With mom and dad out on a date at the newest restaurant that has opened up in the leisure sector of the Wraith compound for the human holiday 'Valentine's Day', Cassia and her brother are left under the watch of their uncle Grunt and aunt Rym. The choice is tonight's wardens could have been worse and more rule abiding, but the twins think it has a lot to do with Rym not knowing how to tend to kids and Grunt being so happy to just be visiting from Tuchanka. Cassia's pretty sure Damocles is more than excited to have the two krogan watching them.
Still, being in their company is nice. Even when their uncle gets loud over whatever sport he's watching on the vidscreen, interrupting Cassia's reading on the opposite couch. She knows her brother doesn't really like what's on, but he's playing his new Omni-Tool game with the occasional conversation when Grunt or Rym addresses him.
She can already start to hear a bit of a slur in her uncle's voice - already downed a good number of some krogan drink - and Rym seems to be on the watch for him about to break something. Still, he doesn't seem completely drunk as he barks a laugh at something on the screen and jostles Damocles by the shoulder.
"You see that?!" Grunt stands and jerks a fist through the air, cheering wordlessly and making Cassia curious enough to glance over the top of her book to see. She has no clue what's happening besides krogan in two different uniforms running into and shoving each other, but it seems to be some sort of game as Grunt turns to her brother again and points to the screen. "That was a hell of a fucking play!"
Damocles merely blinks at him before leaning to be able to look around the large krogan. "It looks the same as it did earlier."
Grunt laughs and slams his cup down on the table with enough force to slosh the liquid out and on the table. Rym scoffs at his force, but she seems less annoyed than the sound would make Cassia believe. After watching the two through the night, Cassia is starting to think her aunt likes her uncle, but just won't admit it. Ever since dinner where Grunt was loudly telling stories of what's been happening on Tuchanka, Rym seems more forgiving of his rowdy nature - and even the fact that he's a male. She's not one for males of her species because she says they're too single-minded and machochistic, but something is different with uncle Grunt.
Stomping to the screen, Grunt shoves a finger against the screen to make the image burst into static and vibrant colors for a moment. "You see him?" He points at some krogan in a red uniform much like a light armor than real clothes. "He's the best damn charger in the damn league! And he just scored!" Probably seeing neither child understanding, Grunt grumbles and returns to the couch. "Don't you watch sports with your dad?"
"Yeah," Damocles says, returning to his Tool, "Clawball."
Grunt laughs dryly and jostles Damocles again, the rough looking gesture shaking him off balance. "That ain't no sport! You wanna watch more than a bunch of turians chasing each other for a tiny ball, you watch this."
Damocles follows Grunt's point and flicks his mandibles. "But this is just krogan fighting for a ball."
Cassia giggles at the truth and Grunt's huff, but Rym speaks first. "He's right, you know. This is just a way for males to get out that need to fight they don't get after the Cure." Rym grins and grabs the cup out of Grunt's hand and downs it. "Now that's how you drink."
Grunt laughs that low, slow laugh that he has and grabs the big bottle to pour himself another glass. "Thought you said you didn't want any."
"Changed my mind," she responds with a shrug and stands. "Don't drink it all while I get something to eat."
"I'm hungry!" Damocles yells at her retreating back and Cassia laughs, looking back to her book and decides to set it aside and just watch the game in attempt to understand.
She watches as krogan act like one giant wave crashing into each other for a comparably small metal ball. The concept is simple enough, but as her uncle starts to explain in between shouts to the game, she quickly loses any chance to comprehend all the intricate rules. It seems to be just as difficult to understand as Clawball with all the rules and stipulations for actually gaining a 'point'.
"Grunt?" Her brother interrupts the explanations just after their uncle lets out a booming cheer.
"Yeah?" He drops his back against the back cushions and Cassia imagines hearing the couch crying out in pain from the force.
"What's that?" Damocles asks as he points to the glass and rumbles curiously.
Grunt lifts a heavy brow and his jaw drops open in what looks like confusion before he snaps his mouth closed and grins. "This?" He holds up the glass and Cassia can see the light glimmer through the sickly looking, greenish yellow liquid. "It's ryncol, whelp."
As he downs it, Damocles watches with a considering hum. When their uncle finishes and leans forward to pour more, Damocles stops him from putting the glass to his mouth. "Can I try?"
"Huh?" Glass half-tilted without pouring the liquid out on himself, Grunt slowly looks Damocles over. There is a quiet filled only by the boisterous sounds of the game from the vidscreen, but Grunt is soon laughing loud enough that Cassia can feel it in her stomach. "It's ryncol! The best damn drink in the galaxy!"
The name just solidifies Cassia's suspicion of the sickly looking liquid being alcoholic, but she was starting to suspect from the very way it was making Grunt act. She's seen many of her Normandy family in some state or another of intoxication - and doesn't fear their behavior - but she is a bit surprised Grunt is drinking it while he's supposed to be watching them.
"Does mom and dad know?" She rumbles as she drops her legs off the couch from where she had them folded up under the throw blanket.
Their uncle makes a weird buzzing sound before shrugging. "I'm still watching you, aren't I?
Cassia opens her mouth to protest, but her brother cuts her off as he scoots to the edge of his seat. "Can I try some?"
Grunt laughs long enough for Rym to return with what looks like the entire kitchen piled on cooking trays as plates. "What the hell are you laughing at?"
"The whelp here wants to try some ryncol!" He starts to laugh again. Cassia can tell that the sound only works to sour her brother's mood.
"Oh, shut it," Rym scolds with a shove to Grunt that makes him lose balance enough that he has to stop to catch himself. She grins when he huffs and then points to the bottle of ryncol. "That's too strong for you," she says to Damocles before looking to Grunt. "Come. We'll find something less likely to get us in deep if their parents find out."
Their uncle snorts, but stands. "They're babying the runts." He lumbers after Rym, grumbling something about it being some kind of travesty that Cassia and Damocles don't know what ryncol is.
Cassia smiles after her uncle's gruff opinions over her parents, thinking it's not so bad that her parents haven't shown them anything that'd make them as unsteady on their feet and loud as her uncle. If that's what being drunk is, then she's fine as is. She rumbles in agreement to her own decision before turning to her brother, her vocals skidding to an abrupt stop. Stepping over Xero sleeping on the floor, Damocles glances over the couch to where their aunt and uncle have disappeared before grabbing the glass of disgusting looking alcohol.
"Damo," she hisses, eyes jerking to make sure the krogan aren't coming back. "Put that down!" Her brother shushes her with a wave of his hand before sniffing the glass. "Damo! Damocl-"
Ignoring her, he drinks the liquor down in one big gulp and Cassia's jaw drops in shock. He coughs a bit, sticking out his tongue, but she can't get any words out, only managing a few clicks of disbelief. It takes her an eternity-long second before she pulls her plates into a scowl and growls. "Damocles, how could you?"
Damocles laps his tongue out a few times before shrugging. "What? I wanted to try it."
"But they didn't," she retorts as she hops down from her seat and yanks the bottle away when he moves for it.
"It's not that bad, Cass. Try it," he whispers, eyes darting towards where their aunt and uncle disappeared off to. "It's not like you're going to drink as much as Grunt, so you won't get drunk on one drink."
She grunts, unconvinced of his unsupported guarantee, and sniffs the bottle, only to jerk her head away with a gag. "This is so gross!" Pushing it back into her brother's hands, she quickly forgets why she was holding it in the first place and snatches it back from his hands before he can drink again. "No more!" she hisses with a both vocals.
Damocles throws up his hands with a sigh, giving her a chance to put the bottle back where it goes before she hears the heavy footsteps coming back. She gives her brother a shove to get back to his seat and act like nothing happened, snorting softly when he trips over Xero, and runs back to her perch on the other couch. She has just enough time to grab her book and pretend to read before Grunt and Rym return carrying one of uncle James' bottles of beer he left behind from his last visit.
"Couldn't find anything good that your dad wouldn't miss," Grunt explains as Rym snatches the empty glass off the table and Cassia holds her breath, remembering that the glass had ryncol in it before they left and now stood completely empty.
Her uncle snaps off the bottle cap with his teeth just before Rym rolls her eyes and takes it from him with enough force to slosh some out of the top. "You're going to have to share," she says as she pours into the glass, most likely halfing it. "Here."
Damocles takes the glass with a chirp and grins at Cassia, proud of his success at sneaking a drink of ryncol and not being caught. She fights back a subvocal retort, taking the offered bottle instead. Once again, her brother sniffs before drinking his glass all in one go. She, on the other hand, still doesn't like the smell of it - considering it might just be the scent of alcohol she doesn't like - but takes a sip to sate her curiosity.
Grunt laughs as Damocles huffs, giving her an expectant look. Sighing, she takes another big drink and fights not to stick out her tongue at the bitter taste. Rym and Grunt stop paying attention, apparently satisfied by the reactions, but Cassia has her brother's expectant look to urge her on to finishing the disgusting bottle of beer. How some of her aunts and uncles can like it is a huge mystery to her, but maybe other alcohol tastes good. She definitely can't imagine people like her aunt Miri drinking something as gross as ryncol or beer.
Putting the bottle down and growling at her brother in 'happy?', Damocles purrs and gives a slow nod before standing up. He seems to take a moment to steady himself before speaking to get their aunt and uncle's attention.
"We're bored," he simply says, moving to take the long way around the couch so he doesn't cross directly in front of the krogan and run into the possibility of revealing himself. He stumbles over Xero, waking the seemingly confused varren, and Cassia trills in worry that he'll fall, but he rights himself and rumbles with a goofy grin to her.
She scoffs under her breath and gets up with the intent to help and watch him so he doesn't get into any more trouble alone. Grabbing her book, she rushes after him, shrugging off Rym's quizzical look. "We have to take out Xero," she explains as she rushes off to catch her surprisingly fast brother.
Her aunt must have decided to forget the twin's weird actions because she doesn't question further, instead sitting back to relax and watch the game Grunt is so entrapped by. Cassia sighs a breath of relief as she fights not to run after her brother now heading down the hall, Xero at her heels.
"Damo," she whispers loudly, trying to get his attention without attracting her aunt and uncle's too. "Where'd you go?"
Xero, in his own special way, must be able to understand her thoughts and intent as he gallops ahead. Chasing after him, she rounds the corner and stumbles a bit as it makes her head spin slightly. She shakes it off just as she hears a heavy thud just ahead of her, towards the stairs. With a trill, she ignores the weird feeling and climbs the short stairs to find Xero happily licking a fallen Damocles' face.
Her brother growls, trying to push the varren away. "Stah-... stop…" He finally uses both hands to push Xero's head away and looks up to Cassia. "Hey-y… Di' ya get bored too?"
She shakes her head, making herself dizzy again, and catches herself on the wall. "Why'd you have to drink that?" she hisses, storming over to sit down on the stairs beside him. "You aren't acting right anymore."
He shrugs, his whole body swaying with the movement as he leans against her. "Iss nothin'. Stahp worryin…ing."
Cassia fights not to roll her eyes so she doesn't lose her own balance and sighs, petting Xero at their feet. "Now what do we do? We can't go back. They'll catch us." Her brother gives another of those unsteady shrugs and she huffs. "I don't think we can make it up the stairs like this."
"N-nope," his vocals pop at the word as he lets his head hang for a moment. Suddenly and just as Cassia is calming her nerves from being caught so she can figure out how to stay out of Grunt and Rym's direct attention, Damocles jerks his head up. That causes him to fall back against the step behind them, but he doesn't seem to care as he chirps happily. "Got an idea!" She quickly shushes him, even using her hands to lower his volume, but he whips his hands at her in his own way to hush her. "Less go to the bitch… beesh… beach!"
Growling at his insistence to not be quiet, she thinks that going out might not be such a bad idea and definitely a way to keep them hidden until this weird feeling goes away. She stands and uses a hand on the wall to support herself as she helps Damocles up to his own shaky feet. Without a second thought, he starts to walk - leaning sideways before catching himself on the walls - but stops at the door to the armory.
"What?" She nearly bumps into his back and hums in frustration that he seems to be action worse like this. "Why'd you stop?"
"Less make it… fun…" He smirks, but it looks ridiculous on his face right now, and Cassia growls warningly.
"No."
"Come on…" His vocals whine as he hovers his hand over the open command. "We won' hurt anyone… Just prast… prat...prac-"
"Practice," she offers, not wanting them to get caught standing in the middle of the front hall. When he nods, she sighs and thinks it over.
There's no way she can force her brother to give up the idea, their squaring off bound to just get them caught because neither is less stubborn than the other. She has to admit that the idea of going out to the beach and just practice shooting like they used to when dad first started teaching them is a really appealing one. It's not like they can hurt anyone with the foam darts - even if they were going to go against their teachings and fire towards the compound instead of the sea. Giving in to the idea, she opens the crate with them and gathers up all the targets, her arms overfilling, while her brother grabs the practice weapons.
Cassia leads the way out of the house and onto the special patch of beach their family has all to themselves. She starts to set up the targets, letting Damocles load the practice rifles, and, once all are in place, steps back to look over her work. With a rumble and nod of pride at her work, she walks backwards towards her brother with a smile. That smile drops when she turns and sees something that definitely shouldn't be out, and especially not anywhere near either of them without supervision.
Somehow, Damocles managed to find their dad's prized Widow rifle and holds it up to his shoulder. It's massive in his hands, the dangerous weapon still too big for him, and Cassia screams with her harmonics as she runs over.
"Put that down!" She tries to grab for it, but Damocles holds it out of her reach, trilling teasingly. "Damo!" she whines, grabbing the barrel and tugging on it.
"What? Iss loaded wit dummies." He shrugs, side stepping to catch his balance. "Won' hurt nobody."
She growls and stumbles when he jerks the gun from her hand, scowling at her lopsidedly. She tries to grab for it again, but knows she won't be able to catch it when he raises it above her head, so she changes her approach. Instead of trying to get it out of his hands with pulls and tugs, she moves to him and tries pushing his shoulder in one direction and the rifle the other.
Damocles growls and grabs her hand off him. "Stop it!" Pulling his mandibles tight to his chin, he backs away far enough that she can't grab for the weapon again.
Cassia gives one final attempt, frowning and pouting in plea, but soon sighs. Storming to the rocks near their shooting range, she sits as she starts to feel woozy. She watches as her brother looks down the sights of the large, black weapon with her chin in her hand, elbow on her knee. If she didn't feel so bad, she'd put up more of a fight, but, she considers, maybe it might be cool to try the rifle out once Damocles gets a shot.
"Ready?" Damocles calls over, grinning, and she can't help forgiving him and smiling herself. She'd nod if even the attempt had her losing her balance.
She watches as her brother lifts the rifle to his shoulder, adjusting it a few times to get the right fit against his cowl. His hands fidget to get a good grip - a routine he always does when they practice with rifles - and he tries to tilt his head to sight down the scope. It seems like he can't get a good look and gives up trying, but Cassia isn't too surprised given how the weapon is meant for their dad, who still towers over her slightly taller brother.
Taking just a moment more to prepare, Damocles rolls his shoulder against the butt of the rifle and lays his finger on the trigger. Cassia breathes with him, inhaling slow and deep, and waits a second just like their dad always does. Feeling even her own adrenaline begin to rise, she widens her eyes and leans forward in anticipation.
The sound is near deafening and she can swear that it's louder than when their dad fires the weapon, but she doesn't know if it's her mind playing tricks. It's over before she can even blink and leaves her ears ringing. She soon realizes, when the sound continues past the normal few seconds of time to regain her hearing, instant that the ringing isn't coming from her own ears at all.
The piercing sound is coming from her brother.
"Damo!" Gasping with a shrill keen, Cassia runs to her brother. He screams in pain and grips his shoulder as his arm hangs limp at his side, the rifle now abandoned at his feet.
Skidding to a stop, Cassia tries to see his injury, but any slight touch only makes him snarl and cry out. She whimpers and holds her hands up, eyes scouring the beach for help. Only knowing one option to get Damocles help, she urges him to hold on with a wave of her hand and makes a sprint for the house with Xero at her heels.
She jumps up the steps and flings the front door open with a bang, skidding to a stop at the base of the short stairs leading into the house from the entryway. "Grunt! Rym! Hurry! Come quick!" she wails, vocals undulating in shock and fear. "Damo needs help!"
She never knew krogan could move so fast as her aunt and uncle practically fly out of the house, their backs swaying in the fastest she's ever seen a krogan go. She's still able to run quicker as she passes them and returns to her brother, eyes wide at the odd angle his arm hangs from his shoulder.
"What the fuck did you do?" Grunt sounds more worried than angry as he grabs Damocles and flops him over his shoulder. "Tell Solus to get his ass to the clinic," he shouts to Rym as he storms down the beach towards the compound.
Cassia runs behind her uncle, her chest clenching in pain for her pain. She can't believe she didn't fight him more, that she could have stopped him if she didn't feel so weird because of that stupid drink. Never again will she let herself get so distracted that her brother or anyone else could get hurt.
The time it takes to get to Dr Solus' lap seems to speed by as it feels as if they all arrive in record time. The doctor's already in and rushing through the office gathering all manner of things from bandages to some needles and bottles of liquid. There are other types of silver tools that Cassia has no idea what they're for, but all the movement and chattering stops as the doctor sees her brother, hears his cries.
"Come. Here. Lay on exam table," Dr Solus says as he waves to a flat bed with a paper sheet pulled over and grabs a large light on a mechanical arm, pulling it over and flicking it on. "Cause of injury?"
"I don't know. Ask her." Grunt is gruff as he sets Damocles on the table, stepping away as if Damocles could break more if he stood too close.
Before Elihu Solus can even ask, Cassia wrings her hands and looks up from under her brow plates. "We… we were shooting on the beach…"
Rym grunts and nudges Cassia's back. "Speak the truth of it."
Whining, she flutters her mandibles nervously and looks to her brother with a frown. "We were trying to shoot daddy's gun."
The salarian's eyes widen before he hums and nods, moving to his shiny tools and grabbing some scissors. "Will need to remove shirt." He starts to cut through the fabric of Damocles' shirt and Cassia keens as her brother whines and whimpers. "Ah. Dislocated shoulder. Possible fracture in clavicle. Will need scans to be sure."
"Just do it, doc." Grunt lays a hand on Cassia's shoulder before turning away. "I'm calling their parents."
Panic wells up in Cassia's chest and she hears Damocles take in a deep breath, but she accepts that they'll be in trouble for a long time know. She closes her eyes and sighs before moving over to her brother's left, taking his hand in hers. "It's going to be okay, Damo. They won't be mad," she says in attempt to make him feel even a little better when she can't stop his pain. "Don't worry."
Her brother keens, but nods as he looks down to her. The Doctor runs a handheld scanner over Damocles, humming before releasing a sound of exclamation. "Ah! Yes. Broken clavicle. Dislocated shoulder. Should heal once reset."
"Will it hurt?" Damocles flinches when the doctor urges him to let go of his shoulder.
Dr Solus sniffs and stops, glancing at Grunt's back before Damocles. "Had bit of ryncol, yes?"
"What?" When Rym stills and looks at first Damocles, then Cassia with raised brow ridges, Cassia can't keep from ducking her head.
Damocles huffs a weak trill. "...Yes?"
"Don't ask me. I'm asking you." Crossing her arms, she leans back on her hip and grumbles to herself.
Grunt enters and looks around at everyone, the only person not standing around bothered by the whole incident Doctor Solus. "What's everyone so quiet for?"
"The twins got a hold of your ryncol, is what." Shaking her head, Rym drops her arms and rubs her forehead just below the plates. "Jane and Garrus will never leave them in our care ever again." She starts to pace. "I told them I ain't good with kids!"
Grunt grips her shoulders to make her stop and soon grins, looking to Damocles. "Don't let it get to ya. No one can stomach ryncol their first time." Rym growls at him and he laughs. "Kid's got a quad to even try!"
"Too loud." Elihu sets down a needle filled with some slightly blue liquid and waves his hands at everyone to shoo them. "Out of exam room. Need peace and quiet. Less stressful on patient."
The smaller salarian literally pushes at the two krogan and Cassia gives her brother one last look of worry before following. The sound of the door swishing closed feels like the thunder of an ominous storm and she wrings her hands, afraid of the punishment they'll receive. She really doesn't think it'll be worse than what she and Damocles already feel, but her parents can be very inventive in everything, so she doesn't expect them to go easy now.
As time passes painfully slow, Cassia worries at her dress. It's almost as if she can feel a pain in her own body even without actually being hurt, but maybe it has to do with how close she and her brother are, on how much she cares about him. They're in this together, even if it was Damocles leading the way, and that connection even makes her imagine being hurt. If only she could be in there to hold her brother's hand and help Dr Solus.
Though the doors are automatic and slide open with whispers of sound, all three of them waiting in the lobby flinch because they all know who'd be here at this very moment. The fact that even the two krogan are scared of her parents doesn't really make Cassia feel all that much better, but it's the look on her parents' faces that really make her mandibles quiver.
"What the fuck do we leave you around to even do?!" Mom stomps to Grunt and punches him, making Cassia flinch.
Dad, on the other hand, snarls and waits until uncle Grunt shakes off the hit before kicking a knee into the krogan's belly. "Just what the hell were you thinking?" He hisses as Grunt grunts and grips his waist from the hit.
Cassia's parents turn to Rym before her uncle can even answer and mom shoves a finger in the krogan's face. "We leave you both there for one god damn night and we find out you let Damocles get hurt?!"
Rym moves to open her mouth, but snaps it shut when dad growls low and shoves her out of his way towards the exam room. "Get out of my way, you useless krogan…" When the door doesn't open, he slams his fist on the locked command. "Solus! You open this damn door!"
"Daddy." Cassia stands up and moves to him, feeling the fury radiating off him cooling just a fraction as she comes closer. "They didn't do anything," she admits as she looks to her aunt and uncle. "Damocles and I snuck out when they weren't looking."
Her mom comes over, hands clenching and relaxing. "What happened? I want to hear it from you."
Cassia sees Rym's expectant look over her mom's form and swallows, fighting down her vocals and failing to completely keep silent. "Damo and I were going to sneak out training guns and targets…"
Mom waves her hand, obviously knowing there's more, and Cassia looks to her hands gripping the hem of her dress. "Damo took daddy's rifle."
Both of her parents go silent and look at each other. Soon, her dad sighs and rubs his forehead plate, saying, "Well, I guess I should have locked it up." When Cassia nods, hoping that she and Damocles won't be in too much trouble since it sounds like dad did something wrong in not locking away his gun, her father tenses his mandibles. "But you two should know better than to take out a weapon you have no training for on top of not taking out training equipment without someone to supervise."
"But…"
"Your dad's right. We may have fucked up in not locking it, but you should have known better." Mom shakes her head and exhales heavily. "But that's neither here nor there. Point remains the same. You're not old or big enough to shoot your dad's rifle." She cocks her hip and crosses her arms as she looks to dad. "Looks like we're locking the whole armory."
Dad nods with a rumble. "Looks like."
Cassia's heart drops at the idea. "But we can be good-"
Dad gives a jerk of his head and lays a hand on Cassia's head. "You can't treat weapons like playthings. And as soon as we see your brother, he's in for the same talk."
Mom looks up over Cassia's back and nudges dad, motioning. "Looks like Solus is done."
Cassia's mandibles shake in guilt as she ducks her head and follows her parents into the exam room. Her brother's laying down on the bed with a sling around his right arm and eyes half lidded. He trills so soflty when she and her parents enter and moves to the bed and smile reassuringly to him. She knows it's going to get worse once mom and dad start scolding him too.
"How are you feeling?" Mom goes to him and kisses his forehead, followed by dad purring and running his hand over Damocles' fringe.
"'M 'kay." His response must not sound right to them as dad stills and Cassia sees his nose wiggle.
"Have… you been drinking?"
"What?" Mom scowls and looks over her shoulder to Cassia's aunt and uncle. "You gave them alcohol?-"
"Ryncol," dad says, leaning up from Damocles and growling at Grunt and Rym.
"What the fuck were you two thinking?!" Mom stomps over to the krogan and balls her fist, ready to punch Grunt again.
"I didn't give them any damn ryncol!" Grunt's voice sounds like a growl as he steps away from mom and out of her reach. "We gave them some of that weak shit you humans all drink - well, not you, but the others."
Mom frowns in confusion, but Rym explains. "Beer."
"Beer doesn't smell like ryncol." Dad's mandibles flick at the krogan and Cassia doesn't want her aunt and uncle to be in trouble for something they didn't do, so she nudges her brother's good side and mouths 'tell them'.
He shakes his head, but a stern glare from her seems to convince him as he rumbles and frowns. "Dad?" When their parents don't respond, he growls and raises his voice. "Dad!"
Everyone stops mid arguing and their parents look to Damocles. Even Cassia feels the weight of their looks and ducks her head in guilt, but Damocles pushes on. "I it. Nobody was lookin'."
Mom's mouth falls open as dad trills once in shock, but he quickly hums in irritation. "And why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to try it," Damocles says, his good hand flexing on the exam table. "Cassia didn' take any, though. She was good."
Cassia's eyes widen and she shakes her head, not wanting him to take the blame. Mom crosses her arms and lifts a brow. "And who had the idea to take your dad's weapon outside and try it out?"
Damocles chirps sadly and ducks his head, answering. "Me."
"And what did I say about using a weapon?" dad asks as he waves away Grunt and Rym, making them step out and far enough away that the exam room's door closes. "Did I say anything about taking a weapon you are untrained in out without either my or your mother there?"
"No," Damocles whispers and keens softly. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry is a bit late," mom remarks, but sighs. "You both know you aren't going to get off with just a slap on the wrist, right?"
Dad rumbles and nods in agreement, crossing his arms and tapping his talons on his forearm. "She's right. You both need to learn there are consequences for your actions. It's obvious that we messed up by not locking the armory, but, on the other hand, we didn't break the rules already set out." He looks to Cassia. "You smell of alcohol, and I thought it was because you were with Grunt, but, now knowing the truth, I see that you disobeyed the rule not to drink until you're legally allowed to. For that as well as getting into the armory without an adult to watch over you, you will clean the house for six months without help."
"You also won't be allowed to see your friends either unless we say so," mom adds and Cassia keens softly in sadness. Cleaning, she could handle, but not being able to see Gelta or Alexia feels so much worse than even disappointed her parents.
"Okay," she whispers and looks to the floor.
"And Damocles," her father starts and Cassia glances up enough to watch her brother visibly shrink. "For drinking not only against the rules but behind Grunt and Rym's backs-"
"And ryncol, of all things!" Dad hums at mom for her interruption and she clears her throat. "We'll explain later why that's a very bad thing."
Dad nods and continues. "Because you drank, disobeyed the rules concerning the armory, and took my weapon out, you will be cleaning the latrines at your school for six months-"
Cassia and Damocles both gasp aloud and Damocles sits up straight in his seat. "How come I don't get the same punishment?!"
"Because, by all accounts, you instigated this. Do you have any idea how much worse this all could have gone?" Dad rumbles and frowns. "Ryncol is bad enough, but firing my weapon was liable to do much worse than," he stops to look at the Doctor and says, "What are his injuries?"
Solus jerks a bit, stopped in his cleaning of the slight mess caring for Damocles made. "Hm? Oh. Yes." He comes over and opens his Tool to wave over Damocles. "Broken clavicle. Dislocated shoulder. Both need rest and will provide medication for pain. Torn rotator cuff needs surgery to repair. Predict will be smooth and short procedure. Ryncol consumption caused minor poisoning. Managed to flush system, but will suffer effects similar to a 'hangover'."
"Damn…" mom whispers and dad rumbles deeply, rubbing his fringe.
"Right. Until your injuries heal, you will not be allowed to see Aeson, but once you are in a healthy state, you will start your punishment at your school."
"But I already got hurt…" Damocles growls softly and lowers his head. "I don't understand why I still get in trouble."
Mom snorts and walks to the bed, cupping Damocles' face in her hands. "When you are out on the field and disobey an order, you not only get yourself hurt, but you put everyone relying on you at risk. Physical injury will not teach you the dangers your actions present to others. What if Cassia was the first to try out the weapon that you took out?"
Damocles' eyes widen and he grabs mom's wrists. "I never would've done that!"
"Whether or not you intend to doesn't matter," dad says, laying a hand on Cassia and Damocles' shoulder. "Punishment is meant to show you the consequences of your actions. If we had given you a lesser punishment, you wouldn't learn."
Damocles keens softly and nods. "I'm sorry."
Mom smiles and kisses his forehead, then hugging Cassia. "It's okay. Lesson learned."
Dad purrs and nuzzles his mandible to Damocles', then Cassia's forehead. "We'll lock the armory from now on and stay home the rest of the night. You both need rest to get over whatever it was you both drank. Punishments can wait until tomorrow."