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Worst Vacation Ever [FIN]; [P]
Topic Started: Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:20 am (915 Views)
Zaki
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Zaki was pleased to see Nkiruka slow down. She had moved through her life at a sprint but left no time for herself. Everything for her was a practical concern, and as such anything beyond the basics for non-combat was neglected. Nkiruka's cooking was a severe victim of this. Zaki had taken that particular task over after she made the mistake of letting the soldier grill a tenderloin. Nkiruka began speaking her mind, asking permission for a personal question. Most of the recent personal questions had been quite pleasant to answer, so Zaki assumed more of the same was coming.

"Certainly, dear." Zaki obliged. She smiled until she heard it. There were some things one couldn't simply move past. Her old helm, still in her mother's monastery, had the engraved names of each and every one of the soldiers in her platoon. They had completed this little Taber Nahkal ritual as good friends fresh out of training. Very rarely did Taber Nahkal suffer heavy losses, so the soldiers were more apt to bond. The fall of Taras broke the regiment and forced it to be entirely rebuilt with new recruits. The majority of the surviving veterans were hollow wrecks. A tear fell on Nkiruka's back.

"I don't know if someone outside of Taber Nahkal could actually understand what its like to lose your entire platoon. We fought shoulder to shoulder until I had no one to stand next to. I knew each and every person who died alongside me. I knew the names of their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and lovers! A few had young kids, barely able to speak. Every time I get paraded out, I get to see those few faces in the crowd that know my celebrity is built on their dead."
Edited by Zaki, Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:44 am.
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Nkiruka
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Nkiruka suddenly understood, and a terrible sinking feeling spread from her gut to her throat. When it came to moving past the death of comrades and loved ones, there was no easy mental way out. No way to just switch off your emotions so you could get some sleep. You had to bear it. Zaki was carrying it for years, and Nkiruka never even noticed. The worst thing was that Nkiruka didn't know what to say. It was like the words were caught in her throat. She wanted desperately to console her, and apologize and tell her that none of it was her fault, or something. If I can't even say anything here, how will I be able to say what I need to at the end of all this? The soldier pushed herself up, her eyes meeting Zaki's. She had never seen her like this. Fearless, enthusiastic, powerful, but never once had she let this side come through.

Corners of her eyebrows tilting up with concern, Nkiruka slid closer. She took Zaki into an embrace, one hand gently pressing the back of her head toward the space where Nkiruka's neck and shoulder met. She took a deep breath and spoke softly near the nymph's ear. "You survived and carried out your platoon's mission. Because of that, they didn't die for nothing." Nkiruka squeezed her for a moment. "Each and every one of them would be so proud of you."

After a bit, Nkiruka pulled away, taking the veteran by both her hands while she stood up. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it. I promise I won't be bogged down anymore and I'll try to just focus on the moment! Here, I have a present for you back at the cabin. That should cheer us up. Maybe."
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Zaki
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They were words she'd heard before, but from Nkiruka they had more of an effect. Words could only do so much. Someday Zaki would come to peace with the Eighth Corridor. They embraced for a few moments and then Zaki found herself brought to her feet and brought back to the house, still a little lost in thought. Their arrival back at the house lead Zaki to simply sit down in a chair and wait a few moments as Nkiruka brought out the gift. It was wrapped in a spartan but effective manner, which seemed characteristic of a lifelong soldier. She unwrapped it carefully and drew out a massive tome on cooking.

"The Greyhearth Region Cookbook? They already translated a cookbook! Excellent!" Zaki squeaked. It was embarrassing how fast her mood flipped, but she supposed it was more a return to normal.




Zaki brushed flour and chocolatey dough from her apron. She leaned down and pulled their abomination of a supper from the oven.

"This is the one and only time I will ever make brownies as a substitute for dinner. With cream cheese in it, even!" Zaki said indignantly. She quickly sliced up the brownies, ignoring the crushed ice flying through the air. She grabbed a cup full of the ice shards and coconut milk beverage and took a quick sip. "That came out pretty good! You've got a future in crushing ice." Zaki giggled. She brought the brownies out to their balcony and began eating one. It was fantastic, rich and perhaps dangerously unhealthy. Her grin, however, said more than enough about her opinion.

"Okay, maybe we can have brownies for dinner some other day."
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Nkiruka
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Nkiruka watched Zaki's expression and beamed when she seemed to like it, glad that she was able to distract her from such an awful subject. "I was waiting for a special occasion, but tonight's as good as ever. It was why I made sure our cabin had a cold box and food-heater-oven. And it's one of the very first translations available, too!" The soldier had help from a past student, a Stranded, to get it. Her students were the best.

They ended up cooking desserts out of it: a batch of brownies filled with cream cheese, the ingredients scavenged from the huge variety Nkiruka had shipped to this remote island. Her thoughts barely even acknowledged the cost of this whole trip; with a tendency to obsessively save every crown she ever earned, it only put a small dent in her funds. It wasn't like she was going to spend it on anything else, anyway, and she was spending it for something that was really worth it. She also wouldn't have a use for her savings if she was dead, which could very well be the case a couple weeks from now. Nkiruka ordered herself to stop thinking like that and focus. She put on a grin when Zaki pulled the confections out of the cooker oven. At this point, both of them were covered in flour and cacao. Nkiruka redoubled her efforts to crush the ice into a pulp, sending shards of it flying across the kitchen. She was good at crushing ice. Who knew mandak had non-combat uses?

Once it was all done, they brought the brownies out to the balcony and ate. Nkiruka was very quiet after taking the first bite. She stopped, looked down at the dessert like it was magical, and her next bite was the tiniest nibble she could tolerate. Good luxuries had to be preserved for as long as possible. Nkiruka glanced at the rest of the batch, skillfully eying up how many were left while estimating how many both would eat tonight. "We need to make these last until the end of the trip. I don't know how much more of those ingredients we have." It was all very serious. Spending her childhood living with a wandering caravan in the desert, she knew the value of supplies. Nkiruka paused, her eyes still fixed on the chocolatey confections. Then: "...Actually, screw rationing." She shoved the entire brownie into her mouth, then went for another one while she was chewing, trying not to laugh at her own ridiculousness while her mouth was full.

Once they were all done, Nkiruka excused herself. She disappeared into their bedroom where a washbasin was arranged in front of a large looking glass. As she rinsed and scrubbed her hands together in the water, Nkiruka stared down her reflection. The years had worn her down, hard. Scars ran across her cheekbone, her throat, and her collar. She seemed to have lost some weight in recent months, so her cheeks were sunken which made the bags under her eyes stand out. More importantly than that, Nkiruka looked happy. Maybe it was something in her eyes that gave her that impression, she didn't really know. She propped her hands on the rim of the washbasin and inhaled deeply. I have to do this tonight, she decided.

Nkiruka fumbled through her sparse luggage, locating a secret inner compartment and pocketing its contents. Then she returned to the balcony, all nervous smiles. "How about we work off those brownies?" she said, standing in the entryway. "...I-I mean, not like-- ahem, well, I meant have you ever noticed these planks sticking out from the side here? Look." She traced her pointing finger across the progressively ascending planks. "They lead up to the roof. And there's-- a trail that leads up to the peak up there. We'd be able to see a lot more stars. Want to? We should go, it'll be fun." She ignored the fact that the night sky was cloudy, so resolute in this decision was she.

OOC
 
700 words about eating brownies.

...What is wrong with me?
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Zaki
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Zaki smiled as Nkiruka went through the motions of someone escaping scarcity. The woman practically absorbed brownies in comparison to Zaki's more measured pace. This sort of baked good was extremely dangerous to one's fitness and pacing oneself was key. Nkiruka bolted after a few minutes, leaving Zaki alone to stare out at the island. She quietly brushed flour off herself and ate a second brownie. Nkiruka reappeared and spoke in an uncharacteristic manner. Zaki's grin widened as she connected the dots mentally.

"That sounds perfectly fine with me!" Zaki agreed. The nymph put a package of brownies into her satchel. The walk itself wasn't particularly bad. The peak was short, and their hut was fairly high up already. They walked across a quiet trail, the only other lights on the island a few flickering reminders there were other vacationers. The rock path was along a ridge, with a few trees waving in the wind beside them. As they neared the peak the path broadened and the trees became denser. They passed by the source of the brook that passed near their hut, a burbling spring surrounded by ferns. At the peak they found a cleared off spot, where the trees had clearly been cut for a better view. Then came a sudden downpour of warm rain. Zaki sat down in the midst of the downpour, and opened up her satchel carefully to extract a single brownie.

She leaned against Nkiruka with her soggy brownie in hand, putting her arm around the veteran's slim shoulders and leaning her head against Nkiruka's. At least it wasn't cold rain! She had lost most of her tolerance for the cold in the long months spent down south.
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Nkiruka
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The roof of their cabin was level with a trail that led up to the peak, since the building was built partially into a slope. It was an exposed climb for the majority of it, giving an excellent night view of practically the whole island. Unfortunately, it was cloudy still, which made Nkiruka nervous. She resolved herself to do this tonight, though. Nothing would stop her. They were about halfway up to the peak when it started raining. At first it was just a drizzle, but when the water really started coming down, Nkiruka actually hesitated. Maybe they could still turn back? No, she told herself. They had to keep going. And so she continued leading the way almost as quickly as she'd hesitated, but she was tensed and quiet from a mixture of focus and determination. Nothing would keep her from doing this tonight, even some stupid rain.

They were both drenched to the bone by the time they got to the top, but thankfully it was still warm. At least the rain had driven off all the bugs, Nkiruka thought. Obviously they couldn't see the stars, and a haze of dark rain had fallen over the furthest edges of the island, but the view of the closest shores was breathtaking at this height. They sat together against the grassy outcropping of the peak for a little while, quietly watching and eating a few more soggy brownies. The tips of Nkiruka's lips pressed down. "Zaki, we need to talk." Her body tensed and she got up. The soldier turned to face Zaki, taking both her hands in her own. "This didn't... turn out exactly how I expected, but it needs to happen now. I've hesitated long enough."

Nkiruka paused and took a deep breath, looking away from Zaki for a couple seconds to stabilize her thoughts. She had practiced this speech on and off for weeks, carefully considering how she wanted to say everything. There was no way in hell she'd let all of this planning fall apart just from some baseless anxiety or hesitation. When she spoke, it was uncharacteristically precise, but she delivered each statement with an honest intensity that helped it not sound manufactured or forced. "About three weeks ago, it was exactly ten years since we first met at Master Reika's monastery. I know I don't talk about it very much, since it wasn't exactly the greatest time for either of us, but I still remember. And I think about how this all started sometimes. Yeah, I was an idiot as a kid and didn't actually know anything about myself, but I still sincerely think that time at the monastery was when I fell in love with you.

Actually, to be honest,"
she laughed a little, "I first fell in love with you for a really stupid reason. You weren't just my friend; you challenged me. I looked forward to sparring with you all the time. I would've gone crazy at the monastery if it wasn't for you. You did everything you could to make it better for me. And I didn't... realize how I felt until after I was on tour with the Red Moons and you joined up with the Army." Nkiruka stared down at her feet and paused, wondering if she was meandering too much. There was so much she needed to tell her, but she also needed to get to the point. Maybe Zaki didn't even know why she was bringing all this up. "But after we got back in touch, I finally noticed more of what was always there. I was living my whole life as a blur, but then there would be these moments where I realized something like how brave you are, or how honorable and fair, or maybe even just pause mid-spar and get whacked in the gut because I was distracted by how beautiful you are. All I did was live recklessly, like I didn't even care that I might die at any moment. You gave me a reason to stop and pay attention.

I know this might sound strange, but whenever I'm around you I feel a lot calmer. Usually my thoughts are moving so fast, and they're focused on things like whether there might be enemies nearby. But you make me feel calm, and safe. When we're fighting as a team, we're unstoppable. And even after all the years I've known you, I have never stopped admiring how intelligent and funny and fierce you are. There is no one else in the world who I respect as intensely as you."
She swallowed hard, but it didn't get rid of the lump that was forming in her throat. "I think I might be killed in this next mission. I have a dangerous role in our plan to topple Rainfall. Hence the vacation beforehand. But I don't want to die. Dead gods, I really don't want to live like I'm going to die anymore. I want to have a future with you." Nkiruka reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple wooden box. She lowered herself down onto one knee, realizing how pitiful she probably looked doing so in the pouring rain and darkness. She snapped open the box in her hand, presenting an ornate engagement ring sitting on crimson velvet. The soldier felt her own throat choke up a bit from an influx of emotion, but she managed to get the words out. "Zakiyyah, I love you more than you will ever know. Will you marry me?"
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Zaki
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Nkiruka Menai had finally started what Zaki had predicted. Her heart warmed, a little color rose on her cheeks. The heat from her face intermingled with the warm rain. This was one happening that Zakiyyah the Kestrel couldn't resist a few uncontrolled emotions. Her hands quivered as her eyes half focused on Nkiruka and half at anything else. She knew it was coming but the words themselves still gripped her. She wasn't uncomfortable, she was brimming with excitement and not sure how to carry herself. Nkiruka spoke and spoke and Zaki listened to every word, waiting patiently and impatiently simultaneously. She wanted to hear the romance but dammit did she also wanted to get the emotional burst from getting a little ring slipped on her finger.

A tear of joy slipped down her face, hidden amongst the rain. Zakiyyah the Kestrel was praised for being the Steel Tower of Istan, or the Kestrel. She was not praised for being Zaki the woman. Every word sunk in and held her. The ring appeared after Nkiruka's heartfelt plea for a future with Zaki. She accepted the ring with shaking hands, and slipped it onto her right middle finger.

"Nkiruka Menai, I will marry you. We'll have a lovely future together; it'll have gardens and maybe a pet dog. I've always wanted a dog! Then we'll start up a little mom n' mom cooking shack for money after we are both done with the army." The words tumbled out of her; a dozen little fantasies and hopeful futures tied together into one rapid-fire bundle. "We'll cook for Lord General Hosker, we'll have a little martial arts thing on the side so people can learn fitness and practical istani arts!" Zaki said. She had utterly lost her composure and was now holding Nkiruka tightly. "Oh! I have a ring back at the shack for you too! I was going to propose but you know things happened at my house up in the north." Zaki grinned and kissed Inky for quite a long time, holding the woman close while keeping her hand on her rump. Her kiss shifted to her cheek, and then down to her neck. She withdrew and flashed Nkiruka a devilish grin.
Edited by Zaki, Wed Feb 6, 2013 2:04 am.
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Nkiruka
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Nkiruka staggered to her feet and, slipping her fingers between Zaki's, was held in a tight grip while the desert nymph excitedly described a hypothetical life where they wouldn't have to constantly worry about fending off terrorists. Maybe a decade ago, Nkiruka would have hated even the thought of a life without conflict and excitement. Now it sounded pretty nice, actually. She had always been unsure about whether she could even survive in that kind of environment, but with Zaki everything seemed like it would work out. Thinking about how fortunate she was didn't help her already overemotional expression, and she blinked away some incredibly inappropriate tears. When Zaki mentioned that she also had a ring and was planning the same thing, Nkiruka laughed. That sure sounded like typical Zakiyyah: letting Nkiruka figure things out for herself in her own way. The soldier closed her eyes and kissed Zaki back, squeaked when she felt a hand wandering, but was distracted from it by much more pressing matters.

Practically the moment she could, Nkiruka fired off some rapid words to explain while Zaki's lips ran down the side of her neck. "I swear this whole rain thing wasn't my plan, I wanted there to be stars everywhere it's not like--"

She thought it best to shut up.



Leaving the island a week later put Nkiruka in a gloomy mood. She spent most of the airship ride either sleeping or moping. Zaki's attempts to comfort her did little. There was nothing she could do to stop the fact that Nkiruka had to go back to her life before this, and to plan a mission where she was very likely to be killed. At least she had the chance to take that vacation before the final stretch against Rainfall. It was her first vacation, but she thought it was the best vacation ever; no other vacations that anyone else in Chaon has ever taken would be as good and not-filled-with-assassins as the one she just had.

When the airship docked in Istan City, Nkiruka ceased her moping surprisingly quickly. She stood stiff-backed and serious. With something so deeply personal to fight for, she planned to get herself together and perform her duties with utmost focus. Then maybe she could survive and work toward the life she now wanted to have.
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