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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 5:19 pm
(1/10)
It was still early in the morning, enough so that it was dark and it was still damp and chilly outside, when Ai and Zivah woke to leave. There'd been little warning that it was coming - for all Lucijah could tell it had been a spur of the moment decision on her partner's part. She'd woken to soft kisses to her jaw, a caress of her hair, and a murmur that she was taking their daughter out for a few days.
Great. Wonderful. Lucijah, still half asleep, shuffled to the front room and made sure Zivah had a good pair of boots and a proper piece of outer wear, in case it rained, and then with a nuzzle of their noses they were gone.
Lucijah was tempted to climb back in bed, to hopefully sleep, but the simmering discomfort and annoyance at Ai ignoring her pleas again about these 'trips' made her get out of bed.
Even now, after years as a parent, Lucijah wasn't the best cook, but she threw her all into cooking up a heaping pile of rashers of meat, boiled eggs, and a bowl of the somewhat slimy, but delicious lake weed salad the local Yaeli loved so much.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 5:40 pm
Even though he was never invited to go for some reason Imri always made a point to see Ai and Zivah off on their trips. It was spiteful, in a way, to be there as his Aishan mother took his twin away. He'd woken when Zivah had because her movements weren't all that subtle and with a half-asleep frown he'd bundled a blanket around his shoulders, grumbled into the front room and sat while Mama made sure the pair were all set.
As bitter as he was about the whole thing at least the house would be quieter.
Still...He found himself watching after them, a part of his heart aching as the door closed behind the pair. Once it had closed Imri hopped up from his seat and moved to the window, making sure to keep toward the edges just incase either one looked back.
They didn't.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 6:07 pm
(2/10) ... Parenting was... impossibly hard, sometimes. And, as much as she adored and loved Ai... her wife made it that much harder. When they successfully prayed to Elzira for blooms, Ai had been overjoyed, but also stricken at the prospect of hybrids - and it had taken months for her to work her mind around that piece of supposed hypocrisy, on her part.
Somehow though neither woman had ever stopped to expect a boy. Lucijah was shocked for a lesser, more silly reason - she knew nothing about boys, or men, and had no clue how to raise one. But Ai...
Even now, years later, the woman had never gotten over it. There'd been hundreds of hushed arguments, because Lucijah's parents had always argued in front of her and she knew how easily that made a child pick a parent and side with them. But Ai... she was swayed, sure. In her way.
She didn't kill Imri at birth, and while Lucijah knew that to be an achievement, how was she supposed to tell her son that?
Ai talked to him. Ai gave him new clothes, and food, and talked sometimes. She spent some time with him. It was all... a lot, for Ai, Lucijah knew that. And yet, Lucijah was also a parent now, and she could see how it just wasn't enough.
With the food prepared, Lucijah set it out, but stopped to look at Imri, biting the inside of her cheek. "You know - I think, if we eat up first, maybe you and I can take a trip." She said, secretively, winking at him when he turned to look at her.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 6:16 pm
For a moment Imri pressed his face against the window frame and seemed to melt into it. He may as well considering how very little his presence seemed to matter to her. Ai checked in with his training progress, but didn't have as much hands on care with him as she did Zivah. He knew she was being shown things he wasn't and even if they both slipped up he would be held to a higher degree of disappointment. Or worse, Zivah would because he was somehow expected to be bad. Ai had only said as much once, but that was all it took.
For that reason alone he had a Mama and an Ai.
And that was that.
Even the smell of a tempting breakfast couldn't break him from his stupor and the child likely would have fallen back asleep if left alone. Instead, he'd been addressed and he turned to look. Gathering his blanket, Imri hopped up from his perch and made his way closer with a yawn. "A trip?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 6:41 pm
(3/10) It... was spur of the moment, so it wasn't like there were a lot of places to take him. Living this far out, it was... a massive endeavor to get to any earthling settlements. So much so that the family had never gone, together - only Lucijah a few times a year. But... she could tell Imri felt left out, and maybe... doing something together, just the two of them, might help at least a bit.
"Yes, a trip!" She enthused, patting the cushion beside her so he would come sit with her. Once he settled, she wrapped an arm around him and tucked him into her side, stooping to kiss the top of his head. "Maybe to the ocean? You haven't been since you were a baby, you know. We could go swimming, or fish- and if you wanted to show me some of your newest moves, that'd be fun too, right?"
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2022 5:02 pm
It didn't take much coaxing for the little hybrid to curl up on the cushion, making sure his blanket was snugged around him even as his mother's arms squished him to her. He smiled, even going so far as to give a little breath of a laugh before melting into her.
"Is the ocean very far?" He'd heard of older sisters going, but he'd never been around them long enough to judge if that was a long trip or not. Imri hoped it was; he hoped they weren't home when Ai and Zivah came back. How would that make them feel?
"I don't...really want to show you because I don't want to do them." Somedays Imri was filled with so much pride at landing a move his sister couldn't and others he detested even going through the training to begin with. "...I think I'd like to just fish and swim and maybe boat? Can we find a big boat?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2022 5:26 pm
(4/10) "A bit. It might be afternoon by the time we get there, if we leave right after breakfast." She admitted. It was a far enough walk that they'd probably have to spend the night, but Ai and Zivah were expected to be gone a few days anyway, and Lucijah was comfortable enough with Yaeli now that the trip wasn't risky, especially if they brought food with them.
It... was a bit of a surprise for him to say he didn't want to show his training off for her, but - she couldn't really argue, could she? He didn't want to. Should she pry? Maybe ask him why he felt that way-
... Of course not, it should be obvious why.
"I don't know if there's big boats, but maybe we can find a little one out there, if there are any fishermen! C'mon. Eat up, and we can get rolling, yeah?" She pat his shoulder, then reached to start on her own plate, hoping he'd follow her lead. She just wanted to make sure he ate, and didn't mope and go hungry today.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2022 4:10 pm
Imri took a few boiled eggs, some of the meat and tried his best to avoid the lake weed salad. It might have tasted good, but the texture always made his lips curl. And so long as his mother didn't make him eat it he likely wouldn't. The promise of boats, fish and adventure lifted his spirits enough to bring out an appetite. It also helped that Zivah wasn't here to distract him so Imri was able to take his time with his meal and really enjoy it.
He'd barely finished half his plate before Imri was pushing back from the table and hopping to his feet. "All done! I'll be back." What should he wear to the beach? He had a feeling that his normal clothes would be too thick so maybe the ones he wore swimming in the river? Scuttling away from the table to his room, the child looked through his things before settling on a pair of loose shorts and a shawl. As a rule he didn't like to be exposed; it made it too obvious what he was so until he was in the water he could be comfortable.
After a moments hesitation he snatched up his satchel and slung it over his shoulder just in case. When Imri was satisfied he walked back out into the front room, eyes looking over his abandoned plate with a frown. He'd have to clean it up, but...he really didn't want to.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 1:43 pm
(5/10) Lucijah smiled to herself, satisfied now that her kid was eating. She ate her own meal, pulling her arm back from him so that she wasn't hovering too closely as he ate. When he chirped that he was done, Lucijah opened her mouth to chide him, to call him back to eat more - but swallowed the words up, and instead shook her head, laughing softly to herself.
She stood and washed her own plate, then set about packing up a satchel with more food for later. Her gauntlets were tied and slung over her shoulder, and she'd set out his boots and tugged on her own when she heard him pattering back into the living area. Without looking, she snapped her fingers and pointed, vaguely, towards the table, "Clean up. Then bring me the chalk and stone, there's a good kid." She'd learned a long time ago not to call him a 'boy' - it was a tender subject, after all.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 2:53 pm
"Got it!" Imri moved over to the table and gathered up his things, even going so far as to pop a few last bites of food into his mouth, and moved to wash it up. What things he could save he wrapped in a linen cloth to snack on for later and the rest he disposed of in a designated pot to be emptied later. He hurriedly washed the plate, set it to the side and started to bounce away....only to come back and really wash it. If anyone found out he'd only done a half job then he'd be in trouble.
Finding the stone and chalk was a bit of a tall order, though. It wasn't in the last place he'd seen it and Imri almost relayed the information to mama, but then he saw it by the door. He recognized the scrawled message of Ai and didn't bother reading it before wiping her words away.
"Here you go mama," Happy and smiling, Imri handed his find up to her.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:22 pm
(6/10) Lucijah wasn't going to lie and say that her life her was content, exactly. She was a woman of adventure and action, and going out to fight strange beasts could only satisfy so much. She longed, a lot, for the days she and Ai had lived, hand to mouth, traveling the southern parts of the continent - getting into trouble, working for enough gold to move to the next town.
Her life, in a lot of ways, was horribly boring. And yet... she'd be honest to herself, that sometimes just sitting still and listening to her child running around, bare feet padding along the wood of the house, she was... incredibly happy.
If only those moments could last, and they could all enjoy them together.
Imri pressed the stone and chalk into her hand, and Lucijah didn't even stop to consider the smear of chalk dust left behind. Instead she turned to him and pet her fingers over his dreads, eyes crinkling with a smile down at him. She scrawled a hasty message, even adding a vague map drawing with an arrow pointing North to the vague scribbled outline of the ocean, then propped it up on the table, where it'd be clearly visible should the others return before they did.
Doubtful, but she wouldn't be accused of not covering her bases. "Right. You want to walk or want to get up high for a while first?" Because heavens forbid she carry him, but letting him sit tall on her shoulders was a healthy alternative, right?
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:38 pm
Sometimes Imri wondered what it would be like if he hadn't chosen to have his hair dreaded. It had been that way for as long as he could remember, but he actively chose to keep it that way. It was one of the things that bound him to Zinris and Elzira and, furthermore, to Ai. Zivah didn't have her hair in dreads, but these days he just...had to wonder what it would be like to let it go. To look more like Mama Lucijah.
"I wanna be high!" Then he could be as tall as an Aishan! He'd be able to touch the tall branches and maybe even take some fruit. Still, the only person he showed that much exuberance around was Lucijah and even around her there was a pause as if he was wondering if it was okay to act like that.
And yet, he held his hands up regardless.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:56 pm
(7/10) If he'd said he wanted to walk, it would have been its own sort of disappointment. He was getting bigger, yeah - but Lucijah was a strong woman, and if she was honest she wasn't quite ready to let go of her kid just yet. So at his delighted reaction, she grinned broadly at him and scooped him up into her arms in a hug, lugging him and their bags outside. There was only so much locking up she could do, after all. Once out, she set him down and instead stooped so he could vault up onto her shoulders.
Yael never was 'sunny', or pretty - even in the mornings. But now, the glow of daylight did turn the air red and purple, sending up plumes of fog. The roads of Yaeli were perilous, even for a resident, so Lucijah had to watch her step to make sure she didn't trip them both, or break an ankle or fall into some cavernous, underground system; but it left her son to look around, to reach for things, to enjoy the trip as they moved at a decent pace.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 4:02 pm
The world outside of their home was as peaceful as it was dreary. Of course, Imri knew no different so to him the 'glow' of daylight may as well have been as bright as the sun on Matori's shores. It brought a smile to his face and even throughout all of Lucijah's shifting he couldn't keep from grinning.
Once she'd stooped he gingerly made his way up into place and once he was settled they were off. He never got to ride like this on Ai's shoulders which was just as well with him. He was able to pet Lucijah's soft, downy hair - just like his - and look about them.
"Mama, mama, go that way!" Tugging on the tip of her left ear, Imri pointed at the closest tree. "The leaves are really pretty. I think I can grab one."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 4:09 pm
(8/10)
"Hmm?" She called up to him, tilting her face towards where he was tugging her. It seemed a simple enough detour, so she headed that way, alternating between watching her feet and eyeballing the trees to make sure they were getting close enough for him to reach. "Alright, but keep an eye out! You should get a handful of leaves, not a surprise keldari, alright?" She called up to him, giving his leg a squeeze as they got close enough for him to do as he wished. She didn't stop for him to reach, but did slow her pace, just a little.
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