and underneath the layers, I find myself asking what's left
a hollowed out form, the skeleton of a ghost, the pitiful echo of what once was
a hollowed out form, the skeleton of a ghost, the pitiful echo of what once was
”Don’t be dumb,” Reia quips in response to her sibling’s bewilderment, never considering that their absence would forge unfamiliarity. Her eyes flash as her mouth opens to remind him – to feed him the information he craves – but father is upon them before she can utter a single word. With their sire’s consideration, however, Nikolaus pieces everything together. The frown that deeply creased her brow softens as a broad grin stretches across her lips. ”Yup! Your sister!” She exclaims, the blue fire along her crest hissing and blazing to match her exuberance. It softly licks the underside of Castile’s neck, but he hardly flinches as his mismatched eyes hungrily race across his son, noting every detail of Sochi in his eyes, his iridescent blue, his demeanor.
Before he can speak up again, or even break the shackles of his uncertainty, Sochi joins them.
It’s impossible to look away as she shifts from tigress to horse and hurls herself at Nikolaus with the unwavering love of a mother. All the months of searching and wondering have finally ended. Their hearts ached incessantly as they prowled what seemed like the farthest reaches of Beqanna only to return home with empty hands. The idea of failing another child rattled through Castile and chiseled away at him day after day. Only in solitude did he ever crumble in fear that Nikolaus would never be found. A paralyzing sense of defeat often deadened his body or haunted him during restless nights of sleep. In front of Sochi and Reia, however, he had no choice than to appear strong and determined.
No one knew how afraid he truly was.
No one knew how shattered he would be if his son was never found.
Every emotion, every damn feeling possible, explodes through Castile’s veins as his eyes drink in the sight around him. This – this is all he has ever wanted, all he has ever truly needed. His ribcage holds his heart steady as it threatens to burst at having them all huddled so close together beneath the Loessian sun. Sprouting from his shoulder blades, Castile’s draconic wings extend and embrace them all, his face buried into Sochi’s neck. A smile stretches widely across his lips, ”Our family is whole.” It’s surreal. This almost seems too good to be true, a dream that he imagined for years that he never expected to come to fruition.
With a heavy breath of relief and happiness, Castile slowly coils his wings to his sides. His gaze drifts from Reia to Nikolaus and then, finally, to Sochi where it dwells for a few heartbeats. The hard lines of his face soften and his grin refuses to fade as he pictures a future with her at his side – still fierce, still strong, but wholly and entirely his.
Leaning against her, Castile trails his lips along the soft arch of her neck, halting at the edge of her jaw where he presses a gentle kiss and an eternal promise: ”I love you.”
Before he can speak up again, or even break the shackles of his uncertainty, Sochi joins them.
It’s impossible to look away as she shifts from tigress to horse and hurls herself at Nikolaus with the unwavering love of a mother. All the months of searching and wondering have finally ended. Their hearts ached incessantly as they prowled what seemed like the farthest reaches of Beqanna only to return home with empty hands. The idea of failing another child rattled through Castile and chiseled away at him day after day. Only in solitude did he ever crumble in fear that Nikolaus would never be found. A paralyzing sense of defeat often deadened his body or haunted him during restless nights of sleep. In front of Sochi and Reia, however, he had no choice than to appear strong and determined.
No one knew how afraid he truly was.
No one knew how shattered he would be if his son was never found.
Every emotion, every damn feeling possible, explodes through Castile’s veins as his eyes drink in the sight around him. This – this is all he has ever wanted, all he has ever truly needed. His ribcage holds his heart steady as it threatens to burst at having them all huddled so close together beneath the Loessian sun. Sprouting from his shoulder blades, Castile’s draconic wings extend and embrace them all, his face buried into Sochi’s neck. A smile stretches widely across his lips, ”Our family is whole.” It’s surreal. This almost seems too good to be true, a dream that he imagined for years that he never expected to come to fruition.
With a heavy breath of relief and happiness, Castile slowly coils his wings to his sides. His gaze drifts from Reia to Nikolaus and then, finally, to Sochi where it dwells for a few heartbeats. The hard lines of his face soften and his grin refuses to fade as he pictures a future with her at his side – still fierce, still strong, but wholly and entirely his.
Leaning against her, Castile trails his lips along the soft arch of her neck, halting at the edge of her jaw where he presses a gentle kiss and an eternal promise: ”I love you.”
castile
@[sochi] <333