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 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:04 pm
Dyakida was working outside today, gathering materials. It was riskier doing this without Pacju helping... but her sister had taken the radaku with her on her journey.
She had managed. It was difficult, but Dyakida was determined to manage. Perhaps she should get her own Radaku, but it was difficult to find one young enough to train for her needs, and she wanted to prove she could do these things on her own first.
Like leaving the tree.
She carefully brushed her hand on the trunk of one of the trees surrounding their home. She knew that tree. She knew where it was.
It would be frustrating finding things with only hearing, smell, and touch to guide her. But she knew she would find at least one thing to use in her craft.
A sound reached her keen ears through Jahuar's din. A footfall on the wood of a tree branch nearby. She could hear it, could feel it. She walked over to where she heard it and looked up. She was sure it was a footfall, that of something on two legs. An Alkidike? An Earthling? Dyakida had had limited exposure with Earthlings and a trill of waryness went through her.
“Hello?” she called, orienting herself with a tree.
She heard a familiar snuffle nearby. A radaku...
“Pacju?” She said, hopefully. It sounded like his snuffle, he had his own voice, just as Elder Kishku or Niebet or Briella or... Maya!
“Maya!” She called out. Was it her? Had she returned?!
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:19 pm
Stumbling as she walked, still weary from the injuries she had sustained through the journey and discovery of Zena. She had to be close to home by now, Pacju never strayed to far from Maya. Ever. Maya was a selfish Alkidike that way, she adored the company of her companion Radaku since she had nursed her back to health and raised her. It helped her insecurity when she explored that way, not to mention Radaku's were highly loyal to their one person. Touching the reopened injury on her shoulder, Maya cursed the birds in Sauti that had caused this horrid thing. She could only hope that by now it wouldn't scar.
The Alkidike looked towards the back end of her companion, she wondered if her sisters would recognize her. She was battered bruised and scraped, along the way she had even met up with Yansa who though a test had elevated her level from Prentice to Blade. Yes Maya was a blade now. The trinket hanging on her neck proved as much. Moving her hand from her shoulder to brush along the trinkets edge she smiled lightly. The beads she had added to her hair during the adventure now clacked when the wind picked them up.
A soft audible tone reached Maya's ears and perking up slightly she watched as Pacju moved to sniff the air a little more soundly than before. Then she heard the voice again, ah, it was Dyakida! At least she had endured the separation Maya felt a little guilty she hadn't really thought of her best friend during her travels, to many things had been going on.
Though she wasn't able to understand what she had said the second time she clearly heard her name. Shifting under a leaf and into the same area as her younger sister Maya's face remained neutral. There was no need to change expression when Dya couldn't see. "Yes Dya I'm home."
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:25 pm
It was Maya! Dyakida turned to the direction of the voice and began moving quickly. Quick enough, anyway. She knew the area, but she had had more than one surprise before. “Maya!”
Her hand contacted flesh and she inspected her sister briefly before hugging her close.
“You ARE home...” There were tears in her voice as her hug tightened, probably opening the wound a bit more “I was worried about you...
She loosened her hug and drew back to inspect further, hands gentle but definite. She knew her sister was used to this, but she went quickly anyway to try to reduce the awkwardness of the gesture.
Her hands lingered on the trinket, learning its shape, and on the opened injury. The moment she felt blood, she drew her fingers away quickly.
“Maya...” She said, shocked, “You... You're injured...” Her face creased with concern. She had felt, in her brief inspection, other injuries on her sister's skin. Small ones, some too small for her to feel. She had been expecting her sister to have a few- it was dangerous in this world. But something that big... That... Painful feeling...
“Are you all right?” she asked, gracefully drawing back. She could smell the blood on her fingers. Nothing more, thank goodness. She had had some experience with worse wounds, wounds that had been infected or had begun to rot. The journey to the tree had seen a lot of injuries, of which her blindness was only one.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:27 pm
Pacju wandered off completely uninterested in the pair, she was more concerned about finding a decent meal than meeting the other Alkidikes who lived with Maya. They were not Maya, as such did not concern herself with greeting them as they seemed more happy to do with her. Maya watched the Radaku leave with a brisk of the creatures tail before unable to see her at all through the thick foliage.
The soft skin of her sister meeting hers before hugging her was a welcome feeling, though awkward as ever Maya returned the hug. Glad her wounds had healed enough the pressure didn't do any further damage that had already been done. "Yes I'm home Dya." Though her sister seemed content to focus on her, Maya knew her eyes needed to stay on the forest. Greeting her sister in an equal manner had caused problems for them in the past. They had been attacked, so Maya had vowed to keep at least half her senses on the forest while the others strayed to her sister.
Cringing as the blink Alkidikes fingers entered the edge of yet another wound, she sucked in a hissing motion of pain. That had hurt, what had Dyakida been playing with! Thankfully her fingers hadn't remained long she turned her eyes to stare into her sisters milky eyes. "Yeah Dya it was bad during the travels. I met some cool people though. I rescued a baby, and I even got promoted by Yansa herself." Pride swelled in Maya as she spoke moving to guide Dya's hand back to the trinket. "See, this marks me as a blade."
The question of if she was alright hung in her head for a moment as she turned to look towards their home. "Yeah I'll be fine, but I need to get home. I need Elder to look me over and make sure these wont get infected. Zena is cold and hard. I wouldn't suggest going back there." Shifting to loop her arm around her friends elbow Maya started in the direction of home tree.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:48 am
Dyakida nodded, feeling useless in the face of a wound like that. Her healing ability had only really gone as far as first aid and bedside tending.
“Of course...”
She allowed her sister to lead her back to their tree. Materials could wait~ her sister was home at last.
“So you have been promoted...”
she sighed, and, though very quiet, one wouldn't be wrong to say that it was a sigh of envy.
Blade. A title now denied to her. She wondered if she would ever be considered as more than a prentice.
But she smiled her quiet smile all the same.
“Congratulations, Maya” She said quietly, “I'm proud of you.” She squeezed Maya's arm gently for emphasis.
Dyakida probably would never travel beyond Jahuar. It sounded like there were amazing and dangerous places beyond, but her sister would tell the tale in her own time.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:56 am
"Thank you." Maya gushed a little as she patted Dyakida's arm gently. "Yansa's test wasn't easy you know. I had to save an earthlings child many times from danger and almost risking getting killed in the process until the baby was returned." Her eyes took on a distance gaze, she was starting to wonder if she should one day be able to start a family. It seemed Aisha had given other Alkidikes the ability to breed before so why not herself. Then again Maya didn't want an exact image of herself. She wanted a child with someone else. Sighing outwardly as she tapped Dya again as they wandered into the presence of home tree.
Letting go of Dyakida's arm momentarily to move a few of the large leaves and plant life away from the tree's roots she returned to walk a bit past Dya hoping Pacju had returned by the Radaku seemed to be content in its wanderings for the time being. Thinking no more of it the Alkidike slipped quickly and quietly between the roots and into the spacious home she had found a little over a year ago. "You know Dya, the time to return home will be coming soon. Do you think you are prepared to go back home for the first time?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 2:08 pm
Dyakida smiled, a real smile full of pride.
“An Earthling child? That was... Remarkably good of you, Maya.”
A child in need was certainly someone to help, but she doubted that many of her sister Alkidkes would have done so.
“I hope you will give me details soon. The child. Did they have a mother? A ...” The concept was strange and exotic on her tongue, “Father?”
She made her way back into the house. She knew the enterance well... and stopped dead.
“Home? wh...”
Oh mother Aisha... she had forgotten.
“The ritual.”
She leaned against the doorframe, antennae quivering.
“Has it... Really been that long...”
Returning home... She was not looking forward to that. Not at all.
She took a deep breath.
“Maya... I don't know...”
She hesitated.
“I'm not afraid of the journey...” It would be dangerous, yes. But she had traveled it before, and she had her sisters to protect her. And the Elder, of course.
“But...” She shivered, a ripple in her lake like disposition. It was not the journey she dreaded, but it's destination.
“Maya... They will hate me.”
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:25 pm
Taking a few steps forward Maya glanced about the spacious room, a storage room of sorts. It was located at the base of the tree in case of emergency and they would need to get everything out and quickly. Not that it housed many things to start with. Mostly food and clothing materials. Once in a while she would find a sister stashing strange items in here but nothing to suspicious. Liking her dry lips she turned to Dyakida, "To be honest Dya, I don't really know if there was a father. I met the mother when I returned the child. Yansa had guided her to me after I defeated a strange beast. Looked a lot like Pacju, yet nothing like it."
Searching through one of the containers to the side Maya produced a fresh fruit. Quickly sinking her teeth into it she half sighed half moaned at the delicious sweetness of the fresh item. She had been denied fresh fruit from Jahaur on the journey and given dry meat to chew. Though she had stolen some from a strange half shifter named Xolani upon her return she still reveled in the succulent fruit.
The older Alkidike didn't have to look back to know how uncomfortable her best friend and sister was. Even she would have been uncomfortable at the same mention. "Probably right," Maya said after finishing her first mouthful of fruit. "I would let you stay, Kishku wouldn't, it's a requirement that we all return for the ritual you see. Nothing to be changed about that." Realizing how blunt she had been Maya turned cocking her head to the side to look Dyakida in the face.
"Besides if anyone says anything. I'll just have to make them submit." The tactic had worked with Neibet not long ago, so she was sure no matter what Alkidike she came across she wasn't going to let them push her sister around.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:21 pm
“I know. I will go.” said Dyakida, reflexively.
“Its just... It will be difficult.”
Although she spoke carefully and clearly, this was the most honest and frank she had been in a long time. From before her accident even. In fact, Dyakida couldn't remember when she had last been this open with someone. It had been Maya, though. Definitely. It was always with Maya.
“Its not just our sisters that bothers me its... Well... Memories, Maya.” She had so many memories. Fond, bitter, sad... So many.
“When last I was there, I could see. I knew where I was by looking for familiar landmarks. I was able to see our mother and feel... safe.”
She felt her way over to the baskets and brushed her fingers against the fruit inside.
“Now... It won't be familiar at all.”
She took a small round fruit for herself, running her fingers over it thoughtfully, eyes lidded.
She turned to face where she guessed Maya was, only a bit off in her angle, and nodded.
“I'm dreading that as much as the... “ she bit her lip down on the words 'disgust of my sisters' or 'the hatered I will recieve'. Really, either or.
She didn't want to say them out loud again and make them real.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:41 pm
"The way they will probably treat you." Maya nodded. She knew well the worries on her friends shoulder. She had always known, somehow, even if it subconscious and she had to be told. It helped to attempt to put herself in Dyakida's shoes. Honestly, she wouldn't be able to do it. Not without lashing out at everything or everyone that came near her. Scratching the back of her head behind her antenna Maya crunched up the side of her nose as she thought taking in another bite of the fruit. "I missed these. You know they don't have as much food out there as we do here." She mumbled between chew's. Rotating the fruit slightly she gulped down another.
"I want to make a fire tonight, cook some fresh meat." She paused swallowing the fruit. Looking it over and pulling out the pit with her fingers. "That would require hunting though. Perhaps later." She still felt weak from her travels. "I still need to visit Elder Kishku anyways. Do you think shes still here? I don't hear Niebet or Briella anywhere."
Maya did not do well when it came to focusing on movement she relied more on her site than her internal vibration senses. The Alkidike was every bit a must see to believe type of girl. Licking her lips she turned from Dyakida to shift through the barrels again something had infiltrated her nose and it wasn't a pleasant smell. "Maybe there is a piece of meat in here, something does smell off."
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:38 pm
“Yes...” Dyakida said, nodding. She took a bite of the fruit.
“I believe...” She said, gratefully changing the subject for a moment and pondering the wherabouts of her other sisters. It was wonderful to have Maya home at last!
“Elder Kishku is meditating in her room, I think.” She often meditated there. It was a calm, almost sanctified place.
She thought for a moment again. The wherabouts of their younger sisters was more difficult.
“And I heard Niebet and Briella leave. If theres no meat here, they likely went hunting.”
She had heard them calling to each other, but had been very focused on what she was doing at the time.
She smiled, somewhat mischevously.
“So you shall soon have your meat. Though they likely don't know that you have returned, so we may have to share.”
The smile faded as she wrinkled her nose. She smelled the rancid smell too as Maya shifted their stores around. Not a good smell. REALLY not a good smell.
“Hmm.” It was hard to tell where it could be coming from without her sight to guide her to telltale disgusting signs.
“Maybe whatever it is is behind something?” she leaned towards Maya, hoping to pinpoint the smell. Her sense of smell wasn't so good, though. Her heightened senses did not extend to that.
“Things do fall behind and between barrels.” She took another bite of the fruit, hesitating.
“Was it really that bad of a trip, Maya?” she asked, a note of concern in her voice, “Is it that harsh out there?”
She felt her way to the door and waited by it, leaning on the doorframe again. She liked to lean on it. It helped keep her oriented, and when she was oriented she was confident.
“I shouldn't press you for details yet... You need to rest and see elder Kishku before I can make you tell the story...”
She hesitated.
“maybe after you rest, you will tell us all the good parts, the parts you wouldn't complain about”
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:58 pm
Barrels shifted and scrapped on the floor as Maya sifted through them one after the other. She was starting to wonder more and more if her sisters had hidden something down here and it had gotten lost against the wall or in the empty spaces. Either way, how could they have missed it while she was gone? Especially with Niebet in the house, scratch that, it was Neibet who was pretty sloppy with things being more warrior than woman. Searching with her dark bug like eyes Maya eventually located a barrel and opening the lid she about choked and passed out. Shutting the lid back down as quickly as she could Maya coughed several times trying to keep her stomach from freeing its contents. "Well I definitely found it." Maya gagged.
Gagging she lugged the barrel to the door before shuddering and gliding towards Dyakida and offering to lead her further into the house. It had been Niebets turn to rotate the fruit since she had opted to stay behind with the other four Three Alkidike's in the tree. Naturally the older Alkidike should have accompanied Maya, so she couldn't understand why the battle hungry girl didn't go.
Carefully analyzing the details Dyakida had given to her about her sister and Elder's weabouts Maya finished the rest of the fruit and lugged in on the barrel. Neibet would have no choice but to take it out at that point. Her mouth watering at the thought of fresh meat. It was hard to focus with the stench still stuck in her nose though. "Well it wasn't all bad, I did meet this really cute earthling."
Having realized what she had said Maya spun on her heals to face her sister, trinkets and beads clinking and clacking as she placed her hand on her friends shoulder squeezing gently to ensure she knew she meant what she was going to say. "You can't tell anyone I said that! You know what they will do if they found out about this."
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:18 pm
“Oh dear” said Dyakida, coughing as the stench reached her. “I should talk to her about that... Well... Maybe not me.”
If Dyakida knew her way around the outside of the house to a surprising degree, then she knew the inside of the house to nearly every knot and dent in the walls... save for her sister's rooms, which she had only ever entered by accident. Though she could not see inside them, she felt that it was still an invasion of their privacy.
So Maya may have been holding Dyakida by the arm, but Dyakida herself was not being led, though her slower pace may have given the illusion of being led.
Dyakida was a bit startled at Maya's sudden action... her dear friend had picked up some new habits on her trip.
But her face of surprise slowly shifted into a mischevious smile.
“Cute, you say?” the smile grew wider, “Cute, in what sense? As in the young Radaku sense or the...” she chuckled a little.
“I won't tell, don't worry” her face flickered to a serious expression before returning to a very dyakida-esque expression of mild mischief. She pushed gently- Maya DID need to go to the elder soon to have her wounds looked at properly- and nudged past, taking her turn to lead maya, one hand on her friend and the other on the wall, guiding her.
“But I expect you to tell me all about this earthling! Was it...” her voice dropped conspirationally, making her difficult to hear as she was facing away.
“was it a him?”
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:34 pm
Maya's face contorted. She couldn't tell right now if Dya was teasing her mocking her, or a bit of the both. Her sisters couldn't know she seemed to be fancying earthlings, especially when her kind either liked each other or no one at all. Even worse they couldn't have children on their own, they needed their mother and deity Aisha to create them. Even worse a HIM Alkidike loved women, it was strange that she was into a man. Even the concept of something not like here was strange but none of the earthlings were like her. "Forget it." Maya growled under her breath releasing her grip on Dya's shoulder.
Her countenance softened when Dyakida's words reached her. "Sorry she muttered." Coming out as someone who liked the earthlings wasn't easy even for her. A strange Alkidike who had found the smaller beings fascinating even when not thinking of a relationship with them. The soft push that followed didn't help her situation and with any of the feelings when her shoulder wound stung again. Trying to ignore the pressing pain Maya followed Dya quietly up the tree.
After a few moments of silence and Dya speaking again as she asked the gender of the earthling. Maya decided to remain quiet for a bit thinking of the pro's and cons if the information leaked to her other sisters. "Him."
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:17 am
Dyakida did not pause in her movement, but it had the feeling of a pause.
“I see.” she said quietly.
She was worried for her sister. Although she had been trying to soothe Maya by being slightly jocular about it, it was somewhat of a surprise to hear her sister say that.
Being attracted to an Earthling was unusual, and some of their family... especially (and always) Niebet might be upset. It wasn't exactly accepted to love an earthling, unless they were strong and brave. Essentially, if they were at least Alkidike inside. Someone had tried to explain it to the younglings when they had been cruel to one of the halfbreeds that ran among them. Aisha would not have allowed their birth if there hadn't been a reason for it. And, though odd, sometimes Dyakida had noticed that they were able to do things a bit differently than others. Sometimes better, sometimes just... different.
Halfbreeds were interesting to her for that reason. Pure Earthlings somewhat less so, but she would like to meet one someday. If only for comparison.
She had been quiet and they neared the elder's quarters. She could feel that there was still tension. She wanted to resolve it, and soon. Even if she did feel slightly jealous of this mystery Earthling male.
“Maya...” she started, quietly and seriously, “I am you'r friend. And I will always support you. I will not tell your secrets.” she said, making it very clear that she was very very sincere, “Will you keep me informed, though?”
She paused, in her motion this time, a few steps away from the Elder's door, allowing Maya time to respond.
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