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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:30 pm
One of the best ways to escape the sweltering heat of the rainforest was to swim, an activity that Tahira enjoyed greatly. Swimming was both an exercise for the young hybrid and a leisure activity. She was thankful that her home tree in Jauhar was located not far from one of the many small rivers that wound their way across the land. It wasn't quite the same as swimming in the vast wasters that bordered Chibale island but this was home now and Tahira could always visit Jauhar's coast as long as she warned her mother's in advance.
For now though the young prentice settled for cooling off in the river, propelling herself through the water with strokes of her arms and strong leg kicks. On occasion Tahira would catch sight of a fish or water dwelling insect in the dimly lit waters, nothing that was of any threat to her however. The river wasn't always safe but for today at least she could have a little fun while strengthening her body.
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:19 pm
Dyakida, in her never ending and- she admitted- somewhat hardheaded quest to move independently around Jahuar, had decided to try to retrace the path to the river that her sister Maya had shown her. She knew it twisted and was full of painful little roots and pebbles. Of course, she stepped on every painful thing, without a sister to help her, of course she had no way to avoid them. She tried to match the winding of the path, but she got lost, once or twice. She could tell when the ground beneath her feet was not the tromped earth of the path but the squishy untrodden ground. She had a good sense of direction so she could find the path, but it often meant a lot of stumbling, slogging through Aisha-knew-what, and - of course - more sharp things and roots to try to trip her up.
She was just beginning to regret this decision- like she had quite a few other times- when she heard a welcome sound.
The river.
She was very grateful when her feet sunk into the soft silt at the edge of the river and the cool water washed away some of the sting in her feet. She felt a deep sense of pride.
"Ahh..." she said, sitting down and letting the water wash over her legs. It felt good.
She had no idea that there was someone else nearby...
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:04 pm
Tahira's head broke the surface of the water as she came up for air and rounded a bend in the river, water ran down her face and trickled tickling paths along her antenna. The current was slower here as the river widened making it an idea place for fish to spawn or animals to drink and cross. Pale grey eyes spotted no native fauna here today but instead another Alkidike! The other female looked to be pure blooded unlike Tahira but that didn't much matter to her as most others were. She tread water for a moment observing her kin to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything before swimming forward once more and calling out a greeting.
"Good afternoon sister, did you come to swim as well?" Perhaps they could race if the older Alkidike was here for more then just to clean her feet. Tahira loved a good race, it got her blood pumping and a bit of competitive spirit never hurt anyone.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:36 am
Dyakida turned suddenly to the voice.
"Oh, good afternoon?"
She hadn't realized that anybody else was here!
"Possibly, yes. How is the water?"
Since they had called her sister, they were likely an Alkidike. And they were probably swimming, considering where their voice was coming from.
"As nice as it is here?"
She used to be a good swimmer, but not being able to see made it difficult, and her sense of direction would probably get screwed up in the water.
But her pride was telling her she should at least get into deeper water.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:34 pm
Oh! Tahira might not know a lot about healing and medical conditions but she did know what blind eyes looked like. She hadn't initially realized the other female couldn't see and was now sort of curious about how she swam with no vision. Not that this was a bad area for it since there were no obstructions and you'd reach one side of the riverbank or the other eventually as long as you went sideways to the current. Tahira also wondered if the older female had been born with no vision as a curse or if something had happened to her, those were questions for later though. As long as she was willing to swim Tahira was more interested in that and the potential for racing.
"The water is refreshing and the bottom of the river smooth," she replied, there were few things worse than cutting your feet on sharp rocks or strange spiky creatures living at the bottom of rivers or ponds.
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:20 pm
"Sounds nice."
She got to her feet slowly, but they didn't seem to be aching.
She was surprised- she actually wanted to race. Normally she was... well... at least partially cautious.
But the idea of a swimming race, like she had been able to do before?
Some part of her, the prideful part of her that made her walk all the way here along a twisty, windy, pebbly path, wanted her to swim.
"I think I will. Tell me where to start."
She smiled, lightly competitive. She really just wanted to swim. The competition was spice, but whether she won or not, it would be a victory, in some way.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:00 pm
The best part about her people was their competition nature Tahira mused as she quickly closed the distance between herself and the other alkidike. Her offer to swim carried with it an implicit suggestion that a race should take place. Tahira wasn't always the best at reading or giving out subtext but things were going well at the moment.
"Start beside me and then on the count of three we'll just go straight forward. First to reach the other side of the river wins." It'd be more of a sprint race than a marathon especially considering the light current and Tahira wasn't sure which one of them that favoured, either way she'd do her best to come out ahead.
Afterwards she could get her blind kin's name and figure out just which set of home trees she hailed from. introductions could wait though, adrenaline was starting to sing in Tahira's blood and her mind was already clearing away any thought but how good it was going to be to be challenged.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 4:38 pm
The best thing about Alkidikes was that they were so competitive. Dyakida was an odd one, or had been, when she could see well enough to be competitive.
She loved competing... not so much winning. She enjoyed it far more when a longtime rival, many times beaten, finally won against her. She loved being tricky and clever, but only felt she truly succeeded when someone she cared about became better for it.
Very odd, but it was a trait she liked about herself.
It was difficult to be competitive now, so she had to rely on love and manipulation towards that goal.
So yes. A race sounded great, and how else would a fellow alkidike greet another?
She touched Tahira's shoulder briefly, just to place herself.
"Are you ready, sister?" She started the count.
"On my mark. One... two..." she tensed, her muscles waking as if from long slumber, eager to meet her demand for movement.
"Three!" She dove ahead, feeling her muscles remember how they used to swim. She was fortunate it was a sprint race.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:45 am
Though the other female was a stranger she was still an Alkidike and Tahira had felt no discomfort at the other female's brief touch. She was not as physically affectionate as her Ma but she did not shun such contact either. Although as a youngling she had often attempted to escape what she felt were unduly long hugs.
Tensing beside the other female Tahira waited until the countdown ended then sprung forward, deeper into the river. the young female let the water envelope her as she swam, arms and legs establishing a steady rhythm to propel her forward.
Though she was a child of Aisha with earthling blood blended into her Tahira sometimes felt like she was meant to be a creature of the sea. She was far more at home in the water than many of her kin for reasons she simply could not explain.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:28 pm
Dyakida had no idea whether the current was dragging her away, or if she was winning, or anything like that.
All she knew was that she was moving in the water and it felt good. Somewhat unnerving to not be able to see, however. What if she ran into a rock?
She dipped up to catch a breath, then back down. She could feel her muscles beginning to burn. Was she not at the riverbank yet?
To an observer, she was a good swimmer, but the other alkidike was like a fish, born to swim.
Dyakida's fingers touched the soft earth of (what she hoped was) the opposite bank.
She pulled herself in, and listened around her.
"Did you win, sister?" she called, slight uncertainty growing in her chest that she hoped to quash.
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 6:28 am
" Yes, but barely," Tahira confirmed from beside the older alkidike, her breath coming in shallow pants. "You're really fast." Tahira had expected her kin's age and no doubt superior strength had helped with that. She herself was only just past being a youngling and while swimming was her forte, she did not always overcome those disadvantages , especially during a sprint style race.
Laying on the warm dirt she smiled over at her unseeing kin. "You took the brunt of the current too so we should have a rematch sometime." She was glad to have won but it would haunt her forever if the only reason her fingers hit the bank first was because they had been so close during most of the race and the other's body had been the first the current hit, thus creating a shield for Tahira.
" What is your name sister?" Now seemed as good a time as any for proper introductions.
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:11 pm
"Am I?" Dyakida exclaimed in surprise, "I doubt it very much. I have not properly swum in months. Still, I would not mind a rematch soon." she smiled in the general direction of the younger alkidike and lay on the fine silt of the bank, out enough that she was still mostly in the water (it felt so nice).
"My name is Dyakida. I live in the tree..." she frowned, reorienting herself. She had come from the other bank, so...
She gestured vaguely towards where the path probably lay... it was a bit difficult because her sense of direction was skewed from the movement of the water, "That way. Led by Elder Kishku" which was likely more useful information than her gestures.
"And you, sister?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:17 am
Hmm, Tahira recognized the name Kishku although she was pretty sure she'd never met that elder herself. At least now she could ask for proper directions to Dyakida's dwelling from her parents. "I'm Tahira and the tree I call home is located further up river. " she replied while happily squishing her toes in the silt. Still young she enjoyed such silly and childish pleasures, becoming a prentice had not stripped away her youthful outlook or approach to life.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:36 pm
"Well met, Tahira." said Dyakida, moving towards the young alkidike's voice and feeling her way to sitting (roughly) beside her. "You sound... young." she stated, almost thoughtfully, "Did I hear you right?"
Not knowing that Tahira was doing the same thing, she wiggled her feet in the silt as well. She couldn't see others watching and, though she knew others could see her, still had that sense of I-cant-see-you-you-cant-see-me. She wasn't as self conscious as she had once been, at least not until someone reminded her.
So she indulged in childish things as well.
Also the muck felt so nice on her toes...
"Have you ever been to this spot of the river before? My sister Maya frequents it" Dyakida smiled, "She said that earthlings had taken all of her other spots."
The memory of coming here with her sisters was... complicated and somewhat mixed, especially where it regarded Niebet. But still. Not bad.
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:58 am
"I've been everywhere in most of the rivers around here, I swim a lot." Tahira replied with a grin, she probably knew the local waterways as well as the fish by now. Ok so maybe Jauhar was pretty big and she'd never even been through half of it yet but one day she would have swum her way through the whole land. "I only just became a prentice a bit ago, so I'm still young." she admitted. " But I'm smart and strong and not afraid to try anything." The fair haired hybrid was not afraid to push herself either for a little bit of adrenaline rush.
" What do you do all day?" she asked curiously. Being older Dyakida would have far more responsibilities than her even if she couldn't see. Exactly what those responsibilities were, would require an answer from the other female.
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