#phailing

The first one you meet was the oldest brother, Khaos. 

Once you’ve grown accustomed to your new home, you form a new schedule for yourself: A mandatory visit to the outdoor courtyard. 

It's located on the giant bridge connecting the two apartment buildings. You’d head there with your mom once the sun begins to paint the world around you in this warm shade of orange. 

With your mom’s camera in hand, she’d let you roam around taking pictures of plants and the wooden playground structure while she sits nearby, conversing with the other parents around. There’s one lady she likes talking to the most. 

Naturally, when you were a child, you didn’t recall her name but the most eye-catching feature about her is the woman's beautiful white hair, usually tied into a braid. 

Because of that, you'd refer to her as the ‘Snow Hair Lady’—although your mom warned you not to call her by that title, even if she laughed a little when you referred to her as such. 

According to your mom, she has three sons and brings them to the courtyard to play before dinner. Even as a child, it was clear your mom was attempting to usher you to try being friends with that lady’s sons. But you didn’t even know what they looked like back then!

During one of your visits, the Snow Hair lady—her real name being Audata, but you’ve grown used to calling her Auntie—had brought one of her sons who was clutching her dress in an attempt to hide himself behind her figure. 

Auntie Audata explained that this is her oldest son, he doesn’t like going out often but she didn’t want to constantly leave him behind in their apartment, so she decided to bring him along. Hoping he’d loosen up and try to socialize like his younger brothers.

But… it seems pretty apparent to you; he does not want to be here. 

It took convincing from both his mom and yours to finally get him to at least introduce himself—though, you wouldn't call it an introduction. He was simply staring at the ground while clutching his oversized hoodie. But he was facing you, so at least there was progress there.

“His name is Khaos,” his mom said, gently patting his back. “He's a little shy but he really likes playing video games.”

Your mom chimed in, nudging you closer to the boy despite your hesitation. “She likes video games too! What do you play, Khaos? maybe the two of you could play together.”

The boy—Khaos, stays quiet for a moment. His hands are fidgeting the end of his hoodie. From up close, you could see the birthmark on his left eye and the soft violet hues of his irises. The first impression you had of him was how pretty his pale lashes are. 

Eventually, with a nudge from his mom, Khaos uttered out the game he likes playing the most and you happen to also play it. What a lucky coincidence! 

The moment you heard his answer, any hesitations you had suddenly washed away as you asked him many, many, questions. Much to both of your moms' delight, he answered each one even if quietly but you could tell by the sparkle in his eyes that he shared the same joy as you do.

From then on, you'd visit his apartment—which turns out to be a few doors beside yours—just to play video games in his room. 

These visits began happening when you were in elementary, they also lead to the introductions with one of his little brothers—

The middle child’s name is Khaslana, he'd always be stationed on the couch each time Khaos brings you through the threshold while heading to his room. You never really talked to him, but you noticed that he watches the same show as you do. When you brought it up to Khaos, he said something along the lines of his little brother watching whatever show is recommended on the screen. 

Still, you wanted to at least try talking to Khaslana. 

Which is better said than done. 

The boy always looks so.. Angry? No, wait, more like irritated. And you've come to notice that his frown deepens with each visit. He also doubles the TV volume to the point where you're able to hear it from Khaos’ room. This leads to your friend having to pause the game and head to the living room, just to scold his brother. 

You felt.. Guilty. Maybe you were disturbing his time with his older brother? You've been hanging around in their apartment so many times, so you're most likely to be bothering him. 

But that speculation is quickly erased once your friend returns. 

“Khaslana is just trying to get your attention.” Khaos claims in his usual monotone voice as he shuts the door behind him. 

You were obviously taken aback. Staring at Khaos’ face for any signs of lies, only to find that he is absolutely serious. 

“.. Then why does he—”

Khaos cuts you off and returns to sit beside you on the carpet, “I told him about the show, the one you said you liked, turns out he’s a fan of it too.” He shifts slightly in his seat. "He's just too shy to ask you about it.”

At least now you know they're really related. 

“Well,” you adjusts your sitting position to lean closer against Khaos as he begins the game once more. “how about inviting him to join us? We'll play games together and talk about the show.”

Your suggestions causes Khaos to halt, his fingers no longer moving on the controller. For a moment you see the cogs turning in his head, as if he's contemplating. 

Then, he shakes his head. “No.” Before resuming the game. 

“Why not?” You ask, despite having your attention pulled back on the screen, watching pixels moving along the digital world. 

“.. Because I want to hangout with you right now. He'll get his chance to talk to you later." On the surface, Khaos seems to be the reserved type and he is! But once you pass through his silent barrier, you'd be pleasantly surprised by how honest he is about his feelings. Hence why you rarely ever fight him. 

Accepting his reasoning with a nod, you're both pulled back into the game right as you begin hearing the faint noise coming from the living room TV. 

Now, the only one left is the youngest brother, who—according to Khaos—cannot stay still for more than five minutes.

It was another day of hanging out in Khaos’ bedroom, but this time you have another member—Khaslana. The blonde boy is settled on the edge of his older brother’s bed as he watches the two of you play on Khaos’ gaming console. 

While he admits that he’s not as good at games as his older brother, he really likes watching others game play. Successfully soothing your worry of possibly making him feel excluded.

“Why did you do that?” Khaslana asked after taking note of Khaos’ odd action, curiously looking over to his older brother.

Khaos grunts, “Because I can.” not bothering to take his eyes off the screen.

You stifled a laugh as you caught the sight of Khaslana shooting a stingy glare over at Khaos, which he ignores completely in favor of calling for you to help him with something in-game.  

The room is filled with small talk, mostly between you and Khaslana making references to the show you both watched with what’s happening on screen (much to Khaos’ dismay), but a sense of foreboding begins once you all hear the faint sounds of footsteps followed by a loud bark.

You’ve heard about their family dog, a samoyed with a permanent smile on his face, and the name for their puppy is Snowy. Fitting his fluffy white fur. Although, his personality does not fit the compound he is named after.

Khaos looks like he’s grimacing over the return of his youngest brother as footsteps become louder and harder to ignore. 

Khaslana remains relaxed on the bed, having accepted his younger brother’s tendency to make his approach known to everyone.

Then—

Khaos’ bedroom door swings open with a loud thud.

You can faintly hear Auntie Audata yelling from the kitchen, warning Phainon about kicking doors open. Especially his brother's. 

“Sorry, mom!” said boy shouts into the Hall before fully stepping inside his oldest brother's room and by his side is his partner in crime; Snowy. Samoyed's tail wagging intensely, happy to be around his friends. 

Phainon looks around Khaos’ room, his eyes landing onto your figure as he tilts his head to the side. “A new face.” He mutters, followed by a bark from Snowy. 

And, like most children, he points at you while looking at his two older brothers. “Who's this?” Much to Khaos annoyance and Khaslana's silent amusement. 

“Nunya,” Khaos mumbles, being forced to pause his game in favor of answering his youngest brother's question. 

“Hey! I used that joke first!”

“Congrats, you want a cookie for that?” Khaslana snickers as Snowy saunters forward, heading towards him with a happy grin. He raises a palm, already brushing through the puppy's pristine fur. 

“Get out of my room. Including you, Khaslana.” Khaos grunts, shooting a glare at his two brothers. Which neither of them take seriously. 

“Mom said I can join you,” Phainon trespasses further into the room with a purposeful slow stride, just to tick his brother off even more. “She's frying chicken bits right now and you—!” he jabs a finger towards his brother. “You never told me you have friends!”

There's a beat of silence—

Before Khaslana snorted in effort of holding back a cackle, you didn't bother to hide the grin on your face as your shoulders shook from uncontained laughter. 

And Khaos? He'a contemplating whether aiming the console at Phainon's head is worth the hospital bill and mom's scolding. 

Phainon shifts his gaze to you, his deep blue eyes examining you up and down. As if confirming that you're, indeed, a real living person and not a robot manufactured to play with his oldest brother. 

Once he's confirmed this, he nods approvingly. “Okay, she's real, Snowy come look!” He waves the puppy over. 

Snowy leaves Khaslana’s arms in order to approach you, beady eyes staring you down as he pressed his snot against your clothes. You held back a laugh at the ticklish feel as the puppy did his sniff check. 

Once he's satisfied, he lets out a joyous bark as if welcoming you to his pack. Before you could hold yourself back, you lift a hand and brush through the fur on his head. The feeling is otherworldly, as if you're touching clouds—maybe this is the closest feeling? 

Snowy accepts the head pats by nuzzling his snot against your palm, requesting for more and you're more than happy to indulge. 

While you're busy with the puppy, Phainon takes his seat on your other side (one side is already taken by Khaos). “What's your name? I'm Phainon!” he introduced himself with a grin. 

You gave him your name and he tested the words on his tongue, before his attention shifted over to his brothers—specifically the one attempting to burn a hole into his head with his eyes alone. “So, what are we playing?” he states pointedly at the console in Khaos’ hands. 

He doesn't bother answering, only giving a huff before resuming the game. Successfully pulling your attention away from Snowy and towards the screen. 

Phainon visibly puffs his cheeks at being blatantly ignored by him, but doesn't complain loudly—yet.

And just like that, chatters continue on—now with two new guests chiming in. While you'd make references with Khaslana, Phainon would attempt to follow along. Despite never having watched the show. 

“Oh, he looks like that guy!” Phainon points at a random character on the screen. Then he looks over at you, “am i right?”

Khaos raised a brow, but didn't bother intervening. Khaslana holds back the urge to eye roll, but he shifts on the bed over to the side where Phainon's leaning. “You don't even watch the show.” he points out before ruffling his already messed up locks. 

“But am I right?” He still glances over at you for confirmation. His eyes sparkling for your validation, while Khaslana grabs hold of him by his scalp and sways him side to side. 

You couldn't hold back a chuckle at the ridiculous sight, and despite knowing he's just making stuff up in an attempt to try connecting to you, you nodded along. “Yup.  He looks exactly like that guy.”

You have no idea who he's referring to. But it's nice to see the smile on his face widen even more.

Slowly, the game itself became part of the background as all four of you—well, five if you include the puppy sleeping on your lap—talk about anything. The conversation shifted from one thing to another, it became interesting enough that Khaos gave his own opinions. In a word or two. 

You wished you brought the camera along to mark the day. Although, living in the moment will make it equally as precious. 

I thought of making this into a series, but I'll keep that idea until later on. Anyway, i hope you guys enjoy this one shot! Feel free to send me any ideas or brainrots.

—✦ Khaos rarely goes out, mainly because he finds public spaces to be overwhelming and he prefers the controlled environment of his bedroom.

Though, that is not to say some kids in your apartment building don't think of him as that weird one. Which seems to be solidified by his quiet nature.

There are also many instances of them poking fun of the birth mark on his left eye—mistaking it as a scar. And while he doesn't react outwardly, it still hurts.

Despite his parents' assurance, they even go as far as to confront the kids’ parents, the insults never truly stop. They just turn into backhanded compliments.

He didn't like worrying his parents anymore, so he decided not to go out into the courtyard when invited by his mom. He'd throw excuses, whether it's extra work from school or he wasn't feeling it.

But as we all know, in the end, his mom dragged him out anyway. Not wanting her oldest son to completely isolate himself.

And what originally was supposed to be a miserable experience, turns into one most memorable for him—He made a friend. A friend that liked the same video game as he does. He's never been this giddy in his life—other than the first time he got his console, of course.

Still, just because he's got one friend. Doesn't mean the insults and stares didn't stop. The most memorable example was when the two of you were taking snapshots of the sun setting—mostly you, but he helped!

You two were leaning against the bridge railing, staring at the camera’s screen showing a recent photo you took. Unknowingly to the two of you, a group of kids—around your age—had gathered just a few feet away, forming near a swing set as they stared at your figures.

Khaos noticed their stares long before you did, it's something he's gotten used to but he didn't want you to experience it too. So, he cuts you off mid-ramble about lighting or something of sorts and tugs your wrist over to another spot near the railing. Anywhere else, as long as it's away from their line of sight.

You were, rightfully, confused as to why he's dragging you to another spot. And you thought maybe he wants to take a photo of the sunset from another angle. But that is quickly proven wrong when he pulls you to a more shaded part of the courtyard, where there's multiple seating areas and adults talking with one another with cigarettes in hand.

“Khaos, what are you doing?” You manage to stop him in his tracks. He looks back, but his eyes aren't on you, instead they are looking past your shoulders. As if making sure you two weren't being followed.

Lifting a hand, grab hold of his sleeve. “Let's go back, mom said we can't go too far.” And your reminder seems to snap him out of his state as he loosens his grip on your wrist.

“.. I'm sorry.” He mumbles before fully letting go. “.. They were staring.” At me.

You raised a brow, confused. “What do you mean?”

And for a moment, he thought of brushing off the topic entirely and just head back to your moms. But seeing the slight worry in your eyes, he couldn't do it.

There's a linger of hesitation as he opens his mouth, before he finds his voice and starts retelling everything. The stares, whispers, compliments sounding like veiled insults, and his parents' efforts. He watches your face change between emotions.

And once he finished, your expression… he doesn't know how to describe it exactly, there was a mix of feelings of anger, sympathy and sadness.

You didn't utter a word, but your hand found his. Clutching his fingers. He noticed the slight tremble. Neither of you are able to properly process emotions, you were children, but what you're capable of knowing is that having someone be there with you is more comforting than any words.

The two of you began walking, holding each other's hand. Khaos noticed how soft the skin of your palm is and how warm you are—there was a weird flutter in his chest when you tugged his hand closer.

When you passed by the swing set, the kids were already scattered. Much to his relief as Khaos let out a sigh, visibly relaxing his shoulders.

“.. Next time,” your voice pulls his attention back to you. “Tell me when they're around. I'll take ugly photos of them.” It was a ridiculous threat, but effective.

Khaos tightens his hold around your hand, hiding a smile on his face as he nods. “.. I'll help you.”

—✷ Khaslana doesn't have many bullies because he never pulls his punches. Literally.

His parents were worried beyond belief when the first report came of their second son having gotten into a fight. A full blown physical one. Both of them feared the worst, because according to the school staff; he was fist fighting three boys who were a grade above him. They imagined the bruises and scratches Khaslana would sustain in the aftermath.

But to their surprise, and relief, upon reaching the school office they see their son sitting on a chair in the hallway. With only a few dirt marks on his uniform and a band aid on his cheek. He seemingly left the fight unscathed. There was a teacher beside him and the woman greeted the parents with a strained smile as Khaslana stood up, going straight to his mom's arms.

The teacher—Miss Pythias—brought them inside the cold office room. Ushering them to sit down on the chairs available beside her work desk before she finally gives them the story from Khaslana’s perspective.

According to him, the three students had been bothering everyone in the playground during break time. They were apparently insulting others and even going as far as to start pushing students around by their shoulders.

Khaslana was enjoying his lunch when they came to his spot, a small seating area in front of the cafeteria wall, and started telling him to go find somewhere else to sit because ‘that seat belongs to older kids’.

And he refused, although he offered to move once he finished eating. The students, however, did not take his answer kindly and one of them managed to grab hold of his forearm before forcing him onto his feet—proven by a security camera capturing their action.

This surprised Khaslana and caused him to drop his lunch box, ruining the homemade meal Audata had cooked for him.

What set him off is when the two other students made fun of his mom's cooking—something about how disgusting the fish smells—He would've easily shrugged off the encounter and simply reported it to the head office if the insults were only targeted towards him. But when the vile words left their mouths, Khaslana lunged up towards all three. Tackling them down.

Not one, but all three.

The security camera didn't catch the whole fight, only of Khaslana launching himself forward and causing all four of them to be thrust into the other side. Escaping the camera's line of sight.

One of the cafeteria workers, who happens to be the one that broke off the fight, described it as Khaslana body slamming all three on to the ground before attempting to strangle them at the same time. How is that even possible? Who knows.

The chaos turns into a spectacle amongst the students as they watch and surround the four. Some go as far as to start cheering for Khaslana, wanting him to win the fight.

He had admitted; he was too caught up by emotions to think clearly and started fist fighting with the three students before the cafeteria staff member broke them off.

And while the fight was short lived, Khaslana had, surprisingly, the least amount of injuries. The nurse had simply placed a band aid over a small scratch.

Thankfully, this incident had a peaceful ending with apologies from both sides. The parents of the three students scolded them relentlessly after seeing the footage. Later on, Hieronymus and Audata received multiple apology gifts at their front door.

Khaslana still received a lengthy scolding from his parents—Phainon attempted to secretly record it but he got caught and ended up getting dragged into the lecture too.

Although this next incident is less fortunate. With no one to witness it. Except—you apparently.

It was early morning, you and Khaslana wanted to play in the swing set before heading to your apartment and binge watching a movie on your living room TV.

Usually, your mom wouldn't let you off to the courtyard on your own. But when she finds out that Khaslana would be there, she allows it. Trusting the boy to be responsible for both himself and you.

Oh, what a mistake that was.

Despite it being quite early in the day, you'd expect less people than usual—you're wrong on that assumption. Because upon arrival, the courtyard is full of people jogging around the area or walking their pet. Some of the adults happen to bring their kids along, so the playground set is also somewhat full.

But the two of you are only here to play on the swingset for a short while, so waiting a bit wouldn't be a problem!

Surprisingly, the moment you two are able to approach said swingset, the two kids there were already getting off. You two sprinted over after seeing no one approaching, Khaslana manages to sit on one of the swings while you—

“Ow!” You collided against a boy, causing the two of you to land on your butts.

You didn't even have a chance to recover before he's up on his feet and running to the swing. Taking the seat.

Khaslana shot up from his swing, causing it to violently sway behind as he approached you. Grabbing hold of your arm and helping you up on your feet. “.. Your hands..” after he noticed the scratched skin of your palms from the fall.

You visibly cringe at the sight, the fresh wound combined by the dust laid over makes it twice as painful. “... Ugh..” he can see the unshed tears as you attempt not to cry in front of him.

He pulls you aside, not before sending a glare towards the culprit—who's still playing on your swing with little care of the consequences of his action—and how exactly can Khaslana confront him without possibly escalating to a full blown fight. He just wants the boy to apologize.

“.. Khas,” your voice snaps him back into reality as the two of you stand outside of the courtyard. “Can we just.. Go back to my house and watch the movie..? I don't really wanna play on the swings anymore.” and when he sees the way your eyes glisten, practically on the verge of letting tears fall, he's thrown off balance.

He visibly panics, eyes widening and his mouth opening but no words coming out. He doesn't know how to verbally or physically comfort you. Would you even want him to? What can he do to—

Khaslana's eyes land back on the boy.

… Maybe it doesn't have to be him.

And what comes next is the slow stages leading to the fight; Khaslana approaches the swing, stops the boy by grabbing on the chains which causes him to nearly fly out of his seat,

“Hey! You'll get your turn—!”

“You're the one who cut off my friend.” He visibly bristles with uncontained anger. “Go apologize to her.”

He watched the boy play victim, claiming that he had been waiting long before either of you arrived and that it was your fault for not noticing him.

That was it.

Khaslana crouches down, grabs a fistful of sand and before you could stop him, he throws it directly at the boy's eyes. He didn't bother to stay and watch him writhe in pain as he sprints over to your side

“Khas! We're gonna get in trouble!” You hissed, now overtaken by panic.

In response to that, he grabs your wrist. Avoiding the act of holding your hand as to not cause you even more pain. He tugs you along as the two of you fled the crime scene.

And filled with adrenaline of possibly getting into trouble; he began to laugh, and you followed suit.

“You're supposed to be responsible!”

“I am! That was me being responsible!”

The two of you laugh even more while running upstairs.

—☀︎ Phainon barely faced any form of bullying. Simply because of how charming he is. Compared to his older brothers’ reserved nature and burning temperament—Phainon is the perfect foil to both.

He's sociable to all, being able to come up with silly jokes that makes even the hardest of people crack a smile. Phainon's also, painfully, sincere. You can't see any visible lies in the way he speaks, his eyes are akin to that of puppies, so as long as you have a heart—you'd end up trusting him one way or another.

Oh, but Phainon is aware of the perception others have of him.

The sociable and friendly youngest of the Aedes brothers—what an honorable title for him to receive! Truly, he's rather flattered.

And while there are challenges to be known as such, like—having people constantly place their heavy trust in him, expecting only the best from him, and the need to be able to please everyone. Which is an impossible task.

But he's able to endure all of these with a wide smile.

At least, so far.

Although there were many setbacks, there were also benefits that come with his title. Phainon found out that people tend to believe him more than necessary, if he were to give them a piece of information, they'd believe it without any need to verify. He'd grow up to be a liar if it weren't for his parents implanting a moral code in him. Plus, his older brothers’ would hit him over the head for that.

He also discovered how many people.. Admire him? In a way one would with a hero. Kids his age would always hover around him, wanting to be friends—he doesn't mind it, although he's a little taken aback at first.

Adults are no different, most of them see him as this ‘ideal child’. Perhaps that's why they seem to trust his words more compared to others.

At his current age, recently reaching adolescence, he's not fully aware of how to use this to his advantage. But with time, he'll begin to learn.

Moving back to the topic at hand—perhaps Phainon has a different view of what ‘bullies’ are. Taking into account that he is the youngest of the three, he rarely had to share with his brothers. It's more that they have to share with him. A privilege he basks in without shame.

And so, when he made a new friend (A friend of his brother is also his), it didn't automatically click in his head that he'd need to share you (you're friends with all three of them).

It was early in the afternoon when you came over. Although the reason was obviously to hang out with Khaos, hence why he's waiting for you in his room, Phainon also happens to be lounging in the living room with Snowy.

Once his eyes landed on you, “Oh! You're here! Wanna play?” He immediately springs up onto his feet, followed by an excited bark from Snowy.

The two padded over to you, looking way too similar to one another in both posture and facial expression.

You muster up a small, apologetic, smile. “I'm gonna play with Khaos, maybe next time?”

And in response to that; Phainon visibly deflates. It's as if you had just taken his pure heart and shattered it right in front of his very eyes. And maybe you had just done so. Snowy, upon noticing his buddy's dimming excitement, copies it in his own puppy way. Whimpering and slowing the wagging of his tail.

Now you're faced with two puppy eyes; both of them pleading—no, begging for you to reconsider your answer and indulge in them. You're pushed even further into the corner once Snowy begins nuzzling his snot against your torso, begging for pats for comfort along with your attention.

“I know you guys like playing together.. But, can I at least join? Just for a bit! Please?” He took a step forward, hands held up to his chest while his eyes bore into yours. You're unable to speak, you're pulled by the vast blue sky that has taken place in his irises.

You stuttered out nonsensical responses, unable to deny not accept his request. Until your savior (his enemy) clicks open his door.

“Phainon,” Khaos starts with an annoyed grunt the moment he spots his youngest brother and their puppy standing before you.

“Hmm?” Phainon feigns innocence, while only giving a mere glance his way.

“stop blocking the way.” The oldest Aedes brother begins making his way towards the three of you. Snowy shifts his attention and begins wagging his tail, barking at the sight of Khaos who gave the puppy a small ruffle on the head before putting his gaze over to you. “I already set up the game, let's go.”

You smiled, relaxing a little. But Phainon pursed his lips, not yet ready to back just yet as he shoots a glare over at Khaos. “Why do you get to play with her so often? You're being unfair.”

Khaos raised an offended brow at the accusation, “I invited her over to play, you're the one openly trying to steal her.” While you awkwardly walk over to the side. Avoiding being in the cross fire.

Phainon looks taken aback by his oldest brother's words as he lets out a gasp, before forming a pout on his face. “.. Why can't I just join you guys?” He huffs out and his stubborn action only made Khaos even more exasperated.

“You're not joining us.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“You're not being nice to me.” Khaos nearly rolled his eyes at that.

“I'm being honest.” Phainon's pout deepened even more.

A tense beat passes before the youngest brother seemingly relents, crossing his arms before making his way back to the living room couch. Stomping with each step, making it clear that he'll be sulking. Once he reaches the cushion, he topples over with a sad huff as Snowy follows after him, settling on the carpet floor beside him.

Khaos was about to take you to his room when you stopped him by tugging on his sleeve.

“.. Hey.. Can we let him join? Just this time.”

Phainon could barely contain the smile on his face.

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