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 Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 11:57 am
Zakia had grown used to receiving letters from her mother; so many, in fact, that she barely had room to store them all. More often that not it was about Belrean culture, things she'd learned, the earthlings there, the Vandrea...but recently it was mostly about Calixa. She'd never once thought that in her mother's travels she would have another daughter, but she wasn't opposed to it. Mnyiri was impulsive, but caring. She wished she could have spent more time with them, but at least the family was trying their best to stay in touch despite the distance.
Still, that didn't mean getting to them was easy. She'd had to book passage on an airship to Zenner with an anxious sailscale, of all things!, and stay crouched for the majority of the trip. Cabins were small even by earthling standards so for an alkidike it was a rough way to go.
Now that she was finally at the docks of Chiume everything seemed to fall in place. She'd already sent word that she was close and hopefully it had reached them. The sailscale - which was just the colors Calixa had asked for - was an active thing that kept wanting to explore it's territory despite the harness that Zakia kept a firm hold onto. It would be just her luck to come all this way and lose the damn thing!
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 12:07 pm
Calixa had been excited when she'd learned that they were going to meet her sister at the docks. Of course that excitement had bubbled over into an unwillingness to wait for her mother. So when they had gotten close enough the little girl had sprung forward to race Mnyiri, not that her mother knew it was a race. "'Kia! 'Kia!" She called out to gain the attention of her sister. She knew what she looked like thanks to a painting, and it was hard to confuse their family markings with anyone else, but shouting just seemed easier than using her own eyes.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:32 am
It would have been much easier to spot her mother among the Vandrea than her baby sister. That being said, Zakia was focused on a shock of hoary dreads in the crowd and not the little bundle of energy running her way. If it weren't for her nickname she might have been taken utterly by surprise! Goddess, is that even the same kid?!The last time she'd seen Calixa her sister could barely walk and now? Now she was knee high to an earthling! "Cali?!" Zakia rushed to close the space between them and sweep the little Vandrea into a big hug. "You didn't tell me how big you were!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 12:55 am
When she was swept up squeals of absolute joy filled the air. Calixa clung to Zakia and giggled with so much delight one might think she was being tickled to death. "'Kia!" She squished her cheek against her sister's as she wrapped her arms around Zakia's neck and squeezed. "Almost bigger than the earthlings!" She proclaimed. While not entirely true she was pleased to hear that she'd gotten bigger. Believe it or not the little girl often worried that she wouldn't get to be as big as her mother and sister. Of course she hardly noticed her own growth.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 12:13 pm
"When you're my age you'll touch the stars! I just know it!" Zakia rubbed her forehead against Calixa's and squeezed her sister tight before shifting her a little. Once she had a decent hold on her, balancing the girl on her hip, the hybrid turned her attention to the sailscale who... ...was trying to chew the boostraps off a fellow alkdike's legs. She kept trying to brush the creature off and would send scathing looks at Zakia, of which the younger hybrid just awkwardly laughed off. With a tug, she pulled it away. "So, I believe your letter said something about a present?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:35 pm
Her eyes lit up at being told she could touch the stars. Of course she would love to do that. Those things were so pretty. Of course she was sure Uma said something about them being too far away to touch. When she was situated on her sister's hip she clung as best as she could to make it easier on Zakia. But when the mention of a gift was brought up she leaned to the side to look around her sister and try to find the familiar. "Yes! Yes!" She noticed the beast and the poor Alkidike that it was bothering just as her sister was pulling it away. "You brought it!" Calixa practically bounced with excitement.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 3:38 pm
Zakia snorted. "Of course I brought it. You would have been disappointed if I didn't." Carefully, the hybrid sat her sister down on the ground and remained crouched so she could calm the excitable creature. She rubbed it's head just beside the crest in an effort to get it to chill. "You just have to promise to take really good care of her, okay? Pets are a lot of work." Of course her mother wouldn't allow the poor thing to starve, but sometimes kids missed the point. She'd seen a few back in Zena think that raptrix pups could survive on love alone, and balked when they realized you had to scoop some unpleasant things if you wanted them around your home.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 7:51 pm
Calixa went to argue with her sister about being disappointed but she was right. If Zakia had showed up without her new companion then she might have gotten upset. Or at the very least gotten teary eyed. So instead she gave her sister a small grin.
When Zakia crouched she leaned to the side and reached out for the creature with her left hand while her right clung to her sister. "I will! Promises!" Her hand made grabby motions at the beast.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 6:06 pm
The sailscale turned it's attention to the little Vandrea and crept forward with it's claws, fanning it's frills as it went and nuzzling her outstretched hand. It made a little chuffing sound in the back of it's throat that sounded positively curious. "Is mother close or did you come all the way here by yourself?" The implications worried her. While she knew the island wasn't huge it was still big enough that a child as small as Calixa needed to be watched. So, their mother was either close by or maybe a family friend was watching her? Zakia didn't know any of the Vandrea well enough to point one out.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 6:45 pm
Seeing that the beast came over and made a cute sound she squealed. Calixa made grabby motions with her fingers before leaning a bit more to try and pet the sailscale. "Cute!" When the question about where their mother was came out she looked at Zakia then around before giving a slight smile. "I ran in front of Uma." She was walking with their mother but then the excitement had her going ahead and likely leaving Mnyiri behind somewhere in the crowd.
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 9:40 am
"Gentle touch, Cali; you don't want to spook it." While she wasn't afraid of the sailscale purposefully hurting her little sister Zakia knew how little ones could be. Auntie Rho and Uncle Kian's youngest could have a death grip when they wanted and she didn't want the beastie to last out in pain or fear. "Oh, okay then. Maybe she's getting some snacks for us." Zakia smiled and moved to stand. She still had to get her things from the dock, but once they met up with Mnyiri they could sort that part out. When she was sure she had a good hold on the harness and her little sister's hand, Zakia started moving toward the mainland. "You'll have to show me all your favorite places. I'm really going to be looking for all kinds of advice on where I should go and what I should do while I'm here."
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:33 am
She couldn't help her excitement over the beast but she did settle a little when her sister told her to be gentle. Calixa looked up at Zakia when she stood tall, clinging to her side like she was glued there but also reaching for the sailscale. The poor girl couldn't decide which she was more excited over. Her sister or the creature. "I can show you!" She chirped loudly. Calixa knew all the best hiding spots and had a claim over a little watering hole that she liked to swim in. The other kids knew it was her favorite.
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:22 pm
Goddess, how did her mother get any work done like this? As sweet as it was to have her little sister so close Zakia knew at some point packing the child around would grow tiresome. Physically, of course, because every time she got a look at her smiling face her heart just swelled. "Oh good, I was hoping you would." She leaned over to give Calixa a kiss on her forehead. "So, how much have you learned about sailscales? In mama's letters she said you two were learning about them and I'm curious about how much you know."
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 3:24 pm
"I know they is small and can go in small space." Calixa beamed up at her sister. "They can help get stuff in small holes." Her head nodded. "Uma said they eat special stuff." Which Calixa had yet to really pay attention to. She always got too excited thinking about the fun she'd have with her companion and the treasures they could find in small spaces.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:56 pm
"They're carnivorous which means they eat meat so you'll have to hunt for them." With Mnyiri as a mother there wouldn't be any table scraps readily availible for them. After all, the woman was a vegetarian. "And don't be too mad if Mvua isn't very nice when they first meet. It's going to take time to make friends." Mnyiri's radaku would likely act aggressively at first, but she didn't want to scare her by telling Calixa that at first. Actually, though.... "You know, I bet Mvua could help find food for her."As they walked she looked down at the sailscale, which seemed to be trying it's best to play with Calixa but found it difficult because of the movement. "They're also cold blooded. Do you know what that means?"
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