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 Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:44 pm
Valerian squeezed his mother's hand happily in return and found himself fascinated by all of the different shops that they passed. "Oooh." He breathed as he tried one of those fried balls, a tinier portion than those being sold that was given to him by a vender as a sample. "They're very yummy, mama." Valerian confirmed with a grin towards Padma.
"Won't the ship have a lot more food?" He offered quietly as he eyed the displays of things. "But we can always use a few snacks." It was like the delicacies that were offered at some of the festivities in the village. Nothing to truly fill you up but just enough to keep you going. He liked that because he could try multiple things that way without feeling like he was going to explode. Valerian did notice though some smoke in the distance, thankfully towards the north, and he had to wonder if it was something like a bakery. "What about that way, mama? Didn't papa say north?" That would be great if such a place was there and maybe they could meet up with the rest of the family and go together before boarding the ship!
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:56 pm
[5/7]
Oh! Well, yes - that was a good idea. Padma still wanted her little ones fed with a proper meal, preferably with enough time before taking off that they wouldn't get sick. She'd heard from her father that many people had stomach issues, and got dizzy, on the air ships, and she couldn't stand the thought of them not wanting to eat because of it.
Arguably, it was a bad idea to have a belly full before boarding, lest they get sick in earnest, but that was why she hoped they'd arrived early enough that they'd be able to settle their stomachs before the ship departed.
So - yes. Treats would be enough, at least, to make sure her little boy wasn't going hungry. Especially since he already seemed to like the fried balls of dough. She motioned to the vendor for four sticks, with three balls each, and passed on to her little man, holding the other three carefully with her other hand.
"I think so. Let's see if papa found the ships yet." She squeezed his hand and led him in the direction he'd indicated. It was a bit further of a walk, since she'd tugged them down a side alley first, but soon enough they re-emerged on the main stretch of road. Just like Uzumati, Padma couldn't fail to notice the hovering ship from this close. It was... awe inspiring, and so strange!
"Ah! There's papa and sister." She said, relieved, walking them briskly towards them through the crowd.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:00 pm
[5/7] Uzumati's distraction had definitely worked. Other than the occasional jostle as they walked, where she had to look up and hurry to match her papa's pace, Eujanie focused on her toy. It wasn't until Uzumati nudged her that she looked up fully, pointing and jumping excitedly at the travelers. Their hair was just like grandma Maritza's! She'd come to visit, once, with grandpapa when they were little.
Unfortunately, the puzzle was only half solved by the time they made it to the ships - and by that time, Eujanie finally realized she was hungry. She whined and twisted the fist of one hand against her father's clothes, squirmy and impatient, just as Valerian had hinted only a short time ago. "Papa I'm hungry, when is mama coming?"
Soon enough, thank the spirits. Only minutes later, mama and Valerian were coming towards them - with treats! Padma had passed the stick to Eujanie, who took it, tucking the puzzle into the crook of her arm so she could hold her prize, humming happily at how sweet and tasty it was!
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:34 pm
It seemed like the forest spirits were still with them even when they were in a town like this. Uzumati's shoulders relaxed when he spotted Padma and Valerian coming their way. A small smile crossed his lips as he reunited with the group, a flicker of amusement crossing his expression as he noticed both of his children honing in on the treats. Though admittedly his own stomach would probably be rumbling a bit more if it wasn't for the nerves making it twist instead."Found 'em." He managed gruffly as he glanced towards the ships, a smile still on his lips as he tried to appear brave to the family.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:42 pm
[5/7] "We did find them!" Valerian chirped happily as he greeted his sibling and his father. His hand was curled around his treat, one of the dumplings already gone as he had snacked along the way, but he reached up for another. "We also got treats, but I think there's more food around here too." He offered as he grinned up to his mother and stole another stick so that he could hand it towards Eujanie. It was best to keep her fed so that she wouldn't go on a rampage before they set sail on the ship! It was a strange looking thing for certain and while Valerian felt a little fearful of flying the excitement of traveling and seeing Belrea helped him to keep moving forward.
If anything maybe he kept moving so that the fear wouldn't have time to catch up and immobilize him. Even now he was bouncing about, his second dumpling disappearing as he watched his family to see what would happen next. "Should we try to go into the bakery there?" He offered quietly as he glanced between his parents, hoping for approval so that they could get more food before boarding the ships.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:02 pm
Maybe, if this child was any other child than her son, she might have chided him for sounding so surprised. However, Padma was far too relieved to take it too badly - seeing Uzumati set her at ease, even if she could see that he was tense and nervous. Her daughter, however, was in one piece, if hungry, so at least the diversion had helped keep her from sneaking off.
Padma smiled and passed her husband his own treat, leaning up to kiss his cheek in greeting. "I knew you would, my hero." She teased, sharing a mischievous grin with her lover. Then she returned her free hand to Valerian's shoulder, nibbling at her own stick, now that she had the chance. And it WAS good!
"I think that's a lovely idea, Valerian - lets all pick out something before we board the ships, all together now--"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:09 pm
(6/7) She hadn't been nervous! Nope, not at all! ...But seeing her brother and mama again was nice anyway. They hadn't been apart for long, but considering they spent the rest of their lives basically tied at the hip, the distance had been weird to say the least.
Happily, Eujanie took massive bites of her treat, remembering only once the first was finished that she'd been given a TOY while Val was away. So - she passed the puzzle to him, not giving him a chance to refuse to take it as she all but dropped it at him. Ohh! A bakery?
Together, the little family were lulled in by the smell of fresh bread. Eujanie, having finished her treat in record time, licked the remaining oil and sugar off her fingers.
Inside, the bakery had a variety of treats - from simple loaves of bread, to sandwiches and knotted up, strange looking pastries that looked to be folded around dried fruits. Some loaves had crumpled up nuts on top, while others had beautiful, golden, shiny crusts that Eujanie wanted to reach out and touch - although she'd learned, the hard way, not to.
She went to try to run forward - but was stopped short by the ribbon, still tied to her father's wrist. "Oh! Look! Thumbprint biscuits! Can we have some, papa? Huh? Pleaaaaase?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:32 pm
Uzumati felt a lot of his anxiety disappear with the simple kiss, his expression brightening as he twisted the strange treat in his hands. He had seen some of the snacks sold in villages before but never really lingered at festivals to experience everything. Thankfully though it was simple enough to understand the concept of food on a stick even though he almost pulled them off with his fingers before recognizing that everyone else was eating them on the stick. Uzumati opened his mouth and closed it, his lips pursed thoughtfully before he followed the others' example. "Hm." It was pretty good!
Uzumati nodded as he followed the others into the bakery, the fresh bread actually making his nervous stomach rumble for the first time. Everything about the place felt warm and comforting, the exact opposite of the chilly breeze outside with the threatening ships that made him feel anything but comfortable. He had nearly forgotten he was tied to Eujanie until the sudden tug made him stumble forward, his surprise placing him off balance. Uzumati frowned as he caught himself and it took a moment for the question to register. Thumbprint biscuits? He nodded slowly before going towards the counter with his daughter at his side so that he could point them out. The clerk thankfully didn't seem to chatty, especially since the storefront was busy with travelers rushing in and out because of the upcoming departure, and it was easy enough for Uzumati to nod whenever the girl asked if it was enough or to shake his head if he wanted more. Soon enough he had a slender box of thumbprint biscuits, a few neatly wrapped sandwiches for their lunch and two loaves of rye bread and some hard cheese. He wasn't certain what food they would serve on the ship and having something familiar and earthy would be nice in case Belrean food didn't settle well.
When he grabbed his box, Uzumati glanced between Valerian and Padma with a small encouraging nod. They could feel free to gather what they needed as well since he wasn't certain what else they would personally like. Once they were all done he would place his hard earned coin on the counter and escort his family back to the dock where the floating ship awaited them.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:41 pm
Valerian's gaze widened as his sister passed the puzzle to him, his mouth moving quickly so that he could swallow the last dumpling and tuck the stick into his satchel. "What is this?" He breathed with interest as he now had the freedom to twist the small ball in his hands. Valerian was almost jealous that his sister had something cool like this to fiddle with though he knew that it was probably a move by his Papa to keep Eujanie entertained. It was far better than letting her run away after all! Maybe if he was lucky his Papa could get him something before they got on the ship or after they got to Belrea....surely the new country would have lots of fascinating toys!
As his Papa and sister started ordering their food, Valerian found himself browsing the shelves. Eventually he found a tray of dark brown rolls that had vines carved along the top. Even if it was something that the baker used to keep the dough from exploding in the oven the pattern was pretty and Valerian found himself asking for a couple of them. Apparently it had some soft cheese baked inside with slices of spiced apples and his mouth actually watered at the description and smell of them once they were taken out of the display and placed into a box. Other than that he was happy with the sandwiches and waited eagerly as his family wrapped up their shopping.
Now came the scary part! "The ships are fine since grandpa has taken them with others, right?" Breathed Valerian almost nervously as he found himself reaching out to take his sister's hand, his gaze wide as the ships seemingly got a lot larger up close. How did they make such things fly?! "I hope we have lots of fun in Belrea." He added quietly, focusing on what they would do upon arrival instead of the journey there.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:18 pm
Padma had her husband for all of a moment before her daughter was stealing him away again. She huffed but shook her head, fondly. The family browsed, with Uzumati circling the shop with Eujanie, picking out practical things (and some sweets for her), while Padma was content to stay by her son, and let him pick something. Who would have expected him to pick something so delicious! She was just as childishly captivated, so it was impossible to refuse his sweet little request.
Two loaves were added to their family's purchase, and as Uzumati paid, Padma once again tied the two children together, then ushered them out once more. "Of course - and grandmama Maritza even fixes them! She's so clever, you know they must work perfectly." Padma might be a little heavy on the compliments, but she'd learned how children repeated things, and she wanted them only to have good things to repeat. Especially after all the help Maritza had been, in setting up their home.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:29 pm
(7/7) Of course Valerian would like the puzzle, he was so smart! Eujanie would steal it back, later, but for now seeing him just as excited about it felt nice. For now, she held her papa's hand and came with him as they gathered food, brightening up and bobbing, happily, when he agreed and got her the biscuits! Soon enough, they'd all gathered their treats, and were heading back outside. "She does? Really?" Eujanie gasped, surprised. She'd just thought grandma Maritza stayed at home with Aunt Marcella, like their mama did most of the time!
"That's so cool! Valerian, d'you think Aunt Marcy can build ships too? D'you think she's good at puzzles?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:55 pm
As the children joined each other again, both buzzing with excitement for Belrea and the family living there, Uzumati found himself back at Padma's side. He did his best attempt to not wrinkle his nose at the mention of the strange lightning woman and only gave an encouraging nod as his children continue bouncing questions around.
Still, it was nice to be out and about with his family. Even if the airships made his stomach knot with concern and Uzumati felt far less secure out here in comparison to the comfortable home they had made in the forest, the fact that they could adventure together like this was nice. As he reached out to take Padma's hand, giving it a little squeeze, Uzumati couldn't help feeling his heart swell with love as he prepared for their journey.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:57 pm
"Ooooh!" Valerian could only imagine what it must be like for Martiza to work on something like that! She had to be really good at puzzles! He glanced down to the ball in his hands, his gaze curious as he fiddled with it a bit more. "Maybe. We could ask since we'll be seeing them soon!" He replied with a grin as he found that suddenly the concept of flying didn't seem quite as scary now that he thought more about the family they were about to see and the fun that was waiting for them over in Belrea.
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