For All You've Done

Alastor gave a content rumble in his broad barrel chest while Ikigai doted on her children, watching the three pups happily at play, reveling in their innocence and wonder. Even if they weren't related to him by blood, Alastor felt like a grandfather to the pups. It was no secret that Ikigai had been like a daughter to him in many ways; why shouldn't he consider her family his family too? "They surely are," he spoke in agreement. Alastor adored puppies. These ones he adored especially so. When Ikigai mentioned that neither of her parents had come to see their biological grandchildren yet, that brought a small frown to the dire brute's lips. "Well, that won't do. I'll have to give them quite a scolding and get their butts over here pronto to see your lovely family." Alastor knew Ikigai was estranged from her father, but he had thought at least Venom would come to see her grandchildren. To hear even she hadn't been to visit felt wrong, especially when Elysium and Ashen were supposed to be close.

Alastor felt a shifting beside him and glanced down to see Ikigai leaning against his side. He offered the smaller fae his side to support herself, even sliding his foreleg closer to hers as she reached to hold onto him. Ikigai flattered him by calling him the only father that cared about her, earning her a bashful smirk and chuckle from the Mendacium brute. But her next declaration touched his heart and soul as much as both twisted, corrupted parts of him could be touched. She loved him as a father and more than her own blood. He didn't say anything while she pointed a gloved paw to one of the boys running about. Then she gave the boy's name. Dominus Adrastos Mendacium. Al's expression froze, his eyes slowly widening as realization gripped his mind. She had named her son after him. The squeeze to his arm brought Alastor's wide-eyed stare down to Iki, his mouth parting to speak, but no words came out. Again and again his mouth closed and opened, but all sounds died on his tongue. Again he looked out to the boy that carried his middle name also.

It was too much to process. Alastor's eyes began to mist over the longer he watched the pup at play, the gravity of what Ikigai had done to honor him smothering him with emotions he couldn't begin to grapple with. He had never imagined himself worthy of anything being named after him. He was broken, damaged, degenerate, corrupted. "Ikigai..." Alastor choked up, swallowing down the lump in his throat while he struggled to find words that came close to how he felt about this tremendous honor. His free paw came up to wipe away the moisture in his eyes, a stuttering breath escaping him while his tail whipped back and forth behind him, betraying his conflicted emotions. "I'm sorry that your father failed you so miserably. But I'm very grateful that his failures allowed me to be a part of your life." Again Alastor choked up, blinking back a few fresh tears welling up in the corners of his abyssal eyes. "Thank you for seeing me as someone worth naming your son after."


"Alastor"