wayward goes the wanderer; any

[Sviko]

He is unmoored; his place amongst them is loose and tenuous at best. Maybe he is too much like the uncle for which he is named - roguish and roaming. The thought leaves him unsettled because they’ve not seen hide nor hair of their uncle in some time. Not that he’s seen much of anyone in some time. Then again, the once-prince hasn’t done much besides isolate himself from all of it.

Sviko has no good reason for the isolation. Might have blamed it on adolescence perhaps. Chalked it up to growing up and experiencing few of those pains that his siblings must have since they were problem-magnets. He shook his head, unable to imagine keeping up with all those delicate situations as they tiptoed around multiple hearts and heartbreaks. But at least his siblings had done something, had achieved something.

He was no better than a bump on a log.

One that lacked interest or attention in anything besides a lovely little mare that kept to herself and shared in his indulgence of the sea.

Sviko thought the sea at least would bring him comfort but it only drove him further apart from it all. He’d rather dive the depths of the beautiful lake left behind in Hyaline. The sea was much too big for him and to be honest, he was afraid he’d swim off and not return except to convince Achlyss to join him. He didn’t make much of these thoughts, stuffing them down deep inside himself as he clambered up and over the damp hills.

He had nothing better to do, as wayward as a bit of wind.

[Rhaegor]

Rhaegor

the playboy

In light of things finally falling into place with Chrseis, her living situation, her father situation, and his telepathy situation, Rhaegor decides that it is once again time to visit his homeland. Well, not Hyaline exactly, but the place that mothers now called home. While he'd met with Solace on a number of occasions and had been welcomed back to the Cove should he like to come, things just hadn't worked out right; but now, they would.

Departing early one morning after a long, romantic goodbye to Chryseis (who had conveniently chosen that same day to go do some visiting in Ischia, which he fully supports without a single hesitation), Rhae thought upon the recent happenings of his life. The scenery passed him by at a frustratingly slow pace as his plague-riddled body insisted on practically crawling across the land. Of course he'd chosen the kingdom across the continent to live upon! When he'd made that decision, it had been with the understanding that he'd be able to fly there and back in an easy day's travel. Now, the journey would take him at least until tomorrow, due to the many stops he needs to take; but all's well. He'll spend some time home again, and it will be okay.

--

Upon the morning of his third day travelling, he makes his way into the Cove. He'd stopped longer than anticipated in Hyaline, visiting old haunts of his and his siblings in silence. Visions came to him frequently as he went, of his own future children playing, of war coming to the area, of a flood swallowing the kingdom whole, and of himself walking alongside Chryseis again atop their secret plateau. Hyaline holds such a plethora of memories for the once-prince that he fails to resist the pull to stay an extra night. After all, the Cove would still be there in the morning, and indeed it was.

Walking calmly through the hilly entrance of The Sanctuary, Rhaegor lifts his nose and smells for another. Even more subtly, his mind reaches out to hear for the mind of another; and while some very distant murmurings are heard, one voice sticks out far more loudly than any others. One which he grew alongside in utero, one whose voice he could pick out instantly, despite not being able to hear tone. Unphased by the melancholy thoughts dragging through his younger brother's mind, Rhae leaps into action, picking up the most lively canter he can manage for this final stretch of his journey.

Sviko! He accidentally shouts into the other's mind when he spots his familiar palomino coat. Wincing, the young man decides to explain the telepathy later, and instead closes the distance between them without barely slowing down. Their chests collide in a manly show of affection, legs scrambling momentarily to reestablish their balance. With his neck wrapped around Sviko like this, Rhae almost feels at home; the only thing that could make this better would be to have Will here, but he'd seen her not long ago in Tephra, so he can't fully complain. Only a little.

"Brother," he murmurs, pressing the word lovingly into the other's surprisingly muscled shoulder. Of the three siblings, Koko remains the last of the healthy, with a gleaming coat and a fully developed body to show for it. Stuffing down the jealousy he feels (since he is skinny, bedraggled, ugly mess of a thing these days) in that regard, Rhae releases the littler prince and grins his biggest.

"Sorry to have intruded like that," he whispers. It's just that I'm not that great at this whole telepathy thing yet. Winking roguishly, Rhae nudges the man, hoping to revive him from his somber, mopey mood. It is SO good to see you - please, tell me everything. How are mothers? How are you? How is the East? I miss this place so much.

...my name on your tongue and your tongue on my...

[Sviko]

He is minding his own business, moodily so, when his name is shouted mentally into his mind. Sviko flings his head up and snorts, pushing back at the intrusion warily. It sounded like his brother but since when was Rhaegor telepathic? A frown marred the usually smooth features of his face as he settled down and cast his blue gaze about for his minutes-older brother. 

The buckskin wasn’t hard to spot. He stood out, like any of the triplets or their mothers’ children tend to do. His frown easily became a smile, one of good nature and affection for his brother. If only Will was with him! But he likes these times when it’s just the two of them, man to man since they’re not quite little boys anymore with their bossy sister leading them around. Sviko almost chuckles aloud at the very thought of brazen Will - he hopes she is okay wherever she is.

Chests bump, legs scramble, and something in Koko’s world rights itself. Something that he hasn’t even known was off kilter. If he had, he’d have sought out one of the roaming triplets long before now. He laughs now, quite freely as his muscle surprises his brother and he embraces him back and trails his own mouth over what used to be a colt’s familiar shape but is now a stallion’s.

Only when they pull back from their embrace to look at one another, does he realize that Rhae is skinny and a mess. Like he’s sick or something. Thoughts of the plague shadow his face as he reaches out once more to nudge his beloved brother. “I figured that was you, kinda sounds like you even in my head.” and he hopes that makes sense.

It’s hard to dwell on it with Rhae in his brain again and giving him that devilish wink that none of the girls could resist in their childhood. They probably can’t even resist him now, even looking like something the cat dragged in. Can you hear me then or can you just project thoughts into my head? When did this happen, by the way?

It’s super hard to stay mopey around his sibling, especially now that he’s in his head which having himself in there is more than enough but there’s something comforting about Rhae being there too. “I don’t see our mothers much. They’re always busy and no doubt, we can expect a new sibling soon. The East is good, I think. I rarely leave the Cove and I’ve never had much of a head for what’s going on…”

Rhae probably doesn’t even have to be a mind-reader to know that Koko’s head was usually in the clouds, or beneath the sea, or centered on silver-roam skin and black hair. If anything, Koko was rather boring and predictable which is what makes him so moody lately. Even he finds himself to be downright boring! “Enough about me, what have you been up to? Tell me everything, like who’s heart you’ve broken now.”

Koko’s grin is still boyishly sweet as he teases his brother and reaches out to tug on a strand of dark mane.

@[Rhaegor] finally! ❤️