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 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:09 pm
 Nadirah huffed, blowing a stray bang out of her face in irritation. "Dad, I was just telling Faris-" She trailed off with a scowl as she saw her father's expression that said in a glance that he wasn't in the mood for arguments.
"s'not fair..." She grumbled under her breath. How come she couldn't get to know this new mare along with them. She had important questions, too. Really!
She puffed up when Miyuki spoke back to her, though, "I do! You'll have to come with me later-! I know where there's a family of foxes. Have you seen a real fox? I mean a normal, not-soquili fox? Can you talk to them?"
She shook her head, "I've never met a skinwalker before, either. I heard stories about them, though."
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"Then that is what is important." Kasim said with a resigned smile. He had other questions he wanted to ask his son - in private and not around Miyuki. Why, being one of them. But for now, "It sounds as if it must have been interesting - to have an encounter shift from a mistaking this young ... lady... for a skinwalker to young love. His ears tilted forward.
"And I do not wish for any friends of our foals to hesitate to come to meet us. I want to know the lives they are living. And of course to meet those that are most important to them. "
"I should tell you, some time, Mee-yooky, of the time Durriyah and I met, and the great deserts from which we hail. We are not far from the deserts of these lands, and they sometimes remind me of home. Where do you and your family come from?" He continued to address her directly, looking to continue to coax the little fox out of her shell.
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:19 am
((Faris is maxed on stats)) Faris was content to just stand back and watch the scene unfold. Though he may not have expressed it outwardly, he was very thrilled that his family was taking such an interest in his fiance, and hoped he had a chance to speak with his parents later about some of the details. Would there be a ceremony he would want to perform? But for now he kept by Miyuki's side, silent but supportive.Miyuki seemed less annoyed by Nadirah than perhaps she was at first. Her questions were not accusatory, but instead she seemed to have a healthy and somewhat flattering curiosity about her and her family. She was rapidly getting the impression that this family was much more right-knit than her own. She wasn't quite sure how this made her feel; but most of all she found herself horribly unequipped to answer many of her inquiries.
"No, I've really been close to a fox," she said. "I've seen them, but they never come close. I don't see how I would be able to talk to them. I would love to see the family close by, if you could show me later?"
She turned her attention back to Faris's father. "Yes, I would very much like to hear that story sometime." "Maybe we can speak a bit more over dinner?" Durriyah offered, with a smile. "I was only expecting Faris, so you'll have to excuse me if it seems rather lean. But if you give me just a few minutes, I'll be happy to prepare some more nourishment for you. You have been traveling for a long while I'm sure you're starving!" Durriyah gave a long glance at Miyuki's vulpine paws and teeth, and felt a knot in her stomach well up. What if she ate meat?
No, she shook her head slightly. She couldn't tolerate that; if that was the case she would have to supplement her meal later. For now she would have to make do with what she had already.
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:47 pm
"Really?" Nadirah bubbled incredulously. "Well, I mean I guess it depends what you call close. I mean they are quick! But if you are quiet and patient - and that can be really, really hard, they will sometimes come closer. Especially if you have food. I would love to show you later, Miyuki! And then maybe we can have some girl talk. Tell me what you see in that stick-in-the-mud brother of mine." She winked at her.
Maa'ez rolled his eyes.
"ooh! Dinner!" Nadirah chimed in after hearing her mother's announcement. That was one thing that would be hard to get used to if she did leave - the tasty treats her mother always seemed to have the best eye for spotting. Or the most patience for gathering sweet berries from the most prickly vines... without eating them all as they were plucked. The spreads she could do...
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Kasim nodded respectfully, warming to the strange mare. She was off putting at first, and certainly not the sort of mare he would have ever expected Faris to fall for... but perhaps the unexpected ran in his and Durriyah's blood.
"Then I shall tell you... perhaps over dinner." He said with a loving smile to Durriyah.
"And I am sure that what you have prepared will be more than ample, my love. It is just one more mouth." He had had to experience many lean times back home. Food could be scarce out in the deserts, not to mention the cities where he was unwelcome.
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Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:02 am
((Faris is maxed on stats)) "Good, I'm starving!" Faris declared, looking over to his mother and beaming. "And please, don't worry. I'm sure there will be plenty." Like almost all mothers, Durriyah usually went a bit overboard with food preparation when him or his siblings were visiting, and Miyuki ate like a bird anyway."Dinner sounds lovely," she said politely, casting a quick glance over to Faris. She saw the way Durriyah was looking at her, and her tails squirmed uncomfortably. She knew what she was thinking; and she couldn't blame her. Her mouth was full of sharp, predator-like teeth. Her father was a hunter, and her mother, well, she was never really sure about her. But as for herself, she did find herself enjoying meat when she had it; but she was usually too ashamed or embarrassed to indulge in front of others; and she never killed anything bigger than a squirrel; even then the guilt was enough to make her lose her appetite.
Perhaps it why she managed to keep her thin frame; food wasn't a large motivation for her, but she would be happy to keep up appearances for Faris' family.
Durriyah led the group back to their home; it was always a sight that made her heart feel with joy. It was nestled by a small steam-fed Oasis on the edge of a great desert. Large, colorful blankets draped over the branches of the trees formed a tent-like sanctuary for the couple. Baubles and baskets were stacked around, and incense burned outside; little plumes of smoke welcoming Durriyah a nd her children back home.
She quickly went to pulling down some baskets and setting them down around the perfumed draped blankets. Durriyah had made her favorite treat; soaked and smashed chickpeas and sesame seeds, dried in the sun to form a soft biscuit and then wrapped and stored in a broad, thick leaf. They were nestled in a bed of sweet hay and garnished with a few winter berries she had saved.
She puffed out her chest, looking proud of herself.
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Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:02 pm
Nadirah couldn't argue with food, and was completely oblivious towards Durriyah's concerns. Her father had inherited his dam's conventional appetites, and so had she. She had never heard of a soquili eating anything but fruits and vegetables. With a high-legged trot, she followed her parents back home.
The perfumed blankets of their tent was an everyday sight for the young mare, and she took it for granted as she flopped down on one of the blankets that Durriyah had laid out with a grin.
Her chickpea cakes, however, those were a special treat. Her ears perked, "oooohhhh, Mom I LOVE these!" She glanced sidelong at Miyuki. She brought out the fancy food for company, it seemed.
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Kasim matched pace with his mate as they led their children and the newcomer back to their home. He was proud of what they had made for themselves here. It was a bit of the familiar - a bit of the old world here in the new. It reminded him of some of the more pleasant times in the desert, with some of the nomadic aestetic that was hard to wean out of the blood. While they had had no need to move since their arrival here, Kasim was always prepared for the worst. The blankets could be rolled up, the baskets taken. And yet, there was something... almost like a great heavenly reward in the home they had made themselves here. He had never had anything this nice back home. It always smelled so lovely, and of course, having his desert flower, Durriyah, would have made even squalor a bit of heaven.
Kasim took his place by his mate's side as he respectfully knelt as she served the portions. "You never cease to amaze me," He murmured to her. "And Mee-yooki, I do hope that you enjoy. Welcome to hour home."
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:45 am
((Faris is maxed on stats)) Faris was happy to be home, the scent and colors of the little sheltered nook bringing back a host of memories. He settled down on the blanket next to his sister, giving her a playful nudge his rump before looking to the empty space on his other side, inviting Miyuki. Miyuki pawed delicately into the tent, her sensitive nose filled by the smell of the food, incense, and perfume. It was decadent; much stronger than she was used to but not wholly unpleasant; just a bit overwhelming. She had little trouble seeing in the dimmer light; she saw very well at night for most Soquili. She knew, somewhere, that most likely had to do with the predator nature of her family.
She took Faris' cue and made her way over to the plush blanket beside him, feeling like a bull in a china shop all of the sudden. She was nearly paralyzed with fear and anxiety; afraid at any moment one of her tails would knock over a lamp or her claws would get stuck in the delicate silk of the carpets.
But she made it, and with a breath of relief curled down and waiting patiently to be served; or follow the other's lead.
Durriyah watched happily as the family gathered, her heart swelling in her chest despite the unconventional mate that Faris had chosen. She stepped in and pulled on a rope at the "door" to give them some privacy from the bright light outside; the flap coming down to shroud the tent in a warm, hued lamplight.
"So wonderful," she said, her big bright eyes looking over every one, "to have us together. Oh, I wish Zahid was here - then it would be the whole family." She reached over with her long, graceful neck and began to pass out the biscuits, starting with just one each. "Dig in, dig in," she encouraged to her children, "I'm sure you're hungry after your journey."
She took a bite of her own, only after everyone else had started. "I can't wait until you find a stallion, Nadirah."
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:37 am
Durriyah shoved back at her brother - a little harder than his, just to prove a point that didn't need to be made, making sure that the claw on her wing dug just a little bit into his side.
But when his mate padded in, her eyes wide and a shake to her legs, she knocked off the antics and spared a genuine smile to the nervous mare, "Hey, it's fine." She whickered, "YOu'll love mom's chickpea cakes." She said around the mouthfull she had already taken, "And we've even still got some berries left, apparently." She tossed a mock rueful look at her mother. She could have sworn she said they were out the other day when she had gone snuffling for them.
"Mother!" Nadirah whinnied plaintively, "I don't need a stallion!" She huffed, tail whisking behind her indignantly.
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"Durriyah, you know better than to speak with food in your mouth," Kasim chided his daughter with a belabored look. He couldn't remember when he had become the responsible father figure. Caring about the first impressions of company. How Durriyah had changed him - but for the better. Maybe this is what happiness brought - concerns about the daily and inconsequential when you no longer needed to worry about where your next meal would come from, or if there was enough water to quench your thirst in the desert... or bounties on your head...
Kasim just chuckled at Nadirah's protests, "I never thought I would need a mare. To speak nothing of the fact I never thought that one so precious and wonderful as your mother would ever fall for a ruffian like me."
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:55 am
((Faris is maxed on stats)) Faris looked over to his sister, "Well, its probably a good thing that you don't need a stallion, I can't image a stallion ever needing you," he teased, his expression cold but his eyes held that twinkle that meant that only he could ever dare to say such a thing - had anyone else said it he would have their blood on his horn. Miyuki looked over to her mate, surprised by him. She wasn't used to seeing him being "playful" and it took her a minute to get the horrified look off her face. Thankfully, she picked up on his tone and visibly relaxed, letting small, shy smile finally creep over her face.
"Thank you very much, Miss Durriyah," she said to the mother, still amazed by how beautiful and pristine she looked. She was everything Miyuki wasn't; graceful, pure, beautiful, and poised. She looked to Nadirah, "I'm sure they are delicious," he said politely. "And please, you are very beautiful. If you ever decided you wanted a stallion, I'm positive you would find one with great ease."
She hoped that was the right thing to say...she was petrified with anxiety, and her tails wiggled behind her, but she forced a smile.
Durriyah narrowed her eyes at Faris. "Don't say such things," she chided, knowing full well that he was joking, but it warranted correction either way. "And I know you don't need a stallion, Nadirah, but perhaps you'll change your mind one day." She looked between her children and began to eat, pleased with herself how well the biscuits can came out. She wanted to so much to ask about when she could expect grandchildren, but she didn't want to push. "How long are you staying?" she asked, her eyes shining. "Of course your'e welcome to stay as long as you like; but I can't ever get Faris to stay in one place for too long."
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 3:35 pm
Nadirah mock-scowled at her brother, but didn't look genuinely offended. Instead, she quipped back right along with him, "Yeah, well, it's a good thing you did find a mare, because Spirits know you needed one." She adds with an over-dramatic roll of her eyes. "I mean, really, Faris, you really are a mess." She added with a grin. She knew she was much more of a mess than her brother.
She looked over to Miyuki, seeing how she responded to the playful banter, "I mean, I hope you're patient, Miyuki. Faris here can really have his head put on the wrong way sometimes. And SOMETIMES he can be a real stick in the mud."
She flicked her tail with a shrug, "But..." She added, looking a little less ruffled at the compliment. She didn't really know what to do with that - she wasn't used to being called beautiful... well, her parents didn't count. "Well... thanks... I guess." She said with a hint of a blush, "But I'm more interested in an adventure, really, than a stallion."
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Kasim hid the smile on his face with the basketfull of food that he began to tuck into. Once more, he was reminded of how lucky he was. Food was hard to come by in the deserts, and the bounty that these lands offered and the skill that his mate had in presenting it was without peer as far as Kasim was concerned. Even the occasional food he would steal from the markets was nothing compared to the morsels that Durriyah presented with tender love and care.
"You must stay for at least a time, Faris," Kasim chimed in, "Even if you have other places to be, we are your family and this is your home. And your lovely lady here should get to know her new family," Kasim added pointedly with a glance towards the nervous mare. "And us she." He added.
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:35 am
((Faris is maxed on stats)) "I'm not sure how long we're staying," he said honestly. His mother was right; he didn't like to stay in one place for long. But at the same time, this was somewhere he felt truly safe; he missed his sister and his parents, and honestly he thought Miyuki could benefit from some of the stability. "Oh I'm very patient," Miyuki said with a smile, nodding her head and looking over to Nadirah. She was beginning to relax - albeit slowly. She liked her; she seemed so strong and assured and confident; everything she herself was not. She envied those who had such stability; Miyuki always felt like she was about to break apart at any second. Like fine china - delicate and cracked already. She feared it wouldn't take long for something to shatter her.
She spoke of adventure over a stallion and she shifted her weight a bit, looking her over. "You certainly look like you could handle yourself," she added. She hoped her tone conveyed encouragement and she didn't take it as some kind of insult.
"Well again," the matron said to her son. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want, isn't that right, Kasim?" She leaned over and nuzzled her mate modestly, her chest swelling with pride. "And your father is absolutely right. We should definitely get to know the mother of our future grandchildren." There it was - a subtle breaching of the subject. It was subtle, right? She glanced over to Kasim, gauging his reaction to that.
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