Welcome to Gaia! ::

Well, that was better than expected. Not that everything was settled yet. Quiana nodded as Noelani questioned her. It would make sense that she would have to at least provide their mother’s name instead of leaving it up to Noelani to express such a fact. “Ocyale.” She smiled as she noticed Noelani’s gaze widen slightly. I suppose that matches then. Even sitting here with Noelani facing her, their similarities more noticeable now that she was looking for them, Quiana found it hard to believe. “She went exploring years ago when I was just a baby and disappeared in an accident. My grandmother never knew how to search for her and had a baby to take care of at the time, so she simply left it to fate thinking that my mother was gone from this world.” Her expression softened, years of hate slowly slipping away as the idea of amnesia suddenly took away the theory that her mother simply hadn’t cared to return to her family on the island. “So she forgot us? Here I was thinking she didn’t care…” But then that made her stomach twist as well. Was it that they were just so unimportant that she had never recovered her memories? While it wasn’t as malicious as before the very idea of being forgotten still hurt.

[Quiana 5]

Ocyale. That was the only thing that her mother had finally recovered when she lost her memories. Noelani squeezed Nanami’s hand tightly as she considered the revelation. “So that means your mother is my mother.” She acknowledged quietly, her gaze narrowing as she tried to piece everything together. “She couldn’t find answers at Zinris because she was from a different encampment, she was one of the Elaria who had escaped towards Kahi. She was nearly dead when my grandparents took her in and then months after she recovered she fell in love with my father, their son, so they went to Elzira to request a bloom. I’m the only child from their union.” That made so much more sense about why none of her mother’s family had been at Zinris to greet and protect her while she asked for a bloom with Noelani’s father. They had never thought about checking Kahi…how would anyone expect an Elaria from such a far away place to have made it to Matori’s shores in an accident like that? Truly what a strange twist of fate. “I know Aishans can…have single parents…do you have another mother?” Was it truly just Quiana all these years while Noelani had taken their mother’s love in Matori? Guilt gnawed at her insides. If that was the case and Noelani’s birth had been the deciding factor in keeping Ocyale from searching for more answers then how could she not feel guilty that her….her sister was left alone like that?

[Noelani 5]

A grandmother. Quiana had seen it and realized the children had to belong to Noelani and Nanami, how could she not recognize their traits in those strange younglings she spotted in Matori after all, but it was still strange to hear such a thing. “I suppose that makes me an aunt.” She managed with a small smile, her expression wavering as her tangled emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Did she hate Noelani for getting their mother? How could she hate Noelani when she was innocent and knew just as much as Quiana had before arriving in Matori? And now it seemed like it was a miracle that her mother was alive at all if that accident was so severe to take away such important memories from her. “I wasn’t completely alone. I don’t have another mother, but my grandmother…our grandmother raised me.” That was the most important thing. Quiana straightened her shoulders and faced Noelani directly. “Thyra is our grandmother’s name. She’s an elderly Alkidike who may not have much time left…it’s why I came to Matori in the hope that I could find you and some answers about our mother. I need to see mo…Ocyale.” It was still strange to think of Ocyale in the terms of mother, not when Thyra had been her mother for as long as she could remember instead. Quiana didn’t know if she could ever call the missing Elaria by such a term, but perhaps one day if everything went well with this reunion that feeling could change.

[Quiana 6]

“Our grandmother…” Her Alkidike grandmother. Noelani knew that her mother had family at one point, but the fact that they were finally revealing themselves felt almost unreal. And then to be told that she may not have much time left! How could she deny such a request? It wasn’t Quiana or Thyra’s fault that her mother had gotten into an accident. She had to reunite them! Noelani’s gaze was full of unshed tears as she tried to fathom how much pain her grandmother must have felt....what would her mother say when they told her about this? “Thank you, Omari.” She managed finally before nodding towards Quiana. “I think we’ll have to go to Matori together so that you can speak with my mother first, but I’ll do my best to convince her to go.” Or rather their mother…it was so strange to even think that just yet! How much time did they even have though? Thankfully they were planning on leaving in the morning to Matori anyways, but now Noelani felt even more pressured to rush everything. Could they even book passage quickly? It would take a few days, if not weeks to find a ship that was going in that direction. She would just have to hope that On’os was on their side so that they would be lucky enough to get spots on a decent ship before the month was over.

[Noelani 6]

“Thank you.” Quiana’s shoulders relaxed slightly as she smiled at everyone. She had been worried that perhaps the news would be rejected, that Noelani would deny any connections but it appeared that the hybrid was accepting everything in stride. There were some conflicted emotions that crossed Noelani’s features as they spoke, Quiana could not blame her since she was still personally processing everything herself despite being the one to make the reveal, but she was willing to figure things out together. She just prayed it wouldn’t be too late and that her grandmother could finally see her daughter one last time before going to be with Aisha and their ancestors. “I can’t make any promises about drinking, but I will be up before dawn.” She teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood as she settled back on her seat to enjoy her meal while chatting with her newly discovered family.

[Quiana 7]

“Let’s just hope there’s no more highlights.” Noelani managed as she tried to focus on her curry, her appetite suddenly lost in the rolling of her stomach as she tried to process everything. It appeared tonight would be very interesting indeed and she fully intended to get to know her…sister more on the way to Matori. They had a couple days, after all, of travel before reaching the cove that she knew as home with her family. It was just fortunate that her mother should be back by then from her own recent travels as a treasure hunter. If not then they would just have to wait and hope for the best.

[Noelani 7]