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 Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 9:55 am
Only two months or so had passed since Lucijah left her home, but it felt like much longer.
The trek south - a week's journey along the roadways that had been established by the locals, as well as the Oban immigrants - had turned into a horrid crawl through the jungle forests of Jauhar, into the territory of the Alkidike - but finally, FINALLY south to Oba. The lands of Jauhar and Oba met at a border of tangled forest, thinning from the dehydration of the nearing desert, but valiantly surviving - fed only by the wash of humid condensation and rainwash that trickled, in small streams, down in elevation. Finally, though, the forest broke and revealed lands that had once been forest, but now was log-cut land and near desert- and while emerging into a desert would have been death in most cases, in Lucijah's case she was lucky in the fact that the border was densely populated by logger companies and settlements.
The Obans here were still skeptical of newcomers, but the winter and spring spent neighboring Shifter land had desensitized them to the people, and she traveled unhindered. From here she resupplied, trading what she could of her meager supplies for a waterskin and a cloak, to protect her from the piercing sun - and continued on her way. The roads between the settlements were well made, and once had been kept clean of sands by slaves - but now they fell into disrepair, visible in some cases and always felt in their firmness, compared to the endless slosh and shifting of the sands - but half buried in deposits of windswept granules. From Kalv she headed south, then east.
Along the way Lucijah only had two clues as to where her lover was - the name of her settlement, and the name of her mother, the esteemed warrior who had invaded Tendaji. Even now, Lucijah bristled at the thought of the woman, but it was her dearheart's family - so for that she forced her ire down. Whenever she became lost, Luci only had to mention Talia's name and the Obans, closed off and suspicious, would crack open a bit. Sometimes the Obans chuckled and mentioned the warrior who had been shrugged off by the king - who would have bravely ravaged the northern lands for her king, only to be tossed aside by the usurper. Others didn't know what to say - they knew of the 'general', a great war leader, but didn't know her personally. All of them, however, supposed that such a leader would live to the east, towards the heart of Oba - and so that way Lucijah went.
In her travels she got more used to Oba's climate - though not as accustomed as she wished. The land was savage and hot, brutally dry compared to her humid lands. In some settlements she was accepted into 'inns' and cleaned for her keep - the loss of slaves had hit Oba hard, and there simply weren't enough workers to attend to everything that needed doing. In the larger cities, however, Luci more often than not slept in 'alleys' - marveling at the towering buildings, but also suffering a claustrophobia she'd never experienced. Buildings so large as this were impossible to her - she only hoped Nera's home had a garden, at least, somewhere with a tree she could hide under.
Finally Luci entered Sulburi - a thriving, busy place with so many people that she would have been intimidated, if not for her size. When she and Nera lived together, Lucijah had the lining of baby flat plumping her form and cheeks - though she stood taller than her petite lover, and taller than many shifters she knew, Lucijah had been curved. Now she was lined with muscle, her posture corrected from its slouch of before, now straight and proud. She felt, and WAS, bigger - and those who saw it stepped out of their way, not crowding the stranger as she slowly ambled through the street, peering around for any hints of 'Talia.'
Her old clothes had been traded out along the road, bit by bit, into a more Oban style - purchased by hard work that was appreciated by the lesser folks, and almost expected by others. At one place, where Lucijah was promised a handful of strange barter coins, she worked moving cartfulls of lumber and traded Tendaji goods into a warehouse, and with this money Lucijah traded for a piece of jewelry made from Talean crystals, and a collar. The collar was sturdy leather, somewhat padded on the inside, clasped on the back with sturdy metal. There was a key that went into the collar, which she had tied by a ribbon around her neck, for the moment at least, hidden in her bosom. This helped in some ways. Why the piece spoke to her she didn't know, but after hearing so much about Oban slaves and the 'protections' they used to garner in Oba, it had seemed a good idea. The Shifter saw too many angry, wary glares to trust herself, road weary as she was, to her own protection.
Growing towards evening, the shops of a main street of Sulburi lit lanterns of fire or imported Jauhar crystals, and hung them in the walkways - the stores closing while inns, bars, taverns, and brothels opened for business. Innkeepers and other salespeople beckoned Lucijah in to try the tastes of Oba - but she continued on, stopping only to ask if Talia lived this way, or if anyone even knew of her. Finally she was given a look then pointed across the way to a modest enough establishment. This, she felt, was worth the risk entering.
Inside the establishment was well lit, the interior designed in such a luxurious fashion that her jaw briefly dropped before she recovered herself. While this place was designed for luxury for soldiers, it didn't hold a candle to the extravagantly unnecessary quality noble establishments held - nevertheless, to Lucijah who had only seen the dinky taverns she'd taken meals at in the past weeks - well, to any common Oban citizen, this place was impressive.
For a moment, the ambient atmosphere of comfort and comradery coiled around the Shifter like a coat, inviting her to take another step inside. However, the mood was broken when she was spotted. A large, muscled foreignor from the nearly conquered lands stepping into a soldiers' den, a safe spot, instantly rankled those within - who mainly consisted of highly decorated, still armored soldiers and those who shared their company. Most conversation dulled to confused murmurs, and those who didn't turn back to their drinks to ignore her instead turned in their chairs to glare her away.
Taking a deep, calming breath (because though she would love a fight with an Oban, these were soldiers and many were older than her - better trained, despite her height). "I'm looking for War Leader Talia? ...Or - anyone who knows her?" Her voice was loud, strong, and exuding the cockiness of youth - but her narrowed blue eyes swept across the room, trying to pinpoint where trouble would come from, if it did.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 5:21 am
Evening in Sulburi always brought about throngs of bodies, each one drawn into the cooling airs of the night like animals to a watering hole; the refreshing drop in temperature greeted the denizens of the city in the various tasks they sought out to accomplish yet Nera and her mother Talia remained at home this particular eve. Normally the pair would spend the twilight hours just before nightfall catching up on mundane chores that simply couldn’t be completed during the heat of day, tonight however the two women enjoyed each other’s company just outside of the lavish manor that they called home.
“What does my love crave,” Talia began, her tone warm yet low in pitch so that her voice didn’t carry to unwelcome ears. Turning to face her mother the white-haired beast charmer sank her teeth into her full bottom lip and knitted her red-brows together, a strain evident on her slender, long-face. “It isn’t that hard of a question my darling. What do you feel like eating for dinner?” The long-haired General reiterated before reaching out and tenderly petting the side of her child’s face with the pad of her fingertips.
A crooked nose forcibly nuzzled against the palm of the older woman’s hand then carefully planted a kiss at the skin that was within reach. “Why don’t you choose tonight, mommy? I’ve had a lack of appetite; I am sure whatever you pick will please me all the same.” Nera murmured conclusively, for a moment both Obans simply sat quietly while the ambient noise from the city held the awkward silence of their lull in conversation at bay. A thin smile was offered towards the younger of the two and in return the girl gave a toothsome grin of her own.
“If that is what you wish. Come the night is much too inviting to spend it at home. Let’s get freshened up and dressed, I am sure we can find an eatery and if that fails us there is always the meadery.” In truth Talia had hoped that her child would allow her the opportunity to force her from the comfort of their home and back into the normalcy of society. It was true Nera had been leaving the house much more regularly but each time the girl returned it was accompanied by a new patchwork of bruises or broken skin, Talia was no idiot she was fully aware that her daughter was spending an alarming amount of time (and money for that matter) participating in illegal pit fighting, yet the long-haired soldier turned a blind eye to the happenings, it was all just a necessary medium towards Nera’s recovery; whatever it took to help her daughter she was willing to at least give it a try.
Rolling her eyes and exhaling all too loudly the lean-figured beast charmer forced herself into a standing position and headed towards her bed chamber. “Anywhere but that stupid tavern, it reeks of desperation and man.” Loathing played at the edge of her statement and Talia couldn’t help but stifle a grin and replace the expression with one of feigned bemusement.
“Misanthropy can wait, more getting ready, please.”
--
The inquiry hit the air like a pane of glass cascading against uneven pavement. It was bad enough that a savage besmirched the atmosphere of the sanctuary with its lowly presents but now it mustered the gall to seek audience with one of the highest ranked soldiers in the Oban army. A thicket of raised brows and thinly drawn lips gave way to hostile briary in the form of twitching digits seeking out forged steel and expertly crafted armaments, it would only be a matter of time before violence bloomed within the confines of the tavern. Several men still reeking of sweat and sand couldn’t help but continue the unbroken glaring towards the she-beast of the jungle, surely if they made it clear that she was unwelcome then perhaps she would take it upon herself to leave their company before her intrusion was met with proper hostility. Any given soldier would have stood up and defended the general’s name and honor if the shifter had uttered any vulgarity against the commanding officer and many it seemed urged the towering mass of muscle with tightly knit sneers and hateful gazes to do just that. Yet the entirety of the room remained seated, firmly rooted if just barely where they sat waiting for any balance in the situation to shift.
“That is General, not war leader,” A lone, mellifluous voice called out from somewhere in the rear of the establishment before continuing in a neutral tone. “It is an earned title and rank. One that deserves respect,” a pause lingered at the end of the statement as if reflecting the importance before the unseen speaker stood from his resting spot set on a high placement of silken pillows surrounded by three armored guardsmen. The man raised with regality, his dark complexioned skin even in the dim lighting of the room seemed to hold a glossy sheen as if bathed and freshly oiled. Despite a lack of height the manner with which the man carried himself commanded attention and dominated the atmosphere in such a way that the tension in the room molded into the same soothing demeanor of his velvety even pitch, all the while soft pink hues fixated on Lucijah; neither curiosity nor contempt reflected in his soft gaze yet something peculiar and almost-fond danced just below the surface of his stare. “Seeing as your tone lacked malice and you are aware of Talia’s kinship,” a swallow cough coated over the man’s words, which he then repeated. “General Talia’s kinship, I beckon the question on everyone’s mind. What is it you seek from our lady?” A slim rose as if punctuating the question then drifted back towards the his side brushing back wisps of dark-crimson strands that clung to his exposed ribcage and obliques idly. The gestures and behaviors all seemed au fait, well-crafted yet practical and oddly natural; almost familiar.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 9:53 am
To the common eye, the sudden change in atmosphere had little effect on the Shifter, who simply strolled her way in with a loose-limbed swagger, out from the doorway and instead further into the Oban establishment. Apparently ignorant of the amount of potential trouble she was in, Lucijah shifted her weight to lean on one foot, while her arms crossed under her ample chest, emphasizing the janarim embroidery at her breast - strange iconography for a shifter to take- and raised her brows in apparent impatience, eyes sliding around to meet each and every angry gaze with equal measure. In truth, Lucijah was calculating her odds - it was clear that many inside this place respected her love's family, but she didn't see many faces that betrayed some deeper connection. Many simply looked displeased by her intrusion, suspicious of her intentions.
While she leaned her weight forward on one leg so she appeared expectant, the other leg slid to brace itself as subtly as she could against the wooden floorboards, prepared to use it as a pivot point to turn on her heel and escape should conflict arise.
As the silence stretched painfully thin, Lucijah's nostrils flared as she dared to inhale a silent breath, bracing herself for backlash. Soon, if the pattern of hostile bars she'd found herself at before held, a cocky soldier would stand and challenge her outright, shooing her from their company, or shouting crude remarks her way, hoping to intimidate her into leaving.
Imagine her surprise when the answer she received was explanatory, challenging but not in the rough way she was accustomed. The change of pattern caused her to pause, blinking, sweeping her eyes towards the voice. At first, she couldn't see him through the sea of faces - but then he rose with a sort of grace she wouldn't have thought possible from someone scrambling up from a bed of pillows. She didn't know was it was about the man, but his answer made her muscles relax despite her better judgement, her eyebrows rising once more, though now out of intrigue rather than impatience. "Ah - General Talia, then." She corrected with an impish grin and helpless shrug of her shoulders, nodding her head gratefully. She didn't understand the necessity for a different word - over a drink at a bar a week past a soldier had tried to explain the ranking system of the military, and it had all flown like arrows over her head. Having the word reintroduced left her feeling the smallest bit sheepish.
And just like that the aggressive atmosphere slackened, if only a bit - the soldiers regarded the man with respect, not daring to interrupt him - used to his slow tones, since none interjected when he fell into a contemplative silence and studying gaze. Lucijah's acceptance of his correction was seen as confirmation of his idiocy - a round of quiet laughter broke from the crowd, many of whom returned to their drinks, gratified that this rabble was being dealt with, while more honorable soldiers flushed in shame to think someone of such high birth was the one who'd been left to attend to it. These soldiers watched with a sullen attentiveness, but nursed their drinks, merely observing.
Lucijah of a few months ago would have been flustered by this laughter, would have ground her teeth and slammed her fist into the nearest surface (or person), shouting and stamping her foot for respect. Now, Lucijah had grown enough to realize the laughter was better than a call for her head - so though she found her grin becoming somewhat strained, she succesfully kept her temper in check. The next question distracted her, thankfully, and her smile fell to a more thoughtful purse of her lips. Her relationship with Nera was a secret one, though not due to Nera's insistence. Lucijah knew of plenty of troubles in her home that would occur if she'd told her mother of Nera - surely here, where her love was a respected person, something Lucijah was not back home, such a revelation would be just as dangerous. Instead, she had thought of alternatives - and decided to play upon her love's possessive nature - one that she had not been able to see in person, due to the seclusion they'd lived in together, but that she'd sensed through such passionate whispers of 'Mine that left her blood on fire, and cheeks flushed.
It was a gamble, since she hadn't had the chance to confirm it was something Nera may or may not do before her lover traveled home, but it had served her well thus far in smaller places. Now, however, there was more at stake - as the man seemed to know of Talia, and for all Lucijah knew he could be a similar leader, given the men at his call behind him, one that met with Nera's mother over war tables, he may even have participated in the invasion of her homeland.
What is it you seek? Lucijah shook the surge of unease and uncertainty from her head and took in a shuddering breath, her resolve shaken - relinquishing her control to this man, who somehow seemed like someone to trust, though she'd never met any Oban before, other than Nera, that she had trusted so readily. She was disconcerted, but her lapse in cockiness and into a somber sort of uncertainty helped as far as her cover story went - a story that was more or less the truth, with a few modifications.
The tone she continued with was with forced haughtiness, her tone and words more fanciful than her previous loose-tongued tone. "Nothing. I am an... acquisition from her daughter Nera's travels in the north, and was waylaid by the unseasonal weather. Now that I'm here, I find myself woefully lost and unable to find home - I must have misunderstood my lady's instructions, on the way."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:29 am
The oiled and perfumed high-born studied the wilding’s face, the way her lips pursed, the manner in which her brow knitted ever-so-slightly at the inquiries lobbed in her direction. The she-beast was certainly an animated creature, one that the well-kempt man could read all too well. A filed and expertly manicured hand once again stroked the air as if conjuring words with the pads of his fingertips before they were enunciated from his lips. “Quite the procurement,’ he mewled in a husky tenor coloring the air with another shade of forced superciliousness. Then he smiled. The lopsided grin was boyish and reached his soft-pink hues making fine wrinkles just at the corners, barely enough to denote that he was in fact a fully grown man rather than an overgrown whelp playing at adult. “Seeing as I am a gentleman, I can’t just let a woman of your,” he paused for just a moment as he strode over to where Lucijah stood. “social standing, wander around aimlessly. Especially seeing as there is still a touch of unrest among my people.”
A strong yet lean arm motioned with a flourish towards the exit. “Allow me to escort you. However perhaps before we venture out we get you properly groomed and laundered, if this is Talia’s---,” once again the man cleared his throat at his casual familiarity towards Nera’s mother and instantly corrected himself in the same breath. “General Talia’s first time meeting you, you need to make a superb impression on the woman. She can be a bit rough. In every sense of the word.” At this point the man was standing a few meters away from the moon-kissed Shifter. “Radesh, by the way.”
“Lord Radesh,” someone corrected from the pillow lined walls behind the pair. Plumes of colored smoke billowed out from a solitary guard’s mouth; the corners of his mouth twitched with some ghost of amusement but remained downturned to preserve his dignity. “Prince Radesh if’n’ya wanna get specific.” The comment came off as a jest of sorts, perhaps they were just yanking the foreign girl’s chain, regardless the redheaded male waved the armored brute off with a dismissive gesture. Tightening the features of his face the squat-Oban repositioned himself so that his hands came to rest on his narrow hips and his pointed boots curled outward displaying confidence in the wide stance.
“Do you have a name, or should I simply refer to you as Nera’s pet?” Radesh asked with a flit of laughter warming his rich tones. The manner in which he spoke the beast charmer’s name held--- fondness to it, unlike with that of Talia the man didn’t rebuke the unformal manner in which he regarded of the girl. In fact he seemed to push out his chest and heave a dainty content sigh, almost in a delighted fashion; as if the youth’s antics filled him with some form of paternalistic enjoyment. “She keeps several beasts these days----or so I am informed.” Dark crimson strands clung to the man’s glossy flesh, despite his clean appearance and floral scented musk the copper threads of hair that fell below his waist defiantly mussed his dapper exterior yet drew attention to the rigid strength his muscles demonstrated just underneath the regal garb and showy golden trinkets that adorned his person.
Scarlett Arbuckle George R. R. Martin doesn't have s**t on me when it comes to making updates
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:04 pm
A small, uncertain bell rang in her mind, warning her that perhaps this wasn't the best of plans. Initially, she narrowed her eyes, nostrils flaring with a sharp intake of breath as he motioned to her and spoke in such a way - but then he smiled, and his features seemed to soften. He appeared friendly, and it was enough for her to lower her guard, even if she noted to herself that friendly faces often hid cruel intentions. Why would such a fancy looking person bother to escort her himself? But after months away, without knowing how her lover was, Lucijah clung to even the smallest chance that he was telling the truth, and that he knew 'Talia'.
If 'social standing' meant anything, Lucijah didn't dwell on it. The point was well made - she had felt more and more tension the deeper she went into the city. As long as she stayed on her guard, would it really hurt to have another person looking out for her? Lucijah hummed in agreement, too busy turning over what he meant by 'groomed and laundered' to notice the near slip. Where was she supposed to get clean? At the inns? In this desert, it cost money to get your hands on a bath, and more often, especially at the smaller inns, she was directed to wash herself with sand - scrubbing away grime and stink with the fine particles. She hadn't thought... to really make an impression on the mother.
Which was foolish, looking back on it. Months of traveling, she had thought so much of Nera's reaction that she hadn't considered her mother's - would she even permit Nera keep her here? The plan had never been expounded on - she didn't know if Nera was supposed to meet her, out here, or not. Breath hitching slightly, Lucijah's eyes dilated as her thoughts turned inward, only for her to snap to awareness as he finally stepped closer, introducing himself. "Radesh... Er-- Lord Radesh." She tested, quickly correcting herself with a toothy grin. 'Prince' though wasn't a term she was familiar with, so she let the comment slide.
Shifting back a step, Lucijah set a hand at her hip and inclined her head in a friendly way towards the man who interrupted, smiling dumbly at the joke that flew over her head. She would have gone on to answer her escort - but then he postured like a prize kinfa, puffing up and going on about her love, and her 'beasts'.
What manner of beasts did he mean? Lucijah didn't know much about Oba's creatures, except a bizarre little legless creature she'd encountered in the desert, which had been rather cute and seemed relatively harmless. Were these pets of some kind? If so, it felt strange that he would mention them so soon after teasing her about being Nera's 'pet'. Her hand rose and ghosted against the self imposed collar, then dropped her arms firmly, drawing them into fists, raising her head as she spun on her heel and moved to push open the door, forgetting for a moment that she was meant to be following him. "It's Lucijah - now when you said 'grooming' and 'laundering', where would I do that in this place?" Her tone carried exasperation, and she tilted her head to gaze at him imploringly, features relaxing so she could give him a baleful 'help me, please!' look.
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:37 pm
“Lucijah,” the name felt queer rolling off of his tongue yet the high-born Oban showed little distaste to the foreign moniker. It was actually rather pleasing, testing the she-beast’s name. He was accustomed to Matori and desert-kissed symbolism when it came to birth cognomens. This new term left his lips feeling peppered, ghosted by exotic imagery and unknown meaning. Radesh murmured the shifter’s name once more, feeling wild spice pin his lips and tickle the insides of his cheeks as he spoke. “Lucijah, I’ve never heard that name before. Ah, where was I?” Waving off the train of thought that had clouded his mind the long-haired aristocrat followed behind the youth as she made her way towards the exit. “There are a few places in the city that provide public bathing chambers.” Snipping a short breath back between his teeth the small-figured man recalculated his choice of words and increased his gait so that the snowy-haired maiden didn’t escape him.
The mixed scents of roasted meat and cooling sand greeted the pair as they exited into the already crisp night air. The sounds of the city breezed past rounded-ears whispering fractals of conversation and echoes that had long ago been spoken. Rolling his glossy muscular shoulders taunt with a shrug Radesh slowed his pace and threw a lazy half-smirk towards the girl at his hip. “Unfortunately the bathhouses do cost money to use, however I can’t allow one of Nera’s acquisitions to go around sullied. I am more than happy to pay for the services. We will get your body scrubbed, oiled and perfumed. Maybe do something with that hair of yours and of course take care of your outfit.” A slender finger twirled, gesturing to and fro in a somewhat whimsical matter.
Eyeteeth sank deeply into the marinated center of the caramelized meat that Nera held between her thumbs on either hand suspended by a tightly drawn edible lace. The round spiced cutlet dripped sticky red-fluid between the thin ribbons of twine dripping from the middle and pattering onto the leathery yellow hide of a ferocious Janarim that was being used as a mobile throne of sorts. Essid paid no attention to the messy splatter that besmirched his scaled armor as long as his beloved was content that was all that concerned him.
“Mommy, did you really find it necessary to stop and get me a snack? I’m getting juices all over everything.” The comment was uttered out in a timid voice accompanied by a short snort of amused laughter which received an equally amused expression and chortle from an older woman donned in a fur lined cape. General Talia couldn’t help but enjoy the sight of her daughter attempting to whine while her greedy tongue darted out and lapped at the seasoning dribbling down the palm of her hand. Even as an adult her child never ceased to fill her with a strange sense of joy, before she had turned her back on the emotions Nera stirred within her but now that her daughter was safe at home she embraced what she once saw as weakness and took delight in every moment it provided.
“Yes, my love. I did find it necessary to get you a snack. You’re taking entirely too long to decide where we are going for dinner.” It was true, the mother-daughter pair had spent the better part of an hour wandering the heart of the city meandering from eatery to eatery only to be refused by the somewhat picky youth. “If I didn’t get you something to eat you would have fainted from hunger.”
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:11 pm
Once outside, Lucijah kept up her pace - judging that if she went in the wrong direction, the strange-man Radesh would correct her. He meant she couldn't see his face as he wondered about her name - though she could hear him murmur it a few times, puzzled. His bemusement seemed to please her, but when he finally continued on to speak about 'public bathing chambers', Lucijah raised her eyebrows and finally slowed her pace, tilting her head inquiringly down at the somewhat shorter man, eyebrows raised in question. Public bathing? Like... a family retreating to a stream to bath? It wasn't unusual to see others while they washed - naked younglings running about. What in the world was a 'bathing chamber' anyway?
"Hmm." She hummed, lips forming into a thoughtful pout. She still knew very little about this 'money' thing - up north, you were more likely to barter for something - or the community was small enough to know where someone lived, if they owed you a favor that you didn't repay in a timely manner. Here, with such a massive place, they used metal bits instead - she'd been introduced to it during her travels. If only she'd known how much her ignorance had cost her, how much work she'd done for subpar payment - how she had been overpaying for goods without realizing.
As far as bathing, she'd taken too many sand baths to not enjoy the allure of an actual soak in water... although as he continued on, about scrubbing, oiling, and the like she wrinkled her nose and instead scoffed, shooting him an affronted look. Then again... it had been a long time since she'd seen her love. Perhaps her return from the wilds, and from near starvation, had been enough for Nera to long for Oban custom and pampering - but for Lucijah, the idea of it simply felt wasteful. "Nah - that's not really my thing, sorry." She smiled impishly, and turned back to face forward, not realizing that with such a powerful man such a suggestion may not be meant as a suggestion.
Only - there was a face in the crowd ahead, a laughing woman that made Lucijah falter in her steps, slammed in the gut by memories. A ghost of her lover's face hung in her eyes - and then with a blink it was gone, replaced with a tall, narrow faced woman. Pale (both figuratively, and literally; as the sunk sank, her inky skin bleached itself lighter and lighter) and light headed with longing, Lucijah blinked rapidly, hoping upon hope to see Nera's face return. Ahead was a stately looking woman, elegant - settled next to a janarim (Lucijah had seen a few, though not enough to feel comfortable wandering up next to the large reptiles) and... a silver haired woman? From the side, with long locks covering her shoulders and sweeping down her back, Lucijah paused to consider her, having never seen an Oban with white hair before.
That would have been it - one wondering glance, and then a shake of her head as she carried herself onward; but fate was kind to Lucijah, for once in her life. Just before she tore her eyes away to glance apologetically at her traveling companion, the mystery woman opened her mouth and took a voracious bite of her meat; thin rivulets of blood and juices trickled down her thumbs, against beautiful, willowy wrists--
Lucijah remembered this. In a feverish dream, she remembered eating strips of bleeding meat from those fingers - in happy memories, remembered pink eyes glimmering wickedly as that tongue licked fingers clean, and devolved into tender kisses against roving fingertips. Before she even had a chance, this time, to confirm her thoughts, Lucijah bolted forward, boots scuffing with each weak-kneed step forward. "Nera!" Lucijah called, and in that simple word she bore her heart openly - a million moments of loving and missing her partner, a broken-hearted call of the only word that meant anything to her in this one moment, rough with emotion as it tore from her throat. Hands reached outward even before she was close enough to touch, and her face shattered into pure emotion.
Gods above, if this wasn't her lover she would be crushed into dust, without any possibility of being rebuilt - so close, but until this moment she'd held the pure longing and loneliness back. Only until now, when she was certain she was infront of her lover again, did she shatter apart as she'd been close to doing since the moment Nera left her side.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:53 am
Two years had healed many wounds, physically at least. The trauma that the young-Oban endured went deeper than just the marks on her feet, the torn flesh, even the ache in her loins and backside, night-terrors plagued Nera even during her waking hours yet time seemed to mute the blaring memories that once crippled the girl. Violence disguised as coping--- or perhaps the other way around was the only exculpation she received from her emotions, from the reveries of nightmares that were once her life. Today was the first day in months that she had found a new facet of strength that she was unaware of possessing, her skin had grown pallor in color and her body slimmed beyond what she even knew possible and yet the young-woman braved the world outside of her door with her mother at her side and her beasts at her kneels. Never in her life would she have thought to seek outward to find power nonetheless there it was, waiting patiently for her to embrace it on her own---at her own pace within her own needed measure of time.
Talia watched carefully, each step of her daughter’s recovery. Victories along with setbacks laid out before her like a familiar doctrine. Nera didn’t need to tell her the details, the countless nights that she awoke screaming painted a vivid enough picture for the hardened general; words weren’t needed. Whatever triumphs her daughter made Talia was more than grateful to accept them when they came, regardless of what form they took. Nerad forgive the form that it took this time though.
“Nera,” a strong voice cut across the marketplace, one that the war-leader didn’t recognize but apparently her child did. Never in her forty-something years of being alive had she seen her daughter move with such speed as she did in that moment, the expression on Nera’s narrow face absolutely exquisite.
A chiseled tower of ivory surrounded by a sea of flowing white silk called out to Nera, at first the girl continued to lazily curl her short tongue along the contour of her palm and wrist. The voice didn’t register; there was a dreamlike quality to it that for whatever reason eluded Nera. Heavily lashed almond-shaped eyes upturned and a bright pink stare regarded the faces in the crowd and in an instant the pale-Oban felt her heart leap into her throat and freeze in place. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion then blur without reason. Nera remembered not being able to breathe, her lungs pleaded for oxygen but the only concept her mind could process was pushing away from her living-scaled throne and tearing across the sands. It had taken two years but at last the pair was reunited.
“Mine,” pouty lips quivered, “Lucijah-mine.” The words barely made it into fruition before the former-redhead burst into tears. Aristocratic demeanor be damned. Strong arms looped around the weak-kneed Shifter’s midsection and roughly pulled the taller-frame woman against her much smaller body. Nera simply held the other woman, her lover, nothing else mattered not even the fact that one of the princes of Oba stood next to them covering his mouth with the back of his hand while her mother gazed on in absolute aghast bewilderment.
Slender hands roamed over every inch of Lucijah’s face and exposed neck then came to an abrupt halt has her fingertips rested on a thick piece of leather encompassing the she-beast’s neck. It was for her, the craftsmanship was somewhat crude yet definitively of Oban origin. Hooking her finger in the rung of metal that donned the collar Nera gave it a tug and rested her forehead against that of her beloved, smooth blue gems pressed into caramel complexioned skin almost painfully but Nera couldn’t help but smile. “It took you long enough, I’ve been waiting for ages----” Trailing off Nera threw a glance towards the long-haired man that resided off to their left. Abrupt realization punched the bleach-blonde directly in her gut and made her world blur into pin-p***k focus. Lucijah was with Radesh one of the High Princes of Oba. “….Y-y-your M-m-m-majesty.” Nera bowed as best she could with her arms still firmly encircled around a heavily muscular waist. Radesh flourished in reply, the glossy-skinned sovereign swept his arm out broadly and dipped low in respect. Somewhere in the background during the exchange of pleasantries Essid and Talia both radiated with varying levels of rage.
“Radesh,” Venom dripped from unseen fangs but poisoned the air all the same. “A pleasure, my lord.”
The man froze in mid-bow, his head lowered but his gaze locked on the furious redhead, a mix of fear and jubilation played in his bright pink eyes. “G-g-g-general….” He stammered then found the willpower to stand up right and go ridged. “Talia.” Something was entirely off about the situation but Nera was too overcome my her own emotions to note anything besides the fact her mother had just made the possible future ruler of their kingdom cower before her.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:40 pm
For a horrible, lingering moment Lucijah feared that she'd been wrong, and some sense returned to her. Her hand dropped, and the feeling of hopeful elation plummeted into her belly. But the woman, who looked so much like her love and yet so different, looked up, eyes widening. Then, the woman jumped up and shot across the road, past pedestrians that skittered from her path, and straight to Lucijah's waiting arms. Lucijah gripped her, tightly, a choked sound breaking from her throat as soon as Nera gripped on to her. 'Mine' - 'Lucijah-mine' - her name, her title, both returned to her, and until this moment she never thought she could be so happy to belong to someone else.
Her legs stumbled, briefly, as he lovers strong grip tugged her roughly forward, but she didn't care. She followed eagerly, her long, thick arms looping around Nera, taller body bowing slightly over Nera's. Her fingers wound into Nera's silver hair, tugging very lightly at it, and before she could stop it a breathless laugh broke from her throat, eyes squeezed half closed to keep her welling tears from falling. "What in the gods' name did you do to your hair?"
Just as she looked over the changes her lover had made, Nera did the same with her dextrous fingers, and Lucijah couldn't explain how ridiculously pleased she felt as her lover hesitated over the leather collar. She dropped her face willingly when tugged, sagging in relief at the skin on skin contact, and when her eyes closed the tears that had threatened to fall finally slipped free, carving a shining path down her light-skinned cheek. Only for her happy moment to break when Nera pulled her face away, then jerkily bowed to the 'prince' who she'd met.
Finally opening her eyes, she looked quizzically between the strangers, her brow furrowing slightly. She couldn't make herself care, for the moment, over the way the cocky Oban utterly wilted under the woman's tone, but even Lucijah felt the drip of cold ice down her spine simply from the tone that fell, as a purr, from those lips. "General... oh!" She exclaimed, breaking the moment. This was the name she'd been carrying for months - and though she wasn't willing to break from Nera's grip, she looked at the tall woman, realizing for the first time that this was her lover's mother. She was intrigued, but turned her eyes to Nera for confirmation, uncertain how to carry herself, what with how Radesh had acted just moments before. There went his plan of primping, cleaning, washing, and all that - but Lucijah was here with Nera, and that was all that mattered to her.
Squeezing Nera a bit tighter, she leaned in close, resting their cheeks together, uncaring of the silent battle going on between the two older Obans.
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:38 am
Talia as in most situations was the first to react to what was happening around her. There was a savage clinging to her daughter, her once lover was a mere few feet away from their b*****d child and the evening just couldn’t get any more peculiar. Regardless of how much she wanted to accost the man in front of her for showing his face to their daughter the highly-decorated General had to choke back the seething rage that threatened to loosen her tongue and divulge her darkest secret. For a few moments the crimson-haired woman narrowed her attention on the she-beast and her daughter, she had wanted to bark at them to separate however the smile on Nera’s narrowed face stifled the aggression in her throat.
“Nera and I,” she began. “Were just headed to dinner my lord. I humbly extend an invitation for you to join us, unless you are busy of course.” Somehow her mother’s words didn’t exactly read as overly-friendly and whatever the tension was between her and the prince seemed a bit over the top, even by her mother’s standards.
Slender fingertips reassuringly rubbed tiny circles along the contour of Lucijah’s hands and wrists while their cheeks pinned against one another, Nera saw her opportunity to reply to her lover as her mother continued to address the petite prince. A breeze of a kiss was hastily planted on the shifter’s lips, she felt girlish and flustered and so very over joyed that she simply didn’t care about the consequences to her actions. “I dyed it,” Nera murmured in retort. Gripping the edge of Lucijah’s hands she forced them into her long-sheet of silver that was her hair. “Just like yours. I see you did the same thing with your clothes. Oban garb suits you.” When Lucijah gave her a tight squeeze and threw a glance towards her mother the lean-figured charmer exhaled through her crooked nose then peeled back a smile and interjected whatever conversation that Talia and Radesh were engaged in.
“Mommy,” Nera abruptly announced while framing the introduction as some form of question to both gain her mother’s attention and to clarify things to Lucijah. “Your Majesty, you will have to excuse us. I haven’t seen my,” without even missing a beat Nera threw a sideways glance at the tower of alabaster then back to the other pair. “Servant. I bested her in battle so now she is honor bound to me.”
Talia called bullshit on her daughter’s farce, she thought she had raised Nera to lie better than that.
Radesh barely knew his daughter but even he had to call bullshit on her statement. If he had raised her she would have certainly a better liar. Clapping his hands together the bearded sovereign offered the girls a dashing grin. “Lucijah told me the same thing,” he attempted to collaborate to save face for his child in front of her mother. “Also I would adore accompanying all of you ladies to dinner. We have so much to catch up on don’t we General,” for a moment Radesh let the comment linger and with every passing second Talia’s jaw fell further open. “Nera did you know that your mother and I used to serve together. She was my commanding office.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:04 pm
Such a hostile expression should have alarmed Lucijah, but for the moment she couldn't dredge up the need to care. Her arm dropped to enfold Nera in her arms, and she sighed, soothed like a babe by under the careful touch of her lover, her lips lazily quirking up into a pleased grin at the sweet kiss, and obediently released her hold on Nera, allowing her digits to be guided up to the silken hair. The last she'd seen it, it was spiky and short - now it was luxurious and long. She instantly let her fingers sink into the thick tresses, trailing down through tangle-free hair, until she found the tightly woven braid that she recognized. Her fingertips fluttered over the twin shells of Nera's rounded ears, then dropped to cradle both sides of her neck, guiding her close so she could settle a kiss upon her smooth, uncovered forehead.
Her heart fluttered, overjoyed at Nera's pride in her clothing, and this happiness was enough to sate her as Nera changed her focus to the two older Obans. Lucijah had thought her lie smart, all this time... but at the twin looks of muted disbelief on their faces told her otherwise (and how strange that those expressions both looked so much like Nera - did all Obans truly react so similarly?) Even so, Lucijah was pleased that Nera was so clever as to deduce her story and corroborate it, simply by taking in Lucijah's garb and the collar she'd put at her neck. Such a smart one, her lover was!! Even if Nera could come up with a better lie (which she could, no doubt), she had no way of knowing what Lucijah may or may not have said - it was better to have the same weak lie from both, than to have a strong lie that Lucijah had failed to support.
Dwelling on her mate's story, Lucijah broke from her thoughts when Radesh spoke. She had been reunited with her loved one, so now it seemed odd for him to insist on joining them. Even so, she couldn't mourn his presence because if he was gone, that meant Talia would turn her attention back on the two lovers far too soon. So, when she reacted, it was to shoot him a thankful, relieved look, before ducking her eyes back to Nera's, curious at what on earth 'superior officer' meant. Or 'serve' for that matter. Were they priests? She had thought Talia was a warrior - such a strange land Oba was.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:03 pm
It was Nera’s turn to stand slag jawed and gawking at the high-born prince of Oba. “You and my mother… were solders together?” The comment caught Nera off guard, never in all of her years had her mother ever uttered a solitary word of serving with one of the goddamned princes of their country! An honor like that wasn’t one that would easily escape someone’s memory, granted her mother wasn’t one to boast but every now and again with the right amount of ale and prodding Talia would spill the most engaging tales of her career. “I can’t believe it. She has never mentioned you my lord.”
At those words the long-haired General stiffened greatly and turned on her heels away from the lot. “It was a long time ago, Nera back when I was newly appointed my rank. He was just a private; his pedigree didn’t change any of that in the eyes of the military.” Talia’s voice tightened as if she were defending herself. She didn’t want to hear anymore, she didn’t wish to engage in any further conversation on the matter and yet the puffy-pant wearing prat muscled in on their family dinner. It was nearly enough to drive her to pull out her hair but instead Talia merely sighed inwardly and straightened to her full height so that she loomed over the three that followed behind her. “My love, have you chosen anywhere to eat yet, we mustn’t keep our company waiting.”
Radesh nearly opened his mouth to give his answer then quickly slammed his palm against his lips as if strangling a yawn. Of course his former-lover wasn’t asking him the question. Dropping his hand to his side the glossy, breaded mite of a man fell into silence waiting on Nera to answer her mother. Radesh’s actions however didn’t go unnoticed and the youngest of the three Obans cranked her brows as high as possible before turning her attention on Lucijah then back to her General mother and the aristocratic doyen. “Ahh--- that one little place that does the swish-swish bits and has that sauce I like.” Nera stated cryptically, it wasn’t that she was trying to make her mother guess it was the fact that she had no idea what the restaurant was called. Cold wine-red hues threw a glance back at her daughter then scoffed loud enough so that the entirety of the group could hear the woman, she knew exactly what her child was talking about and simply nodded in agreement.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:35 pm
What in blazes were these people talking about? As happy as Lucijah was to finally be here, side by side with Nera, it all felt rather anticlimactic now that they were standing awkwardly with Nera's mother and the fancy man who had helped Lucijah - or, at least, had intended to help. In the end he'd only walked her a block away where they'd lucked upon her goal. Making a face, Lucijah looked warily at the janarim who still lingered besides Talia, stretching itself out and sitting patiently - a strange sight to behold, considering it was a beast. Yet there it was, sitting nice and pretty in the middle of a crowded street.
All this time traveling here and Lucijah hadn't quite realized that she and Nera had never really interacted with one another in a normal situation. They'd always been sequestered off in a tree somewhere - and the few experiences with people were Lucijah finding Nera from the leaf man who had abducted her, and the few people who stared at them as they hurried back towards home through the forest paths, in the midst of a war. Now, in the middle of Oba, Lucijah found herself possessive of Nera's attention, and to not have it focused on her... it was a shock to the system.
Biting the inside of her cheek to keep her frustrations from rearing their head, Lucijah glanced sideways at Talia as her lover dictated where to 'go eat'. Soon enough the small group finally began to move, led by Talia of course. As they walked, Lucijah wondered if, being a 'servant' as their cover said, she would be allowed to touch Nera again. They had kissed and cradled one another moments before without comment, but that had been in the rush of seeing one another again. Instead, as they moved, Lucijah let her hand sweep forward and brush against Nera's palm, shooting her an inquiring look and raising her eyebrows in expectation.
The trek to whatever 'swish swish' place Nera had indicated wasn't too long, honestly, and the trip was uncomfortable what with Radesh following along, Talia so ramrod straight Lucijah thought she'd snap at a moment's notice, and Lucijah fidgeting along with unspent energy. When they arrived, it was at a small stand settled in a corner of a marketplace, with an assortment of wobbly wooden stools and tables. On the other side was an old, plump man and woman who bustled around, slicing fish and stirring pots of boiling soup. Lucijah, despite herself, shuffled forward towards the bar with interest, wide-eyed with curiosity. "What sort of place is this?" She asked, loudly, turning to look at Nera with childish bewilderment.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:25 pm
The day couldn’t get any more overwhelming if it actively tried to do so. Essid didn’t enjoy the scent that the pointy-white one emitted nor did he like the way his stared so adoringly at the pointy-creature but he held his orders and simply crept along grousing in the back of his throat and edging closer and closer to his beloved mate until he nudged into her hip. It seemed that everyone wanted a bit of Nera’s attention and at the gentle caress of her palm Lucijah won out over her Janarim companion. Briefly the youth fought the edge to slap the shifter’s hand away, it was her first impulse but there was no reason for her to do so, it had simply been so long since she had been affectionate to anyone save her pets and mother that the action almost felt unwanted. Those thoughts were stupid, of course she wanted to hold her lover’s hand, she was well within her rights to do so in public yet a tightness formed at the base of her stomach and made her hand flex closed just for an instant before she gathered the nerve to clamp onto the slightly taller woman, lacing their digits together.
The scent that greeted Nera was one that she found comforting despite the growing unease that surround her. The portly couple that ran the shop offered a friendly salutation to the group as they made their way to an accommodating back table. Nera already knew what she wanted to eat but the moment that Lucijah broke away from her and went to investigate the serving counter she couldn’t help but grin. The way her pale-moonbeam looked at her made her insides flutter then settled comfortably somewhere against the flats of her ribs.
“It is a restaurant, Lucijah-mine. They serve a specially prepared type of fish and lots of other really delicious items. They gut and package the fish in salt and leaves and transport it back here then they soak them in this seasoning. Then they cut the fish and serve it. I normally get a plate of that, a soup, and this diced and battered veg that they serve with this amazing sauce.” It was all good but Nera couldn’t help but remain biased with her choice.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 9:11 am
If Nera hesitated before taking her hand, Lucijah didn't notice, and merely dismissed it as a figment of her own nervousness. Once their hands met, however, she beamed, and straightened her stance, once again displaying her newly gained height, up until they made it to the 'restaurant'. The woman behind the counter shot her a brief, lazy glance, then continued with her work, allowing the foreign savage to gawk all it wanted. There was, after all, work to be done - and she was well aware of the importance of the guests here, even if she didn't recognize the ponce of a man that was with the general.
Instead, the woman barked a few orders to her husband, then disappeared into the back of the booth, ladling two simple saucers with sauce from a larger vat. The man, in turn, was already slicing the fish, while his wife continued her work with the vegetables Nera had described - all while Lucijah watched on, wide eyed. Fish? Of course she knew of fish, but she had never seen such meat. The fish from Jauhar were found in shallow rivers and lakes, small enough to eat bones and all, or to reduce down to a fish stock soup. Rarely, a larger one could be found that you could roast on a spit - but these were massive by comparison. Her knuckles, which were wrapped in dirty shreds of cloth, rapped against the wooden counter as she watched, up until the woman barked at her to get her dirty mits away. At that point, she backed off, but still craned her head, watching the couple at work.
"What kind of lake would you find these monsters in?" She asked, loudly, casting her eyes back to Nera.(( OOC: FIN! We have decided to end this rp. We know there won't be credit for it, but as far as plot purposes go we're happy with it <3 ))
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