Prompt 1: A Special Person [ results pg 8 ]

[mikey]

delta . clarissa . ophelia . 298 words

the years following opehlia's death had been rough on delta, she was truly lost and felt as though her life lacked a purpose, a meaning. what was she meant to do now? she was supposed to marry that girl, raise a family with her and eventually grow old together. but that had all abruptly changed and now those plans were soiled. it had taken many years for delta to get back on her feet after her fiances passing, and she couldn't have done it without clarissa.

delta realized this one morning when she woke up to the kit leaning over her. "mum wake up! it's my birthday!" the kit squealed, delta's ears didn't appreciate that in the slightest but her heart certainly did. she smiled and sat up, hugging her daughter and laughing along with her. "muuuuum c'mon i wanna open my presents" she whined.

the two made their way into the kitchen for breakfast - and presents, of course - clarissa hopped up onto the stool at the bench, resting her head in her paws. delta's heart melted, once again, at this rate she was going to just be a puddle soon. oh, what she would have given for ophelia to be with them. "mum can i have pancakes for breakfast, please?" clarissa interrupted into her thoughts.

it's days like these - she thought to herself while cooking breakfast - that makes everything worth it. seeing the smile on clarissa's face keeps her going. seeing how happy the kit gets when she eats the food delta made, or watching her face light up when she opens her presents. delta sighed happily as she watched clarissa play with her new toys on the loungeroom floor.

"oh pumpkin, you're my everything, my sunshine and i don't know what i would do without you"

[Peppermint Mist]

May, Lucas

[cocoa]

Neschume ft Ki

"There are days I thought no one in the world would ever see me for who I am... until Ki would run up to me and remind me that all those worries were wrong."

Neschume was that small, quiet and introverted boy who sat at the back of classrooms and doodled on his paper. He was the boy who would go to the library or a quiet corner at breaks. He was the teenager that never went to any high school dances, and the man who sat down at a quiet office job and sifted through accounting records.

And Neschume may very well have been struck with sorrow at the dullness of it all, may very well have found his days to be drowning in sad music and meaningless video games if it were not for his brother, Ki. No one was ever there for him like Ki was: not their deadbeat single mom, and not their grandparents, who were always busy with their four kids and many other grandchildren. Ki was the one who, when Neschume made to shy away, put him at the centerpiece of the event: changed his image into that of an edgy cool kid, not a depressed loner.

When they played pranks, Neschume was the scary ghost who laughed at you after you'd screamed, Ki the guy who came back in the end and patted him on the back for a prank well done. Ki was always the mastermind of such things, but for his social brilliance, he never liked the spotlight much. Hence, Neschume took on a sort of greater infamy than Ki, while Ki kept up his well-known, friendly-guy persona, who occasionally invited his super-cool, edgy brother to lunch.

At home, in their dingy, one-bedroom apartment, their mum didn't care so much what they got up to as long as they were still alive by the end of the day. They spent hours late into the night talking, playing games, or causing trouble for the neighbors after playing pranks on their mom had got old. There was nothing Neschume couldn't tell Ki, and nothing Ki didn't share with Neschume. They knew each other inside out, and having grown up with each other their entire life, they weren't about to get tired of each other either. It was Ki that Neschume could admit his loneliness, and be answered the next day with his twin brother tagging by his side all day.

Even as an adult, when they had moved apart: Ki always traveling for his job, and Neschume stuck at an apartment with his office job, they always had time for eachother. Near nightly facetime sessions, texts, semi-weekly visits. The loyalty that Ki inspired in people, in Neschume, left him knowing that there was nothing he wouldn't do for his brother.

Even when Ki would show up, stinking like a junkyard, with one (1) dead body on hand.

[484/500]

[waffle02]

"Every father should remember that one day
his son will follow his example instead of his advice."
~Charles F Kettering

Nes and Garret

[☆ star child]

"My siblings."
The word is uttered with no hesitation or reluctance in the tone; it is simply a fact.
Moyle cannot remember the last time she saw her siblings and is at the same time acutely aware of the many years since they were all separated. They were only kits then- made strong by the death of the mother and their fathers' grief, defiant together even if the face of her sisters illness that they all feared would claim her life much like it claimed her mothers. Moyle never got to know if her sister made it, though, not with the whole separation and adoption affair taking place.
She ponders for a moment on whether her adopted brother is included in her love, though quickly dismisses it. She loves him and the kalon who raised her - they were not her parents, no, she refuses to ever think that - but he wasn't the same as the three she grew up with. Nothing was ever the same after they left.
She wonders briefly then whether it would be worth giving up her life for three kalon who have been absent from her life for almost twenty years. A sister and two brothers; her mother is gone, her father is gone, and she has not had a real family in so very long. Would anyone really understand if she tried to explain 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'?
Maybe not, and maybe it doesn't; maybe it just makes you desperate. But when you've dedicated so many years and so much travel in trying to find three people in a world containing thousands of other kalon, let alone planets, universes, species - maybe it's a little too late to give that up. Maybe she has already given up her life for them. Maybe they've forgotten who she is.
"I would do anything for my siblings. Honestly; and if you find them, will you let them know?"
[321/500]

[Baylin]

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Kindly Ones
Soren//Slade

[Midnightkitkat]

“Having a child makes you realize the importance of life, narcissism goes out the window. Heaven on earth is looking at my little boy. The minute he was born, I knew if I never did anything other than being a mom, I’d be fine.” - Jenny McCarthy

Although married and with children Apollo would always pick his mother. Latona was a single but sickly mother although the sick part had been with her most of her life. When her son was born she knew he would live his life to fullest she could give him. When he found his love of music she worked as many hours she could to buy him his own bass guitar. She attended every performance she could and made sure to cheer loudest of all. As he grew older she grew more fragile. Taking odd jobs so his mom wouldn't have to the caretaker had to learn to let some take care of them. Unable to do the tasks she used to Latona became sorrowful. She never wanted this for her son and when her time came Apollo nearly fell apart. The one who kept him going and never told him to change his hearts desires was gone much too soon. After his grief Apollo became more driven to work towards his music. With the help of his at the time girlfriend the band was formed and unknowingly his new family. With the birth of his own child Apollo found himself overrun with emotions and fears of not being good enough. Yet, as the years went on and they grew he found himself thinking on those last few years with him mom and realized. She may not have had an exciting or adventurous life, but she had a happy one. Every smile or laugh from his child brings him closer to Latona and her closer to him.

"Holding my Mother’s ashes in my hand. A thunder of pain smashes in my heart. The beauty of her smile, always allowed me to go the extra mile. As thoughts pile up in my mind, the sound of her voice brings comfort. Even though she is gone, she taught me how to be strong. ... You were strong in the darkest hour and you showed me the strength to achieve victory. So at this moment my victories and achievements belong to you.” – Mark Frank
[397]

[✦ nemuri]

"are you afraid, or do you still view yourself as a blank slate for the government?"



"a special someone?" julian echoed, turning his eyes to to the ceiling as he shifted uncomfortably in thought. his cyan eyes flickered from ceiling tile to ceiling, before he turned to face the girl seated next to him with a sheepish smile. "ah, i suppose i might have someone who fits that description? i wouldn't necessary say that they're family or a lover or anything."

julian's eyes adopted a faraway look as he stared off, seemingly at the girl but instead really at a random, fixed point beyond her head. "we actually met because i was trying to kill her. uhm, i know it sounds concerning, but from where i lived, that kind of stuff was pretty normal. eirlys is just really resistant to these things, and she saw me coming from basically a mile away.

"long story short, she took my life and turned it completely upside down. she busted me out of the hell that was the government, and from there, she taught me how to be ... how should i put it ... more 'myself', in a sense?"

julian chuckled lightly at the memory, reminiscing past memories of the person he valued the most. he smiled wistfully and tapped the digits of his fingers against his thigh, humming to himself at the same time. "yeah, looking back at things now, there's no way i could've beaten her at the state i was in before. eirlys is smart and adapts so quickly that it's almost unbelievable; i guess years of hopping about on the streets can do that to a person.

"ah, sorry for rambling on ...! it must've been boring to hear me talk, considering i'm not really one for relationships, huh? well, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself ...?"

[stan.]

[465/500]

Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled...”

His fists curled, scrapping bits of bark off the log as his nails dug into it. First emotions that washed over him were anger and resentment. Then the dull, cold feeling of missing someone. Hyohyo's eyes darted away from the young girl.

They hadn't seen each other for what felt years, but all their memories were still as fresh as ever. There was no way in the world he could forget about his brother. And he knew many others hadn't, he could tell their mother hadn't.

Date had those distinct looks that made it much more so painful to think about. That splash of dumb red hair was impossible to miss, and was something Hyo missed seeing around the halls of their home. Missed seeing around the gardens, missed talking to him.

As they grew older, they stopped playing together. Date was much more about hanging around with the guards than with Hyohyo.

They'd always greet each other when they passed by.

But home still felt much more empty, and his teeth grit only from thinking of how little care his mother showed.

One day, he remembered, she just told Date to leave. And so he did, Hyohyo only heard the angry shouts as guards chased his own brother away. He told them to stop but he Date didn't run back home that day.

His mother told him it was for the best.

His face twisted thinking on her words. He knew the best was for Date to be home, he had nothing wrong, Hyohyo swore on all he believed. Their mother never gave any better explanation, never showed any sadness nor concern for Date.

It was so unfair, he felt.

He would leave all doors open at night, he did not care if anyone else snuck inside. It could be his brother any day.

He would go out on long trips to forests, towns and villages and ask everyone, from noblemen to ruffians, if they had see Date.

Even if his mother said she would not welcome Date back in, that was fine. He had a plan about that.

Hyohyo knew everything would be alright once his brother was back home. That was all that mattered. Even if Hyohyo had to drag him back. Home was the best place.

"Of course," Hyohyo said.

------

He heard many times some concern about his plan.

Just march back into a castle full of guards? With a sword? Couldn't end well.

But it was his home, Date knew. And Hyohyo would be there to welcome him back.

And to help him face their mother.

“I’m glad for that.”
- Ally Condie

[recherché.]

Slade & Soren

If I know what love is, it is because of you. – Hermann Hesse

Special people are hard to come by. It was this way for years way before Slade met the love of his life.
Sure, love is a strong word used to get out of difficult situations. But their love is even stronger than life
itself. Slade was in a bad place. A very bad place, making horrible decisions when his most recent lover
just up and left him. It was one of the worst times of his life. Probably the biggest pain he's experienced,
right next to losing his leg.

He had no hope of ever finding love after that because it showed him how easy it is for someone to just
throw him away. Was he really that bad of a person? What did he do to deserve this? It wasn't his fault and
it didn't take long for Soren to make him realize that.

Soren is the best thing that's happened to him and even to this day, Slade has no clue how he managed to snatch
up a guy like him. A guy with a bunch of baggage and a guy who struggles with conveying his emotions. But the
two of them make it work, trying their best to make sure each other's needs for attention are met since Slade is
away a lot due to his work. But it's really just the little things that count.

When Slade gets home from work, Soren always rushes to make sure he doesn't need any medical attention. If
he does then he's quick to patch his boyfriend up and provide him with all the love in the world. Then the two
of them snuggle up and binge watch movies until they fall asleep.

Slade tries to provide his boyfriend with as much comfort as possible when he's away, from little coupon books
to a makeshift photo album or picture book. But, the best comfort in the world is being in each other's arms and
they're both thankful for every new day that they get to spend with each other.

[339]