Beach break? ((For desertdancer))

[coldsong]

It's taken a long chat at the Christmas party, several subsequent exchanges of messages, and one additional meeting in person, but at last Loki feels comfortable bringing his group of children away from the Nexus and into Khai's world as invited. He feels as though he knows very little about the culture and planet they're visiting, but he is sure enough that the Au Ra is well-intentioned that he is willing to stake his life and his children on it. Coming from a being as knee-jerk suspicious as Loki, that says quite a bit.

They arrive through the gateway in a little group, Loki carrying a squirmy, fussy Eindrid who doesn't understand where they're going and why he has to have sunblock, shades, and a sunhat. The girls are hand in hand, wearing matching sundresses (yellow with blue flowers) and carrying novelty luggage. Sigrid's has Disney princesses on it; Una's is a violet unicorn.

Bringing up the rear, Agnarr is the oldest and ostensibly the most responsible. He's carrying Eindrid's bag, but of all of them he looks the most uncertain, apprehensive in the face of a foreign situation.

Comments

[desertdancer]

The shy act just earned delighted laughter from the three, one of the two who looked rather close to how Khaishan did other than height and horn shape patting the expanse of rock beside them as their brother was taking Eindrid's hand to lightly guide him up the slippery stone.

"I'm Kheii, that's Kharii, and the redhead is Toqaii!" She introduced them all, tone cheery. "You must be Eindrid! Shanii was telling us that you like fishing!"

It was likely somewhat forward. Likely not what normal society would expect. But then Zhentani was a mother through and through, and for all Loki was obviously an adult, capable in his own right, he needed that right now, especially at the mention of spirits. She let out a soft sound of tongue against the back of teeth, a quiet thing as she set her own cup aside, up out of her own chair easily enough to lean in and give him a hug, all steady solid warmth.

"I think she would be proud of you. How far you've come, the lessons you've learned." A faint smile in the gentle tone. "A goddess of wisdom would know that you cannot rush such understanding after all."

[coldsong]

Eindrid is never going to be able to remember those names, but he'll absorb the faces fast. Chances are he'll be giving hugs by the end of the day. He does take a moment to look back and make sure of where Loki is, but then he lets Khaishan lead him onto the rock, beaming at the ladies. "Fiss," he confirms, and then looks out over the water. "An' boats wit sails."

Loki makes a soft, surprised grunt at the hug, but melts into it quickly and without question. The support and contact actually eases back his inclination to weep, which is probably for the best, and he sighs and lets his eyes close.

"You don't know the half of what I've done before," he tells her. "I've had a lot to learn."

He needs the comfort too much to shove it aside, though, and despite the fact he's known her less than an hour, he finds himself hugging back. "I miss her...but I've started to see her in my brother. And that is some reassurance."

[desertdancer]

No one would fault Eindrid for having trouble with so many names. One, there were a lot of them at once, and two? He was just a little kid.

"Boats with sails, hm?" Kheii commented as Khaishan was settling to sit, giving a spot near him an inviting pat for Eindrid before he was rummaging for lures for the pair of them. Something that would catch the eye of some of the more colorful fish maybe, that would certainly entertain the boy. "Well you can see all sorts of fishing skiffs out on the water. And every so often you can see the big ship the Fisher's Guild charters to go out in the really deep water going by!"

"Everyone has a past, and it's often as not, a rather unpleasant one," Zhentani hummed, glad that the embrace seemed to be helping, a hand lightly running over his hair in that motherly reflex. "And I bet your brother sees some of her in you as well. Those we love tend to stay with us like that."

[coldsong]

"Bee boat," the toddler says, looking out over the water almost solemnly. He can't articulate the feeling of familiarity or memory, but Khaishan at least has been told of the family connection to the sea. Ein knows his father isn't out there fishing--his speech is more delayed than his understanding--but looking out into the water for his boat feels good.

Loki's shoulders relax at the maternal caress. A big part of him feels he should not indulge himself so; they're here for the children, not him. He can rationalize that away, though. It would be rude to refuse such kindness, and whatever else he may be, he's not usually unmannerly.

"I hope he does. He always mentions how I was closer to her, but I think he takes after her more."

[desertdancer]

"You'll know it for sure when you see it." Khaishan hummed, as he was setting Eindrid's line with one of the lures, a shiny little thing with a spray of thin, colorful feathers. He'd given the basic idea of what had happened to his siblings, if only so they knew what subjects to be gentle about, but kept it to broad strokes. There was no need to spread the children's pain around, and the basic idea was enough. "Sometimes they'll bring back fish so big that it'll be hanging along the side of the boat, and have a big fish fry over on the main beach."

"Things are funny like that," Zhentani mused, sensing that relaxation. There was no reason in her mind that Loki couldn't accept that affection- his children were well minded after all, and he too had been through loss and pain. "I look at the triplets, Khaishan especially, and see so much of my late husband in them. Almost like a mirror in some ways. But then there are times that I might say or do something that one of them look at me and I can tell that they're seeing their father in me. People leave an impression on us, especially those we're close to."