Faces, New and Old

[Qit'ria]

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Saun 1, 718

It had been an uneventful morning so far in Desnind for Qit'ria and Caz'aria. They'd woken up, Qit'ria fed Caza, then ate some leftover venison and vegetables that her father had cooked. He was heading back out into the community totrial, wearing his grey cloak. It made Qit'ria delighted to see him getting back into the duty he loved so much. This was the first full trial Qit'ria would have unattended with her child. It was nice, she was not used to having anybody wait on her hand and foot, and didn't particularly care for it, even if it was Yeye doing it.

Caza was changed, swaddled up in a blanket, and Qit was carrying in her arms as she left the house. She made sure to hold her at just enough angle to see the world beyond her own face. Yeye said that Caza probably couldn't see much at her young age, but Qit'ria didn't care. She didn't want Caza to be so spoiled and attached by only seeing her mother's face. She would be raised to see and love the forests just as Qit did. The little girl smile, as if to agree with Qit's thoughts, and she bent down, nuzzling the baby's nose with her own.

She moved through town, doing her best to ignore the stares of the other Desninders. The roaring birth, the alterations to her face, truly made her stand out in the community, so the stares were no surprise. She didn't care though. Let them stare, they were just afraid of her. As they should be. Her father wasn't afraid of her, he loved her all the same, after everything that had happened. He was just happy to have his daughter home.

She made her way to the nearby coast. Ever since Caza was born, which was only 12 trials ago, Qit had been feeling a deep, yearning desire to be swimming. She wondered if it was a part of what her spark had done to her during the birth. It had lashed out and changed her drastically. But walking toward water simply felt right. Once she arrived at the coast, she saw that that the waves were especially calm. She smiled and approached, slowly gliding over the pebbly beach. Saun had arrived, and with it more light and heat, coming from the north.

She sat in the gentle surf, not minding that her loincloth was soaked in the process. She relaxed there, letting the water gently slide up and down her thighs, basking in the sun, keeping Caza turned away from it, closer to her chest. But as each wave ebbed out, with it a part of her desire to swim went. She needed to swim, badly. But leaving Caza here alone was a death sentence, she was small enough that even a hawk could take her. Qit looked out toward Moseke's landing, seeing a flutterbus there that had just landed.

Qit was always scared of those when she was younger. Not of the creature itself, but flying upon it. It never came up as an option, but it still terrified her, thinking about flying through the air like that, with absolutely no control of your life. If that creature rolled, or bucked, or just died in the air, so would everyone else upon it. That was a level of control that Qit could not give up easily. At least if a boat went down, she knew how to swim. She watched as some people came down the steps of the landing, approaching the randomized sandbars that were sometimes present, sometimes not. It seemed today that the passengers were lucky, as a path to the beach that Qit'ria sat upon was available.

She turned her gaze away from them, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth, enjoying the feeling of the water against her and the stony sand beneath her. This wasn't so bad a way to spend the day.

[Faith Augustin]

"It's quite an experience, isn't it?" Faith said, glancing back to the flutterbus. They were, fundamentally, flying in a large bug. She found it better if they didn't really think about that and so, instead she turned her attention to the baby in her arms. "You're a happy boy, Noah, aren't you? Yes, you are." She craned her head to make sure that Madison was equally content in her father's arms, which she was, and Faith beamed up at Padraig with a sense of being utterly content almost overwhelming her. He was up to something, she was sure. It was her birthtrial, after all, and she knew him too well to think that he didn't have something in his head.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Faith asked, softly. She'd pointed out that they could go and see Qit'ria on the flutterbus and he'd been quick to agree, but Faith got the idea that perhaps she'd intruded on something else, something different. "And I'd like to go to the temple and introduce these two to Moseke. Show them where we got married." Unlike her to be so, but Faith was unmindful of being in public when she stood on tiptoes and kissed him softly. "No one but you, for me." Faith whispered, his words to her a lifetime and more ago. She was not good, she believed, at telling him how she felt, but she did not need to say what they both knew so very fundamentally. Because, equally, there was no one but her, for him. In a hundred lifetimes and no matter what befell them, Faith believed that their souls were linked.

But as Saun had arrived, it had done so with a lot of heat and the young couple had been on a large bug for a log of trials. "We have a few breaks. There's a nice beach over there," hopefully, he remembered where it was, because she gestured in entirely the wrong direction. "Remember, we had a picnic there, after the wedding? We could go and dip our toes in the water. Noah would like that, I think. What about you, Madison?" The babies were young still, not yet an arc old, but they would be next cycle and they were more and more aware of their world.

"Shall we go for a paddle? A very safe and supervised paddle?" Looking up at Padraig, Faith felt tears prickle her eyes. Shaking her head at his look of concern, she explained quickly. "Happy. Happy tears. In love tears, perfect children, husband and life tears. Paddling in the cool water with my babies tears." Frowning, though, she looked in that direction of 'entirely the wrong way' and asked, plaintively. "Where did it go?"

[Padraig]

The last time they'd been in Desnind together and in fact, the only time that Padraig had been in Desnind, they'd been married. And now they were back with their two children in arms. And on Faith's birthtrial no less. Of course he had something planned, but it was still early, that surprise was for later. Though he'd naturally rolled over and kissed his wife that morning, reminding her in the most intimate of terms what trial it was. Otherwise there was nothing romantic about traveling on, or rather in a flutterbus. But it was transportation, and had gotten them where they needed to go.

He had Madison while Faith had Noah, and the little girl was currently balanced up on his shoulders, getting a view of the world from up high. Her little fists were curled tight into his hair in order to hold on, and as a result, there was something sticky in his hair. Padraig didn't mind however, their daughter marveled at the world from up there, and was chattering away. "I'm perfectly fine," he told Faith, leaning in just a little bit to kiss her, without causing Madison to topple off his shoulders. "I was fine the last time you asked too," he teased. And it was her birth trial. The itinerary was hers to make.

But even though she did, and often, Faith didn't need to tell him how she felt. He knew. He was convinced that he'd know even without the marks they shared between them. "Over there," he teased, pointing off away from where Faith had gestured, towards the beach. And dipping a toe in the cool waters off the coast sounded perfect, just about now. And Madison agreed, apparently, having babbled excitably in response to her mother's question. Conversational babbling, was the scientific term for it, Cyrus had recently dryly quipped.

Happy tears, however, they were very Faith, and he loved her for it to distraction. So a supervised swim, then, except that "It's that way," he teased her again, using one hand to gently take hold of his wife's shoulder and turn her in the right direction. Of course when they got there however, the beach was not as deserted as they'd thought it might be. A single person lounging in the sun, looking from Padraig's perspective as if they might be sleeping. He was about to suggest to Faith that maybe, in order to not disturb them, they move a little farther down the shore. But before he could whisper the suggestion, Madison took notice of the waves rolling in and let out a high pitched squeal of delight that Padraig was fairly sure could have awoken the dead.

[Qit'ria]

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While lost within her quiet meditation, Qit'ria began to explore the scents of the forest and coast around with her Echoed sense of smell from the Bumblebear. She'd been amazed at how strong the sense of smell the Aye-aye mouse had, but the bear outclassed that heavily. She could smell more than just the saltiness of the air and permeated ground. She could smell some budding blackberries nearby, the smell of some creature currently in heat, but most prominently, she could smell the sweat of the people who'd just disembarked the flutterbus. She wrinkled her nose at this. They all stunk. She could tell the men and women apart. The men had a ranker, mustier scent, much stronger. The women's though were a bit more sour, and Qit'ria was fairly certain it was an especially feminine scent, one she'd smelled off herself a while back before she began washing down there more regularly.

But then a single note broke through it all. Chocolate. Her smile broadened as she sought out more of the scent, confirming it for what it was. She found herself craving the chocolates Faith had given her. There were a few more left in the box, but it was back at home. Qit'ria was rather proud of herself having not eaten them all yet. A shriek pierced the air, interrupting her enjoyment. She opened her eyes, seeing the source. A little girl with her parents and a sibling. And then Qit sniffed again. One of them had chocolate. As they moved closer, Qit'ria's diminished eyesight finally took in their faces. Two of which she knew.

With exactly zero hesitation, Qit'ria, hopped up, waving and smiling her biggest bear-jawed smile. "Faith! Paddyrags!" She held Caza close to her chest, and began splashing through the shallows toward the family, waving wildly with her free hand. Caza was looking around confused, though wasn't upset. Qit'ria had no idea why they were here, but she couldn't be happier about it. She instantly forgot all of the difficulties that came with the recent seasons. She forgot that her face was warped so that Faith could potentially not recognize her, bearing the jaws of a bear, and the small squinty eyes.

Qit'ria was just happy to see her dear friend again, doubly so to meet her family properly. Once she was close, she smiled, "Whale cum Desnind! Why here? Miss lots!" She stepped forward to Faith, presenting her forearm as she always did with Faith.

[Faith Augustin]

"Why doesn't it just all stay still?" Faith asked, quite genuinely. She had no sense of direction at all and she had regularly got completely lost in the university. All the corridors looked the same and so her memory didn't help. But that was how she experienced it, things moved around. Because where she was, the beach was over there but Padraig's gentle hand on her shoulder guided her in entirely the other direction and she sighed. It had moved. It was, after all, the only logical explanation and with a self-depreciating grin at him, she shook her head. "It is most unfair, you know. Come, Noah, and lets hope you inherit your father's sense of direction."

They made their way and Faith was pleased that she'd bitten back her question to him - wondering whether he was sure it was this way because she was quite convinced it was not - she was especially pleased about her restraint as the beach came into view. It looked lovely and she turned to him to suggest the same as he was about to say to her, considering the people there, but then Madison's screech of delight shook the very sand and Faith couldn't help but smile. Their children amazed and astounded her and, no matter what they did she felt that they were, simply, perfect. Her attention was on Madison at the squeal and then Noah grabbed her by the nose and Faith chuckled, pretending to eat his hand with over exaggerated noises. His giggles tinkled in the Saun air.

But then, the woman who had seemed to be sleeping came charging towards them and Faith took a slight backwards step in surprise. But then there was a voice and, whilst it was thicker than she knew it, there was no one on Idalos who used the name Paddyrags and Faith smiled. "It's Qit'ria," she said, softly. As the woman came charging up, Faith beamed and clasped her hand in the traditional greeting between her and Qit and she looked, because she was, delighted to see her friend. "Qit'ria! We hoped to find you. We are moving home, to Rharne, but stopped here, on the way." Looking at the baby in Qit's arms, Faith's expression softened and she looked at Caza. "This is your daughter? Oh, I am so glad to see you!" Briefly, but with a fierceness which she meant entirely, Faith hugged Qit. Noah, the nearly one-arc old in her arms reached out to touch Qit's face.

"You two have met?" Faith asked, and glanced at Padraig, resisting the urge to call him Paddyrags. She smiled at Qit, though, "We brought some gifts for you and your baby. How are you? Tell me everything!" Looking at her, Faith nodded. "What happened to your face?"

[Padraig]

"Damned inconsiderate, isn't it?" Padraig teased Faith when she complained about one of her own shortcomings, her legendary lack of direction. When she referenced things up and moving however, he was tempted to launch into an informative lecture about the fact that yes, in fact the world did turn, or rather rotate on an axis. But happily they all rotated right along with it. So technically, everything did tend to move, direction-ally speaking. And yet at the same time, it did not. He resisted the urge however, but just barely and only because Madison's squeal startled and distracted him.

"And your mother's way with people," he said, ruffling Noah's hair and speaking of inheritance. After all, the stars and the wonders of the universe were Padraig's world and he was far more comfortable in a lab or at the business end of a telescope, than he was dealing with people. The universe, physics wise, followed a fairly predictable set of rules and behaved in a similarly predictable way. People did not. On the other hand, if only he could bottle the high pitched, eardrum piercing sound of a small girl squealing, there was no telling what sort of alchemical wonder he might come up with.

But then some strange woman came charging at them from out of the water and on instinct, Padraig pulled Madeline down from his shoulders to protect her better. Still, when Faith identified her, Padraig looked closer and frowned. "Are you sure?" It wasn't the face he'd expected, after all. Faith seemed certain however and Padraig smiled in greeting...then more genuinely so once he'd gotten a much closer look. Curious. "It's good to see you Qit'tria," he said. What in the name of all the Immortals happened to your face? he wanted to ask, but opted not to.

Madison meanwhile seemed fascinated with the baby in Qit'tria's arms, and was babbling to the new stranger conversationally. A social butterfly, was what she was. But then he couldn't help but grin when Faith didn't hesitate to ask what he'd opted not to.

[Qit'ria]

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Qit leaned into and returned the hug that Faith pulled her into, albeit with one arm as the other was occupied. And Qit'ria gave Faith that extra little squeeze, for she was truly Qit's closest friend. And after the times she'd had so far, she was glad to have her here, if only for a moment. Whispering in her ear, a bit growly with the maw, "Glad see you." She stepped back from Faith after the embrace, and studied the happy little family. At Faith's first question, Qit laughed.

"We meet yes. Food party in Scalwhoreus Town. He help with wrinkled plum lady. He help me cook flop ear stew. Much help."

Turning to Paddyrags, "You still..." she scrunched up her face as she tried to think of the word, "Star doctor?"

Back at Faith, "Blackbird birth on Ymiden..." Qit'ria paused again, as there were numbers involved, "Seven-two. I..." She looked at Padraig for a moment, for she didn't know him as well as Faith, and wasn't sure she was as comfortable with telling him this. But he was Faith's mate. Faith would trust him. And she trusted Faith. "I am magic. I Becomer. When birth, my spark... think danger. Scared. Panic. It want me change. Would hurt Blackbird. I fight it." She then gestured to her face, held up her hand with the changed nails, "Scar from fight. But Blackbird safe. I win."

And that was that. She had nothing more to say on that, for she'd said all the information about it. "Yeye much happy. Enlick here too. He drive boatship with me come here. Got stab in face by... boat tree. All gooder now. Hungry? I hunt donkeydeer yestertrial. Much yum." Then she remembered something Faith had told her, "Want see temple of forest mother?" Qit was bouncing with happiness. This was one of the best trials since her arrival. She walked back toward the shore, and gathered up her things. Turning back she beckoned them onward, "Come come. Much do." Then Qit'ria remembered Faith's kids were there. Stopping, she stared at them, "What called? I Qit'ria. This Caz'aria."

[Faith Augustin]

He was right on the verge of a lecture, Faith knew. Something about movement, maybe, or direction. Possibly, somehow, about navigating via the stars. That was fine, she adored the sound of his voice and she learned so much from him. But he held back, not least because Madison let out a screech which meant that the ghosts congregated around fled to the Beneath and, frankly, Faith couldn't blame them. "Note to parents, lets not take her into a glass shop?" Faith said, apparently seriously until Noah needed her to be silly and, so, silly she was.

The charging woman with the very unfortunate face, though, turned out to be her friend, Qit'ria and Faith nodded. "I'm sure. At ease, soldier." He was ready to spring into action, she knew he was. To leap to the defense of them, her as his wife and their children. "Someone let Qylios know it was a false alarm. Over reacting physicist, isn't that right my darling?" If she tickled Noah while she said that, then she wasn't really tormenting Padraig too much, surely? But then, she was hugging Qit'ria and she spoke, also into her friend's ear. "You too, very much, you too"

Qit'ria and Paddyrags knew each other and Qit asked if he was still a star doctor. It was right, it was what he was and Faith cast a glance to her husband. There would be 'star doctor Paddyrags' payback later. Qit's baby, however, Blackbird, caused Faith to smile in an entirely genuine and totally delighted manner. "She's beautiful. Hello, little bird. I'm Faith, oh, I am always going to have treats for you in my pocket. Just for you." Faith loved children, as it turned out, and she beamed at Qit. Then, she listened to the story of how her face had changed and Faith frowned, "You're alright now?"

Faith shook her head. "We were married there. We will go there, yes. Now? Alright, now." It was a strange thing. Faith didn't do prideful; she had achieved amazing things and yet she spoke of them barely at all and when she did she was humble. However, her expression when she introduced her children was pride, pure and simple. "This is our son, Noah. Pad.. Padraig," Paddyrags, oh please Famula, let her call him Paddyrags for the rest of his life, Faith thought, "is holding Madison. I brought you gifts, Qit. You and Caz'aria. Clothes and blankets, useful things. Chocolate and treats. I hope they are acceptable." But then, it was off wherever Qit was taking them. Noah, ever the quiet one of the two tugged at his mother and she nodded. "Qit. Qit. This is Qit and she is family. And this is Caz'aria"

Very solemnly, because that was how he tended to do things, Noah looked at the baby and said, plain as the trial. "Caza" and then, with equal seriousness, clapped. Faith smiled and nodded, kissing her son on the head.

[Padraig]

Could Madison's high pitched squeal chase off the dead? It wouldn't surprise Padraig if that was the case. His ears were still ringing after all. But if Faith hadn't confirmed that the figure charging them was actually Qit'ria and genuinely meant no harm...Suffice to say his free hand had already twitched as he prepared to reach out into a shaft of sunlight for something to defend them all with.

But now that they were all face to face, he had to wonder how he'd missed the resemblance before. "Rabbit stew," Padraig translated for Faith, with an amused grin, when Qit'ria explained how it was that they'd met before. "I was taking a break from the university between lectures and had decided to try some of the samples in the market square." The food festival, that was, and it was there he'd run into Qit'ria who had a hare to cook, but very little else to cook with. He grinned wider then but shook his head in the affirmative when Qit'ria asked about his profession. "I am. An astrophysicist," he confirmed.

As for being a becomer, while Padraig hadn't known it, he wasn't necessarily surprised and therefore didn't appear to be taken aback. He'd known that there was something different and unique about Qit'ria already, to put it mildly. As a result, the revelation actually explained quite a lot. And as for the offer of food, well, he could eat at some point but would rather not dine on donkey. Unless of course, she meant "Mule deer?" he asked hopefully.

All babies were beautiful, Padraig knew....not as cute as his own of course. But still beautiful and Qit'ria's was no exception. Madison was certainly interested, judging by the way she was cooing and 'talking', leaning forward and reaching out, hoping to get a handful of the new baby. "She's very beautiful Qit'ria," he said. "Congratulations." And as they went, apparently off to the temple, Madison, who'd been keeping her place on Pad's shoulders by clutching handfuls' of his hair in her fists, let go in order to wave her hands in the air, as if she was conducting a choir, and in a sing song voice shouted Qit, qit, qit, all over again.

[Qit'ria]

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There was a half smirk and a short head nod at Faith asking if Qit was alright now. Not like there was anything more that could be done. She knew her body and her spark, this wasn't going away. And at this point, Qit didn't want it to. It wasn't like she was pretty, or cared about such things, before hand anyways. Qit repeated back every name that was said to her perfectly.

"No-huh."

"Paddyrags."

"Maddysoon."

Qit smiled, proud of herself, and of her baby, and of No-huh saying Caza's name the right way. Qit'ria took a moment to whisper in Caza's ears, "Faith make best candy." Caza giggled and clapped her hands kicking her legs, almost as if she understood perfectly. Looking back to Padraig, "Yes, ass-throw-fist-ass-cyst. Is star doctor. You teach me gooder." She positively beamed in her confidence at saying it right.

"Donkeydeer. Not mule deer. What is mule deer?" She cast Faith a look as if to say 'Men.'

She didn't elaborate further. What is a mule? Silly star doctors. Not a hunter, that was for sure. She then began to lead the way into town proper, toward the temple. And quite against character for how most people knew Qit, she babbled the entire time. "Enlick mad at me. He think he Caza papa. Silly fishman. He with redfeather bird woman, Elton'win."

Further on, "You meet Papa. He in Order of Adunny. Brother too."

She continued to babble on, telling them about the minor goings on. How Enrick had been blinded on their journey and Qit'ria had to drive the boat in a storm, aided by a spirit. How they found the redheaded woman on an island in the middle of nowhere. How Qit'ria was thinking about getting her own hut and settling down here. Qit'ria truly seemed, and was, happy. She wished Noth was here, but she didn't mention his name in Faith's presence. Life was good for the huntress.

Soon Qit'ria led them right up to the doors of the temple, but she herself didn't go in. She'd never felt comfortable in the temple when her father took her as a child, and she'd not been inside since her return. She smiled at Faith and Padraig and their kids, though perhaps with more teeth than is socially acceptable than most. She gestured for them to go in, trying to build up the courage to join them herself. She never really worshiped Moseke, and she wondered if the Immortal would know. Would she be angry? Did it make Qit a bad Sev'ryn?

The huntress was nervous, but once everyone else was in, she'd take a deep breath and follow them in. She didn't even know how to worship an Immortal, and to her, it seemed like a silly concept. But she knew it was important to Faith. So she did her best to be accommodating. She did stay quiet though, it was easier to go unnoticed that way. She started thinking about dinner. Donkeydeer, some wild ramps and herbs, a berry mash. That would be good and there was more than enough for Faith and her family too.