Illya rolled closer to Kalizda's side of the bed and felt for her. After he'd fallen asleep last night he didn't even wake up once. It was good sleep and he felt somewhat better aside from the headache. He'd managed a minor concussion with the fall, but it wasn't horrible. There was something stuck to his face though. Turning to his side of the bed again he decided to wait a few moments to find Kalizda until he could figure out what was stuck to the side of his face. Rubbing a hand over his face he pulled a soggy piece of paper off his cheek. The ink was smeared and he figured there was probably some of it on his face. More than likely he'd drooled a little in his sleep and managed to catch the note in the middle of it. There was a nice wet spot on his pillow and that was proof enough.
Getting out of bed very slowly Illya set the note from the bed aside and then checked himself over in the mirror. He only had a few little ink spots on his face from where the note got wet and then stuck to his face. Rubbing the ink off with a little oil and a cloth he decided to head down the stairs and eat before getting showered. Kalizda was already up and her note said she had breakfast. Since it was a day off, he was going to take things out of order for fun. Grabbing the chair with the bag on it, Illya started out the doorway of their bedroom and bumped the frame and the railing at the top of the stairs. All the way down to the kitchen Illya carried the chair and bag. Setting the chair down in front of Kalizda he grinned. "Yah note said dat ef I want tah come I should bring dah bag setting on dah chair. Here et es."
Calysta looked up from her half eaten fruit bowl and at the sound of bumping upstairs. Illya was awake it seemed, and it was only halfway through the morning too. Not bad considering how tired he had been. She took another small nibble of melon and waited for him, but the longer she waited, the more noise he seemed to make. There were thumps, bumps, and one decidedly loud scrape. What in the Wilds was he doing up there? Just as she was starting to get half the mind to check on him, he appeared down the stairs with...a chair in his hands. Not just any chair but the one where she had placed his go-bag into the seat. Her brow pinched together as he presented her the chair and bag like a trophy, grinning proudly at his achievement. When he offered his explanation, she stared at him for a long moment. He sounded alright. Better than alright. Or maybe he was still hung over from the events of yesterday. The more she studied the chair and his grin, the more a feeling began to bubble up in her chest until finally it worked its way out into the form of a smile before exploding into an almost giddy laughter. "Aye," she laughed, holding her ribs in her seat, "I did say bring it and so you did. I couldn't...figure out what in the Wilds you were ..doing up there." It felt good to laugh like that. The sound melted away the tension that had been held too long in her core as she giggled until tears sprang to her eyes.
It was good to see Kalizda laugh and Illya chuckled a little with her while he served some breakfast for himself. He knew they would have to get going soon, so he would try to be fast about things. With a smirk he looked up from his breakfast that was half inhaled, "Yah need any oter unusual tings for dis tradition?" Since he'd started the joke he figured that he may as well keep it up for a little while longer. "Maybe I pluck lights from ceiling tah take wit us next?"
He was eating through the creme and fruit like he hadn't eaten in a year, so she let him do as he liked while finishing what she could of her own plate. She caught the smirk he was giving her though and his little joke made her smile back playfully. "Hmm let me think....maybe not the lights, but I do need one handsome Chip man. That's a must. I don't suppose you know where I could find a volunteer?"
"Hmmm, dere are no volunteers for yah,but I will make sacrifice. I'm very good looking eh?" Winking at Kalizda he sucked down the last of the creme and fruit before he hastily rushed his dishes to the sink. "Yah already shower, or did yah save et for meh?" He wasn't going to be long, but he wouldn't mind if she joined him either. Illya reached up and gingerly rubbed the small dressing over the 3 stitches in the side of his head. It was a bit tender and he hadn't thought of it till he caught Kalizda staring at him. "Et's nut bad, jes itches."
She chuckled and nodded. "Aye only the best and I think you'll do just fine." When he was done, he zipped off to put the plates in the sink and she followed behind him. "Aye, I already showered because I had to bathe the kids too." As he was moving away, she caught him fiddling with the patch on his head where they had stitched him up and her smile wilted a little. "Aye, you shouldn't shower with them in for a few days though. " Her hand slipped to his back and rubbed very gingerly. "Maybe take your bucket instead and if you needed you could go to the pleasure house too."
"Ok, I jes get meh bucket and I be back in little bit. Yah have shep ready and when I come home I grab bags and we go eh?" Illya was already headed for the upstairs to collect his fresh clothing and his bucket with a few oils. He hadn't thought much of how sore he was until he was bending over looking for his bucket under the sink in the bathroom. It was somewhere in the bathroom and he couldn't seem to find it. After tearing through the entire cupboard under the sink he checked the linen closet and found his bucket in the top shelf with all the other odd items that Kalizda usually had him get out. Naturally, it was in the shelf she couldn't reach without a bench. The bucket was rarely used anyway. With his fresh clothes in hand and his bathing supplies Illya was ready to head to the bath house. "I be back en about 14 minutes." He didn't wait for Kalizda to say anything and he rushed out the door and ran all the way through the streets to the bathhouse, where he stripped promptly and waddled carefully over the wet floors of the bathhouse toward the spout on the men's side. It only took a few minutes to get his water mixed with his oils and splash his back with the rag and run his hands through his hair, wipe his face, arms, torso and the rest of himself down. With a quick rinse a the spout Illya jogged his way out of the bathing area and then slipped into his clothing. Wet spots began to form on the shirt since he hadn't bothered to get dry and he shoved his foot and prosthetic back into his boots before he ran back to the house and snatched the bags. It was a total of 12 minutes later. "Yah ready yet?"
She smiled when he went to get his bucket. If he needed to go to the pleasure house, she could and that was alright. Making up the flight time would be easy in the Silver Mountain. He announced he would be back in a few minutes and she nodded before making sure the dishes in the sink were scraped off. Then she checked the bags one more time to make sure they had everything they needed. It only took one quick message on her pad to have their ship on the flight docket. She busied herself with putting on a little makeup and making sure her clothes looked decent. She wasn't much of a primper, but she did want to look nice for this. She was half way through applying lipstick a thumping on the porch heralded Illya's return. Calysta poked her head out of the guest bathroom, scanning him over carefully. He was still wet behind the ears with his curls dripping oily water. "That was fast. Hang on." Another swipe of the lipstick over her bottom lip completed her make up and she strolled out of the bathroom. He looked very excited. but she couldn't tell if this was excitement for the trip or something else was going on. "And you're feeling alright? It's going to be a fair bit of walking where we're going."
It was somewhat surprising that Kalizda had all that time and she still wasn't ready. Illya never did understand what took women so long to get ready. "Yah look nice." That was a response he had learned well. When a woman took a long time it was best not to mention the wait and rather to compliment her efforts that caused the wait to be so long. "Yah need meh tah jes..." Before he could finish asking his question Kalizda asked if he was feeling alright and Illya narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yah tink I look sick? I feel little sore from seizure yesterday, but I'm fine." His muscles were always a little sore after a big one and his head hurt, but he wasn't going to say anything about the headache. "I can walk jes fine. Nut like I dun have legs."
He gave her a grumpy look which she combated with her own, stubborn gaze until he mentioned having legs. Her mouth twitched into a bit of a smile at that point. If he was saying he was alright, then he would be. "Aye, you've got two fine legs," she replied, "One just a bit warmer than the other." Chuckling, she leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "And I love them both. If you grab your bag, I'll grab mine and we can go to the ship for a nice flight."
"Ok." Illya answered with a nod and he snatched his bag up and then started out the door. When Kalizda joined him he grinned at her and then froze in place for a moment. After a few seconds passed he swayed a little on his feet and then began humming under his breath. He didn't really remember walking out of the house, but that was fine. They were on their way out for a party of sorts. "Yah tell meh about dis tradition eh?"
Calysta squeezed his hand and let him grab his bag as she pulled hers over her shoulder. This would a good day. She was determined that it would be. When Illya froze in place with his eyes glazed over, she stood stock still as well. It was more of a reflexive reaction to watching him have an absence seizure. He swayed on his feet some, and she began to wonder again if this was a bad idea. He wanted to come, but he clearly wasn't feeling quite right. Still, if an absence seizure was the worst of it, then they could get through the day. Clearing her throat, she walked alongside Illya who was, of all things, humming to himself, Suddenly, he asked about what they were doing and she titled her head to look at him. "We're going to the sanctuary on Moyrne," she said, "That's the biggest and most beautiful sanctuary and moon map on Kaereal. It's a sort of resort nowadays, but we're going for the Cycle Ceremony. It's for...every ten year anniversary."
Whatever the sanctuary was that Kalizda talked about Illya didn't know. He wasn't entirely sure that he even knew where the moon was that she was talking about. "So eh...." Ducking underneath the edge of the ship Illya glanced at her, "What es dis Cycle Ceremony. Es dere someting special I'm supposed tah do?"
Calysta's cheeks turned a little pink when he sounded confused but she managed a smile. "Aye, we'll climb the sanctuary steps at night when the moons come out and since we've been married ten years to the day, today. We'll say something for each step that made our marriage stronger. Or just something that you like. It's meant to strengthen for the next ten years and bring better luck in the moon phases. It's a bit odd, but I thought it couldn't hurt and it is part of Kaerelean tradition."
"Oh, dat's good tradition, I'm glad yah tell meh." Illya was inwardly panicking at the moment. It wasn't that they didn't have plenty of things that had strengthened their marriage, but with the memory loss and some problems remembering things on a short term basis he was sure he would repeat himself, or not have enough things to say. Perhaps he'd get the time frame mixed up before they were married. At least this way he had time to put some of these things down on his pad so he wouldn't be completely lost if he got on a stair and blanked out. Once they were seated in the ship Illya began working on the calculations for their destination. "How many steps are dere? I tink I like tah work on list of tings now and den I have some for now and extra so dat I have new list started for next 10 years eh?"
He seemed to like it and she smiled more broadly as they boarded the ship. Preparations for departure were so engrained between them, they went about their tasks without much thought over them. "It's an all inclusive sort of place and when the moons peak we'll have a dinner show and a bit of a party." When he asked about the stairs, she eased into the captains chair and began opening up the engines for take off as Illya made their course. . "Oh, it's only 10 this time. Next time we go it will be twenty and so on...its goes by how many years you've been married, yeah?" The sanctuary itself was massive, easily one of the tallest ancient buildings on Kaereal with more than just 10 steps, but the first ten would be theirs to tackle. The fact that he wanted to make a list sounded just like him. He liked lists but he also had some memory problems too. He wated to make this properly. "We could work on it together if you want. unless you want it to be a surprise."
"Es dere different levels or someting? How do we only get 10 steps dis time?" Illya was feeling more confused than anything after that short explanation, but if he had it figured right, she'd get to say five things and he'd get to say five things. That wasn't nearly as hard as he thought. "By dah way, yah know dat we will take very long time when we're old. We'll have tah start early so we can crawl up dah stairs hobble over to dah party."
"There are different levels," Calysta said, " the first 10 steps will take us to the second landing and we get to relax and enjoy everything there when we make it." At his comment about their age, she chuckled and set the auto pilot before looking at him. A silly sort of thought came to her mind and she shuffled out of her seat much like an old granny and inched over to him. "We might take all day but it will be worth it," she smiled, kissing his cheek, "And we can take as many breaks as we want on the way up, yeah? Wouldn't want those old knees getting too tired too soon." She made her knees wobble, purposely bumping into him playfully on her way toward the living room.
It all made more sense and Illya nodded as he finished his calculations. Once he was done he noticed Kalizda was walking weird. At first Illya frowned and he started to get up before he realized she was acting like an old lady. "Oh hell, dat's nut how et looks. Yah gotta walk like dis." Stooping slightly Illya walked with his feet close to the ground and let the hitch in his step get more obvious. "Or, I guess ef yah walk like meh et jes looks like yah shet yah pants."
Illya frowned at her for a moment before catching on and she laughed at his own demonstration. He really did look like he had left a load in the rear of his pants, a thought which was both funny and probably truthful if they made it to that age. "I think my granny shuffle is just right," she snickered, inching onward at a snails pace, "Unless you really do have shit in your pants." She wobbled her way to the couch and plopped down with a little more gusto than she cared to admit before grinning to Illya. "Maybe we'll just get ourselves some of those fancy hover chairs and zip around all day. I'll be too old to want to stay in one place for too long." She wiggled her brow at him and held out a hand for him to join here. "C'mere old man, Illya."
"Fancy hover chairs, nah!" Illya grumbled a bit while he went along still pretending to be old. "When I was a boy yah had tah make on yah own two feet and I dun intend tah quit." He was more than happy to crack jokes about getting old and then Kalizda called him old. "We'll jes see how old yah tink I am after we have some fun tahnight."
"Yeah, I tink dats a challenge. Yah jes gotta see ef yah have enough energy tah keep up wit meh. I tink maybe we try someting different." Illya had no idea what he would try different, but it sounded good and if he said that she'd probably get ideas too. It was fun to be a little bit creative in bed sometimes and he was feeling adventuresome.
She laughed lightly and her cheeks turned pink despite the fact she was trying to look more confident. "Oh I think I'll find more than enough energy to keep you on your toes," she replied, "Maybe I'll find a few things to try for us if you can keep up." She liked challenging him like this. It always put a little sparkle in his eye. He looked forward to a healthy competition and so did she, if she were being entirely honest. "We have a few hours before we land," she added, "Then we'll have to get dressed for the ceremony." A moment passed, and she glanced up at him from her spot on the couch. "I'm glad you picked up the bag...and the chair this morning to come with me."
Illya was about ready to lean in for a kiss when she started to give him that look. She was about to say something and so Illya settled with scooting in closer to her. "Mmhm. Dah chair was dah most important part. I needed someting tah sit on."
Calysta rolled her eyes at his smart reply and laughed a little. He was scooting closer and she knew he might just want to laze around with her for awhile, but he was looking like he might be on a mission of another kind. She picked up his hand and bound it up with both of hers with gentle squeeze. before stealing a little kiss on his lips. Usually, it was easier to reach his cheek when he was standing up but when he was sitting down, she could get much closer to him for proper kisses. "We wouldn't want you to be chairless," she chuckled, as her little fingers played with his hair. It was relieving to be this close. "I've been planning this for a long time, yeah? Anything you want tonight. Dancing, food and me, yeah?
A big grin came to Illya's face and he couldn't help making another smart remark. "I offer yah dah same ting. Yah can have all dah dancing yah want, food and yah especially have a lot of meh ef yah want et all. I'm gonna bet yah do. Hard tah resist when dere's so much of meh tah love." Returning Kalizda's kiss he pulled her closer and then relaxed into the couch. "I like all of yah whenever yah have meh. Maybe we jes take little nap on dah couch and yah jes be close while we talk until we fall asleep, or land."
That big, wolfish grin came to his lips and she couldn't help but let the sight make her feel giddy. He was always up to something and when that look came out, he was feeling alright. "Oh aye," she chuckled, "My big Chip is hard to resist and I'm a wife who wants him all for her." He kissed her and they leaned back into the couch. Her head rested against his warm chest and she could feel his heart thumping in a strong, steady beat. Calysta let go of his hand just long enough to slightly tuck in under his arm and nodded in contentment. As long as he was comfortable, she was more than happy to lounge around with him. "Mmm...I like that idea." She closed her eyes, but continued to tell him a little more about where they were going. "Kaereleans have been going here for a very long time, since before flight, if you count the time when it was just the locals who built the sanctuary. It's closer to the equator and on a mountainous continent...lots of trees and jungle vines. They grow tyrei stripe flowers too. The whole places smells just a little sweet...I went once but I didn't go to the sanctuary because..." A yawn interrupted her and she shifted down further into his arm more out of habit than anything. "I wasn't married..." It wasn't long before she drifted off, having been up early that morning with all the kids and up late the night before.
With Kalizda laying over his chest and her legs sitting on top his, Illya listened to her tell him about the ceremony. It was nice for a change to rest like this without having any of the kids around, or any worries. She was relaxed for a change too. Illya had noticed she was getting more and more exhausted looking over the last few weeks and she needed this more than he did. Illya closed his eyes and tried to rest, but it didn't seem likely. Eventually he decided he would begin working through some of the Kaerelean grammar in his head and that did the trick. Within a few minutes his thinking slowed down until it melded into a boring sort of dream.
It wasn't until Calysta heard the chime echo over the ship that she stirred, grumbling a bit over the broken nap. Then it came crashing down onto her semi-conscious brain where they were going. Her eyes flew open and she nudged Illya gently. "Mmmm we have land the ship. We're here." She told him with a growing smile on her face and then launched up to scurry her way to the cockpit. Landing in the Silver Mountain was always easy and she sat them down in the tiny port along side dozens of other ships who had made their reservations. A dock worker came around and made moored their ship properly as Calysta gave him instructions over of the intercom. In the distance she could see the solidly green mountain top surrounded by floating bits of continent that at loosened over time. It gave the effect that the mountain itself was an anchor in the sky. When that was done, she dashed back to their bedroom. They had arrived a little after mid day and they would need their bags for the hike into the mountains. "Do you need anything off the ship, Illya? We wont be coming back until tomorrow!" He answered and she nodded, grabbing up her backpack and eagerly jetting to the door. The air was humid but not entirely too hot outside. Still, with a good hike into the mountains they would be a little sweaty depending on the pace. There was a thin cobblestone path that snaked it's way into the passes which was the path they were meant to take. Hitching her backpack higher on her shoulders, she stayed with Illya's pace until the path began to grow too steep and her body felt sluggish. "We're almost there," she said, mustering a smile. It took another 30 minutes before they turned the corner and a tall, pink stone temple towered ahead of them. The top was shrouded in bit of mist from the mountain top but at its base was clearly the sanctuary. It was managed much like a resort or spa with beautifully manicured trees and flowers growing along trellices over their heads. A greeter approached them and bowed before waving them toward their room. "It is an honor to meet the General and Council woman," she said in smooth traders tongue, "Please come this way." Their room was a crisp smelling bungalow with a big, soft bed and a view over one of the valleys. Everything was laid out for the them from towels to fresh water and flowers. "Please take your time and if you would like, the spa will take you at any time."
The nudge to his chest was a little surprising and Illya jumped slightly. His knees had started to pull toward his chest and he was ready to roll off the couch and take action, but it wasn't anything urgent. Stopping mid flip from the couch he grinned at her. "Dat's all eh?" Illya figured he'd get away with his bit of jumpy nature with a joke better than he would if he pretended it didn't exist. "I guess we better get tah work den." He didn't take long to figure the landing calculations and then he got up to go get his pack and things ready. Illya wasn't sure how long the stay would be, but he figured the bag Kalizda packed would have the essentials in it. Wherever Kalizda kept her bag she was a bit faster collecting it and when he stepped out of the ship with his pack he saw she was eagerly waiting to begin the journey. At first he tried to offer to take her pack, but she seemed determined to do it for herself. For the time he let her have it until it was clear she was tired. "Give et to meh. I jes carry et. I dun need meh little bird flopping before we have a chance tah try out dose new moves." With a wink he took hold of the pack and helped her take it off. It wasn't that heavy, but it was probably plenty heavy for her. There wasn't much further to go and when they arrived Illya nodded to the greeter and then followed her to the room. Inside the room Illya scanned to be sure he was familiar with all the exits before he set the packs down. "Looks nice. I tink dis es good place tah have party for 10 years."
She was tired by the time they got to the room and the offer of a spa visit sounded enticing already, but she wasn't going to zip off without Illya for a second. He seemed to approve of the room and she smiled brightly. " I picked this one myself and I hoped you would like it." Wandering over to him, she slipped an arm around his waist and rubbed his back gently. "We have an hour or so before we need to get ready, are you hungry or do you want to explore a little?"
Instinctively Illya tensed some when her fingers rubbed over his back again. After napping on the couch his back was a bit more sore than he'd thought it would be. "Eh..." Meeting Kalizda's gaze he grinned. "Well, I tink yah ought tah show meh someplace we can relax ef yah like. Yah look tired and I tink we will have more time later tah explore and maybe some tomorrow before we leave."
His request was a simple one and she nodded in agreement. While she did feel tired, she hadn't thought that she looked that tired. Was it really that noticeable? Had the make up not covered up enough? She kept those thoughts to herself and took up her Chips hand before leading him out to their balcony. A large swing chair was hung from the balcony cover and it looked like a prime place to nap in the warm for awhile. "I think right here would be good," she said, pointing to the swing, "It might come in handy later too, yeah?" About that time, a brief knock on their door interrupted any sort of settling in they had. "Councilwoman, I've brought something complimentary from the kitchens for you and the General." Their concierge from early sounded pleasant and patient on the other side of the door. When they answered, the small Kaerelean held out a silver tray of fruits and a bottle of omne wine. "For you council woman, we hope you enjoy your stay."
They barely reached the balcony and Kalizda was suggesting they use the swing later. Illya thought about cracking a joke, but their hosts came to the door with something complimentary. Whenever there was something complimentary it made Illya feel a bit wary. Staring at the little tray he frowned. "I tink et smells fine, but dat dun mean much." Glancing back to the swing he chuckled. "I guess we find out later tahnight. Drink a little and den go swing around on dat ting out dere and see ef we get sick." It was just a funny image in his head and he couldn't figure out why he couldn't get it out of his head either.
The woman stood there with the tray in her hand looking bewildered, and Calysta finally came over to take the offerings. "I think it will be fine, but the wine won't be necessary. I'm not a drinker you see," she said, "We'll gladly take the fruit and send that bottle of wine to someone who will enjoy it, yeah?" The concierge nodded, her trained smile returning before she left with the wine in hand. Illya's comment about drinking and getting sick for fun bothered her a little but she didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled and lead him back to the balcony. "I think there might be a better use for it. Like right now we could just rest up and kiss a little, yeah?"
Kalizda's little comment about not being a drinker was mostly true, but it was surprising that she gave the alcohol away. It was likely the best part of the whole complimentary tray. Illya waited till after the lady left and the food was set down before he grabbed a small piece of fruit and nibbled on it. "I dun tink ets poisoned. Jes had tah make sure." It was partly in jest, but he liked to make sure before she started eating stuff. Following Kalizda back out to the swing Illya sat in it with her and rocked back and forth. "We could kiss too. Dat's pretty good plan."
Calysta let Illya test as he would and was grateful he didn't seem to object about sending the wine away. Maybe he was starting to get a bit better about maintaining his sobriety. This little trip would be a small and literal dry run of bigger trips where alcohol will be available. She would have to watch him carefully on that matter. He tried a piece of the fruit and seemed to approve so she took a piece and settled down with him on the swing which gave a heavy groan under their weight. "I thought you might like that idea," she smiled before kissing him, "I don't need anything but you to enjoy this, yeah?" She kissed him again and kept right on going for a long moment before letting him go.
There wasn't any protesting the kisses from Kalizda and Illya grinned. "Es dis what yah call relaxing?" Adjusting how he was sitting he cleared his throat and decided to move more toward the center of the swing. With too much weight on one side he was sure that the swing would not fare well. "What ef I bend dah frame?" Suddenly he started to chuckle. "I'm jes too fat. Dey will tink dat dere was man so big he could nut get close enough tah show proper affection for his wife. I always wondered how very fat people do dat."
He was inching close to her on the swing, causing it to rock back and forth in a way it probably shouldn't have, but the thing held solid some how. His little comment about being fat enough to bend the frame made her chuckle between kisses. He was being somewhat random and she wondered briefly if his brain was still reeling from the day before, or maybe she had been moving so fast the last few weeks she had forgotten how to listen. Her little hands drifted over his and she spread her fingers over his knuckles, comparing the two sizes as she chuckled. "Ooh if we bend the frame, we'll have to make it a mystery. You can just tell them it was your wife's fault. Too..." she paused, trying not to laugh and hoping to be more bold, "Vigorous." The comment about the fat people made her laugh in confusion partially but it was still a funny thought and she wiggled her brows. "I can't say I've ever thought of the mechanics for that...but I've found anything is possible in zero gravity, yeah?"
"Dat would be a good excuse." Illya smirked. "I tell dem dat yah very vigorous." Swinging gently on the suspended chair he stared out over the valley below them. Mostly he could see mist, but there were patches with trees visible and he liked that. It felt like they were somehow in their own little castle, or fortress. "So do we only come here dis time, or do we come back again?" He wondered if she wanted to keep the tradition, or if this was just a one time shot. Perhaps she was trying it out to see if he liked it. "Kaereleans have some strange ideas, but some of dem are good.Dis es a good one. I tink ets like someting Chippequoti should do."
They got quiet for a moment and that was alright. She enjoyed just being with him in the quiet too with no expectation between them other than just to be. Her head drifted over to his shoulder as the seat swayed and her fingers tickled at his palm. He asked if they would come back again and then said something that surprised her. It was a rare moment when he said that Chippeqouti should adopt an outside tradition. He must have really liked this one! Her chin tilted up and she smiled at him. "In ten years we come back and take ten more steps," she replied, "And then go for ten more." Shifting a little, she leaned up to kiss him. "And with each decade we grow a little more. We'll be married long enough to reach the top and then start all over again." They sat in the quiet for a little while longer and she was happy passing the time with him. There hadn't been a lot of simple talking between them in the last few months and she soaked in the moment as much as she could until a bell chimed over the sanctuary. When had it become closer to the evening? The light was golden through the trees but it was inching toward the horizon. "Ooh. I think it's time to go get ready," she said, "I have someone coming to do my hair and it might take a minute. Will you wait for me in the garden if you're done before I am?" She imagined he would be, but she figured she would make sure he knew where to go.
Illya wouldn't have wanted to admit it, but he was getting a headache and the back pain was almost enough to make him want to just go lay down. For the time it seemed that Kalizda was ok with just being quiet and that was fine. He wasn't going to want to move too much for now. In the middle of the quiet the bell rang and Illya looked at Kalizda. "Wha..." Before he could finish asking her what it meant she was telling him. Apparently they were being told it was time to get dressed up fancy and eat. It sounded like Kalizda was going to have him go out to the gardens while she had her hair made. With a nod he got up and opened his bag. Inside he found a nice looking Chip style suit for himself. Slipping into the clothes Illya grabbed his hair oil and smoothed his hair. It wasn't going to behave, but that was normal. As soon as he had finished Illya looked over at Kalizda. "I can make yah hair like Chip woman wit braids."
Calysta rose from the seat and stretched a little before wandering into their room where the air was cooler. Her hair was one of the few things that made her feel feminine and she liked to dress it up from time to time. It was much easier than make up even if she wasn't good at it every time. As she began sorting out her items the stylist would put in her hair, Calysta saw Illya's head poke into their bathroom with a surprising offer. She had brought a little something that wasn't entirely Kaerelean in tradition to wear and some how Chip style braids sounded nice. "You can braid?" she asked tilting her head, "Are you sure you want to?"
"I can braid. Isla make meh learn when I lived at home for long time. She told meh et was good for meh hands."Grinning a little he walked over to Kalizda, "I tink et would be good for meh hands tah make yah hair. Yah jes go kneel on bed so I can stand behind yah and braid yah hair witout bending over for long time." Bending over for a long time sounded painful at this point and he figured if he could stand while he made her hair it would be better. Once Kalizda was up on the bed Illya began working her hair with his fingers first. After a few moments he stepped over to his bag and grabbed some hair oil to rub on his hands before working them through her hair again. Once her curls were softened with the oil he began to grab portions of her hair and twist them together. Every now and then he'd stop and ask for a hairband, or one of her little jewels to put in her hair. It took almost half an hour to make her hair, but Illya liked the
braid he made for her. "Now yah look in dah mirror and use dah extra one tah look at the dah back of yah hair." Standing aside he waited expectantly for her to say what she thought of his work.
Calysta smiled and wandered over to the bed. There would have been a point in time where the mention of Isla with fondness might have stung some, but that didn't happen anymore. If Illya had learned from Isla how to braid, then he probably was decent at it too. The woman had high standards and he would have learned well. She gathered up the little fire opals for her hair and knelt on the bed. There was something relaxing in the way he began working her curly strands of hair, she could feel the braid coming together slowly and she closed her eyes. With every clip or tie he asked for, she grew more curious as she handed off the item over her shoulder until he was done. He said she could go look and with almost child-like enthusiasm she scurried of the bed and into the bathroom where a big mirror and hand held mirror waited. Whatever Isla had taught him had indeed been learned well. The delicate braids were twisted into a intricate design, showing off her neck. It was elegant, especially with the stones which only showcased his work further. A surprised but pleased look beamed across her face as she surveyed the back. "It must have taken a long time to learn," she marveled, "It's beautiful." Sliding over to him, she stood on her toes and gave him a lingering little kiss. "Thank you, love. I'll look like Chip woman tonight." She winked at him and then went to go get dressed quickly. Her
dress was simple, thankfully, and glimmered with beadwork in the low lighting. It was bold by Kaerelean standards with red and gold fabric and would certainly cause a stir. When she was done dressing, she put on her gold and red necklace again, the one that Illya had given her nearly seven years ago, and stepped out into the bedroom again with his same, red wedding sash in her hands. "You get to wear this again," she smiled. Without hesitation, she looped it around his waist and tied it gently before stepping back to give him a look. "You still make that sash look amazing."
The way that Kalizda practically jumped off the bed made Illya wonder. Did she feel cautious about her hair and wanted to have time to make it differently if she didn't like the braid? Silently he waited until she beamed up at him and stood on her toes. Whenever she stood like that with a slight pucker to her lips it was his cue to bed over a bit so she could kiss him. Carefully wrapping an arm around Kalizda's waist Illya plucked her off the ground for the kiss. It was easier to have a nice kiss if he wasn't bent over for the whole thing. When she seemed to be done with the kissing Illya set her down again and she said something he wasn't expecting. At first Illya narrowed his eyes and grinned. She was probably teasing him. While Kalizda was getting dressed Illya decided to lay on the bed. It was nice she packed him something that would be comfortable. The Chippequoti dress suit was at least familiar feeling. The creak of the bathroom door announced Kalizda's re-entrance to the bedroom and Illya sat up. Immediately his eyebrows rose and he grinned broadly. "Oooh." Almost entirely dumbstruck he looked her over a few times before he could manage to say anything. "Wow. Yah jes look so beautiful. I dun tink yah would ever wear someting like dis for meh." Scooting off the bed he walked over to Kalizda and found she was looping the sash around his waist. It wasn't traditional for the Chippequoti, but he didn't mind. "Like one dat I wear when we first get agreed eh? Maybe dis es dah same one?"
If she could have captured the look he gave her on a hologram she would have. His entire expression lit up in wonder...and it was because of her. That thought alone brought a rosiness to her cheeks as she swished in the skirts and tied his sash. She knew he meant every word. Calysta chuckled a little as she took up his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I like to think I can surprise you still from time to time," she replied, "That is the sash you wore when we first agreed too." She started leading him to the door, her excitement growing clearly on her face. "My dress didn't fit anymore after my surgery, but your sash will always fit and I've kept it wherever we've gone. It's traditional to do that and even though it isn't the fanciest out there, I wanted you to be able to wear again if you wanted to do this with me." She gave him a smile, knowing exactly how sappy she sounded, and offered to lead them through the door. "Are you ready?"
Illya let his big, brown hand envelope her pale, tiny fingers when she squeezed his fingers. Nodding at her statement he answered, "Mmhmmm. I tink dah sash es good. Dey know I belong to meh Kalizda den." With a slight hitch and jaunt to his step Illya joined Kalizda at the door and they stepped out together. It seemed that there were several others as they walked for the steps that had only just stepped out too. Most of the people were dressed in more plain outfits and none of them had gold. There were a few staring at Illya and most of them at Kalizda. Stares ranged from shocked to disapproval, but Illya didn't mind. Glancing down at Kalizda he grinned broadly like a teenage boy. She was so beautiful and she looked like a Chip woman. At the first step Illya took a deep breath. "Meh Kalizda es brave woman like no oter and she cares for our people." That was perhaps one of the strongest points that had brought him closer to her to start with. "Dat's dah kind of tings we say at dah steps yeah?"
Calysta could feel the eyes on her almost immediately when they left the room. The dress was entirely eye catching and while some Kaereleans might think it was over the top, she didn't quite care. It was the look she was getting from her husband that made it worth the while. He kept glancing down at her with giddy grins that she hadn't seen in a long time. They walked down the smooth stone path and came up to the base of the multi-tiered temple. It was laced with beautiful vines filed with flowers all the way up and everywhere couples were taking their steps together. The steps had been worn smooth with thousands of years of use, their sharp edges worn to rounded ones, but that made things easier. She faced him with her skirts trailing at her ankles and held his hands at the base of the first stair. When he spoke, she smiled and nodded. "Aye, that's a good start." With a small breath, Calysta glanced down at the step and picked up her skirts before scaling up the stones, then offered her hand to him. "Now, we help each other up one stair at a time. Just like in marriage, yeah?" When he was on the second stair with her, she tooks his hands again and swallowed a little. She wasn't nervous so much as she simply wanted to make sure she conveyed everything she could to him. "Illya, you are the bravest person I've ever met. It takes so much courage to be here with me in a land you didn't know, and a people you didn't know, and when we first married I was the proudest woman in the galaxy." Squeezing his hands, she smiled up at him and nodded. "And I still am."
With a grin Illya took the step first this time and then helped Kalizda up. The steps looked to be much larger than normal steps and they were likely more work for her to take than they were for him. With each step they would have something to say and Illya only had to think a little longer with the last one. There were a few things he wanted to say, but the last one had to be the most important and he wanted to say it in Kaerelean for her. "Calysta Marie Monroe, yah stand by meh trough all dah hard times and even now. Yah deserve all dat I can give yah and dat includes meh trust." He really meant it and he didn't mind if everyone could hear and understand what he meant. She had more than earned all of his trust.
With each step they took, they grew a little higher and of all the things he could have said on his last stair, she knew this one was the hardest. It was the hardest earn and the best built over many hours of joy and more than enough heartache too. She wasnt much of a crier at moments like this but knowing that he trusted her was more than just saying he loved her. Sometimes you couldnt help who you loved but you chose who you trusted and he had chosen her. It was big for him and she met him with the only answer she could which was to leap to the next stair and wrap her arms around his neck in a kiss long enough to make anyone blush. Then she beamed at him with her eyes shining. "And you have mine. My heart and my trust and when things get hard, I trust you and come to you so we can work together." It wasnt always the easiest for her to do that but it was something she was working on. He should know that he wasnt alone without doubt and he had her without hesitation. They finished the last stair and before them waited a buffet of delicious foods and dancing among other games. "Are you ready?" She asked.
With the final step Kalizda leaped up and kissed him unashamedly on the lips. He wasn't quite expecting her to grab him around the neck and he grunted a little at first, but he wasn't about to refuse that kind of kiss either. When the kiss drew to an end Illya took a deep breath and then winked at her. "I wasn't expecting dat one." Grabbing one of her hands he nodded, "Oh I tink I'm ready for us tah have little party." With a playful grin he growled, "I'm ready for food too, like hungry wolf." However, he was going to watch and make sure she ate a decent amount of food. Her size was a bit more slender than he'd remembered and her beautiful dress made it plain to him that she needed weight.