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 Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:17 pm
The ocean in Matori was similar and yet so different from her own. Nanami stood on the ship that she had taken across the ocean from Kahi to the strange country and stared out at the darker waters that crashed around them in waves. The salty smell was familiar and comforting, but everything else including the foreigners who constantly took peeks at the kawena mage with her strange blue eyes kept Nanami on edge. She was flighty during the trip overseas, almost wishing that she had ventured out on her own towards Matori instead of seeking passage with others. Truly it was one thing to fight for justice in her homeland and another thing entirely to venture into unknown lands. Still, the very thought of those bright green eyes kept Nanami moving forward despite the fear that gripped her heart.
It was early afternoon when they finally arrived at Matori. While it had only been a couple of weeks of sailing, the entire journey felt like a lifetime and even Nanami was eager to touch land again. The beaches here were more tan in color with far more shells and pebbles along the edges of the shoreline, less pearly white than her home, but still enticing with their cliffs and lazy waterfalls that tumbled down into the nearby cove. She had been walking along the area after finally leaving the ship to explore, not truly knowing where she should be going now that she had actually made it to Matori. Did she simply ask around in the nearby tavern to see if anyone would know about Noelani or her family? Was this even the right area of Matori to search for her dear friend?
And so she wandered the beaches and the cliff, going towards town but not finding anyone who recognized the Elarian hybrid she so desperately sought until finally someone mentioned something about an Elarian hybrid with a group along the docks and Nanami found herself venturing in that general direction.
[Nanami 1]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:17 pm
Noelani had been in the desert for weeks before finally returning to Matori. The hybrid had been on yet another excursion, helping to dig out old ruins in the Oban desert for artifacts before finally returning home to visit family again. It seemed like the past year and a half had been full of adventures, the woman growing more comfortable with being outgoing and exploring the world around her since returning from Kahi. Others would think that she was simply working hard to distract herself from something or rather someone, but even Noelani didn’t want to linger on the thought. She had already lost out on an initial crush and then turned away from the chance for something more in order to go along her separate path as a treasure hunter.
Now she was relaxing along the beach near the docks where she had turned in artifacts for transportation across the ocean up towards Belrea. The noble who had paid for her excursion had promised a trade with Belrea for a rotating exhibit of artifacts found in the Oban desert, a trade of cultural history as Belrea sent their own artifacts to borrow in return. “I hope that he’s satisfied with this.” Noelani smiled though as she reflected upon the exchange before wandering the beach. It seemed like things were going well ever since she came back from Kahi…so why did she feel a bit empty on the inside?
“Hmm.” The treasure hunter tossed a stray shell across the beach, watching as it bounced along the sand before getting swept back by the incoming tide. “I guess I should head back and find work quickly after checking in with home.” She hated relaxing like this anymore since it just felt strange and…lonely. The very thought brought a flustered flush to her cheeks as she pondered the very notion. Others in the excursion had teased her and even flirted with her but nothing seemed to settle with Noelani. They just weren’t the same as those soft blue eyes that had brightened up like stars whenever Noelani was nearby. It was silly to think of such things though, right? They had both decided on separate paths and she had a home here in Matori. Her family was here and she could work nearby in Oba and surrounding countries to find artifacts and treasures for those willing to hire her and the crew. Even now it was a simple few days to travel back and forth so that she could check in on her grandparents before going away again to find the next adventure…something she could never imagine doing if she lived a whole ocean away. So no regrets, right? The very thought sank in her stomach like a stone because in all honesty there were so many regrets. Still, that thought had to be placed on hold as Noelani heard shouts from the port as a whole load of crates swung haphazardly on frayed ropes and started to plunge towards the ocean. “No!” Her own safety forgotten the hybrid started racing towards the docks so that she could join others who were desperately trying to shove the crates backwards away from the water, one of the crates finally breaking completely loose before heading in her general direction…
[Noelani 1]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:17 pm
Noelani! Nanami’s gaze widened as she saw the familiar figure darting across the sands. Why was she running so desperately towards the docks? The Kawena wanted to reach out for her friend, but she was afraid of getting in the way of whatever Noelani was rushing towards. So instead she started running along behind her, keeping an eye out for any potential danger. For now it was simply enough that she could see Noelani again, the very sight of the hybrid bringing a peace to Nanami’s troubled heart. The sight of the falling cargo with the crowd fighting to keep it from all toppling into the ocean finally caught her attention and Nanami quickly realized that was why Noelani had been in such a rush. She was probably helping to try and fix the situation before everything was lost to the ocean.
Ami slowed down, panting slightly as she finally caught up to the group and it was then that she saw the large crate toppling towards Noelani. “Noel!” She cried out, her body moving without hesitation to shove the other woman out of the way as the crate crashed into the dock with a loud boom. A wince crossed Nanami’s features as her arms scraped across the rough wood, but at least neither of them had been squished by the falling crates. Her body was positioned directly above Noelani, the pair barely a breath apart as Nanami stayed there as the crowd rushed around them to grab at the ropes and tug the rest of the crates back into position and away from the edge of the docks.
[Nanami 2]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Surely this was a dream. Had the crate crushed her? Maybe Noelani had passed or was knocked out and the sight of Nanami was simply an illusion, a desperate image created by her subconscious in the last moments of life. Either way Noelani couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and wrap her arms tightly around the Kawena even as crates crashed in the background. “I missed you.” She managed quietly as she kept hold of Ami, the hollow feeling in her chest evaporating now that she had her arms around the one who had caused the ache in the first place.
[Noelani 2]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
“I missed you as well.” The words came out after a moment of surprise, a deep flush on Nanami’s cheeks as Noelani tugged her closer. Thankfully they had avoided the crisis and so Nanami enjoyed the embrace for as long as possible before gently nudging Noelani. “I think we may need to move so that they can drag the crates back into place.” She whispered quietly as she glanced about the crowd, realizing that they were suddenly getting a lot more attention than before now that the moving crates had been stopped.
[Nanami 3]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
“So…you’re real then.” Noelani whispered, a gasp of surprise leaving her lips as Ami nudged her. Immediately her cheeks warmed and she found herself letting go of the Kawena so that they could both stand and move away from the gathering crowd who had been attracted by the accident with the crates. “I…just a moment.” Noelani awkwardly managed as she offered Nanami a small smile and darted to the side to talk with a group of Matori. Her heart was jumping around in her chest, a twisting feeling rising and falling every time she dared to steal a peek towards the Kawena while talking about the shipment with the crew. “I know that I’m not going to Belrea with this shipment, but please make certain everything is secured. Some of these hold really fragile pieces.” She insisted towards the captain of the crew, her arms crossing as she dared him to defy her instructions. “If the academy receives broken pieces then it’ll be more than just a pay deduction, Derin.”
“Aye, aye. They’re tying down the crates with real sturdy ropes now, the boy from earlier didn’t realize how frayed the one piece was.” The captain scratched at the back of his neck, almost embarrassed by the obvious blunder that had been witnessed by so many. “I dun wanna disappoint anyone so we’ll do our best.”
“Alright, I’m placing my faith in you.” Noelani replied quietly before raising a hand to pat the crate next to them. “There’s so much history in here that it would be a shame to lose it, not when we opted to ship them by sea rather than sky.” It was an easier trip to the port in Matori than it would have been to the airships in Sauti, especially since their schedule was more strict due to the limited airships while it was fairly easy to find a good traveling vessel like this one to take the artifacts overseas. She had worked months on gathering these items and refused to let them get sacrificed because of someone’s foolish actions. Though speaking of foolish actions…Noelani pursed her lips before dismissing the captain and slowly walking her way back towards Ami. “You could have been hurt.” She started quietly before looking back to the Kawena now that the crates were secured. “Are you alright?”
[Noelani 3]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Nanami found herself eavesdropping on the conversation with interest. It seemed like Noelani had truly picked up on her treasure hunting since they had last seen one another. Ami couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her lips, a feeling of pride rising in her chest as she realized that the hybrid she had met over a year ago had grown since those days. I suppose I’m not the only one who grew stronger. Though the pride was mixed with a tinge of fear as she dreaded to think about what else had changed since their last interaction. Was there a lover involved in Noel’s life now? Someone who saw and appreciated the strong woman who didn’t seem shy at all?
Anything was possible, especially when they had been separated for such a long time with no real promises to each other. Still, Ami was happy to see that Noelani seemed to be thriving out here. There was more of a confidence to her walk and she had grown a bit taller, standing above Ami by a couple of inches now instead of being nearly the same height. If anything at least she could get a conclusion to the feeling that had been haunting her for over a year now. Even if it was a sad one…the very thought made Nanami frown before the sudden question had her jumping back to attention. “Y-yes.” She managed, nodding quickly and holding out her arms for inspection. “I just scraped my skin a little bit but other than that I’m alright. How about you? It looks like you’ve been quite busy, but that was a close call with the crate.”
[Nanami 4]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Noelani reached out and curled her fingers around Nanami’s wrists, her hands supporting the Kawena’s arms as she stared at the scrapes caused along the skin from the rough wood. “We should get some alcohol and bandages on that so that nothing festers.” She murmured before carefully tugging Ami after her. “Let’s go.” There was nothing left for her to do on the docks now that the crates were finally secured and honestly it was hard to focus on anything other than the beating of her heart as she continued to steal peeks at Ami. Why was the Kawena here? Not that she minded, but! It was definitely a shocking appearance and already Ami had been injured because of Noelani, the very thought making her stomach twist. She was both delighted and worried to see her dear friend out here in Matori.
Leading Ami towards the grove of trees where she had left her belongings in the cove, Noelani finally let go of Ami’s hand so that she could dig through her belongings for medical supplies. “So…you’re in Matori.” She started lamely as she plopped down on the ground and patted the area next to her for Ami to join her.
[Noelani 4]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
“I am.” Ami nodded slowly before sitting down next to Noelani. “How have you been?” She asked as she held out her arms for inspection, actually allowing Noelani to tend to her instead of taking care of the injuries on her own. It was nice to simply sit next to the person that she had been missing for so many months. The ocean waves crashing in the background were relaxing, the moment truly feeling tranquil despite the stinging in her arms.
[Nanami 5]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Carefully dabbing at the arm with alcohol, the hybrid worked quickly to take care of the wounds with expert hands since dealing with so many similar injuries out in the field, Noelani only paused whenever Ami asked about how she had been. There was hesitation as she pondered her words before Noelani slowly let out a breath as she pondered a decision. For now though she settled on simply answering the question, fear making it hard to even shape the words that haunted her. “Busy. I’ve been working on uncovering artifacts and the like in Oba while also going out on treasure hunts throughout the nearby countries.” She started slowly before daring to peek at Ami, her attention bouncing between wrapping the injury with bandages and then to studying those blue eyes that she had missed so much. “How about you?”
[Noelani 5]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
“I see.” Ami barely winced as the alcohol was poured over the wounds and then tightly wrapped with fresh bandages. “I’ve been busy as well.” She started quietly as she focused on the stinging in her arms instead of the erratic rhythm of her nervous heart. “At first I traveled around local villages to continue aiding those in need, but then I had a heart to heart with a kind hapuna who encouraged me to travel.” Ami bit at her bottom lip before daring to peek towards Noelani, her cheeks flushing as she realized that the hybrid was staring at her now that her arms were bandaged.
“He umm…told me to chase my heart and so here I am.” She managed finally as she dared to spit out the words. Even if she tried to sound teasing, the sincerity in her gaze gave her away despite the forced grin. “I wanted to see if anything had changed over the last year or so. Do I need to get your family’s blessing so that I can steal you away?”
[Nanami 6]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Chase my heart. The words echoed in Noelani’s mind as she found herself putting the bandages down on the ground, her hands crossing in her lap as she focused on Ami. “I only focused on work so that I could try to ignore how much I missed you.” She whispered quietly as she looked at the kawena who was so dear to her. “I’ve grown so much, seen so many strange and wonderful things but the most treasured memory was the image of your smile and the day that we spent together in the undersea cave.” The confession flew from her lips, the bottled up emotions finally erupting now that she saw Ami again. Honestly despite all of their hopes and whispered words that day Noelani truly hadn’t known if she would ever see Ami again. Not when they lived in such different worlds! Over a year of pondering, months of missing the dear Kawena had left her with little room to even doubt what her heart was telling her in this moment. They had nearly missed their chance, but Ami had actually come to find her even though surely it had been terrifying to come to such a foreign place on her own. Noelani felt her gaze stinging as she finally nodded. “I think you may have to get that blessing. I could not find any other romance, not when I kept thinking of you.”
[Noelani 6]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Tears trailed down her cheeks as Ami moved so that she could wrap her arms around Noelani, the kawena tugging her into a tight embrace as she started to cry. “I couldn’t find any other romance either! Not when I knew that you were out here!” She admitted in a rush, her heart swelling at the confession. There was no need to dance around their feelings, not when they had already suffered so much time apart without knowing how the other felt! She had come to Matori for a reason and this was it. Even if she had been rejected at least she would have known, but to know that she was truly loved made Ami’s heart swell with happiness. They had fought wild beasts together in Kahi, bonded together while sharing their culture and language with one another and then had a teary farewell after that magical day spent in the undersea cave together…how could she ever replace someone as precious as Noelani after having her so embedded in her heart?
[Nanami 7]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Noelani’s arms tightened around Ami as she held the mage close, her head finally resting against her shoulder as she settled into the embrace. “Thank you for coming to find me.” She whispered as she fought against her own tears of happiness. If Ami hadn’t come to Matori then what would have happened? Would she have simply kept going about exploring with that ache in her chest which never seemed to go away until this very moment? The very thought twisted her heart in her chest, especially as she could only imagine what Ami must have felt during their whole time apart. If she had been aching like this then what type of pain did Ami endure before finally coming all the way to Matori to find her? Guilt gnawed at Noelani’s stomach and she found herself apologizing, pain laced in every syllable as she murmured I’m sorry against the kawena’s shoulder.
[Noelani 7]
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:18 pm
Sniffling Nanami simply shook her head as she heard the apologies. “No, I'm sorry.” She managed as she stayed there against Noelani’s side for support. “I’m the one who let you go when I should have left…I was just so afraid of leaving behind everything and then I wasn’t certain how I truly felt or how you felt until it was too late.” She rambled, her voice hiccuping every other word or so as she tried to calm her tears. This moment was something she had only dreamt about, never actually thinking it would become a reality. Even now it was hard to believe that they were sitting here together in Matori and not still worlds apart from each other. The rough journey to get here had been worth it and Ami would risk everything again just for a chance to be in Noelani’s arms like this.
[Nanami 8]
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