Welcome to Gaia! ::

[1/7]

Isaia had been in big trouble, after the prank he pulled on his siblings barely a few weeks ago. But... as a rule, when mom was home Uquin generally let Isaia off any punishment, so as not to miss any precious time with his mother. When Maritza was home, Isaia was an angel, wholly focused on being extremely good and absorbing as much time with her as he could. What Isaia was most excited about, this visit, was a recent treat that his big sister Padma had taught him to make during her last visit home, and the first person he wanted to show was his mother.

He could have made the treat when his siblings were here, but Padma had showed THEM how to make it too - and ISAIA had been the one to keep getting supplies and making it, even when Padma went back to the forest where she lived with Uzumati.

Uquin had woke him that morning with a kiss and a soft reminder that today, he was taking the others with him so that Zadia could get some supplies for her garden, and Lioe could (hopefully) find something that interested him at market. Maybe, even, Uquin knew about his son's desire to have some alone time with his mother - but if he did, Isaia wasn't yet empathic enough to understand. Instead, he burst out of bed and set about getting everything ready.

He knew his mom would sleep in - she always did - but his dad had explained that she worked so hard for them the rest of the year that she deserved to rest, when she got home (he had stopped telling the kids that Maritza's sleep schedule was reversed, because Isaia had tried staying up to be with her more and had quickly grown just as fierce and grumpy as his mother).

When he heard his mother stirring, Isaia bounded to the main sitting room, where he'd spread out two large bowls of painstakingly made starch from the harvest, as well as a steamer basket that he carefully placed between them. Spread out over the floor were blankets, to keep clean. "In here, mama!" He called, bouncing excitedly in place. When she came out, Isaia beamed at her and gestured grandly to the baskets. "Can I show you how to make roati beard candy today? Do you like nuts? Or Oba cinnamon or-- or--" He breathed out, then just grinned again.

[2/7]

That was okay. He honestly didn't NEED his mom to help, he'd made this a few times on his own. It didn't always work... the first time, it had cracked after only a few turns, but it had still tasted pretty yummy. But the last two times he'd done it right, if a little messily, and even his siblings had said it tasted good. Isaia enjoyed cooking - in the last year or so, since he'd been big enough to trust around knives, it had become one of his chores to help with dinner. Zadia had all but taken over his garden these days, and Lioe helped here and there around the house when he wasn't off doing his own thing. Of course - he hadn't been allowed to cook for them since he'd thrown tea leaves in Lioe's dinner, a few weeks ago--

Anyway. "Nuts." He said, matter of factly and leaving no room for argument, the same way Maritza did when it came to her engineering work. Then, at her next question, he shuffled a bit, not liking to admit that he hadn't magically woken up one day with this sacred knowledge. "Padma did. She stayed with us a few months ago- just for a bit." He admitted. Then, he perked up again and removed the lid of the container infront of them.

Inside were disk-shaped orange disks of some sort - which he picked up and, sticking his tongue out at the side of his mouth, began to try and poke a hole in the middle of with a utensil. "Padma said this is 'fermented honey' from Oba. It tastes real sweet-- and--"

Finally, there was a hole in the middle, and immediately Isaia covered his hands and the disk with the starch and, sticking his thumbs into the hole, began to rotate it in a circle, slowly pulling until the hole in the disk began to grow more and more. "So-- so you pull the candy!"

[3/7]

Sure, it was a bit... weird that his sisters didn't come around when mom was here a lot. Ujana had, a few times, but only when he was little and he didn't really remember much of it. Still, Isaia hadn't sat long enough to wonder if his mom and sisters got along, and if he found it strange that they were similar in age (and that his nephew was actually older than him) he had never showed it.

With Maritza paying such close attention, Isaia had to force himself to focus on the candy, and not pull too hard, though when she praised him he wiggled briefly in place, his cheeks flushing pink with happiness, stealing a sidelong, fond glance at his mother. He continued to tug and rotate it, dunking it in more and more starch, until it resembled a length of rope more than the disk it had started as.

"Next-- you twist it--" He answered, turning the candy over in a figure 8 position- then began to tug it again, flashing a smile up at his mother, a bit of starch powder stuck to his cheek where, unthinkingly, he'd brushed it moments before. "Now there's two!! And we keep it going--" He continued to pull, then twisted again to make four - then, again, after a few more pulls to make eight--

"And we go until there's like... a LOT more strands--"

It was so rare that Isaia could have her undivided attention like this. But... Zadia had her garden to show Maritza, and Isaia mainly was a bundle of energy with few actual hobbies - so when he had taken such a liking to his newest chore, he had been excited to show both of his parents how good at it he could be.

At first, the disk of fermented honey had seemed almost like amber glass, but now, covered in the starch and stretched out, it looked more like potter's clay. And, with every twist, it resembled something else entirely... almost like embroidery threads. Now, he had to put less effort into twisting and pulling, but a few threads did start to break - looking more frayed, but still broken into singular strands.

"If the honey was too old, and too hard, then yeah-- it'd break." Isaia informed, tone still a bit bossy but without malice. "I broke a lot, mama-- but! I practiced and now I can do it by myself!"

Finally, he turned a final two times-- and, with a grin, broke a chunk of it off, twisting it around two wooden sticks until it created what looked like some sort of cocoon. Then, he presented it proudly to his mother, grinning brightly.

The singular serving was tiny-- judging by that size, there were at least a dozen more servings, more sugar than either of them would know what to do with!!

[5/7]

Isaia brimmed with happiness at his mother's praise and advice, watching intently as she took a bite. Almost immediately, he was breaking off another piece - scooping a few shredded up nuts inside and wrapping it. Then he took a bite himself, wiggling a bit in place, covering his mouth (and smearing more starch over it in the process). "It's for you! You don't HAVE to share with Zadia or Lioe if... if you don't wanna." It was... difficult, sharing her attention with two siblings, especially when she was away so often, and... now that the candy was made and she'd had some, he dreaded his time alone with her coming to a close soon. How long would the others be gone?

Instead of thinking on it, he covered the bowls of starch back up and washed his hands with a damp bit of cloth, then scooted around the bowls to his mother's side, squishing into her side in a hug.

[6/7]

Whatever her reasons were for not sharing, when Maritza agreed not to the smile on his face showed a trace of that wicked prankster she had never personally seen, but had heard tell that he was. He scooted closer, nuzzling into her - and despite her thinness, to him it was like she was the comfiest cloud pillow that ever existed. His tiny arms slung as far as they could around her middle, squeezing.

Uncle Rivyn... was a figure that he barely remembered, but who he still had a great fondness for. Stories between his parents about all the care the man had given to them, when they were babies, and the letters and stories Maritza brought back with him had kept that fondness there - even if Isaia honestly couldn't remember what he looked or sounded like, anymore.

Sadly-- "Um... they only last for like... a few hours." He admitted with a nervous giggle, "They get wet and just melt and stuff. But-- but! I could write down how to make it and... and he can have the last bit of honey Padma brought me..." If his mama wanted him to make some for his uncle, then he'd do it.

[7/7]

"Really?!" Isaia yelled, pulling back from his mom enough to stare up at her, eyes lit up as if with actual stars. Uncle Rivyn was coming... here?! "Yeah!! Yeah, I will! I'm gonna-- is he gonna do a show for us? Is-- can we--"

All thoughts of treats and sugar was forgotten in his excitement, as the boy scrambled to his feet and began to excitedly regale his mother with all the things they could do with their uncle when he came. Not only that, but that had to mean that Maritza would come visit with him again, right? She was gonna go away again, but come back this year with their uncle - right? It only made sense!!

And any confirmation that his mom would be back again only made him all the happier.

[And fin!]