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 Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:41 pm
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"Like the wallpaper sticks to the wall badadaaah; like the seashore sticks to the sea badadaaah like you'll never get rid of your shadow, boy, you'll never get rid of me! Do doot doot do meeeeeee and my shaaaaaadow bodootdootdo strolling right along the avenue..."
It was a lovely day, bright, sunny, and cheerful. For a Soquili like Safi, sometimes that was all the was needed to really be in a good mood. Hell, even THAT wasn't necessary for a good mood; a good conversation or a random thought or any little thing like that was capable of resulting in pleasantries...but the sun WAS sort of important for the creation of a rather pronounced shadow, said shadow being the reason that Safi had burst into song anyway.
Granted, there was something odd about singing to a shadow, but when had he let a little oddness stop him from doing ANYTHING? Grinning, he trailed off in his singing to address the issue. "Oddness is good for the soul, or whatever passes for the soul; really, if more people embraced their inner oddness, the world would be a healthier place!" Or so he liked to tell his kids.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:45 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:53 pm
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Trotting along in his own little bubble of random thoughts, Safi wasn't particularly concerned about the appearance that he, a grown stallion talking to himself, was putting forth. Then again, he'd never cared about such things even when he was a foal, so the idea that he'd magically grow into a respectable stallion was laughable. Besides, there had to be someone around for there to be someone to see him, a simple bit of logic in and of itself. He didn't care either way; all he was doing was looking for a drink anyway, otherwise he'd be back up in the air.
That was the plan, anyway, and why he was walking towards the creek he'd scented a short while ago. He probably could have flown up to it, but walking a bit gave him a chance to exercise his legs; no sense in them getting even more useless than they already were.
However, today that walking served an even more helpful purpose. As he trotted over a small rise, a flash of a familiar sandy blue caught his gaze in passing. Amoena, all the way out here? Did that mean she's actually LISTENED to him? Amazing!
Grinning, he merrily called out a greeting, unaware at this distance that he was suffering from a case of mistaken identity. "Amey, since when have you been roaming all the way out here?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:02 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:09 pm
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...Whoops.
Seeing the sandy blue had been all Safi needed to assume that it was Amoena he was looking at; after all, he'd seen her numerous times over the course of her life, many more times than he'd seen his brother. As a matter of fact, he couldn't recall the last time he'd even SEEN Kohana off the top of his head, which contributed even more to the confusion.
Well, not so much confusion as simple foolishness, which he would be quick to acknowledge. But who had time?
Beaming from ear to ear, he all but bounced down the hill towards his brother. "Given the choices, I'd say insane, but if there was a third option I'd just say absent-minded. Or perhaps unattentive?" Grinning, he came to a stop a few paces away, radiating happiness. "It has, hasn't it? Perhaps you can excuse the confusion, then...but honestly, it's great to see you again, Koho!" And with that, he bounded forward the last little bit of distance and gave his brother a nuzzle of greeting.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:19 pm
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Kohana managed a smile for Safi, but it really didn't feel natural. "Happy to see me, my old and rare?" Man, Safi all but bled exuberance. "So, you're seen my little girl, I take it? Not so little anymore, I imagine." Not that Amoena probably thought of herself that way. It was part of his reality, though. He was always very aware of his children, for all that he did not spend a lot of time around them. He kind of... hovered at the edge of their existence.
"I would agree with inattentive. You've always been a bit flighty." There, he could smile, and he'd mean it. Gingerly, he nuzzled the wind back. It wasn't his brother's fault that he felt the way he did, nor his fault that he was the way he was. He really hadn't done anything to deserve the kind of treatment that he was liable to give him, if he didn't watch it. And he'd grown out of being a bully. Adulthood had changed Kohana somewhat.
Somehow, for all that they spent very little time around each other, Safi was important to him. Family. A big thing for the stallion. And to treat his family right, he needed to be careful. Just because he was hurting didn't mean that his sib needed to be hurting. Now, having grown up a bit, he realized that. He laughed dryly, kind of amused by the whole situation. It was funny in a twisted sort of way, wasn't it?
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:33 pm
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Grinning, Safi stepped back from Kohana and gave a nod in return to his brother's questions. "Is it so surprising I'd be happy to see you, Koho? Last time I saw you, Kwahu was this small!" Laughing, he gestured with a wing to indicate the formerly small stature of his nephew, now a stallion full grown. "It's only understandable that I be happy to see my only and most beloved brother!"
Pulling back his wings and folding them behind his head, Safi gave Kohana a most pointedly banal look, though his eyes were dancing with their usual merriment. After all, seriousness had never been his forte. But in some cases, he could manage. Talk of Amoena was one such topic, and he did straighten up slightly.
However, he was smiling fondly as he nodded in acknowledgement of Kohana's question about Amoena. "Frequently, as a matter of fact, through a sincerely strange twist of fate. I don't know what it is about us, Koho, but we have a knack for bizarre family situations." And this was true. What else could be said about...all of this? Glancing over at Kohana, Safi moderated his voice a bit more before querying, "have you been able to talk to youher at all as of late?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:41 pm
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Kohana looked away, focusing on the water as a way to keep himself firmly grounded in the now. "No, I haven't. I only met her the one time, Safi. ... Unless you're not talking about Amoena. She seemed... a bit like me, when I was younger. Just a little, though." She'd been a bit more violent than he ever was, but that was all to the good, right? Nobody would push his daughter around or try to take advantage of her if she could beat them up. A kind of sad smile formed at the corners of his lips.
"Yeah, we've got a strange family, and strange connections." Had those little foals that he'd seen been Lunathiel's? Perhaps she had finally settled things with Shadow. That caused a familiar ache to surface, but he shrugged it away. She'd found her own happiness. That was good. She'd been so very miserable when she'd confessed to him everything that had happened. If she could be happy, he could bite the bullet, and suck it up. He had.
He glanced back at his brother. "Kwahu tells me all about you. You've made a real impression on him. I'm glad he found someone to teach him how to fly." Poor little guy had been so confused. Explaining to him about their family, and why he had wings and his parents didn't had been interesting, to say the least. "I think he misses his 'Uncle Safi'." He was a good kid, if very different from his father. Well, that was to be expected. Not all foals grew up to be like their parents. And Safi had been a big influence on him.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:56 pm
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Smiling a bit morosely, Safi glanced away from Kohana, a strange mixture of guilt and sadness his first and foremost reaction to Kohana's confession. So Kohana had only seen Amey once, while he himself had seen her countless times, acting as her advisor, her comforter, her sounding board. Hell, even though he knew Luna didn't care for him, he'd kept up his relationship with Amey.
No, it was largely BECAUSE Luna didn't like him that Amey had been so close, actually, if he knew anything about his neice. Or at least that had been how it was originally, and because she hated Shadow. Hopefully she'd moved past that point, after their last talk.
But he was distracting himself now. "She may have been like you when she was younger, Koho, but honestly, she's her own mare. I've never met any other Soquili with her particular brand of..." Of what exactly? Vindictiveness was the word that came to mind, but that wasn't really the right word. "...Originality." That was safe. Something to ease into.
He smiled at hearing that Kwahu was still saying good things, though; how he adored his nephew! "Well, it was a pleasure being able to teach him, Koho; he's got a good head on his shoulders, and a good pair of wings on his back. Besides, it was good practice for me, and that's saying something. I'm only glad I didn't wind up breaking him up in the practice! Betcha he wouldn't want to see me again THEN!" Laughing, he gave Kohana a wink, the very idea that he'd have let Kwahu hurt himself laughable. Those kids were almost like his own, after all, and when they hurt, he hurt.
"But how have you yourself been, Koho? It's been so long since I've seen you, and so much has happened!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:11 pm
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Kohana was silent for a good long while, and when he spoke again, his voice held the deep sadness that he had been trying to conceal. "Not great, Saf. Not great." He willed the hurt to disappear, to lose its importance. It took another long moment, but he managed it, for the most part. "But I've been living." And that was something. "I've been... wandering, mostly. Thinking." Bottling up emotions that had no right to exist in the first place. He'd thought he could handle it. He thought he could be there for Lunathiel, but it had been so much harder than he'd imagined. And then, in the end, he'd failed her, and their two children. C'est la vie.
He considered Safi's words. "I'm glad she's become her own mare. That's good." Even if she'd done it where he couldn't, or wouldn't see. She probably was stronger for it. He felt proud of her, although he hadn't any idea of what she'd become. He was also proud of Kwahu, who seemed to be following in his uncle's footsteps. He seemed to have a boundless energy, kind of like a really big wolf pup. Adorable, lovable, and playful. Always friendly. It was easy to be fond of his son. The young stallion made it hard to dislike him.
"I think he was really proud that you taught him." He'd certainly seemed it. All puffed up, flitting about and babbling about 'Uncle Safi'. Frankly, Kohana'd been a bit jealous. The colt seemed to look up to his uncle more than he did his father. But really, that was his fault for not being there. Same thing with Amoena. He'd chosen to remove himself from the life of her mother, which basically meant removing himself from her life. Basically. "How have you been? What have you been up to?" More mischief, perhaps? Heh. And what had that look meant? That look that reminded him of the way he felt often. Guilty.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:22 pm
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It was strange, in a way. Safi had spent so much of his adult life consoling and advising, but that had always been with mares. Mares...were different from stallions, and his brother was even moreso. Instead of knowing what to say, he could only offer a pat on the back. "You know, Amey has always cared for you, Kohana. Cared for you to the point of self-destruction, almost, with the associated hatred of Shadow. I think that she'd like to see you sometime, if you're about again."
A small step, but an important one. He might be close to his neice, but in this sort of situation, where it was a conflict of blood, of emotions, of IDENTITY, it wasn't Safi who could really help. Maybe now that shewas putting some space between herself and her mother's mate, things would be better, but still...
And he himself wanted to see Kwahu. And introduce him to his kids, for that matter, they'd all likely get along so very we-
Oh yeah, his KIDS! Blinking a moment at his own overlooking that fact, he shortly thereafter burst into laughter, seemingly without reason. "What have I been up to? Oh, if only you knew how loaded a question that is..."
Shaking his head, he glanced over at Kohana, the devilishly impish spark back in his eyes. "Kohana...I'm a father!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:39 pm
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The blank look on Kohana's face was not because he didn't believe Safi. No, it was more because he was frankly... stunned. "... A father? Really?" He need a moment to think that over. Huh. "Wait, so... that makes me an uncle. How many foals are there?" He, of course, assumed that Safi had come about the baskets the usual way. He was wrong, but he didn't know that. Wow. That was... different. "What are they like?" Were they similar, or different from their dad? Would they like him, if he met them?
He blinked, and tried to soak in all of that news, and figure out if he agreed about Amoena. "Are you sure she doesn't dislike Shadow because of how things are between Lunathiel and Shadow?" Lunathiel. He really didn't need to think about her. Really, really didn't. In fact, thinking about her was problematic. "Does she want to see me, do you think?" He'd love to see her. She was his little girl, for all that she was grown up now, and they were so distant.
"What do you mean, it's a loaded question?" Maybe Safi'd told him everything, and maybe he hadn't. For some reason, he felt like he wanted to know. Wanted to be a part of his brother's life, finally. Suddenly, being out and about, and around someone he sort of new, he felt a little more alive again. A little bit closer to peace. Not quite there, but it was a start. A real improvement, he thought. "What's going on in that devious brain of yours, Safi?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:53 pm
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Informational exchanges were Safi's thing; he lived on them, breathed for them; communication had always been his forte, and having so much to tell Kohana was delicious. The fact that Kohana seemed interested made it that much better; though he'd always loved his brother, Safi knew that they hadn't always seen eye to eye. But this...this was a positive.
Amoena first. THAT was the touchiest subject, though, which meant that things had to be handled carefully. "I KNOW she'd love to see you, Koho, and I think it's safe to say that her feelings are not entirely linked to Luna and Shadow's relationship. Apparently things in at least ONE aspect of that relationship are going well, because they have kids. Granted, Luna still thinks I'm...less than reputable, so she doesn't know I know, but then, she also didn't ever really know that Amey was sneaking away to hang out with me, so...Man, I was a TERRIBLE influence on your daughter in retrospect!" Inciting her to sneak away from her mother, the horror!
Oh well. "It's never to late to try to fix things, Koho. Amey is a smart girl, and I don't doubt she can understand your reasoning. Things between you and Luna were beyond complicated, and she's old enough to know that." And he didn't doubt she would. As for the OTHER things...
"You don't have to be anywhere anytime soon, do you?" And the grin as he said THAT spoke volumes, as he adored his kids and didn't care who knew it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:02 pm
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Oh s**t. It was the first thing that came to mind when he saw the grin on Safi's face. "Safi... you can't possibly have that many foals," he said in a mildly alarmed tone. Oh god. What did his brother want him to do? Kohana took a single step towards the creek, contemplating getting the hell out of there. ... Then again, it could be a perfectly innocent look. He might be grinning because he was happy about things, or because it'd take awhile to introduce him to his nephews. Nieces? Either, both?
Sneering slightly at the thought that Safi could ever be a truly bad influence on a foal, especially one of his, he shook his head. "Safi, you weren't a bad influence. You're my brother. You have every right to see your niece. My daughter." He frowned faintly, not liking the idea that perhaps Lunathiel had encouraged Amoena to stay away from her Uncle. "... Maybe I should have a talk with her," he mused. But, then again... having a talk with Luna probably would be a very, very bad idea, all things considered.
And what if Shadow showed up? What then? He blanched slightly, looking a little green. "Safi, did you have to break that to me that way?" What was he, heartless? No... just thoughtless. "Well. I guess it's good that she's moved on, and that their relationship is working out." The thought made him a bit twitchy, but what was he gonna do about it? Still... the idea that his daughter might actually want to see him was an encouraging one. "I'd like to see Amoena, if she wants to see me, I think." And see what kind of mare she'd grown into. It would certainly be a learning experience.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:28 pm
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"...Who said anything about having a lot of foals?" The grin was gone in an instant, replaced once again by the pokder-faced image of banality. "I swear, Kohana, you have on of the most active imaginations of any and all Soquilis I know!" Yeah, THAT wasn't a lie at all.
However, he'd never been able to maintain his charades of seriousness long, and quickly resumed his grin. "I have two children, one of each. But the circumstances involving THEM are even more convoluted than yours, no offense or unpleasantries intended at all. Let's see..." Hrm, how to phrase this? Looking upwards, Safi mulled over the best way to describe his situation. After all, Kohana might have knocked up an otherwise involved and somewhat inebriated mare, but HE had literally stumbled into fatherhood.
Might as well be to the point. "Both of my kids are adopted, actually. Saiena, my daughter, I found when she was a basket, dumped out in the woods. Tripped over her, actually, and decided to hang around and see if she'd been temporarily misplaced or what. After five days, I decided it was a more 'or what'." Safi couldn't keep the heat out of his voice as he spoke; one thing he'd never understood was what could possibly motivate anyone to simply abandon their children to the elements. If he hadn't come along, who knew WHAT might have happened to his beloved daughter?? "At any rate, I took her home, all fired up to have the kid experience; well, she was barely out of the basket when my friend Fortune a wonderful kind mare who's about as flakey as they come shows up with a basket SHE found; she doesn't trust herself to not forget about it, and suddenly I'm the father to THAT foal, my son Kileyo."
There. And he'd managed to tell that whole story without taking another breath! "It's a little complicated, though, since Kileyo recognizes me as his father and Fortune as his mother while Sai is MY baby and calls Fortune 'Fortune.' Not to mention there was the whole exciting 'Dad, why am I blue with purple spots when you're white and why don't I have wings' talk..." Sighing, Safi shook his head for a moment, then by way of explanation, offered up "Saiena is a regular like you; no wings, but the fastest legs I've ever encountered. Even as a foal she could run circles around me, and such a spirit she has! Kileyo is an alicorn, winged AND with a unicorn's horn; that was lucky for HIM, though, since he's the clumsiest boy imaginable. Teaching him to fly gave me SO many heart attacks, and even now that he's grown I have literally seen him trip over his tail."
Ah, the tribulations of fatherhood...
Which was obviously Kohana's thoughts, too. Veering back from his own over-talkativity about HIS kids, he gave Kohana a pat. "Seriously, Koho? Amey is a grown mare, and I doubt you putting yourself out on a limb and dealing with Luna is necessary, unless you really want to open that awkward can of worms. Though yeah, I have to admit it's a strange situation; maybe you should mull a bit?" Mulling was healthy, right?
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