Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
The fall always seems to be a somber time thanks to the transition of the cold. With less distractions from the chores required during the summer heat, you cannot help but think about those who are no longer there in your life. Maybe it was your mother and father, prominent figures in your life that you never imagined would be gone. Or maybe it was someone taken from your life too soon, like a friend or a sibling. Or maybe it was an animal, a familiar that you raised when you were a kid but passed away from old age.
How do you honor those you have lost? What goes through your mind this time as you celebrate their life and mourn for the loss? Take some time to reflect on the past, and how that impacted you and shaped you for the future. If you want, you can even roleplay with a friend to discuss each other's loss (but both character needs to speak of their own personal loss in order for it to count).
[ We are looking for reflection more so than the actions, but here are the funeral rituals in tendaji:
A lot of it is just burials in cemetery like lots of land. The Alkidike take their Sisters back to the Islands where they have a night ceremony, bringing them back to Aisha, and then floating them off to sea on a pyre.
The earthlings have funerals and bury their dead, leaving a stone marker in their place. They usually bury their deceased and pass their belongings down to kin during the ceremony. Each earthling tribe uses a specific burial blanket during their funerals.
Many of the Kahikinans conduct burials in the soil near the waters (Rivers/Samps) or release their dead to the sea (Reef/Sea/Caves). ]
It stood to reason that wherever the pair of them ended up Koril was going to find some little beasty in need of care. This time it just so happened to be an ailing expecting kehtra and the two had been doing their best to care for her ever since. Sol had to admit that he wasn't the most experienced when it came to medical care for creatures, but he was doing the best he could. He'd been at his fair share of births, knew all the signs to watch out for and...he had to admit, it hadn't looked good from the start. So when she started to rapidly decline after giving birth to two little ones Sol hadn't been surprised, but her death still stung.
Still, he stood by Koril's side and helped however he could. It was a darker moment in their journey, especially on the wings of the engagement, but life waited for no one. He walked back into the sitting room with a little tray with three cups on top. "One serving of milk, not too warm, for the little ones and some tea for us."
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 6:43 pm
Koril's sat in a thick nest of towels and blankets, carefully cleaning the newborns with warm water. His eyes were aching and his mouth set grimly with heartache, but he was entirely focused on his task. He couldn't do anything for the poor mother, but the babies still had a chance. He had to be able to save them.
He blinked a few times to clear his vision when Sol returned, forcing his shoulders to relax as he looked up. "Thanks." With a thin towel in one hand, he dipped two corners into the milk and put it to the noses of the newborns to entice them to drink. They had managed to nurse only a little before the mother had passed. "Just a few days to make sure they are strong enough, and then I'll have to see about any nearby kehtra families. Surely there will be another new mother willing to take in the pair..." Letting out a strained sigh, he reached up again for the second cup of tea and took a long sip. "I was told this sort of thing would get easier over time. It still sucks."
Painted Moose
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:30 am
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Hearing the thickness in Koril's voice broke Sol's heart. Even if he couldn't see the physical expressions of heartache there were so many other tells. Once Sol had the tray settled safely near by, he settled down next to his fiance and wrapped his arm around him.
"We'll look together. Maybe there's a mother whose lost her child and they can heal together." It was certainly a mother 'positive' spin on the depressing situation, but Sol didn't want to say anything too negative. If the babes survived long enough they may not find a host at all, but they had to try.
Reaching for his own cup, Sol took a long draw and sighed. "It never gets easier. You always tell yourself the next one won't hurt as bad, but it does. Just means you care."
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:17 pm
Neither kit seemed very interested in the milk, making Koril's stomach clench fearfully. With his eyes still on the newborns, he gratefully leaned into his fiancé's supportive embrace. Having someone to help out made the taxing work just a little easier. In the past, he'd had to wait until he was completely done before he could seek out the comfort of his animal companions. New mothers often were against having strange animals around at such a vulnerable time, nevermind that newborns were just too delicate for an excited zanteer to be jumping around.
"I appreciate the help," he acknowledged with a tiny smile, tilting his head onto Sol's shoulder. He was silent for a long moment, turning Sol's words in his head. "Every birth is a miracle, Sol. Every single one. All the things that have to fall into place for a tiny version of whatever the parent is to grow properly. All those animals in the wild who just instinctively know how to do it, but then one thing goes wrong.. and life turns into loss."
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:34 pm
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"I've dealt with my fair share of infants, just never any this small." With one hand still holding onto his tea, he started the process of rubbing his hand over Koril's side. "Birth as as terrifying as it is beautiful. One moment there's nothing and the next there's a new life." Life in general was always a tricky thing. Just like the mother kehtra had passed so had she given her offspring the chance to fight for another day. They may not have been suckling now, but that could change so quickly and he hoped for Koril's sake that it did.
"Even knowing the risks they still do it. They push through." Instinct just made them take the next step in continuing their line, but for Sol's patients it had always been a little different. While he had no doubt that animal's felt loss, he'd seen it too many times to think otherwise, it was always a little different with earthlings.
When he heard one of the kethra start to make little 'hmms', a sound that was barely above a soft squeak, Sol shifted his stance. Setting his tea down he reached around Koril and felt around until he found the distressed newborn. With a little glow of warming magic he was able to calm the infant.
"I was hoping this would work. When Siel was a baby he wouldn't sleep through the night because of his stomach and it helped."
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:19 pm
Koril nodded along, a hand rising to brush at his eyes. Now that he had the chance to step back and breathe, the tears were starting to fall. "I wonder if they understand," he murmured with a sniffle. He reached out to gently pick up the quieter of the two to stroke the fluff that protected the baby's delicate skin. "They have their own instincts telling them to seek out their mother's comfort. I'm sure they can sense that something isn't right. That something is missing."
Then the stressed kit was calmed, and Koril felt his heart lift a little again. "I bet you were really good with your siblings. As long as they have someone to care for them.. It doesn't really matter who they came from directly, does it." He looked to the newborns again. "Some kehtra out there will be willing to take them so that the mother didn't hold out for nothing. I'm sure of it."
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:53 pm
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"Aww, Koril." Sol tutted and leaned over to kiss his fiance's forehead. "They know she's not there and it's upsetting, but they'll be okay. They'll always miss her, but they're being cared for, just how she would have wanted." Admittedly he wasn't the best at comforting others, but the thought of Koril's torment got to him. As much as he didn't want Koril to cry the reality was that the more he was able to express and process the better off he would be in the end.
"It doesn't. My fathers' had Ygraine and I through a surrogate, then they found another for the triplets. We know they were our birth mothers, but my parents are Callum and Nimueh. Simple as that." His fingers smoothed over the little ones delicate fur, happy now that it seemed to be content to just get warm. It curled a little closer toward his fingers and if he wasn't mistaken was that a tail around his pinky?
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:30 pm
Koril let out a long sigh to help himself get a hold of his emotions. Sol was right. If the mother's spirit was watching, she would surely be pleased with their efforts for her babies. It was the least they could do for her. Every creature, earthling or otherwise, deserved to have their ends mean something. For some, like the kehtra that had allowed their help, it meant making sure their future generation survived.
Sol's encouragement made Koril's expression soften. That was right... Sol's birth story had its complexities, but parents were parents. "See, we'll help you two find a nice adult to take care of you and be your new mom or dad," he cooed to the little ones. "You gotta be strong though so that we can get you there." He held his breath as he dipped the towel into the milk again and held it to the kit he was holding. Koril felt ready to cry anew when the tiny hands finally reached for the towel.. "It's drinking," he whispered excitedly, hope breaking through the pain in his voice.
While it wasn't the ideal time for it to cross his mind, he couldn't help thinking about Sol's proposal to him. There had been mention of a big family together... They would also need a surrogate if that was to come to pass. Then again, blood clearly did not make a family. It was certainly something to think about.
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:56 pm
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"That's because it can feel your energy. Your aura changed and now it knows you're there to help." Sol himself felt his eyes start to mist and his throat felt like it was getting tighter. He knew with little ones one step forward didn't necessarily mean they were safe, but little steps could lead to mighty victories. So long as they kept trying it would work out.
"You'll make a great dad someday." Koril was the kindest, most giving person he'd ever met. Hearing him get upset over loss, but being strong enough to go on, to meet the needs of those that needed him, made Sol more confident than ever that he'd landed an amazing partner. "So attentive and brave...They'll be lucky to have you; just like I am."
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 6:58 pm
Koril carefully shifted his hand so that he could run his thumb along the kit's side. It gave a contented murmur as it suckled, kneading the towel weakly. The hybrid clutched onto the hope like a raft made of broken sticks in the ocean. It was fragile, but it was working for the time being. Hopefully, the coming days would bring out stouter logs to build up that raft. "You would change my aura on me," he managed to tease Sol lightly. Sol made everything better.
Wait, how obvious was his aura being?! He looked up with flushed cheeks, eyes watering yet again with the mixed emotions. "Thank you." He let his head tip once again to rest on Sol's shoulder. "I'm looking forward to seeing you be a dad. If they'll be lucky to have me, they'll be extra lucky to have you."
Painted Moose
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 2:24 pm
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"Never." He smiled a little ruefully. "I only give you a boost; same as what you do for me."
It was such an odd thing to think about given the circumstances, but now that they were here Sol couldn't drag his thoughts away. "You know...we could do it. Once these little ones are situated we could look for a little Koril that needs a family." He shifted a little to make it easier to hold onto Koril. "Or a surrogate, if that's what you prefer. I just...I think it would be nice to help, especially since we have so much love to give."
They would never be able to replace whatever family the child had before, but they wouldn't have to. Both he and Koril knew enough about the impact of death that they could help the child understand it and give them a future free of that isolating pain.
Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 6:15 pm
Koril went still, slowly letting Sol's words sink in. It was a natural thought, really. Talking about helping these kits find a new family to care for them... "I'd like that," he said softly, lifting his head to look at Sol's face. As much as he would like to see a mini Sol running around... well, surrogacy didn't have to be completely wiped off the table forever! "There are kids out there who aren't nearly as lucky as we were. Too many looking for families to love them." If they could help one, or even two...
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:46 pm
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For such a somber moment there was hope of new beginnings buried beneath the grief. The option of a surrogate for them was still there, but this...just seemed like a sign of sorts. After all the births that Sol had attended and with all the experience that Koril had caring for little ones with no where to go it just seemed right.
Life was cyclical and where there was heartache now would bring joy later.
"And we can give them one. Our own little family, you and me, with grandparents to spoil them and more relatives then they'll know what to do with."
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:57 pm
Koril gave Sol a small but warm smile. Darkness was everywhere, but there was always something good to be found as well. He had always been good at finding the brighter side of things, and that disposition had helped him through the world so far. Inspiration came from everywhere. Hope came from anywhere and everywhere, if one was willing to put the time into it.
Like these two tiny kehtra, some younglings were born into bad situations; but also like these kehtra, he and Sol could help them into something better. "I can't wait," he murmured softly, leaning against his fiancé affectionately.
