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 Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 4:24 pm
Sol ll 1
With practiced caution, Sol eased himself onto the decking and swung his legs over the edge. While there were plenty of inns in the bustling trade city the father of two pushed for a rented hut instead so that his girls could experience what it was like to live in the trees. Of course that meant navigating a series of rope bridges and climbing; all of which had been a challenge for him. There were more than a few times that he'd deeply regretted the decision, but now that he was here, boldly leaning against the railing, Sol couldn't bring himself to wish for anything else.
Even without his sight Sol enjoyed the thrill of being so high off the ground. Sounds tended to dim around him making it both an exciting and terrifying experience all on it's own. Being in Jauhar wasn't like riding Sev into the skies, though; there were neighbors, even this high in the trees, and even now he could hear voices not so far to their right.
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 4:31 pm
Nimia ll 1
"Baba?" When she didn't see her father inside Nimia bravely stuck her face outside and felt her stomach roll. What was he doing so close to the edge?! Granted, he was leaning against the railing and it wasn't as if he could slip through it but - Her hands tightened on the door in worry.
Stopping in Jauhar was far from new. Every time they visited family in the South it was customary to stop for a bit, though it was usually only for a night or two and all of their lodgings had been closer to the ground. Nimia had always been petrified by the thought of walking so freely in the trees and when her Baba, of all people!, had mentioned wanting to stay so high up - she'd never had a panic attack!
Everything in her screamed to go back inside the hut until she had to leave, but she also didn't like the idea of leaving him alone outside. So...Nimia swallowed her fear and eased herself out onto the platform. She hugged the outside of the building, pressing her back firmly against the wood and settling down close enough to see him. "I-I-I'm just....I'm just gonna stay right here."
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 6:36 pm
"I'm gonna win!" Fiadah came charging along the bridge with zero concern for how it bobbed and swayed under her feet. It was amazing to be so high up in the trees! Gods, the trees themselves were amazing. There was none of this in Zena! It was perfect for racing, almost letting her feel like she was the one flying!
Ah, but there was the hut they were staying in! And Baba! And Nimia! Everyone would get to see her victory!
She looked over her shoulder with a triumphant grin, but it quickly fell when she realized there was nothing to see. Her brow knit and she slowed down, eyes darting around intently. "Papa?" He'd been right behind her...
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 6:48 pm
The bridge they ran along curved around a tree before it got to their rooms. With Fiadah charging like a crazed mammu, Koril took advantage of the shortcut through the branches that he had noticed before. With a smarmy grin, he flew along the thick branches and dropped onto the bridge just a couple feet from the platform. " I'm gonna win!" he announced with a cackle, ignoring his own heavy panting to regain his breath.
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:40 am
Sol ll 2
"Nimia-" His heart went out to the girl. How one of their daughters had turned into a thrill seeker and the other was scared of shadows Sol would never understand. He reached a hand back to her, noting how she gasped the moment he let go of the rail. "-it's alright, love. You need to breathe." But then, another sound caught his attention.
It was impossible not to hear the ruckus barreling their way. Sol leaned back, his ears following the pair as they raced closer. If he focused his senses he could pick up their auras just enough to follow Koril's little 'trick' and the hybrid couldn't help grinning. Cheeky p***k. Spirits, but he loved the man for it.
But if he sent a little spell Fiadah's way who could say. If that spell happened to be a haste spell, giving her a speed boost, well....honestly that could have come from anyone and surely the telltale glow that came from it couldn't have possibly been his.
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:45 am
Nimia ll 2You can do this, you can do this- Nimia took a deep breath and cautiously pushed off from the wall. Instead of rising to her full height, the Matorian scooted across the floor of the platform until she was close enough to reach out for Sol's hand - -and see her family trying to end their lives! What were they trying to do?! Fall FASTER?! "Fiadah!" What if she lost her footing?! What if - "PAPA?!" What was he even DOING ON THOSE BRANCHES? She didn't notice once how Sol seemed to shrink back every time she cried out, even going so far as to reach a hand up to his ear, nor did she pick up when she grabbed his hand just how much pressure she was using.
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 5:49 pm
Fiadah was about to start back down the bridge when she felt the path shift under her feet and the cackle reached her ears. "Papa!" she yelped with a surprised laugh. How'd he done that?! She spun and kicked off hard to catch up. The gap between Koril and herself closed much faster than she had expected. She was positively glowing with delight as she caught up and dove for the platform. "I did it!" she shrieked with delight, cackling in a very similar fashion to Koril's earlier laugh. "Did you see, Nimia? I won!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:10 pm
The howl of disbelief and fear from his oldest made Koril flinch with guilt.. but then the youngest was suddenly at his side to distract him. "Hey now!" He turned to jump for the platform, but Fiadah had the momentum that he didn't. Of course, his gaze darted suspiciously over to Sol. Fiadah was fast, but not that fast. Taking a few breaths to calm his thudding heart, he sighed and ruffled Fiadah's hair on his way to join Sol and Nimia. "Good job, Fee. You were going really fast." He reached up to press a kiss to Sol's jaw. "Really, really fast," he whispered with a teasing tone to his husband. Meanwhile, his hand slipped to rest encouragingly over Nimia's that he had noticed held Sol's in the death grip. Poor thing. "How's your morning been, you two?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:51 pm
Nimia ll 3
"Y-yeah, I saw." Her heart was nearly fit to burst from anxiety, but when Nimia turned her frightened gaze up she felt a little shift. As much as she wanted to chastise the both of them for being reckless there was no mistaking the absolute elation in Fiadah's eyes for anything else so all she could do was give an uneasy smile.
She looked up to Koril as he came close and took a deep breath to steady herself. "I mapped out a route to Matori that we haven't taken before. It still follows some known roads, but I thought it might be a little more interesting than the trade routes." It was easier to do something like that from the comfort of indoors anyway. That way she could give her more adventurous family members something to look forward to while also being on a set, designated road.
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:59 pm
Sol ll 3
"What? She has xaraan blood." He whispered back with a grin. Moments like these he wished he could have been running with them, but hearing it was enough. Sol didn't need his sight to know his husband and daughter's faces were flushed with exertion anymore than he needed his eyes to know that Nimia was finally starting to calm. In increments, anyway. His hand still pulsed from the vice grip she held on it.
"Actually I've been thinking about staying in Jauhar for a while." Would Koril pick up on what he was putting down? They may have talked about it in spurts, but since nothing had ever been brought up around the girls Sol wanted to see exactly where they all stood. Ever since that discussion with Eema that topic had been in the back of his mind.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 4:17 pm
Panting happily, Fiadah took a moment to stretch her limbs before she headed over to join her family. Riding high on the thrill of victory, she strolled along the railing with a grin. Mapping out the route? "You eager to leave already, Nim?"
Sol's comment made her look up with interest. "Oh, I heard there's a festival coming up in a few weeks. Are we stayin' for that?" That was a very long time to stay, but she wasn't concerned if it meant seeing some of the local festivities!
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 4:46 pm
Koril chuckled lightly at Sol's reply. "That explains a lot~" When Nimia piped up, he looked down and smiled appreciatively. Nimia picking a different route? "Oh really? That'll definitely make for a nice change." He also looked up curiously at Sol. Sol didn't like being away from home for too long. What..? Maybe..? He pressed his lips together briefly to resist blurting out what he thought it might be. He reached for Sol's free hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "I don't think the festival is his intention, darling," he mused to Fiadah with a little chuckle.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 1:28 pm
Nimia ll 4
YES. "No." She pushed up the rim of her glasses and tried to sit a little straighter, despite the flush now adorning her cheeks. "I just thought it might be fun, is all." And when her papa agreed she could only feel that spark brighten a bit.
A festival? That didn't sound bad, but the idea of staying in Jauhar for much longer made her uneasy. That just meant more weeks of rope bridges and bug food. She didn't know how much longer she could tolerate having locals show her the right way to eat a beetle.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 1:38 pm
Sol ll 4
Taking Koril's squeeze as permission to go ahead, Sol gave a nervous smile and exhaled. "No, it's not the festival, but we might still be in town for it. Just depends on a few things." Such as timing, paperwork, adjustment periods...If everything went through as he hoped it would it wouldn't be instantly 'perfect'. They would need to take some time to find a rhythm.
"Your papa and I have been talking about adding a few new faces to the family. It's something we've contemplated before, but it never truly felt right." He'd never wanted to take time away from the girls, especially considering their start in the world, and then there was work...It seemed like things just kept adding in until their daughters were nearly grown. "How would you two feel about being big sisters?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 7:20 pm
Fiadah looked at Sol with intense interest. They might actually be around for the festival? She certainly hadn't expected that.
As Sol explained, Fiadah cocked her head while she let the information sink in. Her eyes shifted between the men, seeming to widen with each twitch. A.. a big sister? Her? "I'd get to be a big sister like Nimia?" she asked on a soft exhale of a sentence. It was a surprisingly subdued reaction for her, but she was still absorbing and thinking about what it would mean.
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