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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 2:37 pm
(1/7)
For hours now, Lucijah's nerves had been absolutely shot. You'd think that almost twenty years of companionship and marriage would have given her some measure of security when it came to confronting her alkidike wife, and you would be absolutely wrong. There were still days where it was... difficult to get into the woman's head, to understand how she saw the world and to sidestep any potential triggers of discontent. There was a not small part of the shifter that was half convinced she wouldn't be walking away from this conversation fully in tact.
The larger part of Lucijah, though, was driven with enough pent up frustration that there was simply no avoiding it any longer. As it was, this was a topic that was far overdue - was too little, far too late.
The morning had started like any other; their children out and about their homestead doing chores or training, with Lucijah preparing to go out on a hunt. Now, she couldn't remember who brought it up first, her or Ai, but somehow they'd touched on how big the twins were. It was definitely Lucijah who lamented how much she missed when the two were small.
It was the closest the two had come to broaching The Topic, and they'd looked at one another, the air practically sizzling with the What If that hovered between them.
Then, the door knocked open to reveal one of the twins, and a shared look between mothers signaled this was a talk for Later.
Ai was supposed to be waving Zivah off, telling her to do some training or other. Lucijah, meanwhile, had asked Imri to go to the nearest lake to gather ingredients (though she might have dropped the ball by pausing to cup his scarred cheek with a long, pained look before ushering him out), and with both kids distracted - now she just had to wait for Ai to come back.
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 6:18 pm
(1/7)
Zivah was supposed to be going over drills. And yeah, that was the plan at first. Her mom brought her out to a good spot a fair distance from home, told her to plant her feet and to practice some moves with her blades. Zivah wasn't growing like she was supposed to - at some point in time, her brother had outpaced her in size and stature and while he now loomed over mama Lucijah in height, Zivah herself only made it up to her chin.
Zivah never outright asked why she'd come out such a tiny thing, when both her mothers were tall, but she didn't have to ask to know it was mama's fault. One of her shifter relatives must've been tiny, because there wasn't surprise on her face, not even when Zivah loudly complained about not hitting her growth spurt yet.
Maybe it was her smaller limbs, then, that made it so hard to work with her dual blades - she could go through the paces, slow and practiced and measured, but when it came to actually using them in a fight, she managed to deflect her own swords more often than her opponent's.
So, she threw herself into her practice. She'd go look for Imri, just to fuss at him for a bit of stress relief, but she had no idea where he was - so here she'd stay, for now.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2023 4:32 pm
[Ai 1]
In all aspects of Ai's life, save one, she barreled through with clear cut purpose. Once she had her mind set on something it couldn't be swayed and her beliefs were as solid now as they'd ever been. Whenever topics she didn't care for were brought up by her wife it became an argument, and when the reverse happened it was, predictably, also an argument.
More specifically The Topic. While most other disagreements could be hashed out in an afternoon or two, sometimes with harsh words sometimes silence, this one remained. It was avoided, pushed aside, buried but never forgotten. Every time Ai spent time with either of their children she was reminded of how quickly time was passing and prior conversations would playout in her mind.
She made sure Zivah was good and preoccupied before making her way over to Lucijah.
"I've heard reports from Zivah's mentors. She's advancing in battle tactics and making a mark for herself." Of course she didn't mention that those same mentors encouraged Ai to spend time with her doing something other than training, if for no other reason than the girl's mental health. "She would do well with younger sisters to train."
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2023 4:48 pm
[Imri 1]
Something wasn't right at home. Imri wasn't unused to running errands for mama - unlike his sister he had no qualms performing menial tasks - but there was something about her sendoff that morning that lingered with him. He'd hung back longer than usual under the guise of finding his 'lost' satchel, but when he'd eventually left Imri hadn't gone to the river at all.
Instead, he went in search of Zivah.
Imri pulled his hood down over his ivory hair and kept low as he walked. He wasn't just seeking out his sister, but also-! With a sharp inhale, the hybrid ducked low and pressed his body tight against the nearest tree. Ai was walking away, by herself, less than a few yards from him...toward their home? For a moment Imri watched her, his brow furrowed and questions buzzing in his mind. Whatever was wrong she was at the core of it, and he wanted to know, but-
Setting his lips into a frown, the hybrid waited for his chance and took off toward where he thought Zivah might be. The further he got from Ai the straighter his posture became and the faster he allowed himself to go. It had been an cold day when a passing remark from Ai allowed the twins to really look at one another and notice their size differences. For so long Zivah had pulled ahead of Imri, presumably because of her gender alone, and then puberty had swept over him. He was getting taller, stronger and faster by the day.
And he'd never once missed the hardened edge to Ai's eyes when she noticed.
When his sister came into view Imri started to slow and he pulled his hood back. There was a chance she would still attack him, but that's why he kept his distance. "She's going back to the house, Zivah. I know you know why so tell me; what's she done now?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:19 pm
(2/7)
No way. There was no way he'd willingly come right to her! It wasn't like Zivah and Imri never talked or interacted; their mama Lucijah made sure that over dinners they talked or cooperated with chores around home. There were even some times when they could coexist quietly and without too much conflict, but - most of the time Zivah gave her brother reason to avoid her. Back when they were younger, it was typically Zivah seeking him out to tease or harass him; lately, she'd done it less and less. If she was honest with herself, it was because sometimes he looked like he might actually respond to her jabs - and a tiny part of her was determined to make sure she never, ever gave him the opportunity to win a fight against her.
Ai probably would be disappointed that Zivah wasn't confident she could win against her lesser brother, but her mothers had also raised her to properly assess her abilities, to fight when she was sure she could win, and - the day Zivah realized she might not be able to win against Imri had been a bad one.
Still. Imri, through all of this, was rarely the one to seek her out, and there was a moment of startled surprise that made her miss her next set - enough that her blade finally clanged with an uncomfortably sharp noise against the other. Mother went back to the house? Zivah prickled with discomfort, having assumed her mother was off to do something important - she hadn't said anything when she left Zivah here, just ordered her to practice.
Funny, that Imri assumed Ai would tell her anything about what she was up to. But Zivah had made it a point to convince him otherwise throughout their childhoods. "Getting a sharp knife so she can finally put you down, I bet." She said, snootily, grinning lazily at her brother as she returned to her forms, putting extra effort into them now that he was here watching. "What makes you think she's done something?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:27 pm
(2/7) Lucijah looked up from her hands when she heard the door open. Tense as she was for this upcoming conversation, she was still smitten enough with her wife that she smiled, fondly, when the Alkidike launched into conversation without further preamble or greeting. Even now, it sometimes blew her mind that they'd come so far from their first meeting. The smile fell a bit though as Ai immediately brought up the exact concerns Lucijah had. The shifter sighed and rubbed her hand against her closed eyes, pushing herself up to stand. This wasn't really a conversation she wanted to have with Ai looming over her, while she sat.
"That'a kid." She said, proud of her daughter for excelling. ... But.
"... She would." Lucijah let that hang for a beat, then raised her eyebrows at her wife, not interested in beating around the bush anymore. "And if she got younger brothers instead, Ai?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2023 12:38 pm
[Ai 2]
Ai tilted her head just enough to gingerly remove the skull headdress from her dreads. The distance in which Ai traveled from Zinris determined whether or not she wore it and for how long. Earthlings that got a little too close needed a reminder of what lay within Zinris' borders while her fellow Aishans were only too used to her tactics. One's own presence could be just as much a deterrent as a sharpened blade, and some days Ai used it to avoid conversations with what might have been well meaning travelers.
That being said this wasn't a conversation she wanted to have while wearing it and the Aishan moved to sit it atop their dining table.
"If Elzira saw fit," She responded tersely. "I've yet to see any other males from her blooms so I no reason to believe we wouldn't have daughters." Unless there was a bloom hanging in her boughs at that exact moment Ai had yet to see any other mixed family be graced with a son.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2023 12:49 pm
[Imri 2]
At the sound of clanging metal Imri cringed and shook it off. It wasn't an uncommon sound - he'd been to a few training drills - it sometimes just didn't settle well in his ears. Like a texture that felt off on his skin or a soup that made his stomach curl.
Her snooty comment was met with a droll stare and a slow, calculated inhale. "I don't have time for this, Zivah. If you haven't noticed anything by now then your eyes are as blind as your form is sloppy." He turned on his heel, but not before clucking his tongue. Coming here was absolutely pointless. Years of conditioning had training Imri's mind into believing that Zivah's skills were beyond him, and that in a fight he would be trounced. So, naturally, even if he could have beaten her he didn't try.
And yet, he couldn't help biting back. After all he'd also been taught not to take crap from anyone and that meant his dear sister.
"Since you won't tell me I'm going back to see for myself. Good luck with...whatever this is." He motioned vaguely to her drills before pulling his hood back up and moving into the jungle.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:30 pm
(3/7)
Ai, as always, cut a piercing figure to Lucijah with or without her headdress. She was devastatingly beautiful, scarred and imperfect and with crinkles in her face from fiercely turned brows and sneers. Here, Ai was willing to remove the headdress - to speak to Lucijah and explain herself in a way she never would have deigned to for most others. Even now, with such a tense conversation already flowing, she wanted to reach out to touch her, or to sit next to her on the table, hip to hip.
She resisted though, smoothing her expression a bit. "Ai. We already have one son, can we just... entertain the idea we might have another? What then?" She chewed her lip for a moment, then sighed. "And what if we don't? What about Imri then?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:52 pm
Wait - wait!! Zivah hurriedly sheathed her blades, grinding her teeth as she was forced to run to catch up to his long-legged strides. If she was honest with herself, she was... curious too. What was Ai doing back at the house so early? The last Zivah had heard, Lucijah was supposed to be out on a hunt today, so what could be back home that was more important than Zivah's training?
Ai didn't lie, usually. She didn't deign to tell Zivah stuff, but if she was leaving her to practice while she went off somewhere else, she'd just SAY it.
"Y'know, for once, I don't know anything more than you do. And I'm not gonna let you find out, and hold it over my head later, so I'm coming with you."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:14 pm
[Ai 3]
"It's not as if Imri's existence would be erased if Elzira gave us more daughters." It was a hard topic to discuss simply because of Ai's own background with hybrids. She remembered very keenly taking the lives of hybrids that were younger than herself in Chibale simply for existing before being run off the continent. The thought of anyone doing as much with her children set her blood ablaze and as complicated as her relationship was with her son she still cared for him.
Ai's core beliefs were tested the moment she fell for the shifter at her side and while seeking aid in expanding their family felt so utterly natural, even if it was for hybrids, Imri was still...Imri.
"If we had another son we would leave. I have no intention of raising another son near Zinris."
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:26 pm
[Imri 3]
He couldn't say he hadn't expected it. If he were honest with himself Imri had hoped that Zivah would take his bait, but there was never any guarantee. Just the act of turning his back to her while she had her blades unsheathed was enough of a risk to put him on edge, let alone the feeling that steeled his blood when he heard her running to catch up.
"Just keep your voice down," He looked over his shoulder and gave her a meaningful look before continuing on. Getting back to their home wasn't a difficult affair, but staying quiet enough not to draw suspicion was. Thankfully their family liked to keep to themselves so it wasn't as if they needed to worry about neighbors overseeing two teenagers skulking about.
Moving around to the back of the home, Imri pressed himself up against the exterior wall closest to the window. He motioned for Zivah to come closer and post up next to him, only for the teen to catch the last bit of their conversation.
Well...maybe he shouldn't have brought Zivah after all.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:39 pm
(4/7)
It was in situations like this that Lucijah just... didn't quite follow Ai's logic. Ai would die before her children were harmed, would defend them both from anything; but then she pushed him away, trained Zivah personally and left him on his own. Pit the two against one another constantly by taking Zivah off on trips or private outings.
The day Lucijah woke up and realized she could no longer read his carefully constructed expression was the day she knew she'd royally messed up as a mother. That was, probably, when most of her and Ai's fighting started.
And it was moments like this that made her almost forget, because Ai would say exactly what Lucijah wanted to hear. Leave Zinris? Lucijah had ached for the open road for ages, had felt getting Zivah out of the seclusion of Zinris would open her eyes and soften her to her brother, but she'd never once wanted to suggest it.
"We'd really leave?" She asked, surprised, so much so her arms dropped from where she'd propped them on her hips. Then, she paused and shook herself. "...Yeah. Away from Zinris would be better. I just think... it'd be better to leave, even if we had girls, Ai."
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:45 pm
(4/7) It wouldn't be the first time Zivah attacked her brother with her swords. Ai always said it was important to be ready for an attack at any time, to be ready to defend yourself even against someone who should be your ally. But that had been with training swords, and in this instance Zivah was much more invested in the mystery he'd neatly presented to her, than in getting on his nerves.
Thankfully, now that her swords were sheathed Zivah was able to approach silently, ducking down into a crouch when Imri did so their steps were lighter. To her surprise, Lucijah was still here - and she and Ai were talking, quite intently, about-- about.
Zivah's eyes shot wide, and it was hard not to hiss in a breath. Instead she locked her jaw and shot him a glare, as if it was HIS fault they were discussing -
More kids. Boys, even. But oh, wasn't it a shock to hear Ai say that having another boy would drive them out of Zinris? Even mama agreed, but she even wanted to leave if-- more girls?
Wait, were they really thinking about... more kids? Wasn't Zivah good enough? Why now, of all times?!
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:58 pm
[Ai 4]
Leave...even if they had daughters? Even if Ai had initiated it the admission from Lucijah caused the Aishan's brow to furrow. "If we had daughters then they would benefit from the community like Zivah has. She's grown so much as a warrior since her training began in earnest." Meaning since Ai had allowed others to step in when training their daughter as well as her own personal instruction.
Still, it was hard to ignore the way she and her wife had been at odds over the years. Since her work with Zivah had intensified so had their fights and Ai, while not willing to admit there was a correlation between the two, wanted it to stop. Her daughter was becoming more like her with each day and her son...
...no longer waited at the window when she left. He'd long since waited for them by the door when they returned from a trip or even asked to go with them. Most of the time Imri wasn't even home when they came in. How long ago had he stopped? How long had it been since she'd done anything solo with him?
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