KEEFER Of The Lost Cities

Exile- Captain Mood Swing ;)

Keefe's fingers played with his new Sencen family crest as he made his way to the leapmaster, mind wandering over the strange conversation he'd had with his father earlier.

He had just arrived home from Alden's planting when his father had grabbed his wrist and refused to let go when Keefe tugged at it.

"What was that... project.. you were talking about with that Sophie girl?" He almost spat the name and Keefe recoiled at the intensity of it.

"Just a school thing." Keefe was usually an amazing liar, but his dad could detect anything. He had the same strength of empathy as Keefe, but with ages more experience, literally.

"You can't lie to me." Cassius growled. "I know when you're up to something bad."

Keefe rolled his eyes. "It's not bad. I was helping Fo- Sophie with the Alicorn. Silveny. She needed an empath."

Cassius's eyes narrowed, but Keefe knew he didn't detect any lies. "Hm."

Keefe shrugged. "Well, the alicorn really loves me and I'm like, the only person who can get her to listen, so Sophie asked me to come and help with Silveny."

Cassius nodded, letting go of Keefe's wrist. "Seems like my son is finally doing something worthwhile for once."

Was that... pride? Since they were having skin-to-skin contact, the emotions thing went both ways. But that was probably some twisted pride in himself for raising such an amazing child. "Worthwhile how?"

"If the council gets notice of how you're helping with the alicorn with your superior skills as an empath, imagine how people would think of MY skills, if my son is strong enough to help." Cassius said. It was almost dreamily, as if he wasn't talking to Keefe anymore, but himself. Keefe stared at him, unsure of what he was feeling. For being an empath, he had a huge lack of awareness of his own emotions. Disgusted? Betrayed? Shocked? Not really. Those emotions always came with his father.

"Uh huh." Keefe nodded slowly. "And this effects me how?"

"It's not supposed to effect you. You're not a part of this." What the green mallowmelt t-rex strawberry ripplefluff did that mean? He was literally the definition of this. Cassius stalked away.

Later that night, Cassius stopped Keefe as he was leaving the dinner table. Not that they ate together, just that Cassius knew where Keefe would be. "Your mother and I have been talking lately. And we thought that you had not been in detention for some time now. And you are somehow managing to elevate our position in society in this situation. We have come to the conclusion that you, for now, shall keep this." And with an overdramatic flourish, Cassius whipped out a crest.

Not just any crest. The Sencen crest. Keefe wanted to laugh. Or cry. Or rip it out of his father's hands, throw the sharp end at his eye, and go live in the forests with a pack of wolves.

So he did nothing. And just stared at it. "What's wrong with you, child? Just take it already, or I won't give it to you." Keefe almost told him he wanted no part of the family, but that was a lie. He'd wanted it since he was a kid desperate for his parents love. Then desperate for his parents approval, then attention. And now as a kid who just wanted people to belong with. Keefe slowly reached out a grabbed it, thumb tracing the elegant design of a circle with two hands holding a candle with an emerald flame. He didn't know what to say. Or what joke to make.

"That's enough. Go do your job. Go to Havenfield as often as you need." Cassius said, before he left.

Keefe tried to figure out a way to tell Sophie that he'd gotten his family's crest as he shimmered into view of Havenfield. Well, he really needed a way to explain why he wasn't here yesterday.