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 Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:57 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 1]
Admittedly Quiana had not expected to return to Kiros so soon after her departure. After spending some time in Belrea with Siel, the pair had decided to take the plunge and go back to Esena where they could ask for blooms. Such a request had received a mixture of responses, but eventually Quiana had been granted permission to go to the mother tree with the earthling hybrid. Her grandmother’s presence and loss was still felt within the community and it was enough to grant Quiana this one favor, as long as Esena was willing to grant the request then it was up to their mother tree not them.“At least this place stayed intact after all this time.” Quiana had mused upon their initial arrival at her childhood home, the small yet cozy hut still in place after she had been gone for nearly two years. It was a blessing that they had lived on the outskirts, not within the community so that Siel could stay here with her while they waited to see if Esena would actually produce blooms. Some had teased her about her tastes while others had watched the pair with interest, doubting that this truly was going to be possible. Hadn’t Esena just changed though? So why not test the waters? Quiana smirked as she listened to the mixed responses, venturing into the community day after day to check.
Earlier this morning just before dawn she had walked into the heart of Kiros, waiting on the young mystics there to give her any updates about Esena and blooms. The breeze had been warm, the heat of the islands far warmer than the cooler breezes of Belrea, and the early morning sunlight had made the ocean gleam from where she could see it along the horizon. The path she took always circled around the nearby cove so that Quiana could spend a few minutes reflecting upon everything before venturing up to Esena. While the last few days had resulted in just a few shakes of the head and a sigh before she returned home, today was different. There was a strangeness in the air, others who had been confidently doubting Quiana’s success now quiet as she walked past them, and then the whispers! Oh, how could she not guess at the news?! “Do I need to ask?” Quiana had approached the young mystic without hesitation, her lips curved upwards with amusement as the other Elidae blushed. “How many?”
“Two. Would you like to see?”
Quiana only had a quick visit to glance over the blooms before rushing back to her home, the morning sun still lingering on the horizon from how early it was. “Siel?” She called out as she entered her home, her hands brushing against the sheer curtains that hung around the large arched windows that allowed in the morning breeze. “Are you awake?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:58 pm
Adjusting to life near Kiros was strange. Being in Quiana’s childhood home allowed him to be as close to Esena and Kiros as someone of his blood could be, but it also kept him at arms length. He’d never truly understood what this must have felt like until he was living it and most days Siel was a ball of nerves. Every time Quiana came home he tried not to pester her with questions, knowing full well she must be both as nervous as he was and dealing with scrutiny whenever she visiting Esena’s boughs.
It was frustrating, especially after their initial visit, to not be by her side through it all. He would have given anything to go every day, but Siel knew he was lucky to have approached Esena at all so he kept his mouth shut. For the most part, anyway, and around any visitors they may have had.
New land, new customs, new house; it was a lot. So, most days, Siel did his best to clean up around the place and work on any repairs that needed doing. It kept his hands busy when he wasn’t practicing his craft and that was much a blessing as it was a curse. At the moment he was out back, washing and hanging linens while the weather was on his side. When he heard Quiana return he turned back toward the home, tempted to go inside to meet her but knowing full well he was only halfway done. “I’m out back!”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:59 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 2]
There was a flutter of butterflies in her stomach, but she was confident since Siel was with her. Quiana knew that she had asked the right person whenever she witnessed how resilient Siel was to the whole process of coming to Kiros. Surely it would wear down anyone to enter a community so guarded against foreigners, especially those without full Aishan blood, and yet here he was out back doing laundry. The very sight brought a smile to her lips, the Elidae walking up towards him so that she could grab some linens for herself to hang. A gentle bump against his hip brought her closer to Siel, a playfulness on her features that was only brightened by the news she was nearly close to blurting out at any moment. Instead she settled for hanging a skirt she had recently patched while they were stuck waiting around for any updates. The turquoise and silver colors made her wonder about what their blooms would be like. Would the little ones have green eyes or either of Siel's silver or gold? Hmm.
Blinking, Quiana realized she probably appeared a bit more distracted than usual. "You've been busy since I've been gone." She managed finally as she secured the skirt and faced Siel again. "There were fruits on the table. Did you want anything else?" She was dancing around the news, the Elidae focusing on everything else instead as she worked alongside of her companion.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:00 pm
The hip bump earned Quiana a vision of Siel’s tongue as he stuck it out at her. He settled himself back onto his stool, pulled the wash tub a little closer and picked up the scrubbing stone once more. Some of the fabrics were more delicate than others, especially those with expensive dyes or intricate baubles sewn into them. Those he’d tackled early on and now all Siel had to worry about were Quiana’s training garb and the slacks he used to pull weeds in.
He wanted to ask, of course he did, but there was the risk of ruining her good mood. What if she was just happy because of something that happened on the way back and didn’t have any news at all? “No, I had some earlier so I’m good for now,” WHO CARES ABOUT FRUIT?! He was ‘very casually’ scrubbing the same spot over and over and over again until finally Siel caved. “So? How did it go?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:02 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 3]
Quiana quirked a brow, wondering how long she would have until Siel finally addressed the obvious question that had been haunting them for days now. "Well, the walk was nice. The ocean is still gleaming in the sunlight..." She began quietly as she shook out a blanket, the quilted pattern of flowers reminding her of the blooms she had just witnessed under Esena's branches. "You know our two blooms looked a lot like these, just a bit more silvery I think depending on the light." She mused, holding the blanket out towards Siel mischievously as she waited for her observation to register with the hybrid. "They didn't gleam like the ocean in the sunlight, but the sight of them truly made my heart dance this morning." More so than the ocean itself....Quiana's gaze was bright with excitement as she waited for Siel's response to the revelation.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:03 pm
Siel didn’t even bother to hide his impatience at that point. The man lifted a hand from the soapy tub and a made ‘yes yes hurry up’ gesture. They could go on a walk later if she wanted, the change of pace might actually do him some good, but that wasn’t the topic at hand!
“TWO?!” The scrubbing stone hit the bottom of the wash tub with a splash and a thud. “We have blooms. We. Have. Blooms. Not bloom but blooms.” Every time he said it a bit more of the information was starting to sink in for Siel. There were multiples in his family, he himself was a triplet, but did that play into this at all? He’d assumed not because of the way it all happened and yet –
“W-Were they healthy? Did they look good? Are they a good…size? I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.” Siel gave a breathless, shell-shocked laugh and stood up, hastily wiping his soapy hands on his trousers.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:09 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 4]
A smile of amusement crossed Quiana's lips as Siel burst into action at the realization they were having not one, but two blooms. She had been confident that they would be blessed, the Elidae too proud to let the taunts of others dismay her spirit, but even she had been excited to see a pair of blooms instead of a single one resting there. None of the other Elidae blooms looked quite like theirs, the obvious signs that they would bloom hybrids making them stand out more than others. "We do indeed." She replied with a laugh, Quiana spinning around as she tossed the blanket onto the line and faced Siel.
"Woah, woah." Quiana laughed again at the flurry of questions, the Elidae reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Siel's ear. "They looked healthy and beautiful. The mystic saw nothing wrong with them though they were the first hybrid blooms she had ever witnessed." Not that it made her reassurances weaker, surely even the mystic would have been able to express concern if something seemed completely out of place for the blooms. Maybe it helped that Siel also carried Aishan blood because they hadn't even seemed weak in comparison to the other blooms around Esena's roots. "They just appeared so we'll see how they grow, if they get bigger like the rest or stay slightly smaller due to their unique mix. Just don't forget to breathe else I'll have to worry the blooms won't have a father since he passed from excitement." She teased lightly, her expression full of amusement and happiness as she watched Siel. Blooms! What a blessing indeed.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:11 pm
“Sorry,” Siel chuckled, his cheeks heated by both exhilaration and embarrassment. “Can’t help it, y’know?” It felt so odd to be talking about his children and not reach out to the woman carrying them because Quiana wasn’t. Her goddess was. So that meant he didn’t have to hesitate about reaching out for one of her hands, the other slipping up to go around her waist and pulling her into a dancing spin. Who cared if they knocked into the wash tub and spilled water? Or if a few wet blankets slapped into them?
“Madam, you and I are about to be the parents of not one, but two gloriously perfect little ones blessed by Esena herself!” His voice was as boisterous and pompous as any ‘noble’ with a dramatic fake laugh to boot. “Why, I feel a celebration coming on! What say you?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:12 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 5]
Delighted laughter filled the air as Quiana allowedd Siel to spin around with her, the Elidae not caring if they caused a scene and a splash. Who would even be out here in their little secluded home to see anyways? Once more she was thankful for the privacy of the home that she had been raised in, the surrounding forest a protection against the wandering eyes of those who would be intrigued by the dancing couple. Not that she minded standing out, mind you, but for now she wanted to spend every moment celebrating with Siel without a care in the world.
"A celebration? To celebrate the impossible becoming possible?" She replied, her own cheeks flushed and her hair in disarray from its loose braid with all of the excitement. "Certainly! Oh, we have so much to prepare for!" The realization that this was actually happening was finally sinking in and Quiana was a flurry of thoughts. They had to stay here for a little bit until the younglings were strong enough for a journey, did they want to move closer to the Kahi she knew or stay here near the Elidae? Would others scorn them when they had already been blessed by Esena? Then Siel had family all over! Would he be sending word to them like she would be sending word to her own? "Drinking and details? Or dancing or something else? Though it'll be hard to discuss anything while....well you know." She joked quietly, her expression mischevious even as she tried to sort through everything in her mind. They would need two little beds, supplies and so much more. Not that Quiana was worried, they were at her home now and there was plenty to be shared within the community where she had some support despite everything.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:21 pm
“The miracle of miracles!” When his foot caught on a scrub brush Siel simply kicked it into the surrounding forest with a great guffaw. Who cared! He knew enough about kids to know they were messy little buggers so best not worry about keeping too organized anyway! “Alright kinda bringin’ in logic to the mood, but that’s okay.” They had so much to do and only a few months – weeks? How long did this take? – to prep for not one but two infants. He needed to write letters and – “I need to tell my fathers, and my sisters, and my brothers….I’ll be all night at that writing desk.” Giddy or not the idea of sitting hunched over, writing the same letter over and over didn’t excite him. They deserved to know, but…maybe he could get by with doing it in stages? He barely even saw his older siblings anyway.
“Oh, you’ve read my mind,” Siel smirked, but instead of instigating anything he kept their ‘dance’ up, albeit at a much more relaxed and casual pace. “Dancing and other activities later, details now? At least a little; I don’t think my brain can handle more than that right now.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:30 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 6]
Quiana grinned. Of course details were never the most fun aspect of the reveal, but she was afraid if they didn't discuss a couple of things now then the rest of their day would be otherwise occupied. "Understandable." She replied with a chuckle, her lips grazing over his neck lightly before she pulled back. "Details, details." She reminded her own self, the Elidae trying to tame her excitement and the energy that was building up inside from everything. The blooms were fine, they would have to send out letters..."We have plenty of time for letters." She managed after a moment, nodding her head before tracing a finger up Siel's arm and then swaying away a moment later as she spun around to survey the area. "We can live here until they're old enough to travel to wherever we want to go." She mused, glancing over the yard with its scattered laundry and supplies. Fruit trees grew nearby, ones she had planted with her own grandmother as a youngling, and they would have access to other food without Quiana worrying so much. Then they had shelter....so what else should they worry about? Making clothing and more blankets maybe? Such small things would be easily done within the few months they had before the blooms opened.
"Oh! They'll be hybrid blooms. We could have sons or daughters." She realized, spinning back to face Siel with a grin. "We can make guesses once you've seen the blooms. In a few days I'm sure we can ask for you to visit with me, they just want to let the blooms grow a bit stronger first before....more visits." Or rather before an outsider could visit, which in her opinion was just silly. What difference would it make if the father showed up? They had his markings just as much as they had her own! Still, Quiana was surprisingly patient. She would wait until Siel could go with her to return to the blooms, hoping that her friends could keep her updated if anything changed.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:43 pm
Siel trailed his fingers along her hip and the moment he felt her against his neck Siel pulled her closer with a hum. “Ah, ah, we just talked about this,” He chuckled. As they moved around the space Siel was once again brought face to face with a world he himself was just getting used to. What was safe to eat and dangerous to touch were still concepts the hybrid was learning, but so long as he figured it out before they bloomed he’d be alright.
“I hadn’t thought about that, but I guess there was a chance we would only have daughters, wasn’t there?” Siel mused. “Still is, but I guess because of my family I took it for granted that anything could happen.” When he thought of approaching the Goddesss he couldn’t thinking of his Baba. The life the man had led, the life he’d created for his children and the stories he told. “Look…I appreciate the sentiment and I am loathe to be left behind, but I think my time by Esena is past. You go, spend as much time as you can with them, and tell them I’ll make it up once they’re here.”
It was a bitter admission, but one Siel had come to grips with long before they’d even asked Esena for her blessing. “I don’t want to push things when we’re this close. “
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:52 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 7]
"Mmmhmm." And so they had, but the temptation truly was so strong. Quiana smirked at the thought even as she danced around Siel, moving here and there from touching him to looking back across the area to survey it and think of whatever preparations they could do in the meantime while waiting on the blooms. It was a teasing thing for her to do, almost like the dance from when they had first met and Quiana was enjoying every moment of it. Though the movements stopped, Quiana slowly turning back to face Siel and reach out for him. "Siel." She managed, her expression softening and the smile there somewhat sorrowful in comparison to the mischevious expression from earlier. "I understand." As much as she wanted to argue against it, Quiana also knew where he was coming from. While the Elidae were from a more rebellious race their roots still came from the Extremists and many Aishans in general still had some issues with earthlings despite the treaties, it would be a lie to act otherwise. So she would go and do her best to care for them and bring him updates as often as possible while they waited. "I'll try to grab some paints and parchment, test my drawing skills so that we can still make bets on which bloom will be like. All other blooms have been daughters, a son will be a surprise to the whole community which honestly would delight me."
Still, her expression stayed soft as she took a moment to study Siel before reaching out for him. "No matter what others say or do, I know better." She whispered quietly, her forehead pressing against his as she rested there for a moment to connect with the hybrid. "You're amazing, full Aishan or not. If anything it wouldn't surprise me if our blooms open early just because they want to race home to see their father."
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 3:09 pm
“It’s alright.” He reached for her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. “It’s only temporary.” Time would stretch slower some days, faster in others, and always Siel would wonder. How were they growing? Was one bigger than the other? Could she get a ‘feel’ for them, like Sol and his aura detections? Fussing over what he couldn’t have had brought him to Belrea in the first place and now everything he wanted was within his reach. All Siel needed to do was be patient and trust in Esena.
“One way or another you’re determined to ruffle some feathers, aren’t you?” Siel snorted, but it quickly slipped into a laugh. “First you bring this wastrel of a bard from Tendaji across an ocean and decide to have blooms with him now you’re talking about a son. The paints sound grand, but maybe keep the rest to us, hmm? I’d rather not look up from the wash to find some elder with a spear.”
Maybe they’d be fine with it, maybe they wouldn’t be; Siel didn’t want to risk it. He much preferred it as they were, forehead to forehead, enjoying the sense of peace the Quiana brought him. “I’m only able to shine so bright because of the support I get from you. I never thought I’d be in a place where I was ready to take that next step, but with you it came so easy. I never thought twice. Our children are lucky to have you and I’m grateful to be along for the ride.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 3:20 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 8]
That was true. It was only temporary, the wait would be over eventually and then they would have their little ones to raise together. Wherever their feet took them then they would go there and show them all that there was in the world that Quiana had once never thought possible to explore. How different her life was now, sitting here with her wastrel of a bard and waiting on blooms that Esena had blessed them with when no hybrids of her race had ever existed before. Children that she was eager to greet, to show them everything she loved and hopefully watch them grow up with an abundance of happiness and adventures.
Quiana did chuckle at the teasing, her lips curving upwards into that familiar grin that promised plenty of mischief. "I suppose it's just my habit. I simply can't help pushing my limits and watching the reactions of others." Amusement kept her laughing softly, the very idea of being chased out of the area somehow entertaining despite the actual risks that something along those lines could happen. "I was raised spoiled, perhaps it made me too bold. I'll try to behave a bit more around others, no promises at home though."
"Well, wastrel or not I can only offer support to the one who helped me first." She replied quietly, reaching out to take Siel's hand so that she could give it a gentle squeeze, her heart twisting in appreciation at his words. "Our children are lucky to have both of us, just like I think it's fortunate I was bold enough to dance along that Matori dock in the beginning. Who knew that I just needed a bard's touch to help brighten my life so much? Though I suppose we'll see if we feel the same in a few months when our lives are even more chaotic." A slight tease, honestly she knew that they both were looking forward to this. Quiana had changed so much with recent events that she wasn't even afraid of children, she truly was eager to see them.
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