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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:00 pm
(Moose via Discord 1/10)
The journey toward the southern coast was long and exhausting. Up until that moment any trip of this magnitude would have always resulted in leaving younglings behind, but several scouts from Zinris had deemed a few up to the task. When the invitation had extended to Ai’s own daughter she jumped at the opportunity, regardless of how her partner or even the girl in question felt. Ai was set to go on the mission with or without Zivah, but now that others were taking their daughters this would be the perfect chance to show just how capable Zivah truly was.
Of course, that didn’t mean that the others necessarily liked the idea. Those who had invited Zivah were fine with it, but those who hadn’t openly sneered at the girl when they thought Ai wasn’t looking. When she caught them retribution was swift. She’d done her best to be ‘civil’, but after a particularly nasty comment Ai had charged through the campfire on an Elarian. If not for the others around them pulling her off that woman would have bene the one roasting, not the boar. Now, under the light of the full moon, the Aishan sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:02 pm
(1/10)
Perhaps if Zivah was less invested in growing up to be a Blade, she would have balked at the prospect of such a task. But she was her mother's daughter, and the promise of both a challenge and a sign of trust from a sister made her little heart burst with pride and determination to rise up to the task. ... That being said, she... was nervous. Not that she felt she could admit that to her mom, but - she was. Generally, Zivah trained with her mom, and when that wasn't possible she was brought to the Elaria settlement to train with others her age - and those were perhaps the best... and worst days of her young life.
Because she stood out. Of course she stood out, her pale fingertips, her strange ear shape, her eye color - all of it was wrong, and she knew that. The only solace she could take was in the fact she wasn't as wrong as Imri, but even that wasn't saying much.
Handling the sneers and words of other younglings around her was one thing - she could sneer right back, shove them down, and violently confront them the way her mother showed her.
But she wasn't as prepared to have an older sister, ones she'd been eager to prove herself to, giving her nasty looks and saying things she pretended not to hear. She wondered if the tears that brimmed in her eyes were what made Ai snap - or maybe her mom had felt humiliated, and that was why.-
Her first instinct was to be proud that her mother was so powerful as to put those sneering sisters in their place - but. That didn't push away the embarrassment, and the weird, guilty feeling that sat in her gut. They ate, and went to bed together - but when Ai rose to pad away from the camp, Zivah got up too and followed, at a distance. That same guilty feeling made her want to hover to the side, nervous - but the proud Elaria her mother had raised urged her forward, walking boldly to her mother's side, and taking her place beside her as if she had Earned it.
Not that she had, yet, but she hoped Ai wouldn't hold that against her.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:03 pm
(Moose via Discord 2/10)
Ai’s first instinct was to jam her fingers into the mouth of who dared say obscenities about her bloodline and pry the jaws apart. She would have hooked her fingers around the lower mandible, as she’d done so many times before, and wrench it free from that wretch’s skull if she could. And yet, Ai showed restraint, no matter how much it killed her to do so. There were better ways to go about revenge now that she had a family to think about. While they didn’t’ need the sisterhood to survive Ai would like to leave that an option. Still, she would make sure that as soon as they were home contact with these sisters was kept to a minimum.
It was impossible not to notice Zivah. Though Ai didn’t turn her head to the child she did wait to see what her daughter would do. Would she go back to their tent, now that she’d found her mother, and give in to her tears? If she wasn’t still irritated with the situation at hand Ai might have felt vindicated when Zivah came to sit by her instead.
“You should be sleeping.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:05 pm
(2/10)
"I'm not very tired." Zivah lied, resisting the urge to scrub a fist against her tired, red rimmed eyes. Instead she kicked her legs a bit, peering down at the craggy cliffs below her. For a horrible moment, she imagined being shoved off that cliff - how far she would fall, the pain of her bones smashing on the rocks below. There might be plenty of people here, sleeping in the tents beside her, who wouldn't hesitate if they were the ones sitting next to her. Probably.
She wondered if her mother had the impulse. If she did, was she was reigning it in out of affection, or out of practicality? She'd invested a lot in Zivah's training, after all.
... Not that Ai didn't show affection to her, but...
"Did you get burned? In the fire?" She asked, turning her head to peek at her mother, trying to subtly look for signs of injury.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:06 pm
(Moose via Discord 3/10)
Looking at her obviously exhausted spawn, Ai grunted and turned back to gazing out over the landscape. She would fall asleep when she was tired enough or suffer through it tomorrow. If Zivah was old enough to come on a hunt then she was old enough to balance that, even if Ai wanted to snap at her to just go back to sleep.
For a moment she contemplated pushing Zivah over the edge. The thought was fleeting, as it always was, but parts of her old self were hard to quell in times of upset. Intrusive thoughts like ‘what if I hadn’t taken an earthling for a lover’ and ‘what if we hadn’t gone to Elzira’ would crop up from time to time. She could be done with Zivah now, then go back for Lucijah and Imri when she got home…
Still, giving the younger Aishan a side eye Ai knew she couldn’t do it.
Well, that she could but she wouldn’t.
“A little.” She turned down to the edges of her loin cloth which were singed and tattered. Most of the ‘damage’ was contained to her clothing and dreads. “I wasn’t in it long enough to really hurt.” Her feet would be sore for a few days, but it was nothing that blisters wouldn’t handle.
“Did it bother you? What I did?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:07 pm
(3/10)
Really? Her mom was so strong... Zivah exhaled a relieved breath, nodding her head almost to herself at the admission. But then Ai continued, and the girl's eyes brightened, and she bared her teeth in a vicious grin. "No way! You shoulda seen Amala's face -" Amala wasn't the worst of her bullies, but she was a participant, and definitely had learned certain things from her mother - the one that Ai nearly murdered. The girl had shrieked when Ai attacked, and afterwards her circle of friends had clustered around her, clearly angry but not daring to shoot stares at Zivah, with Ai fuming so close by.
"Y'know, mama said not to fight with those girls, that it'd make things worse." Of course, Lucijah had a number of interactions with angry Elaria and Alkidike who strolled out to their homestead when Ai was hunting or on a trip, unhappy with the conduct of her kids. Her mom could hold her own, of course she could, and she'd never seen her mom apologize or anything stupid like that. But her advise had always been to keep her head down, and seek out 'those who are better than all that'.
Sure, there were some, but not kids who didn't mind, and also forgave Zivah's coldness to Imri. Or- tolerated how rough she was. Or--
"I'm s'posed to listen to you, right?" Because Ai was the 'pure' parent, the Aishan. Zivah liked her mama, but it was hard not to resent her sometimes too. If Ai had been able to pray for Zivah on her own, Zivah wouldn't have been born 'wrong.'
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:09 pm
(Moose via Discord 4/10)
The corner of Ai’s mouth quirked. “Your mama says a lot of things, most of the time she’s right, but you never back down from girls like that. Got it?” Of course there were other ways around a bully. Ai herself had been on the receiving end of some genius tactics, but she cared little for them. Entitled purebloods who were fearful of getting viscera under their nails deserved less than her halfling daughter’s spit in their wounds. “You listen to both of us. Don’t go after trouble, but when it comes, because it will, be ready.”
She would rather have all of Zinris fear her progeny than think them easy targets. It made for a harsher parenting style, but Ai was adamant. If only it could cause less arguments at home…
“Has Amala started her blade training yet?” Practice weapons were well and good for those in Zivah’s age group, but soon the girls would start to branch into actual weaponry. Most mothers chose to hold of for a few years, maybe even training in spurts, but Ai knew she wouldn’t.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:13 pm
(4/10)
Never back down. Zivah could do that. Although, she felt strangely wrong footed when Ai corrected her. She looked at her for a moment, but nodded her head obediently, gripping her hands into fists against her lap.
Perhaps it was for the best her mother changed the topic, because Zivah perked back up, despite how tired she felt, scoffing at the mere suggestion. "No! She got swords for her last name day, but she doesn't use them." She reported it with such open disdain. ... Not that Zivah had started her blade training, either, but that was what part of this hunt was, right? To see if she was worthy? Or... was skilled enough to be trained along the other girls, right?
"I don't even think she likes swords."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:14 pm
(Moose via Discord 5/10)
The admission of Amala’s weakness pulled a very put out scoff from Ai’s maw. Honestly, what were they even teaching these girls in their classes? “We’ll start yours tomorrow. You’ll begin with mine and once we’re back I’ll have a set made to better fit your hands.” There was absolutely no way Zivah wouldn’t master the blades; she had it in her blood. Besides, Ai would be there to oversee her training so Zivah couldn’t fail and maybe she would add insult to injury by giving a set to Imri. Wouldn’t that set a lesson? To have her son outpace this generation’s ‘finest’?
She would have to monitor him, though. As much as she wanted her children to prove themselves she also wanted to make sure that Imri did what Imri could and Zivah excelled where she should.
“Or would you prefer a spear? I won’t tolerate archery, so don’t ask.” Archers were useful, but they were easier targets up close. Unless she took hand to hand combat more seriously with Lucijah, Ai wouldn’t allow either of her spawn to fall into that trap. And a crafter? Bah. They could do that in their spare time.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:19 pm
(5/10)
Really?! Zivah stared for a moment, feeling any dredges of sleepiness burn away with the sheer excitement and pride that burst through her. She'd been worried her mother was upset with her for being weepy in the face of the others' teasing, but-- but instead--
Not only that, but she'd get to use Ai's swords? They were bigger, and she knew it would be uncomfortable and quite the challenge, but she still felt immense pride at the opportunity to touch her mother's blades. And, she was promised swords - of her own! "Thank you, I'll work hard for them." Zivah said, and the words might have been graceful if they hadn't poured out of her in a breathy rush, cheeks flushing with growing anticipation.
Maybe, if Zivah enjoyed archery, she would be hurt by her mother's rejection of it - but instead she grinned and shook her head emphatically. "No, I want to use blades! Like you, mother!"
"Will you have me use them in the hunt? Do you think I'll get my first scar soon?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:21 pm
(Moose via Discord 6/10)
Seeing Zivah so excited was always a mixed bag for Ai. As a parent she was happy for it, but as an individual it made her uncomfortable. What was she supposed to do with that? Even after having two of her own Ai still had no idea what to do with children, but it didn’t seem to bother Zivah. Imri, on the other hand, was just complicated. “You’d better. If you don’t I’ll take them away.” As per usual, her ‘mild parental warning’ had more bite than it should have and her ‘careful eye’ lasted a little too long.
“You’ve done well so far, Zivah. I know you would make Elzira proud no matter the weapon you wielded, but it makes me happy to know that.” Reaching out, she put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and pulled her close. As much as she wanted her daughter to feed on that excitement it was still the middle of the night and it wouldn’t do to have her wake up the rest of the camp. “Not in this hunt, but in the future you’ll have your own. Mine are still too big for you and you’ll hurt yourself. Those aren’t the kind of scars you could wield with pride.”
Speaking of scars though, Ai didn’t have to wonder what her daughter thought of them. She wanted one so badly that it almost made her feel guilty. “If you get your first scar before you’re fully grown then Lucijah and I have done something wrong. It’s our job to take the hits for you until you’re big enough to do it yourself.”
Goddess, what kind of mother had a child who looked more like a root ball than an actual child?
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:22 pm
(6/10)
That, she thought, was fair. If she didn't earn the blades, she shouldn't carry them, right? Like Amala. Or- well. Amala wasn't too bad, usually, at least until her friends were around. Zivah was still brimming with energy, and why should she care if she woke the camp? Her mother could beat all of them, hands down, right? The girl preened under her mother's praise, silently noting to herself that she didn't care half as much what Elzira wanted, as what her mother wanted. Elzira might be their goddess, the one who brought her life, but Ai and Lucijah were the ones who were her mothers, raising her and taking care of her and jumping through flames for her.
Not only that, but Ai was hugging her- or, Zivah would accept the arm draped around her shoulder as a hug. She nestled closer, blissful and content, and in the warmth of her mother's embrace she felt that sleepiness start to sneak back in.
Even if she did pout a little, when her mother chided her eagerness for a scar. It... made sense though, because every ruined limb and scar adorning her mothers' bodies came with a story of survival, and power, and strength in the face of danger. She couldn't tell her future daughters 'I cut my hand off with my mother's swords during my first hunt' and be happy, right?
"But you'll show me how to use them. Your blades." Zivah clarified, smiling happily. Would Imri be jealous? She'd been a bit disappointed she couldn't see his face as they were leaving, because he'd still been asleep.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:23 pm
(Moose via Discord 7/10)
Zivah was so much smaller than Fiya had been at this age. Ai wasn’t sure if it was due to her earthling blood or because Ai, too, had been so much smaller when she’d raised the Elarian. She’d barely been eighteen when Fiya’s mother passed and responsibility of the bloom passed to her. How had she fought to take that child, to raise her as her mother would have wanted, only to leave Fiya behind when she went to Tendaji? She’d been a child then, still desperate to learn from Ai, and now she was a huntress in her own right…
Was that how things would be with Zivah? Would she close her eyes and open them only to find the child at her side had grown? It already happened frequently enough with Imri. He was still small and puny, but every day his jaw sharpened a little bit more. With Zivah it was harder to tell; maybe because she was with her so much more?
“I said I would, wouldn’t I?” Even as she chastised the child there was a hint of amusement there. Goddess, this girl was pushy. “Your mother won’t like it.” Ah yes, Lucijah likely wouldn’t enjoy the idea of her still very young daughter slinging massive, serrated swords around. Ai purposefully had her blades crafted to maximize critical damage and giving them to a child was…just profoundly stupid.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:24 pm
(7/10)
Yes, yes she had. And Ai would never go back on her word, never ever. But... she still felt somewhat starry eyed over it, especially when she felt she'd messed up so badly today by showing weakness at the campfire. By letting lesser, weaker Aishans make her feel so badly. "Mama punches stuff." Zivah reminded, sleepily, rubbing her fist against her eye. "She gets it." It made sense to Zivah, at least. Learning to be strong came with a bit of discomfort and risk, didn't it? Ai had said it was her mamas' jobs to protect her until she was older, but trusting her with a bit of responsibility only made her want to work harder, and do better.
Of course, she also misunderstood and thought Lucijah would dislike Zivah training, not wielding Ai's massive, dangerous swords themselves.
She also, somewhat nastily, wondered if her mama Lucijah would dislike that Zivah got to use the swords, and Imri didn't. She could never imagine HIM getting to touch Ai's beloved weapons. Not like ZIVAH could.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:26 pm
(Moose via Discord 8/10)
Ai clutched Zivah for one last press before patting the little one’s shoulder. “Come on; it’s time to rest.” The Alkidike slowly made her way to her feet, curling her lip the moment her tender soles contacted the ground. She was going to regret this tomorrow, and likely for the entirety of their trip, but the result was worth it.
Despite how much it aggravated her burns, she reached down to scoop Zivah up into her arms and lifted the girl up to her shoulders. It wouldn’t be much longer that she could do this, which gave the Aishan more nostalgia than she’d thought possible. Those first few years of awkward toddler hood had been a trial, but she wished they could stay that small far longer than they had.
“When we get home don’t tell your mother about this; I’ll tell her.” If Zivah came busting in the door, full of pride and vigor, with all her stories in front of Imri something was likely to spill. If it was before Lucijah had been informed, though, Ai would be spending her nights in the woods.
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