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 Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 5:22 pm
The autumn sunlight bathed the forest in a golden amber hue but lacked the warmth of the summer sun. Despite being early afternoon there was a chill in the air, the promise of a colder winter wind sweeping in from the northern mountains, and even Cyrus found himself wearing an extra layer to stay warm. He had hoped that by participating in the harvest festivities today that the work would keep him warm, but honestly it was kind of slow going with how everyone was taking the time to socialize more than actually gather and prepare for winter today. The only thing that kept him going was the hope of a warm cider by the evening, the spiced drink one of his favorite fall treats. There were also blackberry cobblers that would be baked once all of the berries were gathered from the nearby clearings, the very thing that Cyrus was actually preparing to help harvest today. Darting past some of the rangers who were in the middle of a conversation, talking about some bandit raid that happened earlier that summer still, Cyrus grabbed a pair of baskets and quickly walked away towards the meeting spot near his own home.
"Sylas? You ready?" He asked, looking around for his twin while holding out the spare basket for berry picking.
[Cyrus 1]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:04 pm
[Sylas 1] Picking berries was not the ideal way to spend his day. Eating the cobblers made from the berries? Yeah that was more his style. Sylas had flopped down on the ground near the meeting spot he and his brother usually used. "If I say no, will you pick all the berries for me?" Sy asked halfheartedly. He wouldn't actually make his brother pick both of their shares but it couldn't hurt to ask right? "We have to actually leave some in the baskets this time right? The waiting is going to be the hardest part!" If he had to pick them, why couldn't he just eat them right then! He knew that they tasted better in pies and would rather have that, but, it also meant waiting awhile.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:19 pm
"I can do that, but then I would be the only one eating cobbler." Replied Cyrus with a teasing grin towards his twin. He was an over achiever of sorts, but even he wasn't about to go and do all the berry picking on his own! Not unless there was something really beneficial coming out of it. As much as Cyrus loved his family, especially his twin, he was definitely a stickler for earning things. A chuckle left his lips as he nodded towards Sylas. "At least halfway so that they have enough to bake with. Why not do the five to one strategy?" They got to eat a berry for every five that went into the basket. It would keep their energy up to keep picking berries while also allowing the basket to actually fill up for once.
"I think I would rather be picking berries instead of making the cobblers." He added with a nod. "Too much gossip and the ovens get way too hot." Even if some of the cobblers were made outside in those cast iron pots, it was still hot to be around so many flames and Cyrus was still one who preferred observing to being in an actual crowd.
[Cyrus 2]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:29 pm
[Sylas 2] "Ooohhkkkayyyyy." He groaned as he stood up and took the basket from Cyrus. "I guess as long as I get to eat berries while I do it...that makes it kind of okay." Sy didn't know if he felt the same way about picking versus cooking. "You get to learn a lot from all that gossip when you're in the kitchens. Plus if you're making the cobblers then you get to taste test during the cooking process! He kicked the ground slightly. "Okay lets do this before the sun goes down! Lead the way Captain Berry Picker!"
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:38 pm
"What my amazing company isn't enough as it is?" Teased Cyrus in response to his brother's complaints. He simply shook his head at their differences in opinion about being in the middle of the cooking activities, but then again Cyrus knew he was far more anti-social than most in his family. They thrived in the middle of things whereas he was content to sit to the side and just do his own thing. Maybe that was why he hadn't considered becoming an apprentice for the rangers like Ana. He simply wasn't the best at teamwork save for when it came to working with Sylas...they had been born together and grew up so close that it just felt comfortable to bounce ideas off of him. Add anyone else and Cyrus just got snippy. It did work out though because while Sylas could socialize and gather information that way, Cyrus could consider what they could do with the information and make plans accordingly.
"I guess when we drop the berries off later then I'll leave you to join the kitchen. I can always gather more or help around outside with something else before the harvest meal." It was one of the rare times when most of the rangers were home to share a meal with the whole village. The festival was amazing with hanging lights and music, a rare thing for the hidden area that made it feel more like any other town for once. Even the rangers who were on patrol got to stop by for the feast, swapping out with those who got to be there at the beginning to make certain that there was still a watch but allowing everyone to participate at the same time.
[Cyrus 3]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:48 pm
[Sylas 3] "Amazing? Ha...that's one way to describe you. I'd also add 'awesome' and 'has the coolest brother in the world'." Sylas teased right back. It wasn't until Cy talked about leaving him to do something else. "HEY NOW, just because I don't mind being in the kitchens doesn't mean I would rather be there than with you!" Cyrus came first in many instances. Most of his family did, but his brother was pretty much number one for Sylas. "I'll hang out with you until you get tired of me." Sy teased as he shoulder bumped him.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:00 pm
"You know what? I'll take it." Replied Cyrus with a smirk towards his twin, taking the teasing in stride. The reassurance about wanting to stick with him did brighten his gaze, Cyrus nodding at the statement. "Fair enough, but if you want to have fun in the kitchens that's also fine. It's not like you would be stuck there forever." He replied lightly, bumping his twin's shoulder in response before spotting one of the berry bushes and walking towards it so that he could begin their task.
"Next time we visit Tale we should try apple picking so that we can make even more cider." There would be some tonight, but that would be downed quickly by the whole village. Cyrus wanted to have a steady supply and they definitely needed the apples for it. They were so close to both Sauti and Tale that either trip wouldn't take long, but Tale had the best apple trees with the bright yellow apples that had that sweet tang and went amazingly with cinnamon.
[Cyrus 4]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:11 pm
"I don't know...sometimes some of the ladies in there can be a bit scary...." He almost shivered thinking of all the cheek pinches he had endured since helping in the kitchens. "I wouldn't mind doing the apple picking....the cider made lasts awhile so it's kind of worth it. Especially if we hid some so other's can't drink all of it!" As he saw his brother find a bush, he sighed and went to the other side and might have started with shoving some in his mouth before a single berry went in his basket.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:24 pm
"They just think you're adorable and want to enjoy a cute teen without taking him home where they would actually have to take care of him." Teased Cyrus with a chuckle, having a fair idea of what Sylas was thinking about when it came to being afraid of the ladies there. Cyrus started picking at the bush and nodded his agreement. "There's the corner of the cellar that no one else likes to go into. We could probably hide it down there." At least that part of their home had been reworked since the pair of them had ventured down there as younglings, but it was still fairly creepy and avoided unless absolutely needed for additional winter storage. It would be a perfect spot for some kegs of cider.
[Cyrus 5]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:30 pm
"True...if they took me home then they would have to feed me. And clearly..." Sylas gestured to his basket that only had a handful of berries in it, "Feeding me so I can be the strongest person in the world would be pretty difficult." Now that his sweet tooth was satisfied, he started putting more berries into his basket. "That does sound like a good place to hid some. I wonder if there are any other secret rooms we could find!" He remembered one of their little explorations that led to somewhere they probably shouldn't have been.
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:41 pm
"Pfft. Fair enough." Replied Cyrus, only shaking his head slightly as he caught sight of the mostly empty basket and the obvious berry stains on his brother's fingers and around the edges of his mouth. Admittedly he had slipped a couple into his own mouth for a taste, truly just to make certain that they were ripe enough...and the berries were tasty. He still preferred apple cider, but a blackberry cobbler with these and a little bit of lemon would be absolutely delicious during the dinner tonight.
"Maybe." Cyrus nodded, their home was older than the village and had secret passages and tunnels that were blocked off over time. Even he didn't know where they all went! "If we find a really good spot then maybe we'll use it to hide even more things." He liked coming up with projects, some pranks other things more useful, but it was always a hassle with his sisters sometimes being a bit too nosey about them. Having a secret room sounded like a blessing, if they could just find a good spot...
[Cyrus 6]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:46 pm
"It sounds like a good idea to me! We'll have to do some more exploration sometime...it'll just be difficult to find the time when there's not a bunch of people around." His basket finally had a thin layer of berries in the bottom of it. It seemed like the sun was getting lower though so he tried to pick more and eat less. "I'm going to grab this bush over here. I should probably pick up the pace so we can head back home soon. Your basket is probably almost full huh?" He started picking faster, hoping he would make up for the ones he ate. He hadn't thought he had eaten that much but apparently he had!
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:51 pm
"Maybe when there's another event...just not this one." Unless they ate quickly and stole away with a good amount of cider that was. Cyrus pondered the option before realizing that he had actually filled up his basket, the teen so distracted by their conversation while he had just been picking at berries left and right. Thankfully the bushes were clumped together in this area so it hadn't been hard to gather enough for both baskets...as long as Sylas hadn't eaten them all first.
"Yeah, it's good to go. We can head back when you're done with that bush." Acknowledged Cyrus with a smile, standing and preparing for the walk back to the village and the harvest dinner that was waiting for them.
[Cyrus 7]
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:55 pm
Sylas knew his brother would beat him in filling up his basket since he hadn't eating a bunch at the start. Hearing that he was done, Sylas quickly finished picking the bush in double time. He had an almost full basket and that would be enough, right? "Okay I think I have enough! Let's go back and get ready!" He couldn't wait for the goodies!!
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