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 Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:31 am
They made quite the pair, bumbling around without understanding their emotions half the time. Though really, who didn't? Only time usually taught these things.
And Orta realized Xanul couldn't possibly understand, though he might try to imagine, how her life had been. She could not bring herself to envy how he had grown up in this peaceful world, nor his family life, either. She didn't understand that herself. The peace was nice, though she still, still, still kept looking over her shoulder both literally and metaphorically quite frequently. Perhaps less frequently than she used to.
The family part... she knew she had had a mother and a father, one Drone and one Human. But she had never known them. She had only once even heard her mother's voice, and that was in a computer recording. The image had been unclear, so she could not claim to know her mother's face, and aside from his race, she knew nothing of her father. She had never had a family, and had no idea what it was like to be part of one. Though perhaps she wished she could try, someday.
It might even have been part of the reason she suddenly wanted to meet Xanul's. "Your mother, or, any of them really. You care for them very much, and they seem to bring you a great deal of happiness... and worry. They must be wonderful people." She paused for a moment, biting her lip in obvious hesitation before she asked. "What... happened? At the full moon? Is everyone all right?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:49 am
He knew he couldn't possibly understand how she felt; like the way no one would understand the conflicted feelings that was within him after he had hurt his own mother. He had tried to escape from the problem for a while, and had been rather grumpy and anti-social, which not many people understood. He knew they cared, but they could not possibly understand hurting the ones he loved unintentionally, in front of his very eyes, unable to stop himself.
"My mother is wonderful." Xanul said sincerely. "I mean, she never expected us to happen; she was furious about it. But she still gave birth to the three of us, and loved us, despite the problems with dad. She stayed strong all this while." It was obvious that he respected Ayako; all of his siblings, in fact, respected their mother.
He paused again, a slight look of worry crossing his face. "Well, Xexilia's portals were a sort of black hole and sucked her in. And Axis became blind, Nyx couldn't move. I guess the only good stuff that happened is that Xara can talk, and Xerviree becomes braver? Though his change in personality scared Axis." He managed a smile. "But they're okay now."
He shook his head, black bangs swishing slightly. "Well, we could go see mom now if you wanted to?" He changed the topic back to his mother abruptly, not wanting to mention the full moon anymore. Besides, having a visitor might take his mother's mind off it as well.
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:58 am
His mother did sound strong, and wonderful. Orta wondered, though, if she'd ever needed a shoulder to cry on and not had one. It was hard... to feel strong all the time. His description of the events at the full moon brought a frown to her face, and a sadness to her features that made her ears droop. Oh dear...
The abruptness of the subject change was difficult not to notice, so Orta held her tongue about any responses about that particular situation. His offer to take her to see his mother right now was a tempting thing, though, so she sat back for a moment of consideration before nodding. It wasn't like she'd had any plans for the day in any case, so what could be better than spending it with her friend and meeting the people he cared about? "That sounds like a wonderful idea."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:15 pm
There were times that he had ever seen his mother look hesitant, horror-stricken and unsure, especially the time when Aunt Liliana had gotten hurt. And when he had seen that, he had gotten scared. He had always seen Ayako as a tough woman, and something that made her so scared must be so serious, he assumed, that it frightened him as well. She never liked to show others her weaker side though, which worried him somewhat. Someday, he would have to talk with Saix about that.
He smiled at her, grateful she hadn't probed further. It was something he didn't want to talk about. Not now. With a wave of his paw, he created a portal, and then tilted his head towards it, gesturing her in.
After she had entered, he followed, the dark swirls closing behind the tips of his tails. The next portal had already opened, to where his mother was. His home.
Ayako was at home, of course, curled up on the couch and alone. The others were in their rooms, and Xanul's siblings had been ushered to the library to study on their own. There was a troubled expression on her face for a moment, before sharp eyes noticed the portal, and sat up straight, smiling at them. "Xanul? And...Orta?" There was a flash of surprise, and then a curious look on his face. Bringing a girl back home now, was he?
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Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:37 pm
He was bringing a girl home, but not for the sake of... well, bringing a girl home. Xanul was bringing a friend home for a visit and a chance to meet some of his family. If anyone had suggested there was anything more going on it was a certain bet that they both would have blushed and spluttered and denied it. For a while yet, anyway. It might take some time for them to figure things out on their own, and being bludgeoned over the head with their budding feelings probably wouldn't work. It was amazing how dense the two of them were given how intelligent and perceptive they were capable of being.
Orta gave Ayako one of her faint but friendly smiles. "Hello ma'am." She knew the portal was safe, Xanul used them all the time, but it was a first for her and it was a little disorienting if only because she knew how far they must have come in a few steps. Subconsciously it made her feel a little off-balance, so she sort of... tested a spot before she sat down. "Xanul came to tell me he was back now and we were chatting and... well it might sound a bit strange but it made me want to come see you. I only met you that once... at the holiday party... and I did not really speak with you." Oh, she hoped that didn't sound strange. They all seemed so very kind and it would be nice... nice to what? Feel included, perhaps? That was her only real complaint about being here. She didn't really feel like she belonged anywhere in particular...
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:01 am
Of course, the empath herself had already had a good suspicion about the feelings between the two, ever since that party. And knowing her son, he had absolutely no idea that he was in love. Bringing the subject up would cause a lot of blushing, she knew, especially after Yuffie had teased him about girlfriends.
A small, welcoming smile was offered to Orta and her eyes watched as Xanul himself gave the female an encouraging one and a wag of his dark tails. "I wanted to talk with you as well." Ayako said. "Especially after how you've stood beside Xanul." At this, her son gave a sheepish smile, and sat down beside Orta.
"So where's dad?" He asked, golden eyes darting around with a raised, questioning eyebrow.
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:38 pm
Orta's faint smile remained though her expression took on an air of... not confusion, precisely, but not quite understanding. Was there something unusual about standing by your friends when they were having troubles? It had been a bit hard to do, perhaps, since she hadn't actually gotten to see him very much during his time away. Though she did like to think that her support and... not nagging at him to return until he felt ready had helped him. And she had been rather gratified when she found out he'd started writing some letters to let the others know how he was doing and keep in touch. At least something she had suggested to him had worked out.
At Xanul's question Orta actually lifted her head slightly and looked around the room. Not for his father in particular but to see if any other of his family was around. But it seemed that it was just the three of them for the time being. It was a bit strange to think that while Orta considered Xanul a good friend and felt what she assumed was genuine friendly affection for him, she had not even seen any of his immediate family aside from Ayako, and not much more of his extended one. It made her feel a tad guilty for not taking a larger part in her friend's life.
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Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:01 am
Ayako arched an eyebrow, sensing the female's confusion of sorts and laughed softly, guessing what Orta was thinking. Being an empath meant that she could sense other's emotions and infer what their thoughts were, and most of the time, she was correct. "You see, Xanul..." At this, she glanced at her son who gave her a cheery grin, and shook her head with a gentle smile. "Is rather naive at times. At least what happened showed him how real friends will be always there for him." Xanul made friends pretty easily when he went on his adventures, but only some had remained his good friends.
The male had blushed slightly, looking rather embarrassed. Still, he couldn't protest; he did admit his mother's words had some truth in them.
"He's somewhere around." Ayako tilted her head and shrugged slightly. "But at least you'll be glad to know he's not lapsing into those weird mute moments which he can't seem to remember anything, specifically him being a grandfather, after." At this, Xanul grinned and nodded. It meant that Saix wasn't refusing to believe he was a grandfather anymore. One day, he'd have to tell Xelon to bring all four to see the Luna Diviner.
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Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:56 am
Orta nodded thoughtfully. That made sense on a certain level; she herself had rather the opposite problem. It was difficult for her to trust, though with Xanul it had been easier. Secrets or not, his very personality radiated a sense of openness and comfort. "I have not had many friends... so I try to be a good friend for those I do have."
Xanul's blush gave her a strange feeling. Perhaps she felt bad for him? It was never easy to have your flaws pointed out to you. But he accepted the statement with good grace, and that was good. And that red tint to his cheeks was... endearing? Hm.
The talk about Saix brought a touch of humor to her small smile. Even if she wasn't a part of it, it was still enjoyable to hear "family gossip". Also a little saddening at the same time; she had no family to do these things with. It made her want... she wasn't sure what. It wasn't like she could make a family for herself magically appear. Nor, did she think, could the magically inclined kitsu around her. That wasn't the sort of thing she would have wanted just conjured up, anyway... it wouldn't be the same.
"How is Xelon taking the fact that he is now a father?" Xanul had spoken a bit of the kits but not really of the parents. And the way he'd started to mention the mother earlier and then changed his mind made her wonder if it would be wise to ask about her or not.
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:45 am
Xanul's grin broke out into a small, rather embarrassed laugh, and nudged Orta slightly. "Well, that means I'm gonna have to introduce you to more people then!" True, he was quite trusting and sweet. Even Verix preferred his personality than his Nobody side, though the little kit would not admit it.
"Dad was being really scary like that." He sighed, shaking his head, snorting as he remembered how Saix had acted, then glanced around with wide eyes. It had just occurred to him that his father might be listening, though his shoulders relaxed after the blue-haired kitsusagi did not appear from around a corner as he feared.
"Well, he took to it easier than his father did." Ayako smiled. "He's gotten used to it already." As for Sechs, she was just glad the two could still be on well, good terms. At least they hadn't gotten as mad as both her and Saix did when they discovered that they were about to be parents.
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 8:18 pm
Orta grinned about as wide as she ever did at Xanul's comment. "That sounds like a far better use of my time than I have come up with so far." Sitting around, alone, pining for old friends who may not appear and worrying about the one friend she did have without being able to check on him? Yes... there were much uses for her time.
Orta tilted her head a bit at the next bit. "Your father was being scary?" She could believe Saix not wanting to acknowledge growing older, but she had not really encountered the idea of someone not wanting a child. Children were far, far too precious back on her world... the most important of all things. Not looking after them and caring for them meant they died, and if something happened to enough of the children it meant and entire community dying out. It was simply beyond her.
She nodded at the commentary about Xelon. "That is good." Unplanned pregnancies always caused akwardness, especially between unwed couples. It usually resulted in forced marriages, but as previously stated... the child had to be cared for not only for its own sake but the entire community it was born into.
Orta turned back to Xanul and prodded at him gently. "So what sort of people do you know that you would introduce me to?" She was getting curious now.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:18 am
"Um well, him not talking and being forgetful (no idea if that was on purpose or not) about having grandkits was scaring the younger ones. Honestly, he didn't have to act so weird." By younger ones, he meant his siblings, of course. Though they were already adults, and he was proud of that like an older brother would.
"He knows a lot of people." Turquoise eyes twinkled as she watched her son lapse into thought as he recalled all those he had met.
"Well, there's Uncle Wright! And you should see Uncle Edgeworth and Aunt Kitsumi too!" They weren't really his relatives, but he had called his father's housemates (temporary, in Phoenix's case) that since young, and he was too used to it. "And Demyx, he's a really nice guy. And um...Yuffie." He added as an afterthought, a slight blush crossing his cheeks as he did so. He didn't exactly want to encounter the ninja again (after she had embarrassed him on the topic of girlfriends) but she was one of the only girls he had met. Beside Larxene, but she was mean.
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Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:58 am
Hmm. Orta supposed she could see how that behavior might concern the younger members of the family, especially if the behavior was something they hadn't seen before. She hadn't really meant to pry about Xanul's family but she'd heard a few things about how his father had been when he was born. It wasn't something she'd particularly understood and Saix had come around so she didn't think about it much.
Orta's small grin grew a bit bemused at Xanul's thinking behavior and Ayako's seeming amusement with it, and then she listened intently to his listing of people he knew that he'd want her to meet. The content and entirely unconscious swishing of her tails hiccuped and hesitated for a moment at the blush that crossed his face when he mentioned Yuffie. A pang of some feeling she didn't really understand swept past but she continued to cover it on the outside. She was glad not to be alone, but being alone was far less confusing as far as feelings went... "Is there something strange about this... Yuffie?" He had hesitated oddly before mentioning her.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 2:09 am
Yes, Saix had come around, but he was still rather grumpy about having a family still. The only thing he seemed to have grown used to was Ayako...but these things took time. It wasn't easy for a Nobody to adjust to being surrounded by family, and emotions. Something Xanul had figured out, even though he was half.
Orta might not have understood that feeling, but Ayako knew. She herself had never really experienced it; it wasn't as if Saix had been intimate with another female before, or something of that sort. But she understood, and kept a faint smile on her lips, watching the two.
"Uh...she's an okay girl, really. But well, she..." He scrunched up his face in thought, his tails wiggling nervously. How exactly could he say this? "Said some stuff I wasn't used to." Hey, he had just became an adult at that time. It wasn't exactly his fault for blushing so much.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 7:15 am
It was probably a good thing Orta didn't realize precisely what she was feeling. She was still figuring out how to behave as a friend toward Xanul, anything more would leave her confused, quite possibly unnerved, and certainly at a loss for what to do. Her friend Mobo from the other world had offered to marry her in a rather joking manner; he'd been serious, because Mobo did everything in a joking manner, but he'd only done it because he seemed to think he could help her overcome her fear, confusion, and anger at the world she was only beginning to understand at that point. But even if he hadn't already had three wives, she wouldn't have done it. That wasn't what she'd wanted. But what would she want now, here, if put to the question and given time to think? Who knew. Of course her concept of marriage, or life-mating, was only beginning to change to what Ayako or Xanul would think of. Such things had been done more for profit than love in her world.
"Did she say something that upset you?" Orta asked this with concern because of Xanul's nervous behavior, and perhaps from some worry that someone might have upset her friend. Though it happened before she met Xanul... and he must not have been too concerned if he offered to take her to meet this Yuffie... but still.
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