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Post by The Jenn on Apr 8, 2009 13:38:09 GMT -5
It was quite nice to be in a Court full of avians. Khushrenada had a much easier time picking up the subtle changes in expression around the edges of a beak than he did interpreting whether the wildly exaggerated emotions on a muzzle were what he thought they should be.
"For her sake, I agree that it was for the best," he agreed with a small sigh. He really couldn't have left a child, practically still a baby, wandering around the edge of a forest with no idea where to find help or food. "I'd certainly never looked to be the caretaker of a young girl, though. I don't know very much about children. I suppose I'll have to find someone to tutor her while I hire someone to search for her parents. Do you have someone that you use for your daughter?"
Hopefully educating her would be both a distraction and something that he could discuss with her without wincing. She was painfully cute, but also remarkably frustrating.
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Post by Lucca on Apr 8, 2009 21:05:24 GMT -5
Mirriam kept up as best she could with Kaiesha, her rather awkward walk turning into loping at times, using her wing-fingers to help tug at the ground and try to go faster. She really was used to flying everywhere, especially back in Avington, where her family's house had been up in a very tall tree.
She grinned excitedly at the other child. "Yep! I'm gonna live here with Mr. Birdy!...I mean uh...Sir." She was proud for remembering what she was supposed to call him. Eagerly, she wondered if this meant the other girl and her were best friends now, since they were the only two children at the palace. She hoped so! She'd never had a best friend before.
As they reached the door, the bat couldn't help but squeak happily. She'd always felt more comfortable outdoors than in, and she took to the air as they walked out, but fluttering only a few feet above the ground so as not to be too far away from Kaiesha. She giggled as the other girl complimented...her nose? Well that was silly!
"All fruit bats have noses like this," she remarked. "Haven't you seen a bat before?" She was unaware that her breed was far rarer than, say, Felines or Avians. But before she heard the other girl's reply, the little leaf-shaped nose wiggled, and Mirriam turned her head towards the garden to see...
"FRUIT! FLOWERS! YAY!" She quickly fluttered towards the trees, eyes shining. Fruits and flowers were two of her favorite things EVER and she hadn't seen any since leaving Avington (well not growing and alive anyway) and was starting to wonder if they could grow out here.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 9, 2009 23:41:04 GMT -5
"Ah, yes. There's an Esterberry scholar living here who's been seeing to Kaiesha's education. She's quite capable and I reccomend her highly.[/b]" Ceren was immediately pleased with the man's priorities. He clearly hadn't given up on tracking down the girl's actual family, but he was also stepping up into the parental role admirably. "If you're interested, I'll get you her name. I believe she's always taking on new students.[/b]"
She went silent for a moment, looking down at her fingers. Then she sighed and shook her head slowly, a little sadly.
"Maybe once she's settled in here she'll open up a little,[/b]" the sparrow suggested, but it seemed like false hope. "And I can't imagine having a friend around her age would hurt. Until then, I'm certain my mother would be happy to help take care of her, if it gets to be too much. She does love children.[/b]" That seemed like the understatement of the century to Ceren's ears, but it was a good alternative for the man.
Though she couldn't read the bat's mind, Kaisha was wondering the same things. Would they be best friends? She'd never had a best friend before, and the idea was oddly thrilling. There was a small skip in her step as she lead the way, beaming the whole time. A best friend! Someone to talk to who she didn't have to write letters to, like she did her sister.
When Mirriam made her comment, Kaiesha's head tilted to the side, blue eyes bright with curiosity. "Nope, I never have," she said. "That means you're the first! Isn't that cool?!" Her question was never answered, though, as the other girl went plunging into the underbrush. Kaiesha laughed out loud in joy, activating her flight ability and zooming after the bat, tiny wings fluttering uselessly as she did.
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Post by The Jenn on Apr 10, 2009 9:12:50 GMT -5
"Esterberry... yes, that would be very appropriate," Khushrenada agreed, tapping the tip of one nail absently on the chair arm. He'd been privately tutored by a half-Esterberry in his youth and thought very highly of the realm. "If she's been hired to tutor other children in the Court, I see no reason why her services would be anything short of excellent. I would appreciate the contact information."
Of course, the fact that he was worrying about the girl's education at all meant that she would probably be a more long-term problem than he had initially thought. Perhaps even permanent, if no word on possible parents was forthcoming. The thought pained him, but he didn't regret bringing her with him. Letting a child starve? No. Taking one on as a potential charge...?
That was more complicated. "One can only hope," he agreed with a slight grimace. "Someone to distract her and help her settle into the palace will be very welcome. I shouldn't wish to bother your mother unnecessarily, but if I have any questions then I may use her as a resource."
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Post by Lucca on Apr 12, 2009 22:34:48 GMT -5
Mirriam was oblivious to the other girl's reply. In fact, she was pretty much oblivious to anything right at that moment that didn't involve the wonderful, heavenly smells of the garden. She zipped eagerly from tree to tree, lingering especially near types of plants that didn't grow in Avington, or at least not in the area of it she'd spent the majority of her life in. She wove between the branches, just for fun, eyes sparkling with excitement. Now, now this could really feel like home!
She stopped short, feet grasping a branch and wings folding in, as she stared at what she'd found. It was a fruit tree, of that she was sure, and the fruits were all orangey and red and yellow...but she wasn't sure what they were. She'd never seen a peach before.
She became aware, just then, of a flapping sound behind her, and her ears swiveled around before her head followed, and she grinned upon seeing her new friend. The excitement of having a playmate her own age bubbling up all over again.
"Kaiesha quick come look at this!" Eagerly, she pointed at one of the peaches with a wing-claw. "This fruit has FUR!"
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 22, 2009 1:48:19 GMT -5
The sparrow absently fluffed her feathers up, a sign that she was feeling comfortable speaking with the man. She knew very little about him, but she felt instantly that he'd be a lovely addition to her court. The way that he carried himself certainly spoke of his breeding and a rather professional air. Quickly, the woman wrote out the name of the tutor she'd hired for the education of her own daughter and the address of the Esterberry. Then, as an afterthought, she wrote down her own mother's name.
"I assure you, she wouldn't see it as a bother in the slightest,[/b]" Ceren said easily, giving the other King a smile. "She watches Kaiesha for Her Majesty Iria and myself from time to time, so it would also provide another opportunity for the pair of them to spend time together.[/b]" which seemed... important to the sparrow. Kaiesha had spent so much of her admittedly short life around adults who didn't really have sufficient time to entertain her, so Ceren was delighted by the thought of letting her interact with someone who was closer to her own age.
The sparrow hybrid didn't notice Mirriam's abrupt stop at first and continued to circle the tree, simply enjoying the pleasure of taking flight. When the bat made her discovery, the girl flitted to her side, landing rather awkwardly on the branch. It made her glad that, while she'd inherited a feline body shape, she'd also been lucky enough to have all four feet have the gripping talons of a bird. Bright blue eyes glittered as she looked at what it was that Mirriam was pointing out to her, and then she laughed cheerfully.
"That's a peach, silly!" she said with a bright smile, eyes crinkling closed slightly at the corners. "They're super-tasty and you can have one, if you want! But you should wash it first, otherwise the furs stick in your throat." she stuck her tongue out.
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Post by Lucca on Apr 22, 2009 19:27:14 GMT -5
Mirriam's eyes shone with interest and admiration. The fact that the girl was a whole three years older than her made her very wise in the bat's estimation. And it was just proof of that fact that she knew about these strange fruits!
"A Peach," Mirriam repeated, saying the name slowly and reverently, as if it were of great importance. "Tasty, huh? Sure does look funny, though." Giggling, she moved to carefully grasp the stem of the fruit in her mouth, pulling it off the branch with a light tug that made all the leaves rustle pleasantly. She shifted it into her claws before turning back to Kaiesha.
"Come on, then! Grab a peach and let's go find some water!" She took to flight again, ears perked for the sound of running water...though she seemed to recall seeing something in the distance. The fact that she'd decided eating could wait for dinner was entirely forgotten in light of being able to try a new kind of fruit. This was exciting!
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Post by The Jenn on Apr 28, 2009 14:32:42 GMT -5
Khushrenada nodded thoughtfully, sipping at the drink that he'd had sent up not long ago. He hadn't been sure how many children were running around the Court these days, especially young ones. Something in the way the other King responded told him that there probably weren't very many. A benefit to the woman's daughter, then, that she might have a more long-term playmate. He still held out a vague hope of finding some clue as to Mirriam's family, but the more realistic side of him knew that was becoming less likely with every day she spent away from Avington. If there was anything left to be found.
"I'm probably going to have to contact her then," the kite agreed, "if only to pay respects and introduce her to Mirriam. Maybe I'll be able to establish some sort of rudimentary schedule. I'm still settling into the Court myself and have to apply to Her Majesty Iria for a formal position. It's been a while." The last words were said ruefully, with an undefinable undertone.
No one knew what had happened in the forests of Avington, the bizarre events that led to his return nearly thirty years after departing from the Court of Diamonds for the first time, looking just the same as when he'd left. Hopefully there wouldn't be anything more formal than idle questioning.
((I know you already have, so this is just a formality. <3 Feel free to progress with the RP without regard to my posting. Since it's separate from the adorable girl-monsters, it should be okay.))
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on May 31, 2009 21:08:44 GMT -5
As much as she tried to keep it back, the young girl was unable to keep from giggling, the sounds light and bubbly. Her avian feet had no difficulty gripping the branches, and she leaned out to get slightly closer to her new friend. As the bat spoke, Kaiesha bobbed her head eagerly, a smile at the corners of her beak. "Yup yup! They're super-sweet and so juicy. It's good to stay close to the water or else you'll get all sticky and gross." she laughed again, but then it seemed that their mission had shifted focus.
The bird-hybrid reached out with a foretalon and plucked a ripe fruit, careful not to bruise it in her grip. Then she leapt into the air once more, the spell coming to her easily and effortlessly as she moved through the air after the bat.
"The lake's right over this way! The water's sparkly and crystal-clear, I bet it's okay to wash our fruit in!" the girl chirped when she fluttered to the bat's side, inclining her head in the direction of the lake before flapping her wings once and heading towards it, peach clutched tight against her breast. She landed at the lakeside, dunking the fruit into the clear water and rubbing it between her hands, smiling as she did. "Want me to do yours, too? My hands might be a little better for it..."
Ceren nodded as the man spoke. "Routine is good for children, especially when they've just gone through a change,[/b]" she agreed. Calia wouldn't be hard to reach, she was certain. If the two girls could have a truely strong friendship, the King imagined it would be benificial to both of them. His next comment, however, struck her as rather interesting.
"From the way you say that... It sounds as if you've served here before?[/b]" she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. The news that he intended to serve before Iria wasn't as surprising... Perhaps she could speak to her Queen and ask hir about appointments for the man. "If I'm prying, then don't worry. I'm just... curious.[/b]"
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Post by Lucca on Jun 1, 2009 19:03:17 GMT -5
Mirriam couldn't have been more delighted to learn that it was one of those really juicy, sticky fruits. She loved those kind! Licking the juice off your muzzle was the best part, even if it did make the fur in that area a bit matted for a while. With a happy squeak, she turned to follow Kaiesha, letting the other girl lead the way to the lake, which she could now see in all its sprakling glory. Her eyes widened at the sight. "That's a lot of water to not be pouring from anywhere," she commented, refering to the lack of waterfalls like she remembered being on the edge of some of the large pools near her old home.
She dove, making for the shimmering surface, and skimmed the edge, trying to get the peach wet...but then she turned back to the bird-hybrid, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, that would be super nice and wonderful of you!" she gushed excitedly, and with a feverish flapping motion, made her way back to shore and dropped the fruit carefully next to her new friend, hovering in the air, her mouth already watering a bit at the thought of the tasty, sweet fruit. She licked her lips with a small pink tongue.
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