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 Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:52 pm
❧Stage 2 - Solo Two❧
Odhran had been his name - odd how Ujana couldn't remember it - and funnily enough that's what she nicknamed him; Odd. It wasn't the first time anyone had called him by the name, as he went on to explain. Several people in his home village thought him strange, which was why he had taken to traveling. He was a man of the world, one who didn't like to spend too long in one place, which was something she couldn't understand.
Ujana was a traveler not by choice, but out of necessity. At first it had been the simple urge to find her family, and thus build some sort of life for herself, and now it was all about securing a place for her tavern, though she wondered if she would ever really be able to settle down.
It wasn't until several meals had been shared between the two that Ujana's initial irritation for the man seeped away. She found that he was the nervous sort - the kind of man who changed his personality to fit what others wanted and had lost himself along the way. It wasn't what she was attracted to; not long term, but for the moment he was there, which helped to pass the time. Neither one of them wanted anything binding, just a little company to ease internal aches.
During the day the two rarely saw each other; she was taking care of her own business, and he - well, she didn't really know what he was doing, or whom, but Ujana didn't really care. Odd wasn't her problem, despite what others seemed to think. Their little escapades had become the talk of the inn; after all, it wasn't as if they were being secretive about spending time with one another. At least they had the decency to keep the worst of it behind closed doors.
"I don't want a baby."
Odhran spat out his water in a sharp arch across the table and would have hit Ujana in the face if she hadn't been leaning back in her own seat. As it was the liquid landed firmly in her lap, making it seem as if she wet herself. "Odd?! What is wrong with you?"
"Y-you-"
She nodded with an irritated huff and reached for a cloth to dab at her pants. "I, what? Spit it out!"
Damn, she wished she could have seen his face during the initial blood drain. When she lifted her eyes to take him in, after so much time had passed without a word from him, she found that Odd was as pale as a windling. She leaned across the table and snapped her fingers in front of his face, successfully waking him out of whatever spell had held him.
"Are you expecting? This soon? How would you even know-?"
"I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're asking. I'm just saying I don't want one. I don't hate you, and you are attractive, which would mean we wouldn't have an ugly baby, but whatever we have here-" She motioned between the two of them with a pointed finger. "-has to end before that happens."
Ujana wasn't an idiot. She knew what happened when two adults hooked up, especially if that hooking up carried on for more than a few nights. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought of having a child or two down the line, but right now was a little too soon. In her eyes she was too young, too free, to be tied down with a kid right now.
Children required a lot of time that she just didn't have at the moment. Right now Ujana was flitting from place to place, trying to set up her life, without any real tangible thing to anchor her down. Until she had that she didn't need a need; or rather, she didn't want to drag one along with her. Not like she had been.
Taken away from her home, separated from friends because her mother wanted to see new lands-
That was the last thing she wanted to do to a kid.
So as enjoyable as Odd's 'company' was, she was calling an end to it.
"I hadn't even thought of a child, honestly." He mused, setting back in his chair now as if having a mini-existential crisis. "What if you're...what if we've already made one and-?"
"Oh come on Odhran, what are the odds?" Ujana's grin couldn't have been brighter, or cornier. It was enough to bring out a laugh from the dour man, which had been her goal from the start.
"Well, I suppose I should get back on the road soon. I've been here for too long as it is." He spoke of future plans, roads untraveled, blah blah blah. Ujana spaced out somewhere around talking about Yael and how long she thought the boat ride to the island would take.
Even though Ujana had laughed his concerns away, she'd internalized them and was no fussing over those thoughts herself. What if she was expecting a child? A little small thing, not even big enough to let her know it was there? Her heart sped up and Ujana felt herself grow stiffer. Surely not. This wasn't exactly the first time she'd taken a lover, and likely wouldn't be the last for a while, so why should this bother her now?
Maybe because the majority of her lovers had been female, alkidike at that, and she'd never really worried about pregnancy before. With the alkidike every child was a sought after prize; there were no accidents in their society.
He's laughing, you should be laughing too.
She didn't know what she was suddenly giggling bout but Ujana made a big show of it. Hopefully it was in time with whatever Odd had been talking about, because all she could think about was erasing the last several days from her mind. Maybe if she scrubbed it clean she could erase all contact they'd had together from existence and yet....Ujana found she didn't actually want to.
Even if something did come of this, which she sorely did not happen, she wouldn't regret it. Maybe. She hoped she wouldn't.
Ujana knew she was panicking and she tried not to let it show. She just needed to put it out of her mind for a while, and surely it would disappear. Nothing would come from it except for a few funny stories, and pleasant memories.
That was all.
(WC: 1074)
[3]
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:58 pm
❧Stage 2 - Solo Three❧
It was barely a month before Odhran made his way back to her side.
Ujana was still in the same inn, talking to the same men about construction of her tavern when she saw him. Her eyes drifted to his from across the room, one brow lifting up in question when he waved her over. Ujana looked from him to the men she was currently talking to, and held a finger to hold him off; he could wait. Whatever it was he had to talk about wasn't more important then preparing for her future.
He waited, albeit a little less than patiently. She could see him fidgeting at a table near the door, barely taking his eyes off hers even though he'd brought out several tomes, evidently trying to study up on something. Or at least, to pretend as if he were.
"-are we boring you, Ujana?"
"Hrm? What?"
One of the older builders pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled slowly, as if he were trying to draw on inner reserves of patience. "We were discussing how much your investors were willing to put down for supplies?"
"Oh, yeah, Medina. She should be showing up some day soon, but she isn't here today. Didn't I tell you that?"
"....no, you most certainly did not."
"Ah, well, sorry." Ujana shrugged her shoulders and scooted her chair back before standing. "Excuse me for a while, will you?" There was a chorus of complaints, some about how 'unprofessional' this was, not that she much cared. Ujana made a beeline for Odd's table and instead of sitting in a chair next to him she sat on the table, plopping her behind right next to his book. "I thought you were supposed to be 'seeing the world'?"
"I-" Odhran's hand slipped away from his book to her thigh, smoothing his thumb across her skin through the fabric of her pants. "-thought I could leave without talking to you about something, but it kept coming back to me and I didn't know if you would still be here but..." When he looked up into her eyes, Ujana's smile faltered. He looked more serious than he ever had before and honestly it was a little frightening. What was it he wanted to talk to her about that put that kind of resolve in him?
"Well, I'm here, and I'm listening. What's wrong?"
"Do you really not want a baby? Ever?" The hurried questions stole her breath, leaving her with an open mouth and wide eyes. For a moment he looked just as surprised as she felt, even going so far as to pull his hand away from her leg and putting it back on the table.
"What in the world-?"
"Just...just hear me out, okay?" Odd took a deep breath to collect himself and went on to explain that he had been married once, back when he was younger. It was an arranged marriage; one neither of them had ever wanted, but it wasn't as if he never loved his wife. She just never came to love him, and the union became strained when she took a lover. He couldn't stand to go through it anymore, so when she wanted to leave...he let her. "For a long time after that I went where I wanted, did what I wanted and so far it's been great but I...I don't want to do it forever. I want to keep traveling for a little here and there, but I also want a home to go back to. Something stable. And I want a family, but I don't think I'll ever be able to remarry, not after that. I don't really want to, if that makes sense."
He reached to take her hand then. "I want a baby, Ujana; I want a child of my own and I know you said you didn't want one, but I thought that maybe you might consider having one with me?"
"...what makes you think having a kid with me is a good idea from the start? I'm not stable; I don't have a home of my own and I'm trying to build a tavern, for the sake of the Gods."
"You're the most vivacious person I've ever met. You don't let anyone sway your mind, and as annoying as your stubbornness can be I admire it. And while you haven't settled yet, I know you will. You aren't a traveler Ujana; you want a family just as much as I do. I can see it in your eyes."
He was right. She hated to admit it, but Odhran was right. She wanted the kind of life he painted more than anything in the world, but having a baby was a big step. He wasn't talking about living together, or even dating, which was good, but co-parenting would be just as binding. Would she be able to do it with Odd by her side?
But really, she didn't have to ask. Ujana already trusted him more than even she had initially realized. "...what if I move? or you move? What will happen to the baby then? If we have one?"
"We'll just talk about it. I won't stop you from going anywhere, and I trust you'll do the same. If I move I'll let you know, and vice versa. It may just mean a little more travel to see my maybe-baby, but I think it would be worth it."
A baby. With Odhran. At first she had been terrified of having his child, but hadn't she also been a little disappointed when it turned out she wasn't pregnant? He wanted a bond with her and if they could support each other as friends, as parents, then this child wouldn't be as separated as she had been as a child. Her own parents had been supportive of the other, but after her mother had moved to Jauhar things had dropped off. She wouldn't be like her; she wanted her child to know it's father and in that moment she realized her own words. Her child.
Ujana wanted a baby.
With Odhran.
It wouldn't be easy by any means, but - "Well, we're not getting any younger are we? So, let's do it! Let's have a baby!" Maybe she was a little too loud when she made the announcement, especially when she heard a bit of the echo and several sarcastic members of the room, as well as some well meaning patrons, began to clap. Ujana just grinned as Odd's cheeks turned a darker color.
"We should get started."
"What, now? What about your meeting?"
Ujana waved it off. She took his hand and slid off the table, pulling him up from his seat immediately after. "They can wait. I've got more important things to do." When she winked, giving him a not so subtle hint, Odd openly groaned.
"Your jokes are horrible."
"Yeah, they are...and I'll teach every single one of them to the baby."
"You wouldn't dare."
Ujana just grinned.
(WC: 1166)
[3]
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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 1:25 pm
❧Stage 2 - Preggo in the Eggo!❧
So much had changed since Ujana had first agreed to have a baby with Odhran. In a relatively small time frame, a few months at most, she had come to see him as a best friend and someone to count on. A best friend with benefits; which was the best kind, really. During those initial encounters they would dine with each other in the evenings, then stay in the same room together at night, and go about their business as they pleased during the day. It was so routine that some joked about the little couple, which seemed only to irritate Odhran.
"Why does it matter so much to them what we do? All those old timers do is sit around and gossip; you'd think the staff would at least put them to work."
Ujana just laughed.
She saw her family regularly, though Ujana was reluctant to tell them the details of exactly why she wasn't staying with them at the moment. It all boiled down to work; she needed to be able to hop from place to place discussing plans to build her tavern, and being in one spot with her father and sister just wouldn't do. Not for the moment, anyway. Just checking in regularly seemed to please them, so at least that worry was out of her mind.
And as if there hadn't been changes in her life, Ariya had returned to her with a child of her own. A sweet, fluffy headed little daughter named Subira. At first Ujana had been terrified of her, though she tried not to let it show. Seeing a child, an actual child, after trying for one of her own was a reminder of what her future was going to look like, and as exciting as it was, it was also worrisome. Would she be a good enough mother? Would her kid be as happy as Subira, and look at her like the little alk did to Ariya?
Ever since she started formally dating Ariya her visits to Odhran came more sporadically. She was perfectly fine with keeping up their normal routine, after all she'd explained it all to her girlfriend, but Odhran had been the one to put his foot down. He wanted to respect Ariya in all of this, now that she was going to be a part of it, and being with Ujana as often as he had been would surely step on some toes.
Still, there was no avoiding each other, especially if they wanted to have a child. So their nights together were a little more varied, but no less exciting. One night in particular seemed to be the one that started it all. Ujana was prepping for bed; foregoing her nightgown in favor of sleeping in the nude, since there was no point in modesty at this stage in their 'relationship'. She was in the process of stripping down when she stopped to stare at Odhran. "What's wrong?"
His eyes hadn't left her breasts, which was strange, since he only really seemed interested in them when they weren't covered in cloth. "Are you alright?" Odhran moved closer to her, "I've been watching you today and they seemed to bother you a lot."
"Yeah, they're a little sore. It happens when you're gifted." Ujana had just pegged the tenderness in her breasts on their size; as luscious as they were they gave her no small list of problems.
"And you were yawning a lot this morning-"
"I didn't sleep well."
"You didn't eat-"
"I was sick, okay? What's with all of these ques-?" She stopped on a squeak, eyes widening as she finally caught on. "You don't think...?"
"I think," Odhran began slowly, "That we should see a healer tomorrow."
That night neither Ujana nor Odhran sleep. They huddled in bed together, back to back with the soles of their feet pressed against one another. Both knew the other was awake, and yet, neither soul make a sound. There was an unimaginable weight pressing down on the two of them that didn't need to be said. Months of wishing and hoping, even sometimes praying, for a sign boiled down to simply waiting for morning's light.
And when that light came, peeking through the curtains and cutting a path across the two they slept. The stress of worrying had kept them up so late that sleep now held them firmly in it's grasp and it wasn't until several hours later that Odhran first awoke. It was sometime later when he managed to rouse Ujana, let alone convince her to leave the comfortable cocoon of blankets to see a healer.
The healer, a little hobbled woman, brought Ujana back into the examination room alone. She looked to Odhran, who passed her two thumbs up and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was worried; it wasn't uncommon for first time parents to misread pregnancy signs, or for mothers to miscarry early on. Ujana couldn't say that she wasn't concerned about that, but hope carried her on.
A scant half-hour later and Ujana was screaming. She ran out of the room and back into the waiting area, where Odhran was already on his feet. "What's wrong?! Are you okay?!" His dark eyes were wide and frantic, arms reaching out to help her however she needed it-
"WE'RE PREGNANT!" She squealed and picked him up, slinging the poor man from side to side before setting him back on his feet. Everyone in the clinic could hear them, several had openly stopped their own conversations to gawk, but Ujana didn't care. She was smiling from ear to ear and she couldn't stop hugging Odhran. "The healer said everything pointed to a good, healthy pregnancy and- I can't believe it! It's really happening!"
It took Odhran a good, long while to process what was happening. Ujana didn't even notice how stunned he was until he remained quiet throughout all of her excitement. When she pulled back to look at him, he had gone pale and seemed to be shaking, but there was a smile on his face. "I-it's really happening? I'm going to be a dad?"
"Yeah, you are." She leaned forward to put her forehead against his. "You're going to be a dad and I'm going to get fat."
That seemed to bring him out of his shocked state. He chuckled and pinched her arm. "I think a little weight gain is the least of your worries right now. I figured you would be running back to your girlfriend to tell her the news."
"I will - trust me, I will - but right now I just want it to be the two of us, okay? Just to kind of...let it all sink in."
Odhran murmured something in agreement and the two stayed in each others arms, just standing in the healer's clinic with wide, goofy smiles.
(WC: 1146 )
[3]
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Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:12 pm
❧Stage 2 Growth Solo!❧
(For much of her childhood and early adult years Ujana has been a traveler. Even after reconnecting with her family she's yet to settle down to plant roots. For the longest time the concept of 'home' was simply wherever her family was, but now things have changed.
She wants something better for her son. Ujana knows that he'll be doing his fair share of traveling to meet with Odhran, but that doesn't mean he can't have a home to come back to. Some place to build memories; lasting ones, without the touch of war and uncertainty. She's realizing that giving her son that sort of stability is just as fulfilling, if not more so, than simply living on her own whims.)
Darkness had already crept over the jungle when the last carpenter left. The cacophony of hammering nails echoed through the trees even after the source had disappeared. After paying the workers for their services, the leafling stood back, and looked upon their creation.
For some it was simple; a house, built to encompass an old, violet tree. Several rooms had been carved into the natural wood in true alkidike style, while others were built into it's thickened branches, much in the way of the shifter's. It was a blended structure, much like the family that would call it home, and the sight of it brought a sobering reality to Ujana.
For some this was a house, but for her it would be home.
Ujana padded across the soft, porous terrain to her front door. Seeing it now, complete and guarding it's interior from the nondwa that already clung to it's siding, was like something out of a dream. The walk itself was seemingly so calm, but on inside she was almost wary. A part of Ujana's subconscious wanted to call the workers back, to tell them to get rid of it all and be done with it. A structure like this was sure to keep her stationed in one place for years to come, and that...was unnerving.
She hovered just outside of the door, her hand ghosting the edge of the gilded knob like a frightened child. "Just open it already," she groused, but still, she never made a move. For a moment Ujana contemplated turning away, but an image entered her mind; that of a happy, excited toddler.
He was why she was doing this. Eurig, with his bright eyes and endless laughter, deserved so much more than she was giving him. Ujana never wanted those carefree smiles to go away. There was so much about her child that she wanted to hold onto for years, but the stresses of the outside world could very easily take all of that away. That much she knew from personal history. Losing the place where you grew up, being separated from the land you knew, only to be shuffled around from country to country for years on end...it would ruin him. Bit by bit those smiles would go away, and be replaced with sarcasm or a bitter exterior. She had grown tougher because of her childhood, but then she'd always been on the wildside. Eurig wasn't like that. He was a softer, kinder boy, one who delighted in counting stars and making gifts for his sister. Just the other day he had greeted her in the early morning hours, after she'd worked a long shift at the tavern, and told her how much he loved her.
There was nothing so precious as a child's love. Ujana had always known she would love any child given to her, but to hear that child say it return...It lifted her higher than she could have ever imagined.
He would have a life of memories much, much more living here. She could imagine waking up to jam covered floors, dented furniture and near poisonous cooking attempts. As he grew she would cut little notches into the wall to show how tall he was getting, just like she'd seen Medina do for her little ones. He could have a bed of his own, in a room covered in the subtle touches of a boy who was completely comfortable in his surroundings. Right now, staying in the inn, Eurig was only allowed to do so much. Any sort of damage wasn't just chalked up to being a boy; it was charged, and made him self-conscious to be free. Ujana didn't want that. She would gladly give up the freedom to travel if that meant that her son could have a place to really be himself.
Long before even building this home she'd spoken about her concerns with Odhran. The man had no plans to stop his wanderings, but then again, he already had a home in northern Tale with his extended family. Whenever Eurig would come to visit that's where he took him, only occasionally going on a trip when the boy was near. If she could just give that to him...but then, Ujana didn't just want that, she wanted it all.
A childhood of moving left for a restless soul. She wanted a home for herself just as much as she did for her son. Ujana wanted a place that Ariya could one day move into, and a room that Subira would call her own. Living as she was....that would never happen. Changes had to be made, and if that meant calming just enough to give her son a loving childhood then so be it.
Honestly, she was looking forward to it. When her hand finally clasped the knob and turned it, Ujana was smiling. When she entered her home the world seemed that much brighter. Life had changed so much for her in such a short time, but that didn't mean it was for bad reasons. She was a mother, to two precious children, and as a mother certain sacrifices had to be made. Looking at the finely shaped walls, the furniture with plush cushions and little chairs, carved specifically for little butts, Ujana knew she was making the right call. Maybe the younger her wouldn't understand. Maybe her friends would snort and look away, but she knew that the people who mattered, her family, would see the love in this decision.
The home held five rooms; one for herself, hopefully Ariya as well one day, one for each child, and more for family. She hadn't just wanted a home big enough for the current family; no, Ujana was already looking to the future. One day she wanted to fill this house with a happy, solid family who looked to each other and had a memory for every square inch of this place. One day, she would have that, and Eurig would be there to share it.
(WC: 1002)
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