Blackfeather Woods Sell your soul, not your whole self

T_T I <3 Taki!!!

To be honest, children scared him a little. He wondered what the responsibility would be like to be in charge of constructing the life of a young person. It was strange that Taikon had even turned out as decently as he had considering his own flawed parenting, but he knew the real reasons for it. His tutors, his mentors, probably had a more massive impact on his overall outlook and attitude toward life than his mother. His mother had poisoned him. His teachers had enabled him to be better than her.
He wondered if they had done so intentionally.
Taikon shook his head at Takiyok, rejecting the notion that he would leave based on discomfort. I'll be fine. It's not the first time people have been difficult to be around, and unlike those times I think this will improve with time, like you said before, he told her. He wasn't sure if Zephyr would ever be able to interact with him in a way that was normal and friendly. But perhaps that wasn't really the goal. Maybe the goal was just to live peacefully. Taikon cared about Zephyr. He cared about the boy's happiness. If he wasn't part of that happiness, so be it.
And, he began as he pressed against her lightly while they walked, as a tender reminder to her, you are what I want. Our children are what I want. I want to build that life with you. Those were his feelings. He meant every word of it. He wanted to tell her somehow in a way that was more permanent. But... Instead his eyes just strayed to her, gentle, soft. He nearly walked into a tree, stumbled, went around it, and a crow cawed at him, as though in laughter.