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

[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."