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 Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:33 am
Chourou wanders along the street, enjoying the cold as she marvels at the strange and new world of Gaia. Ako had tired herself out walking fairly quickly, and so the Knight carries her daughter for now. She walks a pace or so ahead of her husband and Uki, and tries to conceal her worry over what all of them would do now.
They could not impose upon Setsushi anymore than they could afford to try to live without a home within the towns of Gaia. The Knight of Bukoku glances back over her shoulder at the rest of her family, and offers them a hesitant smile. ... Having one home would not make things any easier for Chourou, either.
Ako holds onto her mother as she is carried, facing backwards. She watches her sister and daddy with a kind of uncertain expression, but occasionally grins and waves to them.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:43 am
Reiga walks behind his wife, holding his daughter Uki's hand. He smiles gently at Ako's waves, though his thoughts are elsewhere. He too is marvelling at the strange world of Gaia. What sort of people live here, he wonders to himself. The merchant is troubled. He should be able to provide for his family, but now he has nothing. He shall have to start all over. Will this world have a place for him? How will his business thrive?
Reiga looks down at Uki and smiles. It does not matter, he decides. I will make a place for myself in this new world, I will provide every comfort possible for my family... it just might take a while, is all.
He looks back at Chourou. I will take care of my family, he quietly reasserts to himself. At least in this new world there will be no war to take her away from me. Affection openly flows from him towards his wife, and a longing to make her happy.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:17 am
Uki does her best to simply hold her father's hand and not clutch at it. Everyone here was so tall and strange. And there were so MANY of them, each of them more different than the last. How did they know it was safe here, anyway? They should have been safe in the palace, too...
Uki twitches, glancing around at the sensation of someone watching, but she only sees a flash of raven-black hair that vanishes around a corner. She clutches more tightly to her father's hand, relaxing a bit when Chourou smiles at them. She let out a breath she had barely realized she was holding, and smiled up at Ako, waving her own hand. If Daddy wasn't worried...she shouldn't be worried either, right?
She still misses the garden, though. Maybe they could have a new garden, once it wasn't winter anymore?
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:58 pm
Sensing her daughter's anxiety, Chourou does her best to carry herself with her usual Knightly grace and majesty - she will not allow any stranger from this world to harm any of her family. She did not permit either of the others to know, however, that she secretly itches for some sort of conflict here in Gaia. Something familiar that she knows she can handle, to draw her away from home so she would not constantly have to endure that stress.
Settling down as a family for good in this relatively peaceful place frightens the Knight more than a little. But of course she did not share that. Reiga is trying to reassure her again, now, as well; he is far too good a man for her.
A garden would be lovely, she agrees, picking up the thread of conversation to have something else to think about. Perhaps a place for plants to grow wild as well, if they have enough space... but as long as they have four walls and a roof, then Chourou supposes that will be alright. She glances back again, and gives Reiga a small smile.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:38 pm
Reiga wholeheartedly agrees to the idea of a garden. He is a little anxious about the idea of just four walls and a roof- Reiga would like to think they can do better than that disturbingly bare minimum- but he concedes that anything would be welcome at this point, at least to start.
Uki's anxiety is not lost on him either, but having Chourou there is enough to reassure the merchant that they are safe. It would have to be a madman to assault a Knight, or... Reiga thinks of the encounter that brought them to this place and promptly tries to think of something else.
Is everything alright? he asks Uki.
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:54 pm
Uki simply stared at her father for a moment. No, everything was most certainly not alright, and everyone knew it. They had been torn from their home, from their World, if Uki understood everything, and thrown into a strange place from which there was little if any chance to return, else a Dragon Knight such as Setsushi would not have remained here, while his duty was at home, Uki ended bitterly.
Uki apologised for her outburst, her cheeks coloring faintly as she dropped her gaze to the ground. Such behavior was not fitting for the first daughter of a Dragon Knight. She took a few breaths to calm herself.
Perhaps they could manage somewhat similar to how they had at home? This place could certainly use some beautifying, the girl thought, wrinkling her nose at a smell drifting on the breeze.
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 8:05 pm
Chourou nods in silent agreement with her husband and daughter - both to the fact that Setsushi would have gone home if he knew a way, and that they must also somehow make do with what they had now.
... Which was, unfortunately, precious little.
It would be easy to start from scratch outside of the city, how Chourou knew best, if this place was at all like their homeland. Perhaps they could find some way to ... to work the soil and grow something. It is late in the season, but perhaps something native to the forests could be harvested somehow. This... this concrete jungle would yield nothing of use. One had to have something first to live in the city; the Knight would find them something... somehow.
The Porcelain woman hides everything but her confidence, and continues surveying the streets. If only they had appeared here during the growing season.
Ako distracts her mother by pointing suddenly and projecting surprise and curiosity. Someone is following them! A human and a funny animal. She giggles a little, apparently still amused by how strange all the humans look to her.
A ways behind Uki and Reiga, a tall dark-haired human walks alongside a strange four-legged animal with a hump on its back. The animal is carrying relatively large bundles of something on its back, which the man is attempting to keep balanced as he walks alongside it. The human grumbles quietly to himself as he walks, occasionally glancing up at the Porcelain some paces ahead of him.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:36 pm
Reiga is taken aback by his daughter's outburst, but it is understandable. He explains that he only meant to ask about her immediate well-being; and he agrees with her opinion of the city, wrinkling his nose similarly.
The merchant agrees with Chourou that they will most likely have to start outside the city. His thoughts on how to go about it are interrupted by Ako's pointing. Turning around, Reiga sees the tall man following them...with a strange animal of some sort, carrying bundles. A trader of some sort, perhaps? The stranger is certainly transporting some sort of goods.
Reiga cautiously asked Chourou's opinion- perhaps they should greet the man? If he is a trader maybe he could give them some advice on how to start anew in this strange world.
Besides, it seems as though his supplies are far too precariously positioned on his creatures back. An opportunity to aid another...and perhaps gain a favor in return...
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:46 pm
Uki looks at the stranger while mostly hiding behind her father's back. She thinks the man's animal looks really wierd. What kind of animal has a hump like that?
She did have to admit that he looked like he was transporting something, though. Maybe her father was right. But...be careful, ok?
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:56 pm
 The man draws closer, watching the family ahead of him on the sidewalk. He forces a small smile, like someone who is having a bad day but does not wish to inflict it upon others. It puzzles him a bit, how the four of them are walking in total silence, but as he draws closer to the family, a faint burning in his veins leads him to wonder if these... people? are more than they seem.
"Excuse me," he says quietly and politely as he catches up behind them, figuring he will just move on past and not trouble them with questions. The merchant prince is not exactly in a hurry, but he is not in the mood for socializing. He could always wonder about the bunch of them later.
His beast of burden, perhaps about as tall at the shoulder as Uki, glances at all of them boredly from under its long lashes. It sniffs at any Porcelain within reach, but does not attempt to bite or anything.Ako giggles and watches the human and his creature. Gaia is full of funny animals. And the people are so tall - this man has a beak, too. She twists around in her mother's arms to continue to stare at the man, projecting a general feeling of being lost in a storybook. Just as long as the monsters are not scary.The Knight's lips twist into a slight smile at her daughter's projections, but she does not echo them herself. She had met one or two humans two years prior when they had come from Karyasihu into the Golden World, and certainly found them strange-looking, but she has much more self control than her infant daughter. She projects a gentle feeling to Ako to keep her silly thoughts to herself since they are likely going to see a lot of humans for as long as they are here in Gaia.
And then she tells her husband that he is welcome to speak to the human if he wishes. Much as Chourou would prefer to get her bearings for herself in this new place, she finally concedes that befriending one of the Gaian humans could prove helpful.
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:17 pm
Reiga assures his family that he will be careful, letting go of Uki to approach the man.
"Your pardon, sir," he moves to walk alongside the man, his most charming smile on his face, projecting an intent to be helpful, "but would you like some assistance with your goods? They seem a bit precariously positioned..." Reiga paused for effect, letting his genuine curiosity show a little, "if you don't mind my asking, what sort of creature is that, exactly?"
Though Reiga is a little unsettled by the creature's sniffing, it does not seem dangerous. Just so long as it doesn't lick him or... sweatdrop
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:40 pm
Uki drifts back to stand near her mother, one hand first clutching at the side of her own robe, then immediatly smoothing them out. She looked up at her mother. What did she think of this strange human merchant and his unusual pack animal? She smiles faintly at Ako, reaching up to touch her hand. Her little sister was so adorable, sometimes.
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:57 pm
Ako grins back at her sister, grasping at her fingers with one hand and putting her other hand in her mouth. Her projections are childish and jumbled up, but it is clear enough at least that the tiny girl is in a silly mood.
Moving casually to keep herself between Uki and the human, the Knight adds her own projected greeting alongside her husband's, but allows him to do the speaking. Chourou wonders faintly to herself if Reiga has ever seen a human before coming to this Gaia place, then cautions him privately that this one is larger than the few she had seen in the Golden World; though dressed like a merchant, she gets a bit of the feeling of a figher from him. She also projects her silent support to Reiga, however. The human does not seem hostile now, of course, but Chourou is still here just in case.
She is also particularly baffled by the lines on the human merchant's face - his skin looks extremely dark like the earth to her, the golden lines much brighter in contrast. One single plain and straight marking beneath each eye, like perhaps a very plain Porcelain man, she supposes, but ... well, he is quite obviously not Porcelain. He looks about as wide in the shoulders as her and her husband together.
"What sort of creature?" the man repeats in reply to Reiga's question, cautiously removing his hand from the bundle on the animal's back to rub it under the chin for a moment. "Miniature camel. I do not believe they are native to Gaia. I brought her with me." His tone is unenthusiastic, as though he has gotten the question many times before.
... He can feel some sort of magic or something going between them, but cannot follow it or figure it out. Perhaps it has something to do with the helpful feeling he feels from the strange pale man. The human's brow furrows as he studies the family for another moment.
"Thank you for your offer, as well, but I only have a few more blocks to go." He smirks a bit and rolls his eyes. "From there I will get my roommate to help me get everything up the stairs. He owes me already anyway."
One of the bundles on the camel's back shifts slightly then, and the creature makes a small sound of discomfort before kneeling down on the sidewalk and shrugging the bundle off.
The human says something under his breath in a language that is neither Porcelain nor Gaian, but is presumably something profane, and catches one of the handle straps on one end of the bundle before it can fall over completely. Whatever is inside gives off a pleasant smell, like spices or incense.
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:54 pm
Reiga smiles inwardly at his wife's concern. He is deeply thankful for her support. The man is, well, huge and admittedly strange looking, but Reiga is confident. Perhaps a bit foolishly so, but he cannot help it. He is in his element.
"Miniature camel," he repeats. Someone who is not a native of this land! All the better to ask for advice on starting a home here, assuming he will be helpful. Perhaps it would be useful to inquire as to this 'roommate'.
"You share a house with someone you are not fond of?" Reiga asks as he moves to help steady the falling bundle.
At the whiff of what might be incense, Reiga's eyes flash with excitement. "Are you an incense merchant?" he asks, a little like a child in a toy shop, before regaining his coquettish composure. "I apologize for all my questions," he bows, a shy grin on his face, "but my family and I have just arrived to Gaia and many things are strange to us. I ask about the incense because I was an incense merchant myself, before we arrived here."
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