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 Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 4:39 pm
Painted Moose He's not at Corine's yet, thought the first tag could be what they're both up to XD
For the first few months, time had passed quickly. Callum and Eema, with the help of Eema's mother, decided on a schedule to spend their 'time' together, while Callum and Nimueh focused on getting their room at Corine's ready for children. Despite growing up in a tree himself, Nimueh balked at the idea of raising infants in a tree house, where they could fall off the vine-woven walkways if they crawled too far from supervision.
They'd talked early on about where, exactly, they could raise the children and finally, after much deliberation, they had agreed that Zena was the best option. Sauti, while more homey for Callum, would only be a good option if they found a group to travel with - and with Callum's fear of running into his mother, settling down for too long was simply too risky. Jauhar, meanwhile, wasn't a place Nim felt comfortable staying in for too long, as it was close to both the Alkidike and Obans, to the south.
He didn't know if his mothers would let them stay, but Nim had to try. And so, with the assurance that it would take at least nine months for the children to come, surely it was okay to visit Zena for three short months?
Three months and, finally, he was back in Jauhar, itching to see Callum again. It was the longest they'd been seperated since coming together, after all.
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 5:48 pm
Creating a schedule that benefited all parties had served them well in the end. As hard as it had been to separate himself from Nimueh, in some aspects it had been easier finding time to be with Eema with his lover away. It was left him feeling less guilty about going to her as opposed to spending time with his partner, and in the end Callum had gotten to know her on a personal level. There were no romantic connections tying them together; rather, he'd built up a sort of friendship with her, making it easier to imagine this no-longer-stranger carrying their child one day. She was passionate about her work, her mother was a fountain of knowledge, and Callum was genuinely happy to have someone like her to watch over his grandmother while he was away.
Of course, he didn't spend more than a few hours with her at the most. Callum was a busy man, and time waited for no one! Corine's home as in sore need of repair. It had been in a sort of disarray for years, and while he'd tried to patch it up as best he could while living there, since Callum had moved out she hadn't been able to keep up repairs. The swordsman may have been no carpenter, but he had connections. Years ago when he had first picked up his sword it had been to save the life of an alkidike hybrid. Said hybrid was now an avid builder, who readily brought both tools and man power when Callum asked for assistance. It was slow going - since Corine her self had asked for a number of upgrades - but Callum knew it would be worth it in the end.
Someday he wouldn't be here. He, Nimueh, and their child would be stowed away in the snowy north with little more than letters to keep them in touch with the older shifter. It would give Callum peace of mind to know her home was stable; that and helping in the construction effort was keeping his mind busy. Even when Nimueh had been here the question of when was always on his mind, but now more so than ever.
Three months. Three months of wishing, waiting, pining, and longing. A few days prior, however, Callum had received a bit of news that made it hard not to charge off after Nimueh that very moment. News that made it hard to stay home. So, Callum ran. Running always helped him to expel excess energy and emotions in Sauti, though skating around trees was a lot harder than simply bounding over stones. He ran for what seemed like hours until his skin was caked in sweat and he made his way to a little waterfall. It was Corine's favorite spot in Jauhar, which made it easy to see the appeal; the area was a little isolated, though not something necessarily hidden, surrounding by fat flowers with glowing crystal centers. Even wholly dressed (if one could consider a loin cloth clothing) Callum slipped down into the water and stretched out onto his back.
If he'd had more fat he could float, but just soaking in his glee was just fine with him.
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:44 pm
When Nimueh decided to stop by the waterfall, it wasn't because he thought Callum would actually be there, but because he didn't want to retrace his steps back to find him... in the off chance he was there. The waterfall lay a good ways east of the settlement, a half hour's walk, and in wanting to get home to Callum as soon as possible Nimueh had pushed himself and his raptrix rather hard. He didn't think he could sit around the home, waiting for Callum to come home, if he happened to miss him here.
Rounding an outrcrop of thick bushes and vines, Nim shielded his face from the glow of the flowers, reflecting as they did off the waterfall and calm lake, and peered through the sudden glow. Imagine his surprise when, with a happy squeeze of his heart, he saw him - Callum - floating peacefully in the water. He was just as radiant as he was when Nimueh left. Three months had felt infinitely long, between the travel itself and the seemingly endless nights of Zena. With mounting giddiness, Nimueh carefully picked his way through the brush, unable to fight back the giddy smile on his face as he neared the edge of the lake.
Nimueh had changed somewhat, in Zena. Not only had he met a sister he hadn't known he had (Misuru, Buru's twin, who had 'died' before he was adopted as a youngster), but he had announced to his family that they were trying for children. Izuzue and Xansa were utterly thrilled, and despite her utter faith in Aisha, Izuzue had been furious on his and Callum's behalf when she heard news of what happened in Chibale.
With her blessing, Nim had said goodbye to the dreads that he'd wrapped his hair in all his life. Shearing his hair had been a hard, emotional decision - but in the long run he felt it was best, for both himself and his and Callum's children. With a comb, and a special hair ointment made from ground niriibi root, Nimueh had coaxed his hair back to its prior length, only now his hair fell straight, no longer wrapped and coiled as dreads.
Brushing hair from his face (which he felt both gleeful, and annoyed to do now), Nim tugged off the exterior layers of clothes, leaving himself in trousers so he could wade out into the water, shivering despite himself at the surprising chill. "Callum! Callum, it's me!"
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:57 pm
Callum flicked at the water with his bare feet, kicking up little ripples with his toes as the current moved him around in lazy half circles. His arms fanned out on either side of him, undulating through the water like a sea servant with his fingers playing the role of fins. Perhaps if he'd been more focused on the present he would have noticed that he wasn't entirely alone, but the swordsman was a thousand miles away. Somewhere in the stars, maybe, scattered among a thousand hopes and dreams that were finally coming into fruition.
The change in the rippling current wasn't strange to Callum - after all, the flow of water from the waterfall was constantly changing it - but opening closed eyes to see his lover wading closer to him stole Callum's breath. Whatever floating abilities he'd possessed moments earlier were now gone, and in a twist of limbs Callum dipped below the water.
He resurfaced quickly, however, and in an instantly had flung his sopping wet form onto Nimueh. His arms scrambled to wrap around his lover's neck, not even registering the change in his hair, in his rush to press his lips against Nim's.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:07 am
Once noticed, Nimueh waded deeper into the water, face lit up with joy. One moment, Callum was floating gracefully, the next? He yanked himself upwards, then submerged with a splash and a flail of arms and legs. Before Nim could do more than stumble forward a step, Callum had reappeared from the deep, and captured him in his embrace, nearly toppling Nim in the water in his eagerness. Laughing in pleasure, the alkidike happily gathered his lover up in his arms, with the aid of the water, and held him close, meeting his kisses with equal vigor.
Finally, once Nim's lungs were fit to bursting, he pulled back with a gasp then erupted into soft laughter, nuzzling his nose against Callum's cheek. "I didn't think you'd really be here but -- but I had to check." The fatigue from his trip had evaporated, for the moment, and Nim simply let himself revel in his lover's presence. After being gone for a time, having him in his arms again was a comfort he had sorely missed.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:42 am
Callum couldn't have pressed himself closer to Nimueh if he'd tried. Three months; three months had been far too long to go without those muscular shoulders under his fingers, without the aroma of his sweet scent, and the feel of drea-
What had been a pull back of breathless laughter, an easy turn of the head so that he could be nuzzled, ended in a shocked gasp. "Nimueh! What-?" Callum, who was so used to coiling his fingers through solid dreads now found his fingers gliding through free flowing hair. How could he not have noticed earlier? The shifter seemed transfixed by the change, as if for a moment time stood still for the benefit of his mental processing. After a while Callum looked back up at Nimueh with a soft, sympathetic smile and placed a quick kiss his to lips. "It's beautiful, Nim."
He stepped back, just so he wouldn't be hanging off his larger lover like some kind of vine. Callum was grinning like a full blown idiot the entire time. "I came here to think about some things. Something wonderful happened while you were away, Nim. Something magical."
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 3:35 pm
The decision to undo his dreads had been a difficult one, and yet he couldn't say he wasn't pleased by Callum's reaction. The feeling came with a kernel of guilt, but he quickly dismissed the feeling and instead let out a pleased sigh, tilting his head into Callum's touch to encourage those soft fingers, fighting back a shiver at the new, almost too-sensitive sensation.
With his lover stepping back, and sinking back into the water, Nim looked down at him, and raised his eyebrows at registering the bright, giddy grin on his lips. Could it really be...? Nim's breath caught, and his fingers gripped at his lover's arms a bit too tight, tugging him close and searching his eyes, as if they would betray what it was Callum was going to say.
He had a pretty good idea of what, exactly, would make his partner smile this way - but to guess and be wrong would be too much to take. Instead, he waited on bated breath. "...Yes??What is it, what happened?" The words came out in a rush, almost too loud in his ears.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:20 pm
Callum couldn't keep still. He rocked on the balls of his feet against the undulating lake bottom, swaying this way and that through the crisp water. Nim's hardened grip didn't deter that untainted, pure, blossoming grin one bit. He needed only to look into the very sunshine eyes that were searching into his own to feel a fresh burst of joy.
Being with Nimueh had given him happiness beyond any that Callum could measure, but in that moment he couldn't remember being so filled with it that he thought shouting was the only appropriate response.
"Eema's pregnant. Her mother confirmed it." Callum waited for that to sink in, his body practically coiling with anticipation before he burst out in excited laughter, "It's happening, Nim! We're going to be fathers!" Callum searched Nim's face for a sign for his reaction to come. Would he be as overjoyed as his lover was? Would he faint (Callum hoped not; would he be able to catch him before he went under water?), would he be happy or...?
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:09 pm
Was it truly possible? Could it be-- for a long, horrible moment Callum kept him in his misery (though not on purpose), and Nim could only watch in agony as his love excitedly wiggled infront of him, until finally the news escaped him in a rush. Then, before it had settled even a moment, Callum was talking again, staring up at him with the most beautiful, euphoric look on his face. Nim stared back, heart hammering in his ears, until finally he ducked down, raising his hands from the water to grab Callum's face and tug him close. Perhaps it was meant to be a deep, passionate kiss, but Nim was so jittery with excitement instead he peppered kisses all over Callum's face, missing his lips more often than not so that kisses speckled against his chin, then up to his cheek, and finally to his eyelids and forehead.
For that moment, there were too many emotions coursing through him to do any more than cling and kiss, until finally he drew back with a gasp, hands stilled clasped against Callum's cheeks, fingertips buried into dripping white curls. "It's actually happening - Callum! You did it! How is Eema-- is the baby-- is it -- are they--"
Too many thoughts were rushing through his mind. There was still that worry, nestled deep inside, that Eema wouldn't be able to go through with it. After all, Nimueh hadn't had the same chance as Callum to get close to her, but he'd tried to be friendly, and she seemed like a nice woman. Pregnancy was... well. As glad as he was that it had worked, the concept itself still terrified him, and his initial concerns, beyond the overwhelming joy, was whether or not Eema was hurting. She was going through a lot for them after all!
Finally, Nim simply decided that he was too emotional (and tired from the trip) to make any real sense, and instead he descended on Callum, drawing him close and kissing him until he saw spots behind his eyes!
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:40 pm
"Woah!" Callum wasn't sure what to expect, but the shower of kisses certainly hadn't been it. He chuckled, alternating closing his eyes when his lover got a little to close to his hoary peepers. The shifter wriggled under his partner, half-heartedly dodging the spray while managing to take the worst of the attack. Not that he minded; not really. It was quite possibly the most adorable thing Nim had ever done around Callum, and there had been more than a few to contend with!
He moved his hands up to hold onto Nimueh's hips, pulling his lover close while his curls were being ruffled. "I didn't do it - we did. You and me both, love." Some day soon, some day very soon, since months didn't last nearly as long as they seemed, there would be a little babe in their arms. Callum couldn't stop bouncing he was so happy just thinking about it; what would he be like holding it, then? Hopefully not this jittery, otherwise he might drop it!
"Eema's fine - more than fine. She worries about gaining weight, but her mother says that hasn't stopped her from eating every pickled egg in sight." Callum chuckled. Their surrogate was tickled pink, and hadn't been able to wait for Nimueh to return before telling Callum. He knew that if he'd let her she would have gone after the other alk hybrid herself!
Caught up once again in his lovers emotional embrace, Callum found little choice but to give in. He kissed with all the passion, longing, and desire that had built up in the past three months with the extra addition of excitement to top it off. Though, nothing could compete with the the sweeping romance of Nimueh's kiss, that left Callum gasping for air and swooning against his larger lover with a breathless laugh.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:17 pm
Perhaps, later, Nim would let himself react to the news of Eema's rather questionable tastes (a side effect of pregnancy, he'd been told, but he never would have expected it to happen so soon!) but for now? For now, he was happy simply to hold Callum close and show his overwhelming affection and happiness in the only way he could think. Eventually, however, he had to draw away, and when he did he beamed down at his smaller lover and took his hand, guiding him back towards the shore of the lake.
Despite its humidity, the air was cooled his skin as he climbed out of the water, causing Nim to shiver and rub his hand up and down Callum's back and arm, trying to warm him. "Our child - it's really happening, Callum!" Nim finally whispered, giving his head a shake and drawing his free hand through his now loose, and somewhat messy bangs, wringing water from his hair as best he could. It was exciting, to realize that their child was growing, that in just a few short months they'd have them in their arms. It brought about a whole other can of thoughts (would they like him? Would they like Zena? What if they didn't like traveling? Would it be a boy or a girl?), but Nim did his best to push them into the background, for now.
"We'll need to write my mothers - let them know. How long, do you think, until...? " He turned his eyes back to Callum, biting his lip to try and contain the overeager grin that threatened to split his face.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:42 pm
Callum couldn't help imagining Nim being so doting to their child. Would he warm them before they even felt the cold, just like he was doing for Callum now? It wasn't hard to see his larger lover wrapping a little toddler in an over sized scarf, or tending to a scraped knee. If anything it made Callum's desire to learn writing grow so that he could record it all in a journal.
"We'll have to buy you some hair ointments, and trim up those bangs before it gets here. How else will the baby know you're his or her father and not a hair monster?" Callum reached up to work the longer strands of Nimueh's hair through his hands, using the friction of his rubbing hands to dry it.
Callum's eyes rolled up, and he gnawed on his lower lip, a sure sign that he was thinking on something. "Eema's mother seems to think the babe could be early, since she was a month early. And if she's roughly been carrying for a month already then...as little as seven months?" He smoothed his fingers through Nim's hair before working through it in the same plaited pattern he'd done thousands of times before. It was different now because it wasn't his own hair, but the end results was the same. He only wished he had something to tie it off with.
"So you told your mothers?" He'd know there was a plan to let them know they had been trying, but Callum hadn't known if it had been carried out or not. "What did they think about it? Are they ready to be grandmothers?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:03 pm
Oh- right. The hair. Nim snorted softly, but was quietly calming from the high he'd shot to just moments ago, ducking his head just a bit so Callum could easily reach his hair. "I'm sure I'll regret wearing it so long soon enough." Nim mused, pursing his lips thoughtfully, and trying not to blush at the attention he was being given. It'd be a lie if he said he wasn't enjoying both Callum's attention and the soothing nature of his hands in his hair.
Of course, Nim did deflate just a tad when he learned just how long it would be. They had only just found out, after all - but once more he was reminded of how long this strange earthling progress took! Impatience already crept into his nerves so, for now, he was content to turn his attentions to Callum. After all, soon enough they'd have their hands full with their child, and would have to make time for one another - one of the few life lessons his mothers had shared with him, while he was visiting.
"I did." He confirmed, giving his head a gentle sway so as to show off the finished plait to himself, unable to keep a dorky, happy smile from flitting onto his face. Then, he sobered, somewhat. "They're both happy that we're trying. Mother was... absolutely furious that we were... turned away." Izuzue, the alkidike who had adopted him, had been saddened at the changes in the east, had bemoaned the fact that Aisha was being kept hostage from her children, and had been even sadder when he told her his decision to straighten his hair. But, in the end, she understood his reasoning and had allowed him to make his own choices.
"But she's looking forward to us coming back, with our family! They're making a place for us to stay too, and suggested good groups to travel east with, when the time is right. Does grandmother know yet?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:30 am
"You'll get used to it. And just think, now you can be the fisherman." Callum couldn't resist the little jab, remembering back to their travels in Sauti. These days he could only just barely remember what it was like to have hair that reached his calves. The length had been such a staple for him that at first simply turning his head had felt strange. It was too light, and he'd worried about making a mistake. That was all in the past now, although... It did made him wonder if their child would keep his or her hair long, or if they would keep it buzzed short. What color would it be? Would it come out as straight as Eema's, curly, maybe even frizzy? Would it be as ridiculously soft as Nimueh's had turned out?
Callum sobered somewhat, though he tried his best to keep a pleasant look about his face. He'd tried not to let his own personal feelings of what had happened that day taint his views on that half of Nimueh's culture, at least not in a way that would negatively affect his partner. Callum could think all sorts of nasty things about them from time to time in his mind, but never would he speak them out loud. And in truth, even those little insults were just that; little. Without Aisha he wouldn't have Nimueh, and he owed them for that, at the very least.
"They're making us a place to stay? Is it with them, or on our own, or...?" While Callum wouldn't mind staying with them for a time, much like what they were doing now with Corine, he didn't know about an extended stay. As much as he wanted Nimueh's family involved in their lives he also wanted a little place just for 'them'. "Oh! No, I haven't told her yet. I wanted to let you to know first before we told anyone else. We're going to have to do an inventory check before going east...." Callum raised his hand, and started ticking off a mental list on the tips of his fingers. "I'm sure we can get everything we'll need there, but we'll have to have supplies to travel with, gifts for your family, baby clo....no, no, we can get those in Zena, but, no, it's going to need to wear something..."
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:51 pm
Painted Moose sorry, it's so hard for some reason to tag on this tablet, omgggg I don't understand ;3;
"Oh, no! No no, not the same place it's... it's a small cabin, not too far away in case we need help. It's... a bit of a fixer upper but..." Nim shuffled somewhat, wringing the water from his pants with a nervous shrug and smile. It was, after all, a place he was suggesting as the place they'd raise their child - he wanted it to be perfect! "A papoose, of course... it's a sling. It'd be easier to carry them, keep them warm. You need it up in Zena, trust me."
Moving closer, Nimueh smiled and gently took hold of Callum's hand, using it to tug him close into his arms.
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