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 Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 11:05 am
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Coming Together
World Event - Solo
Summary Link
Oduin reflects on how the world coming together has affected him. From growing up in small-town Mez, where the only people he really saw were other Wind earthlings, to traveling beyond the borders of Sauti, he has learned that people are people, regardless of their race or their home. Traveling to foreign lands has also instilled in him a healthy appreciation for other cultures, leading to a fascination with trying to fit in in places where he is a foreigner.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 10:32 am
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA A Whole New World
World Event - Solo
Summary Link
Oduin takes to journaling in an attempt to understand his own goals and dreams. They've always involved traveling, but the introduction of Kahikina has thrown off what he had originally thought were his dreams.
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Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:52 pm
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Worthy Skills
Class Affinity Solo
Summary
Oduin's rage prompts a heart-to-heart with his father, who suggests he choose a profession that can help channel his inherent anger
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"DON'T. TELL ME TO CALM. DOWN." Oduin roared, lifting up three crates laden with freshly picked produce and hurling them at his employer. He was young still, just a prentice, 18 years of age, but years of hauling timber up in Mez had made him strong. The crates flew across the room as if they were empty paperweights, smashing into the wall just to the left of his and exploding into a ball of broken slats and splinters. Produce alternately smacked into the wall or thumped to the ground around the farmer's feet as he tried to dodge the projectiles.
"Well, now, young man, be... be reasonable," the farmer stuttered as Oduin bellowed again and hurled two more crates his way.
"REASONABLE?" the prentice yelled back. "REASONABLE?" His eyes were wide, face screwed into a canvas of fury as the thought sank in and the absurdity of the request began to register.
"We had an agreement, a cut of the produce and pay for a set weight of produce harvested. I've held up my end of the deal, you're trying to back out, and I'm the unreasonable one?!" Oduin demanded, raising his voice. "Me?"
He was about to pick up another crate and, this time, smash it directly into the floor before him when a figure appeared behind the farmer, and a familiar voice boomed out. "Son."
Oduin's frame froze mid-lift and his eyes focused in on the figure behind the farmer. "Dad."
"Oduin, put that down. The farmer will pay you what you're owed, but you will reimburse him for the crops you've destroyed."
"Dad. He tried to-"
"Fair is fair, Oduin. Put it down. We're leaving."
Oduin set the crate down and pushed his way out.
The walk back to the inn was a quiet one as Oduin continued to seethe. His shoulders were tense, fists balled, looking for anything to smash in his unbridled rage. He was still seeing red when they arrived at the inn, slumping his way into his family's shared suite and throwing himself down on the couch with a growl.
"Oduin." His father pulled up a chair and sat down directly in front of him, elbows on knees, his eyes equal parts concerned and frustrated. "We need to talk about you."
Oduin knew what was coming. This wasn't the first time he'd exploded into a rage or destroyed property, and perhaps what receivers of his wrath would all say was that his anger never came with any warnings. One moment he might be fine, and the next, it was all-out fury the likes of which few had seen before. He'd never managed to tear an entire room apart, but it wouldn't have been surprising if he had.
"Dad, I know I can be difficult. But I won't stand by and say nothing in an unfair situation. I won't be bullied just for being young, not when I don't have to be."
His father shook his head. "That's not it Oduin," he said finally. "We try to teach you right from wrong, and I think you do have a decent handle on morality at this point in your life. But your rage is another matter. You can't control it, and none of us can, and it might be time for you to think about a profession that can help you channel that anger. And not in a frenzied, uncontrollable way. I mean, master it. Turn it into something you can use along with your head."
Oduin sat, silent, pondering it, curious. He liked the idea, and this was advice that he felt happy to take. "What are you suggesting, Dad?" he asked. This was a monumental moment for their family. Their members had only ever taken on non-battle professions. They were workers, traders, clever with their hands and good at surviving. Fighting had never been something they'd specifically gunned for as a family unit. But Oduin had a certain amount of innate rage that seemed suited to something more technical.
"Swordsmanship, perhaps. Or become a Lancer or a Guard. Something with a focus on skills that can help shape that anger you've got inside," his father said. And then a small smile crept across his face. "I don't know where you get it, but if I had to guess, I'd say your mother's side of the family." He chuckled.
Oduin found himself laughing, feeling the lingering anger dissipate as he drew his father into full-on belly laughter. He hadn't meant to frustrate his father today, and the concern he'd spotted in the older man's eyes had tugged at him. He never wanted to be the reason his family was upset or stressed, and if Oduin could have things his way, there'd be nothing but laughter at their dinner table tonight and all the nights moving forward.
Maybe it was really time to figure this out. He'd let eighteen years go by without really trying to address these occasional bouts of all-consuming rage. They didn't come often, but when they did, it was always his parents who had to pick up the pieces. They did it because they were obligated to - not many friends stuck around once they witnessed the depths of his temper. And he didn't want to scare his parents off, either. Ever.
"Well," he said. "Swordsmanship sounds interesting. There's a lot of skill involved there. A lot of things to perfect." He grinned. "Sounds pretty perfect to me."
wc 907
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:08 pm
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Lift
Solo
Summary
Oduin's brother Toskr cheers him on while he picks up a heavy log
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"You got it, O!" Toskr whooped from his perch atop a nice-sized boulder.
Oduin heard his brother's yell and threw his weight against the fallen tree trunk. He tucked his shoulder underneath it, straining against its bulk with a low, growled exhalation of breath. In, out, push. He paused to take two quick breaths, pushing the carbon dioxide out of his lungs, and then drew in a deep third breath, filling his lungs. Bracing his core, Oduin planted his feet and shoved, directing all of his effort into the trunk resting against his shoulder.
For what felt like countless long moments, nothing happened. And then it all happened at once. The trunk began to move as Oduin strained against it, his mind blank save for the push. Where once it had felt like an immovable object, all of a sudden, it was rising as he pushed and gaining momentum as it went. Oduin felt a flash of elation when he felt the trunk lift. He would not be bested by this object!
His legs moved to position underneath him as the trunk rose, and he strained to prop it up to rest on top of his shoulder and realign his weight underneath it. There it was. He stood with his feet apart, feeling the tree press down on him. There was no time to waste, his legs could only support this weight for so long, and he didn't pause long before loosening the slip-knotted rope around his waist and reaching up to lash it around the bottom of the trunk. A hastily tied knot, and then Oduin dropped his shoulder and allowed the weight to fall as he easily sidestepped it to get clear.
Toskr let out another whoop, and backflipped off of his boulder to land on the ground and scramble over to Oduin. A little shorter than his brother but seemingly unfazed by the fact, Toskr threw an arm around Oduin's neck and cuffed him with excitement. "That was sick!" he cheered, giving Oduin a hearty thump on the chest. "For a second there, I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it, but honestly, you made it look easy."
Oduin grinned. His little brother had spent so many years being in awe of him, worshiping his strength, but Oduin knew that Toskr had all the things that could make him equally successful - if success was measured in the ability to lift heavy things. "All that training, T. Pays off. You could do it too, if you wanted to."
He was sweating now, basically drenched after what seemed to be but mere minutes of effort. There was nothing Oduin liked more than this feeling - hard work that had a tangible outcome. Any fatigue that came at the end of a long day of hauling timber lent itself to restful sleep and a mind at peace. It was an attitude that he had learned over time, mostly from his father, and it resonated strongly with him every day. His brother wasn't quite the same way, but they could get him there in a pinch. He let himself lean against a different tree to survey his handiwork as Toskr scrambled up atop the trunk to double check his knot. Smaller, lighter, and with an eye for details, the younger prentice had an agility that Oduin didn't possess.
"What, and take away your one source of joy? Nah. You keep it up with the heavy lifting, O," his brother said, shaking his head as he pulled on the knot that Oduin had tied into the rope. Toskr tested it again, and then tied another safety into the end of the rope. "I'll do the quality check. Win-win."
Oduin laughed. "Win-win."
wc 619
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:49 pm
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Smile, Bud
Solo
Summary
Oduin puts aside his own fatigue to cheer up a friend
Solo
"Alright, bud?"
Oduin walked past his friend. Although it was hardly late, the sun had already dropped and the sky was growing darker by the minute. Winter days up north were short. In an effort to make up for the shortened work day, the lumberjacks in Mez simply tried to work faster to fell enough trees to meet their weekly export quota (after all, Zena still needed its lumber). It meant that the winter months could be brutal, both physically and mentally, and idle chatter seemed much less prevalent in this season.
Still, Kol looked down. Without really thinking about it, Oduin set aside his own bone-weary tiredness, deciding to forgo dinner with his family in exchange for this conversation. He was already late, and the family would understand. Right now, his friend was down and needed a shoulder. The other young man glanced up at the question and managed a halfhearted shrug.
"About as good as I can be, I guess," he said.
Oduin couldn't read much more from his expression, but there was something in the way that Kol's shoulders slumped that stood out as a flag. He leaned his axe against the closest tree stump he could find, sitting down with feet wide and elbows propped up his knees.
"Not the job stuff again?" he asked, blue eyes fixing a careful stare on Kol.
"Oh, you know..." Kol shrugged again. The two of them were about the same age, Kol perhaps a year older and feeling the pressure to find his desired profession. It was a lot of ask of someone who had spent almost his entire life in a tiny tree farming settlement whose skills predominantly involved felling and moving trees.
"Listen, I know that sometimes you feel like the skills you have are only relevant to lumber," Oduin said after a moment's thought. He'd felt the exact same thoughts before, and they sometimes came to plague him as well. "But look beyond the superficial skills for a second."
His friend shrugged. "I'm just me, Oduin. I know how to cut down a tree and move it, that's about it."
Oduin blinked. That Kol could think so little of himself was astounding and more than a little bit sad, he thought. "You know what you've got that most people don't? You've got immense courage and durability. And I mean immense. There's no one in this settlement who comes anywhere close. You can withstand basically anything the world throws at you. That's more important than existing skills."
Kol didn't look convinced, so Oduin continued. "You remember a couple years back, that little Ice boy who was here with his parents on business?" he said. "They didn't watch him and he came wandering out where nobody could see him, and we almost felled a tree on him? You were the first one to jump in and get him out of there, at more than a little risk to yourself. You didn't have to think twice. That's incredible, if you ask me."
Kol looked at him, and Oduin could read a bit of skepticism on his face. Much less pronounced now than moments ago. Maybe his friend was listening, after all.
"Incredible and sexy as hell," Oduin added with a wink, nudging his pal with an elbow. "Who's going to try to resist a dashing hero, eh?"
That seemed to work. Kol's face split into a smile, and then he began to chuckle.
"I guess if you put it that way," he said, shaking his head.
Oduin beamed, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulder. With the other hand, he gave Kol a light smack on the cheek. "There it is. Smile, bud. Things will work out. Don't stress yourself." He stood, leaned back into an extended stretch. That tiredness he'd felt earlier came flooding back, spreading up from his sore feet and radiating through the thick muscles in his back. Still, it wasn't quite time to head home yet. There was a little bit more work to be done here.
His body groaned as he bent down to pick up his axe and sling it across his shoulder, and Oduin pushed away a grimace. "Dinner?" he asked, nodding in Kol's direction. His friend nodded, standing up and slinging his gear over his own shoulders. Together, the two prentices headed down the path, pace slow and easy as they made their way to the nearest food stand. There was no more talk about jobs and anxieties, their attention turned instead to more immediate joys - food, the coming end of winter, a good night's sleep. For now, it was enough.
wc 770
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:53 pm
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Midday Naps
PRP
Summary Link
Oduin meets Ejskoia while taking a break from work. They talk about the logistics of acquiring a Kinfa feather and traveling.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:29 am
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA A Sudden Shift
Solo
Summary
Oduin loses a friend after he loses his cool
Solo
They ambled down the path between two fields as the harvest season neared. On either side, crops grew thick and tall - by Sauti standards, anyway - and a soft wind tickled the tops of the plants, setting them asway. The image jumped out at Oduin with a sudden clarity, weirdly memorable as he walked past, watching them dance. As they walked, their steps fell into a synchronized rhythm, Oduin on the left and Periton on the right. The two had met several seasons ago, when both of them had landed in Kesris with their families, looking for planting jobs at nearby farms. They had vibed right away, egging each other on to greater productivity through a playful sense of competition, and even now, their competitive natures made them a good match on the field.
The sun had just passed its peak and they had just finished their lunch break, empty food satchels slung over their shoulders as they made their way back to the field they were working.
"Which farmer do you suppose is the easiest to dupe?" Periton said as they walked, neither in any particular hurry to get back. They had to wait until the sun dropped a bit more and the heat receded. "Do you think it's the berry guy?"
"Hmm..." Oduin pursed his lips in thought, scratching his chin and then running a hand carelessly through his hair to push it out of his face. "Not the tuber guy?"
"Oh. Definitely the tuber guy," Periton said quickly in agreement. Then he paused, and his gaze slid sideways toward Oduin. "Wait. Why do you think the tuber guy?"
"I accidentally confused him into thinking I had done the work of four people," Oduin said, throwing his head back in laughter. "And by the time I realized what had happened, I couldn't convince him otherwise." Fortunately for the other three workers, Oduin had distributed his happily quadrupled pay evenly among all of them.
Periton smiled in quiet amusement. "I took his daughter, Ylian, out one night. She woke him up on the way back into the house and he came busting into the room, but she convinced him it was just the wind. He didn't even notice me," he said with a smirk, looking rather self-satisfied.
"She's smart, that Ylian," Oduin grinned. "It's been going well, then? That's not the first time you've mentioned her."
Periton shrugged, but he smiled to match Oduin, glancing sideways at him again. "Yea, I guess so."
Their conversation turned to work and travels - where their families planned to go once the harvest season was done, when they were likely to land back in Kesris - and they passed the time, waiting for the sun to get farther from its peak. They had reached their field, and now sprawled on the edge of the path to watch the clouds skitter by, reluctantly playing this waiting game. Every hour they didn't work mean less produce and pay.
At long last, the heat began to fade, and Oduin pushed himself up into a sitting position with a nice, languid stretch. Back to work! As Periton did the same, Oduin noticed a slight hesitation on his friend's face.
"Well, spit it out," he said with a playful wink, nudging Periton in the ribs with his elbow.
"So, I have to dip a little early. But I really... need to maximized today's pay. Do you think you could cover for me? I'll get you back another day," Periton answered, watching Oduin carefully.
"Sure," the blonde said with a shrug. More work, less work, it was all the same, and favors like these had a tendency of evening themselves out over time. He wasn't worried. "Where are you going?"
"I've got a date, and this is the only time Tareel is free."
Oduin frowned. "Not Ylian?" They had just talked about her.
Periton stuttered a bit as he rubbed his chin. "Ah... no. Well, Tareel... Well, she came on to me. It was, you know..."
Oduin felt a familiar cloud of rage begin to take hold. Oh boy. This happened every time he flipped a switch and got angry, but by the time he felt these telltale signs, it was far too late to stop it. Within seconds, he'd be in the middle of an all-out rage, and Periton wouldn't know what hit him.
"No, I don't know," Oduin heard himself say - spit, rather. Those words came out rather vengefully.
"Whoa, hey, don't be like that." Periton held up a hand, a gesture in vain to calm Oduin down - or perhaps to brush off his anger entirely. This boy had clearly never seen Oduin's particular brand of rage.
"DON'T tell me what I can be like," Oduin growled. His fists clenched. He felt an overwhelming desire to hit something. But there was nothing within arm's length except for Periton, so he didn't. Instead he let the thunderous anger wash across his face, and when he caught Periton's eye again, there was a cold, steely glint in his.
Then his voice exploded.
"You have no right to tell me anything, you sack of crap, you are scum, and if you can't treat one woman right, you might as well neuter yourself now before you hurt anyone else, you ungrateful piece of trash! You can make do with half a day's pay, and if I hear you've broken Ylian's heart, I will rip you like a piece of cheap cloth with my own bare hands!" The tirade came out in a roar, the words tumbling out in a frenzy, and by the end, he had torn his food satchel in half in his anger.
Periton stumbled backward, cowed by sudden tempest of emotion. "You're crazy," he muttered. "You stay away from me." His eyes kept flitting to the torn satchel in Oduin's hands.
And just as quickly, the rage faded. Oduin chucked the torn rags on the ground and shoved Periton bodily out of the way as he strode into the field on his own. "I will," he threw over his shoulder. "Unless you give me reason not to."
wc 1018
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 6:35 am
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ a closer look ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA Don't Jeopardize Your Future
Class Growth Solo
Summary
Oduin is used to being liked because of the sheer force of his sunny personality. But he has one clash too many while working in Kesris, and finds himself struggling to find employment thanks to spreading news of his volatile temper. He realizes that he's reached an age at which essentially throwing tantrums is no longer acceptable, and decides to try to change his approach moving forward.
Solo
The conversation replayed with stunning clarity in Oduin's head.
"Hey, Bellew, you still need a hand in the field tomorrow?"
"A hand, yes. Your hand? No. Sorry, Oduin. Not this time."
"What? What do you mean? I left my day open for you."
"Well... I appreciate that, young man, but you know, people talk, and that Periton kid's been talking and... well, it just doesn't look good to have you on the crew, Oduin. I'm sorry you kept tomorrow open, but you'll have to ask someone else. If anyone will have you, that is."
"What? Bellew. Come on. You know that nobody else in the market works harder than I do. I can bring in almost twenty-five percent more over the harvest season than the next best guy! You can't be serious. I just want to help us both out, man."
Bellew sighed and rubbed a thumb and forefinger across his temples. "Look, Oduin, I know you're a good kid and a hard worker, but the fact is, nobody wants to risk one of your outbursts right now. It's bad for hiring and bad for business, so... maybe next year, alright?"
This had never happened before. Lasting consequences from his outbursts had never plagued him before and he hadn't expected them to start here in Kesris at harvest time. There was so much work to be done, nobody could afford to pass up a helping hand. Except now...
Oduin hadn't expected Periton to mouth of this way, but to think that this was entirely Periton's fault would be to shift blame. Oduin knew that these outbursts of his weren't productive. People didn't like them, and... they were essentially an older, more terrifying version of a child's tantrum. Having a good reason or a just cause behind them didn't help. The people only saw the rage, the destruction that they feared he'd one day turn against them - even though Oduin had never hit another soul in his life. It didn't matter, and it was damaging.
In the past, it had just been the odd friendship that he'd lost, but now, it had affected his job prospects and that was truly problematic. He couldn't afford to be shut out of an entire season's worth of work, and if Bellew was right, it seemed that that was exactly what was happening. It couldn't happen again.
Oduin leaned his head into his hands, thoughts racing through his head with more urgency than they ever had before. Somehow, suddenly, this all seemed painfully real.
"I need to learn to control this rage," he said aloud, with no small measure of frustration in his voice. He couldn't let it just take over. He had to put in effort, actually try to stop the wave of emotions before they consumed him.
He heard his father's words. "Something with a focus on skills that can help shape that anger you've got inside." He needed a focus and some dedicated training. Oduin shut his eyes and thought about holding a sword, slashing it through the air, using it as an extension of himself and directing his energy toward a target.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt a little better. At least, he thought, this was a start.
wc 540
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:04 am
R O L E P L A Y · E N T R Y
[ stage 2 - swordsman ]
#E5CB87 #75D3EB #CAE5FA My Very First Bodyguard
PRP
Summary Link
While exploring Jatine, Oduin comes across a distraught Koray and helps the boy back on his feet. They attend the mid-harvest festival, where Oduin wins a stuffed Suhurama for Koray, and Koray gifts him an embroidered handkerchief in return.
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