant, a sign that he was digging himself in and ready to stand his ground. They exchanged glances between one another, particularly with Castor, who looked ready to step in and argue on his girlfriend's behalf. He had more to say of course, so much more to say, and none of it was kind, polite, or even neutral.

He wanted to tell her that anything he would say to Castor, he would proudly say in front of her, if not to her. He wanted to berate her attitude, call her nothing but a leech, but she had said something that was true: he had a temper. His children knew it, and she knew it too, and by calling it out, supposing herself as the victim, she had poisoned the well. Already he could see it, Altair was gearing up to calm him down and advise she stay. Lyra would suppose that she might be family one day, and therefore she should be allowed to stay, and Castor? The same tune. He would declare his love for this devilish feline and give an ultimatum: both of them or neither of them.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his chest rising as he inhaled before he audibly exhaled. "Fine." He decided, begrudgingly agreeing with her. "For the time being, we will get along. I would rather my family here, even with extra baggage, than not at all." He would not ruin this trip, not over her. But he wasn't going to have her ruin it for him, either. "A thin truce. Razor thin." He warned her, eyes narrowed.

Castor let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's a big step forward. You'll see Dad, you just have to get to know her. She's not as bad as you think." He moved an arm around her waist, the action making his father take another deep breath. "We should make sure our rooms are up to par, and then we can meet for lunch?" He offered as an idea to the group. He didn't know if everyone had checked in, but he knew that Cygnus had not, and neither had he.

"Very well. I do need to check in." Cygnus nodded his head in agreement, tearing his angry gaze away from Vicorica to look to Castor, then the entire group. "The resort is vast, and there is plenty to do. I know it's hot, but I would love to take a trip through the mountains. There's a nice pool we could enjoy, I remember visiting it the last time I was here, a few years ago." More than a few years for him, really. He looked between everyone, even Viorica, the question posed almost directly to her. After all, she was much more bothered by the heat than he or his children were, and a part of him hoped she would offer to stay behind, an obvious attempt to be rid of her. "What say you?"

 

[PreciousKitten]

It was not like she could deny that his choice to relent was already foretold, if anything mattered to Cygnus more than his hatred for her - it was his very own family. She did scoff at the mention of the term extra baggage but chose to ignore it in favor of remaining in control of the situation and give the older male even a single inch. At first, the notion of going on some godforsaken hike up the mountains in this heat made both ears on top of her head actively droop and go to pin to her skull. 'Dirty trick, old man...' Even if Viorica was put off by the fact Cygnus managed to get underneath her skin, it also made her gain a small sliver of respect for how resourceful he could be if his mind was put to it. Lips were set into a hesitant smile, obviously being a little forced due to the fact that in this humidity being outside for longer than about an hour would cause her well-groomed tail to become a tangled ball of fluff.

"Fine, that sounds good to me. Though, I would request to at least be allowed to change into proper attire - a dress is hardly suitable for such conditions." Viorica was seething on the inside, a ball of anger that was swiftly growing in size and might threaten to explode if it was left unchecked for too long. She grabbed onto the bag she brought along for the ride, already knowing that inside its contents were a pair of jean shorts that barely covered her ass and a tank top that would at least be breathable in the warmer climate. At first, even Castor was against the outfit but after a bit of persuasion on her end - the male allowed her to bring it along for the trip.

Viorica tried not to allow the heat to bother her too much as she came back outside to join the rest of the family group, noticing that both of Castor's siblings were looking in opposite directions while not a single peep was heard from his father. Great, they obviously had something to say about this too. She sighed gently, crossing both arms over the loose fitting white and blue shirt and gave a quiet glance to all of them before finally speaking. "If you have something to say, then please just spit it out."

It looked like Altair was not even going to admit to anything, instead both of his cheeks ended up turning a vibrant red in hue and Lyra was torn between saying something akin to that not being appropriate to wear around her children or remain quiet. Blue eyes were narrowed a little, but the feline ended up relenting, taking a shirt from Castor to tie around her waist and cover at least the back half of the jeans. "There, not can we please get going - I am not too keen on having to take a longer grooming session to fix my fur than is absolutely needed."

As her shoes came into contact with the ground below, it became clear that Viorica was in great physical shape despite her prissy appearance. The Nekomata actively went to the gym almost four times a week in order to maintain the muscle to she had, and Castor was by no means against the stamina that it afforded to her. Deep tanned skin held a glistening sheen of sweat along both her chest and some of it dripping down the length of her lower abdomen, dark chocolate brown locks being pulled into a neat ponytail to at least keep her hair from being too damaged to salvage later.

"I thought you guys would have been way ahead of me, but you seem to be having problems keeping up with me." Viorica smiled at that, a bit of an ego boost that she had more stamina than Castor's siblings. Meanwhile, she noted that her boyfriend was at the back of the pack and Cygnus was way out in the front just behind her the entire time. Damn, for an older man, the dragon sure had energy to spare.

 

[Naturan]

Cygnus was proud of himself, his lips curling into a devilish smile as he watched Viorica's ears flatten against her skull, a sign that he had managed to get under her skin. He could have kept things civil, keeping to their paper-thin truce he'd agreed to, but there was a petty bone in his body, and that petty bone won out. Their truce, as far as he was concerned, was for show. He wouldn't ruin the vacation for everyone else, but he wasn't going to treat her like she was part of the family. No, he was still going to give her a hard time. He was afraid that it if he gave her any quarter, she would take it positively, and ultimately, his goal was to drive her away from his son.

"Yes, you go change. I need to secure my room. We'll all meet back here and then we'll go." He nodded his head to the group before he broke away, heading to his room. He was pretty content with his little slight towards her, but he also knew she would strike back, and he had to be prepared for that. Once bitten, twice shy, as they say. Despite having a room to himself, his suite was more grand than needed, a luxury he could afford. All his things had been brought up for him and packed away.

One of the perks of getting older was that you cared less what people thought about you, and for Cygnus, that held true, mostly. He was a businessman after all, and even on his vacations, he dressed a certain way. He also took care of himself, even in his old age. He wore a simple shirt, short-sleeved and meant to be buttoned, but he left it open, his taught, powerful chest and chiseled core visible, and a pair of simple shorts that he could swim in, if he pleased.

Meeting up with the family again proved to be a shock to him. Of all the things he expected to see, seeing his son's girlfriend dressed like that was not one of them. Altair looked away, and Lyra was wholly against it, expecting her father to say something, anything. But Cygnus was pretty quiet. He hated to admit it, but he found his eyes magnetized to her, making it difficult for him to look at anything else. He was only able to find the strength to look away after she tied Castor's shirt around her waist, and that had little to do with his own willpower and more of the view being obscured from him.

Now he had to walk while being angry with himself, angry that he was checking out the woman that he wanted so desperately to be rid of. Even worse, during their hike, he still couldn't keep his eyes off her. Her tan skin glistened in the sunlight, her sweat streaking down her chest in a way that made him all too aware of it. He couldn't help but huff, trying his best to maintain some decorum and self-respect. He was older, but he was still a male, his blood running red hot.

"Too much time behind a desk for one of them, and the other probably spends her time sleeping if she's not with her kids." Snorted Cygnus in response, teasing his kids. "Don't know what Castor's excuse is, especially if you're this...fit." He regretted saying that, worried that the comment would give away that he was noticing her. "But it's good to know that I've still got it." Youth was not on his side, but that didn't make him weaker, though even he was feeling the heat and the effort, sweat dribbling down between his pecs and along his abdomen, tracing the etched-out, defined muscles.

Castor rolled his eyes, and that was all that he could muster. The hike was more exhausting for him than he wanted to admit, and he was afraid that if he said anything, he would expose how tired and out of breath he was becoming. He wouldn't have to wait for long though, the hike through the forest and mountains coming to an end soon enough.

Just as Cygnus had promised, they had come to a nice pool formed by a miniature waterfall continuously dumping into it, the running water keeping it cool and from being stagnant. There was plenty of sun, but plenty of places for shade. It was a beautiful spot, the kind that you only heard about in books and saw depicted in art and photos. The cool water was calling to most of them, eager to jump in and cool down, or just sit and take a load off.

 

[PreciousKitten]

Viorica looked quite puzzled at first at the genuine compliment coming from Cygnus, not entirely sure just how she was meant to deal with this newfound development and her brain threatened to short circuit right there on the spot. While it was true, the feline had massive amounts of stamina and energy, most of the time she held some of it back so as not to make Castor feel too left out since he was unable to keep up with her. Despite the mutually beneficial relationship being more about convenience then actual feelings, she figured she owed him at least that much to keep his fragile male ego intact. "Most of that is because I tend to pace myself so that Castor does not end up getting left behind, I have tried to get him to go work out with me, but it is impossible to wake him up early in the morning."

It actually painted a different side to the female that most never got the chance to see, a sort of empathy that was usually kept hidden deep down so that it could not be used against her as a weapon. Her eyes narrowed a bit at that line of thought, simply shaking her head to be rid of the notion altogether and kept pushing herself even further until the two in front came upon a miniature waterfall that made her openly stare and let out a tiny gasp. Viorica could not recall ever seeing something this majestic before, and it allowed her mind a bit of reprieve from the heat and mild exhaustion trying to set in. "Wow, you certainly were not kidding about this place being gorgeous..."

She took the opportunity to remove the shirt she was wearing, revealing a frilled pastel lilac bikini top that was actually quite beautiful in design and how it fit her body. Viorica hesitated and chose to keep her shorts on, not willing to risk the possible wrath of Castor's sister for parading around half naked in front of her children. It took a bit of effort to lean down and remove both shoes, allowing them to rest on the ground nearby as the female padded over to the edge of the crystalline pool and casually dipped a foot inside to gauge temperature. Her demeanor melted almost on the spot, choosing to take the leap and jump in without a second thought and splashing Lyra and her children who looked quite pleased at the idea of doing the same.

"I wouldn't do what I just did, you guys. It is actually quite chilly in here!" Viorica even exaggerated a bit by shivering, trying to dissuade them from following her poor example. It looked like it worked as they in turn chose to wade in along with Lyra, leaving the feline to casually lean back into the oncoming waterfall and let the rapids drench both her hair and tail as a means of cooling back off for the return trip.

"Castor, aren't you coming in?" The question was posed with a tilted head from the neko, usually he would have been all for this kind of activity and yet right now he seemed to be hesitating just a bit. Her features set into an unreadable expression when she received no clear-cut answer, simply letting it be and wading off toward the deeper end of the pool for a bit of personal solace. 'It is unlike Castor to be so quiet, perhaps this tension with his father is finally starting to get to him.'

Viorica felt a pang of guilt shoot through her chest, actively reaching up with one hand to press against her left breast as if hoping to find something actually wrong and instead nothing was out of the ordinary. Could this truly be a form of guilt, and if it was, why did it just start to develop now of all times.

 

[Naturan]

"Hmm, Castor has let himself go." It wasn't that surprising to him, no. His son had always been more of a 'free spirit', the polite way of saying lazy. There were genuine free spirits, and then there was Castor. The boy bucked against any form of rigidity in his life. Discipline was not his strong suit, nor was drive, it seemed. In a way, though, he felt oddly better, knowing that his son's girlfriend, for all the bad impressions she had made upon him, was actually trying to get him to do something, even if it was as simple as working out. Perhaps she wasn't just a leech after all.

But it also bothered him to know that his son had not changed at all. After all these years of trying to get him into the gym, to get him to care about his body, or even something more extrinsic, even his minx of a girlfriend couldn't get him to go with her. With her. That thought made him groan inwardly, because now he realized he was still thinking about her body, and that gave him pause. He couldn't get it the image of her outfit out of his head, and it bothered him. He didn't like her, he wasn't supposed to find her attractive, not least of all because she was his son's lover. With age was supposed to come wisdom and restraint, but he clearly he was struggling with that part. He wasn't old enough, he supposed.

As Viorica, Lyra, and the grandchildren all made their way into the pool, he watched with a smile, enjoying hearing the laughter of his family. Even Altair jumped into the water, purposefully splashing his sister and niece, and nephew. He didn't jump in quite yet, just watching for a while. That was when he noticed the conversation between Castor and Viorica, and how one-sided it was. An eyebrow raised, he looked to Castor. "Why not join in? Your girlfriend is waiting for you."

Castor looked to him, an eyebrow raised of his own. "You don't want to see that." Either he was trying to genuinely spare his father an irritant, or he was trying to cut through Cyngus's stubbornness. Either way, it worked, and he didn't like it. "I'm fine sitting for now, anyway. Need to catch my breath." He admitted. In truth, he was a little embarrassed by his father's comments before, not being able to keep up with the older man.

Cygnus sighed, shaking his head. He hated feeling like this was his fault, at least partially. So, he dropped his shirt, shrugging it off his shoulders and stepping into the pool, wading through slowly. His long tail floated atop the water, swaying atop the surface as he paused, taking a moment to splash his grandchildren for a bit, chuckling before he approached Viorica, stopping front of her.

He stared at her silently for a moment. Yes, stared, and not because he needed to find the courage to say what he wanted to say, but because he was becoming a bit more enthralled with her appearance on this trip. Ironcially, deciding to be in the heat had backfired on him, and he was just glad she didn't know it yet. He would not be able to live if she knew she had that over him.

"...I know what I said about a truce before." He finally started. "And then what I did after...but I don't want to ruin this trip. So...as long as we're with the family...I will do my best to lay down my arms." He told her, before quickly adding. "So long as you do not push me." He glanced back at Castor, he was simply sitting with his feet in the water.

 

[PreciousKitten]

As she waded in the water it was clear that there were plenty of thoughts occupying her mind at that moment, one of them being the stubbornness that Castor was displaying in spades today. It was not unusual for him to act up whenever the neko tried to get him to do something physical, barring the appeal of being intimate of course. Even then, sometimes there were days when the young dragon would actively only participate and do the bare minimum required and left her unsatisfied while he had turned over to go to sleep oblivious to her distress. Her eyes widened a little as she noted the approach of Cygnus, choosing to remain as calm as possible and wait to hear what he had to say before responding.

Viorica was left to openly gape a little at the notion of a legitimate truce between them, not at all expecting him to propose such a thing and it gave her a newfound perspective in terms of his character. Not that she would openly admit to any of this out loud, especially not in front of Castor simply because he tended to have an inferiority complex when it came to his own father.

She knew part of the reason that they were so strained in the first place, it was because the younger dragon felt out of place when put alongside his two siblings and their driven patriarch. Despite trying to assure him that his family adored him just the way that he was, Castor was remiss to hear it or believe a single word. Fingertips took to running through some of the locks that were sleek from the water, assuring that it would not simply begin to tangle up on the spot before deciding to actively speak.

"That is...admirable of you, Cygnus. I must admit to that much. To have you actually take the first step actively surprised me - but I will accept your terms." Where her words before were laced with nothing but venom and disgust, now there was another layer added into the mix - a modicum of mutual respect for the older male that was not there before. Her gaze was lifted to lock onto his own, noting a kind of emotion flickering within the depths that caused her to question what it actually was. Viorica did not really dwell on it for too long, seeing as she was all but splashed head to toe by one of the children who giggled maniacally.

"Oh? It appears that someone is looking to have a splash war on their hands..." Viorica cooed out in a tone that spoke of retribution, though obviously geared toward being feigned and infused to the brim with sarcasm. She carefully brought back one of her arms and flung it forward with a bit of force behind the motion, successfully able to produce a wave that drenched the little boy and cause him to laugh out loud while wiping the water from his face. "Aunty Vi is fun!"

Viorica gasped at the nickname that he had given to her, another deep-set wound that she had thought to be dead and buried quickly coming back to the surface. Castor was quite against the idea of having children of his own, viewing them as adorable to look at and spend time with in short doses - but having his own just seemed to be too much of a hassle. Another point of contention between the budding couple, because the Nekomata would positively adore having a child or two of her own to love and dote on.

"Perhaps it is best if I get out for a bit, I think I need a little bit of time to think." Viorica attempted to sound detached as she meekly smiled between Cygnus and the nephew and waded over to the edge before pulling herself out shortly after. As the feline promptly began to walk away toward a section that possessed some shaded trees, it was obvious with the tears welling in her eyes that the words and emotion behind them had ended up stabbing her like a knife to the heart.

'Can I really do this anymore? Castor knows how much I want kids - I had hoped to be able to repair the relationship between his father before actually breaking things off with him..."

 

[Naturan]

Cygnus watched her again as he waited for her words. Yes, he was still drinking in the curves of her perfect body and the way the water looked so perfect on her deeply tanned skin, he couldn't help himself. But he was looking for more than that, this time. He was looking for a sign. The last blow had been struck by him, so to speak, so he didn't know what to expect out of her. She could just as easily rebuff him, and nothing would change, an outcome he wasn't sure if he wanted or not. A truce like this was not an easy one to make, nor an easy one to maintain, after all.

Her words brought him some relief, even if they were a bit jaded, in his eyes, but the tone she spoke in was a sign that things were headed in the right direction. He sighed in relief, visibly relaxing slightly as she spoke, accepting his terms. "Thank you, Viorica." He couldn't guarantee how the rest of the day or even tomorrow would go, but for now, they could enjoy themselves, of this he was sure. The proof was in the pudding when his little grandson surprised her with a splash attack, and quite a big one too. It was...cute, the way Viorica immediately dove into playing with him, splashing him back.

Any apprehension he had about such a truce was casually wiped away, at least for the most part. She could be kind to his family, most of them anyway, and that was good enough. He still didn't like the way she treated Castor, but she could be good to the children. He did give pause when he hear the words "Aunty Vi" come out of his grandson's mouth. That...was concerning. Cygnus himself still didn't consider her part of the family, and he doubted he ever would.

But what was even more concerning was the reaction that elicited from the woman. She seemed to pause and suddenly, all the playful energy she'd held was gone. She waded away and Cygnus looked confused, as did his nephew. But the boy simply waded off to play with his sister and uncle, splashing them instead. Cygnus smiled at his nephew and children before he looked over at Castor, who had been watching the two curiously, but turned his gaze when his father looked his way.

He wandered over to the young dragon. "Castor, I think you should go talk to your girlfriend." That...was a sentence that pained him to say. He'd been trying so hard to keep her away from him but now he was sending her to go talk to him? He sounded crazy to himself, and he hated that sentence entirely, but it was his way of trying to demonstrate that he was trying for now. Putting on airs for his son, to speak.

"Why? So I can cheer her up after you probably pissed her off?" Castor asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Look Dad, I saw you two talking, and you obviously pissed her off. I don't know what you said, but I don't appreciate-"

"Castor look I-"

"I don't appreciate," Castor continued on, "You treating her like that. You should be the one to apologize, not me on your behalf."

On one hand, Cygnus wanted to throttle his son, but on the other hand...if no one heard what was said between them, he could see how it would seem like something had happened, especially with their combative history. He scowled, how could his son be so obstinate at the worst time, and passive at the rest? He wondered if being with the Nekomata had contributed to this, he couldn't tell and he likely wouldn't know.

Rather than keep speaking to Castor, he simply turned around, though he made sure to splash his son with his tail. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, holding the bridge of his nose in his fingers before speaking up. "Okay, I figure we can hang out here a bit longer, and then head back." Those words got a groan out of Castor. "Another hour or two of fun and then we can look at dinner!" He was sure everyone was tired from the travel, anyway. Still, while he was trying to guide the course of this vacation, his mind kept wondering...

Just what was it that bothered Viorica? He didn't know what happened, and he didn't think he should ask. That was Castor's job, even if his hard-headed son didn't seem to think so. If not...he would ask at dinner. If something was going on between the two of them, he wanted to know.

 

[PreciousKitten]

The heat from the sunlight was calmed a bit when she found herself drenched in the shade, able to sprawl out along the grass on her back and actively look up at the tree line and once more those thoughts from before came filtering in. She was not the least bit surprised when Castor looked to avoid engaging her at all, likely already having a clue what was going on and simply choosing to ignore the existence of it instead of taking accountability. His family thought of him as the perfect man, sweet and innocent - but what they did not see was how cold that he could be behind closed doors.

Blue optics flitted lazily across the family still located inside of the pool, even finding herself actively staring at Cygnus and admiring the musculature that defined his physique. Unlike Castor who was slim and lean, his father was a different beast altogether and held toned muscle that was both defined and chiseled from obvious work and maintenance. Here he was, almost double the age of his son and obviously in much better health physically. She shook her head to try and get rid of that imagery, but even when her eyes shut it was like that mental picture remained burned on the inside of both eyelids.

Her body language spoke volumes as she noted the way Castor finally saw fit to meet her gaze, an expressionless notion visible for her whereas he hid it from the rest of his family. This was a side that only Viorica had seen up until now, choosing to remain the bad guy rather than expose him for what he actually was. She had thought he was able to be saved, to encourage him to better himself and that her persistence and encouragement would have made some kind of difference in his personality and actions.

'How foolish I really was, he is sadly beyond redemption as he is now...' That thought alone caused her heart to ache, knowing that if Cygnus would ever find out how cold and calculating his youngest could truly be it was likely to break his heart. Despite their differences, she was more than ready and willing to play the part of the bratty feline so that the older dragon could retain his image of a perfect family.

After being raised on an abusive lifestyle when she was younger due to her father who was a habitual drinker, it made it a lot easier to numb herself to the abuse and take it as something normal and every day. Not that Castor was physically abusive, no. If anything, his special brand of neglect was more often than not emotional and quite passive aggressive when it was actually used.

Viorica pulled herself back up after resting inside of the shade for around an hour, spreading both of her arms up and above her head and the bikini top she wore pushed her breasts up in the process. She yawned softly, showing off the fangs that were usually kept hidden as if awakening from a true cat nap rested and replenished. Her pose was relaxed as she joined back up with the rest of the family, hearing from Cygnus that it was about time to depart back down the mountain so they would be able to go and partake in a proper dinner.

"Sounds good to me, I am actually quite hungry." She managed to utter out with the tiniest of smiles gracing her lips, but that was subdued when Castor looked over at her and it was silently telling her to put the act back into place. Her ears tilted back a little but stood back up soon after, having to become more emotionless even though inside it was starting to actually hurt her.

The trek back down to the place they were staying was relatively silent, with Viorica choosing to avoid pretty much everyone even though she now had Cygnus trying to question her as to the sudden switch in her attitude. Despite a desperate wish to be honest with him after all this time, once again the Nekomata choose silence. After arriving back at the vacation home, it took not even twenty minutes for her to be clad from head to toe in a stunning dress that complimented her figure. The adults partaking in a glass of imported wine and Viorica sipped at it with moderate interest.

When it came time for the food to be served, she was picky about putting anything into her mouth at all. Castor did not look to be too concerned about it, instead all but shoving food in like he did not have a care in the world. She sighed gently, forcing another morsel past her lips even though the female could not actively taste it as it went down.