Work Text:
Name of the song: "Down!"
By MICO
Cale is sitting at his rocking chair, basking in the evening sun that comes in through the window right next to him. While looking outside and swaying, feeling rather sleepy, he suddenly remembered a song he used to like a lot back when he had some chilling moments at his office. Whenever the monsters were giving him a break, and the other guilds where not trying to turn him crazy with the increasing trouble they would cause from time to time, the ruckus from outside his office door would come from his teammates hanging around before going home to their families and not from some emergency popping out of nowhere.
This song was really relatable at that time, when he couldn’t do anything else than moving along the waves that kept coming his way, like a programmed robot or a puppet whose strings were being played with to make him take action until something could stop him- because he could not, not by himself, not when the will from his past family was upon his shoulders, the commitment he made of keep living, even if it was just surviving at that point.
And so, closing his eyes while letting the soft breeze coming from the open window blow on his face to make his hair flutter and his lids tremble a little, he opened his mouth and started singing it, once again. His voice was different in this body, and the sentiment that used to accompany those lyrics was nowhere to be seen anymore- because he was not alone anymore, and he would make sure to accomplish his dream this time, along with the family he made once more-. But that’s not something that the people scattered inside of the Black Castle, those who stopped their doings at the moment the heard their young master singing, could know.
I always try to make it right
But I keep coming short
Can't seem to see why change is fine
When change crushes my hope
Choi Han, who was sparring with Lock to help him train with the shield Lord Sheritt gave him, stopped suddenly. His enhanced hearing allowed him to listen carefully to the voice of Cale that was escaping and being carried by the wind outside of the window through his bedroom balcony.
Why does this voice sound so…spent? Like if he is giving up…
(We know it is because the song was made that way, but yet again, our dear puppy knight does not know that)
Inside of the castle, the dragons- Mila, Dodori, Rasheel, Eruhaben and Lord Sheritt- along with Rosalyn, where gathered inside of the laboratory annexed to the living room while discussing some new spells they were trying to develop inside of their research about mana resistance from the Whipper warriors. Coincidentally, they were having a conversation via communication device with Harold and Toonka on one orb, and some others on the different devices scattered at the long table: from Witira and Paseton, to Litana, Tasha and the Sun Twins.
All of the chattering stopped, just as suddenly as Choi Han’s and Lock’s little spar did outside of the castle almost at the same time.
Lord Sheritt, being linked to the castle by her remanent soul, allowed herself to transport a little piece of her conscience to Cale’s room, and got a glimpse of the sight before her: a young man, rocking himself on his chair, hair falling from behind of his backrest and an expression quite… interesting. He did not show the same stoic expression they would usually behold, instead, his lightly crinkled forehead and knitted brows along with his gaping mouth- from singing, most likely- where giving a sense of… disturbance? Maybe even helplessness, pain.
(Yes, Cale was frowning. But it was because his tone of voice inside of Cale Henituse’s body was way higher than the voice inside of Kim Rok Soo’s, and so, he was trying to force his pitch to match the one from the original singer. That was his music-focused face. Yet, once again, nobody could have known this in advance, considering the fact that he is not one to sing near people)
She covered her mouth lightly with her hand, showing her surprise and a tinge of pain, seeing Cale so vulnerable and hurt. (…)
My ten toes up turned six feet down and about
To tear up the heart that told me not to doubt
In myself and in faith, every word is in vain
And I can't seem to figure out
Ron was along with his son at the kitchen, readying some snacks to bring to Cale’s room for the afternoon tea. The kids were along with them, after convincing Beacrox of letting them pipe the whipping cream on top of the pastries to proudly show them to their father figure, but after catching a glimpse of the song that the young master was singing, Ron couldn’t help but freeze on his spot, benign smile stiffening on his face before turning around to see the kids dropping their kitchen utensils at the shock of what they’re hearing.
Beacrox’s gaze moved swiftly just in time to match that of his father, while the same thought crossed their minds… or, more than a thought, the image of a certain woman, with her red long hair and her ivory fair skin caressing a little child that resembled her. ‘The heart that told me not to doubt in myself and in faith’, they can’t help but feel the time turning back to those moments where a little puppy young master would ask to be cradled up by her mother, while she would keep on telling him to grow to be happy while being himself.
They all know how that turned out. The carriage accident. The count, losing himself while a tiny hand grounded him to reality and caressed his back to try appeasing him and his grief. A new woman and a child arriving at the state. A neglected kid getting dimmer, blunter, rebellious. That same kid growing to be an alcoholic, trash, a lout.
It hurts them to realize that they were part of it. That they did not move even a finger in his aid and allowed that little boy to lose himself to the pain for over a decade.
Why am I still working
If it's just choking away my light?
Why do I still fight for my dreams?
When all that I've seen is dwindling
Down, down, down
The people on the other side of the communication devices from the laboratory room started moving. Especially Tasha, who had already run through the palace doors to his nephew, shoving the orb to his nose for him to listen to the voice coming out of it.
Alberu’s eyes got glazed upon hearing about dreams, once again. ‘Does he mean his slacker dream?’ he thought, suddenly reminiscing every moment he had pushed more work to his dongsaeng, all those battles and wars he had encouraged him to handle and every party or gathering with nobles he had dragged him on name of their image as brothers and their positions on the politic environment he himself had send him. He felt a pang of guilt striking him, and his aunt, noticing it, couldn’t offer anything else than a knowing gaze and a hand over his as support, encouraging him to think of a way to making it up to that little brother of his next time.
Cale, not knowing anything that is going on around the continent (or inside of his damn home, for that matter) started drumming his hands at the armrests of his chair at the compass of the drums in his head to give the song some rhythm. He is really enjoying it, he hadn’t had the time to remember this kind of moments, the peace it brought him every time he allowed himself to drown on his less intrusive thoughts while singing at his heart’s content.
The ones that I'd expect to try and understand me don't
Know I could be better off worse in the end
Than unhappy in what they want
Eruhaben, who has been hearing this while quietly staring at the corridor door from inside the room, can’t help but suddenly burst a quiet scream of “Unlucky bastard” while forming around himself a little storm of golden dust, just to disappear moments later in the midst of it.
Where did he go, you may ask? Well, he had transported himself inside of the duke’s office, right in front of Deruth, to simply glare at him while extending a hand with one of the orbs for him to hear his son’s song.
He wants to see this bastard of a parent’s face contort at the pain hiding behind his child’s voice, he wants him to suffer even a pinch of all the sorrow he has brought to this beautiful soul that has been troubled for so long because of his neglect and ignorance. He just knows that ‘the ones that I’d expect to try and understand me don’t’ is none other than this ignorant human, and he feels his blood boil and his Dragon Fear leak from within his body from the rage it brings upon him.
Cale is his child now, and he won’t allow this to keep going. He won’t allow Deruth to keep turning a blind eye to what he has done to his child.
Maybe he can’t help Cale to get closer to his family, but he will do everything in his power to help him heal, even if it means take him away from them just to pamper him along with the family they’ve gathered for themselves in the past few years. But for now, he’d listen to what he has to say, and he’ll make those responsible for his pain to acknowledge it and pay for it, one way or another.
But my ten toes up turned six feet down and about
To tear up the heart that told me not to doubt
In myself and in faith, every word is in vain
And I can't seem to figure out
Why am I still working
If it's just choking away my light?
Why do I still fight for my dreams?
When all that I've seen is dwindling
Down, down, down
The people inside of the castle are debating among themselves internally. They can’t decide if they should approach their young master, show them that they are here for him, or allow him to just do some catharsis with his song while giving him some alone time. The kids’ eyes are tearing up, the people inside of the orbs are contorting their faces, thinking about their friend/young master/ comrade hurting, all by himself inside of his bedroom.
But, lastly, they decide to let him finish. He is singing alone for a reason, isn’t he?
But what if I can't avoid that life?
Every second it keeps creeping closer, closer
What if I can't keep all I've tried?
I'm going down, down, down
‘We are not going anywhere’, a sentiment floods the mind of everyone present, a silent scream of support for their liege, a hope of reaching to him, to heal those wounds that the Vitality of the Heart cannot heal, to embrace him and show him that he won’t lose them, to show him that all he’d done remains.
The people he’d saved, the lives he’d change… Witira’s eyes turn to his brother, thanking from the bottom of her heart once more to that redhead young man that allowed her to keep his little brother in her life by saving him from the poison. Toonka’s mind wavers, the faces of all those soldiers he’d decided to help in order to follow his friend’s remark about them being important, beyond physical strength. Litana’s gaze directs itself outside her window, beyond the jungle trees, to a part that was burned to the ground and ultimately saved for its restoration by a kind nobleman. They all silently send their strength and wishes for their savior and benefactor, for it’s for him they have the things they more cherish at this day.
Why am I still working
If it's just choking away my light?
Why do I still fight for my dreams?
When all that I've seen is dwindling
Down, down, down
Why am I still working
If it's just choking away my light?
Why do I still fight for my dreams?
When all that I've seen is dwindling
Down, down, down
Cale, finally finishing his song, opens his eyes while suddenly wondering: ‘where are the kids with the snacks?’. Deciding to go check by himself, he got up from his chair and walked to the bedroom door, opening it slightly just to close it with a loud BANG! the very moment he sees two black teary orbs looking at him from outside the corridor.
‘What the hell?’ he thinks, heart pounding loudly at his chest and cold sweat rolling down from his back neck. Slowly calming himself, once again, Cale opened the door just to ask the man standing right in front of it
“Choi Han, did something happen? Why are you crying outside my room?”
“Cale-nim…” Choi Han’s puppy teary eyes were confusing the redhead, but he did not get the time to listen to another word from the youth before he got tackled by a black blurred ball coming at top speed to him, stumbling to his chest and dragging him to the floor.
“HUMAAAAAAN” cried the little dragon that had just dashed from who knows where, wetting the front of his shirt while sobbing some unintelligible words. All Cale could do was try not to wince for the air getting knocked out of his lungs by the impact, while patting the little dragon’s head to try calming him down. Less than a second later, two cats leaped on top of him, rubbing themselves to his chest at both sides of the crying dragon, looking for comfort.
Cale can’t understand what’s happening, but by the sight of Choi Han, he decides it’s better not to ask for the moment.
Trailing behind the crying babies (yes, Choi Han is a baby, just an overgrown and kinda lethal one) were Ron and Beacrox, bringing a service cart filled with pastries and a teapot with… sweet tea?
Cale got goosebumps out of the blue, deciding of just ignore his gut for a moment.
But, how is that everybody got to hear the private singing from the young hero? Well, three little rascals in the form of little wind elementals where giggling between themselves.
‘Chaos, family, feelings! Now they’ll take care of him’ exclaimed one of them, and the response from the other two was a silent grin.
If Cale was to know of what had happened because of his little moment of peace and reminiscence, he would cough up blood and faint right at that instant. But, he does not need to know, does he?