[PRP] Only A Father Knows (Ravnos x Ennoia)

[Yayoi]

It hadn’t been long since Grendel and Ravnos has created Ennoia. And not long after that she had left the temple to create her own niche in the world. Like her father she had duties and responsibilities to the Clanless to attend to so he did not hold it against her that she had not stuck around for very long. The Disciple had been nearly wiped out from the process of her creation and he had slept several days after.

But now he found himself in one of the side courtyards sitting on a bench. The smell of cloves and something else filled the air as smoke rose into the night sky. It seemed almost an inky black with the shield that Grendel had up and the stars were barely visible. The cherry of the cigar burned a bright red as he took another drag and let the smoke roll around on his tongue before exhailing once more.

His mind wandered back to that day. A small smile coming to his lips as he remembered his daughter fondly.  

[Potandie]

The Goddess had much to do and she knew that. She had only just left them, barely beginning the construction of her sanctuary, when she experienced heartache for the first time. Ennoia was very aware of her responsibility to carve out her own place in this world. She did not expect Grendel and Ravnos to do it for her but... she were homesick. They were home to her and they always would be, regardless of whatever life she would build for herself. She could become a sense of home to others, would be delighted to bring such comfort, but her feet would always carry her back to her fathers. She was discovering this now, the softest of footfalls gently rustling the blades of grass beneath her.

Ennoia had felt restless after that unfamiliar sense of being homesick. She had taken a walk to clear her mind, explore the world around her and yet the only exploration was traveling the path right back to them. This would become a worn and beaten path, she became very aware of that when a warm smile shaped her lips at the first hint of cloves hanging in the air. The smoke tickled her nose but it did not disgust her. How could it? That was a part of her father's scent.

Ennoia took pause when she saw the silhouette of his form on a bench. Her hand lifted to swipe lightly over where her heart would be, feeling that warmth blooming just as it had the first time she saw them. She was cautious moving forward, having approached from behind him, giving a wide birth as she rounded the bench. It was in comfortable silence that she seated herself beside him. The rumble of a quiet purring had already begun to rise up in her chest while mismatched hues looked up to what little could be seen of the sky. Eyes that were still looking at the world around her in awe and wonder, the gaze of a child seeing it all for the first time.

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

The Disciple had sensed her the moment she had drawn near but did not turn to regard her. Not yet. Like with Grendel, Ennoia had an energy he could sense. Perhaps it was because half of what had created her was Grendel. Ravnos had been keen to his familiar darkness for a long time now.

Taking another drag from his cigar he held it, rolled the smoke through his mouth and out his noses “Ennoia…” Warmth flowed in those bright green eyes as his head turns ever so slightly. The light from a nearby torch who’s flame flickered and caused shadow to dance. “I did not expect you to return so soon. I hope you are doing well.” His free hand lifted to settle atop her head. Ruffling her dark hair lovingly.

While he hasn’t raised Ennoia like Vadoma and Kieran he loved her all the same. Fatherhood had changed him. It had opened his eyes to a whole other world he had missed out on with his other children. Memories flashed back to Ennoia’a ‘birth’ and the hug the three of them had all shared. His gaze slipped to her and there was nothing but love and pride in them.

Doximoron

 

[Potandie]

The moment Ravnos spoke her name the inky black shield buffering the night sky above them were no longer all that interesting. It was as simple as that, a heart string receiving a gentle tug. Her eyes slipped shut and she leaned up into the hand ruffling her head. "Papa..." Ennoia could have called him father, as she had called them both when she had first woken. It had been the first word associated with them. She had since decided that it was not what she wanted to call them though.

Father was too formal for her taste while Papa was warmer and more familiar. It fit better given how deeply she felt she knew them. She... did know them, right? Hmm, an interesting thought to explore at a later time; knowledge of them did not necessarily mean she knew them, but she were also them. They were her, two halves that had joined together to create a whole, and they named her Ennoia.

The young deity could feel the warmth radiating from his gaze when it settled upon her. It caused her smile to widen. Ennoia turned her head to settle her gaze to him in return. He did have beautiful green eyes. A hand lifted and she lightly touched her own cheek, reminding herself that she had inherited a brilliant green eye from him. And the other, the striking crimson of Grendel's, whom she also missed.

Ennoia seemed to study Ravnos' expression. She was able to decipher the love he openly displayed but there was something else. She searched his gaze and grasped for the word, unable to find it. Whatever else was there caused a swell of familial affection; she felt as if she had done something good? But what? She was unaware her existence alone could be the cause. "I am well, Papa," she assured him gently in a soft spoken voice. "There is much to be done but I wanted to see you again. I believe I missed you." Yes, she was confident that it was a correct assessment of why she had felt that unfamiliar sorrow while she were away.

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

“Oh I am sure the Clanless will keep you plenty busy.” They had been running wild for quite some time with little oversight. Grendel couldn’t be in all places at once and that was the reason for Ennoia’a creation. “But I have faith you will do a fine job. You are smart and strong willed just like your other Papa.”

A deep, breathy laugh rumbled in his chest as she admitted she missed them. In truth; Ravnos had missed her too and was glad she seemed keen to visit. Ennoia was welcome whenever she wanted. He turned just slightly where he sat, taking her hand and placing it over where her heart would be. “We are always with you. Right here. Even if you can’t see us. You are a part of us and we are a part of you. As long as you hold your family in your heart you will never be alone.” He brushed a bit of her loose dark hair behind her ear, tucking it therr just behind her crown.

“So tell me. What do you think of this world so far?” He was genuinely curious. Ravnos had lived a very long life and seen so much the thrill of new things didn’t come so easily to him anymore.

Doximoron

 

[Potandie]

She drew in a soft breath as he mentioned that they would keep her busy, part of her wondering if this were to become a lecture. She could admit that it would not be undeserved. Only a few days had passed and she was already putting a pin in her plans to visit one of her beloved Papas. A crease appeared in the female's brows while her father continued. It was not an unpleasant expression but it was an emotional one. Ravnos had a way of effortlessly playing her heartstrings as though they were attached to a musical instrument. Did something so simple as encouragement and support from one of her fathers causing a surge of emotion within her make her weak? Perhaps it would, if it did not also directly feed the darkness that lurked deeper within her.

The goddess lowered her gaze to stare at their hands. His words only spurred another emotional response. Her mismatched hues returned to his face while she grappled with trying to sort out and understand each one that she felt. There was happiness, love, and something she was beginning to understand was pride. She was proud to be their daughter, proud to be a part of their family. She was not sure she would ever be able to express how grateful she was to the both of them for bringing her into existence. For undergoing an exhaustive process and sacrificing pieces of themselves just so that she may exist. Ennoia caught his hand before it could fall away entirely, dipping her head towards it so that she could rub her cheek to his palm.

It may not have been the grandest of gestures to display affection and appreciation, but it was what she could manage while attempting to sort out her innerworkings and learn how to feel without it being so overwhelming. The distraction that the Disciple offered her helped tremendously, allowing her to focus on something else. "This world is..." Ennoia pursed her lips and gently released his hand, settling her own onto her lap while she thought of how to answer him. "...confusing."

She wrinkled her nose and laughed quietly at herself. "Wherever I have found beauty, I have come to learn that it has a hideous counterpart. It is..." Ennoia shifted to sit sideways and lifted her legs to the bench so that she could tuck her knees to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs and she rested her cheek to a knee while her gaze drifted around them. "...bursting with life and yet one can still feel lonely?" She was not speaking of herself specifically as she had watched many from the shadows over the last several days. Many of the Clanless appeared... troubled. Alone, with no place to belong, despite the fact that there were so many of them. It brought a question to mind, one that her Papa may be able to help answer. "Papa... Why do we hide?"

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

He smiled as she rubbed her cheek against his hand. But her answer to his question made him laugh. “Confusing Hm? Well that is the world for you. On big confusing place.” But it was true. Life, or unlife in his case was full of chaos. Sometimes it left you spinning in circles and other times the path forward is clear.

When she spoke of loneliness the Dosciple couldn’t help but frown. He was sure Ennoia would surround herself with food peolple over time but right now she had no on. “If you are lonely Ennoia perhaps you should try befriending some of the Clabless ? They will come to your temple and soon enough you will have surrounded yourself with good friends.”

Another drag of his cigar.

Leaning back a little he gazed up at the house not black sky. His head turning slightly to regard her with a curious eyebrow raised. He leaned forward again, and placed his open hand on his knee. “We hide for survival. If the other races knew of us they would wipe every last one of us off these islands. Vampires have many enemies, Ennoia. That is why you must be wary. Not fearful but cautious when dealing with people. They can show you one thing and in the next breath it’s something you were not expecting at all.” His mind flicked back to that day when he had been attacked and Kieran had blamed himself for te whole incident. If they had been talked to before hand things may have been different.

Doximoron

 

[Potandie]

Ennoia lifted her head from her knee and her eyes sparkled with delight when he mentioned the Clanless. She knew that she were to govern them, guide them where she could, protect them when they needed it... but she had not considered the she could befriend them. She would have to be careful not to become too reliant on their presences, however. She could not be selfish and view them as a balm to soothe the ache of missing her family. It would be unfair, to them as well as to herself. Whatever friendships she did make would deserve the genuinity of them being enjoyable company for who they were. The majority of Clanless appeared to have lived tough lives full of disappointment and anguish -- she would not be another disappointment they had to suffer.

Ideas of her temple and how it should look began to stir in her mind while her father fell to silence, the sound of the cigar pulling closer to it's inevitable end causing her ears to twitch lightly. It was a sound she associated with him, just as the scent was. Something shifted in Ennoia, creeping out of her inner shadows and paying attention to the mention of enemies. Even her facial features shifted, her gaze more intense as it shifted to look up at the house where her family resided. The childlike softness had faded in that silent moment, replaced by something hardened and cold. "...We have many enemies," she repeated quietly, though her tone had lost it's warmth and left an empty nothingness in it's place.

The goddess did not let her mind wander on it too far, snapping her gaze back to Ravnos. No sooner than mismatched orbs landing upon him did her posture relax. Her expression softened and her eyes warmed considerably, the rumble of a purr building in her chest again. Everything would be fine. They had Ennoia now and she would keep them safe. She would rip, shred, disembowel, annihilate -- enough of that, enough of that. She stamped down the dark in favor of the light her father provided her with. "I will be careful Papa, I promise. When my temple is ready, will you come? Will all of you?"

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

“Good girl.” Ravnos placed his free hand on top of her head. She was an adult but she was still his child. Still learning about the world around her. So curious but she neesss to be cautious as well. That had been a conversation Ravnos had had with Kieran and Vadoma after the incident with the Scarlet Queen/ he could only hope now that they were grown they would listen to his advice.

Titling his head he smiled at her. “Of course we will. It will be interesting to see what kind of temple you build. I had to steer your other Papa away from things that looked foreboding. You want your followers to feel welcome and just a tiny bit intimidated. He says I called them ugly and that was not the word I used to describe them.” The Disciple chuckled deep in his chest as he remembered that. Eventually Ravnos just drew an idea and Grendel brought it to life. And then there has been the decorations. Obviously he had had a hand in that department.

“After you build your temples what else do you plan to do? Will you visit the Clanless?” He was genuinely curious as to what her next steps were going to be. It would be interesting to watch her change and grow with each new experience.

Doximoron

 

[Potandie]

The goddess purred and leaned upward, pushing her head into his large paw and soaking up the affection and praise her Papa offered. It may seem strange to the outside world that a fully grown woman -- a goddess with a domain to govern, no less -- could behave with childlike abandon in regards to the world around her, but she was fairly new. She would have to learn. There would be trials and tribulations and perhaps even times where her heart would be broken.

It was life. Lessons were to be learned, wisdom came with age and experience, of which she had none to boast of. Not all lessons were kind, not all wisdom came from positive experiences. Ennoia may not fully realize that just yet but she would learn. At least she had Ravnos to warn her to be cautious. Perhaps that would spare her some trouble down the road.

"Welcome and the tiniest bit intimidated..." Ennoia's mind wandered towards her designs that she had been drawing up and her expression shifted to a wince. Oops... she may have gone a little heavy on the foreboding? She wasn't quite sure but she would rework some ideas and see if she could find something a little more... inviting. "Oh yes, I will. I will disguise myself and walk among them, I want to be close to them. I have watched from afar for now and... they seem to have the common grounds of having difficult lives. The majority will be distrusting. I will have to work hard to prove they can rely on me." It did not appear to be a task she aimed to shy away from. She would chip away at their high walls and stony exteriors. It would be a slow process and require much effort and energy but it would be worth it to her.

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Ravnos smiled warmly at her, enjoying the time they were able to spend with one another. He knew once things picked up Ennoia would become more and more scarce. But the temple was always open for her to visit whenever she wanted.

The Disciple tried to prepare his children for the world the best he could. With Ennoia it wouldn’t be quite as intense because she was already grown and out in the world on her own. She would learn lessons and gain experience. Although he could still impart some wisdom to her the best he could.

“Your Papa used to do that quite frequently. Disguise himself and walk among the vampires.” Even now, whenever they went out to where there were mortals Grendel donned his disguise. It was amusing to see him in it, because while he looked plain and unassuming Ravnos knew beneath it all was the handsome man that he loved more than anything in the world.

He nodded. “The Clanless have always had a hard time of it. Clans give a Vampire a collective strength but being alone you only have your strength to rely on. They need someone in their corner and I know you will do your best, Ennoia.

Doximoron