Table of Contents ♦Table of Contents ♦ Quynh ♦ Rps & Adventures ♦ Inventory & Art ♦ Reqs ♦The Story So Far.
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:43 pm
Name: Quynh Nicknames: Stage: Warrior (3) Race: Alkidike (1/2) / Elaria(1/2) Gender: Female Status: Single Personality: Vain, Uninhibited, Resourceful
Quynh was born as a result of her mothers’ love and understands that her appearance along with her sisters has startled the world, but she is not bothered by her unique traits. She does not find it a bad thing and rather is proud about her existence. If Aisha allowed such a blend to occur then surely it was meant to be! Why else would the mother tree bless the world with her presence? As a result, Quynh does not bend her knee to any bullying and rather thinks anyone trying to insult her is simply jealous of her beauty and skills because she is the perfect mixture of Elaria and Alkdiike. This may get her in trouble some days as she is rather uninhibited and does not always know how to hold her tongue. She adores listening to herself speak and will always express her opinion, especially if she thinks someone else is wrong. Perhaps that would explain why she’s a bit distant from others, especially those struggling to accept that Aishan hybrids like Quynh now exist. Still, the girl has just learned to be resourceful about finding her own materials since it’s a bit harder to get others to share with her that are outside of the family save for a few close family friends. Others would think that perhaps if she apologized more and was a bit nicer that maybe Quynh would have an easier time blending in or getting help when necessary but the girl thinks that would be showing weakness, something her pride refuses to allow as she keeps her chin held high despite everything going on around her.
History:Quynh’s mothers were traveling warriors who bonded over their love of battle. Aife and Clovis both had their differences because of their backgrounds, one family that freely intermingled with earthlings while another had been raised in isolation set to hate them, but eventually a few brawls and close encounters with much larger prey had them overcoming such backgrounds. When the treaty happened Aife wanted to explore the world for herself, to see what it was that the Extremists had left behind for their new home on Yael. She encountered Clovis along the way as both huntresses enjoyed the thrill of the fight and the chase, something which they discovered when stumbling into each other while pursuing the exact same prey. Insults slung back and forth eventually turned into playful banter and from then on out the pair was set to form an unbreakable bond. Over the years the thrill of the hunt kept them busy but eventually they realized it would be nice to settle and so they planned to head back towards Chibale in the hopes of receiving a blessing.
Proud as they were the Aishan pair didn’t want to concede and only have a daughter of either race and so they approached Aisha with their hopes that somehow a blended child showing both of their traits, their beloved heritages, would bloom. They had heard rumors that such a recent bloom had appeared and so they could only hope that the same would be true for them. Either way they knew that they would cherish their daughter, but it did much to ease their stubborn minds to hope that this compromise could truly exist that would allow them to have a child that shared traits with them both. Aife and Clovis were delighted when they saw their mixed bloom and Quynh was welcomed into the world with an abundance of love, both mothers perhaps spoiling her a bit too much along with their families. Their relatives always offered them two homes, one in Chibale and another in Zinris, while the mothers opted to travel back and forth between their beloved homes while raising the youngling to be as strong as possible. Currently: Living in Chibale & seeing Ika Interesting Tidbits! -Creative with pranks -Vain, takes care of her appearance without hesitation -Sassy
Character Name: Quynh Class Promotion: S3: Blade (Sacred Heart) Current Location: Chibale Journal:[X] Growth Point Links: 50/50 Unexpected Reunion w/Ika - 5 pnts [Strange Creations] w/Luleta - 5 pnts [Trees in Bloom WE] - 5 pnts [Pub Crawl] w/Ika - 5 pnts [Stuck in a Storm] - 5 pnts [Accident] - 5 pnts [Truth or Dare] - 5 pnts [Resolve Solo] 10 pnts [Determination and Frustrations] w/Ika - 5 pnts Growth Blurb: After venturing out more on her own and taking charge of her own life, Quynh has developed feelings for another and is learning how to navigate the world in defiance of her mothers' expectations with the hope that one day they'll truly accept her and those that she loves. Physical Description: Up to artist, take inspiration from her current stage and the below. [Far left outfit 1] //[Inspiration 2] // [Inspiration 3] She enjoys splashes of bright colors and accessories (beads, gemstones, feathers, etc.) Hair can be kept up or loose with beads. She uses dual blades as well so feel free to include them if wanted. Earrings and optional facial piercings ([Ex 1] // [EX 2] Body Type: Similar to before [x] Preferred Artists: Kana, Scar [Full/Collab] WIPs: Sure!
Prentice Growth Form
Character Name: Quynh Class Promotion: S2: Warrior (Sacred Heart) Current Location: Chibale Journal:[X] Growth Point Links: 25/25 [Sacred Heart Solo] - 10 pnts - 3125 wc [Treasure Hunters] - w/Ika [Legendary] - w/Ika [Date Night WE Solo] Class Affinity/Choice Solo:[Sacred Heart Solo] Growth Blurb: Quynh has grown from a protected daughter into more of a warrior in her own rights. She is breaking away from her mothers who would coddle her to try to find her own path in this world by opting to stay in Jahaur instead of going along with them on their travels. She has been training hard as a sacred heart and is dedicated to becoming a strong warrior, no longer simply going along with her family and instead learning to take care of herself. Physical Description: Feel free to keep her apprentice stage accessories, outfit design in mind but you can also take inspiration from the following: [Far left outfit 1] //[Inspiration 2] // [Inspiration 3] // [Inspiration 3 w/hair too] // [hair 2] She enjoys splashes of bright colors and accessories (beads, feathers, etc.) Hair can be like before or twisted up like in the two inspiration pictures with accessories. She uses dual blades as well so feel free to include them if wanted. Earrings and optional facial piercings ([Ex 1] // [EX 2] Body Type: Curvy, hourglass Preferred Artists: Kana, Scar [Full/Collab] WIPs: Sure!
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:43 pm
♦The Story So Far...♦
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:08 pm
♦Conflicts♦
Life as a hybrid Aishan was definitely complicated. While Quynh’s mothers adored one another and showed her nothing but love the girl always found herself getting in trouble with other pure Aishans, especially younglings. Ever since they had taken the time to stay near a settlement of Alkidikes living in Jahaur the girl had been in constant fights with others her age. It was like they simply couldn’t comprehend that she could even exist! Quynh did not feel dismayed and if anything she just felt ashamed for them that they could not handle how awesome she was. She was the perfect mixture of Alkidike and Elarian, no matter what they said! Curly antennae, pink skinned, washed out markings, creepy bright eyes and none of that mattered! She thought she was lovely and so did her mothers. If anything she just laughed since she knew that the Elaria younglings made fun of her for the opposite things that the Alkidike ones did. Pale skin, dark haired thing that she was! So what if she didn’t share all of their traits? She was still an Aishan so bleh on them! Nothing could break Quynh that easily!
Quynh’s mothers had made certain that she was strong. She was not raised to be a weakling, but at the same time she definitely did not enjoy getting her clothing messy. If anything she could endure the insults and throw back some of her own, but it was the tricks that ruined her outfits which often caused a conflict for the youngling. How dare they toss mud at her?! But was it immature for her to strike back with more mud? Did she fling mud back at the other younglings who teased her for her mixed traits or did she simply wait until later when there was a more opportune chance to get revenge? Throwing more mud right away would only lead to actual punches and that always got her in trouble with the elders. It didn’t help that she had a short temper and refused to back down, something her mothers taught her was a sign of weakness which would only cause her to get into even more trouble in the future, and so when she did react things escalated quickly. Rather than showing weakness, Quynh would have to push back against her bullies. Punch for punch and a kick for a kick! She would never back down if possible! At least that was what her mothers wanted if they ever saw that she was in trouble.
Quynh always had to hide the bruises to avoid those discussions with her mothers. She simply did not want to worry them or receive a lecture about the strength of warriors in times of crisis or things like that. Admittedly it was hard to always hide the bruises and the like but truly the girl didn’t want her mothers to know about the group of Alkidike that constantly harassed her while they were in Chibale. If she bowed now then what would happen later? Wouldn’t that make her relationship with the other younglings more strained if she asked for her mothers to intervene? It was hard because at first she wanted nothing more than to go to her mothers and hide away, their love always a comfort to her spirit during times like these despite the lectures. But she was more afraid of worrying them and she wanted to prove that she was capable of growing into a strong warrior like they wanted. So Quynh would hold her head high and throw back any quips as necessary until another fight broke out or until the girls eventually scoffed at her and simply walked away. Either way Quynh considered it a form of training, of keeping her spunk despite oppressing circumstances and to learn how to become a better fighter through experience instead of simple lessons. If anything she was always optimistic that her pride would win through to the other girls until they could accept her as a Sister, someone just as good as them if not better. Her pride, her belief in her own abilities would continue pushing her forward to continue sparring with them and showing up without fear whenever the older Sisters offered lessons to the growing warriors.
The worst culprits were the trio of youngling sisters who continuously picked fights with her. Their mothers apparently were important figures in the small settlement and they were not accustomed to sharing anything let alone space with a hybrid. Kenko was the eldest and she always had an insult ready for Quynh when she came around. To imagine that Quynh had actually attempted to socialize with them when she first arrived! The young hybrid simply stuck her nose back up at them instead now. Why even bother with ingrates like that? Spoiled daughters probably couldn’t even handle their own if they ever venture into the more wild areas of Jahaur! So why waste her time even trying to appease them when all they wanted was trouble? It was a complete waste of her efforts. However, what wasn’t a waste of her efforts was finding small ways to pay them back for spoiling her lunches with dirt or ruining her clothing with sticky sap and the like. It was one thing to fling insults about and another thing to actually touch her and her belongings! That was where she had to draw the line, but Quynh refused to allow her mothers to stand up for her and so began the series of pranks.
Creativity was something that Quynh excelled at and so after months of fighting she finally had an idea about how to leave a more lasting impression on the bullying trio. After a week of gathering supplies the girl found enough pink dye to place in a simple enough trap, something that left three of her biggest bullies with dyed body parts to almost match her own. So much for saying pink fingers and toes were unattractive! Hah! At first they were enraged and Quynh prepared herself for a fight. Even if she came home covered in scratches and bruises the prank had been completely worth it.
But then something seemed to break and instead of curses, the girls glanced at each other and laughter actually exploded from their lips. Other younglings had caught sight of them and the trio would have to endure teasing from others now as they went about for days with splotches of pink dying their skin and dreads, but something had changed. Perhaps it was the teasing from other Sisters that did not get caught in the prank that started to make them a bit more sympathetic or they were afraid of more creative revenge from the spunky hybrid but there was something slowly shifting. Quynh just hoped that she could continue to hold her ground and eventually prove herself to the rest of the Alkidikes, something that would surely appear later when a challenge was issued and the girls found themselves competing despite the warnings of older hunters who told them to leave a certain area alone because of Menzuri. Even if the trio accepted Quynh a little bit more now and didn’t prank her as often the girls refused to accept that a hybrid could be as strong as them! Hearing that had bristled Quynh and she found herself arguing with the trio. “What do you mean I can’t? I could totally punch a menzuri in a face and it would probably fall down a lot quicker if I fought it instead of you!” She flung back at the girls which escalated into even more arguing as they debated who could actually take down a menzuri. Things eventually got so heated that the girls found themselves challenging each other to actually go out and fight the menzuri. Why not go into the area and show the menzuri who was boss? The youngling who actually defeated one would prove that they were the strongest while the others would have to do their chores and get called the weakling! However, they were young and things did not go as planned leaving the girls in danger because of menzuri. Quynh watched with horror as the girls got trapped in the sticky webs of the menzuri. Would they get eaten? She found herself frozen in terror before resolve finally made her move. Even if they had bullied for so many years, Quynh knew that she could not abandon the others while they were in danger and so she risked herself to come back, to pull them away from the webs of the dangerous beasts so that they could all run safely back to camp. All four of them collapsed when they came back, but thankfully everyone was relieved to see them safe so the lectures and punishments waited until later. Quynh remembered how exhausted she was and how badly injured she had been but still she went to sleep with a smile on her lips that night. Hopefully now things would start changing more and while she was loath to trust anyone completely, especially not the trio, the girl could at least imagine tolerating their presence going forward. And that would be good enough for her.
[1543]
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 2:51 pm
♦Sacred Heart♦
Maybe someone else would have suggested going the route of a blacksmith but Quynh enjoyed the feeling of blades in her hands far too much. Her mothers were bulkier Aishans who preferred using spears and battle axes when hunting their prey and would have most definitely looked down on her for picking a more delicate weapon like the bow, but the swords were a good compromise since they allowed Quynh a more elegant fighting style while also pleasing her mothers who preferred to feel their weapons digging into the flesh of their enemies. When she was younger she admittedly had wondered what it would be like to pick a path that was not full of violence, the constant pressure of the hunt making her somedays seek an escape away from the thrilling events that her mothers so enjoyed. She wondered what it would be like to have been born an earthling who could choose to just spend their life dancing or crafting for their occupations or to maybe even become a blacksmith for her Aishan sisters. That idea did not settle well with her because Quynh honestly did enjoy seeing the world and to apprentice at a smithy would keep her in the same area for years, something that she was not accustomed to doing with her life even if something stable would be a break from so much traveling. And to be over a hot forge all day? Nah. Quynh shook her head at the thought. Living in Jahaur was enough heat for her with how the humidity made her skin sticky whereas she preferred the cool oceans of the other islands though the rainstorms of the jungle could be quite fun. She did enjoy swimming in the deep rivers that cut through the thick jungle, the azure waters gleaming under the shimmering crystal lights in the heart of Jahaur while Chibale’s beaches were quite lovely in comparison to the other beaches she had visited in her lifetime. A warriors’ path then was much more preferable to the stale life of an artisan who was rooted in one spot to watch their smithy or shop. A spear was too much to lug around and so was a battle axe or hammer. While Quynh was tall like her mothers the girl had developed more of a slender build and was not quite as bulky nor did she want to strain her body by constantly carrying heavy weapons and so when the idea of dual blades had been introduced the girl quickly accepted them. She was even more excited about the idea of becoming a sacred heart since that could add so much flare to her attacks. Quynh was fond of extravagant and shiny things so why not add a bit of fire or ice to her attacks? She would be quick on her feet and attack with speed and deadly accuracy to make up for the brute strength that she lacked which her mothers had tried so hard to teach her.
“I’ll learn quickly.” She had promised her mothers when they lingered in Chibale for almost a year, the longest they had been in one area since she was a youngling. It was interesting to pick up how the sacred hearts in Chibale fought, the traditional dance of blades seemingly fitting the apprentice well. While her mothers went on their hunts Quynh had begged them to allow her to live with a cousin, Yvara, who could teach her the ways of the sacred heart. Yvara had eventually accepted her and Quynh had dedicated herself to being the best student that she could be with the limited time that she had in Chibale. Days had turned into weeks and weeks turned into months as Quynh’s speed increased and her body became tougher, more honed to master the lightning fast attacks used by other sacred hearts instead of simply being in shape from following her mothers around in the wilderness. Magic was the strangest concept to Quynh’s mothers who preferred to just use physical violence against their enemies but Quynh found it fascinating. Thankfully Yvara was a more collected sort who had the patience to teach her youngest cousin. Quynh was thankful for her guidance even now while she was balancing on top of a ridiculous rope stretched across a rather murky pond, not a dangerous place but more of a disgusting and embarrassing one to fall into. While other warriors would be training to increase their strength by lifting weights or running errands or just by simply sparring with another partner, Quynh was doing all sorts of insane balancing acts. Today’s lesson was thankfully a bit calmer than the other day where she had to run across rocks that were also nestled in the middle of rapids near the borders of Jahaur and Oba. That had been a bit nerve wracking where all she could rely on at first was a frayed rope tucked around her waist that would pull her back towards a tree on the shoreline should she slip and fall into the racing waters. Yvara wanted to train her not kill her and the waterfall at the end of those rapids definitely was not the most pleasant thing to tumble down, that much they both agreed on even though Yvara wanted to eventually get Quynh trained to the point that she could jump across the rocks without relying upon the rope. Honestly if anything the frayed condition made her super considerate of the situation regardless, especially since Quynh was not confident in the rope’s durability and did not want to ruin her own outfit. She did enjoy her specially dyed leathers, the bright splashes of colors a nod towards her own bright appearance that had been created from the mixture of Elaria and Alkidike traits. It was a bit vain but the girl did pay attention to what she wore and made certain the leathers were fairly easy to clean, especially when she had to worry about blood staining other clothing whenever she helped her mothers with a hunt.
“Quyn, focus.” Her cousin’s quiet voice cut through her tangle of thoughts and the teen found her bright gaze flickering towards the older Alkidike. “If you don’t cross the rope within the next two minutes I’ll have to cut it.” The warning was obvious. Yvara did not like wasting time and she would not linger around for a younger cousin that was too busy daydreaming to train. That was dangerous especially when one had to learn to spread their attention during combat to balance both the blade and magic. Being a sacred heart was no easy feat and Quynh flushed as she realized that her cousin was watching her just standing around like this.
“I’ll do it.” Quynh nodded as she curled her toes around the rough rope, her feet surprisingly soft despite the training and traveling. It was not only her outfits she tended to take care of, the jars of ointments and scents tucked into her traveling bag a testimony to that. Still, there would be some burns and cuts along her feet especially now as she raced across the rope. Weeks ago she may have stumbled but this time the apprentice was truly showing her progress as she managed to make it across right before the rope snapped in half behind her, a bolt of ice from her cousin splitting it cleanly in the middle. “I made it so you could have saved that rope.” Protested Quynh as she tumbled towards the ground, landing on spread feet instead of her behind this time. She winced as her tender feet touched the crystal grasses, the mixture of soft moss and sprouting crystals at the heart of the forest always combating with one another.
“If I stopped doing that then perhaps you would grow more comfortable with the course.” Replied Yvara without hesitation. “I prefer to keep you on your toes.” Ah, so there was a bit of her mother’s blood in Yvara after all. Her mother would worry about someone getting too soft over time as well.
“Don’t get too comfortable. Got it.” Replied Quynh with a frown. Was it so bad to just have faith in her ability to cross? Did they need to include the motivation of falling every time? But then again she supposed it made sense especially to Aishans who constantly lived with the shadow of death at their heels. A hunt could never be set in stone, the prey was always adapting and growing stronger with nothing staying predictable for long. Even if the days of wars with earthlings and others were fading into the past the lessons stayed strong for those who still sought their thrill in the deep wilderness where many great beasts roamed. Those strong feelings that twisted in her chest were a key to her capabilities, especially since she was pursuing the path of sacred heart. It was the tension which could push her to unlock more and more abilities as time passed. It was still better than simply learning under her mothers who would have preferred to throw her into the waterfalls or in front of a raging beast as a training lesson.
“Let’s go back to the training hall.” Yvara commented as she finished gathering up their supplies. “You can start sparring with other trainees. It’s probably for the best that you try to socialize a bit more with your sisters before your mothers rip you out of Jahaur again.”
“I know.” Quynh nodded as she tugged her boots back on, the soft leather melting around her sore and aching calves. Like everything else the pale tan boots were stitched with colorful designs, some frays hanging from the top with vivid beads and feathers reminiscent of the ones woven into her dreads. Yvara had made a face when she saw her colorful cousin arrive at first but now she simply accepted that the girl liked to express herself in a more unique way. Yvara was more like Quynh’s mothers and focused on practicality over pretty or delicate things. Still, Quynh was a bit spoiled by her family especially her mothers and they did allow her to express herself more than what they would have ever imagined before having a daughter together. They just wanted the best for her and Quynh accepted that even if she had to put her foot down finally and start on this path to becoming a warrior in her own right. She was not going to simply live for the thrill of the hunt. She wanted to explore and find out all of the interesting things hidden in this world full of earthlings and Aishans with the great beasts that roamed across all of the continents. She wanted the interactions, to find the shimmering jewels hidden within the nearby streams or to find the gleam of attraction with new friendships and the like all on her own. Quynh was beginning to realize that she was not focused simply on the hunt that thrilled her mothers but that she was looking for more in this world. She wanted to gather stories, to learn more arts, to craft and to even bake! Things that her mothers thought pointless she found pleasure and meaning in, especially if she could share with others. Yvara seemed to understand that even if she had seemed a bit distant at first but now that Quynh was learning how to fight under her older cousin there seemed to be a bond growing between the pair….even if Yvara was more than willing to dump Quynh into dangerous situations for training purposes.
“How long do you have?” Yvara asked as they started walking away from the field and back towards the thicker areas of jungle where the small Alkidike village was nestled. Yvara lived there with her daughters, younglings who were still content playing the days away with Yvara’s lover who was actually a blacksmith and not as much into the fighting aspect that her mate and family were. Kiyna would often just wave to them, a friendly smile on her face before she ushered the triplets along towards the small home that was built into the base of one of the great trees of Jahaur. The structure started in the hollow roots with stairs twisting along the outside and leading into higher platforms that had little rooms set up throughout the larger branches that stretched towards the shimmering foliage of green and violet that blocked out most of the sky. Crystals flickered along the darker path, their colors casting different types of glowing lights as Quynh and Yvara walked past the home and towards the training grounds. The Alkidike village was almost a full day’s walk from Chibale but the hunting was good in the deeper jungle with less Shifters around as Neued was a couple of days from this particular area. More traditional Aishans, nearly a group of forty to fifty warriors with a few elders and their daughters, stayed here who preferred gathering and hunting to take care of their own instead of getting tangled up with the earthlings for trading purposes. The less interactions the more chances that their daughters would not come back with earthling lovers to weaken their bloodlines. Even if they got along with the earthlings now there were many who preferred to keep the Aishan race as it was, something that had created quite a confused stir whenever Quynh arrived with her mothers. Aife had been welcomed by her cousins, even though her own mothers (Quynh’s grandmothers) had apparently caused a rift decades ago by opting to live closer to the earthlings so that her aunt could raise a family with a shifter girl who had caught her attention. Quynh’s mixed cousins unfortunately were lost in an Extremist attack before the war and divide that sent so many to Yael, but her grandmothers had stayed in that village until their final days before Aife went traveling throughout the world to hunt monsters which Quynh now realized was probably a result of her loss. It would make sense then why her Alkidike mother wanted her to stay with the Aishans as the loss of her sibling’s family made her worry that mingling with earthlings would only cause more weakness and pain. It was strange to think that Elaria could have a mixed offspring with an Alkidike but since Quynh was technically pure Aishan the elders eventually accepted her while the other younglings did often teas her growing up, but Quynh had quickly solved that by going out on a dare involving the menzuri. Thankfully she had managed to help the other younglings out of the sticky situation and now there was a mutual understanding between the groups that allowed Quynh to mingle with them easier. It was just unfortunate that she had only lived in this particular village for a few months at a time to maybe a year before her mothers decided to go traveling yet again. This last year was the longest amount of time that she had stayed in the village since being a youngling and Quynh was glad that she had sparring partners who took her seriously despite her different appearance. It would not be a surprise then that her mothers would be wanting to leave again soon as almost a year had passed since Quynh had started training with Yvara.
“Maybe another month?” Quynh finally replied as the training ground came into view. About twelve other apprentices were sparring already, the majority training with traditional spears while four stood on the side with bows and only another held dual blades in their hands. Her biggest bully had become her training partner and Quynh was still trying to adapt to the strangeness of the situation. Now that they were older it seemed Minuh had calmed down and let go of petty things to focus on her own studies as a sacred heart. No more bickering except when they were getting hot headed about competing during training, but even that was far better than how Quynh had been treated by the other girl as younglings. Even the menzuri incident had not completely patched their differences, instead forming a silent treaty instead of friendship. Now though there seemed to be something budding almost like companionship and it was most definitely strange to think about. It would be nice to linger in Jahaur so that she could figure things out more with her studies and with the other girls, but such a decision was up to her mothers.
“Only if you allow them.” Yvara’s voice cut through her thoughts almost like she had known what Quynh was pondering. “You can opt to stay with me here in Jahaur instead of traveling. Focus on yourself and training now that you’re older instead of allowing Aife and Clovis to drag you all across the world. If you want to travel then that is fine but how can you truly grow as a sacred heart if you don’t have the proper training? Stay here another year and then go learn in Yael if you would like to learn how the Elaria fight. It should be similar, no?”
“Ah.” Quynh blinked before nodding. “I think you’re right.” She had been thinking about it and she was older now. She was confident that she could take care of herself and not rely upon her mothers’ protection like she had as a young bloom. She was no longer a sprout but even closer to becoming a warrior like her mothers. “Is it truly alright to stay here with you?” She asked, glancing over at her cousin with interest.
“As long as you don’t cause trouble and help out in the village.” Replied Yvara with a nod. “I have three younglings so I cannot babysit you like that. You’ll have to figure things out and learn a lot on your own but I think a year apart may be good for you. It’ll give you space to think about everything instead of being dragged left and right with the winds. I love your mothers but they have a rather chaotic lifestyle that does not offer much stability.”
Quynh let out a soft chuckle but nodded. “You’re not wrong. I will speak with them after we finish up here. I should go train with Minuh?” She gestured towards the other apprentice who had noticed them and was already starting to walk over.
“Yes.”
“Alright then. I’ll see you later tonight after I’ve spoken with my mothers.” Quynh gave a small smile and a wave towards her cousin before moving to meet with Minuh, her blades ready for a spar with her old enemy and new friend.
[3125 wc]
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2024 4:07 pm
♦Keeping Resolve♦
After beating the trio in a shooting contest, Quynh had gotten directions to the encampment that her mothers were currently sharing with other Aishan hunters. The pair always had to go out and roam into the most dangerous part of the wilderness to find wild beasts to conquer and often refused to spend time with any earthling infested areas, hence Quynh’s frustrations as she continued fighting along the path by herself to catch up with the pair. Maybe I should have made Yone or the whole group of them accompany me here since they lost the bet instead of getting a new travel bag. Quynh mused, looking down at the leather satchel that was dyed in an arrangement of vibrant colors with beads sewn in alongside of the swirling patterns. Nah, she enjoyed shiny and colorful things like this far too much to have given up the prize for some less than favorable company. Like with her pranks, the hybrid Aishan was willing to work for a reward and the satchel was more than enough considering how little coin she usually had to her name especially after traveling back from Yael on her own and then visiting that pub. So why bother wasting a chance for a gift just because she had to work a bit more while traveling on her own? It just meant that Quynh prowled along the hidden paths by herself to track down her mothers, knocking back vines and climbing trees for better vantage points to shoot down any potential danger before it got to her first, and kept a slower pace for a few days after leaving the earthling settlement on the edge of Jahaur. If not any of the nasty trio, then maybe she should have asked Ika to tag along? But then again, Quynh wanted to find her mothers on her own to reunite with them and then slowly ease them into the idea of a hybrid partner before introductions. Not that she thought Ika couldn’t handle it, but rather she just didn’t want to deal with the embarrassment of her mothers with their old biased views that she truly wished would die out with their changing world. So what if earthlings existed and had some children with Aishans? It didn’t destroy them to have a hybrid Aishan child, so why would it destroy them if she happened to love someone with a bit of earthling blood? It didn’t stop Ika from being the beautiful and dangerous warrior that Quynh knew and adored for so long now. If only her mothers could see that and get over their disgust of earthlings! At least they weren’t fully extremists…else she would have been fully Elaria and raised on Yael herself with her nastier cousins living in Zinris. The very thought made Quynh’s lip curl with disdain. Thankfully her mothers were not that murderous towards earthlings, they simply disregarded them as anyone of value and stayed clear for the most part unless absolutely necessary. Well, that would have to change…even if it was a slow process. Quynh knew it was hard for most Aishans to stomach the idea of an earthling lover, but it was possible for love to develop over time with anyone if the connection was made. They simply had to give earthlings a chance first! And now that they had discovered new islands and the Kahi living there? Surely they had to start becoming more open minded about relationships! Did she believe in instant love? Not fully, there was no way someone could just instantly love someone at first sight, at least in her opinion. You had to get to know them first, not just lust after them because they caught your eye. There had been interest at first that just kept growing over time, something that Quynh hoped would keep growing now that she had finally confessed to Ika instead of flirting about the topic. But that would only grow if she stood her ground against Clovis and Aithe who would probably be against the idea at first. Still, she absolutely did not want her mothers to ruin any of this happiness and that determination kept her moving forward as she pushed through the muck of the denser jungle that her mothers had tread through just days before. At least she could track them now, the familiar markings that they left for other hunters in the trees becoming more visible by the day as the fresh cuts and swirling points in the bark started to truly shine in the flickering lights of the crystals that replaced the sunlight as Quynh went deeper and deeper into Jahaur. The brightness of the open islands, the Matori sunlight that gleamed from the ocean and across the sands, had nearly made her forget what it was like to be in a different type of lighting with the dimness of the forest only brightened by the shimmering crystals and the little hints of sun that managed to make it through the foliage. It was a shame that she had to grow more accustomed to such scenery again, the transition period as she traveled nearly costing Quynh a couple of times as radaku and menzuri both tried to surprise her. Definitely prefer the open ocean and some tavern hopping to these types of surprises.
The worst fight had been two days ago with a truly feral radaku, a nasty beast with an array of scars from how often it fought others that wandered into its territory. The fight itself had been tense, Quynh barely getting her swords out before getting pushed back up against a tree with little choice but to shove against the lunging beast before it ripped her throat out with its fangs. “Get back!” She hissed in Aishan, her voice steady despite the racing of her heart and the fear that twisted her stomach into knots. It was one thing to pick off something by shooting at it from afar or to fight against another warrior’s blades, and another thing entirely to be fighting for her very life alone in the middle of the wilderness against a fierce predator. How her mothers thrived on such adrenaline the Aishan hybrid didn’t know. It was stressful enough just surviving on your own in the jungle when you weren’t with a group or living in an encampment, but even worse to actually seek out extremely dangerous things instead of fighting those that naturally appeared with time. Either way she didn’t have time to debate her mothers’ life decisions, not when her own was on the very line! Quynh hissed with pain as the radaku’s claws eventually made contact with her lower side, the hybrid having no choice but to allow the creature to flail wildly as she kept its fangs from her throat. “I said, get back!” She would be so pissed though if those injuries became scars! Her mothers may enjoy being decorated in faded battle wounds, but Quynh was so much more invested in her appearance that such things would only devastate her. And as the radaku’s foul breath invaded her senses, Quynh’s heartbeat throbbing in her ears as she felt her feet start giving in the damp earth. If she slipped here then the radaku would finish her within minutes, if not seconds. The very realization had Qunyh clutching her blade handles so hard that the worn leather there bit into her fingers, tearing at the skin to the point that blood dripped along the edges of her palms. She could very easily imagine it, her legs giving out as she tumbled backwards into the ground with the radaku free to do whatever it pleased to the Aishan hybrid who had mistakenly wandered into its path. I know I don’t pray often, but please Aisha! If this was like one of her mothers’ stories of tests where the goddess put Aishans in tough situations to reflect on their lives then she would much prefer if it could just be resolved already. And if this was a time to see if she had any regrets? I have none. Or even a moment to take back her feelings that went against the wishes of the Aishan purists? She refused to back away from her feelings, refused to think that it was wrong to love anyone with earthling blood. “And you can’t tell me that you think otherwise, Aisha!” Else why would she even allow such blooms to grow in the first place? It would be ridiculous for a goddess to not have any control over the life she created! If Quynh had any regret about dying in this moment it would only be that she hadn’t gotten to enjoy more time with Ika and lost the chance to change her mothers’ minds about hybrids. And then as if the goddess truly heard her prayers a sudden shift occurred as the skies darkened and a bolt of lightning went straight for the top of a nearby tree. The echo of thunder along with the brilliant flash of lightning startled the radaku, the beast losing its pressure as it flinched which allowed Quynh to finally strike. With her life on the line there was no hesitation, only resolve as she struck with her blades and aimed for the radaku’s neck. It did manage to move back in time before she got the fatal blow, but her blades still connected with its upper back despite the attempt at a dodge, and fresh blood gleamed along its dark fur as the beast snarled towards Quynh. “Oh? You still want to fight?” Quynh flashed a wicked grin towards the creature, showing her teeth in defiance as it continued snarling. “I’ll not miss next time.” It had taken her by surprise when it had attacked from the shadows before, but now she knew it was here and wanted to fight. That completely changed things for the warrior who refused to go down now that she had been given a chance to retaliate. Even the radaku seemed to acknowledge that by how it lingered around the edges of the narrow path, not darting forward to attack as it had before and instead hesitating as Quynh kept her blades raised. As the storm started to rage around the pair, Quynh twisted through the air with her blades to slash towards the radaku, every part of her body screamed in agony after their earlier standstill with her muscles strained and torn from the impact. Still, she kept forward with her attacks and kept going until the radaku lowered its head and backed away. “Would have been easier…if you just let me through.” Panted Quynh as the beast disappeared into the jungle, hopefully to not be seen again. She would let others know about it though, just in case they traveled back through this area. If she could even catch up to her damn mothers at this rate! It was rare that Quynh was super annoyed by the situations her mothers created, but this one was truly pushing her to her limits. How far into the jungle had they gone for this particular hunt? So as the rain poured down around her, Quynh simply picked up belongings and dragged them along to a safer place that hopefully the radaku wouldn’t track her down at. It was just too much right now. She didn’t want to deal with it and she truly needed rest. So Quynh found shelter, sealed her open wounds with moss and herbal ointment from her supplies, and wrapped them all up in bandages for the time being. That night was spent without a fire and Quynh just curled up in her worn travel blanket with her bag as a pillow. Needless to say that the next day had not been one of her best ones, with the Aishan hybrid in a foul mood as she washed her wounds and wrapped them up again before moving forward albeit a bit more slowly than before. How much further did she have to venture? Was there actually an end to this search or would she be forced to turn around before finding her mothers out here? Still, determination kept pushing her forward with Quynh focusing on her happier memories from Matori to keep her spirit energetic despite everything.
And now finally after a couple more days of roaming, Quynh smelled the familiar scents of a campfire with food being roasted around it. “Thank you, Aisha. I was about to give up on this.” She breathed, shifting her belongings as she recognized the scent of familiar spices used commonly by her own mothers in the mix. They were probably celebrating the conclusion of whatever hunt they had started by the smell and sounds of it. Now that she was closer she could hear faint cheering and some thudding noises that were either slaps or mugs being smacked together as one hunter always carried something like mead to keep their bellies warm at night. If not one of the Alkidikes then probably her own mothers had a barrel from the village that Quynh had stopped in before chasing after them in the wilderness here. She could probably use a good drink for herself, perhaps not as much as she had in Matori but something to ease her nerves about all of this. She would probably be in for an interesting confrontation, after all, and Quynh wasn’t certain if it would be easier to go fight that feral radaku again instead.
Ah, speaking of confronting others…She was quite a mess, wasn’t she? She had only focused on cleaning her wounds, not her whole body and locks like usual. “I should probably clean up first.” Even if it was just her mothers and some other Aishan hunters, Quynh cared about her appearance. And so she went off the path a bit to look for a stream, the hybrid crouching and washing the muck from her skin and rubbing hard with a bar of scented soap that she normally carried in her belongings. It was one of the items she always made certain to trade for whenever they were roaming around Sauti for hunts, Qunyh adoring the fresh scent of the wildflowers and honey that the earthling merchants incorporated into the roati milk soap. Despite her mothers’ teasing that it was such a dainty thing to buy, the soap did make it a lot easier to get the dried blood from beneath her nails, her fight from before leaving her with quite a bit of cleanup to take care of. If she hadn’t been so exhausted while recovering then perhaps she would have done this sooner, but now that she knew others were nearby she felt safer about taking a break like this. They would have chased out anything dangerous from the area, especially with how loud they were being in the moment too. What beast would be stupid enough to approach such a large camp? Even she felt nervous as she approached finally, Quynh’s freshly scrubbed clothing and skin seeming at odds with the sweat covered Aishans celebrating around a bonfire.
At first, her mothers didn’t see her but once they did both dropped their mugs and rushed forward to greet their daughter. “Quynh!” Clovis yelled, the Alkidike wrapping her arms around her daughter as Aife waved a hand in greeting next to her. “We weren’t expecting you here. Did you make it alright?” She looked over Quynh, her gaze narrowing as she noticed the bandages around her waist. “Dammit. Better have been a good fight.” She mused quietly.
“If you didn’t kill it then we will.” Added Aife quietly, the Elaria’s gaze fierce as she looked over the injuries. “Do you need stitches or anything?” She was not as vain as her partner or daughter, but she was just as protective and knew Quynh cared deeply about such things even if she did not fully understand it.
“It’s fine. I wrapped everything already and it’s healing quickly because it was shallow.” Replied Quynh with a small smile towards Aife as she wrapped her arms around Clovis. “I didn’t realize quite how far away you were but I wanted to talk with you, just in case I missed you before you disappeared to the next mark.” She knew them. Even if they returned to Chibale it would only be a short time before they left again chasing whatever next beast enticed them. “Can I join you for some drinks?”
“Drinks?” Clovis blinked before nodding with a grin. “Sure!” The Alkidike guided Quynh over to a smaller log, sharing the space with her lover and daughter. “So tell us about how you got those wounds. Did you have an exciting trip here?” And so for the first part of the evening, Quynh simply shared stories and caught up with her mothers until Clovis asked the real question that Qunyh had been avoiding all evening. ”Anything the matter that you came after us like this though?” Despite her fears at first, the hybrid immediately perked up. By now she had drunk a full tankard of mead and was on her second one for liquid courage which helped her to look boldly between her mothers.
“No, quite the opposite.” Quynh replied as she held onto her tankard, the hybrid contemplating how to introduce things. “You know how we talked about the trees giving hybrid blooms before?”
“Ah, yes.” Clovis nodded. “That silly day?” She had teased Aife even about the mixing of races and been chased around the house for saying that all the earthling blood was invading their species again, so much for the Extremists and their goals. “We already know all the trees give blooms. So why chase us to talk about that, little bloom?”
“Clovis.” Aife’s voice was low, her gaze narrowing as she looked over at Quynh. “I don’t think she’s here to just talk about that revelation.” Even the Elaria who appeared more distant than her partner at times understood that. There had to be something big for their daughter to track through the jungle after them, especially when she hated traveling through the more dangerous areas alone.
“You’re right.” Quynh managed after a moment. “I just…well, I spent some time with a friend lately and it kind of developed. I would love to introduce her to you, but I had to clear something up first.”
“Oh? Not that little Alkidike girl from last time, was it? We tried to push you on the date so…” Clovis stopped talking as her partner shook her head, the Alkidike slowly trying to piece together things even though she was obviously trying to avoid it.
“No. It’s someone else.” Quynh began again, trying to smile despite her nervousness. “She’s an amazing Aishan warrior and lives in Chibale, but her family is a bit…more mixed than ours.”
“Quynh.”
“It’s alright, Aife.” Clovis began, even though her own smile was fading. “Mixed how?”
“Well, some earthling and some Aishan relatives.” Admitted Quynh before quickly adding. “But it truly doesn’t matter, right? She’s beautiful with a fierce spirit and stronger than most that I know! Training with her is a true experience and makes Aisha proud.”
“Is that so?” Aife replied in a murmur. “Out of all things…”
“Maybe we can talk about this another time, little bloom.” Clovis managed after a moment, her expression torn as she looked between her partner and daughter. “If it’s just a phase that's one thing, but to continue our bloodline one day with tainted blood is a different matter….you aren’t here to say you already asked for blooms, are you?” She continued thoughtfully, the words making Quynh’s heart twist.
“We can talk more another day, but my mind won’t change. Even if I don’t have blooms with her yet, I see nothing wrong with it and hope for a future where they could be bloomed with love.” Quynh stated boldly, swinging back her drink and standing. It wasn’t as if she wanted to rush into anything like that! They had just started a relationship and needed far more time before anything like that. Just the thought made her cheeks flush even more as she fought to focus, looking back at her mothers and not thinking about such things. “I’ll be traveling with you until we return to Chibale where I hope to meet back up with her. So if you have any questions about Ika and how wonderful of a partner she is, then I’ll gladly answer them.” She tossed the wooden mug to the ground defiantly. “As it is I suppose I’ll rest for the night, it’s been a long day.” She had already stood her ground against a radaku, she would not let her mothers try to talk her out of this either! They would just take some time to warm up to the idea even if they never fully understood or accepted it, as much as Quynh wished otherwise.
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