Out with the golden we sew // Rapt

[Khaedrik]

Khaedrik – of nightmares and madness; whose shadow incessantly hummed in a susurrus of misery, who wears a cloak of ash and unpredictable, unfathomable paradox. And even so, there is still hope bubbling shamelessly somewhere in the cusps and crevices of his consciousness, as if he is unknowing of the chaos and the nightmare that cling like tar to his name. And ill-clad vagrant who is lacking meaning to follow and inspiration to exist as anything other than an extension of his beloved shadows.

Khaedrik is a study in gold and shadow-like nuances that begin to form and ruthlessly come into substance in the snake-like tangles of his mane and unfold like tar and ash over his croup. And there´s the shadows that stretch into ghouls by his hooves, these monsters that murmur in the dark. This, and the haunted look in his khol-black eyes is enough to send a shiver of unease down the spine of anyone that would happen upon the boy alone.

Perhaps that is why he comes – swathed in some shadow-mystery, one minute they are alone and the next he is there, to stand next to his sister. He is the splotches of musky earth on her skin – the dark to balance out the ivory-white. His shadows pool around their feet – wisps of smoky, ominous darkness. Khaedriks turgid eyes turn from father to son to bright-colored lover. So this is the family. A motley group – thrown together only by circumstance, he thinks, and there is the shadow of a smile on his lips. Perhaps here he is not so out of place.

Khaedrik’s breathes a husky hello - perhaps he is an unwelcome sight in this misnomer of family reunion, but he ignores it. ”I am Khaedrik” he offers, stiffly, and then to the boy that shares his blood ”your uncle.”

Better to speak before that lion’s maw of insecurities swallow him whole.

[Solace]

---

Solace

. . .

She watches him a moment longer than she probably should - but it wasn't like there were rules for this sort of thing. Solace had been curious about this man (more so than she had ever admitted) and it's hard for her to look away from the flesh-and-blood version of someone who has so often stalked her thoughts. 

"They are," she replies with her diplomat's smile, maybe her auto-pilot was finally stepping in. But there she stops, because Kagerus is moving forward to take control, as she so often does, and Solace is more than happy to hand over the reins. When the sulky stallion's eyes leave her, she feels as though a weight has been lifted off her chest. Out of the spotlight, she can breathe again. 

Avoiding his critical eye, she looks to Abysm, the only one who seems to be enjoying this meeting. In her experience, families were large  complicated lifeforms of their own. It may seem strange, Solace had never questioned Kagerus' decision to part from her son. She had been delighted to find him hail and healthy withing Hyaline's boarders one day, and after that any doubts which may have eventually surfaced never had a chance.

But another appears, familiar yet unknowable, saving her from having to manufacture an appropriate, engaging question. He commands their attention and addresses Kagerus' firstborn. She feels out of place, the only one not linked to another present by blood, and she holds her silence. 

[abysm]

Your mother asked that I meet her family.

That’s not right.

That’s not fair.

Somehow he manages to keep those thoughts to himself. But he has to wonder why his mother would be cruel enough to wound his father this way. For all that he is glad to see his father there, it is selfish of Kagerus to have asked him to come. 

Granted Abysm has little to no knowledge of the depth of her feeling for his father but he can imagine that the vein of it does not run that deep. Not deep enough to leave his father alone because she loved him. Only deep enough to want him to know the happiness she found after leaving him. 

Selfish!

Now he can barely contain himself. It is only Rapt’s touch to his withers and the seemingly reluctant appearance of his mother’s new lover that holds him back from giving his mother a piece of his mind. She seems as awkward and unsure of this entire debacle as his father does. Poor Rapt. Poor Solace. 

A small bit of his heart goes out to her.

To be fair, he feels no ill will towards the pretty little queen. She didn’t know and she so easily charms him, especially when the twins are about. He is momentarily torn because he wants to comfort her too but his feet keep him grounded next to his father. Rapt needs him more. Solace has Kagerus after all.

He’ll comply with her wish to meet more family. He’s frolicked with the twins on occasion since they’re the only ones that tolerate his older brother bossiness and seem to adore the dreams he makes for them. So he’s trying, really. But still thinks this is another of the most awful things his mother could have ever done so his silence and emotionless stare is all that she gets from him besides a nod acknowledging that he’s met the twins.

It seems to be the same kind of silence his father is giving the pair of pretty lovers. Just one more quirk of personality that he did not inherit from his mother. His head tilts to the side as someone else approaches. It is a stallion in gold dress not so different from the gold that robes father and likewise, son. He introduces himself and throws out their blood-tie almost casually or so quickly that it diffuses some of the strangeness of this entire thing. 

Uncle?

She never mentioned an uncle!

His mouth tapes open before he remembers to stop staring and close it. It might be all the shadows swarming around the palomino that have him in awe or the simple fact that here’s is another relative she kept him in the dark about. “Cool.” Is all he can manage just then with a very teenager-like nod that conveys carelessness but fails to fully hide the excitement he is desperate to keep under wraps.

More silence fills the reunion. Seems they’ve come to a stalemate and it is up to Kagerus to steer this wretched ship of familial obligation and desire to a better shore of commonality. No one else seems wont to talk and Abysm just looks between all the adults. Sometimes petulant and sometimes expectant depending on who his eyes find.

[Kagerus]

kagerus

and in my dreams, i kissed your lips a thousand times

Well, it would be generous of me to say that I couldn't have dreamt this reunion any awkwarder. As the silence fills the place where questions aught to have been asked, I realize just how fucking stupid and dense I can be sometimes. I want to look to Solace for help, but she's done more than I can ever repay her for; and so instead, I listen desperately to the single or double words that are spoken between these people, my family, wishing that I could just self-detonate and be done with it all.

Why had I thought this was a good idea?

...But then I remember why, and I can't help but to resettle my nerves and deal with the consequences of my actions. My eyes do go to Khaedrik, my beloved brother with whom I share everything, and I smile at him thinly. He, at least, seemed to inspire some sort of reaction out of my son; a secret hope blossoms in my chest that perhaps the two will get to know one another, irrespective of my toxic influence in Abysm's life.

They all have the right to hold this against me, especially Rapt and Abysm. And so, I release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, turning to look Rapt squarely in the eyes before speaking a final time.

"I'm sorry for the awkwardness; it's my fault. Please, feel free to come and go as you wish. Hyaline is always open." Dipping my head, and smiling towards Abysm, I move off from the group about a hundred meters, far enough to denote the end of the reunion without forcing them to leave as well. If they'd care to discuss more without me around, I will respect that; but for now, I lower my head to graze, the knots in my stomach slowly unraveling.

Shitty post but y'all guilted Kag into peacing lmao, feel free to continue or to call this the end thanks for entertaining my vision!!! I loved it!