Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Summer was drawing closer and closer and the different villages around Tendaji were beginning to plan their summer festivals. It was a tradition in Tendaji - to celebrate the Gods every year in the summer when spirits were high and food was at its most abundant.
All the races had their own gods to celebrate, whatever those might have been, and every person had their own feelings one way or the other.
[ What did they mean to you? With the summer fast approaching, it must be somewhere (no matter how small) on everyone’s thoughts. And what are your thoughts on the other culture’s gods? ]
Experiencing cultural festivals had always been something of a novelty to Asa. Even now, years after escaping the confines of the manse, he still couldn't get over the pulsations of life that threaded it's way all across the city. Of course he'd seen festivals from his window; the colorful decorations that were carried around on the backs of Sauti natives, grand women dressed in garb that could have easily paid for a hundred homes, and the music....
Seeing them up close on his travels with Ygraine had made all the years of waiting worth it and now that his sons were able to be here with them....He couldn't have been happier! Well, perhaps a little happier. If their family had been able to stay together like they'd originally intended then that might have been nice, but spending some alone time with his eldest was lovely too.
"Colm, do you recognize the sigil on that banner?" Asa crouched a little, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and pointing towards a nearby stall. Granted, the marker was painted everywhere but at least here it was neatly visible.
The marking of the Oban God On'os. He'd been teaching his sons as much as he could when they weren't helping in chores or just being boys so he hoped they were picking up a bit.
Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 12:49 pm
Painted Moose
[1/7]
Colm was an emotionally little boy, so when they'd first gotten separated from his little brother and mother he'd immediately clung close to his father, fretting and patting at him, pointing in an effort to show that they'd lost track of half of their family. But Asa had, somehow, managed to soothe him a little - and this latest distraction was more than effective. Colm had calmed quite a bit by now, though his yellow eyes kept turning around to the crowd, hoping to catch a silver sliver that was his mother among the masses.
No luck, so far. His eyes latched onto the banner that his father pointed out now, though, and he nodded emphatically, mouthing the god's title, but not speaking it. The festival celebrating the god of time and fortune meant a plethora of coins, shining gold accessories, and hourglasses - filled with desert sand, but also dust and powder of various types and richness.
The spring and summer months had many festivals celebrating the gods, but this one was all about honoring the change between spring and summer. Colm tapped at his father, waiting until the man ducked in close enough so Colm could say, against his ear, "How does On'os pick which sand to use?" It was a strange question, but for him it made perfect sense - because who could make hourglasses, other than the god of time?
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 1:28 pm
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Asa would have been lying if he'd been asked if he wasn't looking for his lover as well, but the older male wasn't as worried over their separation as his son. He kept gentle, physical contact with the boy; either by holding his hand or keeping a hand on his shoulder just so his son would know that he wasn't alone. Under no circumstances would Asa lose him in this crowd; not after hearing Ygraine's worries about Oba. He didn't know explicit details but he did know that she wasn't as keen to be in the desert country as he was.
"Priest Damascus theorized that On'os hand picks sand from the flow of time and only places that which mortals haven't touched into the hourglasses." Of course it was just a fanciful tale from a book he'd picked up in Jauhar; a traveler's guide of sorts to Oban legends. In all honesty with as busy as they'd been Asa was surprised he was actually able to finish that one.
Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 1:52 pm
Painted Moose
[2/7]
Of course! It only made sense that his dad would know the answer. His dad was the smartest man who ever lived, because he knew where to find all the answers! Leaning into his papa's reassuring touch, Colm peered at one of the nearby stalls, with the aforementioned hourglasses. He knew that most of these smaller ones were here to measure minutes, hours maybe. One myth said On'os had hourglasses for the life span of every earthling.
Some said that the god would then flip the hourglass, and that represented the spirit dying and moving on to its next life to live all over again. "When an hourglass is out of sand, why doesn't he just refill it? Why does he have to flip it?"
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 3:54 pm
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It was a little amusing to see the way a few Matori girls fawned over the more decorative hourglasses. They fawned over the intricate details and practically glowed in the awe of it's gilded visage. Even from a distance Asa could tell the gold was fake; a fine dusting at best though most likely a layer of well trimmed paint. Still, it was enough to please the locals.
"If he refilled it then he would be taking from another." Asa stood then and adjusted the thin scarf he kept around his head. Even though the climate in Oba was better suited to his delicate condition the sun could still leave it's mark. He reached for his eldest's hand and gently nudged him towards the stand. "If you've lived a good life then you can be reincarnated into the next and On'os will flip your hourglass." Asa waited patiently for the two girls to move on down to a different section of the stall and turned to Colm. "Would you like one?"
Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 3:50 pm
Painted Moose
[3/7]
Oh... Colm furrowed his brows, displeased at the answer. But he held on firmly to his father's grip nonetheless, standing up a bit on his toes to look at the hourglasses properly. They looked pretty - very pretty, but... he also felt slightly vengeful towards them. "If I got one--" He started, but then he trailed off and gave a small shake of his head, holding his dad's hand a bit tighter. "No, it's okay."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 11:34 am
Scarlett Arbuckle
4/7
Asa couldn't help furrowing his brows a little. What's going on in that little head? It was amusing to see how concerned his son could become over the smallest of things, but it also brought no small amount of worry to the iceling. He didn't want his sons to stress over anything in life, so the sight caused him to give Colm's hand a little squeeze in return.
"Are you sure? Colm, if you're worried about the expense I've got a little saved back." Ygraine knew about it, of course, he wouldn't hide anything from his girlfriend. Still, he'd specifically taken on a few extra jobs over the years to save back for what the boys wanted. It wouldn't be much, not with his stamina, but it was something.
Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 1:12 pm
Painted Moose
4/7
The expense? Colm hadn't even considered it, but now he was even more determined not to get one. He shook his head fiercely, his little face crumpling a bit, so he turned and buried it into his father's hip, letting go of his hand so he could hug him around his tiny waist instead.
"It's not the right kind!" He explained, upset despite trying not to be. "It's not the right sand anyway, and I don't even know where On'os keeps the hour glasses-"
There were a few people around them looking now at the boy throwing a fit at the stalls, but most of them seemed concerned rather than annoyed or judgemental. There was that, at least.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:59 pm
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"Oh, sweetling." Asa was taken off guard by his son's abrupt movements, but with a little sight he wrapped his arms around the boy. One laid soothingly against his back while the other was raised so that he could gently smooth back the boy's hair. It was almost comical in a way, how different his boys were. Colm was as tender as the most precious bolt of silk whereas his brother was as stubborn as a capramel. Who would have ever thought his eldest, the heir to the Sargsyan dynasty, would have been so empathetic?
"What sort of sand should it be?" What had he said? That he didn't know where On'os kept them-? "Ah, the sands of time?" His cheeks were warming under the influx of attention the pair was receiving, but it wasn't as if he was in a position to deny his son's emotions. He'd already promised years ago that he would never stifle his children like that.
So, instead, Asa nudged him away just enough so that the Zenan native could bend at the waist and hoist the boy up into his arms. It was much harder now than it had been in their infancy, both because of his own frail frame and Colm's growing stature, but as long as he could still do it he would.
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:31 pm
Painted Moose
[5/7]
Colm nodded miserably, moving back when his father nudged him - only to yelp and cling on for dear life when he was lifted up. His cheeks warmed, embarrassed since he was supposed to be a big boy-- but he couldn't argue against how nice it felt to be picked up.
He hugged his dad around the neck, sniffing pathetically. "I wish we had extra sand. J-just in case y-- w-we need it."
Colm was a sharp kid. And... maybe he hadn't figured out that what his father had was likely terminal, but he knew he was sick a lot. And it scared him, more than he wanted to admit, the very idea that his dad might be too sick one day to go to the festival with him like this.
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:55 pm
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Asa didn't care if his son was twice his height and as hefty as a mammu he would never miss the chance to coddle him. Still, the weight was a little heavy for him to bare so the Zenan native started to move away from the open market.
"Mmm." So that was it. He rubbed Colm's back as he walked, leaning his head over to lay it against the boys. When he spotted a small stack of stones near the edge of the market Asa moved closer to sit atop them.
"What did I ever do to deserve such a kind boy?" Asa murmured. He couldn't very well tell him not to worry about what time they had left because Asa himself had concerns. And yet...that wasn't the life he wanted for his son.
"Have I ever told you the story of Enoch, the man who stole On'os' hour glass and lived for a thousand years?" It was a blatant distraction, but Asa just couldn't bear seeing his son upset.
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:20 pm
Painted Moose
[6/7]
...Enoch? That... rang a bell, but Colm shook his head, rubbing his sorry little face for a moment before gazing up, reverently, at his father. His father, though small compared to mommy, was so wise - he always told them stories, and always had a great message or bit of advice tucked into each one. That, and he gave the best hugs!
Speaking of, Colm wiggled a bit to get more comfortable on his father's lap, curling up a bit against his chest as he spoke. "He did? What... what happened?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 5:29 pm
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Having a child root around on his boney frame was far from comfortable, but Asa settled back never the less. Once Colm was ready Asa settled his arms around the boy and thought of best how to start his tale.
"Enoch was the youngest son of a poor huntsman. Seventh in line, with little in the way of prospects, but a mind as sharp as a paraks. Once Enoch's mind was settled on something he could bend the world to his will and find a way to get it. So, when he started to age, he devised a plan...."
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 5:36 pm
Painted Moose
[7/7]
Maybe it was strange, during a festival, to not celebrate it and instead just ... sit with his papa, listening to tales. But Colm didn't lose focus - didn't get bored, or begin to squirm. He sat and he listened intently, his eyes widening in wonder as it went along.
In the end, by the time the tale was concluded, they didn't go back to buy the hourglass. But he did feel better, and he hugged his father tightly, smiling, and seemed to have moved past his random blue period.
