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 Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2021 2:18 pm
Picking Out The Perfect Gift
Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
It's that time of the year again! Time to give presents to loved ones in the typical ceremonies of the people of Tendaji. But the question is - what is the perfect gift?
[ We're looking for two things in this world event. 1) Who is your character getting a gift for and why? 2) What exactly would be the perfect gift? You can spend the whole prompt reflecting on these decisions, asking a friend for advice on the gift to give, or going out and purchasing the gift. ]
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Returning to Yael was no easy feat.
The distance between Tendaji and the large island wasn't small by any means which meant, depending on the seas, the voyage could take weeks. Finding a vessel to ferry them was much easier this time around than it was when the Elarians needed to cross, but that also meant Ai would likely spent a great deal of time on a ship with a group of earthlings. Even if she tried to stick to herself and Lucijah avoiding them completely was impossible.
Still, the journey itself was only a fraction of the concerns. The seas between Yael and Tendaji were known for their large, ferocious fish that could rival most ships in size. If the beast itself was in a particularly cross mood the ship could be tossed into the rocks surrounding Yael, capsized, or worse. Thankfully Ai had only ever seen them in passing, but their presence made waves that rocked the ship mercilessly and left the alkidike holding onto the railing just to save her balance.
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Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:18 pm
[1/7]
Just as Lucijah had predicted, she hated boats. The water was rough, the boat rocked, and everything stank the closer they got to Yael ... a sort of sour, sulfurous scent that could be the air itself, or just the boat full of ripe sailors. Not that she was much better, of course, after the past week or so on the ship. Lucijah had been holing up in the bottom level of the ship, where she felt the rocking more acutely but at least didn't have to worry about pitching over the side.
In theory.
Anyway... the sailors had been drawing lots to see who would be 'off' on the new years day so they could get sloshed, and it really did little for Lucijah's faith in the people running this whole thing.
Eventually though, she did creep out of the belly of the ship, feeling particularly green as she wobbled her way to Ai, only barely remembering not to sag into her firmer frame. She'd been sort of dancing around her since they set out, but since swimming she knew Ai probably noticed the way she'd been looking - it was hard to ignore, after all. But the Alkidike hadn't addressed it, so Lucijah wouldn't either - and instead slumped forward, staring mutinously at the roiling waves. "I hate boats. I hate you for doing this to me."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:57 pm
As off putting as the smell was to Lucijah, the putrid air infecting Ai's lungs felt homey. They were close enough now that not even the salt of the sea could mask it and the sight of the all too familiar volcano that loomed over the island proper gave the alkidike some comfort. She'd always thought Jauhar was home; had even fought and trained for the day that they would reclaim it. Now that she was an adult she felt more relief at seeing those rocky, darkened shores than she did seeing the glowing fungi of Chibale.
When a particularly rough wave pitched the ship Ai felt her feet lift off for a moment before slamming down and a chorus of complaints sprouted from the earthlings around her. She, however, wanted it to happen again with an almost childish glee.
A part of her even felt a shred of guilt when she turned to see Lucijah. Not even to wish for a smoother ride, but perhaps a tincture to settle the shifter's stomach.
"If you're going to puke, do it over there-." Ai crouched and crossed her arms atop the rails to look at Lucijah. With a nod of her head she motioned to a pompously chubby Oban who was griping to a crewman about 'conditions on board'. "-might get him to shut up for a while."
The alkidike held her arm out over the waves, palm up and fingers splayed. Slowly she placed the first three fingers of her other hand across her wrist at the base of her palm and followed with her thumb. "Use pressure until you find the tendons and hold it for a bit. Do the same with the other side and it should help."
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Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 3:42 pm
[2/7]
Lucijah followed where Ai gestured and grunted her agreement, lip quirking up a bit at the playful notion from her once reserved companion. "Duly noted." She responded dully, saluting with her fingers. She looked back to Ai though when she moved, and would have tilted her head if the motion wouldn't have made her sick all over again.
It was difficult to make herself let go of the steely grip she had on the edge of the ship, but finally she managed to hook her elbows securely in such a way that she wasn't pitching and rocking too badly with the waves. Once done, Lucijah mimicked the motion, unable to tell if it was really helping, or if she just wanted it to so badly it did. Either way, the heat in her cheeks felt like it settled a bit, and when she swallowed against the knot in her throat, she felt more relief than nausea.
It was a start. As she moved to touch the other wrist, she looked at Ai again, lips quirking up in a weak grin. "Mm. Helps."
They sat in silence for a short time, a comfortable one, where Lucijah followed Ai's stare up towards the mountains in the distance. Yael - the place the Alkidike extremists had been banished to. Or... escaped to, whatever the story was.
"Ready to see your kid? It's been... how long now?" Ai had told her, but she wanted to open that door for her to tell her again anyway.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:23 pm
In truth Ai wasn't sure if the technique was legit or a convincing trick. All she knew was that it had helped her before and if it gave the shifter any sort of relief then what was the harm? "Good."
She stayed like that, leaning against the railing with her ponytail flapping against her back, and just enjoying the ride. At some point she would need to convince Lucijah to eat something, but as she had no desire to deal with the inevitable fall out Ai was reluctant to bring it up. She'd seen it enough with the children on board. They would claim hunger, eat, and then promptly be sick all over their small clothes in the middle of the night.
"Two years." Or had it been longer? She'd done her best to orient time after her attack, but Ai still wasn't sure how long she'd been away. "She'll be a huntress now." It was a bittersweet thought. How come something that brought Ai so much pride also make her heartsick? The child she'd been so against when her caretaker had brought her home, the very same elarian brat, who would come to sleep in Ai's bed and hold her hand when she had bad dreams.
After a pause, the alkidike turned away from the looming island to the shifter instead. "Hold out your hand."
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:33 pm
(3/7)
Some part of Lucijah thought that Ai might shrug off the descriptor. She'd said before that her daughter was older now, enough to take care of herself. She might not like that she was referring to an Aishan as a 'kid', no matter the reasoning. ... But - instead, Ai accepted it, and answered curt enough that the earthling could sense there was conflict there. She watched her companion a moment, bracing herself against the rocking of the ship as best she could.
But - then, Ai turned to her, and Lucijah didn't bother hiding her curiosity. She blinked, tilting her head just a bit as she obliged with a crooked smile. "Here it is. The moment has come for you to cut my hand off and add it to your meat sack--" She snickered, wiggling her fingers in a 'gimme' motion, eyes glittering with good natured mischief.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:45 pm
If Ai could have given a more droll stare then surely the ship would have been swallowed into the sea. "Do not call it that." And yet, the fact that she still kept it said much. She'd preserved as much of it as she could with the proper salts and -
Ai turned to reach for a satchel at her side. It was larger, girthier than the meat sack had been in any case, and a softer leather. At first it could have been mistaken for a water skin because of the heavy way it hung, but when the Aishan laid the satchel in Lucijah's hand the shape would have been obvious.
Inside the bag were a pair of hand crafted crystals daggers. Their ivory handles had been polished to shine even in the dimmest of light and little celestial scenes had been carved into them. The blades themselves were a lovely blue, near translucent hue, with veins of deeper cobalt running through them.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:53 pm
(4/7) Lucijah's grin only widened, her nausea briefly forgotten. It was... morbid as heck, to think that Ai actually carried that thing around, but - she'd become used to it. As used to it as one could, of course.
Her attention turned to the bag that was set in her hand, feeling the softness of the leather for a moment before she finally flipped it open and reached inside and drew one of the knives out, shifting to tuck the bag against her elbow so she could use her other hand to draw the sheath off of it.
Immediately, her mouth dropped open in surprise as she took in the beautiful blade, her breath catching. She wasn't a knife wielder primarily - she had gauntlets, for fighting, but that had the downside of needing the gauntlets ON in order to properly fight. Most of the time, she had a knife at her hip that she used first, until she had time to properly don her weapons - and as such, it was the weapon that Ai had seen her use most often.
And... goddess, these knives were beautiful. "Where did you... get these?" She breathed, finally turning her eyes back to Ai, her face warm. Because she wasn't just - giving these to her, was she?
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:11 pm
"A craftsman in Sulburi;a few weeks before you left..." There had been something that brought her to the crafter's booth that day and despite the fact it was earthling made she'd never failed to appreciate the beauty of those blades. They were as unique as their wielder and worth everything jewel she'd traded to get them.
"They're aren't ornamental; if you ever needed to use them they'll protect you." It felt important for Ai to add that; as if the nature of Lucijah liking them or not depended on it. As if they had to have a use to be valuable, but in Ai's world they already served a purpose.
They reminded her of Lucijah.
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:51 pm
(5/7)
She was just giving these to her. Lucijah felt stunned at that realization. Maybe she shouldn't be - since returning, Ai had said multiple times in her own ways how much she'd come to value Lucijah's presence, but... now she was saying that these were bought before they even split apart in the first place.
Of course they weren't just ornamental - Ai wasn't the type to want something just because it was pretty. But these knives reminded her of that night under the stars, where Ai had insisted that even Lucijah's goddess was signaling how righteous her revenge was.
Finally tugging her eyes away from the knives, Lucijah looked up at Ai, unsure what to say. 'Thanks' felt, somehow, not enough. "I... love 'em. But uh... I'm not much of a dual wielder." She said, instead. She sheathed the first knife then reached into the case for the second one, offering it to Ai.
Something about them wearing matching knives sounded good to her, in a way she refused to examine at this moment. "Use the other one - it'd be a shame to let it go to waste, right?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:15 pm
Ah, well, that was...huh. While she was grateful that Lucijah seemed to appreciate the gift, had even claimed to love them, she'd known that the shifter wasn't one for blades. So why had she gotten them? Because of a look she'd given away most of her funding and now Ai felt foolish. Was Lucijah just saying she liked them because she was scared of what Ai would do if she didn't? And why hadn't she gotten her a more practical gift? Something Lucijah could actually use?
When she started to sheath the knife Ai assumed that was that, and was rather surprised when the second was offered to her. Her niblets of eyebrows rose as the alkidike lifted the other dagger. "If you're sure." A matching set should stay together and she supposed it would so long as the two of them didn't separate again. "If you'd rather have something else I can have something crafted in Yael."
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:30 pm
(6/7)
Oh shoot. To most, the look Ai gave might look blank, even a bit peeved, but Lucijah could see something close to disappointment there, maybe even grudging embarrassment if she read into it a bit too hard. Maybe she was projecting, but the realization of her underwhelming response made her heart pound in her ears, fingers tingling where Ai's had touched her as she took the second dagger back.
"No!" She said, loudly, giving up on holding on to the railing of the ship so she could, instead, hurriedly untie her old dagger, dropping it with a performative finality OVER the side of the ship, where it disappeared without further fanfare.
The beautiful new knife was secured to her belt instead, where she rested her hand fondly against the ivory hilt, fingertips feeling the decorative touches along it fondly. "I really love it. It'd... make me really happy, knowing we have matching pieces. Don't go giving it to anyone else, or I'll stab you." The threat was playful, but... maybe Lucijah looked at her a bit too hard, hoping she realized just how much the gift really meant to her. From Ai.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 3:01 pm
"What are you doing?! Are you mad?" That was a perfectly good dagger! At first Ai wasn't sure what to think when Lucijah started shucking off the old blade, but to throw it overboard?! Even if she didn't want it now there was no reason to throw it away!
When the Aishan looked back at the earthling she didn't know how to take it. She looked positively proud of herself and it brought a warmth to Ai's confused heart that she didn't want to overthink. "...that so?" She couldn't help it; Ai let out a shark, sardonic bark of laughter that faded into a genuinely pleased smiled. She adjusted her own daggers sheath onto her belt and soon enough, she was armed with her new piece.
"And if I said I'd like that?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 3:12 pm
(7/7) Were there fish people around here? Obviously not, with how toxic the water must be, but Lucijah still couldn't keep the grin from her face at the idea of a dagger falling from the sky on some unsuspecting creature's head. That, and Ai's affronted reaction only served to invigorate her more, as did that sharp bark of laughter. Now, they were just smiling at eachother, and it felt so warm and good and strangely peaceful, despite just how messed up their entire dynamic was.
Leave it to Ai to seem pleased at the threat of violence. Lucijah rolled her eyes fondly, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Because of course you would-"
Without a proper answer, Lucijah instead reached boldly into Ai's space, gripping the belt that the dagger was hanging from and adjusting it, just because she wanted to. And, also, to test how Ai tolerated her in her space.
Once she felt it was properly attached, she gave a satisfied nod and turned back to look at the island as it came closer to them, propping her arms once more along the railing.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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