|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:19 am
Under normal circumstances Ujana would be preparing the tavern to open in a few hours. Normally she would have her staff cleaning tables and making sure everything was in order. It was the same routine every night before opening, one that she knew like the setting sun at this point.
Tonight, however, was anything but routine.
Ujana had been in a foul mood lately. She'd tried to push through it by focusing on her work and getting her youngest son set up in his mentor ship, but nothing really seemed to take away that itch. It was the same sense of agitation that overtook her in her youth right before a big brawl, but Ujana was older now. She was a mother of four and that should mean something, right? Calmer with age?
Her father had proven that phrase wrong.
It all went down hill when she dropped a stein to the ground. The ceramic mug bounced once before shattering and that set her off. Ujana promptly told everyone working that night to get out and once they were gone she went on a rampage. She imagined her father standing in a corner and threw several mugs at him, shattering each off the worn wood. Imagining Subira running off and leaving a note? That deserved a chair through the window.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 2:20 pm
Oddly one of the workers had come and found Ariya of all people. She wasn't used to her woman's employees seeking her out so that had been flag number one. Flag number two came in the form of them telling her Ujana was in a mood. Her mate had moods sure but rarely at work and even less by kicking the workers out. The third flag? The sound of things being smashed as Ariya approached the tavern. A single brow lifted and she put her spear by the door outside before entering.
Once inside she stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and watched her mate. "Did the mugs refuse to come clean or were they not holding drinks as well as they should?" Ariya didn't comment on the chair.
Sarcasm would likely shift Ujana's attention to her but the Alkidike was alright with that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 5:43 pm
[2/10]
Ujana responded to Ariya's questions by lifting another chair above her head and launching it through another window. "Is that all you came here to do? To criticize me?" She snarled. Somewhere along the way she'd lost her shawl and several locks of long, curly hair were left framing her flushed face.
When she walked there was an almost feral vibe to it. She paced over to the counter, reaching behind for just a second to pull out her hammer, all the while never taking her eyes off Ariya. "They ratted me out, didn't they? Even after I planned on paying them for today." Ujana's breathing game in angered huffs and all at once she raised her hammer, then brought it down on the counter with a loud, monstrous yell. The hearty Oban wood fractured and splintered instantly sending shards all across the tavern.
With a jerk she pulled the hammer out of the wreckage and looked at the alkidike from under a cloud of hair. "You know something I don't understand. What's the point in building a 'family home' if everyone keeps leaving?!" She shrieked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 6:02 pm
"No, and I'm not criticizing. Only wanted to know what the mugs did." Ariya kept the brow raised as she continued to watch. The second chair went,along with another window, and the alk sighed. Ujana was going to be more upset about the cost of damages when she had her head again. Ariya watched as her mate went for her hammer and gave a small grimace as the counter took it and splintered.
Now Ariya moved. Her arms dropped from their position at her chest and she made her way over to her lover. "You want to throw and smash things thats fine. Do it without the hammer." She lifted one hand and made the 'gimmie' motion so that Ujana would hand it over.
"Everyone? Well hell, Ujana, why didn't you tell me I left? That's news to me." While she could understand the frustration of their daughter going off without telling them she hadn't been aware any of the other kids had packed bags and left. Nor had she. Clearly she was missing something in her mate's thought process. "Is this about Subira? Or was there something else?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:42 pm
She didn't care about the mugs and she didn't care about the damn chairs! All Ujana cared about was feeding the fire inside of her soul that wanted to destroy everything within touching distance. All of this stuff was just stuff. It didn't talk to her; didn't build memories or make promises. It just existed.
So she didn't feel bad when she splintered another table.
Ariya's attitude about the whole thing was just getting under her skin. She curled her lip and looked at the alk like she'd made a formal challenge. "If you want it you're going to have to take it from me." And she wouldn't make it easy, either. While she had no desire to hurt her lover she wouldn't just give in because she told her too, either.
"There's always something else!" She threw her free hand up in exasperation. "Subira left, my father is having more children, I don't even know where to begin looking for Padma, Eurig wants to leave, our babies are growing older and I just-" She growled in frustration and gripped the hammer with both hands, ready to set in on something else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:11 pm
Ariya took a deep breath and shook her head. As attractive as the challenge was she didn't take the bait there. Mostly because it would result in more damages and she really didn't want to be yelled at later for helping cause them. Though it might be worth it in the end. For now she tried to keep the level head. "When Subira comes home we can both yell at her." Which Ariya fully intended to do. A note was a poor way to just up and vanish. "Your dad hardly needs your permission to have more children if that's what he wants to do, but you are under no obligations to have a relationship with them. You are a grown woman." Again valid. "We didn't ask Subira and Eurig before we had the twins." It had been a decision the two of them had made together, sure, but their older children hadn't been consulted. "Eurig wanting to leave.. as long as he's just going to his fathers and coming back, that's agreeable." Ariya wasn't overly fond of her earthling son going anywhere since he was her cute little soft boy. Even Subira worried about him. "If you want we can chain the twins up inside the house so they can't leave." She grinned at her mate to try and get her to laugh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 12:36 pm
[4/10]
"If she comes home." If Subira had gone off to start a new tree in Belrea then she likely wouldn't be coming back at all. They would need every available body just to make sure their new lands were well protected and settled. She knew that when she ran off, and she'd left all the same.
Just because Ariya was making valid points about her father didn't mean Ujana had to like them. "I think there's a big difference between what he did and what I've done. Our children were still kids when we made that choice." It would have been one thing if he'd up and copulated with a woman in her younger years, but now it just didn't settle well with her. It was like he was pushing off his current family to start fresh as far away as he possibly could.
"But that's it! He's not going to his fathers; he's just going. He wouldn't tell me where." She'd tried to press him at least for a location, but Eurig hadn't been able to give it to her. He just wanted his own space; those were his words and nothing could change them. How was she not supposed to be upset by that?
Ujana was in too foul a mood to take Ariya's bait. Her expression was still grim, but at the very least she wasn't destroying things anymore. "Have you ever thought about just burning this place and starting fresh somewhere?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:33 pm
If. That was true. Ariya considered it for a second and moved a bit closer to Ujana. "Alright. Would you like to go find her and drag her back by her hair?" She could get behind that idea. She'd been no more happy about their daughter's choice to leave with nothing but a note as a goodbye than her mate was. "Eurig leaving home worries me. He's our soft baby and I'd rather he had more training and less scrolls before venturing out." While the Alk had never said anything bad about the boy going to see his father she did express a dislike of him not getting non-stop training. Even if he didn't choose to be a fighter later in life she wanted him to have the skills to survive and there was only so much one could learn from words on paper. "Would it be too much if I ask we test him to make sure he can survive on his own first?" Ariya ignored the comment about Uquin and how the situations differed. Even she was able to tell Ujana simply didn't approve. While it didn't particularly bother Ariya she would let her mate feel as she wished. Instead she focused on the question asked. "Burn it down? No. But if you wish to start over somewhere else then just say so.. Ujana, my home can be anywhere as long as I have you. Would be nice to have the kids too.." As she spoke she'd been making her way over to her lover. Now that she was there she reached out for the hammer with a small, disarming smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:33 am
[5/10]
"I want to, but-" Ujana snarled and gripped the hammer's hilt all the harder. "If I told her to come home I wouldn't be any better than my father. Anything he said to me when I was her age I retaliated against so as much as I want her here I can't force her." Even if Subira agreed to return home with them she might come to resent Ujana for it. Or worse, throw such a fit that the family wouldn't talk for years. Of course that was just the worst possible scenario, but it wasn't as if she were thinking logically at that moment.
"You can; I don't really have the right too. Lately anytime I ask him to think things through he points out that I've never done it so why should he?" Her tone was snarky, but in it was a bit of pride. Eurig was showing some bite of his own after all these years which was nice to see. It gave her hope that at the very least he wouldn't be taken advantage of out there.
While she was still far from happy Ujana relinquished her hold on the hammer all the same. "I want out. I used to think owning a tavern would be a great idea, and for a while it was. It helped keep our babies fed, but I'm not good with numbers or negotiations." It was exhausting and ontop of everything else her stress was just way too high. "I know staying close to Chibale is important to you, but I don't think I can stay in Jauhar anymore. I just need to travel."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 6:50 pm
Ariya took the hammer from Ujana and moved to set it on the floor before she scooted it even farther away with her foot. It could be taken care of later. From there the alkidike moved to wrap her arms around her earthling mate. "You are right.. Subira might hate us if we make her come home. And Eurig can say that because both of us left home at an early age and did our own thing." The fact that Ujana had said those things first made it better. On the subject of getting out she paused to look around, the damage done and what not. "Alright, fine. Burn it to the ground or sell it." Ariya shrugged her shoulders a little at the idea. She didn't care for the tavern. It was her woman's place and whatever her woman wanted to do with it was up to her. She brought her gaze back to Ujana and smiled softly. With one hand she grabbed the leafling by the chin to tilt her head up just a little so that Ujana would be forced to look at her. "Being close to Chibale only mattered to me because Subira was little and still at home. But even if you hadn't wanted to stay here I would have made the trips back from wherever you wanted to be." It was nice to be close, it meant she could be somewhat lazy and not travel too far but it wasn't a necessity. "If you want to travel then there are two options.." She bobbed her head to the side and offered a small chuckle. "One.. you travel and I stay home with the kids." Which she wouldn't mind doing if that was what Ujana wanted. "Two, we pack up the kids and head out.." Also something she didn't mind doing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:09 pm
She tried to keep her ire up, she really did, but there was just something about being encompassed by someone who was so much bigger than her that made Ujana a little less bristly. There was a certain amount of bratty energy about her even if she allowed Ariya to lift her chin up, but that didn't stop her from getting a little closer. "I know you would have, but it was important for me too. Culture seems to be so much more for alkidike, and I didn't want you to miss out on anything. Especially with Subira."
It would have been easy to raise Eurig in Tale with her family with Ariya making the trips instead of the boy himself, but it still would have meant having their family separated. There was never really an 'easy' answer, and Ujana had committed herself to making something work.
"Well, there's a third option too." Ujana chimed in with a little smile; the first of the evening. "I could sell the tavern and you could stay here with the kids until they're old enough then come join me. That way if they wanted to come they could, but if they didn't they wouldn't feel like they had to. I know Ujiri isn't keen on leaving and I don't think Ika is either." Her son had said as much, and if Ika's training was anything to go on then her daughter would be joining the Alkidike ranks sooner rather than later. It would mean less time with her baby girl, but if it was something she really wanted then how could she say no?
"I'd like to see my sister again, and my father..." No matter how mad she was at him Ujana couldn't say she never wanted to see him again. Family was just too important to her. She drew a little circle on Ariya's bicep with her finger. "And I know you want to see Subira as much as I do. So, what do you think we should do?" Because as much as she was pouring out her own personal thoughts it was most certainly a 'we' situation. No matter the option chosen it would effect their entire family.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:21 pm
She gave a thoughtful nod, her brows raising slightly. "Culture is more to an Alkidike because we only have the one. Earthlings have many that they can choose from. So many gods that one can follow but we only have one Goddess. We have Aisha and what she stands for. And while we try to spread her ways to the world, she is only located in one place." Ariya explained a little. Of course she'd done so in the past as well, though likely not as articulated. There was a pause as she considered again, her arms moving so that she would hold Ujana in a slightly possessive way. "I would rather miss out on Chibale than miss out on my life with you and the kids. And I am sure Subira would say the same." As the third option was presented she nodded again, her dreads moving as this time it was a bit more exaggerated than the last. "That is also an option." Ariya thought about a fourth but she wasn't sure how well Ujana would take the idea of leaving the twins with someone while they went off adventuring. Not to mention she didn't think the kids would like that. "I can't say I enjoy the idea of being away from you for long but if this is what you need then.." An unspoken 'I won't stop you' was left in the air. If the kids didn't want to leave then someone needed to stay with them and Ujana was the one who had the itch in her feet so it would be Ariya that stayed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:58 pm
[7/10]
Ujana rolled her eyes. "Like I follow any of the earthling Gods. The only one I've ever seen do anything for me is Aisha, and that's because she gave us the twins." Anytime someone tried to sass the Alkidike around Ujana she was among the first to jump on them. Every race had their own religion and certain codes to follow, but at the very least the Alkidike had physical proof that something they did was working. She never would have forgiven herself if she'd gotten in the way of that for Ariya and Subira.
The leafling pressed herself as close to her alkidike lover as possible. That amount of skin on skin in the humid Jauhar air normally made Ujana uncomfortable, simply because of the heat, but every once in a while she reveled in it. "I'll write as often as I can, and it won't be for long. I promise." The thought of being away from her family just to track down other family and flit about as she wanted left Ujana with mixed feelings. On the one hand traveling was all she wanted to do, but also her babies needed somewhere stable to call home...
"We'll need to talk to them first, though. If they want to come then we could just leave as a family." It was a pipe dream, but Ujana thought it might work. If nothing else then maybe her kids would consent to go with them for a few years, or maybe just a few months, before coming back here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:09 pm
Ariya gave a laugh, one that started off as a rumble in her chest before it made it's way out. "I never said you followed any, Leafette" Oh yes, she just commented on Ujana's small size. Or at least, her smallness in comparison to the taller Alk. The promise of letters only caused her to shake her head and roll her eyes, something often missed due to the pure coloring she had there. Ariya bent at the knees a little and readjusted her arms so that she could pick her lover up by the waist. Her head leaned to the side, looking around Ujana at the broken counter top, then back up as she took a few steps to the left. There she sat the leafling on the counter in a place that was relatively flat and unsplintered. Although if the woman got a splinter in her backside Ariya could always play doctor. "Letters would be better than silence, I suppose. And yes, asking the kids first would be ideal." Ariya had a feeling that her mate would be leaving alone though. Something that made her frown and a little loathe to let go at the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 4:06 pm
[8/10]
Ujana felt like a petulant child when Ariya picked her up, and sat her so easily on the counter top. A part of her liked being lifted so easily by someone larger than herself, since it was such a rarity that anyone could do it to her, but the moodier part of her wanted to say something about it. Another time she might appreciate it, but now she could only pout. Absently Ujana looked to her side at the splintered bar. She should have been concerned about the costs of repairs and how much she would lose by staying closed; instead she just bemoaned the fact she hadn't destroyed it all.
"You don't like it." Ujana stated bluntly. She liked to think she'd been around the other woman for long enough to at least be able to pick up on that. Her tone wasn't accusatory or even defensive, though; just openly questioning. "You can say what you really think, I don't expect you to just go along with it all."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
