A Breakthrough

As well as things had worked out between Dina and Cat, and as well as they kept going between Cat and Vel, he still had the sense he was slamming his head into a boulder at times.

Progress was being made, but inevitably the walls would come back up, and Cat would lash out at one of them, trying to push them away. Figurative walls of course. He wasn’t really probing her mind.

Vel was at a loss, he did not know what to do. They’d fucked a few more times, but Cat would not allow any real tender moments during or after. Either joking Vel’s attempts away or scoffing at them.

Carefully trying to broach these subjects with her wasn’t working either. She’d change the subject, lash out, or even jump his bones to deflect. Vel didn’t hugely mind that last part if he was being honest.

He had perhaps underestimated her a bit. She wasn’t stupid, he knew that, but her uncouth way of speaking had still affected him. He would never have anticipated her being so good at subtly extricating herself from topics she didn’t like. Her lack of eloquence had, in a way, lulled him into a false sense of security. He wondered if it was deliberate to some degree.

Catalia had risen to command a fleet of pirates as a teenager; underestimating her was foolish. Fortunately, he had learned this lesson in a minor and harmless fashion. Vel wondered how many people paid high prices for underestimating his half-sister. He wouldn’t be shocked if her appearing as less than she was had played a significant part in her rise to command.

His mind was still churning as he let himself into her cell. He never knocked, and Cat had yet to protest that.

He found her in her usual state of semi-undress, lounging on her cot. A small smile graced her lips as she looked up at him.

“Oh, hello, Brother.”

He was struck once again by how gorgeous his half-sister was, her girlish beauty standing out all the more against her tomboy style.

One corner of her lips drew up, her smile sharpening into a smirk.

“You here to fuck?”

As much as her sultry tone of voice and the frankness of her question aroused him, he also found himself annoyed. He had come here to talk to her, to try and break through a little more, but she was deflecting preemptively

“Tempting as that sounds, dearest Sister, I am here to talk.”

She frowned but sat up on the cot.

“About what?”

Vel sighed as he pulled over the little stool, the only furniture in the room save Cat’s cot and an equally tiny table and sat down on it. He decided the time for caution was over. Blunt honesty and open love had served him very well with every other sister. It was time to throw caution to the wind and PUSH.

“I’ve only known you for a very short time, Cat, but every second of that time has felt like a blessing. You’re a great girl and you’ve become dear to me-“

Her smirk returned, but it looked **** to Vel.

“If you want to get into my pants again there’s no need for all that crap, I just offered it to you.”

Annoyed though he was, he fought to be patient.

“You don’t have to perform for me, there’s no hide to hide behind-“

From smirk to scowl once again.

“And who says I am performing? Perhaps I am just horny and not in the mood for your dumb prattle!”

His patience losing out to his annoyance, Vel snapped at her.

“Why do you always do this? Why do you insist on deflecting or pushing me away? All I want to do is bring you into our family, don’t you want that?”

Conflict played across her delicate features before they settled into an angry grimace. Cat didn’t speak this time, she yelled.

“Because you don’t actually want that! You want me now, but you’ll leave! Everyone does! And our family sure as shit didn’t want me before, why should I believe it wants me now?”

Vel raised his tone to match hers.

“We didn’t know about you, I didn’t know about you! Of course I want you in my-“

“Maybe you don’t, because this is who I fucking am, and you seem pretty mad about it”

His temper was running rampant and Vel forgot to think before he spoke.

“Well if I wanted to, I could change that, I could have **** you to change by now, but I want YOU. Not some othe-“

He faltered as her anger visibly vanished.

“What do you mean you could change me?”

Her tone was odd. Thin and full of trepidation, but there was an edge of hope to it.

“I, uh-“

Honesty. Honesty had worked so very well. It would have to be only partial for now though

“I am a mindmage, a very powerful one. Forcing your mind to change would be hard work, but doable. I have left your mind completely alone though.”

He hastened to reassure her, but she didn’t seem at all worried. Tears welled up in her eyes

“Do it, please. Change me.”

To say Vel was shocked would have been an understatement. Any lingering trace of anger vanished. He was torn between disbelief at how readily she accepted his claim and astonishment that she wanted him to act on it.

“No, no wait. Cat, you don’t need changing, you’re worthy of love just the wa-“

She cut him off with a bitter laugh, her tears flowing freely.

“So, you’re all talk again? Don’t make threats if you won’t follow through!”

“You’re not listening, I don’t want to change you because I love you the way you are!”

They were shouting again, Vel realized. He wasn’t sure when that had happened.

“The way I am I will never be… I can’t… Velas please! Leave me the way I am then but just make me-“

She waved her hand in his direction, kind of gesturing at him.

“I’ll never be like you and Dina, I can’t I-“

And then it clicked for Vel. She wanted the barriers gone, her inhibitions against accepting love. She couldn’t put that into words though. The very traits she wanted to be rid of prevented it. He could already see them reasserting themselves. Her tears stopped, her expression hardened again.

“Very well.”

She only briefly looked surprised. Fear followed that surprise, fear and hope.

“What do I… what do I need to do?”

Vel gave her his best reassuring smile.

“Try to open your mind to me, and don’t fight.”

She nodded, and Vel moved into a, to his immense shock, now completely open mind.