RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

Clover · **04-07-2014, 09:59 AM**

[Image: FFXIV-Kmih_stretch_scene_zps9bf01a03.jpg]

K'mih stretched out early in the morning, feeling rested. She'd have to engage in her daily training soon, but there were a few small pleasures she tended to enjoy every morning before doing anything else, like observing the colour of the horizon after the first sunrays. Her home was a beautiful place, one she'd miss. The time to find a new home kept approaching day after day; behind they'd leave the white sand and the familiar, warm breeze of the Sagolii desert.

"Hopefully, the sun will still come with us," she said to herself, smiling.

Nauta Lyehga · **04-09-2014, 02:21 AM**

K'yohko was awake long before anyone else in the mornings. When the sun was still hidden, the Nunh was awake with the whispers of the sands and the wind. For his entire life, for all his life, the Sagoli had been his home. He knew it intimately. Every movement of the sands, every shift of the wind; they all spoke to him like an old friend or a mother might speak. And when he awoke he found a quiet place to speak back to them in his own manner.

He spoke to them of his daughters. All worried him now. With one having abandoned her home, he wondered if his choice to stay mostly out of their childhood was a good one. But what else could he have done? He was not a teacher. He refrained from speech at most times. And certainly, communing with the sand and wind was an art and practice lost on children. Should he have been sterner? Crueler? Nicer? Should he have become like K'thalen?

The questions were never answered by the sand or the wind or the sun, but the rising of the sun put his mind down from its doubt. Doubt did nothing for him now. There was only but to move forward.

He stood as the sun warmed his broad shoulders. A soft wind seemed to carry his glance off towards that of one of his younger daughters; to K'mih. All of his daughters were strange to him. More noticeably since the Calamity. More noticeably of recent. K'mih did not oft come to him. But she had never run from him like a child before either.

K'yohko moved silent across the sands, a mere specter across camp until he stood just behind his daughter.

"K'mih." He breathed out her name easily, although it felt somewhat strange to his tongue. "We need to speak."

Clover · **04-09-2014, 01:41 PM**

"K'mih."

There were no more sunrays and no more breeze when her father's soft, yet piercing voice called her name from behind, closer than he'd been for a long time. There only were eyes that opened wider, skin that crawled with almost a shiver, and a heart that beat faster, maybe in fear. It wouldn't be the first time K'yohko had said her name, but it sounded completely different now in K'mih's ears.

Oh, but he wasn't different, not at all. She was. Somewhere along the way, something had dangerously changed inside her.

Holding back her breath, K'mih turned slowly, head slightly down and a small, nervous smile forced in her lips. She'd always been a submissive girl, one that would often try not to trouble her elders.

"Yes, father...?"

Was he angry? She couldn't tell. He'd always been unreadable, unreachable. But she hadn't done anything wrong, had she...? Had K'ile told him? Her mind raced even before he could answer, making her dizzy for a moment. Disappointing her father was the last thing she wanted.

Nauta Lyehga · **04-16-2014, 04:07 PM**

There was a long silence between K'mih and her father, where his daughter's words rang through his ears. K'yohko's ears twitched faintly, taking in his daughter. She still looked young in her face, but her body said otherwise. She was a young woman; healthy and able-bodied. It seemed strange to him, that his most innocent and submissive daughter would wear something that revealed herself so. Perhaps not only because of the heat, but he felt like a dress that draped over her form cutely might suit her better. Then too, was her hair. When had it gotten so long? He was sure she had kept it in short pigtails for the longest time. When now, had it become to long and framed her face like it did now?

K'yohko's lips narrowed faintly, and his stern eyes never flickered and betrayed his thoughts. And finally, his tail flicked behind him faintly. He knew he had to speak with her... but how was he to talk to her without her simply running away again? What way could he break his question to her gently so she might understand and cease to fear him in whatever way she did?

"Why do you run from me?" His voice came out deep and stern. Very much not the gentle touch he had wanted to portray. K'yohko very silently lamented his inability to be anything but stern and harsh with anyone. Even if he had wanted to be like K'thalen; loved by all, friendly, and if nothing else, careless, he could never be such a thing.

Clover · **04-16-2014, 05:48 PM**

To K'mih, who hadn't been taught about desire but about duty, wearing an outfit that didn't deprive her from the soft breeze and the caress of the sun wasn't anything beyond comfortable. She was unaware of how other males could look at her, and as far as she knew, Tias didn't look at their tribe huntresses in any sort of non familiar way. Such were the rules, after all; to her, rules often meant the way the world simply worked.

Oddly enough, she'd started feeling slightly more conscious about herself, now that she could sense K'yohko's unrelenting stare upon her.

'Why do you run from me?'

The girl's eyes couldn't help her initial surprise -mixed with clear worry- at his question. So soon as bicoloured orbs glanced at the male, they quickly moved down with something akin guilt.

â€œI-I didn't mean to run from you, father...â€ she tried, voice soft and melancholic. â€œI just... haven't been feeling too well lately.â€

Something had been very strange from the day she talked to K'nahli, and she was aware that it might have affected her behaviour. K'mih couldn't deny the obvious, could she? But she couldn't admit it either. Not fully.

â€œPlease forgive me.â€

So there she was, submissive as always, unable to look at her father's eyes for more than one reason. There was fear and guilt, yes, and there were all the words and all the questions she wouldn't say. And it didn't actually matter, for there was nothing she could do, or nothing she knew how to do. Obeying had always been an easy task; when had it become this suffocating? Why did it even happen?

Nauta Lyehga · **04-17-2014, 05:06 AM**

Surprised. K'yohko read it plainly across her face. K'mih was surprised he noticed at all. And then worried. She was afraid of him still. And guilt? So she was indeed running from him on purpose, but then why was it? K'yohko awaited a satisfactory answer, but none was given. She mumbled softly and cutely, looking at the ground still. She could not meet his gaze when she spoke, and that meant she was lying. K'yohko did not trust words when people did not look at him when they spoke.

K'yohko's ears twitched downwards. Why did she feel the need to lie to him? Had she done something unforgivable? Why was it that all his daughters apparently lied and did unforgivable things?

He reached forward, meaning to grab K'mih's chin and lift it so she might be forced to look into his eyes and his stern angular face.

"I can only forgive you for lying if you tell me the truth. Why do you run from me?" He asked a bit more forcefully. K'yohko did not mean to be frightening to his daughter, but his intense gaze and hard words might have frightened the poor submissive girl anyway. How he had ever spawned such a timid girl was beyond his own comprehension. At least he understood where K'nahli's arrogance and standoffishness came from.

Clover · **04-17-2014, 06:15 AM**

The touch of K'yohko's fingers on her chin, a bit forceful as it was, sent shivers down K'mih's spine. He made her look at him, his sharp gaze like a knife on hers, and he got what he wanted. Or maybe more. The girl was effectively staring at him now, all open eyes, parted lips, and flushed cheeks. She was no longer a kid, but she was no adult either; she'd never been touched, not even by madness itself, and she didn't quite know what to do with herself when her father's proximity meant more than what it should.

At a loss of words she was for long seconds. Being forced to stare into K'yohko's judgmental gaze only made the situation more difficult, and it was clear that he wasn't going to let her go until she confessed her little crime. With eyes gradually becoming moist, her voice could finally be heard like a weak, almost breaking sound.

â€œK'nahli and K'ile scolded me... f-for something I said... so now I know I mustn't...â€

It hadn't been her intention to mention K'ile, but she wasn't thinking clearly. K'nahli would never betray her, of that much she was certain. K'ile, on the other hand, could be unforgiving, or such was the impression she had.

â€œI... didn't want father to scold me as well. I won't say such a thing ever again..."

Nauta Lyehga · **04-24-2014, 10:01 PM**

How was it with her cute and innocent face that she could look so disturbingly... not innocent? K'yohko addled his brain how it was that no Tia had tried to kill him to take her yet. There were some incredibly foolish Tias in his family and none with enough machismo to try anything apparently. Or maybe K'nahli was staving them all off with death glares and arrows. K'yohko thought inwardly he wouldn't be surprised if K'nahli had been interfering with any suitors for K'mih. How K'nahli herself had a suitor... when K'mih did not? He was baffled still.

Still, K'yohko felt badly again. The way her eyes watered and she spoke with such a weak and pitiful voice. It made him want to cringe. Such a frail girl, maybe that was why she had no suitors yet.

K'nahli scolding K'mih seemed odd to him. The girl coddled K'mih all the time. Why would she scold her? As for K'ile... K'yohko could only hold himself back from outright scowling. He was getting sick of that good for nothing Tia. Still, if everyone else felt the need to scold her, what could it possibly be?

K'yohko tried to soften his gaze, although it mostly looked just a stern with his eyes softening a little. He relinquished his hold on her chin and instead dropped his arms to his side.

"I promise I will not scold you for it." He wished he could say more of a comforting thing to his poor fragile daughter.

Clover · **04-25-2014, 01:53 PM**

Freedom. As much as K'mih had craved the Nunh's touch, she felt nothing but relief when it was gone. She could lower her head slightly again. She could wrap a protective arm around her stomach now, fingers digging nervously into her skin. It didn't hurt, not yet.

Her father remained there, unsatisfied by her answers, going as far as to make promises that sounded like honey in the girl's ears. Her open eyes raised to him then, shining with something akin to blind hope. Would he be the only one who could understand? Would he understand the affection and respect she'd always felt? K'mih had always wanted to talk more to him, to get to know him. Now he was giving her one of those rare moments where he'd only look at her, her. And he, too, wanted to talk more to her, to get to know her.

K'mih's expression softened above pink cheeks. A small, shy smile was drawn upon her lips as she lowered her gaze again. He wanted to talk, and so did she. Maybe just this time, before he'd go back to being the Nunh and she'd go back to being a child.

"Father, I..." She started, her voice not raising more than what was necessary. And there was something different and subtle crawling inside her shyness, something else in her soft, slightly forced smile. "...have always wondered... if you had a favourite. Among your partners... or among your daughters..."

Oh, she'd never be his favourite; that much she knew. She was too weak, too immature, too uninteresting. She'd never be his favourite, that was why...

She'd always needed to know that no one else was.

Nauta Lyehga · **04-27-2014, 03:17 AM**

In K'mih's almost unbearable shyness, K'yohko found himself breathing evenly. Whatever it was, surely K'mih was unable to commit any great sin. She was, after all, too obidient to go against anyone's wishes. Perhaps that was not a good thing, but in a tribe with too many defiant youths, her obedience was a breath of fresh air. He would never have to put bowls on her head and force it into the sand to try and pound sense into it and even still never quite reach that stupid head...

K'yohko brought his thoughts back around to K'mih and that moment. A favorite partner or daughter? The way K'mih asked, she was most certainly referring to if he had a favorite daughter, not partener. It unnerved him to be asked the very question he avoided like a hunting trip with K'ile, or more aptly the very death of his patience and self control.

"No." He answered in a rather rushed manner, almost cutting K'mih off. "I don't have a favorite. I have never had a favorite. I do not favor one daughter or woman over the other. All are important and of equal value to me and the tribe." The answer was recited, as if K'yohko had long since been practicing what to say when it was asked. There was a moment of awkward silence before K'yohko narrowed his gaze at her a bit.

"Was that... what they scolded you about? You wanted to be my favorite daughter?" He asked somewhat cautiously. It seemed odd to him, and yet made perfect sense. She was the obedient one. Of course there was a reason for her obedience.

Clover · **04-30-2014, 11:28 AM**

Kâ€™yohkoâ€™s answer was quick, firm, and proper, as expected from the Nunh. The girl would never know whether or not he was telling the truth, and it actually was better that way. His words had been what she needed to hear; they brought relief and comfort to her needy mind, so much that her innocent smile became more genuine for a moment.

He posed a new question then, still determined to get to the core of her troubles. Albeit Kâ€™mihâ€™s expression remained mostly the same, her eyes travelled back down to the sand, pink tail moving nervously behind her back. A silent shake of her head was her first answer.

â€œI know father canâ€™t have a favourite. I also know I couldnâ€™t be the one, for you have many wonderful daughters.â€ Of course, in the girlâ€™s mind, Kâ€™ailia was included in the list of wonderful daughters.

â€œI know you canâ€™t have oneâ€¦ but I can, canâ€™t I?â€

Her smile started diminishing until it disappeared. It was odd, but she could feel words flowing inside her throat, pushing to be finally freed. Keeping them inside for so long had been painful, and her fatherâ€™s tempting offer had clouded her judgment. She could no longer see Kâ€™nahliâ€™s angry face or hear Kâ€™ileâ€™s threats. She only saw her father and the attention he was giving her; she only heard his promise of not being angry at her. Kâ€™yohko had always been an unreachable miqoâ€™te, way above every other. The girl simply wanted to let him know how much sheâ€™d always treasured him.

â€œIâ€™ll obey the next Nunh, butâ€¦ to me, the best Nunh will always be you, father.â€

It was so simple, so easy. The sounds left her lips to flow with the wind, carrying meanings that could still be easily misunderstood or unnoticed, even if they meant a world to her. K'mih managed to raise her timid eyes and meet K'yohko's, head still slightly down.

â€œThatâ€™s what I told themâ€¦â€

Nauta Lyehga · **05-08-2014, 04:51 AM**

Nervous. Was she ever not nervous? Kâ€™yohko rarely recalled a time in which Kâ€™mih was not nervous. Maybe from afar when he saw her, when he could what her play when she did not notice him he could see her happiness, but never up close. She was never happy when he was close to her. Was it not the same for everyone in the tribe? No one was happy when he came near them. But if someone did not take up the role the tribe required, then it would all fall apart. Kâ€™yohko had long since recognized the role he played, and had long since stopped lamenting it. It was simply the natural order of these things.

Still, he wondered why she wanted to be his favorite. Kâ€™yohko had never thought a girl like Kâ€™mih would concern herself with that sort of thinking. Why was he her favorite when she was always so unhappy by him? His expression did not move much, but his eyes seemed to hold a small shock at her admittance. The best Nunh? Truly, Kâ€™mih thought he was the best Nunh? Normally the tribe tended to lean towards someone like Kâ€™thalen. Someone who shirked on his duties to instead play with the children and be generally fun and loveable. It wasnâ€™t something Kâ€™yohko could do but he understand why it was people loved Kâ€™thalen. He was a good man, if not a bit undisciplined at times.

Still, Kâ€™yohko felt a very small smile creep upon his face. He tried to hide it quickly but it seemed to linger regardless of his desire. If there was no other reason for him to be remembered when he died, at least Kâ€™mih would remember him as a good man. As a good nunh. He had always strived to be a good Nunh, but this was perhaps the first time he heard someone say it as such and it brought him a happiness that he simply couldnâ€™t hold inside himself.

He knelt down on a knee and looked to Kâ€™mih more earnestly. His eyes and expression had softened greatly, and there was a genuine warmth to his eyes now. Kâ€™yohko reached a hand forward to take his daughterâ€™s so that she might be urged to listen to his quiet words.

â€œKâ€™mih, when a new Nunh is chosen I will make sure that he is the best the world has to offer. He will be a great man, greater than me. And I will do this because I love my daughters dearly and I would never let another be their mate if he was not better than I.â€ A more noticeable smile twitched on his lips before he shook his head a little, as if to knock it off his face.

Clover · **05-09-2014, 10:20 AM**

Wordlessly, K'mih could only watch as her father lowered himself on one of his knees, as he looked at her withÂ the kind of warmthÂ she hadn't seen in his eyesÂ for so long. His hand searched for her then, just like his words did. But it'd been his smile, honest and unavoidable, what stole her voice and opened her eyes.

That whichÂ she couldÂ beÂ punished for had made her father smile.

K'mih doesn't know if she smiled him back at that moment. Now, in the penumbra of her tent at night, she can't stop doing so.

"Did anything good happen today?" Her mother asks kindly, curious after seeing her daughter in such a dreamy state.

K'mih just nods, the memory of her father engraved in her mind like a secret that won't leave her curved lips.

Dear father [K Tribe]

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes