[backdated to a couple days after: /showthread.php?tid=11721]
Doru was beginning to doubt his decision by the time he had arrived in Cetus, yet here he was. If he was here, he might as well follow through. He flew to the craggy area where he grew up, where his siblings chrysalises were, and where Erasmus constantly haunted.
He landed, his gaze searching somewhat uselessly through the mist. It would best to call out, really. Erasmus would hear. They always heard. ...It had been comforting as a child, he remembered, knowing that Erasmus would hear him if he needed them. A sense of safety.
Was he able to provide a sense of safety to his own child, after having hurt another child, he wondered. It was a useless thought.
"Erasmus!" he called out, his first time actually visiting since... a number of cycles. He could not imagine that Erasmus had changed much, however.
"Doru is here!" he spoke his name in third-person, to alert Erasmus better.
@Erasmus
Erasmus was alert as soon as they heard their name, recognizing the voice even better they remembered their own. After all, this was one their children's voices.
They climbed down from the leafless tree they were perched in, one branch at a time, then darted towards the direction they had heard the voice. By the time Doru has spoken next, they were there, slinking out of the mist.
While Doru thought them unchanging, Erasmus actually stood a little bit taller than before, no longer quite as slouched and wary at the world.
"Doru!" Erasmus greeted, delight in their raspy voice.
"Happy to see! What brings?" they proclaimed, then asked. They knew this child was not one to act without purpose.
Oh! Erasmus had news for their child, as well.
"Doru's Raspite-sibling hatched!" at that announcement, their voice was full of contented awe.
@Doru
Emotions came so easy to Erasmus, Doru thought, as his parent proclaimed their happiness to simply see him before even asking his purpose. Yet, there was something different to their parent that Doru could not name.
"I am having a child, and it got me thinking," he explained.
Technically, he had two children, he supposed, but he had given away his rights to one of them. It was for the best, he had felt. And it was, wasn't it? Doru was not suited for parenthood, not really. It was only because of Vindicator that he was going to raise a child at all.
"Congratulations," he informed Erasmus, startled by the news of a sibling. Yet, he did not feel anything for this unknown sibling, good nor bad. He simply felt neutral. The sibling was a stranger.
"Have you... ever done something that you cannot be free of?" Doru inquired, thinking of his own acting of a child and how it plagued his mind so often now that he was to be a parent, so soon after.
He did not understand how his parent could be so very full of life and love, giving love freely to those with connections to themself again and again. It was incomprehensible for Doru.
@Erasmus
Erasmus had never pictured Doru as a parent, or themself as a grandparent. Their first two children were not really the family-oriented sort, Erasmus had thought. Had they thought wrong? They studied their child.
But the disinterest of Doru at hearing of their sibling, while it did not bother Erasmus since this was how Doru was, confirmed that Doru had not become any more familial than before.
At the question, Erasmus hesitated. Then they nodded, gathering words.
"When three cycles, was alone. Killed an... intruder. Did not mean to kill. Greater gembound, dragon, Alek's parent's brother. ...Raspite stone, given life. Life still taken, though. ...Alek knows, found me," they explained, to the point yet their raspy voice filled with harsh emotions.
The thought of their kill brought regret, as always. Erasmus would never be free from that guilt, even if the Raspite child had hatched now.
"What Doru do?" Erasmus gently rasped, wanting to help their child.
@Doru
Doru had never known this was something of their parent. Imagining their skittish pacifistic vampire parent killing someone was nigh impossible. Let alone a dragon. Doru should not feel impressed, and he did not let the feeling seep into his gaze, but he was impressed.
It made sense, too, in an odd way. Skittishness and pacifism was caused by the guilt of killing, not preceding it. From the sound of it, Erasmus was a feral, territorial child. Who had killed a dragon, the stone of which he had revived as a child, intending to surround it with siblings.
This was not the correct way to feel about this situation, he knew, from having observed emotions thoroughly. He would have to speak to Vindicator about his own emotions. He did not want them negatively impacting Vindicator.
Erasmus's question jolted him back into the present.
"I scratched a child who provoked me," he stated.
"I had... reasoning, at the time. But it is not an action that can truly be justified, I think."
"The child is fine now, in all likelihood. He hurt me than I hurt him," he gestured to the burn injury seared but mostly healed, leaving a scar, onto his side. A graze, but one that had left a mark.
@Erasmus
Erasmus was surprised. Doru had been better with his temperament as a child himself, yet had done such a thing as that as an adult? Yet they did not doubt the truth of it. Doru could be provoked to rage, they imagined, with ease. He felt strongly and then not all at times.
It was different from their own sin, which had been accidental. Erasmus did not know what to say. They thought the payback of the burn scar was probably well enough, for this act. But they understood why it lingered in thoughts, especially if Doru was becoming a parent.
"Hurt for hurt, not solution," Erasmus considered.
"Doru will have to live with this. Only way. Continue and live. Be better, do not forget or do again. Learn. But living important, not simply... survive."
It was that simple in Erasmus's mind. Doru had done a bad thing. He would have to continue with that knowledge.
@Doru
It was a simple conclusion that Erasmus had come to, yet a startling profound one for all that they spoke in such a stilted way. Doru knew their parent was intelligent, but Doru had quietly thought Alek the smarter of the two. Perhaps, he had been wrong to think such.
"Thank you, my parent. That is wise advice," Doru nodded to Erasmus, about to leave. Then he paused, realizing something odd. Usually, his vampire parent was always found beside his draconic dad.
"Where is Dad?" he inquired, an idle question in the moment.
@Erasmus
Was it wise, Erasmus wondered? To them, it simply felt the facts that they understood.
Then, much to their surprise, Doru asked after Alek. Perhaps it was not caring, but curiosity, yet it still made Erasmus happy.
"Alek join friend, Onyx-Three. Chaos Forge," they explained.
"Erasmus visit in Draco, but... Needs to learn independence from Alek. Healthier, Alek says."
@Doru
Doru felt frozen by the explanation of where Alek had gone. He had not even known that his dad was friends with a member of the Chaos Forge, let alone would consider joining. Or... had he? A story, of sparring with another child when he was young. Onyx-Three, the name was familiar.
Yet, Doru was now having a child with a member of the Hive, for all that they were raising the child separate, it would still be a child of Order.
He realized he had fallen silent far too long.
"...I... My bonded who I am having a child with, it is a drone of the Hive. The Vindicator. Our child is not of the Hive, but will be of Order," he quietly informed Erasmus.
"Tell or do not at your own discretion... I should go," he spoke, an odd distress that felt oddly like betrayal coming over him. He had no bond really, how could his dad have betrayed him, even? It was ridiculous. Yet it did not change how Doru felt.
He opened his wings and flew away before Erasmus could try and stop him.
[Exit Doru]
@Erasmus
Erasmus was left stunned, reaching for their child as he flew away. A distressed keen left their throat.
Alek was joining the Chaos Forge, which Erasmus knew little of. Yet they knew the Chaos Forge was enemies of the Hive and Order, the latter of which would include their grandchild.
They felt deeply conflicted. Did they tell Alek? They would need to. It was important. It would take time to reach him, though. It was best to stop at Orion, first.
Perhaps they could talk to Cadenza or Sprig, first. Alek's parents always had a way of soothing to them both.
[Exit Erasmus]