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 Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 5:29 pm
 Having been unceremoniously booted from the hotel room she didn't remember booking by a snooty little cherub at check-out time, Midoriko dropped her unused coins at the front and wandered off without much of a backward glance. Much of her time was spent sun-bathing on Cha'en beach but she wandered into Amaremur proper on occasion to trade seashell necklaces she made for cheese, which she'd developed a sudden inexplicable craving for.
Mourning the loss of her waistline, which she at first attributed to this growing love of cheese, Midoriko found herself enjoying the sun and sand less and less. Struck by wanderlust, and a desire for cooler climes, she picked a direction and set off, eventually finding herself in StarGrove and at a crossroads. Left or right? Utilizing the ever reliable 'Eenie Meenie Miney Moe' technique, she went left. And, somewhere along the way, she came to the unpleasant realization that the extra weight she was carrying around wasn't just because of her increased food intake.
~*~*~*~
Used to providing for herself, even when the HQ was still standing, Midoriko did pretty well for herself living off the bounty of the woodlands. She'd noted the village, which she didn't have a name for, early on in her wanderings but had never gotten any closer than the outskirts. Now, though, the movement in her belly was becoming more commonplace and, despite not having any prior experience, she knew her time was soon..
Exhausted and ready to burst, she still managed a bold front and walked into the middle of the village. Hands on hips and rounded belly thrust forward, she called out to no one in particular, "Excuse me, and sorry for any inconvenience, but I could use some help."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:13 pm
 Warmer weather meant spring was on the way. It also meant the game that had settled for the winter was starting to emerge and move once more. After a long rest, it was time for the hunter to get back to work. Already, the meat had been cleaned and packaged, put into storage. Kane had just finished cleaning the skins and stretching the fur from his latest kill when his sharp hearing picked up a distant screech. It sounded like the simple call of some jungle bird, but the double pattern and the particular tone caught the hunter's attention.
Nyra.
It was nice having an early warning harpy security system.
That particular tone didn't carry the warning tone of a true threat, only a stranger near the village. One, from the call. Kane wasn't alarmed. He continued his business, finishing with the furs. Someone else would deal with any newcomers.
Or not.
The voice rang out from the central meeting site after waiting a moment with no other answer, Kane shrugged. He checked his work then dusted off his hands before heading for the center. "Alright, alright, what seems to be the issu--"
Rounding the corner of the building, the village center came into view, as did the lone occupant. The demon had stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, then swiftly settled into a neutral, balanced stance. I'd say so. Kane wisely kept the comment to himself, instead asking after a moment, "Err...did you walk all the way out here? Alone?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:11 am
Ask a stupid question, you'll get a stupid answer, was Midoriko's initial thought but she checked her impatience and counted slowly to ten, shifting on her sore feet and crossing her arms on top of what she'd taken to affectionately referring to in her head as 'The Bumps'. Best not to alienate anyone, especially the first person to make an appearance, in her time of need.
"Mostly alone, yes," she answered, and was proud to note that it came out merely sarcastic as opposed to scathing. "But expecting company soon, if you catch my drift." Shifting again, she huffed, patted The Bumps, and then moved one of her hands to the small of her back, trying to sooth the pain there that seemed to be getting worse by the moment. Carrying around her extra occupants was wearing; she was cranky, her ankles were swollen, and the longer they stood around, the more likely she was to drop right there.
"Look, I'll be happy to answer any further questions you might have, but can I do it sitting down? I don't plan on staying long. I just don't want to do this thing on my own."
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 9:10 pm
Managing to stifle a snort of amusement, the only telltale sign that actually made it to Kane's face was a sole lifted brow at the woman's response. Not that he was one to encourage such smart mouthed behavior. Nope, of course not. He'd keep his comments to himself, but the pregnant woman making her way all the way out to Kekomura alone in her condition, well, it earned her a few points in Kane's book. Instead, he merely shrugged and smirked, walking towards the woman. "Okay, so didn't get booted out of a trade caravan or escape from a traveling circus. Probably good to know, actually."
Chuckling, he paused, arms crossed over his chest and staring at her briefly as in thought. After just a moment of that, he motioned for her to follow him. "Well, if you can make it a few more feet, can probably offer you something more than ground or an old log to sit on. Questions can wait." Though he wasn't so forward as to offer help that hadn't been asked for, Kane did keep a measured pace that she could easily match and he stayed within reach, confident that his reflexes would be quick enough to react if the pregnant woman did need help. The path was even and well kept here within the village and he lead the way toward the largest of the scattered homes around the clearing. A bit more decorated than most, the home's walls were accented with climbing vines, now in bloom as spring warmed the land. Though special touches like that had been made to the home, overall the dwelling still felt modest and welcoming, seeming to have grown out of the jungle naturally and made up of materials found in plentiful supply from the surroundings, like all of the other homes in the area.
Making a beeline for the door of this dwelling, Kane knocked briefly, then pushed the door open by a crack and called inside, "Hey, Mom? You here? You're gonna want to see this!" He tilted his head as if hearing something from within, then cracked another smirk and stepped away from the door.A moment later, the door was pushed open by an angel woman who peered curiously around the frame at her son. "Yes, dear? What is it you wanted me to see--?" Her eyes traveled past Kane to the newcomer and she took a sharp intake of breath in surprise. "Oh dear Guardians, honey, get in here and sit down!" She pushed the door open wide in invitation, reaching out to the pregnant woman with a welcoming smile. "Please come in. There are seats in the living room; make yourself comfortable and let's get you off your feet. My name is Takeko. What can I call you, dear?"Figuring his work was done here, Kane smirked and turned to leave and get back to his work--"Kane! Make yourself useful and go get some spare pillows and blankets from the hall closet!" Takeko masked any reaction to the demon's eyerolling by focusing on the newcomer and helping her into her home.
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:12 pm
"Didn't you know? I have my own solo magic act. Performance of a lifetime coming soon to a town near you. I'll be making a couple of babies appear from thin air," she sniped, watching him watch her. At the gesture to follow and the prospect of a place more comfortable than the ground to sit on, though, she warmed considerably and perked up, offering the slightest of genuine smiles.
Nodding her head for him to lead on, she fell in beside him and followed a half-step behind. As they walked, some of the tension in her back eased even though she still felt ungainly, encumbered as she was. Despite that, he set a reasonably sedate pace and she got her first really good look at the village. Intrigued, she tried to look everywhere at once, her eyes roving over the homes and the well-tended path. Before she knew it, she found herself standing behind her guide as he knocked on the door of the biggest building.
Already meeting the parents, she thought with a snort and then her eyebrows came up at his 'introduction'. Feeling a little bit like a roadside attraction from the traveling circus he'd mentioned at the outset, she saw the door open and had just enough time for a brief glimpse of the angel woman before she found herself suddenly the center of concerned, solicitous attention.
"Oh, I'm Midoriko. But you can shorten it however you want to-" she managed to edge out in the midst of the whirlwind of activity her appearance had created. She noticed the male beating a hasty retreat and she'd just started to raise her hand when Takeko cracked the whip, calling him back and enlisting further help all in one go. Kane, huh? she noted, allowing herself to be steered inside. "My name's Midoriko," she started again once she was comfortably settled, with her feet propped up. "It's nice to meet you, Takeko. I appreciate you and Kane doing all this without any forewarning. It's a lot more than I could expect." Midoriko shrugged and smiled, figuring she should offer at least a little bit of an explanation. "I started staying nearby when The Bumps got too big for me to move around so much and early this morning they let me know it'd probably be a good idea to make our collective presence known.."
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