Kirit stood under the awning of the airfield docking station inspecting the shipment of men and supplies being sent to Demos. The weaponry was all in order. Cushioned crates of new automatic rifles as well as sniper rifles sat in the cargo hold alongside enough armor piercing ammo for a small army and a few other long-range weapons. Building materials were packaged and sealed away with extra parts as requested and the men were climbing up the ramp to the unmarked Kaerelean cruiser in civilian clothing. They were soldiers but they wouldn't know their exact mission until they arrived at their destination in a little under 3 weeks.
Once the ship was inspected and underway, their ship headed out into Kaereal's night sky, Kirit pulled the hood on his PT jacket over his head and then stepped out into the rain for the long walk home. The rainy season was always a bit miserable on Pyrta and he had to wonder if Demos was more pleasant. Apparently, that's where Illya and the Councilwoman had gone when the order to go dark had commenced. Whatever they were planning was a game of patience and tactics, something needed after the devastating stalemate in open battle a month before. He had been over the loss statistics for their men and the estimated losses for the enemy. Both sides had heavy losses.
The Chippeqouti departure had left a hole in their structure on Pyrta that he had been charged to fill as the newly appointed General of the Alliance. He had started working on that right away to bolster the defense of the home planet. Since Calysta's absence, he had also been organizing the continents and dealing with their needs. It was like a never-ending waterfall of notes, reports, and requests. How in the Wilds was he supposed to be protecting the planet and half governing it at the same time? They all wanted to know where the Councilwoman was. Some were angry at her, others wanted to deal only with her. It was a mountain of paperwork that only made him marvel at how the two missing leaders hadn't gone mad with the pressure. Everything had been on their shoulders, and now it was on his. Tugging at his goatee, he grimaced as s few black hairs plucked free and he dusted his fingers over a puddle. In truth, he knew they had gone black and patience was needed, but the last month of his life had been the hardest he'd ever had. Hearing from the Councilwoman in an encoded message dictated by Illya had been both relieving and added more pressure. If it was a containment theory the General was planning, then they needed to keep it quiet and let the Federation spread themselves thin as they would. The men and supplies would be needed on Demos and he trusted the General's judgment as to their use.
He stepped up the steps to his cabin, realizing it was after midnight. This would be the 4th night in a row he had come home late and he knew the babies would be asleep and so would Tabit. Opening the door carefully, he tiptoed inside and shut the door behind him gentle as possible. It closed with a bump and he took off his coat which was dripping all over the floor, hanging it up on the hook to dry. He ran a hand through his hair and then went to check on the boys. Their little star night light glittered over the walls as each boy snoozed in their cribs.
Kirit peered over the rail of each baby bed to look over his sons. Mycah was sleeping on his belly, Az'rah snoozed with his thumb stuck in his usually open mouth, and Henyah's tiny hands grabbed at his feet his sleep. Henyah had an uncanny ability to know when someone was watching him and he twitched in his sleep, letting out a knowing grunt. "Shhhh...." Kirit slipped a finger into his son's hand and the boy grabbed it tightly, grumbling a few more times before settling down. Ensuring that his boys were alright, he left them to sleep then shuffled upstairs stripping as he went. By the time he made it to the bedroom, he was down to his boxers and gratefully crawling into bed next to his wife who was sleeping on her side.
If anyone had gotten the sore end of this deal it was Tabit. Sure, he was promoted and that came with a great honor along with a pay raise, but the additional workload had kept him working late. He didn't want to come home and be plagued with work. To only be paying half attention to his wife and children. He tried to keep work where it belonged, but it required late nights and there was no way around it. Scoot closer to Tabit, he wrapped a hand around her waist, before sighing into her pretty blonde hair. It always smelled nice and he actually missed his time with her. "I'm home," he mumbled as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.
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Calysta spent the rest of the afternoon helping the elderly and women clean the cave up, readying it for a battle or a siege if they had to stay inside indefinitely. Kensi worked in silence save for a few barked orders in her own Demosian. Calysta had no idea what she was asking for most of the time and it took a fair amount of pointing or angry grunts from the woman to understand what not to do. At one point she went to pick up a broom and Bentil's fiesty wife snapped at her before muttering 'Innas' and snatching it away. The day was long and frustrating between Kensi, cleaning, and keeping track of Cypher who wanted to pick up, touch, and occasionally lick anything that looked interesting. She knew he'd eaten some sort of bug he'd found crawling on the walls and had no problem running up to her with a cave spider clutched in his hands. It's spindly legs wiggled desperately as it's long pincers grabbed at the air, unable to reach the boy's hand from behind. "Looket Mam! Buggie Monster! Graaar!" With a fat fist, he threw the spider at her so she could see it real good. The massive bug landed on her pants leg, and she yelped before flicking her foot and sending the insect flying to the back of an elderly Silx man. "Cypher!"
In a shock of panic and instinct, Calysta scuttled up to the man swiping at his back to get rid of the bug before it decided to bite or worse crawled into his shirt collar. When he felt a tiny hand and brush over his back, the Silx turned with a stoic expression then tilted his head. "Oh...uh you had a bug," she said with a timid smile, "It's gone now." The man was mute and his Agan partner wasn't available, so he gave her a singular nod before returning to his work.
When the afternoon had set in and they had run several drills, it became obvious the elderly were growing tired. The women needed to go home and tend to their children and their husbands too. The group disbanded and Calysta collected a sleepy looking Cypher in one arm, a quiet Rose, and her baby Lohgan before heading toward the ship. On the way through the village a harsh voice called out to her and she found Kensi standing there with a bright bundle of material. "You wear it when you come with us Innas," she grumbled, "Beads for beauty and bright colors for energy, endurance. You need if you think you can keep up with Agan woman." Tossing the pack at Calysta, the tiny woman marched away toward her own house.
Later in the evening, once the children were in bed and Illya had his tea, she snuggled down into the bed with him. It was too much to resist petting at his wild curls. They were soft and felt silky running between her fingertips as she played. Almost soothing in a strange way. "I need a haircut eh?" She chuckled and smoothed his curls away from his face. "Aye, I suppose, but it can wait a little longer." When he mentioned a little work left to do her face tinged pink and she pulled him close with a wild look in her eye. She was tired, but when he was so close, whispering in her ear, it made her feel all the bolder in the last week or so. Despite the pink on her cheeks, she kissed him playfully. "Aye, I think we do have some more work to do."
The feeling of Illya's arms wrapping around her tightly woke her as the bed shook. Sleepiness didn't hang in her mind too long when he did things like that in the middle of the night. This sort of event usually meant he was having a nightmare about the war, judging by the way he was holding her. Sometimes, he would be so deep into a dream that he grabbed her close and thought she was something else altogether. It hadn't happened since they were on Terra but those were the worst she'd ever seen and there was no telling how wild he might get. The best thing to do was get out of the way and then try to talk him down before he hurt himself.
Her heart pounded as she wiggled out of his arms and sat up to look him over...only to see that he wasn't screaming like he normally did. He was laughing. "Uh huh." A satisfied smirk was stretched across his face. "You know that's not how you do it.....Mmhmm. I like it when you do that....." Illya was having another kind of dream entirely, and Lohgan cooed from her crib. Calysta inched over to the crib and picked up the girl, never taking her eyes off her Chip who was snickering. What in the Wilds was he dreaming about? It sounded a bit naughty. "Don't be so serious." Even in his sleep, he was telling her not to be serious! He rolled over and buried his head in his pillow before bursting into a fit of laughter that jerked him awake in confusion. "You were laughing in your sleep," she said with a hint of amusement. It was certainly a first and to see the merry expression still lit upon his face was funny. Lohgan was looking at her sleepily and there was no point in putting her back in the crib, for now, so Calysta crawled back in bed with the girl, chuckling at the look on Illya's face as he wrapped a hand around her waist. "It must of have been some dream," she replied, "What was it about?" She wanted to know exactly what it was he'd liked her doing, but between each statement he'd fallen asleep again, snoring softly beside her.
The next day she met the women and elderly group again for drill downs. They made timed exits from the square in the village all the way to the caved and then back again. Their times were getting better now that the way had been cleared and everyone had narrowed down the easiest path. On the last drill, they stayed at the cave to make the battle ready. Non-perishable supplies were brought and stowed in the former whipping room, older model guns were placed near the only accessible entrance for those who had been chosen to be on guard when the time came to hide. A freshwater hot spring bubbled in one of the caverns allowing for clean drinking water, though the smell of it was strange. While she was working with Lohgan strapped to her back, Calysta happened to notice a ventilation shaft which had been hastily made in the ceiling. That could pose a problem against an attack by Tannas soldiers. "Kensi, you know of the Stags and what they can do. Does that vent lead to the outside?"
The Agan woman glanced up at the grated hole above them. It was no bigger than a basketball in diameter, but the Innas was right. it could pose an issue. "It lead to another chamber, then to outside," she replied, "You think they find that tiny hole?"
"Aye," Calysta frowned, "I know they will." There was little that would stop a Tannas from phasing through but they could at least make it harder for them. "Do you have any metals? When the Stags came, did they come wearing jewelry? Bracelets?" Kensi considered the question for a moment and then shrugged. "If they do, we leave it on bodies in the sands. Stag belongings not worth Agan and Silx blood." At her reply, Calysta nodded and stared up at the hole, thinking on a solution. Tannas detectors would alert to their presence, but it wouldn't stop them. They needed metals to block them out. Maybe there would be some at the wreckage they had seen on the barrier island Bentil had shown them. It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough to warrant trying.
They worked side by side for the rest of the say in silent, but less hostile peace until the sun began to set. Taking inventory wasn't so hard in her Demosian outfit at least. All the while, Calysta had listened carefully to what was being said around her and she had picked up on a few words of Demosian while watching. "Deyat tu," she said to Kensi as she took Cypher's hand. The woman's dark brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed as if to size Calysta up. "Your accent is terrible." The words were decisive but as the woman stomped away, she threw a look over her shoulder. "And good sunbyes to you, Kalzda."
That night, Calysta crawled into bed feeling like she accomplished something, though she wasn't entirely sure what. She cuddled up to Illya and her night began with a few kisses, and chuckles between those sweet kisses. "Hmmm...you're not going to tell me about that dream are you?" she whispered in his ears as her hands roamed. "Mmmm...I'll do the work tonight." She knew he was tired from training the men all day, and from what she heard they had been less than helpful. Particularly, that nasty little one Tetsune. After both of their days the beach was sounding better and better.
After their evening love making, Calysta laid in his arms as they both went to sleep in contentment. It wasn't until 4am that a light woke her up. Her pad had lit up with a message of some kind. Rubbing at her eyes, she sat up and read what it said. Rose: Please come into my room! I'm sick!
She untangled herself from Illya quick as she could without waking him up, hefting his heavy arm off her waist and then pulled on her robe. There was no knocking politely when she got to Rose's door. Instead, she came in without delay to find Rose looking panicked as she tried to rub a red smear off the back of her pants. "Kalizda, it's everywhere! All over the sheets and my pajama's are ruined. I don't feel good..." She was worked up enough to burst into tears all over again and Calysta held up her hands, then rubbed her daughter's back as she cried. It had shocked more than anything and she probably felt terrible. This wasn't exactly what she had thought of waking up to at 4am but they would deal with it. "It's okay...it's okay. Go get in the shower okay? Just take it all off in the bathroom and take a good, hot shower."
Calysta guided Rose off to her shower and then began the cleanup. She stripped the bed, washing down the mattress with bleach along with piling the sheets into the washer with another healthy cupful of the disinfectant. The comforter had to join in with the sheets as it was covered in blood too. Rose's pajama's would have to wait until the next round, but she doubted that they would be going to sleep anytime soon. Hopefully, the shower would relax her and she would feel calm when she came out. Rose spent a long while in the bathroom and Calysta let her do what she needed to do. It gave her time to gather up some feminine product from her own room, then make some tea that would help with the cycle symptoms. By the time, Rose came out in a gust of billowing steam, Calysta had laid out fresh pajamas' underwear, and a few things that they were going to talk about. "Feeling better, yeah?" she said with an encouraging smile, "I brought you some tea and clean pajamas. While we're waiting on the sheets to dry, lets talk a little."
Explaining what her cycle meant was a much easier task than what she expected. Rose understood the basics and that was good, but when it came to finding a 'partner' when she was ready, Calysta had no idea what to say at first. How did she go about that odd detail? She rubbed at her temple and thought through what had made Illya the right partner for her. "Rose, when it comes to partners, I want you to take your time. Don't rush it," she said. The girl was meticulous in most things anyway, so she had little worry for that. "You want a partner who will respect you, and be honored to be yours. They will do this in their actions as well as their words. You are worthy of that respect. And a good partner will respect your body and your heart too. Then you can trust those things to them and you will honor them in return." It sounded so calculated when she put it that way and she knew there was more to tell. Describing it was hard. "Love will make the desire to do those things true and worthy of you."
They talked into the night until the bedclothes were done and she tucked a much calmer Rose into fresh sheets. "Now, don't worry. Get some sleep and feel better," Calysta whispered, "You were very mature tonight, and I'm very proud of you." With that, she kissed her daughter's forehead and returned to bed with Illya to claim whatever sleep she could get.
The next morning, everyone was awake early and ready for the beach. After breakfast was cooked, the beach going items gathered, and lunches made it was time to get dressed for their off day. Calysta sighed and dug through the drawers one more time, pushing past her few lingerie pieces to the back of the drawer with no luck. Where was her bathing suit? The bathroom door opened and Illya stepped out in his red trunks with Lohgan's tiny water suit in his hands. "I think I left my swim suit on Pyrta," she grumbled as she opened the next drawer, "I could have sworn I packed it but it's not in here."
By the time Illya stepped out of the bathroom in his trunks he suspected that Kalizda would already have her suit on. Lohgan's little suit had somehow got stuck in the leg of pants and that had at least solved one problem. They now had the baby'suit. It was a little disappointing to hear that Kalizda couldn't find hers. "Well, maybe yah jes wear bating suit like dey have here? Do dey have some bating suit for women here?"
"I'm not sure, I would assume they do, but I haven't been to the market since the first two days and Kensi was the one who got me the native dress," she replied, closing the drawer, "Maybe I'll help get the kids ready and then go take a look while you get them to the beach." The best thing about the beach was the water and not having her swimsuit was a bit disappointing. She had her sarong from their trip to the beach a year before but it wouldn't be suitable to get into the water with. If she couldn't find one then she would be on the toasty sand for the day.
After a moment Illya pulled open her dresser drawers and started to dig through just to make sure. "Ef yah dun have yah suit why dun yah jes put on short pants and shirt? Den yah could get wet anyway." There was no reason for her not to enjoy the day. "Ef yah dun have short pants I tink yah could borrow one of meh boxers." That likely wasn't ideal, but they would work.
Calysta tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head. "I don't have shorts anymore. I donated all of my skycorp ones and those were the only ones I own." At the mention of wearing his boxer shorts she chuckled. "I don't think your boxers would stay on very well. I'll figure it out, hm?" She reached up and slipped Lohgan's swimsuit out of his hands with a wink. "I have Lohgan if you can get Cypher ready, yeah?"
"Ok," Illya took Cypher's swim trunks from the bed and he stared at them for a moment. Cypher was a little big for them if Illya had it all gauged right. Their son had grown a bit since their last visit to the beach. "I tink I jes have Cypher wear his boxers. Dese are too small."
She looked at the boxers held up in his hands and tilted her head considering them. She had bought them a size too big but looking at them now they did look too small for her chubby little boy. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable at least his boxes would cover everything. "Aye. I think you're right. He should be fine in just his boxers then. It's hard to believe he's grown so much." She started dressing in her sarong with purple flowers wrapping it around her body tightly so it wouldn't fall off. Then she turned to Logan and laid her out on the bed carefully to put her in her suit. About that time, Rose poked her head into the room without knocking and looked to her parents. "I think I just want to relax here on the ship today."
Since Cypher couldn't wear his swim trunks Illya's work was done. He would just pull Cypher's clothes off wen they got to the beach and then let his little boy run around in is boxers. Cypher would be happy enough with that. Finally it appeared that they were ready to go and then Rose popped her head in the door and decided not to go to the beach with them. Turning toward her Illya frowned a little. "Why dun yah want tah come to dah beach wit us?" Surely she wasn't pooping out when it was such nice weather and going to the beach was a perfectly enjoyable event.
The girl frowned and gave a noncommittal shrug. "It's hot and I don't want to swim really. I'd rather finish up this new story I'm working on." It wasn't her best excuse ever, but she was tired and not entirely certain why her staying behind would be such a big deal
Somehow the excuse just sounded lame. "Rose yah dun always have tah write. Et's good for yah tah go places and do someting different sometimes. Besides, ef yah dun have swimsuit ets ok. Jes wear some of ya oter cloting and et dun matter ef yah get yah clotes wet."
Rose gave him a grumpy look, her brow furrowing. She didn't want to go and Illya was making it difficult. "Wolf, I don't feel like going. I don't feel good and I just want to stay inside." Her voice was firmer and her eyes darted to Calysta pleading for assistance in her case, before shifting back to her father.
As soon as the girl said that she didn't feel good Illya's eyebrows raised. "Oh, well ef yah dun feel good den yah better off tah rest some. Maybe I can make some tea for yah tah drink while Kalizda get's Lohgan ready tah go out wit us." It was really too bad that the girl wasn't feeling well, but there wasn't a whole lot that he could do about it either. Perhaps she would feel better next time and then she could have fun with them. "Do yah want tah borrow meh hot blanket?
Calysta nodded at Rose and gave her an encouraging smile. "There some good tea for a stomach bug in the little white pouch in the cabinet," she said to Illya, " I think that would be best. The blanket will make you feel a bit better too." Rose looked to both of them and gave a small sigh of relief before nodding. "Tea would nice and the blanket too." She had yet to even change out of her pajamas and she didn't want to put any real clothes on right now. All she wanted was for Wolf to fix her tea and to write a little.
Since Rose wanted the tea and blanket Illya figured she really wasn't feeling good at all. Snatching his blanket off the bed Illya turned it up nice and hot. "Yah go lay down wherever yah wanna be, or ef yah feeling really sick and yah need a batroom really close yah could stay in meh and Kalizda's room. It was nice to have a completely private restroom and bedroom away from the rest. They even had a little couch in the room that she could lay on if she wanted to. Once Rose chose her spot to settle in Illya laid the blanket over her and tucked it in around her feet so she wouldn't get cold. "Ok, now den. Es et only yah stomach dat hurts?" If he was going to make a tea he might as well make it to fit her needs.
Rose decided to stay in Kalizda and Illya's bed, wanting more than anything to curl up and read or sleep, and their bed was much bigger than her own bed and bathroom. She shuffled over to the bed and stretched across the warming blanket before grabbing the corner to wrap up in it. The fuzzy blanket was already getting toasty and despite the heat outside it felt wonderful. Curling up until only her head was showing, she sniffled and looked up to Illya. "It's just my stomach and my back kind of hurts too. Kalizda said the stuff in the white pouch might help."
The girl really must have felt terrible if she opted to stay in his and Kalizda's room. Illya nodded a little when she said what hurt. Rose wasn't one to complain and it worried Illya that she was feeling so terrible. "I jes go make yah tea now and maybe Kalizda help yah put on some cream tah help wit yah back pain." Stepping out the door of their room he decided to mix up a little herb that would help deaden pain too. It wasn't really tasty, but it would help. A few minutes later Illya came into the room with a big mug and he set it on the nightstand nearest Rose. "Dere, yah have tea and Kalizda get some of dat cream on yah back?" Nodding a little he listened to her. Illya still was a little worried and he leaned in to study her face for a moment. "Yah want meh tah stay wit yah in case yah need anyting?"
When, Wolf returned Rose was wrapping herself back in the blanket again. She glanced to the tea steaming on the nightstand and reached for it, carefully bringing it over to her lap. The tea smelled strong as she sniffed it and then took a sip. It was a little bitter and as strong as it scent suggested, making her wince. Wolf was talking about staying with her and a panic started up. “No, I’ll be fine. Go to the beach and I’ll stay here.” There was no way she wanted him to stay behind just because of her and she didn’t like being sick in front of him. “If you would just bring me my pad and can Zuko stay in here with me too?” Her puppy was already scratching at the door, whining pitifully to get inside where his girl waited.
They weren't going to be far off at the beach, but Illya still wanted to make sure she was alright. "Ok, we'll go, but ef yah need anyting be sure tah call meh pad. I'll have et wit." He already knew this water was different and that meant that he, Cypher and Lohgan would stay in the shallows. He could make mud castles or sand castles with Cypher and when they got too hot they could go out and wade in the water for a few minutes. Wandering out of the room Illya checked Rose's room for her pad and then snatched it up and took himself back to the room. Zuko tumbled right in with him and that was exactly what Illya wanted. The dog would be able to keep her company. "Ok, yah have yah pad now and Zuko stay in here, but yah dun let Zuko on dah bed. Jes remember tah call ef yah need anyting. Dah beach esn't dat far away."
“Okay. I will,” she mumbled as she took a sip of her tea. A singular look from Kalizda behind her father told her that she was forgetting something. Quickly she reached out with her prosthetic hand and grabbed his big hand in hers, pulling him down to leave a kiss on his tan cheek. “Thank you, Wolf.” Zuko was already trying to climb up on the bed and Rose pushed him off, urging him to stay down on the dog beds by the floor. Calysta walked over and patted Illya’s back gently with Lohgan tucked in the other arm. “We’re just a message away, alright?” With a nod from her daughter, Calysta guided Illya out of the room where Aymos and Elijah ran up to greet them along with Monster and Cypher. It was a right crowd and Calysta had to step around animals and avoid stepping on her son’s toes as she beckoned them all down the hall. “I think we’ll stop by the market on the way home and get something nice for, Rose. I don’t think she’ll be feeling up to much for the rest of the week.”
When Illya started to turn away and head for the door he felt cool little metal fingers wrap around a part of his hand. Turning back toward Rose he studied her face for a second and leaned in closer only for her to kiss his cheek and say thank you. Saying thank you was very odd, but nice. "Oh, yah jes remember tah call ef yah need anyting." Stepping away he walked out the door with Kalizda. It was just part of being a father to take care of the children and yet it was nice to be thanked, though it wasn't necessary. Already the dogs were pouncing and ready to go play. It was like Elijah and Aymos could sense they were going to have fun. Illya was pulled out of his thoughts momentarily as they were walking down the corridor. "Yah tink Rose es dat sick?"
Calysta gave Illya a knowing look and nodded. It wasn't her news to tell persay but Rose was being shy and she didn't blame her a bit. There was no point in Illya being clueless though and he would worry about her if he didn't know something. "Aye, she might not feel well for about a week every month for a long time now, same as me. She's growing up," Calysta whispered back.
They were almost to the door of the ship when Kalizda told him what was wrong. Illya's eyes got wide and he stared at his agreed for a moment. "She can't be getting dat old already." He remembered her as a tiny little girl and she was close to becoming a woman, but he didn't really think about this part of it. One day she would agree with a man and then he would have grandchildren and that seemed so much closer than further away and it was strange in many ways. "Oh, I jes dun tink about dat."
Calysta chuckled a little and slipped a hand to Illya's waist. "It is a little hard to believe isnt it? She'll always be our daughter though no matter where she goes." The crowd of animals and children only dispersed slightly when they reached the living room. Thomas was waiting with the beach bags and the picnic basket along with half the toy chest Cypher though he was bringing along with them.
When they reached the living room Illya saw that Thomas was carrying everything. Walking over to the man Illya took the toy bag and the beach bags. "I carry dah beach bags." Setting the toys down he saw Cypher look at him. "Yah Chippequoti and yah learn tah carry yah own stuff. Ef yah want all dah toys den yah carry all dah toys." The boy couldn't carry them all, but he would learn to sort out and prioritize what was important even if he didn't like it.
Calysta tilted her head at Illya, studying his face. She didn't expect him to carry all those toys, but what he wasn't quite thinking like a child would. More like a general. Her son would undoubtedly try to carry everything and they would end up picking the toys up as he dropped them running all the way to the beach. They would end up carrying them anyways just to keep them from getting lost. "Why don't you get your bucket and pick three," she said, holding up three fingers, "Pick the ones you like best and you can carry them in your bucket."
Somehow Kalizda made it seem so much more simple and Illya watched Cypher pick through the toys and pick out his monster, snake, and a shovel to put in the bucket. Grabbing his little bucket he started to race for the doorway. He was still clothed, but Illya figured he could strip the boy down to his boxers when they got to the beach. "Ok, now we go."
They walked toward the beach and stopped by a traders stall on they way for Calysta to glance at a few bathing suits. Some of them were mere wraps of cloth meant to be tied together for a single piece and others were made of woven material and covered an area hardly suitable for a bedroom tease, much less public bathing. She settled on a modest two piece bathing suit finally, prompted mostly by Cypher's fussing about hurrying up. She'd never owned one before and it felt a little strange to change into it behind a small curtain near the outhouse along the shore. When she was done, she stepped out in the garments and looked to Illya feeling a bit ridiculous. How did people swim properly in these things? It felt like it was going to fall off at any moment no matter how tight she'd tied it.
Unable to keep their son at bay anymore, they made to the black sand beaches where Cypher made a bee-line for the water along with the pack of dogs and Cin who bounced along behind them. Thomas set up their blanket and umbrella, while she went with Illya and Cypher to the water with Lohgan in her hands. Surprisingly, the water was warm and felt nice washing over their legs. Cypher plopped down and began to splash her and Illya both, laughing wildly with every kick of his feet. Calysta chuckled, splashing him back over his bare chest. Lohgan's feet kicked at the water from her lap, giggling when the water tickled at her toes. "Oh you like that, huh?" she grinned, "Let's put those feet to work." She held Lohgan over the shallow waves and aimed her in Illya's direction so she could kick up as much water as she wanted at him. "Get Dah! Get'em good!" The girl squealed with delight, giving the water splashes for all she was worth.
After while, they were interrupted by a troupe of Agan and Silx running over the beaches as part of their training. The Silx were sore and tired, but not nearly so bad as the Agans. The tiny men were lagging behind their taller counterparts looking miserable. Over the last three days they had been pushed harder than they could possibly hope to keep up. Their legs were sore, their arms ached and they still weren't able to keep up properly according to their trainer who had found it a waste of his time if they couldn't manage. "All we do is run, run, run!" one complained in his own language. "When do we get to use a gun?" Bentil shot the man a look, rolling his eyes. "When you can hold one up properly, you limp noodle." One of them puffed up and scowled as they jogged, "Do you really think the Stags will attack again? Aren't we old news? This Innas pushes us to hard for an attack that might not even happen! They are strangers still and we work while they are laying around." A few of the men's eyes landed on the family, but most of them simply stayed quiet on that matter. "I think they will come again. I been living without my Silx for decades now and you don't want to lose yours by being lazy do you? If so, and you feel real raw about it, go join Tetsune at the front of the pack. Silx don't like it when you betray them." The group winced as they looked up to see Tetsune who was running at the top speed his aching muscles would allow. Behind him was his Silx counterpart carrying a thick stick with a cup carved on the end. They all knew that the vicious cutter bugs were inside the cup and if Tetsune slowed in his pace at all, his Silx would poke him with it, allowing the cutter bugs a nibble. He had been an embarrassment going against the judgment of not only his Silx but the entire island. Now, he would learn his place. He would earn it back. "He get us into shape and the Stags regret the day they come to Demos again," Bentil called. That earned him a bit of a war cry from a few, though it turned into more of a desperate pant to try to keep up with the rest. They would endure what they had to for an opportunity to exact a little justice.
Calysta watched as they passed by, and Illya surveyed them with his binoculars. It was somewhat satisfying to see Testune running as if his life depended on it. Would they be enough? Illya could whip them into shape, but only if they wanted to be. From the looks of it, at least they were trying and finally getting serious about the impending attack."Ahh! Mam!" Her thoughts were broken when Cypher cried out and started pointing out at the water. His favorite snake toy had washed away with an incoming tide and had rolled into deeper water. "Stay here and I'll get it." She quickly ran into the water, reaching for the toy that her son just couldn't lose. She was waist deep in rising waters when her fingers finally wrapped around the snake and she held it up. "I got it, little man!" Holding the snake up, she could see her boy clapping his chubby fists together happily that she had gotten it. As she waded back to the shore, an incoming wave crashed over her back and she stumbled into the water. The wash of water knocked her to her knees, pulling her back toward the ocean when it retreated then shoving her forward again. When she managed to get her footing, she stood up and immediately knew something was wrong. It was far too breezy. Her top was gone! Rather than the blue tie top, she saw nothing but herself in the buff. The dumb bikini top had come loose and was swirling on the waves, coming to a stop near Cypher and Illya.
Out of instinct, she wrapped arms around what small boobs she had and started calling for Illya who was still looking through the binoculars "Illya! Get my top!" It was all she needed for her bathing suit top to be lost at sea, leaving her exposed to the beach and the passing men.
Once the ship was inspected and underway, their ship headed out into Kaereal's night sky, Kirit pulled the hood on his PT jacket over his head and then stepped out into the rain for the long walk home. The rainy season was always a bit miserable on Pyrta and he had to wonder if Demos was more pleasant. Apparently, that's where Illya and the Councilwoman had gone when the order to go dark had commenced. Whatever they were planning was a game of patience and tactics, something needed after the devastating stalemate in open battle a month before. He had been over the loss statistics for their men and the estimated losses for the enemy. Both sides had heavy losses.
The Chippeqouti departure had left a hole in their structure on Pyrta that he had been charged to fill as the newly appointed General of the Alliance. He had started working on that right away to bolster the defense of the home planet. Since Calysta's absence, he had also been organizing the continents and dealing with their needs. It was like a never-ending waterfall of notes, reports, and requests. How in the Wilds was he supposed to be protecting the planet and half governing it at the same time? They all wanted to know where the Councilwoman was. Some were angry at her, others wanted to deal only with her. It was a mountain of paperwork that only made him marvel at how the two missing leaders hadn't gone mad with the pressure. Everything had been on their shoulders, and now it was on his. Tugging at his goatee, he grimaced as s few black hairs plucked free and he dusted his fingers over a puddle. In truth, he knew they had gone black and patience was needed, but the last month of his life had been the hardest he'd ever had. Hearing from the Councilwoman in an encoded message dictated by Illya had been both relieving and added more pressure. If it was a containment theory the General was planning, then they needed to keep it quiet and let the Federation spread themselves thin as they would. The men and supplies would be needed on Demos and he trusted the General's judgment as to their use.
He stepped up the steps to his cabin, realizing it was after midnight. This would be the 4th night in a row he had come home late and he knew the babies would be asleep and so would Tabit. Opening the door carefully, he tiptoed inside and shut the door behind him gentle as possible. It closed with a bump and he took off his coat which was dripping all over the floor, hanging it up on the hook to dry. He ran a hand through his hair and then went to check on the boys. Their little star night light glittered over the walls as each boy snoozed in their cribs.
Kirit peered over the rail of each baby bed to look over his sons. Mycah was sleeping on his belly, Az'rah snoozed with his thumb stuck in his usually open mouth, and Henyah's tiny hands grabbed at his feet his sleep. Henyah had an uncanny ability to know when someone was watching him and he twitched in his sleep, letting out a knowing grunt. "Shhhh...." Kirit slipped a finger into his son's hand and the boy grabbed it tightly, grumbling a few more times before settling down. Ensuring that his boys were alright, he left them to sleep then shuffled upstairs stripping as he went. By the time he made it to the bedroom, he was down to his boxers and gratefully crawling into bed next to his wife who was sleeping on her side.
If anyone had gotten the sore end of this deal it was Tabit. Sure, he was promoted and that came with a great honor along with a pay raise, but the additional workload had kept him working late. He didn't want to come home and be plagued with work. To only be paying half attention to his wife and children. He tried to keep work where it belonged, but it required late nights and there was no way around it. Scoot closer to Tabit, he wrapped a hand around her waist, before sighing into her pretty blonde hair. It always smelled nice and he actually missed his time with her. "I'm home," he mumbled as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.
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Calysta spent the rest of the afternoon helping the elderly and women clean the cave up, readying it for a battle or a siege if they had to stay inside indefinitely. Kensi worked in silence save for a few barked orders in her own Demosian. Calysta had no idea what she was asking for most of the time and it took a fair amount of pointing or angry grunts from the woman to understand what not to do. At one point she went to pick up a broom and Bentil's fiesty wife snapped at her before muttering 'Innas' and snatching it away. The day was long and frustrating between Kensi, cleaning, and keeping track of Cypher who wanted to pick up, touch, and occasionally lick anything that looked interesting. She knew he'd eaten some sort of bug he'd found crawling on the walls and had no problem running up to her with a cave spider clutched in his hands. It's spindly legs wiggled desperately as it's long pincers grabbed at the air, unable to reach the boy's hand from behind. "Looket Mam! Buggie Monster! Graaar!" With a fat fist, he threw the spider at her so she could see it real good. The massive bug landed on her pants leg, and she yelped before flicking her foot and sending the insect flying to the back of an elderly Silx man. "Cypher!"
In a shock of panic and instinct, Calysta scuttled up to the man swiping at his back to get rid of the bug before it decided to bite or worse crawled into his shirt collar. When he felt a tiny hand and brush over his back, the Silx turned with a stoic expression then tilted his head. "Oh...uh you had a bug," she said with a timid smile, "It's gone now." The man was mute and his Agan partner wasn't available, so he gave her a singular nod before returning to his work.
When the afternoon had set in and they had run several drills, it became obvious the elderly were growing tired. The women needed to go home and tend to their children and their husbands too. The group disbanded and Calysta collected a sleepy looking Cypher in one arm, a quiet Rose, and her baby Lohgan before heading toward the ship. On the way through the village a harsh voice called out to her and she found Kensi standing there with a bright bundle of material. "You wear it when you come with us Innas," she grumbled, "Beads for beauty and bright colors for energy, endurance. You need if you think you can keep up with Agan woman." Tossing the pack at Calysta, the tiny woman marched away toward her own house.
Later in the evening, once the children were in bed and Illya had his tea, she snuggled down into the bed with him. It was too much to resist petting at his wild curls. They were soft and felt silky running between her fingertips as she played. Almost soothing in a strange way. "I need a haircut eh?" She chuckled and smoothed his curls away from his face. "Aye, I suppose, but it can wait a little longer." When he mentioned a little work left to do her face tinged pink and she pulled him close with a wild look in her eye. She was tired, but when he was so close, whispering in her ear, it made her feel all the bolder in the last week or so. Despite the pink on her cheeks, she kissed him playfully. "Aye, I think we do have some more work to do."
The feeling of Illya's arms wrapping around her tightly woke her as the bed shook. Sleepiness didn't hang in her mind too long when he did things like that in the middle of the night. This sort of event usually meant he was having a nightmare about the war, judging by the way he was holding her. Sometimes, he would be so deep into a dream that he grabbed her close and thought she was something else altogether. It hadn't happened since they were on Terra but those were the worst she'd ever seen and there was no telling how wild he might get. The best thing to do was get out of the way and then try to talk him down before he hurt himself.
Her heart pounded as she wiggled out of his arms and sat up to look him over...only to see that he wasn't screaming like he normally did. He was laughing. "Uh huh." A satisfied smirk was stretched across his face. "You know that's not how you do it.....Mmhmm. I like it when you do that....." Illya was having another kind of dream entirely, and Lohgan cooed from her crib. Calysta inched over to the crib and picked up the girl, never taking her eyes off her Chip who was snickering. What in the Wilds was he dreaming about? It sounded a bit naughty. "Don't be so serious." Even in his sleep, he was telling her not to be serious! He rolled over and buried his head in his pillow before bursting into a fit of laughter that jerked him awake in confusion. "You were laughing in your sleep," she said with a hint of amusement. It was certainly a first and to see the merry expression still lit upon his face was funny. Lohgan was looking at her sleepily and there was no point in putting her back in the crib, for now, so Calysta crawled back in bed with the girl, chuckling at the look on Illya's face as he wrapped a hand around her waist. "It must of have been some dream," she replied, "What was it about?" She wanted to know exactly what it was he'd liked her doing, but between each statement he'd fallen asleep again, snoring softly beside her.
The next day she met the women and elderly group again for drill downs. They made timed exits from the square in the village all the way to the caved and then back again. Their times were getting better now that the way had been cleared and everyone had narrowed down the easiest path. On the last drill, they stayed at the cave to make the battle ready. Non-perishable supplies were brought and stowed in the former whipping room, older model guns were placed near the only accessible entrance for those who had been chosen to be on guard when the time came to hide. A freshwater hot spring bubbled in one of the caverns allowing for clean drinking water, though the smell of it was strange. While she was working with Lohgan strapped to her back, Calysta happened to notice a ventilation shaft which had been hastily made in the ceiling. That could pose a problem against an attack by Tannas soldiers. "Kensi, you know of the Stags and what they can do. Does that vent lead to the outside?"
The Agan woman glanced up at the grated hole above them. It was no bigger than a basketball in diameter, but the Innas was right. it could pose an issue. "It lead to another chamber, then to outside," she replied, "You think they find that tiny hole?"
"Aye," Calysta frowned, "I know they will." There was little that would stop a Tannas from phasing through but they could at least make it harder for them. "Do you have any metals? When the Stags came, did they come wearing jewelry? Bracelets?" Kensi considered the question for a moment and then shrugged. "If they do, we leave it on bodies in the sands. Stag belongings not worth Agan and Silx blood." At her reply, Calysta nodded and stared up at the hole, thinking on a solution. Tannas detectors would alert to their presence, but it wouldn't stop them. They needed metals to block them out. Maybe there would be some at the wreckage they had seen on the barrier island Bentil had shown them. It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough to warrant trying.
They worked side by side for the rest of the say in silent, but less hostile peace until the sun began to set. Taking inventory wasn't so hard in her Demosian outfit at least. All the while, Calysta had listened carefully to what was being said around her and she had picked up on a few words of Demosian while watching. "Deyat tu," she said to Kensi as she took Cypher's hand. The woman's dark brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed as if to size Calysta up. "Your accent is terrible." The words were decisive but as the woman stomped away, she threw a look over her shoulder. "And good sunbyes to you, Kalzda."
That night, Calysta crawled into bed feeling like she accomplished something, though she wasn't entirely sure what. She cuddled up to Illya and her night began with a few kisses, and chuckles between those sweet kisses. "Hmmm...you're not going to tell me about that dream are you?" she whispered in his ears as her hands roamed. "Mmmm...I'll do the work tonight." She knew he was tired from training the men all day, and from what she heard they had been less than helpful. Particularly, that nasty little one Tetsune. After both of their days the beach was sounding better and better.
After their evening love making, Calysta laid in his arms as they both went to sleep in contentment. It wasn't until 4am that a light woke her up. Her pad had lit up with a message of some kind. Rubbing at her eyes, she sat up and read what it said. Rose: Please come into my room! I'm sick!
She untangled herself from Illya quick as she could without waking him up, hefting his heavy arm off her waist and then pulled on her robe. There was no knocking politely when she got to Rose's door. Instead, she came in without delay to find Rose looking panicked as she tried to rub a red smear off the back of her pants. "Kalizda, it's everywhere! All over the sheets and my pajama's are ruined. I don't feel good..." She was worked up enough to burst into tears all over again and Calysta held up her hands, then rubbed her daughter's back as she cried. It had shocked more than anything and she probably felt terrible. This wasn't exactly what she had thought of waking up to at 4am but they would deal with it. "It's okay...it's okay. Go get in the shower okay? Just take it all off in the bathroom and take a good, hot shower."
Calysta guided Rose off to her shower and then began the cleanup. She stripped the bed, washing down the mattress with bleach along with piling the sheets into the washer with another healthy cupful of the disinfectant. The comforter had to join in with the sheets as it was covered in blood too. Rose's pajama's would have to wait until the next round, but she doubted that they would be going to sleep anytime soon. Hopefully, the shower would relax her and she would feel calm when she came out. Rose spent a long while in the bathroom and Calysta let her do what she needed to do. It gave her time to gather up some feminine product from her own room, then make some tea that would help with the cycle symptoms. By the time, Rose came out in a gust of billowing steam, Calysta had laid out fresh pajamas' underwear, and a few things that they were going to talk about. "Feeling better, yeah?" she said with an encouraging smile, "I brought you some tea and clean pajamas. While we're waiting on the sheets to dry, lets talk a little."
Explaining what her cycle meant was a much easier task than what she expected. Rose understood the basics and that was good, but when it came to finding a 'partner' when she was ready, Calysta had no idea what to say at first. How did she go about that odd detail? She rubbed at her temple and thought through what had made Illya the right partner for her. "Rose, when it comes to partners, I want you to take your time. Don't rush it," she said. The girl was meticulous in most things anyway, so she had little worry for that. "You want a partner who will respect you, and be honored to be yours. They will do this in their actions as well as their words. You are worthy of that respect. And a good partner will respect your body and your heart too. Then you can trust those things to them and you will honor them in return." It sounded so calculated when she put it that way and she knew there was more to tell. Describing it was hard. "Love will make the desire to do those things true and worthy of you."
They talked into the night until the bedclothes were done and she tucked a much calmer Rose into fresh sheets. "Now, don't worry. Get some sleep and feel better," Calysta whispered, "You were very mature tonight, and I'm very proud of you." With that, she kissed her daughter's forehead and returned to bed with Illya to claim whatever sleep she could get.
The next morning, everyone was awake early and ready for the beach. After breakfast was cooked, the beach going items gathered, and lunches made it was time to get dressed for their off day. Calysta sighed and dug through the drawers one more time, pushing past her few lingerie pieces to the back of the drawer with no luck. Where was her bathing suit? The bathroom door opened and Illya stepped out in his red trunks with Lohgan's tiny water suit in his hands. "I think I left my swim suit on Pyrta," she grumbled as she opened the next drawer, "I could have sworn I packed it but it's not in here."
By the time Illya stepped out of the bathroom in his trunks he suspected that Kalizda would already have her suit on. Lohgan's little suit had somehow got stuck in the leg of pants and that had at least solved one problem. They now had the baby'suit. It was a little disappointing to hear that Kalizda couldn't find hers. "Well, maybe yah jes wear bating suit like dey have here? Do dey have some bating suit for women here?"
"I'm not sure, I would assume they do, but I haven't been to the market since the first two days and Kensi was the one who got me the native dress," she replied, closing the drawer, "Maybe I'll help get the kids ready and then go take a look while you get them to the beach." The best thing about the beach was the water and not having her swimsuit was a bit disappointing. She had her sarong from their trip to the beach a year before but it wouldn't be suitable to get into the water with. If she couldn't find one then she would be on the toasty sand for the day.
After a moment Illya pulled open her dresser drawers and started to dig through just to make sure. "Ef yah dun have yah suit why dun yah jes put on short pants and shirt? Den yah could get wet anyway." There was no reason for her not to enjoy the day. "Ef yah dun have short pants I tink yah could borrow one of meh boxers." That likely wasn't ideal, but they would work.
Calysta tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head. "I don't have shorts anymore. I donated all of my skycorp ones and those were the only ones I own." At the mention of wearing his boxer shorts she chuckled. "I don't think your boxers would stay on very well. I'll figure it out, hm?" She reached up and slipped Lohgan's swimsuit out of his hands with a wink. "I have Lohgan if you can get Cypher ready, yeah?"
"Ok," Illya took Cypher's swim trunks from the bed and he stared at them for a moment. Cypher was a little big for them if Illya had it all gauged right. Their son had grown a bit since their last visit to the beach. "I tink I jes have Cypher wear his boxers. Dese are too small."
She looked at the boxers held up in his hands and tilted her head considering them. She had bought them a size too big but looking at them now they did look too small for her chubby little boy. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable at least his boxes would cover everything. "Aye. I think you're right. He should be fine in just his boxers then. It's hard to believe he's grown so much." She started dressing in her sarong with purple flowers wrapping it around her body tightly so it wouldn't fall off. Then she turned to Logan and laid her out on the bed carefully to put her in her suit. About that time, Rose poked her head into the room without knocking and looked to her parents. "I think I just want to relax here on the ship today."
Since Cypher couldn't wear his swim trunks Illya's work was done. He would just pull Cypher's clothes off wen they got to the beach and then let his little boy run around in is boxers. Cypher would be happy enough with that. Finally it appeared that they were ready to go and then Rose popped her head in the door and decided not to go to the beach with them. Turning toward her Illya frowned a little. "Why dun yah want tah come to dah beach wit us?" Surely she wasn't pooping out when it was such nice weather and going to the beach was a perfectly enjoyable event.
The girl frowned and gave a noncommittal shrug. "It's hot and I don't want to swim really. I'd rather finish up this new story I'm working on." It wasn't her best excuse ever, but she was tired and not entirely certain why her staying behind would be such a big deal
Somehow the excuse just sounded lame. "Rose yah dun always have tah write. Et's good for yah tah go places and do someting different sometimes. Besides, ef yah dun have swimsuit ets ok. Jes wear some of ya oter cloting and et dun matter ef yah get yah clotes wet."
Rose gave him a grumpy look, her brow furrowing. She didn't want to go and Illya was making it difficult. "Wolf, I don't feel like going. I don't feel good and I just want to stay inside." Her voice was firmer and her eyes darted to Calysta pleading for assistance in her case, before shifting back to her father.
As soon as the girl said that she didn't feel good Illya's eyebrows raised. "Oh, well ef yah dun feel good den yah better off tah rest some. Maybe I can make some tea for yah tah drink while Kalizda get's Lohgan ready tah go out wit us." It was really too bad that the girl wasn't feeling well, but there wasn't a whole lot that he could do about it either. Perhaps she would feel better next time and then she could have fun with them. "Do yah want tah borrow meh hot blanket?
Calysta nodded at Rose and gave her an encouraging smile. "There some good tea for a stomach bug in the little white pouch in the cabinet," she said to Illya, " I think that would be best. The blanket will make you feel a bit better too." Rose looked to both of them and gave a small sigh of relief before nodding. "Tea would nice and the blanket too." She had yet to even change out of her pajamas and she didn't want to put any real clothes on right now. All she wanted was for Wolf to fix her tea and to write a little.
Since Rose wanted the tea and blanket Illya figured she really wasn't feeling good at all. Snatching his blanket off the bed Illya turned it up nice and hot. "Yah go lay down wherever yah wanna be, or ef yah feeling really sick and yah need a batroom really close yah could stay in meh and Kalizda's room. It was nice to have a completely private restroom and bedroom away from the rest. They even had a little couch in the room that she could lay on if she wanted to. Once Rose chose her spot to settle in Illya laid the blanket over her and tucked it in around her feet so she wouldn't get cold. "Ok, now den. Es et only yah stomach dat hurts?" If he was going to make a tea he might as well make it to fit her needs.
Rose decided to stay in Kalizda and Illya's bed, wanting more than anything to curl up and read or sleep, and their bed was much bigger than her own bed and bathroom. She shuffled over to the bed and stretched across the warming blanket before grabbing the corner to wrap up in it. The fuzzy blanket was already getting toasty and despite the heat outside it felt wonderful. Curling up until only her head was showing, she sniffled and looked up to Illya. "It's just my stomach and my back kind of hurts too. Kalizda said the stuff in the white pouch might help."
The girl really must have felt terrible if she opted to stay in his and Kalizda's room. Illya nodded a little when she said what hurt. Rose wasn't one to complain and it worried Illya that she was feeling so terrible. "I jes go make yah tea now and maybe Kalizda help yah put on some cream tah help wit yah back pain." Stepping out the door of their room he decided to mix up a little herb that would help deaden pain too. It wasn't really tasty, but it would help. A few minutes later Illya came into the room with a big mug and he set it on the nightstand nearest Rose. "Dere, yah have tea and Kalizda get some of dat cream on yah back?" Nodding a little he listened to her. Illya still was a little worried and he leaned in to study her face for a moment. "Yah want meh tah stay wit yah in case yah need anyting?"
When, Wolf returned Rose was wrapping herself back in the blanket again. She glanced to the tea steaming on the nightstand and reached for it, carefully bringing it over to her lap. The tea smelled strong as she sniffed it and then took a sip. It was a little bitter and as strong as it scent suggested, making her wince. Wolf was talking about staying with her and a panic started up. “No, I’ll be fine. Go to the beach and I’ll stay here.” There was no way she wanted him to stay behind just because of her and she didn’t like being sick in front of him. “If you would just bring me my pad and can Zuko stay in here with me too?” Her puppy was already scratching at the door, whining pitifully to get inside where his girl waited.
They weren't going to be far off at the beach, but Illya still wanted to make sure she was alright. "Ok, we'll go, but ef yah need anyting be sure tah call meh pad. I'll have et wit." He already knew this water was different and that meant that he, Cypher and Lohgan would stay in the shallows. He could make mud castles or sand castles with Cypher and when they got too hot they could go out and wade in the water for a few minutes. Wandering out of the room Illya checked Rose's room for her pad and then snatched it up and took himself back to the room. Zuko tumbled right in with him and that was exactly what Illya wanted. The dog would be able to keep her company. "Ok, yah have yah pad now and Zuko stay in here, but yah dun let Zuko on dah bed. Jes remember tah call ef yah need anyting. Dah beach esn't dat far away."
“Okay. I will,” she mumbled as she took a sip of her tea. A singular look from Kalizda behind her father told her that she was forgetting something. Quickly she reached out with her prosthetic hand and grabbed his big hand in hers, pulling him down to leave a kiss on his tan cheek. “Thank you, Wolf.” Zuko was already trying to climb up on the bed and Rose pushed him off, urging him to stay down on the dog beds by the floor. Calysta walked over and patted Illya’s back gently with Lohgan tucked in the other arm. “We’re just a message away, alright?” With a nod from her daughter, Calysta guided Illya out of the room where Aymos and Elijah ran up to greet them along with Monster and Cypher. It was a right crowd and Calysta had to step around animals and avoid stepping on her son’s toes as she beckoned them all down the hall. “I think we’ll stop by the market on the way home and get something nice for, Rose. I don’t think she’ll be feeling up to much for the rest of the week.”
When Illya started to turn away and head for the door he felt cool little metal fingers wrap around a part of his hand. Turning back toward Rose he studied her face for a second and leaned in closer only for her to kiss his cheek and say thank you. Saying thank you was very odd, but nice. "Oh, yah jes remember tah call ef yah need anyting." Stepping away he walked out the door with Kalizda. It was just part of being a father to take care of the children and yet it was nice to be thanked, though it wasn't necessary. Already the dogs were pouncing and ready to go play. It was like Elijah and Aymos could sense they were going to have fun. Illya was pulled out of his thoughts momentarily as they were walking down the corridor. "Yah tink Rose es dat sick?"
Calysta gave Illya a knowing look and nodded. It wasn't her news to tell persay but Rose was being shy and she didn't blame her a bit. There was no point in Illya being clueless though and he would worry about her if he didn't know something. "Aye, she might not feel well for about a week every month for a long time now, same as me. She's growing up," Calysta whispered back.
They were almost to the door of the ship when Kalizda told him what was wrong. Illya's eyes got wide and he stared at his agreed for a moment. "She can't be getting dat old already." He remembered her as a tiny little girl and she was close to becoming a woman, but he didn't really think about this part of it. One day she would agree with a man and then he would have grandchildren and that seemed so much closer than further away and it was strange in many ways. "Oh, I jes dun tink about dat."
Calysta chuckled a little and slipped a hand to Illya's waist. "It is a little hard to believe isnt it? She'll always be our daughter though no matter where she goes." The crowd of animals and children only dispersed slightly when they reached the living room. Thomas was waiting with the beach bags and the picnic basket along with half the toy chest Cypher though he was bringing along with them.
When they reached the living room Illya saw that Thomas was carrying everything. Walking over to the man Illya took the toy bag and the beach bags. "I carry dah beach bags." Setting the toys down he saw Cypher look at him. "Yah Chippequoti and yah learn tah carry yah own stuff. Ef yah want all dah toys den yah carry all dah toys." The boy couldn't carry them all, but he would learn to sort out and prioritize what was important even if he didn't like it.
Calysta tilted her head at Illya, studying his face. She didn't expect him to carry all those toys, but what he wasn't quite thinking like a child would. More like a general. Her son would undoubtedly try to carry everything and they would end up picking the toys up as he dropped them running all the way to the beach. They would end up carrying them anyways just to keep them from getting lost. "Why don't you get your bucket and pick three," she said, holding up three fingers, "Pick the ones you like best and you can carry them in your bucket."
Somehow Kalizda made it seem so much more simple and Illya watched Cypher pick through the toys and pick out his monster, snake, and a shovel to put in the bucket. Grabbing his little bucket he started to race for the doorway. He was still clothed, but Illya figured he could strip the boy down to his boxers when they got to the beach. "Ok, now we go."
They walked toward the beach and stopped by a traders stall on they way for Calysta to glance at a few bathing suits. Some of them were mere wraps of cloth meant to be tied together for a single piece and others were made of woven material and covered an area hardly suitable for a bedroom tease, much less public bathing. She settled on a modest two piece bathing suit finally, prompted mostly by Cypher's fussing about hurrying up. She'd never owned one before and it felt a little strange to change into it behind a small curtain near the outhouse along the shore. When she was done, she stepped out in the garments and looked to Illya feeling a bit ridiculous. How did people swim properly in these things? It felt like it was going to fall off at any moment no matter how tight she'd tied it.
Unable to keep their son at bay anymore, they made to the black sand beaches where Cypher made a bee-line for the water along with the pack of dogs and Cin who bounced along behind them. Thomas set up their blanket and umbrella, while she went with Illya and Cypher to the water with Lohgan in her hands. Surprisingly, the water was warm and felt nice washing over their legs. Cypher plopped down and began to splash her and Illya both, laughing wildly with every kick of his feet. Calysta chuckled, splashing him back over his bare chest. Lohgan's feet kicked at the water from her lap, giggling when the water tickled at her toes. "Oh you like that, huh?" she grinned, "Let's put those feet to work." She held Lohgan over the shallow waves and aimed her in Illya's direction so she could kick up as much water as she wanted at him. "Get Dah! Get'em good!" The girl squealed with delight, giving the water splashes for all she was worth.
After while, they were interrupted by a troupe of Agan and Silx running over the beaches as part of their training. The Silx were sore and tired, but not nearly so bad as the Agans. The tiny men were lagging behind their taller counterparts looking miserable. Over the last three days they had been pushed harder than they could possibly hope to keep up. Their legs were sore, their arms ached and they still weren't able to keep up properly according to their trainer who had found it a waste of his time if they couldn't manage. "All we do is run, run, run!" one complained in his own language. "When do we get to use a gun?" Bentil shot the man a look, rolling his eyes. "When you can hold one up properly, you limp noodle." One of them puffed up and scowled as they jogged, "Do you really think the Stags will attack again? Aren't we old news? This Innas pushes us to hard for an attack that might not even happen! They are strangers still and we work while they are laying around." A few of the men's eyes landed on the family, but most of them simply stayed quiet on that matter. "I think they will come again. I been living without my Silx for decades now and you don't want to lose yours by being lazy do you? If so, and you feel real raw about it, go join Tetsune at the front of the pack. Silx don't like it when you betray them." The group winced as they looked up to see Tetsune who was running at the top speed his aching muscles would allow. Behind him was his Silx counterpart carrying a thick stick with a cup carved on the end. They all knew that the vicious cutter bugs were inside the cup and if Tetsune slowed in his pace at all, his Silx would poke him with it, allowing the cutter bugs a nibble. He had been an embarrassment going against the judgment of not only his Silx but the entire island. Now, he would learn his place. He would earn it back. "He get us into shape and the Stags regret the day they come to Demos again," Bentil called. That earned him a bit of a war cry from a few, though it turned into more of a desperate pant to try to keep up with the rest. They would endure what they had to for an opportunity to exact a little justice.
Calysta watched as they passed by, and Illya surveyed them with his binoculars. It was somewhat satisfying to see Testune running as if his life depended on it. Would they be enough? Illya could whip them into shape, but only if they wanted to be. From the looks of it, at least they were trying and finally getting serious about the impending attack."Ahh! Mam!" Her thoughts were broken when Cypher cried out and started pointing out at the water. His favorite snake toy had washed away with an incoming tide and had rolled into deeper water. "Stay here and I'll get it." She quickly ran into the water, reaching for the toy that her son just couldn't lose. She was waist deep in rising waters when her fingers finally wrapped around the snake and she held it up. "I got it, little man!" Holding the snake up, she could see her boy clapping his chubby fists together happily that she had gotten it. As she waded back to the shore, an incoming wave crashed over her back and she stumbled into the water. The wash of water knocked her to her knees, pulling her back toward the ocean when it retreated then shoving her forward again. When she managed to get her footing, she stood up and immediately knew something was wrong. It was far too breezy. Her top was gone! Rather than the blue tie top, she saw nothing but herself in the buff. The dumb bikini top had come loose and was swirling on the waves, coming to a stop near Cypher and Illya.
Out of instinct, she wrapped arms around what small boobs she had and started calling for Illya who was still looking through the binoculars "Illya! Get my top!" It was all she needed for her bathing suit top to be lost at sea, leaving her exposed to the beach and the passing men.
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