#−−− ꧁ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 ... 𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓇 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓁𝓎 ❨ threads. ❩

[naaijas]

−−−  ꧁  closed starter for @amirofmanderlys .

cold rush of wind exposes the spaces of a loosely wrapped fur cloak. naija knows better than to be this close to the shore when the weather began its metamorphosis. frostbitten limbs are hard to come back from, yet she's sent for amir to join her in this very spot. her mind is heavy and her paintings aren't doing their job in helping her to make sense of what troubles her most. this is an inner quarrel meant for the one person who knows her better than she does herself.

"do you remember coming here- when we were small?" doesn't need to turn to know whose footsteps disturb the still sand underneath steady feet. "i got that jagged seashell stuck in my hair right here," boot juts out from the warmth of the cloak to place emphasis on the focal point of her memory. "i remember i was so panicked, i can even feel the heaviness in my chest thinking how mad mother would be to find out i had done something so silly, that she might have to cut me short like you." chuckle causes a ripple effect on stoic features, thr apples of her cheeks rising enough to obstruct her vision, "you comforted me, though. you held my hand and assured me we could figure it out together. we might have been unsuccessful, but i knew i could trust in you for just about anything." she knows her stalling tactic has run its course with the widely known revelation and she finally adjusts herself to peer up at him. "if i tell you what plagues me, it mustn't leave this shore. nasir has heard enough of my worries."

[naaijas]

remembrance brings with it a wave of nostalgia that naija tends to push out of her mind when it hits her. not that she doesnt enjoy looking back on the days of their youth, time spent on this shore slowly shaping who she is at her core. its the missing stones in their strong family foundation that make each memory as bittersweet for the manderly as shes sure it is for her mirror. "all too well," humor is evident in a heavy tone, "she asked why i hadn't returned the favor, and told manal and i that the next time anyone aside from she lay a hand to us, kin or otherwise, that we come to our own defense." thinks fondly for a brief moment of silence on the vision of regality that was and still is manal manderly i. lessons from the woman held a wide range of knowledge, from that still fresh on shivering lips to the poised way she holds her posture even in the presence of said kin.

"yes, yes, i know." favors a knowing mumble for her typical inflection. irritation doesnt plague her, as the assurance mught suggest, but rather a hesitation that stifles what she wishes to say until words are nothing more than a dull, constant ache in her chest. brows furrow in response to both that ache and her brother's daming insinuation. hand raises to instinctively lay a soft, yet pointed blow to his shoulder, disappointment evident when it doesnt connect. "gods no, amir, what is wrong with you? me with a bolton? i think this family has suffered enough don't you?" momemt of levity before returning to the thoughts lingering in the back of her mind. perhaps there are things nasit needn't hear, like the fracture in her faith or the fear she carries within at the very thought of his departure.

"does it worry you?" asked frankly, though she doesnt break a gaze intent on ebbing and flowing tides. "the position nas has found himself in. it is an honor of the highest. a blessing from the gods hands directly to his, yet i cannot feel the pride i know i should over the.. dread." a carefully chosen word to cover every conflicting emotion. "lord karstark was not present at the ceremony, and you would be bereft of my truth if were to say his absence doesn't unnerve me." blame cannot be placed upon the lord, if she were in his shoes she might not be in attendance for the person thats replacing her. she can, however, worry about the implications of his absence with the current northern turmoil. "i worry that there may be retribution and that our dear brother will be at the core of it."

squinted, misty brown hues finally lower to the dark sands before making a familiar path to amirs. "do you think that they could hurt nasir?"

❅

amir stood silently at her side, feeling the familiar cold bite of the wind tug at the edges of his furred cloak. he didn’t mind the chill; it was her that he worried about. yet, naija had a way of making even the cold feel like something that could be weathered, especially when she spoke like this. he stepped closer to her, the sand beneath his boots soft and familiar. the shores of white harbor had always been a place of quiet contemplation for them, especially as children.

they had been inseparable then, like two halves of the same whole, and as much as he liked to project his outward confidence to the world, there was something about naija that made him feel more himself, more true. a soft laugh escaped his lips, but it wasn’t one of those loud, raucous ones he often shared with others. this was different. a quiet laugh that was just for her. "i remember," he said, the words thick with warmth.

"you were shitting yourself, but you knew...you know i ended up taking the blame for that, don't you?" he asked, a familiar spark in his dark orbs as he looked upon his twin. "on gods, i told her i pushed you. you're as clumsy as an arse, still." he responded, his face one of mischief as he looked upon her, noting their footprints against the black sand beach. he wasn’t sure why the words came out like they did, but it felt like the right thing to say. his hand brushed through his shoulder length dreadlocks, a quiet reminder to himself that he had always carried his burdens out loud, had always been the one to make noise and stir things up.

but naija, she could keep everything locked inside, waiting for the right moment to share. and now that moment had come. "whatever it is, you know i’ll keep it here, with me," he said, his voice firm, but gentle. "don't be telling me you've done something mad though, like try to shoot your shot at that weird bolton. ugly ass." he let out a low laugh that was more like a taunt as he looked toward his sister, moving before she got the opportunity to hit his shoulder. "nasir can listen to our issues, it's fine. he's meant to."