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</div></div><br/><span style="font-size: 18px">Soraya and Sorrel Kasala knew that their middle child, Everest True, was very special from the day he was born, but it became much more evident by the time <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F564x%2Fcc%2F5e%2F49%2Fcc5e49b8da8535228fc6b76bb7be94e2.jpg&amp;hash=40babeafc7c5b50e027731869b5073f8" href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/cc/5e/49/cc5e49b8da8535228fc6b76bb7be94e2.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Ever</a> was two years old. Sandwiched between his older brother Moon, age four, and the youngest, Ladybug, age six months. Ever didn't have any of the middle child characteristics that were frequently seen in other families with dynamics similar to theirs. As the middle child of three, he was destined to become an embittered wallflower. <br/>
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In contrast, Ever was a social butterfly and a team player. Perhaps other middle children his age  considered themselves to be neglected, felt resentful, had low ambition, had a negative outlook on life or felt like they didn’t belong, but not Ever. Ever was an independent toddler. Even at two years old he was already thinking outside the box. He didn't feel pressured to conform, and was so much more empathetic towards others, especially his siblings. Perhaps the reason why Ever showed so much empathy came down to the parental nurturing Sorrel and Soraya provided from the beginning. Ever had always been a <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F564x%2F6f%2F00%2F25%2F6f00257d23dea06747469b83627b85d5.jpg&amp;hash=0aa6a7ccb13061b9e6df4c1ad3238fc1" href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/00/25/6f00257d23dea06747469b83627b85d5.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">pleasant, happy baby</a> with rare periods when he was fussy. <br/>
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During those times, Sorrel rubbed his tummy and crooned his name, but if Ever kept crying, Soraya would take over. She'd pick him up and slowly rock him until he began to calm down. Although Sorrel responded quickly to Ever's discomfort, Soraya's approach was gradual, starting with her voice. By moving in slowly she let Ever assist in his own comforting. His job as a newborn was to learn, and with their loving help, how to soothe himself. Just as talking to Ever helped him learn language, soothing him helped him learn to comfort himself and eventually comfort others.<br/>
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At home and away, Soraya and Sorrel kept tabs on the countless times they caught Ever exhibiting random acts of kindness.<br/>
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The hectic trip from the Kasala's home during the Christmas holidays to visit Sorrel's family in Redmond, Washington for example. In the center back seat of their SUV, Ever was strapped into his car seat, Moon in a booster seat near the window, and a wailing Ladybug in her infant seat. There was a lot of traffic on the interstate, and Soraya was giving Sorrel directions and couldn't get to the baby fast enough. Ever saw that the baby was upset, and his little hand reached out to gently touch Ladybug's reddened face.<br/>
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"Shhh...baby. It's okay. I know you wanta get out your seat now. Here's your binkie. Shhh. We gonna be at Nana's house soon." His parents looked back to see their son comforting their infant daughter, and smiled.<br/>
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They knew developing empathy was a gradual process for a child his age, and that most toddlers only had a vague impression of something wrong. Ever seemed to have mastered the skill very early.  Soraya explicitly encouraged him, as Ladybug's frantic cries ceased and his little sister drifted back to sleep. "Thank you for helping to make Ladybug feel better, Ever."<br/>
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"Welc'm Mama." chimed the two year old.<br/>
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There were other occasions too. A fun day trip to Port Orchard Beach was almost ruined when the Kasala's stopped to buy ice cream for the kids before heading home. Just before getting inside the SUV, six-year-old Moon<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Faccidentally+dropped+his+ice+cream+cone+on+the+ground%2C+and+started+bawling.+%5BURL%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Ffotos.fotoflexer.com%2F776a7c88eabfbbbed566112e90c5850b.jpg&amp;hash=9c49a6f2268deef0b9b40e3027ccc5af" href="http://accidentally dropped his ice cream cone on the ground, and started bawling. [URL='http://fotos.fotoflexer.com/776a7c88eabfbbbed566112e90c5850b.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank"> </a>accidentally dropped his ice cream cone on the ground, and started bawling. <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Ffotos.fotoflexer.com%2F776a7c88eabfbbbed566112e90c5850b.jpg&amp;hash=c91dfff009d4bb7c95b613eb8b39cb06" href="http://fotos.fotoflexer.com/776a7c88eabfbbbed566112e90c5850b.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Four-year-old Ever</a> reached over and patted his older brother on the shoulder in an effort to comfort him, internalizing all the comforting pats that he'd received whenever he was upset.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 18px">"It's okay, Moon. I can share my ice creams with you, please don't cry."<br/>
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Even though Sorrel went back to the vendor and bought Moon another ice cream before they departed, they couldn't forgot the kindness that Ever showed, always appearing without anyone having to ask.</span><br/><div style="text-align: center"><br/>
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There were exceptions to every rule though, and Klaus Augustin was one of many reasons why it didn't pay for Ever Kasala to be nice and accommodating to him. Just as intelligence and complexity were different, so were wisdom and kindness. It was wise to be kind, but not to give so much kindness to someone that caused him hurt and pain. Ever believed that his kindness should be balanced, because it was both kind and wise to have enough forethought to protect himself. So his kindness to Klaus and Magnus, who were both perpetrators of violence, had to be tempered.<br/>
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Even with Magnus being kind to him in his own self-absorbed way, Ever was smart enough to see that there was some kind of hidden agenda in store as far as the twins were concerned. If he received anything from them, whether it was clothing, food or anything else, it was with conditions attached to it. The way Magnus spoke worried Ever. Having a tailor take his measurements would take time, which meant one thing. That he was staying put where he was for an indeterminable amount of time. The acquisition and preparation of food was also time-consuming, and required that Ever patiently wait for it. Both were a deterrent to his goal of going back home to his duplex so he could go about his life.<br/>
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Ever's hand slid up to touch his face, eventually coming to rest against the dark curls covering the knot that formed when his head hit the back of the bed. He rubbed the sore spot as if to ease the dull ache spreading from his skull to his brain, while staring daggers at Magnus, who made his fears sound trivial as he reminded him of where his cock had been. Ever needed no further reminder of that experience. <br/>
</span><br/><span style="font-size: 18px">In his memory, Magnus' mouth had felt delightful, but the encounter had occurred before he knew what they were. Now it was no longer a hilarious joke. His teeth clicked together and jaw began to tick with the tension he was feeling when his twin returned from whatever dark dealings he'd been involved in. </span><span style="font-size: 18px">Listening to their back and forth banter as if he were merely property disgusted him, and made his resentment grow. </span><br/><span style="font-size: 18px"><br/>
It also became more clear to him what kind of relationship the brothers shared after overhearing their conversation. He stared questioningly at Klaus, and was about to utter, <i>"what did you do?" </i>when Magnus up and <i>toodle-loo'd</i>, leaving him alone with a real savage. Ever knew immediately that their encounter was not going to be pleasant, especially after he took a bite of Klaus' manhood back at the duplex. <br/>
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The tension was so thick between Ever and Klaus, it could be cut through with a knife. He wasn't someone's pet, and in his own mind, wasn't planning on being someone's pet. That much was apparent as Ever's olive eyes lit up like glowing orbs of amber with his growing anger. He might not have been able to summon up enough energy to climb off the bed and create distance between himself and Klaus Augustin, but he rolled away so that there was a much more comfortable space between them. <br/>
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Ever's fiery depths were able to study his adversary, someone that made him highly uncomfortable and agitated as he watched as Klaus arrogantly sauntered towards an antique armoire on the other side of the bedroom, and open its doors. Alarm spread through Ever's veins like wildfire when he noticed the collection of curved blades and weapons within. Instantly, Ever thought that Klaus would return with one of the knives in which to end him right there upon their crimson sheets. Instead, <br/>
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Klaus made his approach towards him with the serpentine grace of a snake about to devour a rat in his coils, his false purr doing its best to make Ever comply to his demands. All of those velvety tones would be spoken in vain, of course, regardless of what Klaus had in his velvet pouch or what he was going to tell him. The ballet dancer was exhausted actually, his movements and senses somewhat duller in comparison to when he was feeling physically strong early in the day. <br/>
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It wasn't going to be nearly enough to stop Ever Kasala's witty retort from being forced past his pretty lips.</span><br/><span style="font-size: 18px"><br/>
"Newsflash. No matter how tired I am, I<i> know</i> I don't want whatever it is <i>you have</i>. Blood? What the fuck do you think I am? An animal like you? FYI I'm not some dumb, mindless pet either! The only illusion here is that you and Magnus think I am. <b>You</b> hate me, and <b>you</b> want to kill me. Here's a simple solution for you. Go on and do it. Even if I said yes to you, even I beg for my life, you don't give two shits about me. You're gonna do whatever fucked up things you want to do anyway. You said it yourself. If it were up to you, I'd be dead. But apparently, it isn't up to you is it? So much for your omnipotent power, genius." Ever replied, spitting venom with his words.<br/>
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"I. don't. want. anything. to do....with you! So fuck off and leave me alone."<br/>
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It was official, Ever's final answer was a resounding <i>no</i> and the door slammed shut on any further kindness towards Klaus forever.</span>