Stone's Throw

[Diligence]

Dil just shrugs, children a very, very distant concern to him right now. "Joy and Felicity too," he thinks to add. He hesitates and looks around before whispering, "I think Joy is planning on volunteering for the militia instead. If she can convince them she's of age anyway."

[Charon Tethras]

Charon is silent for a time, looking up at the stars. "...let's run away," he says suddenly. "You and me."

[Diligence]

"I don't think either of us could get in the militia. Not even in a decade."

[Charon Tethras]

"Not the militia. I was thinking more like Draslina."

[Diligence]

Dil squints at his friend. "...I can't remember, is that the magic one or the one with ships?"

[Charon Tethras]

"The religious one. I hear they take everyone, as long as you have a patron deity. I can do good work, everyone needs farmhands."

[Diligence]

"Right, right. The mountain-top one made out of temples and such," Dil says slowly, tongue flicking in and out as he ponders. "Not... entirely sure about more religious family," he admits. "But..."

[Charon Tethras]

"I figure we'll claim to be seventeen. We're both short-lived, it's hard for many folks to tell how old we are."

[Diligence]

"Oh. Oh! You mean... like on our own? Or, well, together alone?" Dil looks very taken aback by this suggestion, though Charon knows him well enough to realize such doesn't indicate rejection. It might, eventually, but Diligence is bad at adapting to these kind of fundamental shifts in thinking about something. 

[Charon Tethras]

"Yeah," he agrees. "If they think we're seventeen, they'll pay us. We can get a place together."

[Diligence]

Mind churning away at this new perspective of the future, Dil's first solid conclusion is, "you'd make a better brother than Earnest or Humble."

[Charon Tethras]

Charon blushes a little. "Is that what you want?" he asks, hesitantly. "A brother? We could tell everyone we're half-siblings, on our human side..."

[Diligence]

Dil shuffles in place, an air of restlessness appearing briefly. "Yeah," he says slowly. "I... I know my fami-- my foster family is bigger than most, but it's still always felt... incomplete, I guess? So yeah, another brother is good."

[Charon Tethras]

"Nothing.... else? I mean... I don't know what I mean. Sorry, this isn't the right time. You up for running away? I can pack in like, a flash, and we can be gone by morning."

[Diligence]

"I don't think you'd make as good a sister," Dil observes, then moves on. "Wait, tonight? Like now tonight? But-- plan?"