Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
There are many superstitions and beliefs in Tendaji, often originating from the culture and gods of each individual region. Wherever one goes, they might find a new routine or practice based on the region they are in. However, there seems to be one thing that all Tendaji residents believe in - the power and beauty of a meteor shower.
The rare celestial event is seen as a blessing, and this one just so happens to have appeared right when the New Year began. Oh what luck and what a great omen - this must be a sign of good fortune for the year to come.
[ How does your character react to the meteor shower that is lighting up the sky? How do they see this omen impacting their life and year to come? Explore the thoughts and experience either alone or with a friend. ]
Getting out on the road was as exhausting as it was freeing. The majority of Ai's wounds had healed enough so that travel was possible and by the time they traversed the sands into Sulburi she should have been healed enough to handle whatever business came up. She still hadn't been allowed to have her swords back, but that didn't bother her as much now as it had initially. It would happen in time and if it didn't then she would simply adapt. Ai was versatile like that.
As it stood the alkidike's right arm had healed enough so that she was nearly back to full functionality with the exception of her hand. The loss of her pinky and ring finger was still an adjustment, but Ai was determined not to let it stop her. As for her left arm....it was still tucked against her side, trapped in bandages and a sling. It was healing, just not as quickly as she would have hoped. The wound across her gut still caused her difficulty upon sitting or bending, but beyond that she barely noticed it. It had just left a nasty scar, which wasn't anything new to her.
A calmness had claimed the evening as night quickly approached. Finding someplace proper to settle had become a need and yet, Ai didn't really much care. She could see a group of earthlings just at the edge of eye sight, settled into their camp for the night, their laughter carrying across the desert.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:43 pm
Painted Moose
[1/7]
For a long while, Lucijah had struggled with the decision of whether or not to keep her word. As Ai grew stronger, the risk of the Alkidike following through on her many threats grew greater still... but Lucijah couldn't stomach the idea of throwing her out. Like it or not, she was now invested in whether Ai thrived. Finally, Ai had recovered enough to walk without much difficulty, and Lucijah couldn't find any more reasons to put off their trip.
So - they packed all the dried meats and other foods she'd saved for the season, and went on their way. Lucijah had no familiars to ride, no cart to pull, only the packs on their backs. She had Ai hide while she got proper clothing for them, to avoid burns, and they were off.
They were making good time... although, Lucijah pointed out they would make better time if they grouped up with a caravan (which Ai, of course, refused). So here they were - looking for a good place to settle. They were another day out from the nearest watering hole, and Lucijah would like to keep going, just to make better time - but she was tired, and the desert got cold at night.
"This is as good a place as any." She called, dropping her pack with a grunt. Ducking down, she unclipped the sleeping roll from her bag and rolled it out, back turned to Ai. Among her things were the woman's blades - sheathed and tied among her things, not yet handed back to her companion.
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:48 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
"Here?"Ai balked. "Are you blind?" With her 'good' arm the alkidike motioned toward the group just over the sands. She couldn't see them in extreme clarity, but she could tell they were shifters at the very least! "We can't possibly defend ourselves here." There was nothing to hide behind, nowhere to climb, nothing to use to their advantage; nothing but sand.
Even then she turned back towards the group with an - dare she say it? - anxious sneer. The last time she'd been around any group was when she was jumped and that had understandably put no small amount of fear in Ai's blood. Her hand flexed at her side, unconsciously reaching for the hilt of a blade that was no longer there.
Over the course of her judgements the group had started to play music, the lightest of melodies making it's way over the dunes toward them and the shapes had started to move as if they were dancing.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:55 pm
Painted Moose
[2/7]
Lucijah heaved a sigh through her nose, turning back to Ai to watch as she sneered at the neighboring camp. "Yes, here." She responded, sweetly, flopping back to sit on her roll. "If they meant trouble we wouldn't have seen 'em. And I'd rather have a friendly neighbor, in case the other kind show up."
With this said, Lucijah continued to rifle through her pack for tonight's rations of food, her stomach grumbling. She would be eager to get into town, and find work in exchange for a proper belly full of warm food - she was already getting sick of the preserved sort.
As the music floated across the air to them, Lucijah laughed and stole a teasing look at Ai, "Or are you worried they'll slay us with their--"
Before she could say more, something caught her eye and Lucijah blinked, craning her neck to the sky. There ! Another- a streak of light, glittering and spectral. The music broke off abruptly, and a chorus of cries and noises came from the shifters, who shoved at one another, pointing.
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:03 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
They could be the other kind. Ai thought petulantly, but chose instead not to say anything. If Lucijah wasn't keen on moving then Ai wasn't in any position to force her. Were she at full health she could have abandoned the shifter all together, but right now her options were limited.
Instead, she turned away from the group with a huff and made her way over to the bedrolls. She was just in time, naturally, to see the condescending laughter in full force. "Afraid of their what?" Since she was so focused on the shifter she hadn't been privy to the stars above and thus was naturally cross.
Then Lucijah looked concerned, the music stopped and the cries from below the dunes put Ai on edge. She whipped around, grimacing a little as her freshly healed stomach pulled and the alkidike took off at a sprint across the sand-
-only to pull up short when she saw the stars.
She'd fully intended on slaughtering every single one of the attackers at first until she realized why they were being so loud.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:11 pm
Painted Moose
[3/7]
Shifters were, and always had been, rather obsessed with the sky. It came with the territory of living up in the trees... of spending so much time above the canopies of the forest, of having their eyes and skin CHANGE when the sun set. As such, legends of such... anomalies were abound.
It was...a good thing. A promise of fortune, of plenty. A sign that you were blessed by Serin, that your path was watched over--
Before she could think too long on it though, Ai was rising and running, and with a start Lucijah rose and ran after her. She wasn't as bit as Ai, so her strides weren't as long - and by the time Ai stopped, Lucijah stumbled a bit to a stop beside her, reaching without thinking to grip her arm for support. Then her gaze turned upwards again. "I didn't ... know the stars fell, in the desert too." She said, surprised. And here she'd thought it was... something local, to the shifter tribes.
Was it only because there were shifters here? Or- was it fake, just like so many other stories of gods and goddess, spirits and blessings?
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:29 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
Ai startled at the hand on her arm and when she looked over at the struggling shifter her momentarily look of wonder turned into a scowl. Still, she didn't move to made her let go and that was a stride in itself.
"Why wouldn't they? It's the same sky." While she'd never personally seen any fall in Yael Ai just knew that they had to. Still, seeing a streak of light, brilliant white across the dusky sky was enough to draw her attention back to the world above.
Ai, quite frankly, wasn't used to seeing so much open sky. She was born for the earth, for the roots of trees far larger than herself and the dark underbelly of Yael. This much open space, with stars that raced across the sky like packs of radaku, was well beyond her...
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:37 pm
Painted Moose
[4/7]
Right. Lucijah's face flushed and, with her lightened skin tone, the change was a bit more obvious than it usually might have been. She dropped her hand from Ai's arm, having finally realized herself, and instead propped her hands on her hips. It was... difficult not to feel scandalized. Blessings of Serin indeed- blessed to go murder some poor, unsuspecting Alkidike--.
No. It was ridiculous. It... was likely like any other old folk tale that concerned gods and blessings. Still... "It really is pretty though." She admitted, her expression softening as she watched the light scatter, spectacularly, across the darkened sky.
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:44 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
My, how her skin did glow when she was embarrassed. It was almost laughable really and brought a grin to Ai's face. There was something more here, something that didn't translate into alkidike culture and it was enough to gain her curiosity.
"It means something to you." Her statement was as much a question as anything else. "It means something to them." Instead of watching the stars above Ai's line of sight traveled to the shifters who had gone from gawking to an almost prayer circle beneath the stars. She may not have been able to hear the words, but the energy was the same as what she'd seen countless times in Zinris.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:54 pm
Painted Moose
[5/7]
If anything, Ai grinning at her only make the blushing worse. She grumbled a bit, and pointedly ignored her, gazing at the stars instead. At least, until Ai spoke again. This time, Lucijah looked at her, surprise etched on her features, because- why would Ai care? She'd made it almost a point, for most of their time together, not to get too comfy with Lucijah - not to ask too many questions. She knew her name, but absolutely nothing else about her. They'd shared meals, but not... really talked.
Lucijah could tell her. But- what if Ai took that as proof that she was doing the right thing, in running to her death? She could lie, but... likely Ai would shrug it off, not caring what the shifter goddess allegedly was trying to tell her.
... And besides that, Ai had never once (to her knowledge) lied to her. And Lucijah had tried her best not to lie either. It felt... like to lie would be breaking that tenuous balance that kept them here, talking to one another. And for some stupid reason, that was important to Lucijah.
"Our goddess, Serin of the moon - she is said to pluck stars from the sky and sprinkle them over the lands as a blessing. To... show her approval of our actions, and good fortune in the coming months." Lucijah trailed off, then looked back to the sky again. "It would seem my goddess thinks you're a 'blessing'."
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:02 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
Was it so odd for her to ask? The skeptical look tossed her way gave the alkidike pause, but really, she should have expected as much. She hadn't really cared up til now, but at a certain point simply pointing out the other woman's inherent flaws was becoming dull. Somewhere along the line she'd started to thaw a little bit and she almost told Lucijah to scratch it all together when she started to speak.
She'd heard of Serin, certainly; it was hard not to hear stories of the shifter's goddess when she shared a country with them. They prayed to Serin while she preyed on them. It was a cycle so deep in her memories that she'd nearly forgotten the moon goddess even existed until now. "Oh, ho ho~" Ai bit out a sharp, quick laugh. "So despite your protests even your goddess sides with me." How amusing was that? It was...strange, to say the least, but nice in a way. It gave Ai a sort of mental boost telling her that everything she'd sacrificed, all the pain she'd endured, was for a reason.
"A blessing, hmm? But to whom? Because it surely isn't my sister."
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 3:14 pm
Painted Moose
[6/7]
Ugh. Lucijah's expression looked as if she'd eaten something sour. "Yes, well. If you think I'm the sort to give up convincing you to stop just because a goddess says so, then you've not learned enough about me." Lucijah hesitated, then moved in a step closer, poking a finger in challenge against Ai's chest, smiling brightly. "I still think throwing your life away is a shame. But well - how nice of my goddess, to show you something so lovely before you go?"
She didn't believe a lick of it, but she didn't want to show her doubts to Ai, of all people.
scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
Offline
Painted Moose
Dapper Codger
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:39 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle
Ai couldn't help it; she openly laughed. That expression was absolutely priceless considering the amount of unimpressed scowls that had been tossed her way. It almost felt like payback in a way, to rip these sorts of emotions out of the shifter. First she'd made her angry by bringing up her reason to go to Oba and now the prodding into shifter culture was just making it better.
With the finger prodding her chest, Ai dipped down so that her face was a hair's breath away from the shifters. Her dreads dipped down, framing her dark eyes in the dusky night. "You have my blessing to believe whatever nonsense helps you sleep at night, but I will have my sister's head." Ai grinned, her smile matching Lucijah's. "Serin says so."
When she rose back to her full height the alkidike felt the challenge in her blood. Lucijah was hellbent on stopping her mission and instead of feeling threatened by it Ai felt even more determined to see it through. If for no other reason than to spite the shifter she would end this. "You are right; I should enjoy the show as it's likely the last I'll see."
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:47 pm
Painted Moose
[7/7]
At least Ai seemed to be in a better mood, now. Lucijah thought that would be all - mocking laughter and gloating, and she wasn't wrong - but the last thing she expected was for Ai to dip down until their faces were so close. It only, somehow, exaggerated how much taller and broader Ai was, and Lucijah bristled slightly, but didn't step away or shrink back.
She was a brat. A murderous, ridiculous, prideful brat.
It wouldn't be as terrible, Lucijah thought as Ai stepped away, if Ai truly thought she could pull this off and survive. But she seemed so resigned to dying on this suicide mission of hers, and once again Lucijah could only feel a surge of anxious disappointment. She cast a glare upwards at the stars, and wondered if she should have lied.
