Closed Quiet Celebrations

Zhol surprises Khara on her birthday.

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The westernmost tip of Kalea, Wind Reach is home to an amazing group of people and their giant eagle mounts. [Lore]

Quiet Celebrations

Postby Khara on April 12th, 2015, 3:37 am

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The mood shifted, ever so subtly, and just for the briefest of instances as Zhol responded to what she had said. There were all sorts of ways such a thing could be taken and her thoughts guiltily traversed towards something she knew she wasn't quite ready for. There was no way that Zhol meant what he had said in that way, though. It had become abundantly clear that he would respect whatever boundaries she had in place, both wanted and unwanted until the time was right. It wouldn't be so bad here though, would it? Somewhere private and warm and away from Wind Reach proper...

And then Zhol mentioned her mother and all thoughts regarding such a thing quickly took flight and fluttered away from her. She watched the way his demeanor fell and gently reached out to place a hand against his cheek before turning and sitting up just enough to place a soft kiss against his forehead. With a small smile she turned back around and settled against her back against his chest and took one of the free strands of her hair and began to idly twist it in front of her. Her weight only gently rested against him and a the first gentle nudge she would sit forward if Zhol wanted to go about braiding her hair as he has offered.

"I don't know," she answered at first and cringed a bit at how callous that made it sound. "I do not think I know much about her either. Not really, anyway."

It seemed a strange thing to admit to someone like Zhol who grew up with a very clear feeling on Family and its importance and those that comprised it. Wind Reach was far different, though it could have been even more difficult for her to relate, Khara supposed. She could have been the child of a drudge woman, they never even met their mothers; at least, not knowingly. Khara had the advantage of a childhood before she became a Yasi that was able to spent under her mother's watch. Not all the time, however, the huntress still needed to work and Khara could vaguely remember being placed in one of the group care areas during the days when her mother would go out into The Unforgiving. But the years of that had been short and she could only remember a few days of them clearly. The rest was lost to the haze of childhood until she had to leave her mother's care entirely.

"We become Yasi when we turn eight and I only saw my mother the one hunt after I became a scout after that, so I think I have spent more time without her than with her, actually." Khara said softly, the realization bringing a small frown to her lips.

"I don't remember her having any lovers when I was little, though. There were never men in our home and she never left me alone in the evenings so I don't know what sort of men she would consider a good match." Her eyes looked downward and off to one side as she tried to recall more that may have given her a better answer. She was born, after all, so her mother had to have found some sort of man interesting at least and who knew what sort of things she got up to once she didn't have a child running about to look after in her free time. As much as the thought was practical and perfectly normal in Wind Reach, however, it didn't seem to fit with the woman she remembered.

"I do remember some things, though. Like as much as she was often stern with me, she was very protective as well. She never let me go too far away from her if we went somewhere and I remember her once getting into an argument with some man who had tried to talk to me. I do not remember about what he wanted or said, I just remember he wasn't very nice, or at least I did not think he was and he made me scared and my mother was very angry at him. She didn't yell, though, it was more quiet and scary. Scarier than he was, so he went away." The strand of hair she had been toying with was dropped and Khara raised both her hands into view and watched as her fingers interlaced with each other in awkward ways.

"I think she would have liked you though. You are very kind, which wasn't something that my mother ever considered a bad thing. And you keep me safe, which I know she would have approved of." A gentle sigh left her and Khara finally glanced back at Zhol once more. "But, mostly, you make me happy. I know if I had a daughter that is all I would ever want for her and I would very much like the person who helped make that possible. I do not think my mother would think so different."

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Zhol on April 12th, 2015, 6:28 pm

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The dry heat of the air was the only thing that stopped moisture leaking from Zhol's eyes as Khara spoke. His hands shifted, slowly running down the length of Khara's arms until they reached her hands, gently teasing them apart so that her fingers could interlace with his instead. Joined together, he wrapped their arms across Khara's stomach, his embrace just enough to make it clear that he had absolutely no desire for her to leave.

His head moved beside hers, his temple resting gently against her hair, his voice lowering to a softness that wasn't a whisper; there just wasn't any need to speak louder. "My mother would adore you," he said, his cheek nuzzling against Khara a little. "She was not a soft person; more gritty and abrasive and gruff than that. Her words had an edge to them, and if she didn't like what you were doing, you would know about it, and suffer for it. She wasn't the sort of person to hold her tongue if there was a thought in her head; I think that was why my father loved her at first, though after a while I think it wore him down. Perhaps that was why he thought so little of me; perhaps I was a monument to the wife he had come to regret."

He paused for a moment, taking the time to subdue the slight saddened tremble that had tried to creep into his voice. "My mother was only like that on the surface, though. Once you found a crack in that harsh exterior, inside she was warm, and caring, and smooth like glass. She would have warmed to you in an instant. Sure, she would have tried to find something that she did not like, but there would have been nothing. She told me once the kind of woman she wished that I would -" He managed to catch himself before marry tumbled out of his lips. "- be with. She said that it did not matter who she was, where she was from, or what she had done; as long as she loved me, as long as being with her made me happy, then she would be the kind of woman that my mother would be happy to see me with. If I could talk to her now, if I could tell her about you..."

He couldn't help the instinctive kiss that his lips managed to sneak against Khara's cheek. "I would tell her that just knowing you makes me happier than I ever thought it was possible to be; and that being loved by you, being yours, feels more perfect than I could possibly describe. I would tell her that she does not need to worry about me anymore, because my heart is safe in your hands."

He fell silent, letting himself focus on the crackle of the fire, the sound of Khara's breaths and his, the way that the rise and fall seemed to naturally synchronise with each other without either of them intending it to. It wasn't the kisses, the smiles, the whispered I love you's, waking with her in his arms, or any of that - it was moments like this, just existing together, the rest of the world gone and forgotten that were the most perfect. It was these moments that made this real; that assured him it was love he felt and nothing else. He felt it, deep down in his soul; close to Khara, like this, was where he belonged.

They could not stay that way though, not forever; with almost overwhelming reluctance, he freed Khara from his embrace, easing her gently forward so that he could continue attending to her hair again. "My sisters on the other hand," he finally continued, his voice returning back to normal, "They're another matter entirely."

As he spoke, he gently began to draw Khara's hair back into a ponytail, using a short length of dark string to secure it in place. Carefully he teased the copper strands into three sections; ignoring the outer two, he focused on the thicker central bundle and divided it again, gently but swiftly letting his experienced fingers begin to weave it onto a simple plait.

"Yahalla would wrap her arms around you in an instant, and refuse to let go. She's like you, a little: she sees the good in everyone, and with you there is absolutely nothing but good to see. She'd ask you a non-stop tirade of questions; she'd want to know everything about Wind Reach, everything about how it's different, everything about birds, and mountains, and all of that. In Endrykas, there's no arbitrary division between scouts and hunters, either; anyone with useful skills who braves the wilderness is regarded just as highly. Yahalla would think you were magnificent and brave. Just like I do."

Zhol fell silent for a few moments as he finished the first braid, another strand of thread tied into a tight bow to hold the plait secure. He reached for the parcel of beads, counting them quickly, working out the most efficient - and most comfortable - way to make use of them. He decided upon four, teasing them out of the parcel and holding them in the palm of his hand; a moment was taken to work out how the braid would hang when he was finished, before he set to work plaiting again, halting each set of overlaps to thread a braid onto the outermost strand before weaving the hair together below it.

"Lillah would probably act all distant - she says she likes it that way, but I think she just feels like that's how it has to be. She's the eldest of all of us, and she's acted like an adult for as long as I remember; but she has other important responsibilities as well, warding storms and such; she takes everything very seriously. It wouldn't be a question of whether or not she likes you for her; it would be whether or not she thinks you're right for me; whether or not she thinks we are a good fit. I think it's impossible for anyone to believe that we aren't: you are more perfect to me than my dreams could ever imagine; you are kind, and caring, and considerate; you are patient with me when I do not understand; you have always been there for me when I needed it, and you were there when I had no one else. You don't just make me feel happy, or wanted; you make me feel like I belong. Lillah is smart, and wise; she'd see all of that in an instant."

Yet another thread to secure the braid in place, and then Zhol's hands shifted to the other outer strand, weaving the reverse of the one he had just finished, another four beads woven into the braid's outer edge.

"Then there's Dinah. She'd act like she didn't like you; that's how you know she really does. At first she'd be protective; she'd be suspicious about what your intentions are; she'd want to know if you're being honest about your feelings, or if you're just leading me along. But then she would see the way that I look at you. She'd see the way you look at me. She'd see how instantly you smile when our eyes meet; she'd see you make our sign to each other when you think no one else is looking. She'd act as if that didn't change anything, but it would make everything different; she'd stop worrying about protecting me from you, and she'd start worrying about protecting you instead, keeping you safe; because she'd know how much I need you in my life."

A brief flicker of laughter left him. "If you think I'm capable of protecting you, you just wait until you meet her; I seem like a feeble little Yasi by comparison."

His fingers halted for a moment as those words slipped out: meet her, the one thing that Khara would almost certainly never do. As only regrets go, the fact that Khara would never be able to meet his family, that his mother and sisters would never learn about how happy he had become, or about the wonderful person who was taking care of his heart; that was an agonising one at times. Khara was his everything, he needed nothing else; but he missed them, and he wished there was some way for all of them to be part of his life.

His hands resumed their work, allowing the silence to linger a few moments linger as he finished the third braid and set about the final stages. First, the two outer plaits were lifted upwards, brought together at the top of Khara's head and secured in place with pins, forming what almost looked like a braid crown with fiery beads decorating the bottom edge. Satisfied that they would stay in place, Zhol began to twist the final braid around it's base, coiling it into a swirling bundle of woven hair before tucking the end in behind the string that secured everything in place.

He shuffled backwards on his knees, taking a moment to check that everything was as perfect as his talents could achieve; he tugged the small mirror meant for shaving from within his backpack, and held it out to Khara so that she could glimpse at herself. "There," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Braids fit for a princess."

OOCYes, I did just give you Princess Leia hair from Return of the Jedi. You are welcome.

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Khara on April 18th, 2015, 3:06 am

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Khara listened as intently as possible, trying to avoid or outright ignore the annoying sudden anticipatory flinches that came from pain never felt as he braided her hair. She really did want to hear what Zhol had to say about how his family would react towards her; maybe not so much to hear about how they would view her, but more to continue to paint the picture of the other people that Zhol felt were important in his life, even if they couldn't still actively be a part of it. His mother didn't sound all that different from her own, though that only seemed to make Khara question if maybe that's just how mothers were. His sisters sounded as varied as anyone she had ever met and she once more found herself wondering just what it would have been like if her twin had survived; would they have had the same sort of relationship as Zhol and Dinah? Were all twins like that? Would it have been different because this was Wind Reach and not Endrykas? They would have become Yasi together, at least. Maybe it wouldn't have been so lonely then.

The closest thing she had to a sister now was Drusilla, who obviously approved of Zhol since she had claimed him for a brother as well and hadn't seemed phased by the prospect of her and the horse boy being together, she encouraged it even. Though Khara had only actually interacted with the Symenestra a handful of times so they weren't exactly as close as it seemed Zhol had been with his siblings. The only person in Wind Reach that Khara actually spoke with and was around on a frequent basis was Azira. Khara didn't think the huntress would appreciate being compared to a sibling to the scout, and even if she did, there seemed to be some sort of tension between the two Avora that lead Khara to believe that Azira would most certainly have not approved of her and Zhol. You're assuming she'd care to begin with, the thought came unbidden and she felt a small frown forming in the aftermath.

Before the stray thought could fully devour her good mood, however, Zhol finished with her hair. Khara took the small mirror from him and felt a small laugh trying to escape her as she looked at his handiwork. Fit for a princess, he had said. It certainly looked far more regal than anything she had ever attempted to do, that was for certain. It seemed a shame she would undoubtedly have to remove the braids and beads at some point, but it would be necessary. Her finer clothing, her hair done up in such a way, there was too much risk of being mistaken for a member of one of the higher castes. Khara wasn't quite sure what the punishment for such a thing was, but she certainly wasn't keen on finding out either. For now though, she could enjoy it, even if it was only temporary.

She twisted to look back at him before the rest of her body followed, moving over the blankets until she faced him properly. Another small shuffle forward brought her closer and her arms wound around his waist as her head came to rest against his shoulder as she hugged him.

"Thank you," Khara repeated yet again. "You are quite good at doing that."

Her hold on him eased a bit as she glanced up and felt another small laugh try and escape. It colored her words, letting them sound as lighthearted as she felt. "Both, really. Braiding and making me feel like I'm..." Khara's gaze fell as she struggled with the word princess. Sure there were stories so she had a vague notion of what the word meant, but they didn't really say what a princess did or was aside from sounding like they sat around doing nothing all day but waiting for someone to come rescue them. She supposed the same could have been said about her in a way, but she didn't want to think of herself as some helpless damsel, either. "Important."

That word sounded far more appropriate. Though it wasn't just in terms that she was worth the gifts and the effort that Zhol had put into the day, it was something much simpler. The fact he had paid enough attention to what she had said to buy the beads was one thing, but the way everything was done made it clear that Zhol paid attention to her.

"Thank you as also for making this just us. Drusilla said we should have a party for my birthday but after the one for her I do not think I would have liked it so much as this. This is good; perfect." Khara gently withdrew from where she rested against him and her hands trailed from where they had wound around him to find his. She looked away, but only to watch their fingers entwine again.

"I would like to do something the same when it is your birthday, but I am scared I do not know when it is." A bit of a playful smile tugged at her lips as her gaze returned to his. "It is not so fair that I don't know, I think."

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Zhol on April 19th, 2015, 9:13 pm

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A hint of worry coloured Zhol's emotions, as the mortifying words I am scared tumbled from Khara's lips. Relief followed closely in it's wake as he realised it was a fumbled idiom, Khara's adorable hiccups of language as she translated her thoughts from Nari into Common striking once again. No one in the world could possibly dream of such a tiny detail being part of their perfect partner; that was all part of why Khara was perfect, all the unimaginable details, all the surprises and facets that Zhol hoped would take more than an eternity to fully discover.

His smile sagged a little as her sentence finished, though. He didn't want it to; didn't want anything to diminish the happiness of this moment or their isolation, and yet inadvertently Khara had struck upon a nerve, a point of sensitivity in his emotions that he could not shield or do away with no matter how hard he tried.

He drew a slow breath, trying to appear casual, trying to shrug off the question in the same playful manner that it had been presented. It didn't matter that anger, and pain, and sorrow were clawing at the flimsy barricades his mind managed to construct. It didn't matter that he wanted her to wrap her arms around him again, to squeeze him the way that she did so that he could utter his sad answer without the slightest chance of forgetting how much he was wanted and cared for here. He didn't allow himself a tear, or a sorrowful look; the only concession he granted was letting his gaze follow hers downwards, focusing on the way her fingers wrapped gently around his, focusing on that visual and tactile reminder that no matter how his emotions wanted him to feel, he was not alone.

"My birthday is in the summer," he answered quietly, hoping that the fewer words he uttered, the fewer chances there were for his mouth to fail him, and his mind's plotting against him to succeed. His gaze crept upwards, stealing a glance at Khara; that was a mistake: the careful attention that she paid, the hint of eager anticipation written across her face, made the sad sentiment even harder to utter. "The twenty-first day, but -"

A breath, propelled at the pace of laughter, breezed it's way out of his lungs as the barricade failed, and the emotions tumbled onto him. What effort had been wasted on holding them at bay was thrown at his smile instead, managing to bolster it, drawing on his happiness and contentment at being here with Khara to provide a little more strength and fortitude. "It was the day that my father sent me away from my family," he explained, the words escaping in an uncomfortable matter-of-fact tone. "It is not a day I like to draw attention to. Not something that feels deserving of celebration."

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Khara on April 22nd, 2015, 12:42 am

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Whatever eager excitement she had been experiencing at learning more about Zhol dissipated slowly at first, and then all together as she watched hesitation turn to what she was fairly certain was a forced smile. The date he said was captured, imprinted to memory and an idea, a jest of how they were almost opposites was bordered on being spoken aloud and then came the word that silenced her: but… Nothing good ever followed that word when it was spoken in such a way.

Regret followed; for asking in the first place, for once again blundering into making Zhol relive unpleasant memories. It was never on purpose, and honestly she could never know how to avoid such things without finding out about them in the first place, but it still weighed on her each and every time she managed to cause him pain in such a way - in any way.

"It is the day you were born," she retorted softly. "That alone is reason to celebrate to me."

Khara returned her eyes to their hands and gently ran her thumbs in delicate circles against him. "I know what it is like though, to not think it is a day that should be treated as good. I have not treated mine as anything good in a very long time. No one else cared about if it was when I was born, and all I thought of it as was the day I killed my sister. That is not something to celebrate."

There wasn't exactly sorrow in her voice, more a calmness that came from having considered the concept as fact for so long that whatever emotion had once gone with it had long since drained away. Her eyes flickered up to meet his before they retreated back to their hands where she encouraged one of his to open away from hers so that her fingertips could softly draw down each of his fingers in turn until hers came to a barely touched point in the palm of his hand. From there they slowly ran down to his wrist but stopped as they met coat sleeve rather than progress to their usual habit of running against the inside of his arm.

A moment of hesitation was taken before she turned around where she sat, letting his other hand go for a brief moment before she pulled both his arms around her, her arms and hands resting on top of his as she snuggled against him further.

"But that was before I met you. Now I do not think our birthdays are for us to celebrate getting older so much as maybe they are to celebrate still being alive and we share those days with those we love because then we are not celebrating ourselves so much as that we have loved ones and they have us and that none of that would be okay if we were not born to start with. It is for others to say they are happy you are in their lives, and is for ourselves to say that we are happy we are alive and have them. At least, I am happy I am alive and that I have you." Her hold on his arms tightened a bit, gently causing his hold on her to tighten in turn.

"But," There was that word again, though Khara was determined to not have any negativity associated with what she was going to say. "If it is the day itself that is trouble, and if bad memories have made it not a good day, I would like to try and change that, but I know I cannot force such a thing. So, instep - uhm, instead, we can celebrate it on the day you came to Wind Reach? That was when your life started all over, and for me, that day is just as important, because you could have gone anywhere and yet you are here."

Another pause and she shifted again how she sat, turning to her side just enough so that her arms could slip around Zhol's waist as she nestled against him. "With me."

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Zhol on April 24th, 2015, 10:25 am

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"I love you," Zhol whispered, his arms enfolding her, countering her tight embrace by squeezing her even tighter. He said those words often, and each time it felt more true and more intense than the ones before; but the times when the words slipped out in his native tongue, the times where it was too eager to be spoken to give him time to translate it into a language she could understand, those were the times when he meant it the most.

Khara had a way with words; though Common was a struggle for her at times, particularly it's idioms and nuances, she always found a way to convey her thoughts and sentiments with crystal clarity. Zhol did not know if he would have been able to sum up today so perfectly; if he would have been able to explain that all of this, all of these lengths he had gone to, were a celebration of how grateful he was that she existed, how glad he was of her life and of the fact that he was part of it. It was not the day that mattered; it was the year; the life. Anniversaries merely provided an excuse for celebration; they were never the cause, not really. If Khara wanted to choose a day to do that? If he was important enough to her that she wanted to find another excuse? She could celebrate his first day in Wind Reach if she wanted. She could celebrate the day they first met, their first embrace, their first kiss; a smile tugged at his lips as he realised that they almost certainly would, and that there was a lifetime of other moments to commemorate over and over ahead of them.

"I arrived in Wind Reach on the fifty-third day of Spring," Zhol replied. "If you would like to celebrate that day, the day that Zhol of Wind Reach was born, instead of the day that Zhol of Endrykas died, then I -"

His voice faltered, his eyes glistening sightly as he let his head rest atop Khara's, absolutely no intention of releasing his embrace any time soon. "I would like that, very much."

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Khara on April 25th, 2015, 6:59 pm

.
Khara wanted to counter, to say that Zhol's former self wasn't dead as he had put it, but the sentiment and the way he agreed to her suggestion made it nearly impossible to try and have any sort of disagreement with him in that moment. She liked how he had said part of it, at least; the day that Zhol of Wind Reach was born. That sounded right. Spring as well, which as much as she was disappointed she hadn't come to this knowledge this year, it did mean that she didn't have to wait as long in the coming one.

"We will do something then," she said with overwhelming optimism and certainty; even if her words were slightly muffled against him in their tight embrace. She didn't know what that something would be; her thoughts instantly tried to turn to the Cherry Grove again but that wasn't new, wasn't special enough. A stray comforting thought waved it all off - There was over a season to come up with something and there was no telling what sort of places they would go in the meantime.

Khara liked that thought, too. As horrible as Fall had been, and as much as each amazing day of Winter was more than making up for it all, it wasn't going to end when the universe decided that things had been balanced out. There would be more good in the future, there had to be. It didn't even matter if there were more bad days ahead as well, if she could always return to this, to the gentle yet secure hold that only Zhol was capable of, then it could all be faced.

"Thank you," she softly uttered yet again before she could even realize it was leaving her. It was sincerely meant, though. For everything he'd done so far, for all that he would do in the future, Khara couldn't have been more thankful for any of it.

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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Zhol on April 25th, 2015, 7:43 pm

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Discomfort twisted Zhol's insides as Khara muttered gratitude that Zhol was convinced he didn't deserve. This wasn't some gesture that he should be thanked for; he was correcting a heinous oversight, correcting the villainous damage that Wind Reach had done to Khara's self esteem. He didn't need thanks for that; didn't deserve thanks for that. This was an apology, on behalf of the entire world, for the mistreatment Khara had received her entire life. He kept it internal, though; didn't allow the discomfort to translate into a flinch or a fidget. All he did was hug Khara the tiniest bit tighter, and settle a gentle kiss atop her braided hair.

He would have stayed like that, happily, until Skyinarta turned cold and the oceans turned to ice; but much as he wanted that, to simply be with her, and to forget that there was a world outside the entrance of this cave, there was more to do; more corrections to be made. They could return - would return - to be alone with each other, but for now what was important was the unending effort of trying to show Khara just how grateful he was - just how much of a blessing it was - that she was part of the world.

Reluctantly he loosened her grip on him, just enough to lean backwards and retrieve anther parcel from his stockpile of half-concealed items. He hesitated, suddenly second-guessing the impulse that had drawn him to this particular gift. He struggled to search his mind for the right words; to explain himself, to be sure that Khara understood exactly why he was presenting this to her.

"I know you -"

Off to a bad start already. A grimace twitched at the corners of his eyes. His teeth tugged thoughtfully on his lower lip, shuffling through options for a better way to start.

"You do not need this," he admitted, his hand gently patting the parcel that he'd lain on the blankets beside them. "But you will. I know there are times when you do not think so; when you doubt; when you are certain that you never will. I know that you are wrong. I know that you are smart enough, skilled enough, dedicated enough, and destined to succeed, even if you do not. And I know that you will succeed with or without me; that you do not need my help or my support to follow in your mother's footsteps, but -"

He offered a nervous smile. "- I wanted you to know that you have it either way, and that if there is anything I can do, or give, or say... I always will."

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari" | "Symenos"
Dad Thoughts | Dinah Thoughts | Khara Thoughts
...
This template was made by Khara. She has failed this city, and will soon be visited by a sexy man in a hood.
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Zhol
Carry on, wayward son.
 
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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Khara on April 25th, 2015, 8:35 pm

.
She was entirely reluctant to pull away from Zhol by any measure, but curiosity struck at his words. What could it possibly be that she didn't need now but would in the future? What her did mother have to do with it? There was certainly no hiding the questioning look she gave him as he offered the parcel to her. It looked like an unassuming leather pouch, but already Khara felt her heart begin to race. It couldn't be.

The Chiet had seen such things before, usually at stalls that only the Avora ever really made use of. There had been a few times when she had the pinions and had considered purchasing one for herself to try and practice on her off days - she could learn how to use the snares from the Enclave probably - but the predicted judgmental glares from the actual hunters had kept her away.

"You...?" Khara finally brought voice to everything tumbling around in her head and that single word seemed to convey the confusion, the unexpectedness, and just about everything else she was experiencing. Or, at least it sounded like it did to her, Common was still tricky for conveying emotion sometimes.

There had to be some sort of mistake, though. She was assuming too much. There had to be something else within the pouch than- The doubts were shattered as she opened it slowly and surveyed the contents. True, she already had a hunting knife, and probably enough rope that she could have dangled herself from the Edge of the World if she wanted, but it wasn't so much the things themselves as what it relayed. It wasn't just words that Zhol said, it was a physical manifestation of his belief in her.

It bolstered something within her, a new form of motivation to try and move beyond being a simple scout. Scouts didn't need hunting kits, hunters did, and she was determined to make good use of it one day. Khara already felt the anticipation of the pure joy in telling Zhol she had used the snares he had got her, or that it was the hunting knife he had given that she had used, or even that it was the rope he provided that she would practice making traps with.

The pouch was released, gently nudged aside so that she could throw her arms around him once again. Another round of overwhelming gratitude came over her, and Khara managed to keep it from bursting forth in so many words, but just barely. "I will make us both proud one day, I promise."

A content sigh escaped as Khara tightened her hold on him once more. "You have made today very important to me. I won't forget this - ever."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"
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Quiet Celebrations

Postby Naiya on June 19th, 2015, 3:51 pm


Here's what the Fox says


Name:Khara

XP Award:
  • Diplomacy +2
  • Cosmetology +1
  • Observation +5
  • Planning +1
  • Rhetoric +3
  • Socialization +5

Lore:
  • Chiet: Only as good as their work
  • Cosmetology: A loose braid
  • Diplomacy: A gentle explanation
  • Hair brushing doesn't hurt when Zhol does it
  • Ivak: God of fire, and maybe more
  • I want to explore; the world outside awaits
  • Learning of a Family much different than your own
  • Location: The Hideaway:
  • Love transcends caste barriers
  • Shaped to perfection by Zhol's embrace
  • What it means to be important
  • Why we celebrate birthdays
  • Zhol's birthday
  • Zhol: Doesn't summon
  • Zhol: Sent by Priskil?
  • Zhol: What are we?

Award Gifts from Zhol! Fiery glass beads, and a hunting kit.

Notes: You had a lot of internal thoughts, and I tried to give you the lores I could. Khara was well spoken here, more than once, and so I awarded rhetoric and diplomacy, I hope these are acceptable for someone so bound by her caste and the roles that belong within it. I hope the rest of the awards are clear. If you do have questions, please be sure to send me a PM.

Name:Zhol

XP Award:
  • Cosmetology +2
  • Flirting +2
  • Observation +5
  • Planning +3
  • Reimancy +1
  • Rhetoric +3
  • Socialization +5
  • Subterfuge +2
  • Tactics +2


Lore:
  • A bell away is too much today
  • A family of feelings for Khara
  • A terrible mistake
  • But I really do miss you, Khara
  • Can I be a warrior of Priskil?
  • Celebrating a different day
  • Cosmetology: Brushing another person's hair
  • Cosmetology: A gentle touch prevents pain
  • Cosmetology: A simple plait
  • Cosmetology: A ponytail
  • Cosmetology: Threading beads onto a braid
  • Khara: Always my lady
  • Location: The Hideaway
  • Socialization: Smoothly changing the subject
  • Subterfuge: Benevolent deceptions
  • Subterfuge: Keeping a secret
  • Tactics: Providing a distraction
  • The Hideaway: A place safe from unwanted influences
  • Wind Reach: Celebrates differently than other cities
  • Would your mother have liked me, Khara?
  • Yahalla: A precocious brat, but sometimes kind
Notes: You had a lot of planning and made quite a few tactical decisions, so I awarded these to you, also I gave subterfuge for the deception involved in the surprise. I hope the rest of the award here is clear. Don't forget to deduct the cost of the hunting kit and the glass beads from your ledger. General comments: This was such an emotional thread, ups and downs everywhere. You quite compliment each other with your writing. I especially like the stumbles in Khara's common, it is cute and clever. I really enjoyed being able to grade this thread, and I hope that your reward is what you hoped to receive! Please update your post in the grade request thread with the completion of this grade! And again, please shoot me a PM if you have any concerns!
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