"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
His thoughts are completely unknown too her. She doesn’t know how he thinks of her, except for the things he spoke to her, but she does hope he cares for her just like she does for him. Since the very beginning they had been together, just the two of them, and that was how they had entered this other world too. Kylin gladly settled against his side, her muzzle brushing across his neck briefly, before she dips it towards the water again.
Of course she wanted to go in. The water called her, called them, but she’s quite surprised to hear him propose it. ”Can we?” she asks, hazel eyes turning towards him. Where her voice had been hesitant, excitement grows in her eyes. For a moment she thinks of the adults that had told him to be weary of the water, wondering what they might think, but honestly, their opinion or thoughts don’t matter. Not like Kharon’s does.
Much more encouragement isn’t needed and without really realising it, Kylin finds herself nodding. Not too eager, but still very much thrilled and excited. Her gaze meets his and it’s impossible to miss the look in his eyes. Her lips curl up and she reaches out to affectional lip his cheek. ”Yes.” That’s all she says. Together, they would do this together. The thought of finally answering the water’s call made her heart leap and a tingle of excitement is stirring up her stomach.
Her first step is hesitant, and not without a glance in Kharon’s direction to make sure he’s still agreeing. She knows he wouldn’t leave her behind, but she wanted to be sure this was how he envisioned it. Yes, she did want it, but she wanted her equally lavender and white brother’s approval. After all, they were in this together.
"Can we?" she asked, beautiful hazel eyes turning to him, hopeful and excited. He smiled wider and nodded. Of course they could go in, whatever she wanted. She gave him her own soft smile, lipped so sweetly at his cheek with a quiet yes. They would go in together, at the same time. Just as they should always be.
He draped his wing across her back where it often seemed to find itself, pulled her close for another hug and gentle nuzzle into her cheek. "We'll go together, ok?" Always together, he added with a silent whisper to her.
His grasp eased, but he kept his wing atop her. Slowly, he lifted a foot and waited, watched her do the same with that sweet smile of hers. And then at the same time they stepped in. Or... on, as it turned out. As though a sheet of glass lay just under the surface, they stepped as though walking on solid ground. He stared in shock and confusion, and then in awe. Woooooow! Pale, gray eyes glanced at her feet too to see if she could go into the water. But, no. She was on top of it also!
"That's not normal," he said a little obviously. Of course, it wasn't normal. He grabbed her in slowly growing excitement and took them another step in -on. And then another. And another! Until they were standing completely above the water without any ground to stand on.
"That. Is. Sooo cool. I don't think Mother can do this." He wondered silently if Father could, but seeing as he mostly lived in Kharon's mind for the time being, he didn't bring it up. "Do you like it?" he asked softly, suddenly concerned he may have pushed her into something she hadn't wanted and subconsciously pulling her closer with a gentle grip of his wing.
She would always want to be sure. Especially when it came to what Kharon thought. Sometimes she wondered how much easier it would be to be able to read his mind, though if that was the case, she wouldn’t have the pleasure to enjoy his sweet words. After all, she would’ve read them in his thoughts already.
It’s comfortable at his side, safe and sheltered, always near. Kylin grows more and more aware of it every time mother leaves them with Reilly, going who knows where. Kharon stayed. With a small nod she nestles herself against his side, her cheek rubbing against his neck for a short moment. She would’ve loved to continue it for a bit, but the water called.
Keeping a close eye on her brother she lifts a leg, the same one as he lifted, to slowly step on the water at the same time as he did. She’s looking at her foot, only to glance at her brother’s next. ”Oh!” she exclaims, eyes widening as realisation hits her at the same time as Kharon gets aware of it. Her hazel eyes turn to look at him, amazement all written over them. She’s thrilled, excited and eager to see if she would be able to take a next step.
Like he’s able to read her mind, Kharon guides her to take another step in sync. With her heart beating fast she presses herself against him. By the time they are standing on top of the water she’s laughing softly, her body tense with enthusiasm. ”Probably not” she agrees with him, nodding as she turns to look at him again, a wide smile upon her lips. ”The water doesn’t call her.” Not like it calls us, she silently adds in her mind.
How could she not like it? She’s loving it. Almost as much as that she does love her brother. ”I love it!” she thus tells him, still safely nestled at his side. Oh, she loved those wings too. Couldn’t even be jealous that he did have them and she did not. It made him even more perfect, all complete. Kylin presses a kiss on his cheek, her hazel eyes shimmering in enthusiasm. The timid girl of moments ago is long gone now.
He watched in amusement and growing excitement as she copied him, mirrored his movement and held up a leg before stepping out onto the water. "Oh!" Her pretty eyes went wide as his did, their delighted gazes meeting at the same time before they ventured further onto the water. It lapped and waved around them, but not once did they lose their footing.
"The water doesn't call her," she answered in response to his comment on Mother. He nodded in agreement. Mother didn't seem to care one way or the other about the water, but Kylin had always been so drawn to it. So often, he would catch her looking out to the sea if they were still on land and playing or spending time with one adult or another. Or sometimes two, if it were Mother and Reilly together.
But he got worried that maybe she hadn't wanted to go as far as he took them. She reassured him quickly though, her smile and eyes so bright, and the crease of concern in his little brow smoothed away as he smiled back easily. She nestled into his side again and he tightened his wing around her in reflex, hugging her close and brushing his cheek into her neck. When he pulled back, she pressed a light kiss to that same cheek, and asked, "Shall we run?"
Of course, he was thrilled at the idea and nodded emphatically.
Without warning, he took off at a gallop as quick as he could! Racing, racing, racing. But Kylin had always been the swifter of them and it didn't take long for her to catch up and even pass him if she wished. He had to stay a distance away from her side though, his wings flapping reflexively though he had yet to learn to fly. He told himself he was still too small, but he wasn't sure if it were true or not. He was the only one in the family with wings. There was nobody to teach him. That reminder lowered his spirits, shortened his gait and dimmed his speed and enthusiasm.
He slowed to a stop and turned around to see how far they'd gone. They must have raced pretty fast, because the land was just a sliver of vibrant green on the horizon. A big sliver; their strides weren't all that big just yet. He didn't feel like going back so soon though, and didn't feel much like running anymore either. So he lowered himself--
And sank below the surface!
Gray eyes flew wide and he gasped, choking on seawater and spluttering noisily. His wings quickly drenched and weighed him down as he panicked, trying to get his feet above the surface again. For a brief moment, he held on before slipping and sliding under again. The salty water stung his fearful eyes and reddened them, masked the tears streaming down his face as he fought and fought to reach the surface. But it felt thick as quicksand, as though the harder he tried, the more his wings dragged him down. He pinned them tightly to his side and tried to focus on using just his legs.
Kylin, help!! his mind screamed. No, she wasn't strong enough. His wings were so heavy and his weight too much, what if she fell in too!?
DAD! DAD!! ohnoi'mgonnadie. Hadn't meant to send that part, but legs. Legs. Kick, just kick. He managed to get his nose to the surface, sucked in a huge breath as he kept fighting. Both water and air swept into him and he choked more. Tears poured uselessly from him, his nose and throat burning and stinging from breathing in water. God, his wings weighed so much. He was getting tired. Daddy, hurry! Just a silent whimper, a quiet prayer that he could reach him in time.
He nods, he agrees, he sets of. She’s only a little slower, but quick to catch up. One wouldn’t need to read her mind to know her thoughts, to understand how she felt. It’s written all over her face. A bright sparkle in her hazel eyes, the wide grin on her lips, her joyous laugher filling the air. Her whinny is accompanied with a light buck, her purple tail flicking through the air. Kylin loved it. The water, their adventure, she loved thém.
She passes him by as he slows down, once again one step behind. When she stands still and turns to look at him, sides heaving slightly and nostrils wide as she breaths in the salty air. Her neck is lightly bend, her dished head tilting, the question, the wonder why he had stopped, visible in her eye. ”Kha- Aaaaaaaah.” She does not get to finish his name, as her loud scream takes over.
The joy is gone from her hazel eyes, pure panic is what is left. ”Kharon! Kharon!” she cries, her nose dipping toward the water, desperate to reach out to him. Soon her eyes are clouded with tears, they pour down her cheeks. She could give him nothing to hold on to, nor did she know what to do. Kharon was drowning, hurting. ”Help! Help us” she cries, as loud as she can. Her eyes can the coast, hoping to find one of their guardians on the lookout. There is none.
Her eyes move back to her brother, reaching out to him again as she sobs. No, this couldn’t be it, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be together forever. Kylin wouldn’t be able to handle it if he would die, leave her in a way that was so definitive. ”Don’t leave me” she begs. Please. Then she goes down. Not through the surface of the water, but through her knees, her cheek rests on the surface, eyes closed, her nose under his head in an attempt to keep him up, begging that help would come soon.
So here I am, minding my own business, roaming around Ischia’s shoreline and having myself more of a wander than a formal patrol. Keeping an eye out for trouble, sure, but we’ve got pretty solid borders by way of the ocean, and your average punk kid with something to prove has to work a little too hard getting here to make it worth their while. At least for the casual mouthing off pissing contest, anyhow. So I’m having myself a bit of a wander, eyes on the sea and the sky ‘cause they’re pretty more than any other reason, when a panicked voice echoes in my head.
DAD! DAD!! ohnoi'mgonnadie.
Fuck. Fuuuck, where the hell is he? I can’t save him if I don't know where he is. More info is a bit much to demand of a frantic boy’s mind, but fuck, son! There aren’t any wolves or bears or Panthers or shit on the island, maybe he fell and hurt himself? Fuck, I really gotta find somebody to teach him how to use those wings of his properly, so he can fly his way outta - “Help! Help us!” Oh, thank fuck.
I’m racing across the water toward the sound of my daughter's voice before I can wonder too hard what trouble they managed to get into out in the ocean that they couldn’t just walk over. No time, just get there, just get there in time to help. Just get there in time to keep them from being eaten by a shark, or -
...drowning? What? How…?
Not the point. Reshaping my back, I dive under the pair of them and scoop them up, settling them inside the weird giant cuplike compartment I built out of what was sleek, well-muscled back just moments ago. Oh right yeah holes so the water can drain, good idea. Just like that, water’s pouring down my sides. I mold the inner surface to fit them, holding them right while I run back to shore. “It’s okay, kids, Daddy’s got you.”
As soon as I reach dry land, I let the iron around them flow toward the ground, depositing them on the sandy shore and turning to face them, frantically looking them over as I put myself back together. “You guys okay? What happened?” How the hell were you drowning when you can walk on water? That takes some odd, confusing, impressive talent.
Her face full of sheer panic was the image he held in his mind. He wasn't sure why.
At some point, she pushed her muzzle under him and lifted his chin, letting him breathe again as he thrashed in his wild fright. His eyes stared wide at her, and his heart hurt at the well of tears glittering in her hazel eyes. "Don't leave me," she pleaded softly. Please, she added silently where only he could hear. Kylin.
And then he was weightless. Drifting. Sinking. Too weak.
The silence was deafening. The darkness consuming.
Something solid caught beneath him and lifted. Sound roared to life again. The dark became blinding light, and he choked water from his lungs weakly. He could feel that they were moving, rocking and rocking as he kept his eyes closed and tried to breathe. So tired, too tired. He couldn't even hear their thoughts anymore. Maybe he was dead. Or broken. But he could feel Kylin curled at his side, cleaning his face in her worry. Keeping him awake.
The world shifted again and he was sliding, slipping to the hard ground where he promptly splayed on his side, his little chest heaving in short gasps of air. His whole body trembled with shock and the cold air hitting his drenched coat. Tired. He was too tired. Dad, he tried to say, tried to think to him, but even his thoughts were too sluggish and weary.
Kylin. Tears roll down her cheek, he couldn’t give up. But then he’s gone under the water. She cries, loudly, and allows the water to take her too. Without him it would only be dull.
What happens next is a mystery to her. First darkness of the water, then something solid that surrounds them, locks them in. Though surprised and frozen, she’s not panicking. She had never witnessed Father’s other power before. ”Dad” she manages to murmur through a sob as she realises he was there. Then hell breaks loose. Tears pour down her cheeks and she’s crying, her nose gently probing Kharon’s side. ”Please.”Stay with me.
Then it was light again and Father was there. Father had saved them. But, but why wasn’t Kharon moving? Half lost in thoughts she nods, as to silently tell Father that she was okay. After all, she hadn’t been the one drowning. But Kharon. Kharon still barely showed any sign of life. ”Kharon” she says, worried look still in her eyes as the tears keep pooling down her cheeks. But there was nothing she could do. Due to the panic and cold she had started to tremble, but refused to lay down. Her muzzle travelled over his face, kissing his lips, chis cheek, tugging on his ear.
”Help him, please.” With that she turns to Father, eyes begging, lips quivering. She was a mess. ”He… He suddenly fell through the water” she says. Once soaked his wings had dragged him down. And could only watch. Another cry and she goes down, setting herself in the sand next to her brother, snuggling up to his barely moving voice. Silently she kept begging him to open his eyes, to show a sign of life.
Right, well clearly okay was a bit of a stretch, at least when it comes to Kharon. But he’s breathing, little chest heaving and everything, and that’s the real danger with the water, right? Not being able to breathe? Fuck. I think so. Water’s never been dangerous for me, and it never occurred to me to wonder if it would be for them either. He’s breathing, and when I cuddle up and press my ear against his chest - gently, of course, just enough to listen - I can hear his little heart beating away in there.
So I sigh with relief, tucking Kylin up against my chest and crooning soft words of comfort to her. “Shh, baby, he’s gonna be okay. He’s safe now, and see? He’s breathing, look at his chest. I bet he’s just really tired, and needs to catch his breath for a little bit.” I fucking hope. Don’t panic, don’t panic, he’s okay, he’s gotta be. He’s safe, and it’s gonna be alright.
I pet Kylin’s hair, and nudge her gently toward her twin. “C’mon, love, let’s snuggle up to him and try to help him out, right? He’s all wet and worn out, and we can help him stay cozy and warm ‘til he’s feeling a little better, yeah?” She was already moving that way, so it doesn’t exactly take much. I settle in on his other side, warming myself up a little as I curl up around him. I may not be the comfiest thing in the world, but I can be nice and warm for him at least.
And while we wait, I look the two of them over, wondering. She kissed him, when she was still panicking. On the lips. Oh, on the cheek too, and that by itself is no big deal. Doesn’t necessarily mean anything. They’re close, they’re affectionate, could be nothing. But I’ll keep an eye on them, and if I see any reason to, we might be having a little talk in the future. They’re mine, and that means their grandfather’s blood runs in their veins too. Best to pay attention. For now though, I just smile a soft, reassuring smile and press a kiss to Kylin’s forehead. “It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. He’s gonna be okay.”
05-29-2017, 12:50 PM (This post was last modified: 05-29-2017, 12:51 PM by Kylin.)
kylin
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
He tells her "ooh love".
He’s gonna be okay.
It’s the sole thing she hangs on to as she presses closer against the solid form of her father. If he would said it like that, it had to be true, right? Kylin didn’t even want to think of any other scenario than that. He simply had to be okay. She would not forgive him if he would leave her. It would break her heart.
She was nothing without him.
Kylin does not objecting to snuggle up to Kharon. She rests her head on his shoulder, a little in front of his wing, so she it could dry properly without her wet form resting over it. Tears still shimmer in her hazel eyes, but they no longer poor down her cheek. She too is exhausted. Her breathing eases slowly and her eyes flutter closed at the kiss.
”He is” she murmurs back, after having taken a deep breath. She blinks a few times before letting her gaze wander to the Father’s purple tobiano form. She’s grateful for his support. For him saving them. But she refuses to think of what would’ve happened if he hadn’t heard them. Without saying much more she reaches out to him, silently asking for more comforting touches, as they waited desperately for Kharon to come back to them.
