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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 7:40 pm
[8/10]
This time, Lucijah felt a bit more prepared to hold him. She mimicked what Ai did (and tried to harness the many times her mom had told her about babies), and held him carefully, continuing with Ai down the street. That... was a good question. She'd asked her mom that, numerous times, and only got the classic 'But it's so worth it!' response. Sighing, she looked at the little baby, who still had all the... appealing features of a newborn. On impulse, she shifted him so that she could hold her other arm over him, trying to shield his little face from the fierce sun.
Hah. Of course she had to ask. Lucijah barked out a laugh, muffled a bit so she didn't startle the infant too badly. "I never let myself think too hard about it." She admitted, eyes turning to Ai. "For my family, finding a husband - having a family? It came with so much extra baggage. No more fighting, no more exploring. Having children in exchange for a husband taking care of me? I'd rather just take care of myself."
She pursed her lips, looking at him again. "... But I suppose... other mothers... like the Alkidike, they manage to do it all. So I don't know. Maybe, someday."
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 7:49 pm
A part of Ai was concerned - worried? - when Lucijah took the infant. She seemed steadier now, more prepared, but the maternal aspects of her still mentally fussed. The child looked less strange in the arms of an earthling than he had in her own, and despite the initial noises he'd made in the transfer he seemed pleasantly quiet now.
"There not here now. " She pointed out bluntly. "They haven't been here the entire time I've been here so what does it matter? If it's something you decide that you want take it and if you don't then that's your choice." For the alkidike it seemed so incredibly cut and dry. Painfully obvious, perhaps. "If losing yourself is what it takes to find a husband then you're better off without one. Take a wife instead."
It would be a shame for Lucijah to lose all the things that Ai considered 'good' for a man, of all things. There wasn't much that the alkidike respected about earthlings, but what she did resided within Lucijah. "One day if you change your mind don't sacrifice who you are to fit someone else's ideal. Your child should look up to your strength; not resent your weakness."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 7:58 pm
[9/10] ... That... was true. Lucijah paused in her steps, turning towards Ai, her mouth slightly open as the woman talked. Blunt though it was, it seemed... somehow monumental that the woman who, only a few months ago, had seemed so intent on killing her, was now offering her... advice. And good advice, at that.
When Ai was finished, Lucijah stared at her for a long moment, sort of just... in awe. Then she grinned, a roguish look, eyes glittering a bit. "You must be popular back home, huh? A speech like that, and I think just about anyone would want to beg you to be their wife." She laughed, continuing her pace, adjusting the little boy against her. "Even when you're giving me a pep talk, you're terrifying. Incredible."
They were nearing the front door of the orphanage, which had placards in a number of languages. If there was any doubt as to what kind of place this was, the shouts and laughter of children from inside (perhaps in a courtyard they couldn't see) only cemented the deal. "Alright. You want to say goodbye to the little guy before he goes to his new home?" She asked, turning back towards Ai.
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:14 pm
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Was she...broken? Ai furrowed her little brows, momentarily confused as the moment seemed to drag on before Lucijah got a mischievous look to her. At her statement Ai simply looked off to the side with a huff. "I'm as adored by my people as I am by yours." Which was to say, in short, that she wasn't particularly cared for by anyone and she was just fine with that.
"It wasn't a pep talk; it was the truth. If I thought you were weak enough to need a husband then I would have ended you by now." She'd proven her worth time and time again in ways that continued to surprise Ai. It was as much a point of pride in her ability to find an earthling like that and also one of massive conflicted emotion.
Now that they were here and Ai could read some of the placards she had a physical feeling to go along with the word 'orphan'. The children sounded well cared for, but it was evident by the tilt of her antennae that just leaving it still felt wrong. Even if she had no intention of raising him the concept didn't settle well.
Frowning, Ai crouched a little to bring herself closer to the infant. "Don't grow into a disappointment. Be better than those who left you." And with that she stood, even going so far as to take a half step back. "You should be the one to take him in. They'll ask too many questions if I do."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:26 pm
[10/10] Hm. Really? Lucijah felt... weird about that. Sure, Ai was ... vicious, dangerous, rough around the edges (and she still felt a bit surprised everytime she woke up and didn't find herself decapitated), but she was clever, sharp-tongued, and fierce in all the best ways. And now - surprisingly kind. Lucijah wasn't sure what exactly she'd done to put herself so firmly in Ai's good graces, when saving her life had only served to make the woman spit insults - but she was thankful she'd done it.
And yeah, maybe it felt... really good, to have someone as sharp as Ai say with such certainty that Lucijah was strong, and worthy of living. Y'know, from an Alkidike apparently hell bent on murdering all earthlings.
"Well. Gotta stay on my toes, but feels good to know where I stand with you." Lucijah admitted, with a cheeky, but... strangely touched smile.
Then Ai was giving her farewells, and... it was ... unexpectedly sweet, to see how concerned she was for the little boy. It only served to make Lucijah feel all the more... entranced with Ai, if she was honest.
Powerful, dangerous, but apparently approving of Lucijah, AND good with kids? Gods above, but Lucijah was screwed.
"Okay. Just - don't take off without me, while I'm gone, you'll break my heart." And with that she strode up the steps and inside. It was surprisingly easy to pass the child off to the somewhat harried earthlings inside - they looked down their noses at her, at first, but considering the boy was clearly Oban, and she was a shifter, they believed her story about finding the kid.
Coming out, Lucijah felt... strangely bereft. She pushed her fingers through her thick hair, feeling a bit... conflicted as she stepped down the steps towards Ai, suddenly wishing the woman was more touchy feely and would look kindly on a ... hug. Or something. "So. Don't kill me, but..." She hesitated. "I might've told them his name was Aidric."
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