Quivering Over Words (Kavala)

by **Riaris Dovukalis** on January 12th, 2014, 10:59 pm

Riaris loved Kavala and he loved his sisters, but they were very different people. Nanali enjoyed being taken care of, in fact, she liked to talk about her brother to her friends, and how much he made her happy and looked out for her, even though at times he was a huge grumpy purple man. Even Johan, the more strong headed of the two, still enjoyed having big brothers to protect her and she often bragged about who her brother was and what he had accomplished. When she learned that Kavala was pregnant it made her happy because she knew it was what he wanted, but also because she knew it would raise his statues in the city.

Kavala was different, she was stubborn to the point of maddening, and that was before the extreme emotional changes that were created when a woman was pregnant. Riaris tried his best, but he wasn't the best at words, and knowing how to say things to get his point across clearly without making her mad again. He did believe that she was strong, but that had nothing to do with anything. Kavala had built a fortress that was well armed and well oiled by this time, no one could question her strength. But that had nothing to do with people who cared wanting to be there, and to do things for her.

He had failed to get her to understand that several times now, and had basically given up on that note. Instead he would just be there for her as much as she allowed, he would enjoy their time together, the raising of their children and his new family. For whatever was to come for them. He thought for the moment to just stay with her and hold her close. If his words alone couldn't help her, he hoped his presence would be more soothing. Kavala had grown very thin during the pregnancy, but he wasn't turned off. He wanted to hold her and kiss her as he had before.

Riaris was ready to do just that and for as long as Kavala wanted to deal with him, until the whimper came. Nanali stepped closer and slipped into the arms of the two waiting to embrace her. He was surprised that he hadn't thought about it, the fact that she had been the one bugging him before about talking to Kavala, he should have guessed that she had been following him. "You are so wonderful, I mean that and I love both of you." Nanail was still crying and it made it harder to hear her words, but the girl continued. "Kavala, tell me you'll be alright? You can't die on us." Riaris smiled and hugged his sister closer, if only to keep her from falling on Kavala. "She'll be fine Nanail, Kavala is strong, fierce and she's going to be a great mother again."

by **Kavala** on January 13th, 2014, 3:39 am

The Konti glanced up at Riaris when he said those words, a smile wafting across her face. He wouldn’t lie to his sister… ever. From his fierce expression, Kavala believed he thought he was speaking the truth. That went a long way to telling the Konti that he didn’t think she was weak and that he didn’t regret his decisions and the past that was behind them. And he thought she’d make a great mother. Those words, rather than Nanail’s tears, caused her own to spill.

Kavala leaned in and kissed Nanail’s forehead with her arms still wrapped around Riaris and now the young woman.. “You are my little sister too now, Nanail. We are family. I promised never to lie to you. No, I’m not alright. But I will be. I just have to make it through the next ten or twenty days… however long your nephew is going to take before he decides to put in a visit. I know why you’ve been around so much and I thank you for being here. I know Tasival and Shayru thank you both too. Without you, he’d be in a whole different place in his mind. You are such a gem to me.” Kavala said, pulling back slightly and using her webbed thumb to brush away Nanail’s tears and then her own. “Now don’t cry. You’re both making me cry and I hate that. There’s no need to cry over things before they happen because odds are nothing will if we are vigilant enough. And trust me, I’ve been planning ahead… a lot. I always do.” The Konti said, leaning back and looking up at Riaris.

“Your brothers will take care of things. Riaris and Recoomas won’t let anything bad happen. And if it does it's because sometimes fate is stronger than our own wills. Your brothers will see everyone through the aftermath. I’m going to need you to help with the baby when he comes and with Tasival and Shayru. There is no one like you four. You all need to stick together. Tasival and Shayru have laughed more, came out of their shell more, and grown more with you around than I’ve ever seen a child do in that amount of time. You even have them writing in tukant. It’s amazing. There is no better friend than you two are to them. No better.” Kavala said, kissing the girl again on the forehead, and rubbing her shoulders.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with me. But I’m not ready to give up. I’m just tired and I hate waiting and whining and feeling so helpless. But its something all women must go through to bring forth more life. Everyone here had a mother that most likely experienced the same thing. We’ll make it through. And hopefully, Nanail, when you decide to become a mother in the years to come, I can be there to help you through it as well... just like you’ve helped me. Riaris and Recoomas too. And whatever man is lucky enough to call you his love. We’ll be a family. Yours mine and all that will come after us. Don’t forget that.” Kavala said, leaning back suddenly, brushing at her own face again and glancing up at Riaris. She didn’t know what to do now… where to go from here.

“You both need to let me up. He’s kicking my bladder again. I’ll be right back.” Kavala said, releasing the pair and slowly clambering to her feet. She made a hasty retreat out of the room, trying not to be graceless as she did so, and gave the siblings some much deserved time alone. She would take five or ten chimes anyhow, just walking down the hall, taking care of her business, washing up and returning. Besides, she needed a minute herself, to process all of it and decide what to do in the face of the support both of them had shown her.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that Riaris wasn’t going anywhere. Kavala still wasn’t convinced Recoomas wouldn’t bail on her, but between Tasival and Nanail, her family had gotten a whole lot bigger and with that came people that were even stronger than she was and even more determined to protect everyone. Kavala didn’t know how to share the responsibility and delegate some of that to those that could handle it. But she knew if she didn’t learn fast, she was going to be doing nothing but sabotaging her own life and the happiness deep down she had a hard time believing she deserved.

by **Riaris Dovukalis** on January 13th, 2014, 7:12 pm

Riaris found himself in an odd spot. Not one but two of the women he loved more than his own life were crying and he didn't seem to be helping either of them. Kavala was very pregnant now and he was understanding this more as the days passed. And Nanali..was just being Nanali. He piped down, one hand gently rubbing his sister's arm and back while the other reached out to reconnect with Kavala. Riaris was happy to see that they had bonded so well and that Kavala and her family had taken his sisters into their home as they had done him.

He smiled weakly to them both. But he was also worried for his love, and didn't want anything to go wrong. The Akalak had many stories about love that was destined to fail and he didn't want his first to be added to that list. "Dry your tears Nanali, our family is strong and growing stronger everyday. We'll be fine." He didn't say more, and left Kavala to speak. His sisters needed to hear it from her that she was ok, not him. He was always the protector, always the one to say that things were going to be fine, and at times that bugged her to no end.

There was sniffling going on and Riaris stayed silent and watched the girls he loved. He was there for support and tried to hold true too that position and not say anything stupid to anger either of them. Nanali was so flustered the teen's face appeared almost purple. She could be very emotional at times, and when it came to family there was no end to it. If she was excited, she was very excited, if she was upset... Riaris would have thought that maybe she was also pregnant, but the girl had always been the emotional type.

The young Akontak hugged Kavala the best she could without touching her belly. Kavala meant a lot to her and she wouldn't know how much. The last season had been very lonely for the girl, she had lost one of her best friends and with Riaris working and sick, there was no one around to talk to about it. Coming to live with Kavala had allowed her to forget her troubles and above all she wasn't alone anymore. "I'll help you get through, whatever you need me to do. And I won't cry, I'll try and be strong like you and my brother." Riaris smiled and at this point he didn't have to hold her as much to make sure that she didn't fall on Kavala's stomach.

Nanali wiped her tears and smiled, Kavala was her sister and this talk was exactly what she needed, not for just this moment, but for everything that had happened recently. Hearing the konti say such nice things to her and that she was glad she was around for Tasival and Shayru, not only made her feel welcomed but appreciated. "I love those boys, and I love being here with all of you." The girl beamed when Kavala talked up her having a child and finding a mate for herself. It was just the type of girl talk that she had been missing for a long time. Riaris on the other hand, was not thrilled and the look on his face showed that clearly.

"Kavala maybe we shouldn't.." He started to finish before the woman requested to be released. He stood back as Nanali did and they both watched Kavala slip away into another room. Riaris smiled as he looked to his little sister, but the look she had wasn't a smile at all. Nanali knew how Riairs and Recoomas got whenever a guy came around to talk to her and she hadn't forgot how they beat her friend up..at least Recoomas did. "Stop trying to hold me down. I'm growing up if I have to without you." She stormed off suddenly leaving Riaris standing alone.

by **Kavala** on January 19th, 2014, 11:50 pm

When Kavala returned from the privy with freshly washed hands and face, she felt a bit better. One of her huge Imperial Watchers trailed after her, this one dark as night. It kept quiet and followed its mistress over to where she’d been sitting before. The Konti would be glad when her son was born because she was ever so tired of the roller coaster ride and how everything seemed so crazy around her. The woman hated feeling out of control of her own life and especially out of her element when it came to making sure everyone else was happy too.

She was surprised to find Riaris alone. Kavala glanced around for Nanaili and didn’t see her anywhere around. Her frown echoed on her face as she crossed back awkwardly into the room and took her seat again. She ran a hand through her hair, leaned back and sighed glad to have the weight off her feet. The dog curled up off to the side of the couch, watchful of her and Riaris but not overly engaged. Kavala tipped her head back, leaned against the back of the couch, and wiggled a bare toe. She looked resigned for a moment.

“Where’s Nanaili?" Kavala asked softly, her head tipped to the ceiling. She hadn’t passed her on the way out and she certainly wasn’t in the room. Kavala hadn’t tied Riaris’ sister to the web like the rest of the member’s of The Sanctuary were. So truthfully there was no way of knowing where she was. The Konti sighed, rolled her head to one side so she was facing Riaris, and raised a white eyebrow.

“And how have you been the last few days?” She hadn’t seen him and Kavala had resigned herself not to care, but it was hard to keep that up when he was here in the flesh trying to straighten things up between them. When Riaris was present in a room, he wasn’t a person to be ignored, dismissed, and certainly carried a weight in the room itself. Ink thumped his tail as if wondering that himself. The dog stretched out, rested his chin on his forelegs, and seemed to raise an eyebrow at Riaris himself.

Kavala just reached up and played with a lock of her hair, suddenly not sure what to do or say with them being alone again.