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 Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:48 pm
(6/10)
"I'm from Yael! They're all weird there." Siel bobbed his head, preening a little under her pats. It just made sense that the plants would talk if everything else on that island was a little skeptical. One day his family might go there, but Siel kind of hoped it wasn't anytime soon. Just...maybe once he was a little bigger and less lightly to be swallowed up by a swamp.
It felt really weird not to be able to move, especially when it was all he wanted to do. He wasn't being restricted to the point of fear so much as Siel's naturally fidgety body just craved activity. Seeing Lutana bounce around the beach collecting wood just made that feeling grow. What was she doing with all of it anyway? Making a bed for him? That's stupid, I'm already buried. Unless she planned on sleeping ontop of him?
And then it clicked.
This was his funeral.
"I have been reborn and my body was taken by the sea." The child was strangely serious as he said it. His eyes drifted to the ocean as if seeing spirits far beyond his siblings. He sputtered when some of Morain's sand dropped into his mouth and shot a harsh look up to his brother. "All of your fruit will be rotten."
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:07 pm
[6/10] Lutana was delighted to mourn Siel. Honestly both of her brothers gave the best of eulogies that even she wasn't certain of what to say exactly. All Lutana could do was stand there solemnly and nod her head whenever Morain and Siel both spoke. " It's so touching." She replied quietly with a faint sniffle. Was this the part where the ladies all started clutching at their dresses and crying? Should she do that? Lutana just settled for putting on her saddest expression, her lips quivering while her large soulful eyes studied the skies as if searching for Siel's spirit. Oh but she did not have to look far! " So you're now the super rare Siel plant!" She gasped dramatically as she looked to her brother, tears threatening to spill from her dark gaze. " I'm so glad that you've returned to us. Though hopefully with not just rotten fruit...." Oh! Lutana blinked as she spoke and studied Siel. " We can't let plant Siel die either, Morain!" All plants needed water right? Lutana promptly moved closer to the ocean and as soon as the wave started to recede she stuck her hands into the water to carry more back towards Siel. " We gotta water the plant." Ever so slowly she started to trickle the water around her brother and into the sand.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 12:13 pm
(6/10)
From Yael! Haha! Morain laughed to himself at the sight of his brother's head, bobbing around - but when he dropped the sand onto his brother, it completely missed. Both hands (even the one covered in sand) covered his mouth when he brother choked and glared at him, whining at his threat. "Noooo! We only just got the fruit...!"
Morain turned to watch his sister scooping up water, not even seeming to realize that the water actually was a bit closer than it had been twenty minutes ago when they decided to bury Siel.
Instead, he squatted beside his brother, ready to catch the water if Lutana spilled it the same we he did - but she was infinitely more careful with it. Once he was wet, Morain pursed his lips and began to brush the short spikes of his regrowing hair from his face, making scissoring motions with his fingers as if he was cutting his hair. "And--and we gotta prune him too! So he's the prettiest plant he can be!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 1:42 pm
[7/10]
Super rare? That was even better! He'd heard an old man tell his grandson one day that when he died he would just be plant food, so maybe that's what his 'body' was now. Hopefully he would grow tall and strong, just like his Baba, except without legs....or arms...just a lot of leaves.
And no fruit, just because of Morain.
At first it was all fun, but then they started to put the water around him. It didn't really dawn on Siel that sand wasn't exactly protective so when the icky, heavy wet sand started to press in around his shoulders he couldn't help curling his lip in disgust. "Ewww, it feels grosssss". It was just like getting a bath, but worse! He couldn't run away from it!
"Nooo, don't cut off anymore of my hair! It just started growing back!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:07 pm
(7/10)
Lutana patted the sands around Siel and only pouted whenever he protested. What plant didn't like getting watered? This one certainly was a super rare breed for it to protest so! But water was super important for helping it grow, right? It was like eating veggies. Lutana usually protested whenever something really bitter was on her plate but apparently it was for their own good. Lutana shook her head before giving the wet sands one final pat, particles of damp sand sticking to her fingers.
"Ooooh you're right! Pruning is important to a plant's health." She repeated with a sage nod. That's what some boy had said one day when he had handed Lutana a flowered branch from a lovely shrub. She teasingly made a similar cutting motion across the air in front of Siel before his protests made her stop. "Aww...but I suppose it could grow out a bit more first." She finally replied as she lowered her 'scissors' and studied plant Siel. "Is there anything else we can do for you, plant Siel?" She asked quietly as she squatted down next to her brothers.
"Maybe if it's a garden we could build other plants to keep you company?" Lutana glanced around before pushing some sand together in a little formation, its sides slightly leaning as she tried to use her finger to carve in vines around the base.Her gaze did slip towards the ocean, her mouth tilting into a puzzled frown as she started to notice that the were running out of gardening room since even the ocean seemed to be getting more interested in their project.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:14 pm
[7/10]
Morain was giggling, along with his sister, as they harassed their poor, buried plant brother. He made a few more cutting motions before he stopped, groaning with Lutana. "Fineee." What else could they do...? Morain spun, ready to go dig for a few more shells to decorate with, when his foot came down into water - cold and frothy from the waves. He grimaced and scuttled back a few steps and, like Lutana, looked out to the ocean. ... Huh...
"Hey, so - y'think plant Siel can breath underwater?" He asked, at first as a joke. But then, for a too long beat, he looked back out at the water again, watching the next wave as it swept in - closer.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:22 pm
(8/10)
"You've pruned me enough, Lutana." Siel pouted, using her full name for emphasis. It was her fault his hair was so short to begin with!
At first he'd been focused on thinking about what else they could add to the garden, or maybe what to leave out, since it needed to be 'natural' to trick their fathers. That is, until his brother made that comment and Siel turned to look at the water. When had...when had it come up that far? It hadn't been that like that when they started....
"Did it move up further? Or am I wrong?" He tried to say it calmly, but there was a worried edge to it. Plant Siel most certainly could not breathe underwater, and from his vantage point the water was only that much closer to his face.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:42 pm
[8/10]
"I uh...don't think plant Siel is a water plant." Replied Lutana with a slight frown. A slight knot of worry was growing in her chest as she noticed the waves getting closer. Did the ocean usually move like this? She had never seen the lakes move like this before. Biting her bottom lip she slowly nodded. "I think the ocean is trying to say hello..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced between her two brothers. As much as she loved playing funeral and reviving Siel in to a plant she didn't think she was actually ready to lose plant Siel to the deeper waters.
Maybe they should wait and surprise their fathers later when they weren't so close to the ocean...
What a spoil sport. Lutana pouted at the ocean, her cheeks puffing out as she finally let out a long sigh. "I think we should probably replant Siel else where." She finally admitted as the foamy waters started to inch closer and closer towards her tip toes. "Right, Morain?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:48 pm
[8/10]
"...Uh-huh." Morain squeaked, settling down onto his knees. The sand was wet now, and felt so much heavier to scoop - and this time, they didn't have Siel to help with the digging. He dug and dug, his arms burning, and the water came up closer until every wave brushed against his leg. Real panic began to lick at his senses, and he dug as fast as he could - his small arms burning until, finally, one of Siel's arms was freed enough of the sands to wrench out from where it had been buried, filthy and absolutely soaked with ocean water and sand.
Now, the water spilled into the hole - and Morain squealed out a panicky, "We said hello already! Stop!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:54 pm
[9/10]
Siel's general lack of moment hadn't worried him until now. With the water less than a sandal's distance away from him and inching closer with each new wave the child progressively grew more stressed. The wet sand that had already been packed in around him felt so much heavier now that he was actively trying to free himself.
The child kicked and wriggled as much as he could to loosen the 'burial mound' and with their help at least one of his arms was freed! For just a second he calmed a bit; after all, now he could help, right? Until the water came in on him and he let out a panicked squeal. "Dig faster, dig faster!" Water wasn't supposed to be alive, right? So why was it trying to eat him?!
Even when his other arm was mostly freed Siel still couldn't get his hips to move and with his hole retaining water....
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:01 pm
[9/10]
"Okay, okay!" Lutana had started digging but whenever the waves crashed closer she rotated so that she could plop onto the sands right in front of Siel. If anything the youngling was determined to block as much of the salt water as possible. Her clothing was drenched, wet strands of hair sticking to her face, but she didn't hesitate to take the brunt of the waves as she started to dig into the sands with fervor.
Siel was her brother and she wouldn't let the ocean take him away!
Her fingers ached but Lutana kept digging until she could find Siel's other arm. There! A grin of delight crossed her features until another wave crashed along the shore, the water curling around her clothing and trying to tug her backwards. The youngling fell backwards with a slight oof before pulling herself back up so that she could resume digging Siel. "There! Try wiggling free now Siel!" She instructed, her gaze gleaming with determination.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:08 pm
[9/10]
Both arms were now free, but Lutana and Morain were both getting knocked about by the waves each time they came in. The water was freezing cold, but adrenaline kept him warm as he dug. Three pairs of hands desperately tugged at the sand - but as terrifying as the water was, it did at least begin to sweep a good bit of the sand away on each ebb and flow, and finally - he could see Siel's legs. Morain moved behind his brother, gripped him under his arms as best he could, with his tiny frame, and yanked - and with Lutana digging, the ocean helping in what small ways it could, and Morain's tug - finally they both fell backwards into the soaking sand, filthy but free.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:15 pm
[10/10]
As soon as Siel was able to twist his hips he knew it was going to be okay. With Lutana blocking the water from his front and Morain helping to pull the child was able to climb out. It was far from graceful, and he more or less fell onto his brother, but at the very least he was free.
When the next wave lapped onto shore it completely filled the hole and splashed onto his legs as if he needed a reminder of how close the call really had been! Siel's skin was absolutely covered in wet sand, and his clothing was ruined, but now he could move his toes!
"Can we go back now? I don't want be on the beach anymore."
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:25 pm
The ocean was just a bit too eager to play with them. Lutana shot a glare towards the ocean before checking on Siel. He had gotten out of the hole and it seemed like he was doing just fine. "Yeah. Let's go back." Agreed Lutana as she reached out to help tug both of her brothers up and away from the water. Perhaps next time the ocean would be better behaved? She hoped so! Even if her brothers were more wary of it, Lutana couldn't help but to feel intrigued by it's sparkling depths. It was just too pretty to hate.
Studying her brothers, Lutana couldn't help but to giggle. They looked like sand creatures! The thought made the girl glance down to her dirty arms. "Maybe we could still surprise everyone." She mused as she gestured towards their sandy disguise. "I can barely recognize you both!" She giggled mischievously before taking a few more steps away from the ocean. She was ready to return and give everyone a surprise!
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:30 pm
(10/10)
Morain grunted softly, murmuring a tired thanks as his sister helped them up. But... once standing, he looked down at himself and Siel and laughed weakly, uselessly trying to wash the sand off of himself. Still... he exchanged a look with his brother, eyebrows raised. How was Lutana so energetic and happy still! They'd nearly been eaten by the ocean, after all!!
But... silently and to himself, he had to concede that he was amazed with his sister. She'd been so level headed and calm the whole time, at least on the outside - and there was a warm feeling of unity as he padded after the other two, knowing they'd all survived this together.
Thank goodness though- if his brother had been washed away because of Morain and Lutana burying him, he didn't know what he'd do!
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