Ohhhh trips with Daddy and Khari were the bestest, frolicking on the water and dancing in the sunlight and seeing all new places, and meeting pretty new people who were niiiice and fun! But it was maybe even better to come home and sneak a quick cuddlesome nap and a much, much quicker snack from Mommy, kiss her on the nose, and scamper off to go play with her Khari.
As soon as she was finished filling her very, very hungry belly, Kali did just that, in fact. She beamed up at her pretty Mommy, and stre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-etched her neck out so that she could reach all the way up to Mommy’s face, and kissed her right on the end of her nose, where it was all soft and smooth and lovely. And then on the bridge of her nose, and allllll the way up to her forehead. “I love you, Mommy. I’m gonna go play with Khari, okay? We’re gonna go ‘sploring, and have a ‘venture! Ooooh and maybe when we get home, you an’ me can go chase flutteries? And maybe pounce some hoppy bugs!”
Of course that was the best idea, and sounded like a fabulous lot of fun. Mommy couldn’t help but agree, right? So she scampered away with a wide-eyed grin, bouncing and bounding and heading in the probably right direction. It looked right, Khari had showed her lots of his most favorite places in his head, and this looked like the way to the best one for sunshiney days where the rainbow birds were talking.
Lots of big trees with nests made outta sticks and mud and purple hairs the birdies had stolen off trees where Khari and Kylie and even Daddy had itched and skritched and shed a bit. Daddy’s hairs even made the birdie nests shine a little bit. She could hardly blame them for wanting such pretty nests to hatch their little birdie babies in, and she wanted to seeeee!
The babies were past the peepy cheepy stage with big ol’ gapey mouths like caves open and waiting for yucky bird puke to drop in and fill their bellies. They were even past the funny ugly stage where they were all patchy-nakey and still growing funny feathers not nearly as pretty as Khari’s feathers on his wings, which were the prettiest feathers in all the world. Maybe his feathers looked funny like that when he was itty bitty and growing them for the very first time? But Baddies feathers didn’t look like icky baby bird feathers, so maybe not.
Khari? she asked, rearing up and resting her front legs on the trunk of a tree, stretching up, up, up to try to see one of the nests and the funny baby birdies inside. Were your feathers always beautiful? Or did they start out like baby bird feathers do? Of course, she couldn’t anywhere close to reach the top of a tree, but she tried anyhow. Just to see if maybe today she could. Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
kharon There was an instant smile on his face when he sensed her coming closer. She almost made it all the way to him, too. But those bright, little eyes got distracted by the flapping colors of the wild birds, perched high in the jungle trees of their island paradise. So many hatchlings this time of year, and each one seemed to catch her interest. So many bright colors.
Khari? she called silently to him as he calmly strolled the rest of the way to her. She rose on her hind legs, her front knees balanced carefully against the trunk as she stretched. Were your feathers always beautiful? Or did they start out like baby bird feathers do?
His grin widened as he snuck up behind her, stepping in close and burying his face into her spine then up to her shoulder. His wings came forward, wrapping around them and to the tree, caging them in the shadows of his warm embrace. He chuckled softly, nuzzling his cheek into her little neck. You mean you can imagine me less beautiful? he teased. She was so small, so soft. She even had that cute little baby smell, and he snuggled in a little more for a brief moment before giving a light kiss to her cheek and stepping back.
"You remembered where to find this place," he said a little proudly, pale gray eyes glittering as his wings tucked back into his sides. "And no, I don't think my wings ever looked like that. I only remember them being sticky and heavy."
He should take her on a little adventure, maybe. She'd probably like that. Come on, he thought to her, arching a wing in invitation to be at his side. It's how he always held Kylin, and even with Zhenga and Allure once, so it was completely natural to him. Let's go higher, the mountain gets really steep but a little ways up and the air is so much cooler and smells soooo good.
With her at his side, he led them on, over fallen and rotting trunks of trees and through all the different plants and bushes of their wild home. Always ready with a wing or shoulder to steady her, his watchful eyes gravitated back to her. Obviously, as her big brother, he could never let her get hurt. It was going to be a bit of a hike, but knowing her young thirst for adventure, she'd probably love every minute of it.
"You see that one?" He bent down to her level, pointing out a bright, bright blue bird with a dark purple throat. "Those like the fruit, and bugs too. And that one," he gestured to a smaller, black bird with a slender and pointed, neon-yellow beak, "Those eat from the flowers." He often liked to watch the birds of their home, wishing he could learn to fly just by studying them. He thankfully didn't have a parent to toss him out of a tree to learn the hard way. He'd much rather learn some other way, thank you very much.
Quotes are speech. Italics are telepathy
Kali was reaching up as high as she could reach, paying too much attention to the squeaky squawky baby birds to notice how close her Khari had gotten. So when he sneak-attack cuddled her, she squeaked herself, a delighted little “Eep!” followed closely by a wiggly little snuggle against him as he murmured a question in her head. “Of course not, you must always have been beautiful,” she answered, leaning back against him and lipping gently at one of his wings as he kissed her on the cheek. Such lovely feathers, her very favorite lavender and white, all wrapped around her like hugs and home.
“You remembered where to find this place,” her Khari said, taking a step back, and she beamed at him, tilting her head so she could see him, so she could catch the pride in his eyes. Yes, she’d been oh so clever, hadn’t she? Too delighted with herself to contain it, Kali wriggled with delight as she nodded and turned to face him, her tiny scruff of a tail waggling happily. “And no, I don’t think my wings ever looked like that. I only remember them being sticky and heavy.”
“And covered on gook, like I was when I was born? Ew!” Kali’s dark brown eyes went wide with fascination, and her grin widened. “Slimy feathers do not sound fun at ALL at all. Good thing Mommy was there to clean you up, huh? That woulda been icky and sticky and cold otherwise.” ‘Course, if Mommy hadn’t been there, Khari wouldn’t have either, ‘cause how else would he have got there?
When he held up his wing, she gave one excited little hop and tucked herself up under it, cuddling close and rubbing her face against his shoulder. Okay! That sounds fun! Of course, anywhere with Khari sounded like fun, but especially a ‘venture just the two of them. Khari knew the best places to go, the coolest sights to see, and even knew lots of cool things about the wildlife. So she was learning, too. Even more reason for Mommy to say she could go!
Tucked safe against her big brother, she followed his lead up the mountainy bit of the island some, and he was right! It was nice and cool, and the air smelled like green things and birdsong filled her ears. “You see that one?” he asked, and she followed his nose to almost the prettiest bird she’d ever seen, all bright blue all over except her very favorite purple on his throat. Well, darker than her very favorite, but still! Purple!
“Oh, he’s so handsome!” she said, leaning closer to get a better look. “He eats bugs? Are bugs yummy, Mr. Bird? I’ve never ate a bug before, only milk. Do birdies like milk, Khari? Oooh,” she added, her attention easily redirected to the second bird. “Mommy eats grass, maybe she eats flowers too? I wonder if flowers are tasty. I like his bright yellow face, but the purple is prettier. Everything’s prettier purple, don’t you think?” Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
kharon She squeaked in surprise and snuggled into him. It probably shouldn't have felt so good, but he does love to hold his sisters close. She was so much smaller than Kylin, though. Didn't fit to his body quite the same. Both so soft, so beautiful. All three of them. He liked that Kali was different, wasn't just like Ky who was just like him. Ky and him, they'd always be a pair, an attractive match.
She leaned back against him more, lipping sweetly at his wing, and he sighed quietly. His eyes closed, so content, and he nuzzled into her a little more before kissing her cheek and pulling away.
No, he told her, his wings hadn't looked like that, only sticky and heavy. "And covered in gook, like I was when I was born? Ew!" He laughed, and nodded. Yeah, gross. But it hadn't been Mother that cleaned him. Dad had done that, had always been there. Reilly took care of him when Mother wouldn't, or couldn't. He didn't share that with Kali, though. Sometimes Mother seemed like she was trying to be a better mom, and struggling, but trying. He didn't want to ruin her efforts by telling Kali she hadn't been there for him like that.
Maybe Mother was a good mom to Kali, at least. Though, of course he loved her anyway.
Kali scuttled instantly to his side when he lifted his wing, and he draped it around her and pulled her closer, rubbing a sweet little pattern into her forehead with his nose. Then he walked with her and watched her little eyes dart around to all the different things to see. He pointed out a couple different birds and saw her happy eyes light up even more, tugging his smile even wider. Her joy was so infectious.
He felt a little guilty, though. She was bright and beautiful and wanted adventure, and all he wanted to do was hold her and fill her mind like they used to. He was trying to be more distant, trying to listen to Father and not be so close an affectionate with his sisters. Too much love was bad, too much hugging and holding was bad. But it felt so lonely without someone pressed against him. Kylin had always been there, and without her always near he felt like he was constantly bleeding out everywhere like that bone man does. Or did. Wherever he went.
Ugh. This sucked.. Okay, but only for a minute and then he'd take her more places. Really.
He knelt down and tugged her to him. "No, Mother doesn't eat flowers. They're not for eating, silly girl." His voice was warm and affectionate, and he nudged her with his wing a little more, curling it around her little body and pulling her down to him. He was already nuzzling into her again, tickling that little place above her shoulder that makes her giggle. For the first time in a while, he let himself fill her mind with his presence, not quite wrapping around and tangling with her as he used to, but settled and watchful.
I'm sorry I'm quiet sometimes. I have missed you, I just.. Sometimes I'm not supposed to do things. It's confusing. I don't even understand it, but I'm trying. He needed to say the same to Kylin, he still needed to make it right again. Avoiding her was almost easier than seeing her hurt because of him, but he still heard her pain in his head, still felt his own sorrow at their distance too, and he couldn't take it much longer.
Quotes are speech. Italics are telepathy
Ohhhh, cuddled up against Khari, that was the very best place to be. All tucked in under his wing, whether they were walking together or curled up somewhere all snuggly and cozy. Kali rubbed her face against his shoulder and sighed with a happy little smile as he traced on her forehead with the soft of his nose. I love you, Khari.
And of course the birds were fun and pretty and the learning was nice, and the seeing new places was always exciting. But her very favorite part of it all was this. The part where he tugged her on down with his wing, settled her against him, and slipped into her head where he’d always been, as long as she could remember. Home. She giggled as he tickled her, and squirmed, but not to escape. Uh-uh, nope, she loved it when he tickled her, it made her whole self all happy and warm and glowy.
I miss you too, when you’re quiet. She settled against him and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes so she could feel him better inside her mind. I don’t know what that means, but I do know that I’m happier when you’re here with me like this. I mean, it’s okay when you can’t be. Don’t be sad for that. But I feel all safe and cozy and warm and loved like this. Home. What’s confusing about home? Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
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