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 Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:41 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:44 am
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NIt Calls Me SEZIAH'S THOUGHTSResults: ???
PRP Posts: ???
JR Word Count: ???
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:48 am
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
The Role Oba was indeed a dusty, dirty place. Seziah had never considered Pajore to be pristine, but she was starting to realize that she'd taken the state of her homeland for granted. So much so that she might have even started to miss Yael. It was shameful, truly, to miss something that had never been kind to her. Oba itself was dirty, but she had only met people- strangers at the time- who were willing to help her in any way she asked.
Tytus had only so much as seen her face before he was opening his residence for her use...
And she was grateful for it, certainly! Without him, she might be on the streets, exposed to the elements and the unsavory individuals who lurked at night. But despite his hospitality, Tytus' living conditions were not ideal. As far as she understood it, his job was the care and upkeep of the animals owned by the nobles he worked for. As such, the beasts were near constant companions, so much so that he lived as they did: in the stables.
It was only hardly less outside than 'on the streets,' but it was shelter, and it came with Tytus' strangely welcome company. Without him, Seziah would be very much alone and uncertain with how to proceed in these lands.
His stables were on the nobles' estate, so close that Sez could see the comfort of a proper home, though ever careful to stay out of their sight. It had been impressed upon her the potential that she might be unwelcome, and if Tytus' employers took poorly to her presence, she might be evicted, back out on the streets she was currently so frightened of. Since Seziah still lacked a job, proper income, and experience with navigating the city, she resolved that she could not afford to lose what Tytus had graced her with.
Oba was not her home yet, and there were still many discomforts, but if she tried very hard and stuck it out now, she could progress under her own power.
'Someday,' Seziah assured herself. Just not today.
Today, she stood in front of her sleeping mat, kept off the ground by a few slats of wood and covered with a thin cloth blanket so that sand, grit, hay, and debris wouldn't be littered across it come night. She clutched the end of the cloth, raised it so that neither end would drape and deposit anything it had caught promptly onto her bed, and scuttled out of her assigned 'room' (a neglected stall that housed only several sacks of grain) with blanket in hand.
Today, Tytus and the noble boy he served- 'Yu' she believed he was called, and Ty claimed he was more friend than employer, but Seziah wasn't entirely convinced on the truth of that- had gone out on some errand, taking a pair of xaraan with them as they went. She expected this meant she could be left to her own devices, capable of roaming the grounds freely, but as she rounded the outer edge of the stable, blanket draped over one arm so she could rid it of the dust it collected, she spotted him.
The boy looked remarkably like Tytus' friend, particularly given the distance he still stood from her. Seziah froze, startled, as she spotted him, and her bones felt as though they'd locked together in the same instant his gaze found hers.
As if mirroring her own actions, he too froze, and his red eyes blew outrageously wide.
He was going to scream. She could see it more clearly on his face than she had ever recognized any expression on any individual before in the entirety of her life. "Please keep quiet!" The words spilled from her in a rush as something like dread wove its way from her gut and up the back of her throat. "I am not going to hurt you. I cannot. Please, please. I am only staying in your stables for a little while, and I have been very careful not to disrupt anyone. I- It is- Tytus know I am here. He invited me to stay until I can find more suitable accommodations..."
He still looked as though he might scream, but at least his jaw had gone from hanging open to his lips merely plastered together in a thin line.
Should she approach him? There were still several paces between them. If she moved and he made to run, she wouldn't be able to catch him. But nor did she think it was conducive to try and converse with him from this distance, and she felt there were many more explanations to be had before this boy (younger than Yu, she thought now) could fully understand her presence here.
She inclined her head, and from what she could see of the rest of him now, it was clear that his posture was as rigid as her own. "Who are you?" He demanded.
Good. If he was inclined to speak to her at all, that could not possibly be bad. "My name is Seziah. I have come from Yael seeking refuge from the horrors of my homeland. I am... unfamiliar with travel, and though I know little of your country, there are so many people here and so many outsiders from other nations that I assumed one more girl from a land across the sea would make no difference. I am not trying to steal from or hurt anyone else... I only wish to make a new home here."
"In my stables?" The boy demanded, tone still sharp.
"No," Seziah assured quickly. "They are shelter until I can take up residence somewhere more befitting a lady. Tytus has agreed that I may share his shelter until I find my own, so long as I provide him with healing from his various ails and cuts throughout the day. I am a healer, and that is what I have been-"
"Come here." Her gaze tripped up sharply at his command before skirting away again. The boy held a hand out to her, expecting quick obedience, but his tone was not especially inviting. She expected this would be the moment he informed her she was not welcome, regardless of what Tytus offered.
She shook her head stiffly and wanted to move back and away, but her body still refused, so much so that her arms were physically shaking now. What would she do if she couldn't continue to stay here..?
With an impatient sigh, the boy made his own approach. He stopped before her, and Seziah had only a moment to register that he was actually several inches shorter than she, though nowhere near as thin, before his beckoning hand was on her face, gripping her chin, as he tugged her gaze to him. "Seziah? That's your name?" Only after a hesitant nod did he release her, though not entirely. The young boy's fingers roamed, first over her cheek, then down to her shoulder, and back into the wild mane of her hair. When he pulled it back to himself, it was with a strand of hay between two fingers. "You're filthy."
Indignation sparked like match to a flame, and when she pinned her own accord, it was with pale eyes narrowed and brows pinched. "I have been living among animals." She put more force behind the word than she was accustomed. So much so that it was almost a spit. "These conditions are not befitting a lady, but they are all I am capable of acquiring until I become more settled and more able to maneuver my surroundings in this unfamiliar place, sir."
"My Lord."
"Excuse me?"
He was smiling now, or something close to it, with his teeth showing in an almost crooked fashion and his posture more relaxed. "My Lord," he repeated. "That's how you address nobles here. Don't you know? A lady should be familiar with at least that much. So if you are a lady, as you say, you should be properly respectful."
She stood frozen for only a beat more, and then, as soon as it had come, she too eased back. Seziah's expression slid back to neutrality, and her words were soft and monotonous once more. "My Lord," she repeated. "I have no intention of lingering for very long, and I would be appreciative if you could grace me with the opportunity to remain on your land for just a few days more. I am certain that I will acclimate soon enough and-"
He put fingers to her lips, and it was all she could do not to recoil immediately from the touch. "That will not be necessary. Our estate is always in excess of space, and a lady shouldn't feel resigned to live among the animals." His smile quirked up just a fraction. "Has Tytus told you that we've welcomed a new young noble into our home? My older brother is to be married, you see, and his fiance is having likely as many difficulties adapting to her new home as you are. She brought her own servants, of course, but they are as unfamiliar with our estate as she is. As a gesture of good will, I have gifted her the use of mine."
Seziah blinked slowly as he continued. "I have been left without the care I am accustomed to receiving, and to be frank, it would bore me to simply have the service of another Oban girl... A 'lady' like you should be able to adapt quickly enough that lack of prior knowledge won't slow you down for long. So tell me, would quarters within the estate be more suitable for someone like you?"
She eyed him, eyed the quirk of his lips and the c**k of his head and the tilt of his hips. It was true that while he looked very different from the people of her homeland, there was something in his expression that was familiar, a sort of familiarity that made her wary.
But it was either this or be sent away. She did want better accommodations, and if she lived within the estate, then Tytus would still not be far. She had wanted work, and if this boy was offering it... "Yes, it would be much more to my tastes."x
x
Results: Seziah takes up work within the estate.
Word Count: 1718
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:06 pm
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NGetting to Know You I have been permitted to move from Tytus' dwellings in the stables to a room more suitable to my tastes. I am still only a serving girl, so my quarters are not the most lovely and expansive... Yet, even though I am the same rank as a handful of other girls, they seem to detest me. I am not sure of the exact reason, but they may have taken a fancy to Tytus or Lord Zakeel.
I assume it offends them that these men have also taken in interest in me... I do not believe Tytus has untoward feelings. He is a gentle, smiling man, who has shown me many kindnesses since my arrival, but I am an undesirable, and he is sure to understand that better than anyone.
Lord Zakeel has called me exotic and beautiful. I am more concerned for his advances, though I still expect they are nothing that will affect us more prominently.
The other maids must think otherwise, though. They must believe I will receive special treatment from them or they are jealous of the time we spend together, or perhaps they think I have more ability than they do... They are not so unlike Sami, and I know that I am not friendly with Sami. I also think perhaps I am the strange one. I have never considered myself mean, rude, or vindictive, but perhaps it is just true that most women are. I knew I was different, but I had hoped it wuld be less apparent here...
To console me, Tytus took me to his secret 'spot,' a grassy cliffside overlooking the whole manor and its grounds. We spent the afternoon together, and I confided in him more about myself.Results: Ty takes Seziah to his secret spot.
PRP Posts: 10
JR Word Count: 287
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:07 pm
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NA Day to Remember I confessed to Tytus that I had a few concerns regarding my relationships with he and Zakeel. It is true that while I have encounters with both men regularly and neither has hurt me and both are relatively pleasant, they bring forth different... feelings. I have always known emotions were complicated. Complicated to have, complicated to explain, and complicated to understand. But when there are boys in the mix, they become nearly impossible.
I did not know what to do, and Tytus admitted that he is not the 'feelings expert,' but he is still the most... preferred companion I have in Oba, and when he told me we could attempt a 'practice date,' I could not refuse him.
Tytus and I have not spent a quarter of the time together that I have lived in the same house as Litanu. One would imagine that we are perhaps not as close... But it is not the case. After my last meeting with Litanu, I would have thought it best to stay away from men for as long as I live. That is not how it happened, though. Tytus took me on a date, and we lay together on the sands of the beach...
I told him I trusted him and that there were few others that I would want more from, but that i would accept it from him.
Feelings are complicated.Results: Seziah and Tytus share a 'practice date' that evolves into more.
PRP Posts: 10
JR Word Count: 231
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Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 12:01 pm
W O R L D x E V E N T x R E F L E C T I O NThe Truth Behind It All It is not my business to be involved in these affairs one way or another. I am not a leader, nor do I have the abilities that would be required to aid in the purging of malicious creatures from our lands. I, like many like me, can only sit on the sidelines and wish for the best... I hope that the calamity that has been said to plague the world can be resolved without further upset, but so often it seems such a thing is impossible.
And how can it? When earthling leaders from all the nations are trying to meet with Alkidike and Elaria, beings who neither like nor respect them. I hope for the best, I do, and I know that powers united would stand a better chance than the same divided.
But I also do not expect these meetings to go over seamlessly. There are too many competing opinions, and too many lives that would be affected. Or so I assume. To be honest, I know very little, but I expect if there is a problem so present that it requires a meeting of leaders, that the consequences must be very great. But it is not my business one way or another. I have never considered speculation to be helpful.
I will go on about my life, assuming that the issue will be resolved by people with more power and control than myself. What could one girl do to help that would make a difference, anyway?Results: Seziah learns of a meeting between the world's leaders.
Word Count: 787
JR Word Count: 249
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:28 am
P R P x R E F L E C T I O NWhat We've Built Together I spent the morning kneeling before a washbasin, feeling overcome with a peculiar queasiness that I have felt only once (though a prolonged once) before. It is familiar and distinct enough that I believe I already know what ails me. I suppose a healer will be able to say with more certainty than I ever could in this moment, but I believe I have come to be with child.
The one time Tytus and I found time to ourselves, the one time we lay together, that was all it took, apparently.
I should be pleased. I know there are women who wish and plead and hope to have children but find themselves incapable. I should be so pleased that any time a man even touches me, I have another opportunity to bring a life into the world. But an 'opportunity' to do so is not enough for me, anymore. The first time I tried, I lost my beautiful, unborn child to the great goddess, Dafiel. I should be pleased, but I am frightened.
It cold happen again. It could be true that I am a terrible mother, and even if I manage to bring an infant into this world, I will be incapable of caring for it. Tytus might ignore me if I have a child with me...
He says he won't, but how can we know what will happen in the future? It is so frightening...Results: Seziah and Tytus venture to a healer, where Seziah learns that she is pregnant.
PRP Posts: 10
JR Word Count: 237
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:19 am
W O R L D x E V E N T x R E F L E C T I O NHonoring Those Who Are Gone We have not had very much opportunity to discuss how children will affect our lives going forward... Nor how we intend to bring them into this world or what kind of life we hope them to have. I understand that it is still early, but time is so finite, and we have as close to a date of the child's arrival as can be expected. I would like to know more about what we plan to do with ourselves and if Tytus will truly remain by my side, and what he hopes to gain from our relationship if he does...
But I am frightened. I have so many questions and so few answers. If I look to the past for answers, then I suppose... Well, the things I find are unpleasant. If I am expecting repitition, then I can only expect more sorrow and abandonment.
This is not what I want.
I came here for a happy life, and I am willing to work for that, as hard as I need to. Tytus seems insistent that he can provide such a thing, and though I am pleased that he is willing to try, he is still only one mortal man. Gods do not fear the fancies of mortal men, and if I am as cursed as I and my family have always believed, then they will find a way to take from us...
I still believe this. But even though I do, I also believe that Tytus' words are truth. These are the lands of other gods- other spirits, and those that watch over him must surely take some interest in his happiness. If he is happy that we have been granted this blessing, perhaps there is some hope, yet...Results: Seziah and Tytus discuss those they've lost.
PRP Posts: 7
JR Word Count: 290
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 12:24 pm
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
The Ultimatum It was becoming obvious now. Seziah felt some subtle (and other not so subtle) shifts in everything around her, from the most noticeable signs of her body’s development to the general demeanor of her work peers, and even to the tasks Seziah was willing to take on at any given time. Gone were the days of fearlessly carrying heavy washbasins down flights of stairs to the lower quarters where laundry could be tended to. Gone were the days of feeling brave enough to want to help Tytus in his chores involving large, unintelligent beasts that had the capacity to seriously harm her. Gone were the days of making long treks from the manor to town unaided, hopeful that Oban residents would not take any terrible amount of offense to her heritage and try to do something about the Yaeli blight on their land.
Now that her stomach was swollen to the point that Seziah moved about more in a waddle than a stride, it was time for egregious amounts of care and dutiful tending to the needs and wants of her body. That was more important in Seziah’s eyes than any amount of chores for any noble boy. More than ever, she tried her hardest to be as unobtrusive as possible. If she stayed out of everyone else’s way and tended exclusively to the tasks she was capable of, then that would be enough to pacify the slew of snooty maids who still held unnecessary frustrations toward her, as well as her young lord Zakeel…
Seziah swallowed thickly as her thoughts wandered to the boy that was more her employer than even his parents. He’d been the one to find her outside the stables when Tytus was away. He’d been the one to request her personal service within the household for an actual wage. He’d shown an uncomfortable interest in her and spoke often of her ‘exotic’ beauty.
And now…
Well, if their interactions were ‘uncomfortable’ before, they were downright unpleasant now. Zakeel’s interest had either waned drastically to the point of frustration with her, or, more likely, diminished altogether now that she had given herself to another man before him and had even gone so far as to carry that other man’s child.
Why he had the audacity to care Seziah didn’t understand. But pride and joy in what she carried warred with fear that she had slighted the one whose home she currently resided in and what that could mean for future stability.
Zakeel requested her attention as little as possible now. That should have been a blessing and was, in some respects. But the noble teen still wanted to see her often enough to make her aware of how regrettable her choices were. He wanted her to know that she had erred, and it was grievous enough to not be forgiven. He wanted her decisions to hurt her, and- And when Seziah thought on it, it made her feel like she was back in the Institute. One small, lonely, mentally sick girl… Untrusted and unwanted, banished from her own home and sent to reside with others ‘like her,’ who only wanted to abuse and hurt her. Who didn’t care about her as any more than an object of fascination and something that could be played with and tormented.
Her life could not become that again. Seziah didn’t know what could be done about it save for avoid those who wished her ill and work her hardest to be of some notable use, rather than a burden. If she remained dedicated and faithful, then at very least, she should still be able to count on a friend in Tytus.
She’d once thought he would be quite unenthused at the prospect of children, particularly ones carried by her and not someone more talented and impressive, someone of his own race who had a better understanding of his life and goals. But that didn’t seem to be the case. Though there had been a certain degree of hesitance and uncertainty that surrounded them at first and even continued to be while they pondered how exactly the future might unfold, it had worked itself out enough that it was a given that they should remain together intimately. Whatever child they brought into the world would have two caring parents, trying to work together to give her (or him, Seziah supposed, but she was definitely a she) the best life that could be managed.
Seziah was grateful for that, and it meant that regardless of what happened with Zakeel, her life could not possibly deteriorate to what it had been on Yael, even if she did lose another child…
Though that seemed less and less likely every day, as her precious spawn continued to be quite demanding with its presence inside of her. It was still a fear, as it likely would be until the time of Seziah’s own passing, but her first never had the opportunity to grow so large. Never tasted the world or took its first breath. Never-
Seziah yipped quietly as her fingers curled tightly in the fabric of the clothing she was attempting to hang on a line outside. Her first had never had the opportunity to assault her from within her own body nor to make her scramble to relieve herself at all hours of the day and night. ”That hurt,” she informed her stomach with a quick ‘stern’ look downward and a more soothing, gentle pat to the top of her belly. The healers had said that this was a time for as much relaxing as possible, so as not to strain the baby too much. Seziah didn’t want to put any unnecessary burdens on her unborn child by sounding too harsh, but there were still so many tasks to tend to before day’s end… She couldn’t be distracted right now. ”You can’t go about being so demanding during work hours,” Seziah tried to reason. ”And you really ought to be familiar enough with our schedule by now that you should know when it is acceptable to require more attention. Now is not-”
“Sez… Seziah?” The voice was quiet and hesitant, with a sort of high lilt that suggested some mild and only barely noticeable strain of disgust. “Are you talking to yourself?” When Seziah turned from the clothesline, she spotted another maid, one that was only a few years older than her, but that had been working in the manor’s service for far longer.
One that had no children of her own. “No,” Seziah quipped. “I am having a conversation with my daughter. It is a family matter, and so I do not have any appreciation for someone else interrupting.”
The woman’s uncertain expression turned to a sneer in an instant. “They can’t understand you,” she retorted. “Babies don’t even understand how to do anything once they’re born, so there’s no reason trying to talk to it now. It doesn’t know what you’re saying. It probably can’t even hear.”
“She is a ‘she,’” Seziah replied. “And I can already tell that she will be very, very smart.”
The other maid seemed to disagree with a particular sort of intense vehemence that was written all over her face, but she didn’t press the subject, and instead moved to take up the basin of clothing Seziah had been attempting to hang. “Lord Zakeel wishes to speak with you immediately. You are to go now. I’ll hang the rest.”
A sense of foreboding coalescence tightly in her gut. Seziah wasn’t on ‘friendly’ terms with any of the maids, not since it had become obvious that Tytus, the object of so many affections, held an interest in her. None of them would volunteer to just take up her work… It might have been a command. The other maid was being ordered to finish her chores because Seziah was being excused from her place here… She’d considered before that the potential could be there.
Where would she go? What would she do?
For now, nothing but seek out her young master, she supposed…
Seziah found him in one of several studies of the estate. He was alone, sitting in a chair at a desk and clearly trying too hard to look as though he commanded more than a handful of personal maids. Despite her certainty that he was entirely aware of her presence, she knocked on the door to announce herself and waited to be invited in.
“Seziah.” His voice was sharper than it had been at their meeting, devoid of any of the velvety thickness that came with a boy trying to woo a girl. She opened her mouth to greet him as formally as she knew how, but he silenced her with a raised hand. “I won’t keep you long, and you needn’t say anything in response.”
When her lips clicked shut, it was like sealing a vacuum of ice in her stomach. He was going to fire her. She was going to be sent away to elsewhere, likely immediately, before she even had opportunity to inform Tytus. They would be separated. She would be alone again-
“Though you are not of Oban descent and arrived in this estate unfamiliar with our customs, it does remain true that you are capable of providing a useful service. It is out of the kindness of my heart that you have been allowed to stay and work for us, and so I wanted to be the one to inform you of your options going forward.” Seziah swallowed but said nothing. Zakeel continued. “My parents have been leery of keeping you on from the start. They find Yaelians to be… creepy and untrustworthy, people we know too little about to allow to live in our home. But I convinced them. I convinced them to allow you to stay.”
“However, your recent developments have only strengthened their concerns. We’ve brought a harlot into our home, they’ve claimed. Young, unmarried, and already pregnant with an unknown man’s child…”
She thought to argue, then. Because she knew Zakeel knew who’s child it was.
But she hadn’t been bid to speak, so she didn’t. Zakeel’s gaze never left hers. “They are unwilling to care for the spawn of an untrustworthy maid, in addition to providing wages and board for you.” It wa sonly then that the boy’s gaze dipped to her stomach. “You are welcome to stay, of course, but under the knowledge that it would only be you who had permissions to do so.” His red eyes were back on hers again, and she had to struggle not to look away.
A struggle that became harder as she realized the nature of what he was saying: get rid of her child. She would be allowed to continue her life here if she did away with it, but otherwise… Seziah physically felt the blood leave her face. ”I c-can’t…” Her voice was so small, so meek that she couldn’t even be entirely sure Zakeel had heard it.
He certainly didn’t acknowledge it. His gaze swept down her, then he turned dismissively away. “It doesn’t seem as though you have too long to think on it, but I suggest you use all the time you have to consider what would really be most beneficial to you… Be on your way now, Seziah. We’ll speak again soon.”x
x
Results: Zakeel imposes a choice onto Seziah, regarding her situation moving forward.
Word Count: 1890
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Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:24 am
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
The Healer There were to be two of them.
Despite the hesitance and waver to her voice as she’d tried to argue with Zakeel that she couldn’t possibly simply opt to abandon her child regardless of circumstance, Seziah knew quite earnestly that she would rather be homeless and jobless than surrender her own spawn to anyone else. She’d known this before the news came, but now that she’d been made aware of her situation- pregnant with twins- she believed it even more vehemently. Her children were a miracle to be cherished, not a burden to be discarded so that she could continue to live in a life a servitude. It was a relatively comfortable life, of course, devoid of most complication, but Seziah had already decided she could do more with herself.
She wanted to do more. She’d been trained to do more by a man who’d thought her capable when no one else did. Even if Seziah hadn’t wanted to do anything of note for herself, the least she could do was manage something more worthwhile than ‘maid’ in honor of Diavel, who had given her his time and believed in her when everyone else thought she’d been worthless…
It had occurred to her of late, that she may not have necessarily been fair to the man who’d opened his home, life, and work to her. She’d always silently complained that no one had loved or wanted her and that Yael was a place of curses and ill-will, but Diavel had been there for her, and that was worth making note of. It was this notion to spurred her into slipping away from the estate as evening drew near, bright enough outside still that she didn’t fear any more trouble than what could occur in the light of day, but late enough that she didn’t think she would be missed, now that activities in her home were winding down enough that the noticeable presence of a servant girl was not required.
She owed it to Diavel to be a person of real use. He had taken the time to train and teach her in the healing ways, such that one day she may make an actual career out of it. Seziah couldn’t be so rude as to waste and forget about his efforts just because she had left their island. If ever there was a time to find a way to use the skills she’d learned, it was now.
The estate and its residents no longer welcomed her, and she wouldn’t bring children into a place of strife.
Her greatest dilemma now was figuring out how one went about obtaining a ‘job’ suitable to her talents when she had no contacts, no way of proving herself capable, no one to vouch for her skills, and was also so heavy with children that she could hardly get around reliably… Seziah wasn’t foolish enough to think it would be an easy or quick task, but she knew she had to start trying now before the children were born. There wouldn’t be any great amounts of opportunity later, and she couldn’t risk waiting until Zakeel and his family actually decided to kick her out.
There was at least some ray of hope in recent discussions she’d had with her boyfriend. Tytus was also aware of the situation as it stood, and equally as part of it as Seziah was, herself. They were as much his offspring as they were hers, after all… With that thought in mind, he’d apparently decided he also needed to make more use of himself than as much as he could do being a stable hand for a noble estate.
Seziah couldn’t say she understood the arrangement the army made with those who served it, but it sounded to her like working in such a position could potentially mean days, weeks, maybe even months away from home… And that felt distressingly similar to being abandoned, to being left behind. They had discussed it already. Tytus had explained that it was reliable work that could help them get places. He wanted the same things she did: a stable home with a happy family that they could provide for all on their own. He wanted, as she did, to be more than he was currently, and now that there were about to be children depending on him, it wouldn’t do to settle for less.
He’d explained it to her, and Seziah understood the goal and how working for the army could only be a benefit to them, but she was still frightened. While at the estate they’d had the time to work together and be in close proximity because they served the same cause, but now… Now they wouldn’t at all, and there might be days where she was left entirely on her own with the children.
A daunting thought, particularly since she planned to have work of her own to tend to.
That was still her plan, despite everything. The only issue was figuring out how.
Seziah decided it was best to start somewhere familiar. Throughout the past several months, she’d had quite a few opportunities to visit with the matron who served as midwife among those Zakeel referred to as being in the same ‘class’ as Seziah. He’d also complained the the woman would do better to turn her attention on noble-borns, rather than the working class, since she’d been born among the higher-ups herself. It was another point Seziah didn’t entirely understand about Oba. To her, it felt obvious that if you had the skills to help people, it was a civic duty to make use of them, regardless of what ‘class’ the patrons came from.
The woman, Miss Jeine Rodeforth, seemed to agree. As Seziah stepped into her mid-city establishment with the soft tinkling of a bell, Jeine’s gaze fell to her, and she smiled. “Lady Seziah,” the woman greeted. “I hope the evening finds you well, though-” The Oban woman’s gaze skated from Sez’ passive features, to her stomach, to the space behind her. “You are alone this evening?” She queried, voice laced with concern. “It is a bit of the trek from the manor for someone in your condition, and now is no time to be adding any strain.”
”I- Yes. I am- I am alone…” Seziah admitted as she bustled toward Jeine’s counter. ”And it is because I fear added strain that I have sought you out, specifically. I have come to realize-”
Jeine’s concern must have spiked, because before Seziah could progress further, the woman reached for her, clasping her by the hand and gently guiding her back to a more private room. “Is it the children? Are you hurting- or bleeding perhaps? I can’t imagine you would have made it this far alone if it were time, though it must be getting very close, now. especially with twins. They come sooner than singles, you know. It could be any day now.”
”No,” Seziah assured as quickly as the woman’s voice had ceased. ”No, I am still certain that they are well and content where they are for the moment, but… It is my master, Lord Zakeel, who is not content. My children will not be welcome in his home, and so I have need of a new place where I can be of service. I have come to you because I have magic and a bit of experience in the healing craft, thanks to a mentor from Yael.” She’d never been one to mince words, and as a care provider, she didn’t expect Jeine would turn her away too quickly. ”I know you already have a small handful of girls working for you, but if it is possible, I would also like to learn more about your craft, and maybe I could be of some use until I am fully capable...”
Jeine’s fingers were still curled around hers. The woman wasn’t old by any stretch of the word, younger even than Diavel, but she was intelligent, quick-witted, and kind-hearted. She’d had opportunity to learn of Seziah’s situation, since the young Yaeli had no reason to hide it from her. The woman’s other hand came to pat Seziah’s fingers where she held them. “Sweet girl,” she hummed. “Now is not the time for you to be working too hard or too much. Please be at peace until the children are ready for the world. If you need help, I will send one of my ladies to look after you until then. My home and my work are open to those in need of it… But we will discuss more of your capabilities when you are in a better position to show them to me.”
”Not now..?” Seziah murmured. She’d wanted a clear resolution rather than anything else, and she didn’t know what she could do if Jeine turned her away.
“I am not telling you no,” The woman assured. “If you are capable, I will make use of that. If not, and if you are truly unable to continue as you are, we will make suitable arrangements. For now, it is best if you try not to worry or strain yourself. Come, child, I will escort you home. It is best if you make as little change to your living routine as possible during this time. Stay off your feet, and don’t let that young snot bully you about-”
Jeine walked her to the estate’s property line, offering advice and gentle coaxing the entire way, while Seziah mulled over her own thoughts.
It wasn’t the exact answer she’d hoped for, but it was a start, and nice to know that the Oban woman was willing to aid her where she could, even if it didn’t mean automatic faith in her.x
x
Results: Seziah seeks out employment away from Zakeel and his family but is not immediately successful.
Word Count: 1626
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:50 pm
D E V E L O P M E N T A L x S O L O
The Twins They were so small.
At first Seziah had wondered if it was natural and healthy that her twins be so tiny. They’d felt much larger during her final months when she’d tried to function as a normal living being while they grew inside of her, and surely it wasn’t right for her daughter’s wee little head to fit in the palm of her hand. Were all infants this way? Or was it because they were cursed hybrid spawn, born of the blood of an islander who’d had the misfortune of incurring the wrath of the gods…
She would likely never know, and whether they were or not didn’t say much for the immediate swell of pride Seziah had felt upon first having them placed in her arms. And then, as quickly as she could feel those feelings, another overtook it. Fear. The culmination of every negative thought she’d had during her entire pregnancy crashed down upon her.
Though she should have been thinking on it for the past several months, the first time Seziah held her children was the first time she’d had the crippling realization that she had never even come into contact with a newborn child before. Or most other varieties of child, for that matter. She’d spent her early life within the Institute’s walls, where opportunities to meet with youngsters were slim. No one wanted the mentally unwell near such precious gifts, after all. Seziah had vague memories of Granny’s Shadow, the boy who’d been only half her age, then, but that was the youngest she could recall having a chance for more than just a simple glimpse with.
What was she to do with these two? How was she to raise them? As far as Seziah was aware, even Tytus was an only child who had more experience with beasts than with people. How were they to know anything that they ought to do to make sure their children were healthy, safe, growing and learning properly? As Seziah blinked down at them for the first time, worn and achy but pleased and terrified, she could only wonder. Jeine, of course, assured her that they were both well and had merely laughed and waved off Seziah’s concerns as something many new mothers experienced. The healer woman assured Seziah that her next children would not be so intimidating.
‘Next’ children, indeed. She’d hardly survived the first wave, and it had certainly been a very unpleasant experience near the end, to say the least. Other girls had warned her, of course. Jeine and her healing aids had told her quite plainly that as the time drew nearer, her experiences with pregnancy may become slightly less amenable to her personal schedule.
And so it had.
‘Emotional’ wasn’t the word Seziah wouldn’t have chosen, and despite various bodily pains, she thought she’d spent her last week being as useful as she was able, but there had, unfortunately been a small handful of hurdles in regards to how she fared when dealing with others and how often she was willing to be in those situations to begin with. The aid Jeine had sent with her only a couple weeks prior stayed almost exclusively at Seziah’s side and seemed all too eager to remove her from any chores that involved too much lifting or too much standing or too much stress, in general. By the end of it, the woman had convinced Seziah that it was best they keep to her small chambers until the time came.
She’d spent two days in her rooms, with no one- not even Tytus- allowed to enter, speak with, or disturb her, save for the aid and Jeine herself. Seziah couldn’t even begin to guess how the woman had pulled it all off, how she’d managed to keep anyone from disturbing her for those two days, but she had, and Seziah was grateful.
Now she had two, tiny little bundles in her arms, swaddled and sleeping soundly.
As anyone might have expected, they were peculiar children, though not so much so, Seziah thought, that they risked being as outcast as something like an Alkidike hybrid might be. The girl was even almost normal by the standard of the land she was born in: with red curls, crimson eyes, and small, rounded ears. Seziah hoped she wasn’t deficient in hearing. Even her skin, which she clearly had inherited from her mother was not such a peculiar shade that Obans likely wouldn’t think her anything more than ill. It was only the black in her eyes and in her crystals that set her apart, and Seziah felt certain that these would be traits Obans would look past.
Now, her little boy was clearly not fully from Oban sands.
Seziah thought he would fit in much better among her people with her purple hair, long ears, and white-and-black eyes. The brown of his skin, much like his sisters, surely wouldn’t be so strange to Yaeli that it would be worth commenting on. His crystals were a dead giveaway, of course, and she highly doubted the islanders would take his one small difference better than Obans would mind him.
They hadn’t minded Seziah too much, after all. And wasn’t that the most peculiar thought she might have had? To be in a land of foreigners, surrounded by people who took an interest in her care and wellbeing, and that of her children, more so than almost anyone on Yael ever had. Jeine and her assitants, the matron maids who were above the squabbles the younger girls had with Seziah and who had been very helpful during the time Seziah had trouble getting around, her boyfriend and partner in this endeavor…
Sequestered away as she’d been, Tytus had not yet had the chance to meet his children. She hoped he liked them- loved them, as she did already.x
x
Results: The babies are born!
Word Count: 976
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:55 pm
B A T T L E x R E F L E C T I O N[Oba] Seziah vs Tytus ...
(N/A - NRP battle)Results: Won the battle.
Word Count: N/A
JR Word Count: N/A
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:57 pm
B A T T L E x R E F L E C T I O N[Oba] Seziah vs Tytus 2 ...
(N/A - NRP battle)Results: Won the battle.
Word Count: N/A
JR Word Count: N/A
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:58 pm
B A T T L E x R E F L E C T I O N[Oba] Seziah vs Skadravi ...
(N/A - NRP battle)Results: Lost the battle.
Word Count: N/A
JR Word Count: N/A
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:01 pm
B A T T L E x R E F L E C T I O N[Oba] Seziah vs Skadravi 2 ...
(N/A - NRP battle)Results: Lost the battle.
Word Count: N/A
JR Word Count: N/A
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