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? ]
When Mero had written to Kuno about her plans of traveling North she hadn't exactly stated when she would be going. She'd never really expected to leave home so soon, with so little preparation, but here she was, on the cusp of the Zenan border in some remote village. The young hybrid had traded favors and services for rides up this far, but now...now she was stuck.
The village was in the throes of a festival celebrating the summer spirits and as fun as that sounded she really, really needed to keep moving. The problem was that none of the merchants she'd been traveling with were keen to leave now that food was so readily available. So, for the time being Mero was left to wander the festival, trying her best not to feel utterly strange in this distant world.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:23 pm
Working on the trade route was as thrilling as it was exhausting. Being able to travel around without his family smothering him or feeling the need to sneak around was liberating. He had guys his own age to joke with, veterans to tell him stories, and everyone in the middle to help expand his abilities. There was always something to do, whether he wanted to do it or not. It wasn't exactly ideal, but it was better than sitting around at home!
Still, it was good to have the trips home for a visit. This last route had been particularly rough, and he'd been forced to rest on his way home. It was well into the day before he woke up, and that was only because of a particularly loud blast of music outside of his inn room. Rubbing at his eyes, he pushed the shutters open to peer out at the crowd bustling about. Well, it seemed he had missed some sort of memo...
Painted Moose
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:10 pm
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Mero had done her best to dress as prettily as she could before making her way into the throng of festival goers. Her dress was still a hand me down piece, but she'd added just enough embellishment to make it her own. In the evening sun her freshly plaited hair was as bright as the river itself, and the young midwife-in-training knew she was turning heads. Small as she may be there was a confidence in her stride that masked her general nervousness. She had absolutely no idea where she was, but she knew enough of Chi to confidently talk to strangers as she passed.
It was strange, seeing a festival to a Northern goddess in the spring, but she supposed they really couldn't celebrate in Winter. The snows would have been too treacherous for that.
Hearing a bit of noise above her, Mero turned to look up....
"Kuno?"
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:08 pm
The sound of his name flowing from nearby on that particular voice caught him by surprise. He did a double take before his usual grin showed his delight in seeing her. "Mero! Wait there!" What a surprise this was! He quickly yanked on a shirt and ran his fingers through his hair to make himself presentable. He started for the door, but shrugged and spun on his heel instead.
The stairs would be too slow!
Without hesitation, he hopped out of the window and scaled the thick ivy that clung to the side of the inn. He dropped safely to the ground and laughed. "Fancy seein' you here. What brings ya?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:15 am
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He acts just like a kid. Still, she couldn't help softening her smile when she looked up at him. A few passerby's stopped to look at the exchange, murmuring sweet little gossip between themselves before walking on. Words like 'precious' and 'young love' registered with Mero, and she couldn't help flushing a little at the thought. Of course, he'd already disappeared from sight at that point and she was ready to meet him by the door just to get away from them-
When he started coming out the window?!
"What are you doing?!" Mero squawked. If their little exchange had garnered a few glances before then this was really making a scene. Spirits, was he always so muscular- When he landed she wasted no time reaching out to pinch his arm. "What if you fell and got hurt?"
Still, her irritation was quickly fading. Seeing a friendly face again after the way she'd left home and being on her own for so long was just too nice to ignore. "I finally decided to come North and find a teacher. Is this....is this the village you live in?"
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:22 pm
His own squawk was more out of reflex than any actual pain, and he rubbed at his arm thoughtfully. "That pinch was more painful than any fall I coulda had from that short distance," he accused with a pout. "No point in worryin' 'bout 'what if's!' As you can see, I'm fine!"
His cheerfulness tempered when he found out why Mero was at the Zenan border. "Shoot, did I miss a letter? Sorry. I'da come get you if I'd been home to get it. I've been off workin' for the past two weeks." Had Mero traveled this whole way alone? Had she sat waiting for him to show up? Crap! "Actually, it's a little further northeast from here. I can grab my stuff real quick and we can go if you want." The music around them kicked up again, as did his grin. "Or, we can enjoy the festival a little. I should probably give Chi a little thanks for bringin' us both here."
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:14 pm
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"Not really. I didn't have time to send one." Her eyes flicked to the ground guiltily. "All anyone in a village that small wants to talk about are rumors and gossip so I left." He didn't need to know details, and she wasn't sure if she would even say what happened if asked. There was nothing to be ashamed of, naturally, but it still....bothered her. All that talk of what a 'hussy' she was...It just wasn't true!
"It's fine, Kuno, really. I can manage on my own. I'm tough." She held her arm up to flex 'her gun' and tapped a petite hand on her non-existant bicep. There were growing children at that festival who were larger than she was, but they couldn't outshine her spirit! "You're working, so if you really don't think your parents would mind me coming by you could just write a letter or something for me to take." Surely an introductory letter would work, right? It would be scarier meeting strangers without him, but she understood well how important work was.
Still..."I wouldn't mind waiting until tomorrow, though, if you're offering to be my escort for the evening."
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:56 pm
"No?" Now that felt like there was a story behind that... but it wasn't his place to pry into it. Besides, the matter seemed to upset her, and he just wanted her to enjoy herself for now. His brow cocked as Mero showed of her slim musculature, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. Still, an amused chuckle was surely allowed, right? "Ah, I know you can. You've made that pretty clear right from the get go."
His hand waved dismissively between them. "Nah, I'm off for a few days. Was headin' back myself, really." His head tipped back to look at the sun, his lips pursing slightly. "Guess I slept in more'n I meant ta. Worked out for the best though! Leavin' on time woulda meant I missed you."
Oddly enough, the condition of Mero's stay made his cheeks heat slightly. "I am at your service," he agreed with a deep bow. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Need a new hat? What first?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 4:36 pm
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"Yeah, guess I did." Grinning, she wriggled her fingers and delighted when a little spark bounced across them. Physically she may have been the size of a string bean, but it was what others couldn't see that they should be afraid of. "What sort of work do you do? If it's anything in this heat then you probably needed the rest." He didn't seem the sort to sit at a desk or behind a counter all day, especially after saying he'd been gone for weeks.
"Let's see~" Bringing a finger up to her mouth she tapped at her lower lip and 'thought' it over. "Food would be nice, as would something to drink, and I don't wear hats. A gift for your parents might be nice, though. I don't expect them to house me, especially not since I'm dropping in so suddenly, but any help they could give me in finding a tutor would be appreciated."
Stepping forward, she leaned up and took his arm in her own. "First things first, though; I hear music and I'd like to dance."
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 5:41 pm
Kuno nodded excitedly. "I'm mostly haulin' stuff along trade routes, keepin' merchants safe an' helpin' carry stuff when they need. Maybe not the most excitin' work in itself, but I get ta see all sorts of people and places." It got him some independence, and extra pocket money that he could proudly say he had earned on his own.
Oh, he could definitely go for something to eat! He was already sorting through the wild variety of scents wafting in the air. Mero's sentiment made him laugh and he shook his head. "Ah, you don't have to worry about that. They're probably still off travelin' about with the little ones. Oh yeah, I got a little brother and a little sister now, and I guess my parents are over whatever it was that made them keep us hidden away forever." The barest hint of bitterness fluttered through his words, but it was gone in an instant. "Aunt Tali won't expect anything 'cept maybe a little help 'round the shelter. Like I said before; there's plenty of room for you there."
The request to dance truly surprised him. Mero had always been so dignified and straight-backed before, seeming to walk a direct path. He had never imagined she would enjoy dancing.
Of course, he knew there was a lot he had yet to learn about her. For now though~ His arm flexed under Mero's hand, more than happy to show off his own hard-earned guns while guiding her toward the source of the toe-tapping music. "Alright. Dancin' first. So tell me, did you have time for lessons or ya self taught?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:03 pm
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Mero clucked her tongue and flashed him a little grin before giving his bicep a squeeze. "I'm glad to see you have a better reason for bulking up than impressing girls. It sounds like you really have been busy." Would it have mattered if he wasn't? Yes. Maybe a little, but Kuno didn't need to know that.
"Oh! So you're a big brother now? Congratulations."Those poor bastards. While Mero had absolutely no doubt that Kuno would be an adoring big brother she compared him to the images she had of smart, poised, intimidating older siblings and it just...didn't...fit. Maybe his brother was a better match? "I'm glad that your mother got back out again. It's good for her, good for them, and good for me, because I get to see you again." She bumped her hip against his leg to try and keep his smile up.
"Completely self-taught." Seeing the little 'dance floor' up close actually made her a little nervous. There were so many couples moving around to the beat that jumping in would be hard....but she pulled him along anyway! "Where would I have ever found a teacher?" She called out over the noise. "What about you? Got any fancy moves that you're hiding away?"
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:50 pm
As was probably expected, Kuno couldn't resist beaming with pride from the subtle praises. "I don't know, impressin' girls is pretty important on occasion," he teased. He It was always a treat to see someone give a little swoon after looking his way. Was Mero the swooning type? ....It was probably adorable to see when it happened.
Well, and then she had to go and say it was good to see him, his cheek flushing slightly. "It is nice to be out here without worryin' about gettin' my arse kicked when I get home." As thrilling as sneaking around was, he appreciated the calm of knowing there would be no trouble later when he returned.
"I don't know. Maybe there was some secret pro keepin' a low profile in that little town of yours. It was hidin' you." When his feet found the floor, he turned and spun Mero on his arm before pulling her close. "They tried ta train me, but I didn' listen all tha' close. I might remember a step or two though."
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:32 pm
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She may have passed him a 'look', but Mero didn't outright argue with him. After all, her own manipulation of the opposite sex had gotten her pretty far in life, but it had also lost her the only home she'd ever known.
"Step on my foot and I might just kick your a** myself." She clucked her tongue with a sharp warning. Even if his feet hadn't been the size of a mammu's she still wouldn't want her shoes to be any dirtier than they already were! Mero had been so focused on taking something akin to a 'proper' form as they started to blend in with the crowd that his next statement caught her off guard. When she looked back up at him there was something brighter in her eyes and a little more innocently amused than before.
She let out a laugh as she was spun about, and easily allowed herself to fall against his broad chest. "Just a few?"
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:15 am
Kuno chuckled and nodded firmly. "Duly noted. No foot stepping." It was something to be extra cautious of though. His stompers probably wouldn't even notice if they crushed those toes of Mero's... His grin brightened again, allowing himself to feel the music a little more while holding his dance partner a little tighter. While he wished he had paid slightly closer attention during his brief dance lessons, he remembered enough that he was able to make sure they both fell right into pace with the crowd with no toes being pinched.
