Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Hmm?” Jhin came around the corner and dropped a bundle of blankets and pillows onto the bed. “I am glad that you agreed to plan for twins instead of a single baby.” He stated though his aqua gaze was full of worry as he studied Kyril. “Everything alright?” The ranger had been doing his best to stay around the house, making repairs while also keeping an eye on Kyril, but even he couldn’t avoid patrols forever so he had spent some mornings and afternoons away during the last few months. Now that the girls had been born he had managed to only take early morning patrols so that he could spend the afternoons with Kyril while working on whatever was necessary.

Today, however, was the beginning of a break as other rangers had come back into the village from escorting a caravan up into Zena. Jhin was thankful that they had returned but it also meant that his Aunt was finally back. She had been gone for nearly a year now and well….needless to say he was a bit worried about her response to all of the changes in his life.

[Jhin 1]

“Good.” Jhin gave a wary nod before moving so that he could go and tuck the blankets around the girls more tightly. The ranger simply brushed a finger lightly against their soft curls before pulling back so that he could study Kyril again. “Do you think we’ll survive dinner?” He finally asked as he addressed the obvious shadow looming over them both. As leader of the rangers his Aunt was more loose about certain morals, as long as no one was getting stabbed in the back, but Jhin wasn’t certain how she would take to the sudden and drastic changes in his life.

“You look lovely, by the way.” He managed as an afterthought as his gaze trailed over Kyril. He knew she was nervous simply because of the ornaments in her hair and the extra care she had taken in applying some cosmetics, the Oban style bringing out the gold of her eyes with the smoky kohl and the shimmering red of her lips a bright contrast against her tan skin. It was nice seeing her dressed up like this and he felt guilty that she didn’t seem to be able to wear the elegant outfits in the forest like she surely had worn in Oba.

[Jhin 2]

“We should.” Jhin made certain to place the pillows on the bed and left the blankets at the bottom so that Kyril could nest later as he liked to call it. Whenever she got too tired or cold she’d always borrow into the blankets so that she could relax. Thankfully spring was finally here and the mornings were not as chilly as before so they could look forward to summer’s warmth again. He didn’t mind the cold as much even though he did enjoy sitting by the fireplace in the evenings, reading reports or just relaxing there while chatting with Kyril.

“Tyka isn’t a horrible woman, she’s just somewhat intimidating.” Jhin found himself adding as he walked up to Kyril and squeezed her hand comfortingly. Everything would be fine. His Aunt would surely love her!

[Jhin 3]

Well, here's hoping. Jhin took a last moment to survey the room and to make certain the girls were comfortably sleeping before heading downstairs himself. The wind earthling made his way past the open windows twisting around the curved staircase going down into the kitchen, sheer green and gold curtains swaying in the faint breeze like flags that showed him the way down. Colored glass orbs with candles were nestled into notches along the wall to provide lights at night, the orbs casting soft lights of various colors along the stairs to guide the way. Within the last half year they had worked hard to make this place a true home, missing pieces of the stairs filled in and then decorations that Kyril had picked out to bring color and life to the cold gray walls of stone.

Myra and another ranger had helped with the kitchen, the area now more open with a large stone furnace and cabinets that they had built into the walls from recently fallen trees that had been found in the forest after a large storm came through last fall. The cabinets had been painted after a long afternoon together, some breaks for playful shenanigans, and now sported teal vines twisting over the glazed wood with little golden flowers. Myra had made certain to give them various spices as well which Kyril had immediately taken to in preparing special breads like she enjoyed back in Matori and Oba. So while Kyril started by placing the breads in the oven, Jhin started working on the stew for tonight’s meal. It was still chilly and it would be a perfect way to warm up everyone this evening.

[Jhin 4]

“That sounds like a lovely idea.” Replied Jhin with a smile as he placed the iron pot above the fire so that it could cook. The aroma of fresh venison with root vegetables and spices filled the air and both of their stomachs grumbled. A laugh escaped his lips before he plucked two pink fruits from the counter and handed one to Kyril. “Here.” Jhin brushed against her and gave her a loving nudge before heading upstairs so that they could relax before preparing for the inevitable visit.

[Jhin 5]

“Well you did say that this place had potential if I wanted to work on it.” Replied Jhin with a flush before glancing over towards Kyril almost apologetically. His aunt enjoyed surprising others with her reactions, so it was no wonder that she hadn’t just approached them more formally. The most surprising thing wasn’t his aunt’s affections but the arrival of the Oban behind her. Jhin found his gaze widening, his heart twisting in his chest as he watched Giya walk inside. “Giya…” His voice softened before he held out a hand, “Why are you here?”

“I was just thinking about things and came back when Tyka sent an invitation.” Giya replied, her gaze thoughtful as she studied Jhin and then glanced towards Kyril before taking his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “Since I returned to Oba she wanted to discuss better strategies for the rangers helping the summer caravans to Sulburi.”

“I told her to visit with me. There should be plenty to share, right?” Tyka added in before brushing past the surprised pair and towards the more open space that they had converted into a family room of sorts that worked as a dining room when they had guests. The large table had been pulled away from the wall and six chairs sat around it. Kyril and Jhin had already placed the table for three, but Jhin hurried to the kitchen with an apologetic look towards Kyril so that he could gather a fourth bowl.

[Jhin 6]

Jhin winced when he turned the corner and heard the compliment. He already knew where his Aunt was heading with this. He had hoped that Giya was just a coincidental appearance, but it seemed more was at play here. His Aunt was far from being against mixed races, but she did have a disdain for those who didn’t quite belong with the stronger rangers. Why invite merchants to reside here when they have to deal with protecting them all the time? If caravans didn’t come through recklessly there would be less casualties over the years, but artisans and merchants were just money grubbing weaklings. That had been one of many of Tyka’s spills even though she did work to protect trade routes and the like despite her bias. It was profitable to the rangers, helped the locals that relied on the supplies and kept them in control of protecting this area of deep forest.

“You know Kyril helped fight bandits when I first met her.” Jhin found himself starting as he took a seat next to Kyril and started serving the stew. “She helped protect others even though she was just traveling through with a caravan who happened to have an extra seat. It’s always a surprise when you see how strong her right hook can be.” Even though his words were light and playful there was a tension in the air, a defense against his Aunt’s accusations. “Just unfortunate that she took a hit helping me out so she had to rest up here for a bit. Everyone in the village was surprised about how quickly she managed to adapt and start helping out.”

[Jhin 7]