══ EVENT SOLO ══════════════════════════════════ _________BARTER & HAGGLE
Quote:
Lately, the local market places have been filled with new traders offering their wares. It seem as if many across the land are trying their hand at selling clothing, weapons, and trinkets. With so many new faces, now is the best time to go to the market and barter for the best prices.
So go ahead and grab your goods or grab your gold and take a shot at bartering.
At first, he barely wanted to do anything besides lying on the beach, watching the sky and running in the sand with no one to bother him. That was why he had come all the way out here, after all. To relax, to be quiet for once, to go a span of time without having to talk his mouth off like he was apt to. And yeah, sure, it wasn’t as if people were making him talk his mouth off -- he did all that on his own accord. But regardless of who made who do what, he enjoyed the time off.
A boy did get bored, though.
He got drunk a few times, at beach-side bars where you could drink with the sand still between your toes, the evening breeze pushing your hair around and making you shiver. Sometimes he found people to talk to -- whenever he happened upon the sorts of folks he liked, that is, confident and bold folks with good stories to tell -- and they would sit around a while, maybe get up at some point and walk across the beach, maybe find somewhere to bed down for the night (sometimes apart, sometimes together). Other times, he’d sit alone a while, and enjoy yet more of that silence. Life was good here.
Or, well, it was good while you had money.
Ouen had never coveted anything like that. He’d taken his share from raids with Talin, yeah… but that was just a chime in his pocket and nothing more. He’d barely even ever counted his coins back then. It didn’t really matter. It still didn’t matter, except it did, because he sure as hell wasn’t making any more money… and he was drinking it away, cup-by-cup. So it got to the point eventually where that jingle in his pocket had gone right silent, and he was faced with the fact that he didn’t even have anything to buy a meal with, let alone another drink. Problematic, that.
Actually, this wasn’t anything he was used to, not in the slightest. In Jauhar, he’d barely ever bought any food -- but he’d known that jungle like the back of his hand. He knew where to find food, and hell, it hardly took any effort. All he’d have to do was shimmy up a tree-trunk and split open some fruit-husks, maybe spear a couple bugs if he was in the mood for something hearty. But in Matori? Things were more complicated. The main foodstuff seemed to be fish, and as much as he was starting to like it, getting it seemed… well, a heck of a lot more time-consuming. Those little silver buggers just kept swimming around! But he remembered Mano then, with his trident, and figured maybe he’d do ok with a lance if he gave it some effort.
So that was how he got to be perched out on a rock, watching the fish swim by in the shallows beneath. He’d noticed a local fisher sitting in a similar manner a while back, so he figured this was a good enough place to try and catch something… if you had the eye for it.
He certainly didn’t, not yet, so it took a good few hours before he actually finally speared something -- a small, skinny thing that looked like it would do more use as bait than dinner, but something. He stabbed it with a stick and grilled it over a fire, and resolved to find something more filling the next day.
* * *
He wasn’t exactly a master fisherman, but he was… doing better, admittedly. And for someone who’d never done it before, he thought he’d done pretty well. Not only had he eaten, he’d also caught enough fish to maybe trade for something… so, with his catch gathered up in a flexible reed satchel (in the local style), he finally headed off to one of the larger settlements, where a market day was in full swing. He wasn’t going to be the only person selling fish, not by a long shot, but given that everyone in this land ate the stuff, he couldn't do too badly, could he? Still, he wandered around a bit and scoped the place out, watching what the locals did and eyeing the goods on offer.
He’d wanted to buy some drink first, or maybe something to eat that wasn’t fish -- but what caught his eye first was neither. What really got his attention was a rather silly trinket, all things considering… but it reminded him of someone.
It was a necklace of fine red coral beads, with a yellow-gold shell set as a center pendant. It was… neither too simple not too fancy, and coloured in such a way that it made him think immediately of Kalliope -- the Oban girl who had, for whatever reason, chosen to stay loyal to him even though he first met her as a captive, as nothing but loot or random-fodder of Talin. They had grown somewhat… close since then, he had to admit, but he didn’t quite understand why she didn’t just go back to her family. What did he have to offer her, really, a so-called leader of a ragtag crew who… weren’t bandits, and weren’t quite upright model citizens either?
Not much, all in all. But he offered the stall-keeper his fish for the necklace, and after a bit of back-and-forth the small trinket was his. He bundled it up and tucked it away into his satchel.
If Kalliope was still waiting for him in Jauhar when he returned, it would be hers. And if she wasn’t… well, he wouldn’t blame her.
_________[ words | 940 ]
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:54 pm
══ SOLO ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________BIT OF A SPECIALTY
_________Location: Matori
The morning was sleepy and white.
A thick bank of fog had rolled in from the sea, and when Ouen woke from his sandy bed he saw almost nothing. In a land where the ever-moving ocean was always in sight, this illusion of stillness was eerie. Was he imagining things, or was it far quieter than usual? There was no wind to blow away the fog, and there were no birds singing from the treetops.
Shenandoah lay beside him, already awake. The gray radaku had his head resting on his paws, his eyes gazing out into the milky nothing where the sea should have been.
Ouen greeted the beast with a scratch on the shoulder, then rummaged through his bag for something to eat. Slim pickings -- a half-circle of flatbread and the tail end of a smoked fish. It wasn’t a feast, but that was his own doing. He figured it was high time for him to move on from Matori, and he didn’t want to burden with himself with too many supplies. He’ll have to stock up before he crossed the border into Oba, of course. The desert there was hot, hungry and inhospitable; you had to be ready for that.. But he’d travel light if he could, until then. It was easier on his shoulders, and kinder on Shenandoah’s back.
“Here, Shen. Breakfast.”
The radaku caught the fish up in his toothy maw, and gulped it down in seconds. Ouen took longer with his flatbread, tearing it into chunks and chewing as he stared into the mist.
* * *
A breeze picked up in the late morning. Or rather, a breeze picked up, and then it was late morning -- until that point Ouen had no clue what time of day it was. It was day, that was certain, but the fog-diffused sunlight could have passed for anything from dusk to dawn. It was only when that white curtain had parted that he could see the height of the sun in the sky and feel the familiar kiss of its heat on his day-skin.
He stood from the sand, shook it off from his trousers, and turned back towards Oba.
He let Shenandoah walk alongside him a while, so that they could stretch their muscles for the trip ahead. Then, when they reached one of the larger roads that stretched along the coast, he grabbed a fistful of fur and swung onto the radaku’s back. Shen picked up a long-legged trot without complaint. Ouen scratched his neck by way of reward -- they were starting to get good the hang of this, both of them. This shifter’s legs no longer ached after hours of riding, and the radaku had learned how to pace himself for a long journey.
* * *
It was late afternoon when Ouen sighted the tiny village. The whole settlement sat tucked into a cozy little cove, wedged between the turquoise sea and precarious cliffside. It was an isolated sort of place -- the only way to get to it was to follow the long strip of beach that skirted the edge of the cliff. When the high tide came, it would swallow up the sandbar and hide it for hours. Even now the waves were lapping at Shenandoah’s paws, with just a few feet of dry sand left for them to follow. His timing, Ouen realised, was a little off. He’d be stuck here ‘till sundown, when the tide came down again, and he wouldn’t be able to move on to Oba until tomorrow.
Oh, well. Oba could wait. This was a pleasant enough place to spend a night, wasn’t i --
It was Shen who heard them first, tensing up on his hindquarters and veering right. Ouen let out a startled yelp and clutched at a fistful of fur, leaning sideways as Shenandoah pushed right up against the cliffside. Jagged rocks and dry roots scratched at his leg and shoulder while a sprinkling of pebbles rained down over them.
“Shen! The heck’re you -- “
There was a loud bellow, announcing the appearance of four janarim as they turned sharply into view. Sand and water sprayed up from their heavy front claws, while their nostrils heaved with effort. Each was mounted and laden with supplies, their Oban riders howling into the wind.
It was a heck of a sight. But just like that they were gone, and Ouen as left to shake the gravel off his shoulder and continue onward.
* * *
The village was in chaos. A band of water earthlings had gathered in what passed for the village common (a patch of bare sand, in this case). They were holding fishing-spears, sharpened sticks and a scarce few actual weapons, which they raised just a fraction when Ouen approached.
“What’s your business, stranger?” One of them, a tall woman with a spear, called out to him. Her spear-tip glinted in the sunset.
“No business.” Ouen shrugged, leaning forward on Shenandoah’s neck in a show of confidence. No call to be nervous, not with these folks as jumpy as they were. “Jus lookin’ for some food an’ water an’ a patch o’ ground big ‘nough to sleep on.”
The woman stared at him. She measured out his words.
“You came at the wrong time, stranger. Oban raiders paid us a visit for the second time this month, and we aren’t in the mood to be charitable to strangers.”
Ouen wrinkled his nose. “Raiders? Them folks on the janarim, yellin’ an’ such?”
“That’s the ones.”
“Well, m’am, then maybe I done an’ came at the right time.”
She gave him a stern look. “I’m not following, Shifter.”
“Ya’ll are goin’ after them, ain’t you?” Ouen drawled, sitting upright and hefting his lance. The woman, and several of the other villages, nodded.
“Well, I don’t mean no offense, m’am, but yous all don’t look much like fighters.”
There was a moment of silence as they exchanged quiet glances amongst each other. The spear-woman answered. “No. We aren’t. But we won’t stand to this bullying.”
“And you sure shouldn’t.” Ouen lifted his head now, chin upright and proud, the evening breeze playing with his hair. “But also, you sure look like y’need some help.”
Again, the water eathlings shared a silent exchange. Finally, another spoke up -- this time a young man, one of the few with a sword at his hip.
“Why, you done this before?”
“I done this plenty.” Ouen grinned. “‘S a bit of a… specialty.”
“Fine.” The woman spoke again. “You help us catch those bastards, and you’ll have a feast and the softest bed in the village. But we’re leaving now.”
“Now’s a better time than any.” He nodded, turned Shenandoah around in a graceful half-circle and lead the way back across the shrinking sandbar.
_________[words | 1125]
Stereochrome
Lucky Wrangler
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Stereochrome
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:59 pm
══ MINI META ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________THE TOURNAMENT
Ouen entered the tournament and fought Kelina, a shifter skilled in archery. To his disappointment, he lost the battle. At least getting the chance to wander the market and see Oba properly was a decent consolation prize.
_________[ complete ]
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:56 pm
══ PRP ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________IN FULL SWING
The bandits have a party celebrating Talin's departure. Ouen and Kalli have a drink or two (or three) and wander off into the jungle on their own for some 'peace and quiet'. A little bit of flirting goes a long way, and before long the two climb up into a tree for something a little less peaceful and quiet.
_________[ complete ]
Stereochrome
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Stereochrome
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 9:22 pm
══ EVENT BATTLE SOLO ══════════════════════════════════ _________CREEPY CRAWLIES
Quote:
Creepy Crawlers Prompt 1
Counts as 3 EXP Growth Points, or 5 RP growth Points (only if done with a friend) Solo word minimum is 500, RP post minimum is 7
Something strange is going on...
Creatures that don't belong are appearing in the middle of the night, like ghosts, haunting the world around them. Their creepy markings make them stand out, and their dark coloring leaves many feeling cursed. These creepy crawlers are invading the world of Tendaji, and it's up to brave souls to step up and run them off, or even tame them as pets.
Do you think you have what it takes to face these creepy creatures that have wandered away from home? Well test your luck, and see how you fare.
|| These spooky familiars have been spotted in the following locations: Maglardilla (Oba, Matori, and Yael), Perzi (Jauhar/Chibale and Tale), Keldari (Sauti and Zena). Only individuals in set locations can encounter the specific familiars.
This prompt will be resolved by each player rolling 1D100 to test their success. (You can only roll once - there are no reattempts!)
Younglings Cannot Participate In This Event
xxxxxPrentice must roll 60-100 to successfully subdue the beast. xxxxxStage 2 must roll 50-100 to successfully subdue the beast. xxxxxStage 3 must roll 40-100 to successfully subdue the beast xxxxxStage 4 must roll 30-100 to successfully subdue the beast.
|| Success or fail, completion of this event rewards you with 15 EXP!
|| If you roll a 90-100, you get to keep the familiar! Congrats!!
|| Those who win a familiar should be followed up by a PM to our Beast Battle Mule: Beast Tamer Freya with this form:
[b]Species[/b] || Maglardilla, Perzi, or Keldari [b]Gender[/b] || [b]Name[/b] || [b]Owner[/b] || [username of owner, not character name] [b]URL[/b] || [url of event thread]
Well, enough of the sea now, enough of the sand between his toes.
He’d had a good time in Matori. The sun was warm and the beaches were the perfect place for a man who hadn’t much to do. The locals were beautiful, with their speckled blue-green skin, amber eyes and glossy hair. The food was pretty damn good, too -- but he was getting restless.
Ouen had left behind his band, after all, promising to return with a plan and a new direction. He was looking for a way for them to make money and live well without stealing indiscriminately and being branded as outlaws and thieves. Something honourable -- but not boring! No guard-work for them, none of that standing around and sleeping on your feet. And none of those repetitive drills like the Oban soldiers did, either. To keep the group together, he needed to use their skills well, and they were best at swooping in, acting fast and getting the job done.
Some of his encounters in the sandy forests of Matori had given him ideas aplenty for this. There were plenty of people out there still willing to rob and take advantage of the weak… and there was good profit to be made in hunting down these bandits. Not only did you get gratitude and payment from the victims, but you got to ‘confiscate’ all the bandits’ property. The bothersome task of bringing them to justice, you could leave to the locals -- all you had to do was ride in and look heroic. They could do that. There would be no shortage of work, he was sure. There were more people travelling now then there had ever been, and some fool or another was bound to cause trouble.
He was thinking all this as he rode into Oba, resting light and easy on Shenandoah’s back. The radaku had fallen into a rhythmic trot, following one of the trade paths out of Matori. Moist, airy jungle gave way to dry heat.
The landscape here was unlike anything he’d ever seen. The ground was golden sand -- nothing but golden sand in every direction, interrupted only by some wind-carved rock or hardy shrub. He was thankful for all the water he’d brought with him, sloshing around in a canister against his side. It had seemed like a needlessly heavy burden at first, but he had gone through almost half of it now and he wasn’t sure how much longer there was to go.
A trail of red dust floated up behind them as they moved through the desert.
This wasn’t anything like the jungles of Jauhar, that was for certain.
So… why was there a magladilla perched on that red rock?
He sat back, the shift in weight signalling Shen to a stop. He dismounted and approached the creature, certain that he was imagining things. But no… there it was, just the same sort of bug he’d often encountered back home. There, they were most often seen on tree-trunks and intertwining branches, or fluttering through the maze of the jungle. It was odd to see one sitting out in the open… and it was a mighty off colour too, much darker and intense than the ones he was used to.
It seemed to notice his presence, and fluttered abruptly into the air. He had interrupted it’s basking, and it didn’t seem pleased. It flew towards him with an angry hum.
Without thinking, he lifted his lance so that the flat side of the blade was between him and the creature. The magladilla slammed right into it, falling downwards and catching itself just before it hit sand. Its wings beat hard to get it back up to the right height for another attack. This thing was insistent! It spun forward, this time wheeling around to get at him from the side. What exactly did it think it was going to achieve here?
He flicked his lance again, still using the flat edge but this time putting more force into the blow.
The magladilla sputtered and fell into the sand now, flopping around a few times until it was able to flip onto its feet. Ouen positioned his lance to deflect another attack, but it seemed to have given up; it buzzed at him a few times as a warning, and Ouen couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Dumb bug! Didn’t it realize he had better things to do?
He took a swig from his canteen and hopped back on Shenandoah’s back. Funny, that, this odd-looking magladilla here in Oba… but then again, he was here too, wasn’t he?
_________[ words | 767 ]
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2016 10:32 pm
══ EVENT SOLO ══════════════════════════════════ _________MYSTERIOUS WRECKAGE
Quote:
Mysterious Wreckage Prompt 2
Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Rumors are spreading of a traveler who has entered the area. Apparently, this traveler has a strange item they claim comes from a different time. It's hard to believe what people are saying, and the only way to really know what is going on is if you see it with your own eyes. So, you make it a point to travel to where the traveler was last sighted, and as you approach you notice a crowd. The traveler is holding up an object, high above their head, and shouting across the crowd. Some approach to get a closer look, some appear fearful, but everyone can agree...this is something no one has ever seen before.
What exactly is the traveler showing off? Roll 1d6 to determine what strange item has been found using the guide below:
Rolled 1-2
The traveler pulls out a strange piece of metal, warped a bit on the edges and covered with an unknown language. It looked similar to what you've read, and you think you can make out words, but overall it doesn't make much sense.
Rolled 3-4
The traveler pulls out a strange piece of metal, wound around and almost bouncy in nature. It seems a bit sharp on the edges, but in general it looks like it could possibly be some sort of jewelry piece, if it was smaller.
Rolled 5-6
The traveler pulls two strange pieces of metal, which don't seem to go together outside of their color. One is covered in a language that sort of looks familiar, but isn't fully legible. The other is a winding spiral, which is too big to wrap comfortably around a wrist.
Make sure to respond with your reaction to these items. What do you think they could be?
Well, hell. Sulburi sure was a big city. And he’d thought that Neued was a lively place!
Ouen had grown up half-wild in the trees. It wouldn’t have been a stretch for anyone to believe that he felt entirely out of place here -- and that was exactly the truth. People swarmed around him; people were everywhere, moving just like the current of a river, or bugs on the forest floor. Everyone everywhere seemed to be shouting. When he looked at each person individually it was clear that they weren’t shouting at all (except perhaps the ones who were attending stalls by the side of the road), but somehow the sound of all their chatter and movement coalesced into a genuine crescendo. Tall buildings stretched up overhead, built not on top of trees but over other buildings. There were streets of all sizes, from huge thoroughfares to alleys just narrow enough for two pass each other.
Hell of a place! Was this where Kalli had come from? It was something to think about, how quickly she had adapted to life out in the borderlands. He couldn’t even imagine her in a place like this. If he thought about her (and he thought about her from time to time, sure), he imagined her among the trees in Jauhar, her warm brown skin and amber jewels contrasting with the phosphorescent glow. Here, she’d just get lost in the fray! Like he already was, no doubt.
The flow of people had brought him to a marketplace. It was not a market day, and many of the stalls were either shuttered or empty. The ones that were still open sold relatively unexciting goods -- daily things like bread and simple clothing, nothing that made good shopping. This didn’t dissapoint Ouen much, because he wasn’t one for shopping anyway. For all of his looting and pillaging at Talin’s side, he’d never done much to hoard riches, and for the last little while he’d been living off the land more than depending on his wallet. There were a few coins rattling in there, sure, and he wasn’t sure what he was saving them for, but he figured on keeping them around until he had no choice about it.
In any case, the excitement in the marketplace today was not a shopping event. He thought it was, at first -- a crowd of people had gathered around an odd-looking stranger, who was holding aloft something shiny.
The closer he got, however, the more apparent it became that this was not a salesman. This was some sort of… well, Ouen hated to be rude, but he sure did sound like a crazy fellow! The man shouted wildly about having discovered ‘ancient artifacts’ from a ‘different time’, beseeching that his audience believe him by brandishing aloft some metal thing as ‘evidence.’
Those in the crowd stared at him uncertainly. Some backed away, and no one dared step in for a closer look.
Ouen, however, had met all sorts of odd folks, and wasn’t particularly bothered by this one.
“Whass that thinger you got?” He quirked an eyebrow, breaking out of the ring of spectacle-watchers and stepping towards the stranger in the middle. The man shoved the metal piece almost into his face, making the shifter flinch. He stayed put, though, and did what he could to study the thing (hard, for the stranger’s hands were trembling with excitement).
It was… well, it was what he’d thought it to be at first, some sort of metal panel. It didn’t have any clear use that he could think of -- much too small and hardly angled right to be a weapon, and shaped nothing like armour. At first he thought it was lacking any ornamentation, but this closer look revealed lines of text. Ouen had never been much of a reader, but he could usually make out a word or two -- except now couldn’t quite make any sense of it. He might have figured on it being foreign, but it didn’t look too unfamiliar, this writing. A different dialect, maybe? He wanted to ask one of these rubber-neckers to take a look at it and see if they could figure it out, but if anything they had moved even further away.
“Well, uh, that’s real nice, mister. But you’s scarin’ the folks here, yellin’ like that, with no good proof about whatcha sayin’ ‘cept your say-so. Why, you could’a bought them things down the street, or got some craftsman to make them for ya special. Ain’t nobody got no reason to believe you, sodon’t go thinkin’ you convinced us you was some kinda miracle-worker.”
The man seemed almost amused at his words, but he put down his hand and the metal piece. He took another glance over at the crowd, then turned on his heel and walked away.
Odd fellow. But maybe that was normal in the city?
_________[ words | 813 ]
Stereochrome
Lucky Wrangler
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Stereochrome
Lucky Wrangler
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:47 pm
══ PRP ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________RAINY SEASON
══ PRP ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________BUNDLE ON THE WAY
_________Ouen & Kallipe _________Location: Jauhar
Ouen returns from his sea-side vacation and gets the surprise of his life -- he's a father. His little tree-top tryst with Kalliope ended up in a pregnancy. He's stunned, but he resolves to be a better father than his own (whom he never met). He promises to stay by Kalli and help care for the child.
Despite Kalliope's pregnancy, Ouen and the Oban dancer went to the market to check out the crowds and shop for some things for the baby. They were present for the arrival of the ships from Belrea. The new earthlings were interesting... but to be fair, Ouen has more pressing arrivals on his mind.
_________[ complete ]
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:27 pm
══ PRP ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________THE BIG TREE
══ SOLO ═══════════════════════════════════════ _________MIXED UP LIKE THAT
_________Location: Jauhar
The camp had settled in. The tents hadn’t been moved in more than a year now, and big canopies had been set up over shared spaces like the kitchen and eating-area. The group no longer thought of themselves as bandits -- mercenaries, maybe, but not law-breakers and trouble-makers. Their location was no longer a secret, not in the strict way Talin had worked so hard to keep it. They were still out of the way of major towns and trails, but traders sometimes swung by knowing full well that there were men and women here with enough spare money to spend on good drink, food, and the occasional little luxury.
And the money did come. There wasn’t a ton of it, but the group that had stuck with Ouen was not made up of those looking to get rich and die on a pile of gold. Most were happy enough with a full belly and the opportunity to do something exciting once in a while… preferably between long lazy spells of doing a whole load of nothing.
Ouen was comfortable. Maybe more comfortable than he had ever been in his life.
But… well, he got the feeling that given the chance, Kalliope would not chose to keep living out here, sleeping on furs and eating straight from the fire. She didn’t exactly complain about it, but… well, seeing her sweep about in her gorgeous dresses, he couldn’t help but get that idea. A few years back, he might have shrugged that off as the superfluous needs of a spoiled oban girl, but these days things were different. For one, Kalli was not superfluous; she kept the camp running like no one else could. She also wasn’t exactly a ‘girl’ any longer.
And, well, there was the not-so-minor fact that she was the mother of his sons.
Jax. And Djego.
It had been a few months now since the little things had come into their life, and Ouen still caught himself staring at them with a sense of total bewilderment. Ok, maybe not that -- maybe awe. Funny to think how he might have reacted to the sight of a shifter-fire hybrid when he was a kid. He would have found it abhorrent, more likely than not. Obans had been the enemies then. He’d killed one, even back then, when he was only half as tall as he was now and armed with a stick. He certainly didn’t think they were pretty, or elegant, or any of that.
Now, he thought the two little hybrid boys were just about the prettiest things on earth (save Kalli herself, maybe). Jax had his mother’s warm red-brown skin, and her brilliant eyes -- but pale silver hair and sparkling blue crystals. Djego shared those bright red eyes, but he had shifter-skin and hair (and shifted at night just like a full-blood). His crystals were orange, like Kalli’s. They were set on his forehead like hers’, and across his chest like his.
How strange it was, to see the two of them mixed up like that. He wondered about the things he had that he didn’t share with his mother, and how they might have come from his father… but being pure-bred, the contrast wasn’t so stark.
In any case, his boys knew far more of him than he’d ever known about his father, and he was proud for that. It sure was hell wasn’t much of an accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, but it was something to go on.
Their personalities, too, were an odd mix of their parents’. Jax loved the trees -- he was as comfortable in them as Ouen had been as a kid, and as Kalliope had never managed to be, not even after years of life in the jungle. If he didn’t have the occasional business to attend to, he could easily have spent almost all his waking hours sitting in the trees with the boy, teaching him the names of everything in the jungle and climbing up to gaze across the canopy. But there was definitely come Kalliope in him, and it was more than skin-deep. He had an easy, swinging confidence in his body, and trusted it on even the highest of the branches in the jungle.
Djego was the same way. Like his mother, he wasn’t the sort to hang around in tree-tops. He was bold and confident, and watched her attentively as she managed the camp. But he was as as stubborn and as argumentative as Ouen had been as a kid. He had so much pride in him you could see it spilling over in his eyes. Him and Ouen liked to wrestle in the camp, even though Djego would often set about to sulking if Ouen ever dared to pretend to lose to him. It had to be the real deal or it was no good to him, even though it would be years before he’d be able to best his dad in a fight!
They were a rambunctious pair, that was for sure. But right now they were quiet, curled up and asleep between him and Kalliope. They’d be big enough to need their own beds soon (and honestly, as cute as they were, Ouen was missing time alone with Kalliope). He shelved that away as another thought for later -- it was, no doubt, another part of the uncertain future of their living arrangements. Maybe he’d bring it up with Kalliope soon. Maybe by spring, they could make some sort of plan.
