|
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
 Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 2:37 pm
(1/7)
It had been... longer than Padma would have liked since the four of them got to do something as a family. Before, she'd considered the trip to visit her father a 'family trip', but the chaos of loading them all up on an airship, traveling over the water, and going to a place that was so new to them was less conducive to family bonding, and more a shared trauma. Seeing her father, and her new sister (and wasn't that a startling statement??) had been nice though, and Maritza had been as curt but good to her as always, and her other siblings had been just as delightful.
It was just... hard to recognize that she was as distant to her siblings as a cousin or aunt, not as close as she would have liked to be.
So once home, as she saw her children float apart as they threw themselves into their own interests, she decided - no! A day out together was just what the healer ordered!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 2:41 pm
(1/7)
At first, Eujanie was more than a little annoyed when her mother declared they were all going out to the lake for a 'family get together'. She had her own stuff to do! She was trying to help her dad protect their territory, and she was trying to get enough fur this season so this winter her dad could help her make a nice set of fur clothes, and she just had STUFF to do, okay?
But... the walk out had been nice, even if she was loaded with stuff her mom had wanted her to carry out here. The weather was warm, and as she built up a sweat the suggestion of a nice swim sounded better and better.
Valerian probably was delighted at all the PLANTS though, so at least they were both having fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 4:24 pm
While Uzumati enjoyed the idea of a daytrip together with the family it would be a lie to say that he wasn't on edge whenever they left their familiar territory. The forest was still his home, but the lake was further out and the man didn't know what type of creature had claimed the area since he had last chased a witu away from one of Padma's younger siblings who had been visiting. All he could do was hope that today would simply be a fun trip without needing to teach his children how to wrestle with any wild beast, but hope didn't stop Uzumati from walking along the edges of the forest paths with his guard up. His long hair was twisted back into braids while he wore newer leather clothing and bracers, the wildman being a little bit more cleaned up since he wasn't here for hunting and rather was enjoying a day with family. He even had offered to carry a good amount of supplies, the man sporting two large satchels full of goods for a picnic and a day spent swimming in the lake.
Still, he did relax a little bit as the shimmering lake finally came into view. It was a lot more relaxing to visit this area instead of going through another trip in the air...just the thought made him shiver at the memory even though he had learned a lot during their time overseas. Unlike the cramped confines of an airship, the lake itself was a beautiful spot with crystal clear waters and a large beach for them to all enjoy within a meadow that was hopefully clear of other earthlings and predators. Uzumati surveyed the area once more, his senses alert even as he tried to sniff the breeze for any sign of musk that would mark this as a creature's territory but all he could smell was a mixture of the flowers and herbs growing throughout the meadow. No witu. He smiled at the thought and glanced towards Padma, gesturing for them to go forward into the open area away from the protection of the forest.
[Uzumati 1]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 4:39 pm
Did they have to go out when he could be using the time to study instead? The young teen let out a soft sigh as he packed at least one book of herbal remedies to bring along for their day at the lake. If I can get at least one or two chapters reviewed then it won't be such a waste. He did admittedly like the idea of some family time...he just wished he could incorporate reading into it more somehow, but that was not going to be possible with Eujanie involved.
Since his father and sister had gotten most of the load, Valerian was mostly carrying a smaller satchel with his book and a blanket and some spare clothing for everyone in case they did decide to go swimming or something happened to their current attire. One could never tell...especially with his father and Eujanie in the picture. At least they made life interesting, that much Valerian could admit with a small smile as he watched them walking around in front of him. Then the lake appeared and even he couldn't help the soft gasp that left his lips. It was a really nice spot and there were so many flowers! "Should we set up a small area and then explore?" He asked, his gaze obviously fixated on the meadow with all of the different flora and fauna awaiting him.
[Valerian 1]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:02 pm
(2/7)
It wasn't excessively far to the lake, but considering she didn't often leave their homestead, Padma was a little embarrassed to admit she was a little winded! It wasn't as if she was suffering for it though - from a little further back, she could steal none too subtle glances at her husband, appreciating how beautiful his long hair was, twisted up as it was, and how dashing a figure he cut in his new leathers. It was as she was ogling him that Uzumati glanced back to her, nodding his approval, and she turned pink and quickly fjorded out into the clearing, biting her lip to stop from grinning at being caught.
She indicated a place to set their things down, then got to work pulling out blankets to spread out, glancing up at her son when he spoke. It was delightful, seeing him finally excited for the trip. "I've got it sweetheart, go on and look around!" It was her own little 'thank you' for him weathering her demands, and she could almost see him vibrating with excitement to go explore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:09 pm
(2/7) [Sorry for the wait on this!! You can always poke at me when I take too long, for some reason I struggle to remember gaia a lot of the time ;;] Eujanie waited until her dad gave the all clear, then eagerly followed her mom's motions, dropping the packs with an audible grunt. Most of what she'd carried were changes of clothes for after the lake, blankets to relax on, and a set of large, paper umbrellas that she quickly got to work shoving into the ground. Once done, her eyes slid to the lake, burning with eagerness to jump in and make a splash - but for now she stayed close to the others, hands set proudly on her hips as she surveyed the bright, cheery scene around them.
"You're gonna swim with me later, right Val?" She called noisily.
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 7:37 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle No worries! Feel free to ping me as well. <3 Sometimes I miss things and get easily distracted.
Uzumati couldn’t help the grin that crossed his own lips as Padma scurried away. He had noticed the flush, the wildman momentarily thrown off by it before appreciating how adorable his wife was. His flower truly was a gem and it was hard to take his gaze away from her even when she was in a field as beautiful as this one. For Uzumati she was the loveliest thing there was so what did other flowers even matter in comparison? It was truly hard to not appreciate her. But then the rest of his family was moving forward and so Uzumati blinked back into reality and focused on bringing over what he could to Padma to help her set up the picnic.
Glancing between his two children, Uzumati tilted his head thoughtfully before nodding. They could feel free to explore since he didn’t notice anything unusual in the breeze. There was no musk of other predators, just the lingering scent of wildflowers and now the smell of their own food as they unpacked a little spread of fruits, dried meats, cheeses and various breads to snack on. He had traded some good furs at the general store to get supplies including some of those more exotic? (at least he believed that was the correct term, the best that he could grasp of the fancy things that came from other countries, even overseas) cheeses that had sharper flavors he enjoyed. He even took the time to slice them into chunks, his knife moving quickly and with precision as he laid each piece out on the large wooden board he had packed. Though he wasn’t the most gentlemanly of earthlings considering how he worked to make certain the umbrellas were properly in the ground as a breeze threatened to topple one, Uzumati digging his own hands into the ground to bury it better with a little mound of pressed dirt securing each umbrella before simply wiping his hands on his leggings and turning back to focus on whatever else needed done next. It was awfully tempting to reach out for a slice of cheese though the look from his son had him hesitating, the wildman opting to rub his hands against his leggings again before glancing towards Padma as if asking for permission.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 7:38 pm
Valerian didn’t go too far from the picnic spread even though his mother had given him permission. He wanted to make certain that there wasn’t anything he needed to do first and perhaps even grab a quick snack. That in mind, Valerian glanced over a few nearby plants before returning to pick up a few of the smaller fruits to chew on while he glanced around the rest of the spread. It looked nice and definitely was appealing…though the idea of swimming had him pausing before he picked up any other food. “Swimming?” He looked at his sister after sending his father a concerned look when he reached a dirty hand towards the cheese, the boy opting to not say anything once Uzumati wiped his hands a second time.
“I think I could go for that. Should we rinse off before eating?” Valerian managed despite wanting to go and explore the fields that very moment. His stomach was doing that little twisting thing it did whenever he needed a snack but he also wanted to inspire his father to go rinse off with them before anyone touched any more food. “Isn’t it better to swim first? Then we can dry off in the sun with snacks and look through the fields. I want to see if there’s any rare herbs.”
[Valerian 2]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 1:13 pm
Sometimes, it still startled Padma to remember how far they had come. It felt like just yesterday that she'd moved out to stay with Uzumati. Their first seasons here had been difficult for her, unused as she was to a more humble life without all the amenities of a community and village around her. Back then, she'd felt guilty at how much effort he'd had to extend in order to make his home more comfortable, how it felt as if her staying was more a burden than a help.
Not that he ever complained. And now, he was slicing cheeses with well practiced ease, before turning to more laborious work of putting up paper umbrellas to help keep them shielded from the sun. As he did so, Padma spread out a few simple quilts for them to kneel or sit on while they enjoyed their picnic. Once finished, she knelt down and proceeded to tie up her hair into a simple braid, looking at her children as they chattered. She almost missed Valerian's fussing, until Uzumati shot him an almost pitiable look.
"I think that's a good idea." She conceded to her son, though she did beckon Uzu closer, plucking up a piece of cheese to bring to his mouth so he could have a little snack before going off for a rinse. "Eujanie, dear, if you didn't bring a comb at least put your hair up first though?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 1:40 pm
[3/7] Dad came to help with the umbrellas, so Eujanie flashed him a huge, happy smile, squatting down to eagerly help in the digging. Together, they finished up quickly, and while the others were eager to reward themselves with a snack, Eujanie felt she'd self immolate if she had to wait a moment longer! Like her father, she wiped her dirtied hands against the bright, pastel wrap her mother had given her, uncaring since she'd get dirty from swimming anyway. "Yeah! Swimming first--" She agreed, already hurrying towards the crystalline, glimmering water - only to stop short at her mother's call.
She wrinkled her nose, but did as bade - twisting her hair up in a messy bun which she tied off with a leather strap from around her wrist. "Fineee. Can we swim now? I wanna see if there's fish in there!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:51 am
A small smile crossed Uzumati's lips at the suggestion and he nodded. Swimming would be nice and then that would work up an appetite. It was also hard not to imagine swimming in the lake which was currently shimmering like a bunch of crystals under the early afternoon sun. Scooting closer to Padma, Uzumati accepted the bite of cheese before quickly swallowing so that he could press a light kiss against her cheek in appreciation. Even if he did talk more than before there was still a lot of the man that preferred actions to words and so he simply stood, taking the time to tie back his own mane of hair and braids into a ponytail of sorts with a leather band, and then held out a hand towards Padma to invite her if she wanted to tag along towards the water.
[Uzumati 3]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:56 am
At least everyone seemed willing to go along with his idea. A small, triumphant smile crossed Valerian's lips before he also decided to reach over for a bite of food while his parents had a moment. It was easier for him to swallow a pastry then try to watch and understand the lovey-dovey attitude of others, especially his own parents. "Perks of having shorter hair." He teased as he walked past Eujanie, taking off his outer tunic before taking a step into the water. A shiver went up his spine at how cool the clear waters were but he knew it would feel nice once his body adjusted. The breeze had even died down so that it wasn't so bad at all and the waters were so clear that he could see the smooth pebbles and crystals beneath.
"Though can you see if there's any fish? They'll probably swim away with all the noise." Teased Valerian as he started forward, taking a step at a time as he walked on top of the smooth stones and appreciated the crystal beauty of this lake. It wasn't like the darker rivers and ponds he had seen in other areas, this one was far more pristine looking with very little foliage to snag at his ankles as he moved around.
[Valerian 3]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2023 8:38 am
(4/7)
Padma stole the opportunity to ogle her husband another few moments as his arms twisted upwards to tie back his hair. Really, you couldn't blame her! Back when they met she'd held herself back out of politeness and affection, but time and closeness took away any excuses. Of course, she would never dare to be inappropriate with her children here, but she could still sigh to herself and enjoy the show. She angled her face to allow the kiss to her cheek, then took his hand, beaming, as she was helped to her feet, tucking her elbow into his so she could hug herself against her husband's side.
The kids ran ahead to the water, and Padma paused briefly to enjoy the moment of sunshine, expression soft. "Be careful not to fall!" She called to her son - although, it was more a brief chiding of her daughter, before the girl did anything impulsive. Like jump into the water or push her brother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2023 8:46 am
(4/7) Eujanie didn't avert her eyes from her parents, but she also didn't pause to look either. She huffed and rolled her eyes at Valerian's playful taunt, dusting some leftover sandy dirt from her hands as she hastened to follow her brother. She was more vocal in her reaction to the cold, giving a quiet shriek of laughter as she waded in, hopping briefly from foot to foot. Which was precisely when Valerian suggested fish.
"Hey, I love fish, but doesn't mean I want them nibbling my toes when I'm swimming." She dismissed with a wave of her hand. Regardless, after a moment she sank down deeper into the water, peering with interest into the crystalline depths. She couldn't tell if the darker shapes were large fish, or just the ripples of rocks beneath the water. "How long d'you think you can hold your breath for?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2023 1:08 pm
Uzumati supported Padma, the man pressed against her side as he enjoyed the moment together. Life was different since they had children now, the pair often busy with managing their growing home in the forest while Uzumati also left for periods of time to hunt and work in town on building projects to grow their funds, and so any moment like this was precious to him. Before they had worked together, less interruptions from a pair of rampaging children now turned teens, but Uzumati was delighted with their family despite the chaos that Eujanie and Valerian could bring...mostly Eujanie lately though he did worry about Valerian whenever he brought back some rather dangerous plants that Uzumati had to separate from the rest until his son learned the differences between what was edible and poisonous. Still, it was all worth it for moments like this where he could see everyone having fun together on a warm spring day, the perfect setting with the shimmering lake in the background and a gentle breeze to refresh the spirit. He appreciated it even more after experiencing Belrea, the man not fond of crowded streets and buildings tall enough to block the sun. No, a peaceful meadow like this was far more preferable indeed especially when he had a beautiful flower like Padma by his side.
Uzumati watched over their children, amusement dancing in his gaze as they entered the water. Before he would have jumped into the water himself, Uzumati enjoying a swim to cool himself off but now he simply glanced at Padma with interest. "Swim or walk?" He asked quietly, sliding his boots and leaving them on the shore to free his feet so that he could enjoy the feeling of smooth pebbles beneath his toes. The water from the lake had washed over the shore so much for however many decades that very few sharp edged rocks remained, if any. It was also relaxing to feel the cold water as he walked along the shore, the man barely dipping his feet in while guiding Padma around so that they could keep an eye on their children for any trouble.
[Uzumati 4]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
