"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
All grown up. His baby girl was all grown up, with babies who were nearly there too. It was a hell of a lot to take in when it had been barely a week for him. Years had passed for her, one for every day he’d spent on the Mountain. He would never have left her behind if he'd realized, would have brought her with if he'd known what would come of a short trip away.
“Kylin,” he said softly, her name tinged with regret for all the hurt and loneliness he'd caused her. “I’m so sorry, baby. I would never have left you for so long, not by choice. I can’t undo it, or how lonely you must have been, how much it must’ve hurt.” He sighed, took a step closer, head tilting to get a better look at her.
“I can’t erase any of that, but maybe we can...start where we are? Try to get to know each other all over again, you know? You’re still my girl, and I love you, and I wanna be here for you however I can.” Maybe that how would’ve changed in the last six years or so, and that was fine. That was fair, and completely understandable. But he still wanted to try. “What do you think, love?”
The sound of her name makes her ears twitch, and only a moment later her head lifts and her neck bends to look at her visitor. She had been dozing in the sun, and before that she had been watching Ischia in the distance. So close to home, and yet so far away. “Father..” she murmurs softly, her both lavender ears hesitantly swaying forward.
Tears start to wet her eyes, and soon the lavender lady stands trembling in the water, before slowly turning her body towards the metal stallion that is her father. It is the first time she hears one of them acknowledge her pain, instead of only being reminded of all the things she has done wrong in their absence. But hadn’t it been them who had left her? It is all fucked up, and ye Kylin wants nothing more than erase all what happened and start anew.
But for now, a start where they are is good enough.
As a lone tear rolls down her cheek, Kylin nods, even though she does not know how to forget the past. She has never felt more lonely than now, and without Ivar around to secretly erase all sadness from her mind, she struggles to deal with it. “I.. I don’t want to be.. alone..” she whispers in return, wet hazel eyes searching for her father’s ones. She has not been alone always, Ivar had been a great companion and lover, but right now, stuck on Island Resort, Kylin could not feel lonelier.
Desperately she wants to be part of their lives again, just as much as she needs them to be a part of hers too. But with time standing between them, Kylin is not sure if it is possible. She has seen the way they look at her, how much a stranger of them she is, while none of them have changed. Would they still be able to accept her, with all her flaws?
Kirby sighed and murmured a soft, “oh, baby, c’mere,” pulling his baby girl into a hug. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t a baby anymore, she’d always be his sweet little Kylin. Just a little bigger now but that would’ve happened eventually anyhow. So it was an adjustment. Big deal. That was still his Ky baby. He held her close, crooned soft little nothings to her, rubbing his cheek against her. “I know, baby, it’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m sorry you were alone for so long, love, I’m so sorry.”
It didn’t matter that he never would’ve left her alone like that by choice. It didn’t matter that he’d only been gone a week, because it’d been so damn much longer for her regardless of his intentions. All he could do was wrap himself around her and hold her, and do his damndest to never, ever hurt her like that again. “I know baby. You’re not alone anymore, okay? I’m here, I’ve got you,” he murmured, his voice soft and low.
“Did I tell you yet how proud of you I am, baby?” he asked, petting her hair and fussing over her. “It must have been so hard, but you didn’t give up, did you, huh, honey? You kept on going, made a life for yourself, made a couple of beautiful babies. Took damn good care of them too, looks like, good strong girls with our clever feet that can walk on water. So lovely, and so yours. I bet those two babies know damn well their momma loves them. You did such a good job, baby.” He pulled back just enough to press a kiss to her forehead, fuss over her forelock a little. “My brave girl.”
