[FIN][PRP Matori] The Sunshine's Muma [ V'demhe x Xewai ]

[Kapoodles]

It only took a few minutes from where Xewai had parked his Canoe and fell into friendship with Masika to make it to the huts where she lived. Despite being stationed not too far away for now, Xewai was astonished at how much of a different atmosphere was present. WAY less business, more homey and comfort. He swore he could even smell some sort of stew wafting through, mixing with the evening sea air. It felt cozy, it felt like home, or what he imagined a home kinda feeling like.

There was nothing but excitement filling the boy up as he followed his friend up to one of the huts. The excitement of new people more than food, but food also came in a close second.

"Masika, is this your home? It's so lovely!"

Heras Box

YAY!

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

Right away V'demhe emerged from the doorway. Her tall frame seemed to fill it and her dark eyes zeroed in on Xewai. Her expression was neutral as she looked the boy over and her hands were resting on the heads of her two radaku. A blue one named Maha and a pink one named Tanou flanked her on each side. The girly colored one had her head lowered a bit more than the other as she looked at the water tribe member. Tanou had always been the more skiddish of the two.

Maha simply stood and lazily leaned against Dem's leg. After a time the Alkidike looked at her daughter. "Masika go find your aunt, your sisters and your brother. It's dinner time." She almost added Ziel's name to the list but figured Alassiel had the girl at home for a family meal.

The hybrid girl nodded her head then looked at Xewai. She excused herself and went around the house so that she could locate her family.

That left V'demhe and Xewai. "Are you staying for dinner?" A simple question. She already assumed that the boy was indeed staying since her daughter brought him home at this time but she figured she would ask just in case.  

[Kapoodles]

Xewai did not know what to do as soon as jet black eyes rested on him. It was like the entirety of the universe was staring straight at him, and he was happy to oblige and stare back. It naturally felt rude to let his eyes wander anywhere but her own, so he continued to look into them until they left him to focus on someone else. It was then he realize just how far back his own neck was, and just how towering the woman was! But it was rude to stare! So rude, so he turned his eyes downwards at the animals before him.

"Oh look at them, they are so perfect!" he cooed in glee, wanting to run over to them and see if they'd mind him petting them for at least a little while. Before he could reach out, he realized he had been left alone with the tall unknown woman. Not that he minded any way.

"Yes, ma'am, if you wouldn't mind! I'm Xewai! I kinda sorta maybe fell asleep in my canoe and drifted ashore and met Masika who offered me a meal when my stomach started growling. I'd super appreciate a spot at your table before I start the long journey back to the base for the evening!"

Heras Box

YAY!

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

Tanou took a step back from the boy but was still within reach of Dem's hand. Maha made no move one way or the other, he was content to lean against his person's leg.

V'demhe arched a brow as the young Matorian seemed to get excited at seeing her two Radaku. It was a goo thing that her Perzi was inside lounging then, that poor thing didn't like when others made sudden moves. When the boy introduced himself she nodded her head but didn't get a chance to give her name since he went right into his tale of how he came to be at her door. It was an interesting one. "Ah, I see. Well, my name is V'demhe I'm Masika's mother." A fact that should have been obvious but she wanted to say it anyways.

"I don't see why you can't stay for a meal." A smile formed on her lips, making her silver lip ring even more noticeable.

With a motion of her hand indicating that he could come in, she turned to head back inside. Her Radaku were the first through the door and they instantly went to their favorite spots. However, when Dem turned it presented her back to Xewai, giving him a clear view of the long jagged scar that went from her shoulder blade down to her hip. It was an old one but it was dominant on her back.  

[Kapoodles]

"Good evening, Ms. V'demhe! Masika has told me great things about you in the past twenty or so minutes I've known her! And each one is great! You are wonderful person, I am sure of it!" The kindness to get her daughter a companion to protect her. The generosity of offering a meal to a person she had just met... To Xewai, she was already a fantastic individual, which was to be expected since she gave birth to a little ball of sunshine! And he did notice the long scar on her back, the words of inquiry almost left his lips, but he stopped. It was rude to ask, to stare. Maybe at the dinner table, when they all sat down he could ask of her epic tale of how she managed to come to live in a hut on the ocean. But yes, food first!

The young Matorian was no mooch though! The moment that she gave him the okay to come into the house he quickly wiped his feet outside before coming up right to her side, looking around at everything in sight.

"Is there anything I can do to help, Ma'am? I'm not a fancy cook, but I can clean." He looked down at himself making a slight 'oh wait..' expression. He was still kinda sand encrusted from his fall onto the shore. "Well, I can clean other things. Me, I guess I'm not very good at keeping myself clean!"

Heras Box

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

Her head gave a small shake, making the long braid of hair sway even more, and she turned into the large open space that served as the dinning area. "That's alright. I usually have the kids clean after meals." That way they learned to take care of things themselves. It also made them work for all the things that they wanted her to get for them.

"I hope you don't mind it being a full table. I have three children plus my younger sister." Which would mean that the table would be full of three hybrid kids and two Alkidikes. Dem's mate was with his mentor so he wouldn't be eating with them. Turning to look at Xewai to make sure he was alright with the small crowd she smiled at him. "You are lucky. Another day or so and we wouldn't be here. We'll be headed up to Jauhar soon."  

[Kapoodles]

This time Xewai couldn't help but watch the woman before him. Her hair was SO LONG and looked so heavy. He bet she could probably even use it as a whip or a tie in an emergency... How long did it take to grow it? He couldn't hold back anymore, he wanted to ask so many questions! What was she exactly, where did she come from? Why are there so many kids and he hadn't met them before? What was for dinner? Do the pets eat the same food?

Just as he was about to begin the long list of questions, V'demhe mentioned her leaving and he paled, the smile wiped completely off of his face.

"W-wait... You're leaving? You and Masika and everyone are going away? But I just met her!" For the first time in a long while he felt his heart sank down to his feet. If they had met in passing in the market, or maybe while he was out on a mission that'd be okay. He'd figure people would move and go about all the time in that situation. But This was her home, right? She brought him here and said she lived here! That meant she was gonna keep living there, right?

"I'm sure you'll come back, right? We just met, it would be very very sad to have just met and then have to say goodbye forever... Forever's a very very very VERY long time to be without Sunshine..."

Heras Box

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

She saw how the color drained from him and looked concerned. Was he sick? Then he voiced the problem. "Oh..." V'demhe offered the boy a gentle smile.

"My mate and Masika's sister will stay here since they don't want to travel just yet, but Masika, Draven, Valharii and Keket will go North with me." Of course they would be swinging into Oba for supplies first. After that it was to Jauhar and hopefully chibale. Feeling that she may have hurt the boy's feelings by letting him know this she motioned for him to take a seat at the table. "I am from the Chibale Islands and I've been away from home for many years. Masika wishes to see the place I came from. After we visit there my son, Draven, wants to go to Zena so we'll be gone for a while."

Dem knew that what she said wasn't going to help but she didn't see the point in lying to him.  

[Kapoodles]

So it was Masika's wish... His dismay shifted into a lesser expression, and he seemed a bit more thoughtful. Xewai knew all about wishes; when he could he loved to offer them out to people in thanks! And it would be wrong to be selfish about another persons wish, especially since they had just met!

"It sounds like a nice trip... And she'll get to see the world, so that's really great. I'm sure she's excited. And you must be excited too, to be going home. Is your mother and father there as well?" Although he wasn't as panicked as before, his voice still seemed saddened by the whole affair. He all but dragged his feet across the floor before taking a seat in the chair offered by Dem. The Chibale Islands... All he really knew about them was that they were very far away... And that meant Masika and her family would be very far away too.


"I want to travel someday too. To go around and protect people who need it, all on my own. And maybe if I traveled, I'd get to see Masika and you again. I don't want to think that this would be the only time I ever got to see you... But even if it was I know that this will be a good memory, one I'll never forget." How could he? There was a lovely mountainous woman before him, surrounded by beasts who seemed to adore her, plus there were children around that seemed more than happy to be there. How could this not be a great memory?

Heras Box

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

The question about her mother had her antennae lowering. V'demhe gave a slight frown and shook her head. "No, Xewai.. The woman that I called my mother died some years ago when Masika and her twin sister were younglings." Dem would never forget V'denri. She had been the woman that had requested her from Aisha. "And as an Alkidike I have no father. The Alks are a tribe of women born from the blooms of Aisha." Of course she didn't get upset by having to explain this. V'demhe had been in the world long enough to know that not everyone understood the workings of the Alkidike.

Her smile returned and she nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, I suppose if you traveled then you would see us again. You are welcome to come along if your mother is alright with it." V'demhe was used to having tag alongs by now and was usually the one that invited them.  

[Kapoodles]

Now, Xewai knew little of the world outside of Oba and Matori. He knew there were different types of people, and he knew that not everyone looked alike, or shared the same feelings about things, but what they were and how they acted was unfamiliar to him. Still, he noticed the tall antennae that were beginning to droop, and he knew that a frown was still a frown wherever you go. He hadn't meant to touch a soft subject, but loss of life was just a FACT of life. They should be saddened, but not let them hold them back.

"Oh... Well, I think you did a great job of being a mother yourself! Masika is super nice and happy, so... I think there's some comfort to be taken from that, right? She kinda looks like me, and kinda looks like you... Does that me she's a bit of both? That's super cool!! Did she come from a bloom too?"

Moving onto the subject of his own mother made him look down a bit, sheepishly scratching the tip of his nose.

"Well, you see... I uh... I don't really have a mother or a father either... Well, I mean, I did back when I was really really small, but then they were taken away. But it's okay! I was raised by the Buhawi!" As soon as he mentioned his own beloved organization, his eyes lit up in adoration. They were the best! "Do you know about them? Did you hear about them where you grew up?"

Heras Box

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

The boy's excitement reminded her of Ziel on so many levels that she was amused. It was also precious that kids were like that. "Yes, she's both. Her father is a Matorian." V'demhe's expression when she mentioned Masika's dad was soft and affectionate. "And she did come out of a bloom. A very beautiful bloom." She recalled how stunned she was to see the vibrant colors in the petals of Masika and Galene's blooms. They were breathtaking.

When the boy told her that his parents had been taken away she understood. Though she had to shake her head when Xewai brought up the Buhawi. "No, I didn't. Back then the Alkidikes kept to themselves most of the time." Things had changed so much since then.  

[Kapoodles]

People really grew from flowers... Xewai was simply astonished by that! Not that he knew how babies for most earthlings were made. He just knew that people grew inside their moms until it was time to come out. But PLANTS? That was astonishing, and made the young waterling consider the possibility of growing his own brother or sister one of these days.

"Oh! OOH so you don't know about them! They are the coolest, most amazing people in all of Matori!" He knew darn well that was an exaggeration, but he didn't care, he adored them so much! "Back in the day, when we Matori were kept as slaves by the Oba, the Buhawi was the organization who snuck into Oba and rescued people! We brought them back home! I helped too, but only a little; I was really really small back then, so I was really good and sneaking information back and forth. Cuz, you know, I was no threat! BUT IT WAS MY CHOICE!"

Xewai put alot of emphasis on that last point. People liked to think that the Buhawi were cruel to use children to save people, but it wasn't as if they didn't know what was happening. People gave far too little credit to the kids around there. They were smart, and they knew what they were doing.

"We don't do that anymore, unless we hear about people on the black market... That doesn't happen too often anymore. But we mainly do escort work! Taking people from here to there!" He gasped loudly and pointed at Dem with a wide grin.

"You don't need an escort, do you? But IF you did! We can help!"

Heras Box

 

[Heras Box]

Kapoodles

As the boy explained everything about the Buhawi she listened quite attentively. Though she did end up smiling at the end when he put emphasis on the whole thing being his choice. V'demhe might not like that children were used, since she saw them as precious gifts, but she wasn't about to lecture Xewai on something he wanted to do. Heck, when she was a youngling she had high tailed it to Jauhar on her own and gotten lost. Of course another Alkidike had taken her back to Chibale and to a very angry mother.

"I see. Well, you were very brave and I thank you for helping those people." Dem had heard stories about the abuse that had happened to the Matorians and was none too pleased with it. She took it personally since her mate was from the water tribe and her two daughters were half. V'demhe certainly didn't want her children to inherit that. Knowing that there were still black market things happening made her skin crawl but she would leave that alone for now.

Instead she laughed and shook her head. "No, I don't think I need an escort, but you are welcome to tag along if you'd like. We're likely going to have quite a group."  

[Kapoodles]

Being called brave by the strong looking mama just made Xewai beam and blush, just a little bit. He really really did try to do his best to do what he could for the people he helped to rescue. And soon enough he'd have his own quest to do, his very own people to save. Not that he wanted to think too much about it. After all, if he had work to do with saving people, that meant that there were people still hurting.

Still, the offer to follow her and her group leaving Matori was appealing.. But there was just too much he needed to do, wanted to do, before he could consider leaving. He was certain there were still so many Matori who needed to be set free, and he wanted to save them ALL before he could allow himself to follow his heart and explore the world.

"Thank you, Ms. V'demhe... I would LOVE to join you on your expedition... I'd love to stay by the Sunshine's side... But I still have work to do... But maybe if she comes back, if we're older, and more prepared, maybe I'd like to stay with her and go. Maybe I'll even be strong enough to protect her! But it's probably WAY more likely she's gonna end up protecting me. She seems strong and so cheerful! She'd be a fantastic adventuring partner!"

Heras Box