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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:58 pm
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Kiki was trying to make herself useful, as usual, trying to build up her credibility among the Exiles. It was an uphill battle. Most still thought of her as an outsider, or as a handy proxy for the Alkidikes back on Chibale - someone to bully or take out their frustrations on. She was certain that everythng she did was both watched like a hawk, and falling short of whatever they wanted. She had to come to terms with that. But she tried anyway, because she would show them what she was made of, and one day they would respect her.
Today, she was (almost as usual) alone, grinding roots into flour by the fire. She kneaded water into the mix, a few spices, and stuck a patty of it on a hot stone to test it. "Bam!" she said, pleased as the mixture sizzled, releasing the aroma of crisping starch into the air.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:39 am
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Keratna was wandering about. There was so little color, here, and that made the nondwa less than energetic. He crawled about the ground near the Alkidike he'd attached himself to, searching for something to eat or a warm place to rest.
But he found something better - one of the colorful things! Not realizing that he was, effectively, mimicing her actions, he approached and tickled her with his antennae, fluttering his dusty purple wings as he sniffed her.
Kiunyki tried the flour cake experimentally, and smiled. "Not bad." she remarked to herself, putting a few more dollops on the hot stone to cook. She moved some marinated roots into the depths of the coals to roast and, hopefully, not be as chewy and fibrous as the usual cooked roots. There was no meat to use at the moment, but she was sure that someone had gone hunting, and when they came back... well... at least a few of the exiles would eat well...
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 7:04 am
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Keratna chirped as he was poked, antennae drawing back and then returning to investigate with even more enthusiasm. Maybe this meant food?
Kiunyki looked up abruptly from her cooking at the cry. Of course, she was often watched, sometimes from hiding, but rarely was it by the children. She smiled. "He's a nondwa - they're from Jahuar." she said. There were a few Radaku about - mounts brought by exiled guardians - but few other Jahuaran animals had accompanied their mistresses. They simply hadn't had the chance to bring them. Kiki counted herself lucky, at least in that respect. "He's little odd, but he won't bite." He couldn't really bite more than a pinch, to be honest. Or scratch more than a welt. Other than the toxins in his wings and body, and the armor of his chitin he was pretty defenseless. And harmless. "Here." she held out a small hard berry - safe to eat, of course - and tossed it towards Akeldama. "Give it to him."
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 1:36 pm
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"Just a little." Kiki said. She supposed so, indeed. But Limbara were stranger still - skeletons visible through their skin! And how they slithered... ergh. So strange!
Kera reached forward with his spindly forelegs, giving out a long, vibrating churr in thanks as he manuevered the thing to his mandibles and devoured it happily. He wiggled his antennae, and then pushed at her hand, clearly seeking more.
"I think he likes you." commented Kiki, pitting a few coarse berries as she watched them. "His name's keratna, by the way."
"You know, theres another bug in Jauhar, just like the nondwa. It's called a kipepwa and they're just like the nondwa, but they're more colorful and live higher up. More wings, too." she commented, experimentally.
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:46 am
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"Yep, he's a boy." she said. "There's lots of animals where the boys are more colorful." She remembered her Mama telling her that, once. She hadn't believed her - clearly, she'd thought, females should be the strongest and the most colorful (her Mama certainly had been), but the hybrid (curse his name) had explained that duller colors helped them blend in better, for safety and stalking. He had, also, been bright blue.
So, she supposed that it actually worked either way - you could be pretty, or you could be practical. "He can be colorful because he doesn't have to blend in or anything - nobody tries to eat a nondwa back home, so he doesn't have to hide..."
"Do you have one as a pet?" she asked. She'd seen some of the Yaelean pets. The Tintural was interesting, the limbara was also interesting. The Keldari were big and tough, but as mounts they would never be the same as a Radaku in her mind. The imps... She'd like to have one, maybe, but so far, no luck.
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:10 am
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Kiki was of the opinion that pets were themselves good training, but she wasn't going to speak over an Elaria, the chosen children of the goddess. She was trying to make friends here, not waves. Even if her mother's heritage called her to make waves.
"Eh, every beast has it's own rules." she said with a shrug. "With those animals, the males come together and the females judge them and pick the prettiest to be their mates." It was sort of sad, actually - the poor males got all dolled up and put a lot of effort into their appearance, and some would end up rejected and alone. Her Mama had always told her that that was why it was best to look good and take care of one's appearance for one's own sake - if you didn't look pretty for other people, you'd never be disappointed when someone else was prettier. Or stronger. Or faster. Or more skilled. Her Mama had sometimes been very wise.
"How is your training?" she asked. It was an odd question to ask a child she didn't know, but she was curious and they had brought it up, after all.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:52 pm
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Running, huh. "I've heard that too." she said. Her Mama hadn't had her train, and apparently did very little outright training herself, but she had said that running was good for such things. Which is Ciriet? she wondered. Obviously, an Alkidike, one of the older Sisters who had been exiled (and probably one of the more deep into the cause). It was not, however, a name she knew.
But to ask would be awkward, and she was trying so hard to avoid awkwardness. "What about sparring?" she asked, curiously, "What else does she have you do?"
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