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 Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2024 3:14 pm
Yngvara 4
Yngvara leveled a droll stare at her brother. "Bedre noen fÄ koner enn en mann." Most mothers would have preached chastity and warned against the consequences of bedding strangers. Their mother? She outright encouraged it and while she didn't actively pressure her children Sylvirah clearly had expectations. The bigger the family the better and Yngvara had as much desire to add into that as she did to learn the fiddle.
Grasping the edge of the cart, Yngvara swung her legs over the edge and took in the scenery. Growing up surrounded by Ild'vann it was easy to expect everyone else to look Zenan, excluding her family of course, but Neued had the opposite effect. Varied or not, it was mostly a shifter settlement and with the festival upon them the jungle swelled with their likeness. It felt...odd, to see her father blend. Or, as well as Zyphire could anyway.
The huntress took her pack from Ziya with an appreciative smile before closing the distance and standing next to her father. "Do all shifter cities look like this?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2024 3:39 pm
Rhidian 4
"We'll see them," She leaned in to whisper as she took up her bag. "We just need to be smart about it." As much as she wanted to take in everything she could there was a definite allure to the strange and discouraged. Anything that would make their far question letting them know about was definitely something she wanted to see.
Rhidian stopped long enough to give the quhar a little pat for their services before following her family into the city. It was always exciting to see so many in one place, let alone this many shifters. Bodies moved and disappeared into the branches above them, limbs climbing ropes into the bows of massive trees before twisting out of sight and Rhidian could only wonder where they went. A sight just above them had her reaching for Rhiannon's hand before she pointed up. "Look! Look!"
A pair of performers swung from the branches themselves on ropes that looked like scarves. Or maybe they were? The fabric was wide and flowed as easily as water as they moved from one side to the other, only briefly meeting in the middle before separating once more. At one point Rhidian was afraid they were going to fall, but when one would 'fall' the other was there just as fast to catch. A man on the upper landing was saying something about later performances and -
"Far! He said there were going to be fire eaters! Can we go?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:09 pm
Zyphire 4
Zyphire could only shake his head, the commentary from Yngvara and Ziya not escaping his notice. He just wanted his children to be happy, regardless of if they expanded the family or not, and he could only imagine Sylvirah's reaction to their oldest daughter coming back with wives over a husband. As long as the lover could somehow have children in the future...well it would expand their clan either way, wouldn't it? But he was more than willing to focus on something else, the Shifter still uncertain of how he would feel the day that any of his children brought someone home. He wasn't quite prepared for that part of his journey yet, not when decades ago he never even saw himself as a father until his life had become entangled with Sylvirah's own. And now here he was guiding four of their six children around...what a plot twist.
"Shifter cities...a much better question." Joked Zyphire as he looked around them, the man guiding his family through the path lit by shimmering crystals and glowing fungi that had been strategically placed to welcome arrivals in the city. "They can vary but the trees are always apart of the structures. It feels different up north since there's no real neighbors to worry about in Zena, but out here the Aishans kind of dominated the lower jungles so the earthlings improvised and built in the higher areas to keep out of their way before things became more peaceful. The deeper cities will have even more higher structures with anything on the ground being newer than this. I suppose you can say our ancestors here really had to get the swing of things." At least Neued was along the edges of the territory, not as close to Aishans as other settlements that truly had to share the space and only after the Extremist war had those dared to expand further than ever before. So there was plenty in the city that thrived on the ground alongside of the upper structures unlike other settlements.
"Ah, and speaking of swinging..." Zyphire chuckled as the performers came into sight and watched his youngest's' reaction with amusement. "Yes. Once we eat there'll be plenty of performances to watch. Dancing, fire eaters, more acrobatics and some things that you may have never imagined before." They were a bit more stiff up in Zena, weren't they? The capital sometimes had performances, but Zyphire rarely saw anyone truly let go like the performers who were darting about the trees in the moment with their colorful ribbons flashing as they danced around the crowds. At least to Zyphire the warmth of the jungle seemed to bring more life to the area, the variety of performers just showing how much energy was in the city today. It was also a festival season which only added more to the bustling area, but still. "But first, our rooms." He reminded everyone as he kept forward, the Shifter only slowing down as he approached the first rope bridge when a youngling came over with a basket of sweets. "Okay, maybe these along the way too." He handed over some coins to the child who gave him a small paper bowl full of little puffed pastries. "I could never make tawas as well as here, so you should all try them." The local sweet was made from golden dough that was cut into crescent moon shapes and fried until it puffed up with honey drizzled across. It was light and flaky, something that Zyphire could eat a full bowl of on his own if he wasn't sharing with others.
"Feel free to try them. There's plenty there." He popped one into his mouth and passed it to Ziya to share with the others as he approached the inn, Zyphire going to the counter and speaking with the shifter there so that he could exchange his coins for their room keys. It was already getting busy within the huge carved room, the building carved into the very walls of an ancient tree and decorated with natural crystals and climbing ivy that shimmered like most plants in this area of the jungle with silvery blue hues. Stairs twisted into the upper areas of the tree where the rooms were like scattered huts across the branches with wide canopy beds and open areas with beaded curtains and fine curtains dividing most open spaces.
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:16 pm
Ziya 4
"Oof." Ziya held a hand to his chest as if his sister had truly shattered his heart. "Som svir." He would like to think that not all men were horrible. Both him and far were men, after all. And potentially he would be a husband one day, maybe...not that he even wanted to think about such things. Who would he even want to share his life with? Could he even have time for them with all the trouble his own family made as it was? Probably not.
"Oh, wow." Ziya watched the performers, a ribbon slipping through the trees and ending up in his own open hand as he watched. "Here!" He called out, the intentions of the crimson ribbon missing the mark with the young man who couldn't pick out the color from the rest of the ribbons that twisted through the trees. The shifter girl looked at him for a moment as if waiting for something but then Ziya simply nodded his head and moved away before she could reach out. How was he supposed to know that some performers used ribbons to hit on others? All the girl could do was sigh lightly, another performer giggling as she slipped through the trees and teased her friend about her miss.
"Tawa?" Ziya's attention went to the treats, the hybrid shrugging before popping one in his mouth and passing the bowl to Rhidian. "Not bad." The flaky pastry did melt in his mouth and kept him from speaking for a moment as their far went to get the keys, the young man taking the chance to look around the place where they would be staying for a few days. It was wide and spacious....but also terribly high up. At least there were nets stretched below parts of the tree, the sight both making him more worried and somehow more relaxed at the same time. I suppose we'll just see what happens, right?
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:20 pm
Rhiannon 4
Oh, they truly were just zipping through the trees! Rhiannon had seen hunters flying through the skies on their mounts before, doing various tricks, but she had never seen earthlings simply relying on ribbons and ropes to dance across such wide open spaces before. What if they fell? She couldn't help but to let out a soft gasp as one girl twisted past, her attention so fixated on her that she didn't realize the girl was coming through to tease her companion who had dropped a red ribbon. And then the next thing she knew a bowl of pastries was being passed around the family, the young girl reaching out to try one for herself.
"Mmm." It was really nice! Her gaze lit up as she looked towards her twin, the girl's excitement growing by the second. "We should have visited before." She whispered quietly, swallowing another bite as she watched their far heading towards the counter. This whole area was so interesting! Fire eaters, earthlings dancing with ribbons...what else would they see while staying here? But did they truly sleep up here in the trees? At least the rooms were secured and they weren't just openly sleeping in the branches. She had seen a loatoa try that before, the small creature getting startled and tumbling to the ground when they came across it during their journey through Sauti.
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:03 pm
Yngvara 5
Tawas? Reaching for one of the pastries, Yngvara passed a look to the child who was just giddy to make a sale before moving on to someone else. What would it have been like to grow up here, swinging so freely from ropes and ribbons, while an entire community of Alkidike moved around leagues below you? It was so strange that at first the huntress didn't acknowledge the taste in her mouth, but when the sweetness hit her she gave a surprised hum. Yngvara's hoary eyes lit up and she was quick to take another bite.
She was happily munching on the pastry when the pop of red caught her eye and - Well, Yngvara could only grin and keep walking. Maybe he'll come back with someone after all. Or two or three, if the performers ran in a group. Honestly she wasn't so sure how to feel about it. She wanted her brother happy and...maybe girls like that weren't really the best fit.
Not for Ziya, at least.
"I'm taking the bed by the door." She reminded the girls with a stern look. If they thought they'd be slipping out tonight they thought wrong. It was best to remind them of that now while they were waiting to get their rooms rather than having to leave and chase them in her smallclothes later. "Unless you want to sleep with bells on your wrists and ankles."
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:28 pm
Rhidian 5
"We should, but did you see that." She leaned in to whisper as close to Rhiannon's ear as she could while still walking. "I bet if we accidentally left something of Ziya's at their performance that girl would come talk to him. It could be fun." It wasn't as if their brother didn't garner attention back home, but this was new and fresh. In her eyes it could be a lot of fun just messing around and if something happened then so be it.
"I'll wear bells if you do, sjelsuger." When a sharp look was tossed her way Rhidian just smirked and moved to check out the space around them. She'd never imagined there would be this many crystals inside a building and when she got close enough to touch them she was surprised they weren't warm. As she ran her fingers across the smooth surface Rhidian saw something move just above her and when she looked a few small, odd creatures were watching her.
Their tails looked like glowing stones and their eyes were nearly as big as her palm. The longer Rhidian inspected the creatures the more that seemed to appear.
"You can pet them, if you like." An older woman had walked up to join her, her back nearly as hunched as the cane she used to walk. "They're called Sitara. They travel with me sometimes, but they can be sneaky little things and wander off."
With a little smile, Rhidian reached her hand up and was near giddy when a sunset coated sitara casually walked across her fingers, up her arm and settled onto her shoulder. When she looked back at her family the creature was steadily making it's way to her head.
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:46 pm
Zyphire 5
As Zyphire returned with the keys, he couldn't help chuckling at the sight of Rhidian with her new friend. "I would say you could try to bring one home with you, but it would probably be a bit too cold up north." He had been tempted before by the exotic creatures, the Shifter actually liking the Sitara more than most lizards because of their calmer nature and glowing tails. It was much better than the lizards that scurried in and out of his belongings back in Matori, sometimes the things would just slip up the wall in the middle of the night and give him a real shock when they fell onto the bed without warning. Zyphire shook his head at the memory before tossing a key towards Yngvara. "Upstairs, to the right there's two huts that have a connecting bridge. We have those."
"Make sure you return the Sitara, Rhidian." Zyphire added as he checked over his family one final time before starting towards the stairs. "There will be others, promise."
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:50 pm
Ziya 5
"Leave it to far, he'll probably have bells placed around the doors anyways. Or maybe it could be a nice accessory, just matching bracelets made up of tiny bells." Teased Ziya as he listened to his sisters while they waited on their father to return with the keys. He had finished enjoying the tawas that he had plucked from the now empty bowl and was content just waiting with their supplies while his sisters spoke with one another. Then there was the introduction of the Sitara, the creature gaining his interest as he walked over to look at it closely while it climbed on Rhidian. It was disappointing to hear that it would probably be too cold in Zena, but Ziya understood why. The creature probably was used to soaking up heat and adapting to the cold would possibly take too long so that it would be harmed before adapting. "We could get them in fur coats." He offered before shaking his head at the thought. "Even using a mage to keep them warm would be a task, so maybe a safe space would be best." A greenhouse for them, maybe? He could speak with their older cousin at the sanctuary for ideas, if Rhidian truly pressed but it would be tricky if near impossible.
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:55 pm
Rhiannon 5
Rhiannon blinked before nodding, a small playful grin tugging at her lips. "It could be fun to watch." She murmured quietly so that only her twin could hear. It was always interesting to see how others approached their family and it could make for a good story later if Ziya did finally take a hint. Even she knew there had to be something behind that ribbon, the girl noticing how others dropped ribbons throughout the trees as they danced around. Between that and the treat, there truly was a lot to learn about the culture here during the festival. So maybe it was a good idea that they travelled with far this time for the season instead of waiting on him to return. How had they spent so many years missing out on all of this? It's a shame.
Ziya's teasing did make her frown though the girl shaking her head. She hated being noisy as it was! Bells would be so annoying to wear and she truly hoped far didn't get inspired by her brother's silly ideas! Though she did get distracted by the sudden appearance of the sitara, Rhiannon jumping a bit and taking a step back. They were so strange! But those colors were so nice and did the tail glow? "Strange." She whispered, daring to take a couple of steps closer since Rhidian didn't seem bothered by it on her head. It was kind of cute now that she looked at it...but hearing it wouldn't do well in Zena made her own spirits drop. So much for a surprise pet to take home.
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:03 pm
Rhidian 6
"Really?" The teenager felt her shoulders sag at the realization. Anything that thrived in Jauhar would have a hard time living in Zena so despite how magical and wondering the Sitara was she knew it had to stay here. It didn't make it any easier when the little thing just existed on her head now, perfectly content to soak up the warm coming from her scalp and vibing with the atmosphere.
"I like to spend my afternoons here, in the lobby." The older woman reached up to pluck the little creature off Rhidian's head. Was it too much to hope that Ziya's coat idea would have worked? "So if you happen to be around, well, maybe I'll let you play with them again." She gave a kind smile to Ziya and Rhiannon as well. "Both of you, or all of you; I have enough to go around."
She reached out one last time to pet it's little head before following Yngvara up to their room. "What if we had a little cage that stayed warm all the time? Don't they have runes for that?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:14 pm
Yngvara 6
Yngvara raised a hand and caught the key with little thought. "Two huts. Connecting bridge. Got it." All she had to do was make sure the twins didn't fall off it and everything would be fine. Relax, Vara. Breathe. Maybe she would take some time later tonight and just sit out on the bridge with some of the mead she'd stashed away? Or better yet, some local wine that she could share with far and Ziya? The girls should be in bed by then.
"Sometimes it's best to just to leave things be. It's beautiful because it's here, but if it came home with us it would get cold and sad." She knew she would, if she were plucked out of her home and forced to live somewhere new. The brief stint they'd spent in Matori during her youth had been exciting, but only because it was a trip. Had they chosen to live there she didn't think she could have lasted.
"Besides...mor might cook it."
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 11:34 am
Zyphire 6
Zyphire smiled at the interaction, thankful that his family was already having a good start to this vacation. Though he did worry that he might have to check for a bag full of Sitara when they did begin their journey back towards Zena. I suppose we'll just worry about that when the time comes. For now though he just allowed his children to take their time, Zyphire going up the bridge where he waited for them at the connection between the two huts.
"The market over there has a lot of restaurants and a good tavern." He called out, pointing down towards the ground level where the visitors and merchants mingled together with locals. "Most of the homes are up here in the trees and there's a few hidden gems for those who know where to look, just some smaller family restaurants and stores that never went to the ground." They would be able to explore those over the next week as well, Zyphire knowing a few places since visiting Neued a couple of years ago and taking his time to explore areas back then.
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 11:39 am
Ziya 6
"Never though I would encounter a horde of Sitara like this, but I appreciate it." Joked Ziya lightly as he rubbed the forehead of one of the little creatures, the blue tongue lolling out a bit as the creature leaned into the affection."We'll be here for a few days, so you'll be seeing us again." He promised, happy to hear that the older Shifter was okay sharing her creatures with them and would be around again. Maybe he could take some notes on them and share them with whatever Talisia had, just to see what he could learn? That would be fun.
"Oh I hope mor wouldn't." Ziya made a face towards Yngvara as they started across the bridge. "But maybe I can look up ideas, Rhidian. No guarantees though, okay?" He nodded towards his younger sister, curious to see if there were actually any ideas that they could think of. "I think a greenhouse could be nice, but someone would need to maintain it and keep the plants going for the creatures to truly thrive inside." Much better than a small cage, right? And the Ild'vann could benefit if they could raise some rare herbs inside alongside the creatures...it was definitely an idea to share with his parents and others.
"That's not too far." Ziya replied, his gaze following the direction that his far pointed. "Let's throw our stuff in the room and meet back up in ten minutes with the jenter."
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Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2024 11:43 am
Rhiannon
Rhiannon nodded her appreciation towards the elderly Shifter, the girl bowing her head one more time before darting after her family. "A greenhouse could be lovely." She mused quietly, her gaze brightening at her brother's words. "I could learn some gardening." If it would make Rhidian happy, then she would do her best to support this idea! Would it truly be possible though? To raise foreign plants and animals in a structure like that by the village? She could only hope so as she pondered the idea before their far pointed out some areas.
"We should go soon then." She commented softly, walking past her far towards the bridge that he pointed out that led to the room she would share with her sisters. If they had just ten minutes, that would be enough to give them time to settle their belongings and meet up here again.
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