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 Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 7:09 pm
Cold Snap
Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
As the year comes to an end, an abnormal cold snap has taken over Tendaji. The mountains of Zena are covered in a blizzard, and even the desert of Oba is feeling a bit of an abnormal chill.
[ What do you get up to during the cold? Do you find a place to warm up, or check up on a friend? ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 3:18 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
It was freezing. Quiana had traveled overseas before and explored both the deserts of Oba and the beaches of Matori, but she had never ventured into a territory like Belrea until now where winter was actually a thing. Of course it was also their luck that this happened to be one of the coldest weeks that Belreans had faced in years, at least based on the chatter of others who were bundled up and rushing to get errands finished before retreating back inside to wait out the remainder of snow storm. At first the Elidae had found snow fascinating, the woman pressed up against the window of the room that she shared with Siel to try to see what she could even as her breath fogged up the glass, but eventually even the falling snow lost its magic as the cold started to seep in through every possible crack in the building. Now she was also covered up in a blanket, Quiana keeping it tucked close to her body as she roamed about the room and debated just going back into the bed to sleep until the next morning when surely things would be warmer. But there were probably errands to run and so all she could do was grumble as she kept hold of the blanket and tried to warm up by pacing back and forth across the wooden floors which were also freezing despite the crackling of the fireplace that was behind her.
"Maybe we should return to Kiros for the rest of this season." Now that would be an idea. But would they have a reason to return to her home island even though they had decided to explore the world together as a family? Well....there could be a reason that she could offer, but would they truly want to try for that? Again? Maybe the cold was making her reckless, but it was an idea if they did truly want to risk things.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 4:03 pm
[1]
Siel would never understand why, out of all places, his brother had chosen to live in Zena. Just the brief spells he'd experienced of cold in Sauti had been enough to steer him away from any northern bound countries. The frigid snap that had currently settled in Belrea just solidified his dislike of the cold and no amount of Zenan blood in his veins would change Siel's mind.
It was beautiful enough to experience with his family, but the time came quickly enough to bundle them up. Siel made sure their rooms were stocked with blankets, as many as he could get from the inn keep at least, and the small fireplaces in each room had been stocked with fresh wood. Only when he was sure the children were as warm as they could be, given the state of things, did he return to the room he shared with Quiana.
"Might be a good idea." Siel moved closer to Quiana and reached out to place his hands on her biceps to rub some warmth into them. "We can always shoot for a longer trip next time; maybe when the air doesn't hurt to breath?" He chuckled a little, but it fell out on a tired sigh. "See some old faces, check in on the place; thaw out my toes."
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 2:58 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
The Elidae leaned back into the touch, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she resisted the urge to just tumble into bed with Siel and retire for the day. "A spring through early autumn trip probably would be more idea if we had to stay for a longer time." She admitted with a soft flush covering her cheeks. As much as Quiana enjoyed playing up certain scenarios to get away with skipping out on work, she did still have some pride and admitting that the cold was bothering her this badly did cause a bit of that warrior shame to appear. "But if we go back to Kiros..." She began, the Elidae chewing her bottom lip as she pondered her next words before simply admitting her thoughts to Siel. It wasn't as if there was any point in hiding things or being coy with him about this matter, not when it truly was an issue and not her simply flirting around with him. "I know some Sisters may question it. It makes me almost want to give them a reason, but there's only one main reason that an Elidae would come back with her earthling lover and family to the island..." Could she say that she missed home already? Or would it appear weak to admit that she wasn't quite so fond of the cold? Perhaps. Would it be more fun to ruffle some feathers and also add more love to their lives? Most definitely. But Quiana wouldn't force it, not if Siel was opposed to the idea. It was rather spontaneous, after all.
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:20 pm
Even when he'd stopped rubbing her arms Siel didn't let go of the touch. He stayed close, his hands sliding a little lower to wrap around her blanketed waist. There were so many wonderful things Quiana could do and no challenge she would run from, but the cold seemed to be another beast entirely. He couldn't blame her; not when he, too, would rather run from this frigid hellscape than stay a moment longer.
"If we go back...?" He prodded when she seemed to stall. What was Quiana so worried about? Was she concerned the kids would be disappointed, having had their first big trip cut short?
Siel just grinned. "Yeah to show them how big the kids are getting. It's been a while since you've seen Chantara and I know she probably wouldn't be thrilled to see me again, but the kids are a different thing." For all his many gifts and Siel's ability to read others, he wasn't particularly bright. He knew something was on Quiana's mind, but enough to pick up hints? Not at all.
"Can't imagine it would be a bad idea for them to spend some time with Esena, either. I'll just hang back at the hut and bask in the fact I won't be here freezing my butt off."
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:15 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Quiana continued leaning against Siel, the Elidae giving a nod of approval at their closeness and the additional warmth it provided. Coming to Belrea to experience winter had made her more understanding of the colorful lizards that skirted across the beaches back in Kahi and lazed about on the rocks to soak up the sunlight. If she could then she would be doing the same thing right now, that was how much she missed the warmth of summer.
"Oh, darling. There is one other thing that we could do if we visited Kiros and Esena." Began Quiana with a soft laugh as she realized that Siel had missed the implications of her words. "We could both see Esena for a bit with the children if we return, you know." She started again with an amused smile crossing her lips. "If we had two more blooms do you think that would be enough family to keep from freezing in the winter? We could stack all the bodies into a room with a bunch of blankets and pillows like a sleep over party." She joked, the visual amusing her as she could only imagine the chaos it would bring. "But that would just be a bit crazy, no? Imagine how some of the Sisters would react if our family out of all things got blessed with more blooms than most Elidae. Though not freezing our butts off would be a blessing in its own."
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:22 pm
[3]
"But I can't see Esena, just you and the - oh. OOooOOoh." The only reason Siel had ever gotten to see Kiros to begin with was solely because of Quiana and their blooms. So once the pieces started clicking it was like a light went off behind his eyes.
"It's not really up to them though, is it? If it were we wouldn't be parents at all." He remembered the way some of the older Aishans had looked at them. Even a fair amount of the younger generation, but that hadn't stopped them from trying. "Esena wanted it, so she blessed us, and that would be a good reason to bring her favorite daughter back home." He smiled up at Quiana.
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:38 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"And there it is." Quiana laughed as she pressed a kiss against Siel's cheek, the Elidae not even bothering to hide her amusement especially when he didn't seem to shy away from the proposal. "That's true, but do you think Esena would truly bless us again if we did go up there to try?" Covered in her blankets with Siel's arms wrapped around her made Quiana feel like she could actually thrive in this world again and the energy was showing in her bright expressions. It would be a good reason to show up at Kiros and they could spend more time there with the family if they did actually have more blooms. Was it a bit crazy though to ask for such a thing? "I do miss seeing our home and tucking in another room wouldn't be an impossible feat...but what do you think?"
Quiana closed her eyes for a moment, trying to reason with herself before letting out another soft laugh. "I did have a Sister tell me once before that you should get all of your blooms when you're not too old so that you have plenty of energy to keep up with all of them with some to spare once you gain your own freedoms back." Not that she considered them trapped. Somehow Siel had taught her that it was alright and even enjoyable to have a larger family together. From the loneliness of a single child to being a mother of four with nieces and nephews as well? She truly felt blessed. "I would have to write to Noelani and see if she truly has enough room at her manor for when we do eventually visit. I don't know if an inn could survive our level of energy going forward." It would give that side of the family time to settle more in Matori as well once they returned from visiting their Kahi side of the family as well thanks to Ami.
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:48 pm
[4]
"I got there." Siel chuffed. "Just took a moment." Another bloom? Or blooms? It was a lot to think about, but less daunting than when they'd approached the subject after Quetzel and Tsisia. For some reason the thought of having five or six just seemed to flow after the fourth. Almost like he was getting a little too used to being the patriarch of a traveling band.
"Maybe? It wouldn't hurt to try. If it doesn't work out then it's not as if we're left with an empty nest." Siel thought back to those moments when their eldest were infants and the talk he'd had with Nimueh. Thinking back to the struggles of his youth, the journey he'd had to go on just to have children with his own partner...it made Siel all the more appreciative for the relative ease of their family. Appreciate, but never selfish. He knew how easily things could have gone sour for them.
Siel snorted. "Yeah, just look my fathers if you need proof. They had Ygraine and Sol when they were young, then they waited for the three of us and now that they should be sitting pretty on a beach somewhere they're instead raising teenagers. I don't envy them." If they were going to do this he wanted to be young enough to enjoy it and still have some of that same spark for the two of them once they'd left home.
Not that he even wanted to contemplate that just yet.
"I say you surprise her with it. Everyone loves surprises."
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:06 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"Right?" Quiana smiled with agreement. "I was just kind of playing around at first, but now I kind of do really want to try." It was like Siel said that they wouldn't have an empty nest either way and it would be nice to pay Esena a quick visit so that they could thaw from this cold. Finding a ship to Matori right now was harder than it was to get to Kahi since the Elidae didn't even want to think about taking an airship across the colder mountains, and the ocean voyage would be long either way...so why not give it a try? A final visit home to see what happened and if it did then they would just have more reason to enjoy her homelands for a few extra months than planned before venturing over into Matori to visit the rest of their families.
Quiana shook her head with amusement. "I suppose I'm a bit greedy, but I would like some years to myself in the end." She admitted as she thought about Siel and his fathers. "We might take a bit of a beating with so many children near the same age, but we're tough enough to endure it." And then they could have their sunny beach days in the future, not that they would have to worry about that for quite a few years to come though. "It'll definitely would keep things interesting, at least." She shook her head again at the advise before letting out another laugh. "I will at least let her know if we'll be delayed, but I suppose I can keep the reasoning to myself if we truly do get blessed."
The crackling of the fire place, the coziness of her blanket and the comfort of Siel's arms had nearly gotten her into a sleepy state but now she was awake with new energy. "Do you think once the colder winds die out that we could take the children out to play in the snow? I know it's awful and the cold is my newfound enemy, but it is pretty. It would make a nice memory in case they don't see much more of this in the future." A snowy day full of laughter and then something warm to drink together? Despite how much the cold made her want to burrow into a pile of blankets the image that the idea brought did tempt Quiana, especially when she thought of the families that she had seen wandering outside earlier in the morning to play together.
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:13 pm
[5]
"What's a few more, right?" They could handle it. Siel knew he had the upper hand, growing up with siblings and a larger family, but Quiana had gotten the hang of things. This kind of life just seemed to be working out for them so maybe he was greedy in wanting a little more of it. More children with her eyes, more little ones with her markings to cuddle in front of the fire and more little hands to teach instrumentals too. Finances would be a little tighter - especially since a bard's life didn't pay much to begin with - but they could make it work.
"Shouldn't be too bad when the sun comes out. We could make snow forts and have a team snowball fight. Have you ever had one? A snowball fight?" Even once the wind died down it would still be bitter cold outside, but maybe once they were moving around it wouldn't be so bad? He would like his family to experience the snow, for however long they could handle it.
"And then maybe we can tell them? It'd be weird to keep it from them for too long."
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:41 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"We can sneak them in. They're tiny enough at first." Teased Quiana as she thought about the little hands that always reached for their parents and the quiet sounds of an afternoon nap when everyone was tucked in and curled up beneath their blankets. They were still young now, but those days as infants were over for their current four even though she could remember it almost like it was yesterday. Maybe this time around they would get a child with split eyes like Siel had even, one of the many features that fascinated her about the dear hybrid. "I suppose we truly are best with crowds." A family big enough to be a party of their own sounded like a lot of fun to Quiana, as terrifying as that might be for others.
Quiana blinked at the question before shaking her head. "It's never really snowed in Kiros for us to try something like that before. It sounds exciting though! Do you actually just throw snow at each other or do we also spar?" She had never been much for training and the idea of rolling about in the freezing snow made her hesitant, but if it was as fun as others made it sound then perhaps it would be worth the discomfort for a moment. "As long as we get hot drinks after then I'm game to try anything." She added before nodding again. "We'll definitely tell them after they've burned themselves out in the snowball fight." She joked with a laugh. Less room for fighting if they were all exhausted, right?
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:53 pm
[6]
Siel's eyes widened and a tiny, awkward chuckle slipped out. "Sparring isn't typical, but sometimes if the other side has a sore loser then it happens. Most of the time it's just harmless fun. You throw snowballs until one side gives in or their fort is destroyed." He'd only participated in a few himself, and both times Siel had lost miserably. His northern raised nieces were brutal.
"So...we're definitely doing this? You're sure sure?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 6:01 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"I see. I suppose I can just save any sparring for later if we aren't too tired." Teased Quiana as she glanced towards Siel, the Elidae curving her body to try to rest her head against his. "It'll be fun to try to build a fort. I usually just watched other Sisters build things in the sand, but it won't hurt to try my hand for once." She mused, the Elidae trying to think about all the fun things that they could do before fleeing the cold and retreating back to her home.
"I think so." Agreed Quiana with a soft laugh. It was like them to be so spontaneous, wasn't it? Either way it gave her something to look forward to despite the bitter cold that was outside.
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 6:09 pm
[fin]
"Come on, let's get in bed. You don't get to be the only one with a blanket." As nice as it was to hold her, it would be all the sweeter to have Quiana in his arms when he could actually feel them. Even with the fire the room had chill that never seemed to leave it and he wanted to chase it back as much as he could.
Tomorrow they could make plans, play in the snow and look forward to a brighter, warmer future with hopefully a new addition or two. .
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