#oc: kuzhuk oroq

[paintedscales]

excellent news: i did not lose some screenshots of the other xaela characters i have after my computer's meltdown earlier this year.

putting them under the cut because there are a handful

Jajiradai with his younger brother, Odchigen.

Checheyigen and Chotan:

Khulan:

Kuzhuk:

Samga and Arik:

[paintedscales]

005. Oroq

Much is on the mind of Nomin as she recollects her time with Cotota. Her thoughts interfere with a lot of her studies as she attempts to learn what she can from Bayarmaa. After a pep talk and slowly getting back to her usual self, the Oroq show up on migration. Curious by the sleds of the Oroq, Nomin goes to investigate...much to the dismay of one of the Oroqi children.

Warnings: Bullying

Word Count: 5,260

Steppe by Steppe Chapter List

Days came and went, and Nomin still had Cotota on her mind. It was hard to not think about her. From Cotota’s show of strength taking down her tiger, to the humiliation that her parents made her endure in order to apologize to the Sagahl. Her worry bled into her studying anything that Bayarmaa attempted to teach her in regards to vegetation that was expected within the next season.

“I don’t think there’s really any point in fretting over her too much…” Jajiradai said one day as he and Nomin sat next to the riverbank of the Rai Khaal. Nomin revealed her worries and how she hoped Cotota really was fine. “I hate the idea just as much as you that she’d be in trouble, but what the Qerel do versus what we do… I mean, I’m sure she’ll be fine after whatever punishment is thrown her way. I hope…”

The conversation did little to assuage Nomin’s worries and doubts overall. It culminated to a point where Bayarmaa sat across the table from Nomin at one point and confronted her about it.

"What's been bothering you?" Bayarmaa started, placing the things they were studying aside to show that they were no longer the focus for the time being. "You've been so distracted ever since you and Esenaij came back from the impromptu visit with the Qerel. Is everything alright?"

Nomin gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"I don't know…" Nomin admitted. "I guess… Maybe I wonder if that's what my mother and father would have thought of me if I went back to the Tumet Iloh."

"How would that be?" Bayarmaa asked, wanting some elaboration since she had not been there to witness nor hear everything that happened. She folded her arms over the table, however, and gave Nomin her undivided attention.

There was brief hesitance, though Nomin opened up about what she saw and heard to Bayarmaa. She made mention how it upset her how Cotota's parents said that she was a disappointment to the tribe and her parents. The more she mentioned, the more Nomin’s gaze went down to the table, her eyes locking onto the grooves of the wood grain as if they were solvable mazes. Though they were meant to distract her, they did little in the way to occupy her mind enough to prevent her from how frustrated and worried she still felt.

"Nomin…" Bayarmaa said, a soft sigh coming for her as she stood up and walked over. She placed a gentle, reassuring hand on Nomin's shoulder. "You're far from a disappointment. I might be ignorant still on the methods and ways of the Tumet, but that won't stop me from telling you that you are not a disappointment. There are children who run free now thanks to you if the story you shared is true. I could never ever think of your act the day you were brought into mine and Esenaij’s lives makes you a disappointment. If your parents would have thought otherwise if you went back to them and we knew them then ourselves? Why, I-I'd simply scoop you right up and take you right back here."

A halfhearted smile tugged at the corner of Nomin's lips in response to Bayarmaa’s encouragement. Nomin had been more than happy at the time to share her tale about her journey from the site of the dawn pines to Reunion. Though, after what she did at her trial in the first place, going back would have meant being cast out as an exile should the adults have been told of her act. Nomin only hoped that if the Tumeti children she freed went back that no one spoke a word that they were freed by someone else.

"I guess it's kind of silly to think about what they would say or think of me anyway, huh?" Nomin said with a bit of a chuckle. The longer Bayarmaa’s words had to stew within her mind, the more that Nomin became more self-reassured that her place -- for now -- was with both Bayarmaa and Esenaij.

From that point, Nomin started to grow slowly less worried as the days went on, and resumed her diligence in studying whatever Bayarmaa had for her, or whatever Esenaij begrudgingly brought to the table on days he could. Nomin was more than happy to take in the information taught to her, and even drew pictures of the fruits and vegetables on sheets of vellum traded to them from merchants from beyond the Steppe that traded openly at the markets of Reunion.

Before Nomin, on a table, were several different bulbs one day. Bayarmaa had gathered them from some of what the other Sagahl brought back from their own excursions. This day, she was being taught about bulbs that grew within the area that could be identified.

“This one is a dusk onion. You can tell by how the flowers turn red or purple, much like when the lands start to embrace the night. When the flowers reach deep shades of purple or red, that is when you know the bulbs are best for harvest. That is when it shall bring out the most flavor for our food,” Bayarmaa explained, pointing out the flowers that were still on its stalk. “Though they are small, they, like everything else here, are valuable.”

Bayarmaa grabbed a knife from her belt and cut the stalk from the onion. “See how I leave this much of the onion on the stalk? We shall be taking this with us on our excursion today to replant it so that this may yet bless us further with its bounty.”

“And this is where bittergrass comes from!” Nomin said, pointing at a different bulb whose stalks were more grass-like and thin. She had already drawn the dusk onion on her papers as best as she could. Drawings would have to suffice since Bayarmaa had also been in the process of teaching her how to read and write. It turned out that Nomin would have only been afforded that opportunity had she returned to the site of the Tumet Iloh to show she overcame her trial to the rest of the tribe.

“That’s right! Bittergrass is a little harder to tell whenever it is ready…at least when you look at it. We smell for when it is ready instead. If they have no smell to them, they’re not ready, but if they smell fragrant and somewhat sweet with sour notes, they are perfect to collect. Normally, we wouldn't harvest the bulb for this one, but I wanted to show it to you before we plant this where it will grow new bittergrass.” Bayarmaa smiled at Nomin’s grasp of being able to recognize some of the plants already. It seemed that Nomin at least paid attention to some horticultural facts and observations with the Tumet whenever afforded.

“Bayarmaa~” a sing-song voice called out from outside the ger entrance. Nomin looked up, recognizing the voice as belonging to Turakina from the time they went to Reunion together. “The Oroq are passing by on migration~”

At those words, Nomin noticed how Bayarmaa’s tail flicked up in delight, and saw how she raised a hand to straighten out her hair. A different kind of smile spread across her face, and Nomin could only tilt her head quizzically. She looked at the various bulbs on the table and then looked back up at Bayarmaa.

Was the lesson over for the day?

“I’ll be out shortly! Thank you, Turakina!” Bayarmaa called back. She straightened out her robes, and huffed gently. She looked down at Nomin and offered a sheepish smile.

“My apologies, Nomin. When the Oroq come past our site on migration, they usually stop to trade goods with us.” Bayarmaa seemed to have been hiding something as she spoke with Nomin. Though, she neglected to say anything more and started putting the bulbs away into a basket woven from reeds for later planting. Pausing, she looked back at Nomin, who resumed drawing on her vellum, and then had a momentary consideration.

“Why don’t you come greet the Oroq with us? Now that you no longer don the colors of the Tumet and are essentially Sagahli yourself, you should meet one of our closest allies! Maybe you can even make some friends among them.”

Nomin looked up at Bayarmaa and put down her charcoal. Standing, she wiped her hands on a piece of cloth that was sitting next to her for smudging her drawings and making some extra detail if she wanted. Once her hands were cleaned, she joined Bayarmaa’s side and traveled outside of the ger to see the Oroqi Xaela coming by on their horses. Behind those horses, however, were sleds that were made of reeds.

Nomin seemed impressed, though her expression went back to confusion. How did they get the sleds to move so smoothly? The other thing she wanted to know was how the Sagahl and the Oroq were close allies when it seemed their tribal customs would have been somewhat of a conflict of interest. She really wanted to know more. Especially since the sleds looked to have had Xaela women and children as well as food, supplies, and materials for building their new iloh. However, before Nomin could ask Bayarmaa anything, Bayarmaa had already been gone, running up to one of the Xaela men that dismounted his horse.

Jogging to catch up, Nomin stopped when she saw Bayarmaa tiptoe to meet and rub her horns with this new mystery Oroqi man.

Nomin scrunched up her face and seemed disgusted by the act. After all, adult Xaela who loved each other had normally engaged in such acts -- but to do it so openly seemed very weird and gross!

When the man took notice of Nomin staring up at him, however, he stood up straighter and looked away, his cheeks growing flush. He seemed surprised and embarrassed both, leaving Bayarmaa confused until she looked down and saw Nomin standing there. Quickly exchanging glances from Nomin to the Oroqi man, Bayarmaa herself seemed flustered for a moment.

Clearing her throat, Bayarmaa soon collected herself and placed a gentle hand on Nomin’s shoulder, coaxing her forward. Smiling at the Oroqi man, Bayarmaa introduced the two: “Kuzhuk, this is Nomin. She’s new to mine and Esenaij’s life. And Nomin, this is Kuzhuk of Oroq.”

Kuzhuk’s look of embarrassment had not faded away entirely, though he looked at Nomin and offered her a smile as he lifted his hand in greeting. His eyes flicked toward Bayarmaa momentarily, though he regarded Nomin in a friendly manner, “‘tis good to meet you, Nomin.”

Nomin could really only gaze up at the man and the colors he wore, burning it into her memory. The members of the Oroq wore a deep, dusty purple. She considered it akin to a nighttime shade of violet. With a sense of satisfaction at committing his appearance and tribe color to memory, Nomin smiled back up at him.

“It’s good to meet you, too!” Nomin finally said after an unintentional staring contest and a long moment of silence. The sudden outburst made the man -- Kuzhuk -- give a slight start before he started laughing lightly.

“So then, little Nomin, what have the Sagahl to trade this day before the Naadam?” Kuzhuk asked, attempting to make light banter in order to get to know Nomin more. The smile of amusement remained on his face as he awaited the answer.

Nomin looked up at Bayarmaa. She learned much about the Steppe and what was available, though she could only hope that what she was about to say was right. Going back to staring Kuzhuk straight in the eye, Nomin replied with: “we have dawn plums and fava beans. Bayarmaa and Esenaij taught me that you must wait till the plums are fully pink. That’s when they’re the sweetest! And the fava beans can be enjoyed however you want as long as they are still good!”

Bayarmaa smiled, a soft scoff of satisfaction falling from her lips as she lifted her hand to stroke Nomin’s head before looking back at Kuzhuk.

“I have been teaching her about bulbs these past couple days, that she may be ready to harvest them in the spring proper,” Bayarmaa spoke up.

Nomin, however, kept staring at Kuzhuk, who certainly took notice. He broke eye contact to turn his attention to Bayarmaa. He was about to speak before Nomin opened her mouth again and asked, “are you and Bayarmaa betrothed?”

There was a pause. A pregnant one at that.

Bayarmaa cleared her throat once more, removing her hand from Nomin’s person. Kuzhuk, meanwhile, had this taken aback expression upon his face, his cheeks reddening further than they had been prior. Both of them looked more sheepish than anything after a time.

Considering what Bayarmaa told Nomin about the Oroq being one of the Sagahl's closest allies, Nomin was really just connecting dots based on what she remembered and saw. Intertribal relationships were not unheard of, after all. In fact, some of them were even beneficial to maintain positive relationships with other tribes at times.

“Something like that…” Bayarmaa finally said. She glanced at Kuzhuk, a somewhat apologetic look upon her face. Glancing past him, however, she noticed some of the other children that were visiting and already excitedly getting to talk or play with some of the Sagahli children. Pointing them out to Nomin in hopes that it would distract her, Bayarmaa said: “Nomin… why don’t you go and introduce yourself to the other Oroqi children?”

“What will you be doing?” Nomin turned her quizzical stare up at Bayarmaa.

“I’ll be trading the goods I have collected with Kuzhuk before they resume their migration,” Bayarmaa replied. “Once we have everything, I'll show you what we do with the goods we receive from the Oroq.”

“Alright…” Nomin replied, feeling like there was a bit more to Bayarmaa and Kuzhuk’s reunion than they were willing to divulge. Regardless, Nomin dropped it and started walking toward the other Oroqi reed sleds, and where the children were getting to play with one another.

Curiosity as to how the sleds worked in ferrying people and supplies over the grasslands, however, compelled Nomin to approach one of the vacant ones. Exercising caution when it came to the horse still attached to its harness, Nomin neared the sled it led. Making sure the sled was truly bereft of any passengers, owners, and otherwise living people, Nomin then observed the sled more closely. She noted the shiny substance on the reeds that made up the vehicle and hummed softly in thought.

When Nomin touched the sled’s outside reeds, her hand returned mildly slick. Tilting her head, she wondered if this was the reason the sleds were able to glide across the Steppe with little to no problem. Out of sheer curiosity, she brought her hand to her nose, taking a sniff. Surprisingly, whatever the substance was, it smelled…well, it smelled delicious.

“What are you doing?” asked the annoyed voice of another child behind Nomin, his voice somewhat shrill to her horns. It caused her to jump and wipe her hand frantically on her deel. Turning, she saw the other child, his scales were a brilliant black, unlike Nomin’s. Of course that had to be the first thing she noticed.

“S-Sorry…” Nomin started, not necessarily knowing what she was apologizing for. “I just want to know how you can pull the sleds across the Steppe. I thought I could learn by looking.”

“And touching?” the boy drawled, clearly unimpressed as he folded his arms over his chest.

“Well…yeah. Sometimes you can learn by touching. Bayarmaa taught me that you can tell when dawn plums are going bad if their skin gives way under your fingertips,” Nomin reasoned. A proud smile spread across her lips as she got to share some of the knowledge she retained.

“Our sleds aren’t plums!” the boy hotly retorted. Though the boy held her attention, Nomin’s eyes flicked to the side to look past him. A woman wearing the Oroqi colors was fast approaching.

“Yul! Do not yell at the Sagahli girl!” the woman scolded, coming over and giving Nomin an apologetic look.

“She was touching our sled, mother!” Yul protested. “You and papa said we shouldn’t touch the sleds after we’ve coated them in horse fat. So strangers definitely shouldn’t be touching it!”

“It’s horse fat!” Nomin exclaimed, making both Yul and his mother give the young girl shared looks of bemusement. Though Nomin had a big smile on her face when she looked between both Yul and the Oroqi woman, she quickly realized that their looks meant that maybe she should explain herself. And so she continued: “I was…I was wondering how you get the sleds to move across the land. I see now!”

“Is this all you were curious about, young one?” the mother gently asked, a weary smile growing on her face. It seemed she was a little more forgiving than her son. In response, however, Nomin nodded to the woman’s inquiry.

“I see that perhaps you have missed being able to meet the Oroq during our migrations,” the woman said, an amused sigh leaving her nose. “Yes, we Oroq travel with sleds to carry our possessions and children from one place to another. Should a mother be heavy with child, or need moments to feed a newborn, she will also ride in them. In order to have them move across the lands, we take the fat from the horses we consume in our meals, and melt it down before dipping and soaking the reeds we use to make our sleds in them.”

“Yeah, and you shouldn’t touch them!” Yul squeezed in with an angry pout. He folded his arms over his chest as he gave Nomin a disdainful look.

“Yul…” his mother started before looking back at Nomin. Her smile faded before she went on to say, “though my son is correct. Should any touch the sleds, our hands remove the horse fat’s beneficial application. Should it be wiped off, our sleds will not move as well across the inner grasslands where we travel.”

“Oh…” Nomin frowned, reflecting on her actions now that she was told how it negatively affected the Oroq. “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t know that. Thank you for telling me.”

The mother looked surprised when Nomin apologized and then thanked her.

“What manners! Your parents must be very proud of you,” the Oroqi woman complimented with a big smile. She then looked to her son, “I know you can also be a good boy, Yul…but maybe you can also take some pointers from this Sagahli girl!”

For a moment, Nomin’s lips pursed into a tight smile. She had not the heart to state that she no longer lived with them. Not that she necessarily wanted to relive any of her final moments as being considered a child of Tumet, either.

“Mother!” Yul gasped, gawking at his mother momentarily then glowering at Nomin. Though he did this, Nomin only met his gaze with a giggle. She was more just amused that his mother seemed to have liked her in some capacity.

“Oh! While I’m here…do you perhaps know what I might use to help aid with stomach pains?” the Oroqi mother asked. She was met with a shake of the head from Nomin.

“No…I haven’t learned how to look for or make remedies, yet. Just fruits and vegetables,” Nomin replied. She thought about it, and then pointed a finger in Bayarmaa’s direction. “Bayarmaa can help, though! She’s been teaching me what the Steppe’s bounties are and how to look for them when they’re ready!”

Yul’s mother thanked Nomin and reminded her not to touch the sleds before she departed in the direction of Bayarmaa and Kuzhuk’s location. Yul, meanwhile, still seemed to have been glaring down at Nomin as he continued to stand there, arms still folded over his chest. When Nomin looked back at him, she quirked her brow and tilted her head. Before long, she shrugged her shoulders and looked over to where the other children were collected.

As Nomin walked, she noticed that Yul was tailing her, that look still on his face, and his arms still folded over his chest. Focusing back on walking toward the others, she decided it was best to ignore him for now as she approached the children that she recognized. Jajiradai and Odchigen were the first that Nomin lifted a hand in greeting to.

“Glad to see you could join us, Nomin! We were just getting ready to play ail ger!” Odchigen happily chirped, grinning. He was holding several stones and sticks in his hand, and when Nomin looked past him at the other children, they were already working on setting up their stones to mark their ‘ger’ to play in. It was a fun enough activity to pass the time with, though admittedly, Nomin was not particularly feeling like she wanted to play in a pretend ger with pretend furniture at that moment. Not when…

“Careful asking this one to play ‘ail ger’ with everyone else!” Yul drawled. With her back still turned to him, Nomin rolled her eyes. All the while, Yul marched past her, nosed turned up into the air. “She might just put her hands on everything and ruin the layout of the ger.”

Frowning, Nomin placed her hands on her hips.

“Bah, don't be a sore, Yul!” one of the other Oroqi kids piped up, lifting a hand to hide their snickering. Some of the Oroqi kids chuckled as well. It seemed that this was a constant, and not something that started with Nomin.

“I'm not being a sore! I'm just warning you that she's a menace! She already put her hands all over the sleds,” Yul heatedly replied, balling his hands into fists and thrusting them down at his sides. His tail flicked with annoyance and he pointed an angry look at the other Oroq children.

Nomin tutted, furrowing her brow.

For a brief moment, Jajiradai let out a soft chuckle before he composed himself. He then looked in Nomin’s direction. He seemed a bit incredulous at best, though he asked her, “did you touch their sleds at all?”

“Just a little,” Nomin replied. “I wanted to know how the sleds moved across the grass. Yul’s mother told me, and that was that. It was just a little bit; on my fingertips.”

Nomin looked down at her aforementioned fingertips and noted the slight sheen of horse fat that still lingered. She would need to wash her hands properly later.

“Oh no! Whatever will we do, Yul? A little touch is going to stop all the sleds from carrying us across the Steppe now!” one of the Oroqi children chortled, lightly tossing some pulled up grass in his direction. In response, Yul gasped in annoyance before huffing and sitting down on the ground. He pulled his arms back so that they were folded over his chest as he hunched over in defiance.

Sighing with some sense of annoyance herself, Nomin walked forward to the other children and started helping them out. She was grateful that none of them really pointed out her scale discolorations as she straightened out some aspects of the ‘ger’ that were set up. As time went on, Nomin noticed one of the other Sagahli girls decorating the collection of stones and sticks she had with dried flowers, a gentle smile on her face.

Expressing delight in this as she ran over, Nomin asked the girl about the flowers and what types they were. Though the girl was surprised and even shied away a bit, she soon settled and composed herself. The other Sagahli girl was gentle with her words -- the way she spoke had a kind of airy softness to it as she conversed with Nomin.

Introductions were shared, and Nomin learned that this Sagahli girl’s name was Chotan. The more that they played together, the more that it was revealed that Chotan liked pressing flowers and utilizing methods she learned from her mother to preserve them -- which had been evident in the flower hairpin she wore upon her head of dark auburn. Still, it was nice to have connected with another child of the Sagahl. It allowed Nomin to forget Yul and his overall sour demeanor when it concerned her for the most part.

However, with her thoughts having flickered back to him, Nomin settled on her haunches and then looked over to where Yul still sat. Instead of having his arms folded over his chest, he had since pulled his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them as he watched the other kids play.

Alone.

Expelling a sigh as a part of her felt bad seeing him all by himself, Nomin pushed herself back up onto her feet. She looked down at Chotan and gave her a slightly wry smile. She then looked down at their ‘ger’ and tried to figure out what was what for the most part. With all the flowers that were scattered about, Nomin brought a hand to her chin before she leaned down and picked up a small wreath of white and orange flowers that Chotan wove together to make a kitchen decoration with.

“Do you mind if I have this for a bit?” Nomin asked, turning to look back at Chotan after she picked it up.

“Hm? I guess not…” Chotan brought a finger to her chin, eyes flicking from the wreath back up at Nomin. “What were you going to use it for?”

“An offering, I guess…”

“‘Offering’?” Chotan repeated the word, her expression growing contemplative.

“Mhm… Nothing bad, I promise.” Nomin did her best to sound reassuring, a smile growing on her lips as she looked at Chotan. Her annoyance had mostly faded, though part of her still did not want to approach Yul. Had she not seen how no one else asked him to play with them, though…well, she might not have had it in her mind to approach him.

“... Sure. Just bring it back. I’d like to use the flowers later.”

“I will!” Nomin chirped before she started walking back over to Yul. Her smile faded once she turned away from Chotan.

Swallowing back a sigh, Nomin neared Yul and looked down at him. She hesitated, but eventually offered the wreath of flowers with some caution. She hoped that Yul would not have taken the wreath and ripped it apart, or something of the like.

“What do you want?” Yul grumbled, furrowing his brow and looking away from Nomin.

The corner of Nomin’s lip tugged downward in a slight frown momentarily. Though Yul’s personality was certainly annoying, she felt no real animosity toward him. In fact, she felt more of the same kind of tug to him that she felt when she was compelled to help free the other Tumeti children that had no qualms to it.

“... I wanted to ask if you wanted to play with Chotan and I for ail ger…” Nomin said. She lifted the floral wreath to emphasize it. “Chotan’s been making a lot of neat little flower items for the ger we have. And, well, we have room for more people to play with us. Maybe you can tell us how you make sleds so that we have one for our ger!”

A moment of silence passed before Yul finally turned his head and looked up at Nomin. His brow was still slightly furrowed, and he still had an annoyed frown upon his face. Though, he let out a sigh and stood himself back up onto his feet. It was that moment that Nomin noticed that the two of them were relatively similar in height. Though she did not take time to think about it too long, she instead offered the wreath to Yul.

“Chotan would like to have this back…but you’re welcome to play with us…” Nomin said, inviting Yul along to their ‘ger.’

“... Fine…” Yul conceded, letting Nomin lead the way back. He did not take up the wreath, instead waving it off and making Nomin pull it back fully into her own possession. Regardless of the fact he did not want the wreath, Nomin turned and led the way back to Chotan and the ger layout she was cleaning up and rearranging flowers on.

Regarding Nomin kindly, Chotan smiled up at her, and then gave the same amount of consideration to Yul in turn.

“Welcome…” Chotan softly greeted.

“Yea, hello…” Yul stiffly said in response. He leaned forward and then side to side, looking at the layout. His face twisted into some manner of confusion all the while as he attempted to make heads or tails of what everything was meant to represent. When he voiced his questions finally, Nomin allowed Chotan to take the reins in gently explaining their ail ger.

As time went on, and Chotan was allowed to explain things in her own way, Nomin noticed how Yul’s disposition started to soften and become more amicable. The more that they played with some aspects of their ger, the more that Yul even regarded Nomin in an eager and nice fashion as they shared some of the play-chores and responsibilities of taking care of their play area.

Then, eventually, night started extending its grip upon the land as the skies went from blue to being bathed in a warm pink and orange. More than that, the Oroq parents had come to collect their children, telling them that while they were welcome within the Sagahl Iloh, they had to still adhere to their own chores and duties while they were there.

“I kind of wanted to keep playing…” Yul muttered, sighing to himself.

“There’s always tomorrow,” Chotan said. During the course of their activities with one another, she had made several more flower wreaths. She gave one to Nomin already, having woven one of orange and golden flowers that rested upon her head. Now, she was offering Yul his own flower wreath, made up of purple and red flowers. “In the meantime, you can have this. If you like it, I can make you some that won’t wilt.”

Yul looked at Chotan, a little dumbfounded before he carefully and gingerly took the wreath from her. There was a pause before he finally said, “thank you. I…wouldn’t mind some that didn’t wilt…”

Nomin offered a grin. She was pleased about how the events played out overall for the day. She got to learn about the Oroq and their sleds, and she got to make friends with Chotan and maybe even Yul! Even if neither of them really wanted to admit it at all.

“Can I get some that don’t wilt, too?” Nomin asked, skipping over to Chotan.

“Of course!” Chotan responded, giggling softly. “I love making them. I’ll be glad to have something made for all of us as friends.”

“‘Friends’...?” Yul cocked his head to the side, humming lowly to himself in thought. He then gave them a rueful smile. “You consider me a…a friend?”

“Why not?” Chotan started in response, looking toward Yul quizzically. “I had a lot of fun playing with you and Nomin today.”

Yul’s mouth fell open in wanting to say something, but he quickly closed it. He then looked down at the flower wreath in his hand. He nodded a couple of times, his gaze locked upon the wreath of flowers. “Y-yea…yea! I had fun, too. Let’s play more tomorrow!”

“Of course!” Nomin happily replied.

[paintedscales]

a01 :: Family

A Soft™ Fic Prompt Meme

Wasn't sure if I wanted to focus on Nomin's past, or her future. So I found a way to combine them in a sense. Getting to explore more of her relationship with her sister, and some stuff shortly after the birth of her girls.

Dealing with a small bit of postpartum stuff. Nothing too graphic, minor blood mentions. Mostly fatigue, soreness, and itchiness mentioned and dealt with.

Word Count: 1,801

“You’re a lot less squeamish than I would have imagined,” spoke an auri woman who had been helping to wash and dispose of used, bloodied cloth. Her hair was a deep violet with some softer highlights that bordered on pink -- a complementary contrast to her emerald green skin. Like Nomin, her inky black scales were speckled with color, though hers were of an emerald green nature rather than a lapis blue.

“... I have seen my fair share of blood, Lady Bayarmaa,” Estinien respectfully replied, his tone indifferent as he cinched a burlap sack of refuse and set it off to the side for burning later. “Besides, ‘twould not be fair to Nomin nor your good self were I to leave these matters tended solely by you. It gladdens me that you and yours were able to come by on short notice, though. Ignorant as I am of the nature that comes after childbirth. By the Fury…even by the events that preceded it…”

A soft laugh fell from Bayarmaa’s lips as she cinched up her own burlap sack and set it aside. She walked toward the well pump, drawing water to wash her hands with soap. After she took care of herself, she then offered the pail and soap to Estinien. With some consideration, she replied, “even with my own child, there is much and more I’ve yet to learn or develop. I wouldn’t be where I am without the help of the other Sagahl. Nor would I be here without the aid and support of my husband, Kuzhuk.”

Bayarmaa raised her head to smile at Estinien, watching momentarily as he took to washing up. She then took in the sights of the immediate area, hands going to rest at her hips. She admired the flowers that were planted about the area, not to mention how fresh the air smelled and felt.

“You tell me that you’re gladdened by mine and my husband’s arrival, yet it is I that is gladdened to know my little sister has someone who cares for her in these moments of tiredness, ache, and restlessness.” Bayarmaa turned her relieved expression in Estinien’s direction. “Truly… I worried overmuch for her when I heard she left to travel the Steppe on her own from the Malaguld and the Sagahl that returned to us from the Jhungid. Many summers had come and gone, and often I wondered if I had lost yet another in some fashion.”

Estinien stayed silent for a time, only momentarily casting a lingering sidelong glance at Bayarmaa. She was one of his and Nomin’s daughter’s namesakes after all. Though he had not truly gotten a proper chance to meet her or speak with her at length, it seemed evident that the sisterly bond that both Nomin and Bayarmaa shared ran deep.

The barest twinge of envy tugged at him; for Estinien wondered if he and Hamignant would have shared a bond similar in that brief moment.

“Nomin spoke much of her time on the Steppe…once we had finally put our differences aside, that is…” Estinien admitted. “I think not a day went by that you and the family she made on the Steppe were not on her mind in what I remember of her back then.”

Estinien then looked back at Bayarmaa. “Though, as she told it, she said that the two of you enjoyed a reunion before your traditional Naadam. I expressed it poorly at the time, though I was glad for her to have that closure and reconnection.”

There was a moment’s consideration of whether or not Estinien wanted to bring up what he remembered of Nomin at the time. During most conversations, he would not have thought twice about it, but he kept his mouth shut for the time being, a silence blanketing the air around them. Perhaps that past would have been better left untouched for now.

Silence would have lingered between the two if the pause between both Bayarmaa and Estinien had not been cut short by a toddler running down the pathway from the cabin with a grin on his face and a laugh upon his lips. He came up and threw his body into Bayarmaa’s leg, clutching onto her with that same big grin on his face. The sight would have brought a gentle smile upon Estinien’s lips were it not for the next words out of the child’s mouth.

“Mama! Papa says that you should come back up inside! He said to come get you,” the boy of five summers had said, giggling. At the mention, Estinien looked back up toward the cabin and had been hasty about making his way back while Bayarmaa took a moment to acknowledge her son and give him some positive reinforcement before following suit. The only hope was that the situation was not serious.

Given that a child was sent to retrieve them, the hope was there.

The two were quick about making their way to the bedroom where Nomin had been resting more often than not since giving birth. It seemed that she was in between states of sleep and awake. As it was, Bayarmaa’s husband, Kuzhuk, had taken care of getting the twins changed and placed within their bassinets. When both Estinien and Bayarmaa arrived, he offered them a sheepish look.

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to have Ankhbayar alarm you both. I didn’t think it too serious,” Kuzhuk said. He glanced between both Bayarmaa and Estinien. He then addressed Estinien more directly: “Simply, Nomin has been scratching at her scales and vaguely complaining of aches in the moments she has been awake. I figured it would have been best to get my wife to take care of any discomforts.”

“Ah…well, I’m here,” Bayarmaa said, going over and grabbing the chair that had been brought into the bedroom for her to aid Nomin from the bedside if it was not too intensive. She waved a hand at Estinien briefly as her tone became a little more authoritative, “Estinien…where exactly does Nomin keep her scale oils? I’d like you to bring them to me if you would. And once you have them, you’ll help with the other side. Kuzhuk, if you would allow us privacy?”

“Of course, my Moon,” Kuzhuk replied with a shallow nod. He departed the room, playfully shooing and then chasing the young toddler that had been peeking his head in curiously to watch or eavesdrop.

Once the door had been closed, that was when Estinien had set to making his way into the bath chamber, fiddling with some of the woven boxes that contained anything that would have been related. Eventually, he returned with two bottles and a small tub of the oils that Bayarmaa requested. She wordlessly grabbed them and looked them over, reading the labels.

“Oh, thank the Dusk Mother… She actually labels things in Old Auri and Eorzean…” Bayarmaa sighed in relief, taking the larger bottle and uncapping it.

“Dusk Mother…has nothing to do with it…” Nomin tiredly replied, lifting a hand to scratch at her scales somewhat before her sister slapped her hand away. It seemed she was in a state of lucidity. For how long, however, was left for time to tell.

“Oh, quiet…” Bayarmaa said in jest, giving Nomin a slight smirk as she then grabbed the younger auri’s arm and gently started applying some of the oils around the edges of her scales and skin. She handed the bottle to Estinien and instructed him to start on the other side. All the while, she affectionately scolded her younger sister: “you have to remember not to scratch so much. It shan’t benefit you any if you’re to loosen your scales.”

A small ‘hmph’ came from Nomin as she shimmied herself to a more seated position. Both her arms at this point had been taken up by both her sister and her husband. Though part of her wished to use her arms, she could not deny how their ministrations felt soothing. Both in the fact that it alleviated her itches, and put some of her aches to rest.

“How have you been feeling? No shivers or chills since yesterday?” Bayarmaa asked, her tone going more serious as she worked the oils in.

Nomin gave a slight groan of protest, as she did not want to answer too many questions. However, she gave a sigh and sunk back into her pillows. Taking a moment, glancing at Estinien and then looking back in Bayarmaa’s direction, Nomin replied with, “... just tired and sore mostly…. I feel like even my worst battles haven’t worn me out so…. No shivers since yesterday, though.”

“I suppose that is rather telling,” Bayarmaa considered. She sighed silently in relief knowing that Nomin had not been experiencing any chills past the initial moments after delivery.

“... I’m happy, at least. Even if sometimes it might not seem like it…” Nomin said, closing her eyes and smiling to herself. She soaked in the feeling of her scales and skin being cared for, though she had enough clarity of mind in that moment to have been grateful for all that was around her.

“I’m glad to hear that.” A small smile found its way onto Bayarmaa’s face. “What has you happy?”

“I’m just happy to have my family here…” Nomin tiredly said. “Genuinely, I mean it. Would that I were more able to get up and show you, Kuzhuk, and Ankhbayar around the island without it being too stressful to my body.”

“Worry not,” Estinien spoke up. He had, likewise to Bayarmaa, moved up along Nomin’s arm to help apply and rub in more of her scale oil. “We shall have more than enough time to take care of such things at a later time. What matters most is making sure you and the girls are taken care of before any sightseeing or touring can even be considered.”

“Agreed. I’m here not just as your sister, but to also help you with everything that comes after giving birth,” Bayarmaa reassured Nomin. “Family is family, Nomin. And we’re here for you in this new chapter of your life, not to have a vacation nor venture into the area.”

The smile on Nomin’s face grew for a moment before her gaze settled on the ceiling. It faltered for a moment before she finally asked: “... do you think Esenaij would have been happy for us? From what I can remember…he would have been a shite uncle.”

Bayarmaa paused, taken aback by Nomin’s words. Her hands shook after a moment as she attempted to rein in her laughter. Though it seemed that Nomin shared in the amusement, because for as straight faced as she made her statement, it was a jest all the same.

“He would have been a shite uncle,” Bayarmaa concurred, a laugh falling from her lips.