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 Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:41 pm
Keldari were nothing new to the youngling. Her father had a slithering companion that he'd had since before she have been born, and one of her sisters had a few of her own. Despite this, Alfina had never cared to get close to any of them. She remained wary of the little critters, and had been content enough to avoid them in her young life.
The petite youth was happily setting up a little picnic for herself and her big sister, Kitya. Everyone else was off on one errand or another, so it was just the two of them. Alfina loved making the most of her time with her siblings, and one on one time could be just as fun as all of them together. She was trying to make the setup look fancy with tea cups and a vase of flowers she had picked. She had even dared to make the tea herself, carrying the hot pot of water with a thick towel. She leaned to set the pot onto the chosen stump when a low hiss sounded from nearby. Freezing, her wide eyes slid over to see two Keldari slipping contently through the grass nearby. Alfina let out a shriek and dropped the water with surprise, wincing at the heat that splashed over her toes. "Kityaaaa!" she called with a whine.
The Keldari raised their heads in confusion, more curious than startled from the noise. Of course, that just startled the youngling even further and she scrambled to a nearby rock to get herself off of the ground. Scary Keldari and spilling the tea and burning her toes! What else could go wrong? "Go away! Shoo!" she pleaded with the pair that continued staring at her.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:35 am
It was a really pretty day. Kitya had been left behind to watch over her younger sister, Alfina, and the young teen had been eager to enjoy the outdoors while they had sunlight. What was the point of staying inside? To review more journals and just bounce between the rooms of their mostly underground home? Nah, sitting still just wasn't really her strong suit. So she had offered up the idea of a picnic and was delighted when Alfina had agreed to the idea. I got the bread, some smoked meats, the cheese, that spicy herbal spread and even some of those little cookies from town. That should be good~ Her little sister had been determined to make them tea for the occasion and Kitya was willing to see just how well she did. Others may have been a bit more wary of a child dealing with the hot water but Kitya was not as cautious, especially considering her own reckless behavior.
And now she worried that it was indeed a mistake.
Clasping the basket tightly in her hands, Kitya darted forward towards her little sister. What was wrong that she was yelling so? Her silver eyes narrowed as she spotted her sister standing on top of a rock. Was someone here? A rogue Alkidike or Elarian in their backyard? Or some sort of creature? Her fingers twitched towards the small knife that she had brought for slicing their food before the sight of keldari caused her to pause, "Oh." Kitya found herself laughing with relief before she slowly placed the basket and knife down, "It's okay Alfina. They won't hurt you!" She called out as she slowly approached and crouching held out her arms towards the keldari that slithered towards her and then up her arms, "See? They're completely tame. You can come down now!" Her mouth pursed thoughtfully as she glanced around the little clearing in the trees. The stump was there with the teacups but the water...oh. Kitya's concerned gaze went towards her sister as she patiently waited with her familiars clutched in her arms, their little tongues sneaking out here and there to taste the air, "Are you alright?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:31 am
Alfina peered sharply at her sister, wrinkling her nose as the creatures were so readily scooped up. She hugged her knees to her chest despite the reassurances, glaring at the flickering tongues. "They always like you. I dunno if they like me," she huffed, remaining on the safety on the rock. The last question had her purse her lips slightly and glance down at her toes. They were flushed with heat and stung, but it wasn't particularly painful. "I don't like them," she insisted with a flush of heat to her cheeks, ignoring the aching feet. That would only worry Kitya more, and she wouldn't be allowed to help with tea again until she was an adult! "Why're they so weird?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:59 am
"Aww, but I'm sure they would like you." Kitya frowned as she slowly lowered her arms so that the keldari could slither towards the ground, "They can't help being what they are." She paused thoughtfully as she studied her younger sibling. Was Alfina really okay? Kitya bit the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. She would have to keep an eye on her and ask after she got her down from that rock. If she burned those toes I can put some herbs on there to cool the sting....I'll have to check it out.
But first she had to deal with the issue of the keldari. Kitya had forgotten her little shelter for her familiars was so close and surely they had been attracted to the area because of the noises that the sisters had made while setting up their little picnic. I really goofed, didn't I? At least Alfina wasn't like their mother. No fainting yet was a good sign, right?
"Look, they really are fun to hang around with." Kitya finally stated after a moment, "They even know how to dance. Would you like to see?" As she spoke she crouched and ran fingers down the sleek scales of one of the keldari, a female with scales that shimmered with blues and gold speckles.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 3:42 pm
Alfina just remained in a pout. They couldn't help it? ...well, maybe that was true. She didn't like it any better though! Having them back on the ground to roam free didn't help much, either. From there, they could easily change their minds and come after her! How was Kitya always so relaxed with them?
Dancing? Oh, she did not want to be curious.... but her head perked up for a better look at the creature reacting to being stroked. "How do they dance with no legs?" she asked, trying to not look too interested. She knew Kitya used keldari when she danced, but did they really dance as well?
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 5:09 pm
Aha. Perhaps Kitya had gotten some interest from Alfina after all! The elder sister smirked towards the youngling, "You don't always need legs to dance silly." She teased with a wink, "Some people play music but since I don't have anything we'll see what they do." Shifting on a foot, she stroked the keldari's scales one final time before swaying her hips. Whistling a soft melody beneath her breath Kitya raised her arms above her head and began to move. One step, another step, and there we go~Both keldari raised up, their eyes following the Yaeli girl before they began to sway in rhythm with her. Their heads bobbed and they moved right when she moved right before swaying back towards the left whenever she moved left. They had practiced this before and when Kitya finally stretched towards the ground in a flourish, her legs spreading out along the ground while she bent her upper body backwards with her fingertips brushing lightly against the grass, both snakes slid in front of her their bodies weaving together for a moment before they settled along her arms and legs with what seemed to be an affectionate hiss. Keeping her form, Kitya peeked open an eye to watch for Alfina's reaction. If anything she was proud of the dance that she had practiced for the past few months with her familiars. She just hoped the swaying actions of the keldari stayed in her own movements as she tried to express their own slithering grace.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 6:18 pm
As always, Alfina was quickly entranced by her big sister's graceful movements. It was what made her think about following a similar path; though the idea of performing in front of anyone outside of her family was nerve-wracking! Her eyes slid down to watch the keldari swaying with the rhythm of Kitya's soft whistle, and she pressed her lips to unsuccessfully resist a smile. Okay.. that was a little cute.
Chewing on her lip, she debated the idea of slipping back down to the ground. ...Not just yet.
"How do they learn that?" she asked, keeping her knees up while slowly letting her hands rest onto the rock in a slightly more relaxed manner. "What if they mess up and you step on one. Won't it bite you?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 4:58 pm
After a pause Kitya moved so that she was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed. Both keldari stayed next to her as she studied her younger sibling, "Lots of practice." She replied with a laugh, "It took months but we finally figured out a pattern. It's like with anything else." She pursed her lips thoughtfully before shaking her head at the question, "I raised Sia and Miko since they were baby keldari so they've never bit me. They'll definitely hiss or rattle their tails if I get too close or hide in protest if I do stumble into them." Certainly she had taken some bites and scratches from other wild creatures before but never from these two. It was something that made her bond with them special kinda like what papa had with his own snaptrotter and keldari.
After a moment she fiddled around with her sash and pulled out a small pouch of crystals, "I usually bribe them so that they're not too angry at me afterwards." She reached into the pouch and pulled out two smaller crystals which instantly got the attention of the keldari. Both posed, their tongues sticking out in hisses of anticipation, and ever so patiently they waited for Kitya to place a crystal before each of them. As soon as the crystals left her fingertips both keldari claimed their treats, their tails curling around the shimmering crystals before they slithered away to either side of Kitya so that they could enjoy.
"Ah, speaking of food did you want to eat yet?" Kitya called out towards Alfina, "I have the food here if you're hungry." She gestured towards the basket which she had left on the ground a bit behind her, "I promise it'll be okay if you come down now."
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:07 pm
Her eyes shifted to watch the two creatures, still debating in her head how much she could trust them. Again, they had never bit Kitya, but what about her?! Still, she had no reason to not trust Kitya's judgement in the matter. Besides, the reminder of food made her stomach growl. Biting her lip, she nodded and slowly uncurled her legs. Stretching toward the ground, she winced slightly as the injured skin on her toes was stretched.
Oh...
Cheeks flushing dark, she got her feet planted before hanging her head apologetically. "I dropped the water," she said with a guilty whimper. "I'm sorry for ruining the tea..." She remained next to the rock, torn between the remaining concerns of the Keldari and waiting to be told there would be no more helping with the water from now on. How humiliating...
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 12:52 pm
The moment that she noticed the wince, Kitya had to refrain herself from dashing forward to check on her younger sister. If Alfina could put pressure on it then she wasn't that injured...hopefully. Kitya took a calming breath before moving forward towards her sister, "It's okay." She replied with a small smile as she crouched and patted Alfina's head, "Tea can always be made again but you're much more important. Is your foot okay?" Concern flickered across her expression as she studied her younger sister. While Kitya was a bit of a wild child it did not mean that she didn't care for her family. If anything she blamed herself for not watching Alfina carefully while she carried the water.
After a moment Kitya dug through her satchel again and this time came up with a small ceramic jar, "I have some ointment since I'm pretty good at burning myself too." She admitted sheepishly, "Would you want me to rub some on your toes? It feels a bit tingly but then your skin will feel cool almost like it's been kissed by a nice breeze."
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:43 pm
Brow knitting warily, Alfina raised her head slowly. Kitya.. wasn't mad? A tiny smile rose when she was told she was more important than the tea, and she gave a little nod. "It just got on my toes a little," she murmured. She might be feeling better, but she was still embarrassed!
Kitya's shy admission helped that much more, and Alfina's smile grew with appreciation. At least she wasn't the only one! Nodding silently, she leaned back against the rock and raised one foot first for her sister's inspection. The skin was flushed with heat and drying out, but still nothing too serious. She was quite proud of herself for not crying. She had been too distracted to notice the pain!
Speaking of... she peeked over Kitya's shoulders to see what the keldari were up to. She wan't completely sure, but watching them dance had actually been fun.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:00 pm
"Oh good. Let me look at those toes." Kitya took her sister's foot gingerly into her hands and studied it. Thankfully it wasn't too bad and she couldn't help the sigh of relief that left her lips, "Alright brace yourself." She commented as she peeked up towards her sibling before opening the small ceramic jar, "Here we go." She carefully moved a finger around the ointment, the pale green cream sticking to her fingers after a few swipes. Her fingertips felt a little bit of the tingle before she slowly and carefully rubbed the ointment around the burns. It was a good thing their Papa was always bringing them back things. Kitya had requested her own adventurer's kit after his last overseas venture so her Papa had even brought back ointment and bandages in case of emergencies.
Studying her work, Kitya nodded her head before slipping the ceramic jar back into her belongings, "How does it feel?" She asked Alfina with a small smile before noticing her sister's glance over towards the Keldari, "They could use a couple of more crystals to snack on if you would like." She commented quietly before waiting to see what her younger sibling would like to do.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:26 pm
There was an initial wrinkle of her nose at the ache from the direct touch, but it did not last long. Wiggling her toes once the ointment was applied, Alfina couldn't help a small sigh of relief. That did feel nice. "Feels nice," she assured, giving Kitya a brighter smile.
Pursing her lips at the suggestion, she pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Maybe... just a little? You'll be there, right?" she asked. Maybe they would be more likely to tolerate her if her sister was right there?
......She also couldn't deny that she liked when people gave her treats. Maybe the keldari would be the same?
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:32 pm
Kitya smiled, "I'm glad. Just let me know if it starts to ache again. I'll help apply more tonight before bedtime too." It was amazing how having little siblings could really make Kitya feel a bit more responsible. Now if only she had enough sense to have been around whenever Alfina was carrying hot water so that this wouldn't have happened in the first place. The thought decorated Kitya's cheeks with a light flush of shame before she glanced down so that she could dig in her satchel. At least it wasn't a major burn. She was definitely thankful for that.
"I won't leave your side." Kitya replied as she pulled out two small crystals, one blue like Miko and the other indigo like Sia, "They like the ones which are closer to their colors. That's how they picked up those colors in the first place, you see? Miko loves blue and Sia loves purple a lot." Kitya held out the crystals towards her sister, "I'll be right here and then we can make our own sandwiches while they enjoy these, okay?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:07 pm
"I wanna eat," she murmured shyly. Chewing on her lip, Alfina carefully plucked up one crystal of each color. "Mika... and Sia..." She walked a little closer to the keldari before pausing a few feet away. This would be a safe enough distance, right? Peeking back at Kitya, she took the crystals and tossed them at their respective critters. She quickly took a step back again, reaching to take her sister's arm for protection.
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