"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
06-28-2017, 10:34 AM (This post was last modified: 07-25-2017, 01:53 AM by Kharon.)
let my eyes be the rhythm, let my mind be your freedom
He walked her home, holding her to his side and smiling every time she bumped at his chin in that way she did. Somewhere new next time, he promised. Tomorrow he would take her somewhere new.
And now that it was morning, he was off to find her again, listening for her thoughts and tracking her down from the sky. He hadn’t been able to rest at Father’s side, or Kylin’s, or anyone’s. Too afraid to dream and send things while he slept, thoughts or images nobody should learn of. Things that could get him in trouble. He didn’t know what Father would do if he learned of what he’d done, but he definitely never wanted to find out. So he’d stayed at Luster’s place instead. If she ever received thoughts or images while he slept, she never said. Never thought of it either.
He dropped from the sky when he found Kali, crashing in and tumbling with her. Hah! Got you!! His wing spanned across them, legs tangled together, and he laughed. He showered so many little kisses all over her face and neck, being properly pesky as a brother should. You still want to go with me, right? I won't stop til you say yes! More, more, more little kisses all over her smiling face, fully aware of her wriggling body as she tried to free herself.
I can't hear youuuu, are you sure??
He grinned down at her, dragging his wings back in and watching her. Still not quite ready to get up yet. How bout we sneak through the Taiga and play on the other side? You said you wanted to, right? It sounded good to him. Anywhere sounded good to him.
06-28-2017, 11:38 AM (This post was last modified: 07-01-2017, 06:10 PM by Kali.)
Kali had spent an awful lot of time thinking since hari had brought her home yesterday. It was, in fact, almost all she’d done. Thinking, and wondering, and puzzling away at things that only barely made sense, trying to understand things she didn’t know enough about to get very far.
This morning, though, she’d decided Khari was right. She shouldn’t worry about it. So she put all the confused feelings out of her mind and went wandering again, to visit the parrots and listen to their happy little morning songs. They were so chattery and happy, just listening to their squawks and chirps and purring chittery sounds brought a smile to her face, reminded her that life was just the same as it had been yesterday morning. Just exactly the same, right?
So when Khari pounced and crashed into her, she laughed, dodging his silly kisses as best she could and squealing, “Heeey!” No fair, cheating! Fine, you got me, I’ll go, I’ll go! Of course she’d go. Anywhere with her Khari, always.
Yeah, goofy, I’m sure. But let’s sneak around Taiga, not through. Not nice to tromp through the neighbor’s backyard if you’re not gonna stop and say hi. Unless you want to meet Uncle Roo, of course, but I think around sounds like a good idea today. Oooh, though she did owe Uncle Roo a visit, for sure.
let my eyes be the rhythm, let my mind be your freedom
Hah, he loved the way she squealed. Loved how those brown eyes lit up all glowy and warm and laughing. And he’d won her agreement, she would go with him again today. So, he supposed he could agree too, with a roll of his eyes, that they would go around Taiga and not through it.
Fine. I can meet Uncle Roo some other time, I suppooooose. He’s probably old and boring anyway. He better be old and boring. And ugly, too. He damn-well better be ugly.
Kharon gave her a last little nuzzle at her cheek, then finally rose, waiting for her to follow. So, to the forest then, he said lightly, dropping a wing around her as usual and beginning their journey. Sometimes he couldn’t help but look at her, watch her face as she took in the sights in that eager, admiring way she had. And sometimes he’d be staring off, across the water. Far, far away where it had been like an entirely different world. A different reality where some things maybe weren’t bad things. Where nobody would care, or be upset, or even know about it.
What do you want to do when we get there? The same way he started their last trip, maybe. And he still didn’t care what they did, just glad to spend more time with her again. There was another river? Did you want to play on that one this time? And this time, maybe he didn’t take them on such a wandering route, though of course it still sounded nice. But he was at least trying to take her where she wanted this time, after having failed her miserably yesterday. Hopefully, they'd actually make it to their destination. Or, hopefully, maybe they wouldn't.
06-28-2017, 03:18 PM (This post was last modified: 07-01-2017, 06:10 PM by Kali.)
Okay, see? Everything was normal. There really was nothing to worry about. Kali smiled up at her Khari, nudged her shoulder against his, and walked along beside him. When he draped his wing over her, she bumped the top of her nose against his chin, closing her eyes and cuddling up to him just like always.
Maybe tomorrow you can meet Uncle Roo. Or on our way home later, that could work too. He might be busy, though. He takes care of Taiga like Daddy takes care of Ischia. Except he doesn’t have anybody to take care of Taiga with him. Hey, did I tell you he’s purple just like us? Well not just like. He’s got black hair, and white like me, and then purple spots. But just these little round spots all over like this, she said, touching the soft of her nose to his neck. Soft little nudges, scattered across his skin just like Uncle Roo's spots. Here, and here, and here, and all over, just little spots like purple kisses on his skin. Isn’t that neat? Of course, not quite as neat as Khari’s lovely lavender and white splashing so beautifully all over his skin, but still, it was neat!
While they walked across the water, Kali kept an eye on the water below them, watching happily as colorful little fish swam below them. Ohhh, look at that one! She tapped the water, sending a shiny, iridescent blue fish scurrying away. No, c’mere, fish! Show off your pretty scales! But the fish was long gone. Aww. I wonder what it’s like to swim like that. To be a fish, with pretty scales like Amet, and gills, and fins, and not to need to breathe air at all. D’you wonder things like that, Khari?
Hmm. What did she want to do when they got to the other side of Taiga? Kali shrugged, smiling up at Khari. I don’t know. More of this. Walk. Talk. Breathe, look around, see what we see. Just be, you and me, just like this. What about you?
let my eyes be the rhythm, let my mind be your freedom
He listened with rapt attention to everything she said, every little note in her voice. The sweet highs and the soft lows, the excitement when she told him all these things he didn’t know, and the admiration for this strange guy of Taiga that had purple too, but not like theirs. And she showed him, too, her nose tap-tapping little places along his neck that made him want to reach for her and draw her closer. He only rolled the tingling from his shoulders instead, his smile broadening at her silent compliments over his splashy lavender, and ignoring comments of the other guy having purple kisses all over him.
Just how old was that guy, anyway?
Her bright-eyed gaze studied the water beneath them as they walked, eyeing the colorful fish flittering around. She watched them. And he watched her. Maybe it would always be that way. Ohhh, look at that one! Her foot tapped at the surface, startling a little blue one that took off to other parts. He smiled and nuzzled quietly at her shoulder, marveling at the feel of her soft skin and breathing in her scent as she wondered what it was like to swim like that too. With pretty scales like Amet, and gills, and fins. D’you wonder things like that, Khari?
Hmm, swimming is nice when it’s back on the island. I almost drowned once and Dad had to come save me. So way out here, swimming is a little more scary to me, he admitted, brushing an aimless little pattern on her other side with the knuckle of his wing. His lips grazed across her neck a little, drifting to tease at her hair like he loved to do, giving a slight tug as he asked what she wanted to do when they got there.
I don’t know. More of this. Walk. Talk. Breathe, look around, see what we see. Just be, you and me, just like this. What about you?
“Mmm,” he hummed, silently and aloud, rubbing his cheek into her before pulling back with a smile. Yes, that sounds perfect. Just be. Exactly what he wanted, but something he may never actually be able to have; just be. That place in the distance called to him again, where they’d gone yesterday, where some things wouldn’t matter. A place they couldn’t go, things he couldn’t do.
They probably shouldn’t race again, he supposed. Not with how it seemed to affect him to tumble with her. But a playful little glint shined in his eyes when he turned back to her. I know a game we can play on the way there. Close your eyes.
06-29-2017, 06:57 PM (This post was last modified: 07-01-2017, 06:11 PM by Kali.)
Kali nodded and rubbed her cheek against Khari’s shoulder, peeking up at him and smiling a little. Dad told me about that. It’s why he started teaching me so early, because he never wanted anything so scary to happen to one of us again. Not if he could help it. She closed her eyes and sighed as he petted her with his wing, brushed his lips along her neck, played with her hair. That feels nice. She leaned into him, cuddling a little closer and nuzzling the line of his shoulder.
See? Back to normal. He was right, of course he was right.
Doesn’t it sound lovely? Just the wind and the water and you and me. And maybe the land, I suppose. Just us and the world around us, together and happy and having fun. It sounds just right. Though really anything with them together sounded just right. She smiled up at him again, reaching to brush her nose against his chin. Just the way it should be.
Ooh, but she perked up a bit when he mentioned a game, eyes wide, the start of a grin playing at the corner of her mouth. A game? Oooh, what kind of game? But he said to close her eyes, so she narrowed them and wrinkled her nose at him, and then cooperated. Eyes closed, she walked along beside him, trusting him to guide her. And her skin prickled with anticipation, her ears turned toward him to catch any hint of what he might be up to.
i just want to have fun and - get rowdy when i walk inside the party - girls on me
Mmm, he was so relaxed when she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. All warmth spreading through him and some kind of hazy glow in his mind. He didn't even feel the embarrassment that Dad had told her about him nearly drowning. It was for a good reason, right? To make sure she didn't pull the same stupid thing he had. Although, it would be much easier for her to catch her footing again without heavy wings getting soaked and weighted down. Plus, she definitely wasn't stupid like he was. Or had been. Or maybe still was.
She sighed and leaned into him, telling him that it felt nice, these things he was doing. It might have made his heart race just a little, but it was okay. It was just regular affection. Dad would be okay with this. Oh, and he definitely loved how she traced the line of his shoulder, and he hummed and placed another light kiss at her nape. That does too, he thought softly.
Doesn’t it sound lovely? Just the wind and the water and you and me. And maybe the land, I suppose. Just us and the world around us, together and happy and having fun. It sounds just right.
He nodded - it definitely sounded just right to him too - watching her smile up at him and feeling a tingle prick down his legs like little bolts of light. She did that thing she does, brushing her nose against his chin, and his smile grew just a little as he dipped his head to nuzzle back.
A game, though. A game. And she narrowed her eyes and wrinkled that adorable nose at him, before trusting him and closing her eyes. He watched her tune into everything around them with her other senses, her ears catching the quiet sounds. The water underfoot sloshed just a little as he side-stepped away, still walking beside her but with just a bit of space.
What do you hear, he asked, his eyes tracing the perfectly imperfect line of white that dripped from a shock of white hair down her shoulder and all the way lower til it faded into a soft lavender point only to break into another sock of white. He stepped a little further away, breaking their straight path to the forest and guiding her off-course just a bit to see if she could follow. He grinned when she did, grey eyes smiling at her attention to detail, then shifted them another direction. And slowly another direction. And a few more times until they were headed to the forest again. He loved how she followed his every move.
Kali kept her eyes closed tight, listening to the sound of the water around them, the wind in her ears, their footsteps. Especially his footsteps. As he moved away from her, it was the surest way for her to follow. You, Khari. I hear you. She listened, and she kept pace with him even as he turned. Over and over again, he turned off course, sometimes just a little, and other times far more sharply. And each time, she listened to the sound of his breathing, the splash of his hooves against the surface of the sea, and she followed.
Are we facing home now?
Ohhhh. Oh, he was tricky. She’d thought the game was just a simple follow the leader, with her eyes closed to keep things interesting. But no, he was far more clever than that, and he trusted her to be too. Probably she would’ve just shrugged and smiled and leaned against him if it were just him being clever. No need to figure it out when he could get her home even with her eyes closed, right? But that he trusted her to be clever, ooooh.
She had to at least try, right?
Eyes still firmly closed, Kali lifted her head, breathing in the salty sea air and letting it wash over her. It was hard to tell from the shape of the waves, the way they rushed past her feet. She swiveled her ears, trying to catch a hint of the ever chattering parrots of their home, but they were already too far out to hear the rainbow birds’ calls. Hmm…the wind. The wind had been blowing toward them when they set out on their venture to visit what lay beyond Taiga. To be facing home, it would have to be blowing from behind them, or at least pretty close to it, right? And it was blowing from the front, chasing the hair off her face instead of blowing it forward across her eyes.
Nope! Home’s behind us, right? Or pretty close to it, at least! Unless the wind changed that much, that fast, we’re definitely not pointing toward home. Did I win?
i just want to have fun and - get rowdy when i walk inside the party - girls on me
He listened to her thoughts as she considered, tried to puzzle out which way they were facing. Just a little game, really. He loved to hear her think, the way she tested her other senses and catalogued things that stuck out to her, adding them all up together before finally deciding on an answer. So thorough when someone else might have just simply guessed, and not cared whether it was right or wrong.
Nope! Home’s behind us, right? Or pretty close to it, at least! Did I win?
His gaze lifted back to her face - hadn’t meant to be staring, hadn’t realized he was. Closer now, too. Hadn’t meant to do that either, to step closer. He grimaced. Why was this so hard for him? So used to a body pressed into his, it was like he couldn’t help it, couldn’t help but try to find that warmth that was missing. Couldn’t help but admire her when her eyes were closed. He couldn’t get caught that way, right? Not even by her.
Yep, you definitely win, he told her, silent save for the warm breath against her neck. Reaching, but not touching. Maybe this was a game too. See if she felt it, if she noticed. So hard not to turn a breath into a kiss though as his mouth drifted further up her neck. Maybe you want to pick the next game? Since you won? Probably best not to let him choose again. Not with how fixated he was getting again. Something must be wrong with him. Why did he keep coming back to this?
He forced himself to pull back before he would end up kissing her again. And he’d promised he wouldn’t mess up today like he had yesterday. They were almost to the forest anyway. Then they could play and laugh and cuddle. Whatever she wanted. Or we can wait til we get to the forest. We’re almost there now, see? he said, inviting her to open her eyes again and keeping his firmly ahead on their destination. He wouldn’t mess up today for her.
Ha! I knew it! Kali grinned, a little extra prance in her step as she carried on walking beside Khari. She’d done it, she’d shown him she was just a clever as he’d expected her to be, and she’d made him so proud! Eyes still closed, she bumped her shoulder against his, their sides brushing, hips touching as they walked.
She could feel his breath on her neck, though she hadn’t noticed while she was focused on figuring out which way they were headed. Her heartbeat picked up as she remembered the way he’d blown air along her jaw, the way his nose had trailed up her neck, the giddy rush he’d said felt like wings. Maybe he’d do it again, kiss her neck again, he was so close. It’d be so easy.
But she wasn’t supposed to think about that.
Huh? Oh. Right, yeah. Let’s, um...let’s wait ‘til we get to the forest to play another game. We can start with just walking around and exploring, seeing all the new sights, and just decide when we get there, okay? Spontaneous was more fun anyhow, and led to such interesting places. And sometimes to nowhere at all, which could be just as good.
She opened her eyes and snuck a peek at him, with a shy little smile and a gentle nudge, the top of her nose just bumping against the bottom of his chin. And what we do doesn’t matter, anyhow. I’m with you, that’s good enough for me. With a happy little sigh, she leaned into him, smiling as she tucked her face up against his neck. I love you, Khari. Thanks for going exploring with me. It’s my favorite thing, especially when you’re with me.
