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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 20, 2024 0:29:10 GMT -5
Taki chuckles softly at the little ones' game, partaking in the only way a mischievous Aunt would. Gently, she would disrupt their paths or make way for someone unexpectedly, trying to hide her smirk as she carefully balanced. Rena and Bell seemed just as relieved at the outcome as the shaman, watched by the starry form of another spirit. After a few minutes, she did her best to gather the little ones as she crouched lower to the ground.
Setting down a cloth wrapped package, she untied the small band of twine keeping it together. Inside were three bamboo boxes, each decorated with different carvings as accents on their sides. Their lids, currently hidden, continued the motif along with their names so they could keep them sorted. On top, hiding the last lid, was a leather bound tome whose pages had been illustrated on their end with a wild jungle landscape.
"Simmer down, simmer down. I have something for the four of you."
"Whistle." She hands the book off the top of the stack, a compilation of the various animals and creatures of Charon.
"Wind." Taking a quick peak inside to make sure she hadn't mixed the two gifts up, she hands the skelechick a box of carving and wood working tools, sized down to fit their hands better.
"Wind." Next up, a box of tools to help them maintain their crossbow on the go. It also had a built in stand for shaping, balancing and repairing bolts.
"Loci." His box, unlike the other two, opened from the middle on a hinge to unveil a set of drawing supplies. Pencils, erasers, blenders, sharpener, plus several drafting/precision tools.
Standing up, she turns to Rena and Bell before bowing.
"My gift to you both will be taking the next few days to help you make any renovations to your home, so please don't hesitate to ask for anything we could possibly make out of natural materials in the area."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jun 20, 2024 1:20:42 GMT -5
The chicks still immediately at Taki’s words, trilling curiously and stepping forward as their names are called…
Whistle’s ruby eyes widen and shine a good deal brighter as she takes the tome with careful, almost reverent hands, fingers tracing over the leather cover for a long moment before she slowly opens the tome, carefully leafing through the pages, those ruby eyes flicking across text and images as she pages through the book…and then she slowly closes and tucks the tome away within the satchel on her hip…
WInd vibrates with excitement, her bones rattling with a gleeful jangling sound as she goes over the new tools, going to test one of the new blades against her thumb - and then she sticks out her spectral, shining tongue out at her twin as she dodges the gentle swat aimed at her shoulder, before pulling a stick from the unnatural darkness under her tunic and using that to test the new tool…satisfied, the youngest skelechick bobs her head, puts away the tools in their box, and tucks that box into the thick shadows under her tunic, which seem to mold around and cling to the intruding object before sucking it in…
Wind tilts his head as he takes the new tools, holding up each for his golden eyes to examine, those eyes seeming to shine brighter with each that he examines. Finally, he arranges the tools in their box before tucking it into the satchel on his hip…
Loci’s emerald eye lights blow wide, then narrow to vertical slits, then blow wide once again, practically filling his sockets as his bones begin to vibrate…that’s Taki’s only warning before all four of the children are slamming into her at what feels like ballistic velocities, the impacts accompanied by joyous, exuberant chirps and trills that are far, far too rapidfire for Taki to understand in full, but roughly translate to how she didn’t have to, how they’ll treasure the gifts, how they’ll put them to good use…
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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 20, 2024 2:53:57 GMT -5
Chuckling, she pretends to fall over and embraces the little ones as she plops on the grass. The laughter and joy chirping happily in her arms was more than enough reason to make sure things in the Isles were as safe and peaceful as possible. There was enough hardship in the world to go around, why certain groups were making things worse on everyone could only be speculated. Taki would protect it all, and the spirits who made it possible, to the best of her ability. She let them squirm, bounce and express their excitement, doing her best to show that it was returned with equal vigor... but very, very delicately.
When the little ones calm down again, she sits up with them gently.
"It's getting a bit late, would you still like to try and get home before dark fully sets in? If not, we could camp out, there are a few choice places not far."
Traveling at night was something Taki could do, but it was a nerve wracking endeavor that took all of the shaman's concentration. She didn't mind the idea of going as far as possible by cloud, then on foot either, only thinking of it after she had turned her attention back to the feathery giggles occupying her limbs. Either way, this mystery was solved and it's perpetrators were going to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jun 20, 2024 20:58:12 GMT -5
The children press close, chirping and trilling happily as they calm, their little beaks gently nuzzling against the orochi’s scales…and…yeah, the chicks are definitely starting to droop, the anxiety and excitement of the day having taken their toll as eyelids droop and eye lights dim…
…Rena and Bell smile softly, trilling fondly as they step in close to gently nuzzle their children, silver and amber eyes shining gently as they pull away and refocus on Taki. Rena lets out a soft chirp as she considers for a moment before murmuring, “...probably best t’ find somewhere we can set up for the night…don’ think the little ones’re up for another trip through the sky quite yet…” she chuckles softly at Wind’s sleepy, offended chirp, “...no, no, hardly your fault, dear one…stars know that I could use some rest after a stakeout like that…”
Bell, for his part, picks up Loci’s new art box, hefting the heavy container with relative ease and a satisfied trill before he glances to Rena and smiles as sees her fussing over the sleepy fledglings wrapped up in Taki’s arms…she doesn’t realize it, but she’s always…more relaxed in moments like this, when her only worry is making sure the little ones are alright…stars, but he wishes they could have more moments like this…
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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 20, 2024 21:37:20 GMT -5
"Alright, let's find a comfy place to get some rest then. Sleepy heads who want to be carried, try not to squirm around."
Taki adjusted as the little ones did, nestled into her warmth as she started up the hill. It was only about a ten minute hike from the road, intersecting a small path the shaman took left. Nestled in the foothills about two miles away from the mine was a natural spring, which fed into a small creek. Surrounded by most varieties of flora found in the Isles, it was a common stop for travelers, merchants and pilgrims during the autumn and winter months.
Walking over to a somewhat clear spot, she used her pair of free hands to start setting up camp alongside Rena and Bell. Taki was careful as she worked, going slower than usual to keep from jostling the little ones about until she had set up her suspended tent. Usually, she would put it about at waist height, but set it up only about a hand's width above the ground this time. While she imagined Rena and Bell had a large enough tent for the whole family, she thought it would be a nice treat to watch over camp for the night and tend to the sleepy chicks. Once the tent was secure, she pulled out several rolled up linens. Arranging them in a nest like pile inside, she set the little ones down gently inside. Lastly, the shaman covered them up with a thin, soft sheet and slipped out quietly.
"If you're okay with it, I'll gladly watch over them tonight so the two of you can rest without worry."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jun 20, 2024 23:56:18 GMT -5
…the chicks let out soft coos in their sleep as they curl up and nestle against each other, soft purrs beginning to rise from each little chest as they settle in to snooze the night away, though Wind mumbles a distinct, “...Aunt…Taki…” as she drifts a little further into dreamland…
…as for the parents, Bell and Rena appear to have set up…well, that’s a rather small tent, all told. Enough room for two or three, certainly, but any more and they’d be all pressed up against each other…like how the children are in the little nest Taki’s set up for them…Bell glances up from his work when Taki speaks, tilting his head quizzically before those amber eyes glance toward the bundled up chicks behind her and the shaman can swear she sees the moment the specter’s heart melts. He speaks then, voice soft so as to avoid disturbing the little ones, “...that’s fine…jus’ make sure you’re still there when they wake up…they panic sometimes if they wake up without someone who was there when they fell asleep…”
Rena lets out a quiet trill of amusement, nodding her agreement as she murmurs, "...last time I made that mistake they damn near tore the Barrow apart trying to find me while I was on the way back with a fresh kill..."
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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 21, 2024 11:33:28 GMT -5
"I won't go far, enjoy some rest and relaxation tonight. You've all earned it."
She replied quietly, then returned to her tent and it's sleeping bundle of feathers. Spreading out a small tatami mat, she took up a comfortable posture with her legs crossed. There, she kept a quiet vigil over the camp through the night. Communing with spirits, tending the small campfire, and watching over the little ones filled Taki's night. She hadn't pulled an all night vigil in some time, so she enjoyed the night's melodies.
During the night, Taki noted the deep cobalt spirit's presence on several occasions. Hopefully they would all be reunited some day, which in turn meant she too could properly introduce herself. She watched the march of stars overhead, a thick glowing band of bright speckles that faded into brilliant patterns scattered on a darkened canvas. When the little ones stirred during the evening, she was there to comfort them or help with their needs.
Fading away as dawn approached, the shaman bid farewell to the night and it's denizens. She did a bit of foraging for some fresh fruit around the tent, and stoked the still smoldering coals into a small fire. Quietly as she could, she started breakfast and a pot of water for making tea or coffee when the others were ready.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jun 21, 2024 12:42:52 GMT -5
…when dawn comes, the Blackfeathers greet it as they usually do. That is to say…reluctantly, and with a good deal of discontented grumbling as they nestle against each other and into their bedding in an attempt to will the sunlight away…the chicks in particular seem unwilling to rouse from their slumber, curling into the nest that Taki had set them up with…though the smell of breakfast does, slowly, ever so gradually rouses them, sleepy chirps sounding out as the little ones untangle themselves from the snuggle pile to begin dragging themselves toward the siren song of food, eyes dull and encrusted with sleep and eye lights flickering and dim…
…Rena isn’t much better, mumbling incoherently as she forces herself up and out of the tent she’d shared with her husband, grumbling a little before slowly stretching with a soft groan, shaking herself off and glancing around with those shining silver eyes…and then she pulls a small bag of tea leaves from her satchel and sets about making herself a mug of her favorite beverage…the particular leaves she’s using are actually from a strain native to the Valley of Crows, known for its potency and ability to rouse even the most exhausted to some facsimile of alertness…
…Bell is far more reasonable in his waking, the specter simply stepping out of the tent and performing a few slow, joint popping stretches before finding his wife with those shining amber eyes and gently taking the mug from her hands with a gentle admonishment, “...not until ye’ve eaten, love…y’know what this stuff does t’ ye on an empty stomach…”
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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 21, 2024 18:26:57 GMT -5
One by one, Taki helped the little ones as they came squirming free of the cozy nest in her tent. With a warm, slightly damp rag, she helped them freshen up for breakfast despite their sleepy protests. Each conceded to the shaman's gentle persuasions and the pleasant heat eventually, rubbing their beaks and faces against her hand. She chuckled softly and set them loose one by one while the modest meal finished cooking.
Rena stirred with Bell while she was finishing with Wind and Wind, and went straight to the teapot. Whatever leaves she had, they made the Orochi's nose tingle. She could taste how strong it was on the air, blinking for a moment. Taki sneezed, turning away from the fire and others as her chest heaved air out in a great hissing burst.
"I think Bell's onto something, I'm amazed that stuff doesn't burn holes in your gullet... I can taste it from here, and you haven't even brewed it yet."
While she was all for a potent wakeup, Taki's idea of a morning beverage tended to be fruit juices. On particularly painful or sluggish days, she kept a small container filled with a sweet, earthy syrup that had both tea extracts as well as other herbal ingredients. Breakfast finished on the fire as the others were getting themselves together, so the shaman portioned the different ingredients out and handed them out.
After eating her own plate, Taki helped clean up and pack the camp. When they were all ready, she would conjure the large cloud platform again.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jun 21, 2024 23:12:06 GMT -5
Rena grumbles softly as she reluctantly lets her husband take her mug of what might generously be considered a beverage…and then she snatches up a serving of the food that Taki’s prepared, the silver eyed crow ravenously devouring the stuff in…well, suffice to say it’s very apparent where the chicks learned their own eating habits, given that they’re busy tearing into their own servings with similar ferocity…
Bell just sighs, holding the mug at arm’s length, amber eyes watching the…tea as though it might bite him…although, given the way it slowly froths and roils, it very well might…or eat through the mug. Or both. It’s hard for him to tell, as he’s never had a taste for the stuff, let alone the near addiction his wife has...but…this serving is…probably stable. It’s not actively boiling and steaming, so that’s something…
Once the children and their mother have finished eating - and Rena has wrested her mug of dubious content from her husband and promptly downed the questionable substance within like a particularly enthusiastic drinker might gulp down a tankard of ale, not reacting in the slightest as steam escapes her beak and the drops that make it to the ground steam and audibly sizzle - the Blackfeathers move to help Taki break camp before piling onto the platform of clouds…
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Post by Shitakibo on Jun 22, 2024 23:32:08 GMT -5
Once the group piled on, she took one last look around the area. Taki bowed and said a small prayer in the Orochi language, giving thanks to the spirits for their hospitality. She was glad there hadn't been a spiritual disturbance in some ways, but also understood the implication that groups were trying to use local legends and traditions to stir further chaos. Hopefully the Isles and it's peoples were ready for what was to come, and that the shaman could shield as many lives from harm as possible.
Centering herself from the storm of thought and possibility, she sat down on the cloud mount. Giving the rest of the group time to arrange themselves as they saw fit, she would gladly accept any of her nieces and nephews joining her. Taki had been endlessly ribbed by her companions over the intervening days, some of them even taking to calling her 'Oba-Taki-bo'. She didn't mind much, bonding with others easily allowed the shaman to have incredible experiences. Meeting the Blackfeathers was another wonderful and cherished part of her life, just as it was for her companions. "It's a fine morning for traveling, we should be to your home before the sun is high and the day is hot. To the Sky!"
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