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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:29 pm
(1/10)
After their separation, Uquin hadn't had the opportunity to just... sit with Maritza and talk. Not really. With work, and training, and triplets and life in general there was always some level of barely controlled chaos that kept their interactions stilted and brief. At first, it had been tense and awkward, with accidental touches that had once been casual and were now unwelcome shrugged off, or pet names he'd once murmured to her now dropping off his tongue, ratcheting the room into uncomfortable coldness after.
Then came brevity; the near silence of two adults working in tandem, yet with only the minimum level of interaction. A brush of fingers as they passed one infant to the other's arms - perhaps the efficiency of passing a baby sling to the other, or a satchel of baby things. The perfunctory instructions that accompanied passing custody back and forth.
... Slowly, though, these interactions began to linger... just a bit. Enough to give a recounting of the day. As hours of screaming babies passed, they began to sit up - to smile. To coo and laugh, and even to crawl. And... suddenly, there was something to talk about again.
'--Lioe is starting to roll more, keep an eye on him--'
'Isaia's been trying to chew things--'
'Zadia is trying to talk! Did you know she was doing that?'
They were milestones that Uquin understood well, both as a second-time father and a healer, and yet with his own children it was no less amazing. After what felt like only a short time, the first year of their childrens' lives was coming to a close, and Uquin had suggested bringing them out into the city to celebrate. Specifically, a zoo. ... He hadn't said as much, in words, but... despite understanding that raising them so far in Belrea was the logical thing to do (they couldn't separate them from their mother, and even if they could Uquin wasn't sure if she would consider such a thing), he had begun to miss his homeland horribly. A petting zoo was... innocent, but it was also a slice of home and heritage, even... a taste of the land that he was starting to wonder if his children would ever learn of.
He had brought it up casually, one day, when both Maritza and Rivyn came to retrieve the children. The topic of the celebration came up, and Uquin had suggested a zoo... then hurriedly conceded that they were young, and wouldn't remember, and with how busy they all were it was likely best to stay home and enjoy a small celebration...
But Maritza agreed. The day came, and almost dubiously Uquin prepared the little ones for their day out - dressing them comfortably, packing their bag and preparing the slings. There were no nurses today - only Maritza and Uquin and their children, and as they walked along the bustling streets, Uquin fought the urge to steal glances at her. She looked... better than she had in a while, honestly. More comfortable in her skin, healthy even. Isaia was strapped to his chest, babbling and kicking his chubby legs as they walked.
"I am glad you could come. I hope it's not a disappointment." Uquin said, at length, as they neared the lower parts of the city, closer to the open areas the zoo would need to accommodate the animals they kept.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:55 pm
(1/10) Life after the separation was strange, to say the least. Maritza had no experience with breakups or...whatever it was they were going through, much less co-parenting under those circumstances. In the early days just hearing his name was enough to bring about an array of emotion, but now things had sort of leveled out. It was easier to talk to him now, and having Uquin around didn't automatically mean she wanted to leave as soon as possible. His presence no longer meant strictly clinical visits, and over time things just kind of....worked out.
Life hadn't returned to the way it was before, but watching their children grow and being able to share milestones with someone else was good enough. Maritza had started keeping logs of what her babies did around the third month mark, and by the time their first birthday came around their individual journals were dog eared, stained and terribly worn. It was a remnant of her working days, and yet, something entirely domestic too. On the 'bad' days it was something for her to still be able to communicate with Uquin, and it was nice when he would mark down certain milestones in them as well when he took the kids. When her brother remarked on the cute 'baby books' she couldn't deny it; everything she'd wanted to say to them when she couldn't was written down in those logs, and one day, she planned on giving them to them.
It was amazing to her just to see how far they'd come in such a short time. There were moments when she'd had to suck up her pride and seek out Uquin when something just didn't- seem 'right' about a baby, but he'd helped, no matter where they stood on a personal that particular day.
'Isaia's jaw is swollen, is that normal?'
'Zadia swallowed a feather-'
'Lioe fell off the bed-'
So, when he'd brought up the zoo...Well, she couldn't say no. Technically she could have, but it didn't seem...right. Maritza held no special attachment to animals and the thought of spending her day toting around three infants in the sun looking at flea bitten mongrels didn't appeal to her. Yet, when she found out they were from Tendaji the idea hadn't seem so terrible.
With Zadia strapped to her chest and Lioe on her back, Maritza walked by Uquin's side through the streets. She'd put on weight since last she was out; which, in all actuality, wasn't much at all. Maritza was at what she called her 'normal' size, but the extra padding did make packing two infants all the easier. Lioe was happily napping against her back while Zadia sucked on a wad of her mother's shirt.
She had to fight back from saying a comment like, 'it's a petting zoo, what are you expecting?'. Instead Maritza said, "I'm not the most...comfortable around animals, but I think it would be nice if they were." She brushed her fingers down Zadia's hair, smiling a little despite the drool piling up on her chest. "How big do you think the exhibit is?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:23 pm
(2/10) If he was honest, Uquin had missed this. Not only Maritza's company, just next to him, but also the presence of children in his life. Having two children before hadn't made it all easier... honestly, with what happened to Ujana, he had become a bit overprotective. But he'd done his best not to make the same mistakes he had with Padma in being TOO overbearing. As it was, they were just babies now... and he didn't think they'd mind, for now.
As for the zoo... "Ah... I would be surprised if it is more than a handful. I can't imagine some of the larger creatures would be on display without us hearing more about it." Janarim and Mammu were likely off the table, but... he wouldn't be surprised to see the smaller creatures, like sailscale or sitara. Sure enough - as they walked, groups of people that he could guess were also going to the same place began to split apart from the crowd; parents with their younglings, prentices with shining eyes, curious about Tendaji even though the continent had been open to travel for years now - even a few older Belreans who seemed curious and even a bit wary. As they got closer, however, Uquin was surprised to see what looked to be an open area.
He, unlike Maritza, was rather unused to the concept of a 'petting zoo' - many animals in his homeland were work animals, with the exception of sprites, or perzi, or some of the smaller creatures in Zena. Many people kept their own familiars as if they were pets, but not for crowds to come and see.
His face lit up before he could stop it as a brightly painted sign came into view... and Uquin, who had established himself with Maritza as a serious man, ducked h is head to squish his cheek to Isaia's, gripping his chubby arms and making the infant give an exaggerated 'dance' with arm wiggles. As he did so, he moved in closer, ducking down to about eye level with Zadia, "Do you see? Will you get to pet familiars today?"
Lioe, on Maritza's back, kicked his legs and made raspberry sounds with his mouth, to which Uquin nodded sagely. "A radaku? I'm not sure - do you think they have a radaku here, Mother?" He peered up at Maritza, smirking softly.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:36 pm
While his speculations made sense Maritza couldn't help feeling a little...disappointed? When she'd been pregnant she saw a miniature herd of limbara being hustled off an airship, and a part of her wanted to see one up close. Not in a 'petting' environment, certainly, but perhaps in some sort of viewing sense. The kids may not have taken to the big, toothy beasts all that well, but they wouldn't remember it anyway, so what was the harm?
She turned to say something to Uquin and...found herself completely dumbfounded. What in the he-. Seeing him act like this gave her a weird mixture of swollen affection and second hand embarrassment. When had Uquin started acting this way? Had he always been like this? Or was it just a side of him that only children got to see?
Zadia seemed to pick up on his excitement and let out an excited squeal, pounding one little hand against Martiza's chest while reaching out for him with the other. Between the little legs at her back and the hand on her decidedly un cushioned breast bone Maritza was being shaken in more ways than mental!
"I don't even know what a radaku is." Her cheeks were possibly the ruddiest shade of orange they could be, spiking more so when a couple passed them and smiled sweetly, as if they knew a secret she didn't. It was embarrassing to be this open in public, and she was antsy, but not in an irritated way and it just-
"Wait - no - that's the...pack animal, right? In...Sauti?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:20 pm
(3/10) Uquin seemed utterly shameless in this moment at his behavior, even with Maritza fixing him with that startled expression. It was a cute look on her, and he tried not to feel too guilty as he enjoyed it in the moments it took her to tug herself back together. In response to his daughter, he reached and let her take hold of his fingers, smiling at her a moment before he straightened again.
"That would be a capramel - which I would not be surprised to see. A radaku is... well, it has horns, and spikes along its spine and a long, whip-like tail... Not the sort of fair for a petting zoo."
They continued their trek, until finally the smell of animals was impossible to ignore. To Uquin, it was utterly familiar and he perked up even as a few Belreans made faces at the scent, covering their faces. At the front of the zoo was a bored looking shifter who collected a handful of coins from each person entering. Behind him were a handful of younger shifters that could be his siblings, darting about to pour out scoops of feed into leather pouches. Otherwise, the place seemed unmanned and completely open to the elements, with a handful of paddocks where various creatures intermingled. The first had a trough of water in the center, inside of which a massive, overfed spitorog bubbled happily at the attention of a handful of younglings, and a pair of alol dove into the water chasing dropped treats.
Uquin looked thoroughly unimpressed, and craned his neck trying to peer along the rows. He spotted what looked to be a scorra in the distance, along with a perzi and scrota - but it was the last paddock, which held a capramel, poscuta, and an aldabuck that caught his attention. Still, for now, he was forced to draw to a stop next to the first paddock, glowering at the fat, yarping spitorog. "Don't say a word, these creatures are already a joke on the mainland." He said with an indignant sniff.
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 4:23 pm
Maritza was among those utterly unaccustomed to not so subtle aroma coming from the animals. It wasn't necessarily the worst thing she'd ever smelt, but a part of her wondered if it would cling to the children. Should she bathe them after? Was that something one normally did in these sorts of activities? Just send them home with Uquin. He doesn't seem all that affected by it. In truth he seemed a little too comfortable which made her wonder how much time he spent in areas like this in Tendaji. Was she keen on asking? Not really, but it did pull at her all the same.
By the time they'd reached the first paddock Maritza had wrapped her arms around her back, using her forearms to support a napping Lioe. She'd expected to see nature's atrocities first hand, but this....Well, she couldn't really help the slack jawed look of utter horror that claimed her. "It's so bloated." Was it supposed to look this round? And ugly? Were it not for Zadia's excited little gurgling she might have moved away completely, but despite it all her daughter seemed fascinated by it. She blew spit bubbles at the grotesque beast and was thrilled when it seemed to respond in kind. Of course Maritza wasn't entirely sure it knew what it was doing, or that her daughter did, for that matter, but it was just horrible either way.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 1:50 pm
(4/10) Uquin bounced a bit where he stood, sighing and shaking his head as his son against his chest began to babble excitedly, seeing what his sister was doing and matching her with a flurry of spit bubbles of his own. Still - the childrens' joy, and Maritza's precious look of horror soothed him somewhat, and allowed him a moment of amusement. He carefully wiped at Isaia's face, almost glad that Lioe was asleep and unable to contribute to the chaos.
Better to wonder along, he thought. So - he moved along, exchanging a look with his... with Maritza. "Yes, well. At least they seem to be enjoying themselves." He pointed out, pausing so he could reach to carefully clean Zadia's chin as well with the cloth in his hand, his expression gentle and fond as he did so. "Though I hope her fascination with them dies down before she is old enough to ask for a familiar of her own."
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:30 pm
As if on cue Zadia let out an excited squeal and reached for the spitorog once again. Maritza held her daughter back, reaching down to 'n**' at her ear enough to bring out a laugh and successfully distract the baby. There was absolutely no way in hell she was making a return trip for that thing. As far as she was concerned wherever it came from was an existential bog that belonged at the bottom of a pit. It made her wonder if all of Tendaji had such atrocities or if these were the only ones they felt comfortable displaying.
Zadia spit bubbles at her father and squirmed as her face was being cleaned, obviously unhappy with the act. Still, as soon as he was done she was happy enough, which made her mother happy. So long as they could avoid too many breakdowns today it should be alright. "Is that something that's normal where you're from? Children asking for familiars?" Of course it wasn't completely unheard of for children in Belrea to have pets, but many were discouraged depending on their parent's occupation. More often than not it was just unsafe; for both the child involved and the animal itself. If a paw were to be caught in any sort of mechanism...
All at once she heard several excitable chirps and looked through the crowd to see a shifter handler with a few...fat birds. They were large, almost too large and from the way she talked they were only chicks. That didn't make sense, though; they were already twice the size of a full grown duruf! Thankfully they were being supervised, but just seeing the size of their talons made Maritza side a little closer to Uquin subconsciously.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 10:50 pm
[5/10]
Isaia had begun to enthusiastically suck on his fingers as Uquin cleaned Zadia, then swatted his spit covered fingers at his sister as they were close enough. Thankfully, he couldn't reach, but once Uquin leaned away he took the tot's tiny hands in both of his own, waving them gently to distract the boy as they moved along.
If this conversation had occurred soon after moving to Belrea, Uquin would have been flummoxed both by the question itself, and the apparent hesitation towards the baby kinfa. But now... he knew better. He'd seen plenty of creatures here, but all of them were small, no taller than the shoulders of an earthling. If Maritza was wary about a baby kinfa, he'd hate for her to see a snaptrotter or a janarim! Still, he subtly stepped closer to her, in silent support, his eye raking over the kinfa as it puffed out its feathers, climbing happily over its handler and chirping, enough that Isaia watched it with huge eyes, babbling chirping sounds back at it.
"Well, yes." Uquin hesitated, unsure if he should speak about his older children, considering they were... a sticking point with them. But in the end he felt honesty was the best policy so... "I found my own when I was a prentice - an aldabuck. But Padma asked for an aldabuck faun when she was small. Ujana stayed with her mother, but I don't... believe she had any familiars of her own. But I see children and adults with them often enough. If... the children came to the mainland, someday, they may want a companion too."
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:38 pm
If Zadia was bothered by her brother she didn't show it; if anything she was more irritated at her father's cleaning and showed her displeasure by fussing. She kept against Maritza's boney chest, vocalizing her annoyance to such a degree that when Uquin finally pulled away Maritza did her best to distract the girl. She kissed the top of her little head, then the tips of her ears and nibbled at them just enough to elicit a laugh. It wasn't much, but it was something and a far cry from where Maritza had started in her parenting career.
"Yes?" She repeated the word back with a much more questioning, incredulous edge. Who in their right mind would allow their children to just wander around with something like that? The way it snapped up the treats being fed to it reminded Maritza of some of the metal cutters she worked with. Shouldn't they have to pass some sort of apprenticeship course before being allowed near them?
And now, knowing that not only was it commonplace for people in Tendaji, but so much so that Uquin had deemed it safe for...his older children..."So, what...exactly is an aldabuck?" Maritza raised a hand to rub at her temple as if the whole conversation were beyond perplexing to her. "I just find it incredibly odd that what I do for a living is considered dangerous when this is fine for children. I just...I don't know."
She wasn't being overly hostile with her tone, just...very cautious. I mean, of course it had it's charms in a way, but it was hard to ignore just how large the kinfa was going to get.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:13 pm
[6/10]
Well, Uquin had refused a kinfa for Padma when she was younger, so at least he had some line of logic. He had seen others with janarim, or larger beasts - at the very least he wasn't quite that complacent. Still, he watched his companion, realizing she was truly bothered by the idea, though she hadn't taken mention of his older daughters as badly as he had expected.
He swept his gaze around the zoo and, with a slight touch to her shoulder to catch her attention, he guided them through the throng of gawking Belreans to the pen where the aldabuck stood. It was a ruddy, rusty red color, with bright horns and intelligent eyes. Its horns had been ground down for safety, not fully but enough that it wouldn't be able to easily injure one of the other animals during a fight. The poscuta that shared the area with it was chattering and digging excitedly in the dirt, hiding some sort of hard nut that a trainer had given it, while the capramel seemed to be grumpily napping, its ears flicking distastefully at each screech of a child or call of a passerby.
Uquin dropped some coins into the hands of one of the treat sellers, then clicked his tongue to catch its attention, holding it palm out with the treats nestled inside. The aldabuck perked up and trotted closer, nibbling first at the loose clothing of his sleeve. But then it gently accepted the treats, munching them right out of his palm.
In that moment, Uquin felt a swift longing for Tale, for Ishtu - who he had left back in Yera, with Padma. Once the aldabuck had eaten, he shifted his hand to touch its head, idly petting the rough fur, his eye turning back to Maritza. "Perhaps you're right. Well, I would never go past your wishes to give our children a familiar, of that you have my word. But there is a certain peace they bring. Hopefully..." He paused, then smirked softly, "They will be too caught up in their siblings to ever desire an animal companion in the first place."
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:29 pm
Maritza was keenly aware of Uquin touching her, but...she also didn't make a move to stop him. It felt odd after so long and considering everything they'd gone through up til that point it was a little...awkward, but wouldn't mentioning it make it more so? Especially considering how light the actual touch was compared to everything else they've done.
It was easier just to focus on the strange beasts and unpack all of that later.
"Okay, well, they aren't so bad." She still wasn't entirely sure which was the aldabuck at first glance, but everything in this pen seemed much smaller in comparison to the kinfa. Much more tame, even if one had horns. For a moment she had to wonder which one he was calling over, but it became apparent pretty quickly which was the target.
At the very least the aldabuck had a sweet temperament. The creature was obviously food driven, which is something she expected given it's environment, but even Maritza had to admit it had a certain charm to it.
Almost nervously she moved forward and reached out to put her hand on his shoulders, smoothing back it's rough fur. If it noticed her the aldabuck showed no signs; it was too focused on Uquin to really care. "I never had this growing up. Mother always said animals were a distraction, a burden and a liability. No matter how many times Rivyn brought home a duruf she always made him get rid of it." She smiled just thinking about it. Her brother would always try hiding them under his bed, but the damn things would either tear something up or bark loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood. He'd cry for days when she made him get rid of them, but he never stopped trying. "I don't want to hold them back from something that could make them happy. So if they want one, then they can have one, but I'm not taking care of it." She gave the aldabuck a good scritch on it's rump.
Thinking about their siblings though...that gave her pause. "How do you think your daughters will treat them?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:41 pm
[7/10]
The very last thing Uquin had expected, after Maritza's reception of the creatures, was for her to step up and reach to touch it. But she did, and that made that warm, full feeling in his chest reappear again. He felt distracted, and oddly guilty for the feeling, but he still couldn't stop from looking at her intent expression, wishing he could burn that face into his memory forever. Still, she was engaging and he couldn't resist responding to it.
"Ahhh... Rivyn. I'm surprised he's not drowning in the things now that he has a chance to, with his own place." Uquin sympathized with a wince and sheepish smile. Considering Rivyn had moved out because of the babies, he worried it was a tender topic for Maritza, but still. "Well, that makes sense for you I suppose. It would be hard to focus on work if you were concerned for your familiar, back home." ... Or-- well. That would also be part of the whole 'don't have kids' mentality that Maritza had had, but... oops?
Uquin swallowed and looked away again, smoothing his hand over the aldabuck. It had run out of pellets to eat, but still seemed content to sit and be pet, stamping its foot and bumping its face into his hands whenever he stopped petting. Its flank twitched under Maritza's touch, but it made no move to shake her away either.
Then, of course... Maritza asked a serious question, one they'd tiptoed around for... well. Since that letter from Ujana came. He returned his eye to her, thinking for a moment. "Padma was always good with children, when she helped with my work. She often wanted to spend time with Eurig, though, when she could... though it was not often. I think she will be delighted to meet the little ones."
"Ujana... I can't see her personal feelings regarding ... us... to affect how she treats them. ... She may feel... awkward with them, but all the better reason to let them meet when they're young and won't remember, I think."
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:18 pm
Maritza rolled her eyes. "If these little monsters were bigger he might. I think he's too worried about little hands grabbing things they shouldn't." It was bad enough when they destroyed some of his stage makeup or a particularly feathered robe he happened to have laying out. She warned him every time Rivyn watched the kids to put his valuables up, but he never seemed to listen. Talking about it was just...awkward, at best. Was it safe to say she missed living with him? At the very least when Uquin moved out he was in the same building, but Rivyn chose to move into a different unit with his 'friend'.
"Yeah, trying to work away with someone waiting for you at home has to be hard," she quipped sarcastically. That deadline was creeping closer and closer, but for now she didn't want to focus on it.
"Hmm, I can see that." Maritza mused, watching the aldabuck passively. In all honesty Maritza had absolutely no desire to meet Ujana, and only a mild one with Padma, if only because she was Uquin's child. He would want that connection with his children and seeing as the triplets were still too young to travel on their own she would almost have to be there. If there was just one of them then Uquin could handle himself, maybe even two, but three...
"So long as she doesn't take her personal feelings about me out on them I'll be fine." While she'd never spoken to the woman directly, either through letters or face to face, it was clear enough that Ujana didn't like her. Maritza didn't care; she'd made her fair share of enemies and it adding one more didn't bother her. What did worry her was how it would inevitably effect her children and their father.
"That reminds me; I probably should tell my mother she has grandchildren."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:41 pm
[8/10] Ah... yes. Uquin knew full well about that, and had even done what he could to pay Rivyn back with meals or imported gifts. He appreciated the man immensely, both for his friendship after the break up and for all the help he gave with the kids. But... way to go, Uquin, for managing to bash on THAT particular bruise.
As for Ujana... Uquin desperately longed for his children... all of his children to meet. He sincerely longed for that day... he had thought that Padma would jump at the chance to come and meet them (and maybe stay to help, or at least learn about Belrea), but it appeared she had... met someone. It killed him, to be away from his daughters, his grandchildren, and from the work and life he'd known most of his life. But... there was no way he could turn his back on these little ones, even if he knew Maritza was the one person who would somehow figure it out if he did.
Uquin wouldn't be a deadbeat father, even if in many ways it broke his heart to be a fish out of water. When he was WITH the kids it was fine, but the times that Maritza had them...
He'd have to push that thought away, because soon Maritza would likely return to work and then he would have to eat his words, and somehow survive three children 24/7.
"Perhaps it is for the best then that it will be some years yet before they meet. She will, hopefully, have gotten over the worst of her reaction." Uquin sympathized, barely resisting the urge to touch her shoulder again. On her mother though- Uquin started and looked at her, furrowing his brow. Maritza had never been particularly chatty about details, but she had offhandedly mentioned her infamous mothers' methods of child rearing, especially after the children came. He already could tell that Maritza was gentler than her mother must have been. So- while he was stunned that she WOULD mention it, he couldn't find a reason to suggest she NOT do so, rather than leery reluctance. "As long as you do not mind me arguing against any suggestions for how to raise our children, I think that's... an idea." Assuming the woman came around, or that Maritza even LET her come around, of course.
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