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 Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:26 pm
There was a lovely spring that Danika enjoyed visiting after a long morning of blessings and meetings. It was a beautiful place of solitude and more believable as a picture than reality. The spring’s waters were always crystal clear and the aquamarine surface so smooth that one could see their reflections clearly if they stayed still for long enough. A cliff overhead would hold trickles of water after heavy rains, the dripping water cleansed by the crystalline rocks and emerald mosses before joining the rest of its kind within the deep pool. Encircled by giant trees that arched overhead like a barrier it truly was a shelter for someone seeking some relaxation and peace of mind.
That was until today.
Frowning, Danika found herself tapping her fingers against both hips. Her hair was wet, the dreads coiled and dripping trails of water down her barely clothed back and her skirt had obviously been tied back around her waist in haste. Truly she was not too bothered as she didn’t expect anyone to disturb her more so than her current….visitors. A simple dip in the pool had turned into a slimy encounter and now she found herself staring at several pairs of bobbing eyes, a symphony of ribbits greeting her as she stood there. “Well I suppose...you all are having a grand time.” She commented wearily, a brow raised somewhat in bemusement at the group of spitorogs. Had the heavy rains from last night brought them here of all places?
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 3:26 pm
The amount of time that Mnyiri spent near Chibale after Zakia's birth had doubled. Of course she kept up her travels, but there was just something about wanting her daughter's formative years to be spent with her people that kept Mnyiri close. She may not have shown it through her actions, but Mnyiri was as devoted to Aisha as the elders themselves. In her eyes she'd more than proven why she deserved to be by the mother goddess' side, and thus, why Zakia deserved that same treatment.
It really was too bad that she grew so tired of peace so quickly. Where was the flavor? The excitement? At least when the elders openly hated her there was something to fight back against, but now it was almost too quiet. Zakia was off catching up with her friends, and Mnyiri was left to wander the woods alone. Wasn't that the whole point of having a child? So that she wouldn't feel so bored? Zakia wasn't even embarrassed of her which was amazing, but it also felt like she'd been robbed of that stereotypical angsty mother-daughter relationship.
Groaning, Mnyiri moved forward, keen on finding a spot to relax when she heard the water. Now that didn't sound boring. Maybe she could get in a little swimming? Or at the very least an open air bath. She quickly picked up her pace, but what she saw when she got there made Mnyiri think twice.
The mystic was communicating...with spitorogs.
"Can you understand them?" With absolutely no decorum or sense of tact, Mnyiri picked her way down a patch of vines to the waters edge. Her eyes were wide with curiosity; the same she'd gotten when dissecting creatures or pestering earthlings. "Is that something you were taught or have you always been able to hear them? Is it something only mystics can do? Or did you summon them?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:43 pm
Danika nearly jumped as someone suddenly spoke from behind her. The mystic had been so occupied with the smaller, much louder intruders that the appearance of another Alkidike had basically slipped her notice. "What? No-" She stared in surprise at the question before taking a moment to gather herself. "I mean of course. Have you never known about the spiritual abilities of spitorogs? I hear that their music is solely for the ears of the heavens. You've interrupted their sacred concert." Danika gave a sage nod before finally shaking her head in amusement. Truly? Did she think that she actually could summon or speak with them? Perhaps it could be possible but it was not something which Danika had ever learned.
"In all honesty they took me by surprise and I was simply venting to them. If they can understand me then I have no knowledge of it as I cannot understand them." She gave a small smile towards Mnyiri. "I don't think I would have wanted to summon them either, especially not when I planned on relaxing in this very pool. I think the heavy rains from the last two days brought them here." They definitely surprised her that much was for certain. Now if she could commune with the ribbiting creatures then she would be begging them to find another pond to invade.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:40 pm
Mnyiri's eyes widened at the exact moment her mouth made a little 'o'. "Really? That's so strange, they look incredibly dense." She crouched down by the water's edge despite having interrupted something clearly sacred as if she couldn't care less. Far from it, however; knowing this was 'important' just piqued her interest all the more!
And then there was the let down. She tried not to let it effect her that much, but there was simply no hiding her disappointment. "That makes more sense. I'm sure they were attracted to all the fresh water and muddy pools. I'd almost forgot this place existed until I came out today." The tall alk reached her hand forward and dipped her fingers into the water.
When her hand grazed the back of a submerged spitorog Mnyiri pulled her hand back in quick disgust. "I know you're relaxing and feel free to say no, but can I ask you something? Not mystic related, just...from an outside perspective."
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:32 pm
Danika smiled. "Yes, I believe that's exactly what happened. At least I hope Aisha didn't think to grace me with the blessing of spitorogs." Surely not. What would one even do with so many spitorogs? Or what type of message could she even get from them? Danika frowned as she glanced at the slimy creature and shook her head. So much for that swim. Mnyiri's question caught her attention and the mystic frown before protesting. "Don't ever feel like you can't ask me something. What's on your mind?" Honestly if anything she was more intrigued by the approach. What did a question from the outside perspective entail? Surely it would be far more interesting than some sort of lecture from the elders or the usual questions of other Sisters.
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:21 pm
"It's my daughter, Zakia." Mnyiri shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and raised one hand to toy at the end of her earring. "When I asked for her I thought I'd have the perfect companion for my travels, and for a while I did. She was so happy to go everywhere I went, to learn as much as she could, and it was just so nice." She'd been so precious in those early days. Just bright smiles, an endless amount of curiosity and now...
"Now she's getting older and she's so stubborn." Mnyiri groaned, tugging on the earring a little. "Every summer we used to go to Zena to visit with friends and now she refuses. My friend has two sons that she used to play with, but all they do is bicker. Isn't that normal, though, for kids? I never thought it was bad enough for her to stay away, but she keeps telling me she likes it better here."
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:55 pm
Oh Aisha. When Danika had offered her ear the Alkidike had not expected questions about a daughter. Though she was delighted that Mnyiri had been blessed by Aisha the questions of motherhood were somewhat of a mystery to the young mystic. Despite her hesitations the more Mnyiri explained the more she couldn't help smiling. "Isn't that normal for teens to be a bit stubborn?" She tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully, "I'm not a mother myself but I've overhead some of the other warriors speaking about their children and how much they can protest sometimes. Maybe they are just going through a time of tribulations to test their friendships?" Danika pursed her lips, "I'm not familiar with how earthling boys work though....do they perhaps often fight with others when they are teens? I know that young apprentices within our sisterhood can get very competitive with each other whenever they are approaching adulthood."
A few spitorogs seemingly ribbited behind her and the mystic let out a soft sigh. If only the spitorogs could be more comfortable at their home and not visiting her's like Mnyiri's daughter. Danika shook her head slightly as she glanced about her friend. "Do you think she truly hates them or perhaps needs a break to see if her heart grows fonder? Maybe they'll actually end up missing each other eventually?" Teens were very confusing creatures indeed, especially when earthling men were involved.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:19 pm
Mnyiri slid down a little and huffed. "You're not wrong, but I still hate it." To a certain extent her daughter's behavior was perfectly justified given her age, and Mnyiri just had to accept that. However, giving up contact with her cuddly little baby just because she 'wanted her space' was hard. Especially now that she wanted to assert that independence into other areas of her life. Honestly, if she could just wrap those kids up in a big blanket and leave them in a crate she would.
"Earthling boys are the same as alkidike girls at that age. Stupid and impulsive." Honestly, if experience had taught her anything it was that teenagers, no matter the race, were a pain.
"Honestly? I know she loves them, but she just won't say it. When we get a letter and it says that one of the boys is sick or they got hurt she gets worried. Sometimes she wants to send them something, but Zakia makes me promise I won't let them know it's from her so I always have to say it was my idea."
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:06 pm
"Aww." Danika gave Mnyiri a soft smile as she settled onto the ground next to the other Alkidike and studied the spring. "If only they could stay small forever so that we can protect them, right?" She quoted from some of the other mothers she had overheard talking about their children that were old enough to go on quests. She could only imagine what that must be like. Perhaps it was something akin to the feeling she got whenever she thought of her close friends that had traveled away from Chibale? She was both proud of them and worried about them at the same time.
"Good to know." Danika couldn't help but to let out a chuckle at the description of earthling boys, "It must be an adventure for you and your friend whenever they come together then." She could only guess at all the shenanigans the teens would get into whenever they weren't apparently fighting with one another. She could only shake her head slightly at the description. It seemed completely silly since one never knew what tomorrow would bring but at the same time it was hard to let go of pride and express one's true feelings - especially if the earthling boys were being a handful themselves.
"It does seem rather tempting to bait her with potential illness bothering the boys or to say that they miss her terribly, right? However, I don't know how well that would go over once the truth is revealed." Danika quipped almost playfully before adding quietly. "Honestly though? I think if it's Aisha's will then nature and time will always bring them together again despite any of their current protests."
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:04 pm
Mnyiri’s eyes widened. What an idea! “Oh, I LOVE that. I could always say that they’ve developed a cough and some sort of rash; nothing deadly, but just enough to get her attention.” She tapped her fingers on her thigh as she mused. “I have so many notes on earthling diseases that finding something wouldn’t be difficult. The trick would be finding something from a book she hasn’t read.”
The only disease she knew off hand that earthlings got that wasn’t an issue for Aisha was crystal rot. Still, that seemed a little extreme for something like this.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:05 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Danika smiled as her idea was considered. She wasn't certain about how sickly earthlings could be or if they easily recovered from sickness but it seemed like a viable idea to Mnyiri so surely it was possible. "It could most definitely work! And hopefully by the time she realizes that she's been tricked the relief she feels instead would work against her temper." The Alkidike studied the pond of water with a chuckle. "You can't simply say they started having a spitorog invasion but surely there's something that you can use. If you have notes on earthling diseases what else do you track?" She found herself asking as she studied Mnyiri with interest.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:06 pm
[6]
Mnyiri scooted a little closer to Danika and started to talk excitedly with her hands. “I have sooooo many notes! I have an entire room of my home dedicated to studying earthling anatomy. You wouldn’t believe some of the differences that others will overlook. I try to write down as many facts as possible so that way I can go home at the end of the day and compare it all.” Taking a breath, Mnyiri started in again, “For instance, did you know that on average the wind tribe had longer pinky toes than those in the fire tribe? There’s no reason for it, but the facts are there!”
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:07 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Oh. Danika wouldn't lie that Mnyiri's excitement made her happy. It was rare to find someone so interested in earthlings and well studied! Most of the older Alkidikes didn't want much to do with earthlings and while others were on friendlier terms there were none that truly studied them. "Their anatomy?" She repeated with disbelief. "Do they sit still or have you...." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head at the thought. "Maybe it's best if I don't know all the details." She chuckled as she settled next to Mnyiri so that she could listen. "So wind earthlings have longer pinky toes which is interesting. How many feet did you have to see to find that conclusion? Anything else? You have my interest."
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:23 pm
[7]
Mnyiri’s eyes widened and in an instant, she started cackling. “Are you asking if I’ve lain with them? A few, sure, but for the most part I just get to know them. They’ve all been pretty easy to get information from.” As flirtatious as Mnyiri could be she wasn’t a very sexual being. Still, it wasn’t as if she didn’t like to experiment from time to time.
“Yaeli have extremely sensitive earlobes. At least, the few that I’ve been around have.” It was random facts, but they held a sense of pride for her. Who else would think to ask these questions? “Is there anything specific you would like to know?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:42 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"Lain with them..." Danika blinked in confusion before a deep flush decorated her cheeks. "Not that! I meant like how some study the dead..." As her embarrassment faded a laugh escaped her lips. "I suppose I didn't think about that option. That's definitely an interesting way to go about things."
Danika found herself shaking her head as she tried to calm her flaming cheeks. Despite everything she had been through there were other aspects that she was admittedly very innocent with. "I didn't have anything specific in mind so I'm interested in anything you'd like to share....well minus maybe certain details."
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