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 Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:27 pm
As Sekani got older he was tasked with a few more boy boy jobs. At first it had just been little things like chores that Visha and Korin had already been able to do, but now he was allowed to go into the city by himself. Of course it was highly likely that he was being tailed, but it wasn't like he knew that.
All Sekani was aware of was the paper in his hand with his mother's shopping list. At first it had even been pinned to his shorts, just in case, but he'd since pulled it free. Who did she think he was, some kind of baby? He wasn't going to lose it! He just...didn't know what half of this stuff even was. Did girls really need so many powders for their fac-
"NO!" Sekani shrieked as a stray wind lifted his list straight into the sky. With a loud squeal the little hybrid took off after it, brushing past anyone fool enough to be in his path, but when it got stuck on a window sill just out of reach he found himself at a loss.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:33 pm
Ever since he had joined the group of rangers, Jhin rarely left the forest that he called home. It just happened that unfortunately for him he was volunteered to escort a group of merchants all the way into Oba. Despite his desire to not venture anywhere near a city the archer was too kind and could not refuse the request from one of his fellow rangers. So here he was awkwardly just standing about in the streets waiting on his group to return so that he could finally leave and get back home. Unlike him Yaloh was all over the markets buying supplies and trinkets to take back and Jhin was doing his best to be patient while waiting. I'll give him until the next hour. He kept repeating as the sun continued to sink lower and lower into the sky.
His thoughts were distracted when a sharp No! caught his attention and the young man was immediately bolting down the streets. Even if it was a city there was still a dire need to help those in danger and Jhin held no reserves about darting towards the source of the distress. Still, when he did spot the youngling his gaze narrowed in confusion as he glanced around. There didn't seem to be any danger here, correct? Was he missing something or should he just go ahead and leave? Jhin let out a soft sigh before glancing towards the boy one final time and giving into his curiosity. "Is something the matter?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:38 pm
Mama's going to kill me. If he didn't get that list back in time then he was going to be really late coming home and if Visha had to come out after him....Well, if his brother came to find him that might not be so bad but if Korin came...He'd rather have hot water poured on his head!
His ears perked a bit and Sekani turned toward the voice. In all honesty he was so used to being around large groups that his ability to tune out strangers was impressive. Now that he was looking, however, he couldn't help widening his honeyed eyes. "Wooow, mister, you're gonna burn out here." What little skin Sekani could see peeping out around those clothes was as pale as milk! Why would someone like that come all the way to Oba?
"Ah, but...uh..." What was he looking for again? Oh, oh, the list! Taking a step back so he could better see it, the little hybrid pointed up to an upper window where a piece of paper was caught in a groove. "The wind took away Mama's shopping list. If I don't get it back I'll get in trouble. Can you help me? You're pretty tall. " Not tall enough to reach it outright, but still, that didn't mean Sekani couldn't pull out the sad boy eyes.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:44 pm
"Maybe. I'm not really meant to be here, right?" Jhin found himself teasing back with a sly grin. If it was up to him he would never venture into any of these desert cities. It was too hot and well....dry. The forest was much better with its abundance of trees for shade and water. He could only imagine how out of place he looked in the Oban crowd, especially to a youngling with no filter like this one apparently. Not that he was offended in the least, just amused by the obvious commentary.
So the cry of distress had been over something as simple as that? Jhin couldn't help the small smile that crossed his lips at the realization. What an important list. He mused with a chuckle before nodding at the request. "I think I can manage that." Still, it was rather high up and even Jhin couldn't imagine just standing tiptoe to reach it himself. The wind earthling pursed his lips thoughtfully before glancing back to the child. "Do you think if I balanced you on my shoulders that you could reach it?" Maybe that would work? It was probably better than him just shooting the paper down and risking a hole in it....
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:52 pm
Sekani laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true." He definitely stood out in comparison to the majority of people milling about the market. The majority were Obans, with a fair amount of Matorians mixed in, but the real foreigners.well, Sekani could count them on his toes! Speaking of toes - "Did you know that your crystals look like baby toes? A whole bunch of little ones, right on your face. They're cute." As if the man wouldn't know what he was talking about Sekani lifted his finger and touched the spots on his own face.
Balanced on his....? "Oh, that's high." He looked a little nervous at the thought. Even when Papa lifted him up he still felt uneasy, but this was all for the list and that list was important. Reaching up once more, Sekani pinched his cheeks and wriggled his legs before giving a loud huff. "Okay! Let's do it!"
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:58 pm
Jhin chuckled at the laughter. At least the child was friendly and not like others who would just glare before darting away. "Baby toes?" He found himself repeating while tilting his head slightly in confusion. His fingers reached up to trace the delicate stones along his face, something that he truly had never paid much attention to before. At least the child thought they were cute? Jhin lowered his hand before giving a small smile towards the boy. "Thank you, I suppose."
"I promise I won't let you go." Jhin replied as he crouched down to get closer to the youngling. "If you feel too uncomfortable though I can try something else?" He mused thoughtfully as he stayed in position just in case the boy still wanted to try - he did seem awfully determined after all. Another chuckle escaped his lips at the dramatics before he nodded. "We've got this."
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:04 pm
"You better not. My Papa is a big guy; he'll pop you one if you do." Sekani hesitantly made his way closer. Surprisingly it wasn't the fact that he was about to climb up a literal stranger that gave the child pause, but really, it should have. What would his mother think? Or his elder siblings? Gussying up his nerve, Sekani started picking his way up the windling's back until he was settled on his shoulders. If he needed to go up higher after he stood up then....well, he would worry about that later.
Now that he was up close he noticed all the hair. Sekani shifted, maneuvering his hands around the man's cloak so he could make sure the man's hair was away from any pressure his legs might cause. "You should try Pomba oil. It'll make this less dry." Sekani gave the strand a little tug. "It's good for desert air."
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:11 pm
"Duly noted. I'll make certain not to do anything to make your Papa mad." Replied Jhin as he adjusted his stance so that the youngling could climb onto his back easily. Thankfully he had plenty of younger cousins to take care of while growing up so this was nothing new to the wind earthling. If anything he only grimaced a little bit once the boy tugged at his hair. He was definitely going to get rid of all of that soon enough. Perhaps being in the forest had made him forget exactly how unruly he could look whenever he was out in a more formal place like this.
"I'll take note though I think a cut may happen first." He admittedly, almost sheepishly, before bracing himself so that he could slowly stand. Jhin moved just a little, made certain the boy wasn't going to fall, and then proceeded to slowly inch his way from his crouch and into a standing position. "You okay up there?" He found himself teasing as he slowly stood all the way so that the boy could stretch towards the list.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:17 pm
Thankfully Sekani was light for his age. A premature birth had ensured that he would remain petite, at least in his younger years, and hopefully that wouldn't prove too detrimental to the task at hand! "Oh yeah?" Sekani leaned around so that he could see the man's face a little more before grinning. "Then we'll look like twins!" Right? His own hair was sorta curly, but hair looked a little more curly so who knew?
Despite the smile that had only just been present Sekani squeaked when Jhin started to rise. He wrapped his arms around the man's head, just above the eyes, and held on. "Nooo..." He whined. "But I'm gonna do it anyway. J-j-just don't drop me, okay?" Sekani looked above himself and was happy to see that the note was at least a lot closer now. He stretched for it, unwilling to let go too much before taking a deep breath and really going for it.
It wasn't easy, but after a few haphazard swipes the boy had the list! "I got it! I got it!"
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:35 pm
A grin crossed Jhin's lips and he swore that the adorableness of this child would give him premature wrinkles from so much smiling. Twins, hmm? He could only imagine what anyone else would think about such a thought. Still. "Perhaps. We'll have to see if we meet again in the future." Jhin found himself teasing before his focus went completely towards their hunt for the list. "We're almost there..." He breathed, his body tense despite his attempt to sound calm about the whole situation.
"Good! Hold onto it tightly and I'll crouch back down now." Jhin instructed as he slowly started to lower down, his senses alerted to any shift of the child who was clinging tightly to his shoulders and head. There was a good chance that the pressure would result in a headache but it was surely worth it for the child's happiness. Eventually he made it into a similar crouch as before and braced himself for the sudden weight of the child to leave his shoulders. "Okay, ready?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:41 pm
Getting back down was much more tricky than getting up. For one Sekani hadn't managed to figure out a way to hold onto the list and the man so the grip he had with his sole hand was incredibly fierce. He clinched a little harder with his legs, letting out an uneasy hum as he started bending down. Still, even with all the uncertainty they managed to get down and Sekani carefully slid off his back onto the ground.
"Thanks, mister! That was really kind of you." When Sekani held the paper to his chest it nearly consumed him. "Is there anything I can do for you? I can get you a snack, or some water, since it's hot."
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:54 pm
Whew, they had done it and without getting any sorts of injuries. Jhin let out a sigh of relief, mostly for the child's safety and partly for his own back's relief, before standing fully again. "You're most welcome." He managed after rotating his arm to relax the muscles there. It wasn't as if he weren't in shape but it also was slightly different carrying a child versus a quiver of arrows. At least arrows didn't wiggle quite as much when they were secured against his back.
"Perhaps." Jhin mused over the offer before an idea came across. "What if I asked you to take me to the market? Are you going that way? I have a friend there and if I could find him and get a snack at the same time that would be wonderful." Then afterwards he could drag his friend back towards Tale while first making certain to spend a bit longer looking over the youngling. It was best to make sure he got to the market safely, right?
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:08 pm
"Yeah, I can do that! I'm going to the market anyway to buy stuff." He held up his list as if the man hadn't just seen it. "It's not far, just follow me." Sekani happily turned away from him, then seemed to pause and look around. He had to make sure he was going the right way, after all, so once the crowd had thinned enough for him to take stock of his surroundings he started out.
"What's your name? Mine's Sekani. I like flowers, sour fruit, and my best friend, Meeki. He's an averin."
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:18 pm
"Perfect." Jhin smiled as he started following the youngling towards the market. He just hoped the boy had a better sense of direction than he did in these major cities. Perhaps if he had been in one for longer, but as it was the archer was definitely a fish out of water here. "Sekani? I'm Jhin." He hesitated a moment before realizing that perhaps he should add more like the talkative boy had. "I enjoy most of those things as well though I don't have an averin." Wasn't that a Belrean animal? Something like a bird, right? Jhin tilted his head in curiosity. Was it because they were in Oba? Surely traders already had gotten hold of even familiars for pets from overseas to sell in the market. It still baffled him how quickly their world had expanded with the introduction of Belrea into the map.
"I do have a kinfa and her name is Aella." Jhin added quietly as he glanced about. Based on the buildings it did appear that they were going in the correct direction so far. All they needed now was to see the first stall and start smelling the foods and smoky air that usually marked the Oban markets for Jhin, along with the usual noises of the crowd of merchants and shoppers of course. Honestly it would surprise him if he didn't hear yelling and haggling soon enough.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:31 pm
His directions may not have been perfect, but even when Sekani took the wrong turn he knew where to take the next one to get them back on track. Not that he let on that he'd messed up, oh no! The whole time he was as confident as a Janarim in battle.
He sidestepped around an older Oban couple with a few polite words and smiled all the brighter when they cooed over how cute he was. Of course he was cute! What else would he be? "A man had Meeki in the market when he was really small and he gave him to me real cheap. He was kind of sick at first, but now he's fat." Sekani laughed a little, "Don't tell him I said that." A kinfa, huh? "I don't think I've ever seen one of those before, but I've heard Kinfas can get reallllly big."
Sekani knew they were on the right trail when the crowd started to get thicker and people weren't walking as fast. So many had stopped at certain areas just to mill around which made navigating a little trickier.
"What does your friend look like?"
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