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Post by nokose on Nov 19, 2008 2:07:45 GMT -5
"Taking lessons from my nephews, Pokkuche?" Waving a glance over the dimly lit cabbit, his now pet once intended as a gift for a marriage that never occured. A of scarlet darted from somewhere amidst that nearly all white, almost knee high ball of fur when she licked her lips after a gratified belch. Nokoseuhbholke gave almost as much amusement towards the animal as there was tongue in that furry mass.
At least the food had calmed her skittishness, he presumed while attempting to remember the fisherman who had gave her the fish. Some days she was calm, uncaring about traveling up and down the waterways with her owner and other times it was better to turn back towards home to leave her at the family compound. But it was always her decision whenever she got in the gondola whenever he left, bounding back and forth in trying to decide whether to stay at home or go into the gondola or simply rushing out of the house then leaping aboard as he left. There were times that living with this creature intrigued you enough into wanting to delve into its mind, Nokose reflected.
A tilt of his head. The thought left Nokose. Under the pre-morning blue sky he bent and knelt forward, in one glittened hand he pinched up the remains of the fish then dropped it overboard into the water as the left docks of Shai City and moved towards the nearest canal lock leading back into the city. The other hand rolled a small, forever chewed leather ball to which the cabbit immediately pounced upon.
Waterbending his gondala back into the city, Nokose hummed to himself whilst Pokkoisuche danced and flitted about the ball. Before the dawn there were few ever up. A handful of gondoliers, guards leaving the city wall for home or leaving home for the city wall often with the assistance of the gondoliers, and fisherman of varying sorts and those feeding their livestock mainly. But slow enough that was changing once the sun began to set alight the sky, burning away the pre-dawn darkness, as it was now. The rest of Shai City's populous would take their turn and their time in stirring themselves and one another awake.
May the heroes that have ventured from home now, his mind prayed as he continued to hum, be protected by all ancestors so to wake in Shai once again, his lips splaying with the same pace as sunlight peeking into the city.
"The gift of life, brings warmth to the space," letting his body more than mind set a course for him. Briefly thinking as he sang. "Don't be afraid, a new day does arrive," he would circuit the great fountain in the city's central plaza and the marketplace to melt away time before floating towards the residences to ferry the early risers to these same places.
"A night so long? Morn comes all the same. Wake victoriously..." slowly measuring his voice as he observed his restored city. "For another day, births another chance. Such words alone, truly held me up. Guilt and worry, kept so needlessly. Tarry your burdens not..."
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Post by nokose on Jan 17, 2009 21:38:49 GMT -5
"Noo," came Nokoseuhbholke's quiet refusal to the cabbit, Pokkoisuche, pawing at the top of his hand. "You have had more than enough," pulling away the little leather pouch from her reach, "and you can not have these."
Nokose tugged the drawstring close then slid the pouch into his anorak. Ignoring his pet's little pleas he turned to gauge and gaze upon the walkway's foot traffic. From between his fingers He slipped part of the seaweed cookie into mouth whilst the day picked up and the residents of Shai City trickled forth into the open.
Sitting along the sidewalk with his feet dangling into his gondola he continued to ignore his pet even as she rested her chin upon his thigh. Probably looking up him and begging, he assumed.
"Do not pretend that it is just fur," not looking down and instead turned his head down the other end of the walkway. "You are still pudgy underneath that. And that is more than just survival fat too. Probably sneaking in snacks from my sisters' children--that so, yes? Keep it up and you will become more fat than fur."
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Post by ukaleq on Jan 18, 2009 2:36:10 GMT -5
The young woman strolled in the bright sun of the morning, out for a walk in the days after she had last spoken to Master Taartoq. Her heart still fluttered like a nervous butterfly when she thought about it, but it was.. a somber flutter. He had been thankful for the quilt yet, but the remainder of their conversation had been.. so... depressing. It upset her. Something.. had unsettled her about him. Trying to clear her thoughts, Ukaleq had slipped out of her house in the clear morning for a walk. She had not even bound her hair in it's usual braids, having freshly washed her hair the night before. The dark luster of umber threads fell around her face and over her parka's folded hood. Her hair was thick and tightly waved from having been bound in braids for so long. Strands curled over her shoulders and much of it hung behind her back. The teal colored bunches of tulle fabric were removed, her ears hidden instead under her hair.
She walked at an easy pace down the paths along the canals, keeping her head bowed as she did so, only glancing up when she passed people or came to a turn or something of interest. Biting her lip, she kept her hands inside a muff the color of feldgrau. Her dull electric blue parka, a grey-washed soft blue that was like the ocean during a storm. Bright, light powder blue embroidery decorated the cuffs, her chest and around her shoulders where panels of short white fur were sewn like leaves over the curve of her shoulder and where bright lavender ribbons curved downward from under the hood to the wrapped belt of matching ribbons, decorative embroidery of koi meeting together at the ivory emblem placed at her waist with the rabbit carved into it, her personal totem animal.
It was on one of these cursory glances up that Ukaleq saw a familiar face sitting alongside a gondola, feet placed inside the balanced vessel. It was the tall gondolier from before. Her face lit up in the way only a shy girl's could, her lips curling up into a tight smile as her cheeks flushed, navy eyes becoming bright. Her skirts began to flutter as she picked up, jogging towards the gondolier whose name she still did not know. Her knee-high boots, with their dark, seal brown leather and matching fur trim kicked out from under the cream skirts, carrying her over the snow and ice. "Hello again!" Ukaleq exclaimed as she came up to the man with his hair braided and plaited in intricate designs over his skull. Just shy of stepping onto Pokkuche, she stopped, peering down at the man who's head, even sitting, came high up on her.
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Post by nokose on Jan 24, 2009 21:21:02 GMT -5
“No,” telling her yet again now that her begging for sweets became audible. She had lived among humans, and especially Nokoseuhbholke, long enough to know what that meant. Or at least the expressions that went into saying it.
If animals understood human writing I would condense my breath even further to spell it out for her. But she’d be no less obstinate, he thought.
“You’re as stubborn as a child,” he told her, though one of his hands began to reach inside his parka. Pokkoisuche saw this and her tail began to wag, yet given her fur gave her the appearance of a spheroid ball of furry with ears; it looked as if her entire body was shudder instead. Yet her chance of victory was sadly fleeting as ‘her pet’ was suddenly distracted by another human, diverting his attention towards it instead of giving her cookies. And they were right there too. Dangling in a glitten clad hand.
Nokose’s glacial visage almost cracked upon seeing her. Wanting to rupture into even the hint of a smile, but managed to remain in stoic control of hisself save for his own eyes that chose not to hide its reveling in some amount of enjoyment upon seeing her. And in one fluid motion, rather than moving his body his body in sections, Nokose began to rise from his position until he ended with one foot ashore and the other standing in his gondola.
“Good morning unto you… madame of the Upper Pamit Ring,” trying to not let his face drop when he could not recall her name; remembering her as a face and location, as it was for many people with him, rather than a name. And to think how many times his niece Yuhkeknetaye and her friends, Ikingut and Niviarsiaq, have spoken of her so fondly with this woman’s real name attached to their conversations.
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Post by ukaleq on Feb 5, 2009 22:49:57 GMT -5
She might have run up to greet the friendly gondolier she recognized, but she kept a respectable distance, her cheeks nestled against the soft fur that encircled her neck and head. He greeted her somewhat, haltingly. If he had truly forgotten her name (in fact she wasn't even sure she had given it to him..), Ukaleq did not mind for she was fascinated by the furry little snowball that sat inside the gondola. Nokose had risen, another feat that went unnoticed by Ukaleq who's dark eyes stared at the dirty snowball who in turn starred up at her with warm, brown eyes. A cabbit. And an adorably furry one that!
Cue the fangirl squealing. "...Oh my, you are the cutest little dirty snowball!" She spoke hastily, her voice rising to that feminine squeak, but the volume did not increase (thank goodness). Ukaleq grinned, the apples of her cheeks plumping under her eyes as her white teeth flashed. She lifted her face to him, seeing that he now stood, half on land, half on his boat. Her eyes went to his braided hair against his skull, eyeing the intricate designs for a moment before she met his pale, cornflower blue eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you.." Again, spoken hastily, but the young woman seemed to remember her manners halfway through, slowing down as the tone of her voice became more gentle. "I am so happy to see you again."
"...Ikingut's birthday is in a day, am I correct?" She asked, a slight edge of panic coming to her voice. She had barely enough time to have gotten the little girl a gift like she promised. Between the sendoff of the warriors, her brother's improving condition, and her Mother's need for her at home. She had had very little time.
"...and I am sorry but.. I do not believe I ever received your name, Sir."
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Post by nokose on Feb 14, 2009 2:25:18 GMT -5
"..." Lips quietly parting without speaking a word then pursed shut and tried to fold inward.
But watching Pokkoisuche was enough to steady him from a sudden vexation, the words this woman just spoke that managed to confound him if only momentarily but given away clearly enough by his eyes at least. The little arctic cabbit was thus far behaving while Nokoseuhbholke maintained his balanced. At first padding its forepaws in place at the stranger's attention then cautiously stretching forward to sniff at her.
No, telling himself. Correcting himself.
"Be good, girl," admonishing Pokkoisuche whose body scrunched at Nokose's voice then went back to sniffing about the newcomer.
Some people prefer a familiar face to ferry them, Nokose began telling himself. That is what she means. That is why she is grateful to see me.
"Nokose of the Wewuhchumbuhlochulke family," courteously dipping his head. "Whenever and ever at your service, madame.
"As for Ikingut, she will greet her birthday after tomorrow. When it arrives. Shall I ferry a message? The girls fondly remember and speak admirably of you."
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Post by ukaleq on Feb 25, 2009 17:18:10 GMT -5
She smiled, looking down at the ivory colored cabbit with a smile. she extended the squared toe of her suede boot from under her cream box-pleated skirts for Pokkoisuche to sniff. Her lips parted in the middle while dimples appeared in her cheeks at the corners of her lips. Ukaleq lifted her eyes back to the gondolier as he introduced himself and she was able to get his name. She looked at him with a genuine curiosity, an amused smile crossing her face. She repeated his name.. "Nokose of the Wewuhchumbuhlochulke..." A nod and then she stepped back, dropping her head and shoulders in a polite bow, her braids swinging forward. "I am Ukaleq, eldest daughter of Qillaq Ulloriaq. And... " She rose, taking her gloved hands from within her sleeves to brush back those loose strands of hair that hung from her brow.
" Shall I ferry a message?" Her eyes had fallen once more to the dirty snowball sniffing about her feet still. She turned her foot to expose her ankle to the curious cabbit. "A message? Oh no. I shall have a gift for her that I shall give to you. Or Ikingut herself if I see her." Again she smiled, a demure one that settled comfortably on her rounded face. She glanced to the side, at the passing people for a moment before looking back to the narrow and tall gondolier.
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Post by nokose on Mar 28, 2009 0:51:55 GMT -5
Attempting not to raise his leg Nokoseuhbholke pressed the heel of his boot into the ice and snow packed street. Sliding it backwards ever so slowly with little movement from his leg as possible. He was trying to bring Pokkoisuche back to him, waterbending the ground beneath her paws with this little animal being dragged to him as if she were on a hidden conveyor belt.
Now if only she would stop moving forward and accept the ride.
Briefly, there was the haphazard consideration of this being better accomplished of by performing this on Ukaleq, thus bringing Pokkoisuche back to him. But that would defeat the purpose of separating the nosy creature from the woman, then telling himself.
But that look. That smile. On this woman's face, now formally proffered to his memory as Madame Ukaleq's Ulloriaq. Did she notice what he was doing? Or was it due to something else? It was starting to etch thin lines upon his brow, hinting at his underlying perturbed confusion.
But that smile... And this unassuming disarming quality about her. It was like having one of his sisters, nieces or younger nephews sliding a finger from each hand into his mouth and tugging the corners of his lips into a smile. An act that could goad him into an actual smile despite his attempt not to or even some amount amusement if he wasn't careful. Not that he could ever believe he was tightly wound as their attempts were often an effort to unwind him from the spool. Nokose tried to eye her somewhat unsuspectingly. Turning his head to one side, then to the other. Observing this woman as if her were some cautiously alert prey animal, knowing its hunter was there... somewhere. If only he could just step back, thinking to himself. So much as a small, single step could help ease him.
"You are," beginning with a long and quiet inhale, keeping himself from blurting out a reply, sliding his hands into his sleeves at his waist, "You are more than welcome to come see her upon the day."
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Post by ukaleq on Apr 10, 2009 0:24:30 GMT -5
"Good! Then I shall." Ukaleq exclaimed with as much bubbly enthusiasm as one could get from the quiet, shy, young woman. Her tone was forever formal and controlled as she continued to smile. She was unaware of the sliding cabbit at her feet, the small creature being pulled away from her feet and the tips of her boot that poked out from the crimped and rippled cream skirts. He was so subtle with his bending as he straddled the gondola's port side and the snow-covered walkways that ran along side the canals.
Her dark cobalt eyes flickered up from his face to his coiled hair, the braids that clung tightly to his skull like snakes. She pressed her lips together again as her eyes smiled. She liked the patterns.. they reminded her of embroidery or lace from the Earth Kingdom. She took a step back, her bare hands brushing back strands of her hair behind her ears, but they fell back out anyway. Her efforts were futile. "Hm.. " She made a small noise as she looked down to her feet, and to the cabbit who was now not fighting the moving sheet of ice.. but.. batting at the edge, watching it.. trying to figure out what was moving. She chuckled at the creature, watching the stubby elliptical ears swivel back and forth and swivel towards her gentle laughter.
"Well now.. I shall leave you and the dirty little snowball be until the day after tomorrow. I shall be on the look out for my favorite gondolier."
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Post by nokose on Apr 28, 2009 22:36:01 GMT -5
"U... h," suddenly not being stricken with eloquence. Her words, 'my favorite gondolier,' existing as the source of his newly found stupidity. Inside his mind the words repeatedly slid down a hill on a homemade sled then hustled back up it.
Unsteadily Nokoseuhbholke bowed in gratitude. Then took the chance to look about him with his head bent low. Maybe she could have been referring to someone else? He supposed and then looked to Pokkoisuche. The cabbit's expression was as blank as fresh snow to him.
If only someone seeking a ride now would come to his aid. His rescue. But immediately recanted, knowing he never really had that much luck in life, and if it did arrive it was often after the need.
"Of course," finally leaking his reply. "But--and if you wish Miss," briefly halting for a correction of her marital status, "Ulloriaq you can arrange an appointed time and place so that I may retrieve you to and from your appointed destination come day after tomorrow," finally easing himself from his perplexed state and into something more in control of himself.
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Post by ukaleq on May 4, 2009 1:20:42 GMT -5
When he paused to speak, halting at her name, she glanced back up to him with her sweet and kind eyes. Her eyes fluttered for a bit as her lips curled into a smile and her cheeks flushed a bit with color. But--and if you wish Miss... Ulloriaq you can arrange an appointed time and place so that I may retrieve you to and from your appointed destination come day after tomorrow." He offered to her with his kind voice, a strong yet elegant voice. He had bowed his head to her before rising. Her eyes lit up, so amused by the coils of braids against his scalp.
Folding her hands across her torso and stomach, she curled her hands inside her long sleeves of her parka. She buried her cheek in her soft, dark and shiny hair as she looked at him with her tilted head. Her hair was draped across her shoulders, the thick white fur of her hood poking through the wavy texture of her dark sienna hair. She twisted slightly back and forth. What would her father think..? Her mother..? She had not told them much about the Gondolier, just a little about his nieces.
"..Alright then.." She spoke cautiously, gently. It was not in her nature to be so friendly and she was still.. "You may pick me up where the Palace Canal meets the East Canal of the Pamit ring. It is near my home and is not too far of a walk. Is that alright?"
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Post by nokose on May 12, 2009 14:33:51 GMT -5
"Yes," flatly agreeing to her... negotiation?--as he labeled it. "By all means," he said, "I am agreeable with that arrangement. Just so as long as you are comfortable with such." Nokoseuhbholke tried not to visibly fidget, wishing he could turn from her or make a deep breath. Yes! Breath, curse you! Admonishing himself. Get a hold of yourself, man. Remember to just breath, telling himself. Inside his mind he viewed himself desperately attempting to keep himself frozen to his spot, neither fleeing from Ukaleq nor reaching towards her.
What could he have chosen for himself if he could break free from his mentally induced manacles like glacial ice during the warm months? While he felt a wave of heat emanate from his chest? Flowing through his body like the canal rivers, draping over his shoulders and sliding like a waterfall down his arms and back. The sensation threatened to scare him along with what it stirred within his forcefully contented mind.
Perplexed as he was by Ukaleq, those eyes of hers he imagined told him otherwise or that it was at least fine and well to feel such as if she were patting his hand. Her countenance entirely did little to ease himself any either. “Icebergs,” telling himself though surely she could hear it too; her eyes were as such. Dashing even a wary sailor’s against them while her face sat there bright as a guiding star that men would forever steer their course by… why was he thinking poetically.
“No,” his body clenched underneath his park. This was wrong, feeling and thinking these things. Part of him felt there was a betrayal towards another or that his mind was creating mere illusions before him. Very much like the ones that gripped him powerfully once before, he believed.
“What I mean is,” he stated, “I suppose—I suppose I could give you a ride today somewhere?” Not really intending to hurry her along. Merely, Nokose thought, it will be nearing noontide soon enough this day, knowing she knew as much. People seem to be in a flux and flurry of motion at that time before settling down for the next few hours.
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Post by ukaleq on May 16, 2009 20:39:34 GMT -5
She took a step back as she raised a gloved hand to her throat, pressing the slender fingers against the white fur that framed her round face. Her head tilted downward just a little bit as she blinked, her doe-like eyes wide and round at the strange utterance. Icebergs? She turned to head to an angle, her thick, expressive eyebrows creasing her forehead as her drew her lips into a tight, almost forced smile and dimples. What did icebergs have to do with anything? He seemed occupied in his thoughts, his gaze turning away from her. She too turned her head to follow his line of sight, wondering if something had caught his attention elsewhere but nothing was across the canal except for a white wall of a building near the water's edge, a carving of geometric patterns and designs running along the horizontal between the levels.
Those dimples disappeared as her gaze, now slightly troubled went back to him. He was so tall that she had to turn her head up, even as he stood half in his anchored gondola. He seemed distracted, even as he began anew.. asking if she had anywhere that she was heading to. Her hand lowered, fingers closing into her palm as she lowered her arm to waist, where the wide belt of cream, embroidered with thread patterns in the curves of koi fish. Ukaleq tilted her head to the side, as she lifted her eyebrows and nodded gently as she spoke. "..Well no, I was going to be returning home.." She explained though she really had no reason to go home. She had left for a early afternoon walk and though she had no errands or people to visit, she had stayed out longer than she planned. She had caught up with a few young girls, noblewomen, like herself and they had been talking alongside the base of the palace temple. And now she had spotted her gondolier -- yes, she was beginning to think of Nokoseuhbholke as her gondolier --, and that little mental reminder that had been pushed back in her mind about her promise popped forward.
Her fingers interwove into each other, covered in dove grey fabric of her gloves, a celeste snowflake crystal embroidered on the back of each glove. Her blue charcoal eyes dropped and she hid her wine colored smile.
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Post by nokose on Jun 8, 2009 1:46:59 GMT -5
Gently, Nokoseuhbholke slid a single step back to allow Ukaleq even a bit more space than what the two of them had so far unconsciously agreed upon seamlessly. But rather than physically frowning at himself for believing that he was unnerving her significantly. Or maybe she was just uncertain how to end their conversation. Confused, he was rather uncertain how to properly engage her current behavior.
"...I understand," finally filling in the space between their pause with a word and single, approving nod. Briefly, Nokose made the effort to crack the corner of his lips into a smile. Hopefully the attempt gavethe impression of a real one rather than something that was being forced or faked. At least not too much of the latter.
"May the rest of your be just as pleasant then," he bowed, "if not just more so.
"As for myself," half taking his eyes away from Ukaleq while taking his time with the couple of movements it required to return to sitting his feet in the gondola. He then lightly patted a spot next to him upon the snow packed sidewalk with the palm of his mitten to get Pokkoisuche's attention, "I believe I shall continue to partake in this location I was early enough to maintain. By the midday the market and streets become plump with customers but jockeying with others for a parking space to obtain customers is annoying and time consuming."
He then lightly tapped the spot next to him again, using the tips of his glittens where his fingers were. At least she seemed to like Ukaleq, but he rather preferred the creature didn't scent mark the noblewoman, rubbing her chin somewhere on the woman with a chemical only her kind and probably other animals could whiff the announcement that Ukaleq belonged to her.
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Post by ukaleq on Jun 16, 2009 11:56:59 GMT -5
"I understand" He spoke gently, a touch of disappointment in his voice even though he did truly understand. It was then that he smiled, a somewhat hesitant and strained smile but it was one none the less. Even though her own chin and cheeks had since been buried in the cloud grey fur that encircled her neck, her chins alit with a rosy blush as they pulled tight, her lips spreading into a wide smile that she could not hide. "May the rest of your be just as pleasant then, if not just more so." Ukaleq pressed her lips together into a smaller smile after a moment as she would incline her head to him in response to his bow. Her hair, full of shimmering ripples, followed the movement as she leaned forward. "Thank you. It shall be as pleasant because I have met you this day." He flattered her, and so she spoke truly. Seeing her Gondolier had brightened her day a little bit, if not a large amount. She gave him a wave with her hand, a gentle swooping movement with a light fluttering of her fingers in their gloves before her hands swooped into her fur-lined sleeves once again. She turned, needing to return home quickly and she was already close. With her skirts and parka swishing across the snow-dusted walkways of ice and snows compressed.
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