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Post by Kodakai on Feb 23, 2022 20:16:30 GMT -6
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 30, 2022 22:20:53 GMT -6
Kodakai had arrived early, as he often did, and was laying on a large, flat rock that jutted out from the riverbed. It was a nice place to rest with a good view of the shallow waters below. He watched silently as one fish after another danced through the water, nibbling on a plant or bug now and then before continuing their aimless quest.
“Dad!” He was surprised by the sudden sound, but his reaction to it was instant. He turned his head and his pensive expression relaxed immediately into a smile.
“Hey beautiful,” he said as he climbed down from his perch. His long tail swished behind him as he practically bounced toward Nomihara. He lovingly pressed his nose against hers and closed his eyes. “It’s good to see you,” he said.
“Daaad,” she said with a whine. “Don’t embarrass me.”
“Oh, but you are beautiful, and it is good to see you,” he refuted. There was a hint of a smirk on his face. He knew she hated being complimented like that, but he couldn’t resist.
1 - Wet Season [2.35, 10.2] LjKv9PcK
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 30, 2022 22:21:50 GMT -6
“Right…” she said, not wanting to egg him on any more than she already had. “It’s good to see you, too, dad.”
Nomi slowly walked over and pulled herself up onto the rock he had been laying on just before. It was still warm where he had been sitting, and she smiled softly to herself when she noticed it. She could remember being just a little hatchling, and how her father seemed so big and like he knew everything. Now she was taller than he was, though she was still not entirely sure about the ‘knows everything’ part.
Koda assumed that her reaction meant that she was done with the banter. He went around the other side of the rock and climbed up so he could lay next to her. He, too, had a brief moment of wistfulness as he remembered what it was like when she would curl up against him as a hatchling. Those days were so long ago, but the memory was as bright as ever.
2 [2.4, 10.4] 6clKxaXN
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Mar 30, 2022 23:45:55 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned from the surface of a gently-moving part of the river...
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 31, 2022 5:52:27 GMT -6
“You must tell me,” Koda said. Nomi was immediately suspicious based on his tone, but she let him continue. “How have you been since I last visited? … Any new mates in your life, perhaps?”
“Dad!” Nomi shouted, half-choking on thin air. “I.. well I could ask you the same thing!”
“Fair enough,” he said with a shrug. He had meant it as a joke, of course, so he didn’t let the sting of her rebuttal get to him. “Well then, something more worthy of being spoken about, perhaps. Have you finished any good books lately?”
She was still angry with him for having the audacity to ask about her love life, but the topic shift softened her expression. He really knew how to get to her, didn’t he? She smiled, and thought about things she had read recently.
“Well, you know, I’ve been interested in old books about the sea, lately,” Nomi mused aloud.
3 [2.45, 10.6] yRr1|HCg
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 31, 2022 5:53:30 GMT -6
“I cannot say I am surprised,” Koda said, laughing under his breath. It made sense to him that she would like books about the sea, given their heritage.
“There are these people, you know, they call themselves pirates, and there is a lot of literature about their adventures. They are considered to be morally dubious characters, but generally the books paint them as a team of unlikely heroes. I think it’s fun,” she concluded.
“Pirates were known to be thieves and killers, were they not?” Koda asked. He had a passing familiarity with the topic, but clearly he wasn’t interested in the genre as she was. Nonetheless, he wanted to entertain her and give her a chance to speak about her passions.
“That’s what makes it fascinating,” she said. “They primarily steal from rich traders, and they build a sort of… family, I suppose. A bunch of down-on-their-luck folk, banding together against high society. Quite captivating.”
4 [2.5, 10.8] Br0SJuBD
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Mar 31, 2022 12:50:10 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned from the surface of a gently-moving part of the river...
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 31, 2022 14:41:13 GMT -6
“I see,” he said with a nod. He didn’t really understand the draw, but he was glad that she liked it, at least. He could see why the idea of building a family out of strangers appealed to her. She always was the sort to help those in need, even if she didn’t seem like it at times.
“Well, what about you, then?” she asked.
“It has been difficult, but rewarding,” he said. He was referring to the library, of course. Every conversation he was having nowadays seemed to center around it. No doubt it was what Nomi was asking about as well.
“Are the people taking to it well, then?” she asked. People were a funny sort, so she wondered what it was like to spend so much time in the city, and to build something like the library there. Not that she was really that interested in going there herself and finding out.
5 [2.55, 11] NHfg5Z3Q
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Post by Kodakai on Mar 31, 2022 14:41:44 GMT -6
“As well as can be expected,” Koda said. He couldn’t say that everything was completely smooth sailing, but he was happy with how things were going. It wasn’t exactly the same as it’s canyon counterpart, but he was starting to feel like Twisted Tails was a kind of second home for him.
Seeing how well Rukare, Shaiko, and Aurali took to their positions also made him feel good about his decision to include them. They weren’t especially keen on people, but giving them a reason to interact with them was clearly working. Even if Rukare did often serve them things they couldn’t actually eat. She would probably figure it out eventually.
In a way, it was just the same as its sister here in the canyon. He had watched his kin band together to build something amazing, and they had done such an incredible job that he didn’t even need to be there to oversee it any more. Would the library in the city be the same? Someday it, too, would outlive its need for him. For that matter, it would probably also literally outlive him, standing tall long after he had passed on.
6 [2.6, 11.2] fM3is9YG
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Yang
Flea Market Artist
Posts: 1,001
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Post by Yang on Mar 31, 2022 23:53:05 GMT -6
Something can be gleaned from the rushing water...
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Post by Ashe on Apr 1, 2022 0:28:53 GMT -6
A cute little fish seems curious!
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Post by Kodakai on Apr 7, 2022 22:44:03 GMT -6
The idea was intriguing, but Koda wasn’t interested in things like legacy. He really just wanted to improve the lives of all the curious people in the world, human, Draconic, or otherwise. It was something he thought about a lot, especially when things were going… less than ideal. A strong belief in what he was doing gave him the strength to get through any troubles, but he also understood that he needed to constantly reevaluate his position, lest he let his own stubbornness cloud his judgment.
“Do the people like to learn about our culture?” Nomi asked. She had always been curious about people and what they were like, but perhaps that was unique to her. Did they feel the same way about her and her culture? It was interesting to think about.
“Some of them,” Koda said with a nod. What a noncommittal answer. He knew that Nomi wouldn’t let that go, so he elaborated. “People have many different interests, as you might expect. I find that not many of the citizens of the city are interested in our history - unless they happen to have a bond or otherwise spend time in the canyon.”
7 [2.65, 11.4] hfuCd|Hb
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Post by Kodakai on Apr 7, 2022 22:44:26 GMT -6
“I know that information is a bit disappointing, but I think we can change their minds.”
Nomi thought about what he said for a moment before speaking. It was disappointing, but the hopeful way he suggested that they changed it made her feel excited. Like she had a chance to do something about it.
“Is that what you intend to do, then? With the library?” she asked.
“It is not that simple,” Koda said, “but yes, through education, people will naturally become more curious. I hope this allows us to break down some of the barriers that sat between our cultures for all these years. The citizens of the city are already more accomplished in this area than their ancestors, after all. Many of them have at least an idea of who we are, and some are even bonded.”
“Just think,” she said, standing up and stretching out her long body. “If we can just change their minds, what would that new world look like?”
8 [2.7, 11.6] waVczwOa
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Post by Kodakai on Apr 7, 2022 22:44:52 GMT -6
“Perhaps it is you who needs to change their mind,” Koda said. Whether or not he really believed that was unclear.
Nomi turned to look at him and frowned slightly. What was he saying? She really didn’t like to be told that she was wrong, but he rarely said things just to annoy her. He was trying to make a point, to make her think. She snorted and hopped off the rock into the river.
Her claws fell through the water and quickly sunk into the silty riverbed. The water rushed around her legs and up over the end of her tail. She swayed her tail idly behind her, enjoying the feeling of the water flowing over it from different angles.
She pushed the sand around with her front claws, watching the cloud of mud rise up into the water and be slowly swept away by the current. The calming shallow water was nice, but feeling it touch her scales only made her yearn for more.
9 [2.75, 11.8] 5PQ3l9nC
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Post by Kodakai on Apr 7, 2022 22:49:10 GMT -6
Koda could tell that Nomi was done talking about the complex nature of people, so he slowly climbed down the rock he was perched on and joined her in the river. She had jumped down all in one swift motion, but he took his time. Especially these days, he saw no need to hurry.
“Look,” Koda whispered. He pointed with his claw to a nearby cluster of rocks where the river was bouncing away and dancing in a series of chaotic little loops.
Nomi squinted in the direction of the rocks, but the shifting currents made it difficult for her to see what was going on. She took a few cautious steps forward to get a better look. Once she got closer, she could see that Koda was pointing at a tiny fish being tossed about by the currents. It struggled against the water to find the right way up, but as soon as it moved one way, the flow of the river pushed it back.
10 [2.8, 12] rfLZgi5G
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