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 Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:39 am
Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Tendaji may not be bustling like the cities of ages past, but that doesn't mean someone can live their life without encountering someone else who is a bit...different. What is the story of you meeting a person who is going in the opposite direction. Maybe they are traveling and you meet in a cross roads, or maybe they are settling down to start a family while you're getting ready to leave. Or possibly it's someone with such a different personality it's like oil and water. This is your chance to tell us that story and what happens when you cross paths.
[ This prompt is all about crossing paths - briefly and of characters who wouldn't normally find themselves interacting with each other. Explore what happens when two people who are going in opposite directions (figuratively or literally) find themselves briefly encountering one another. We would like to see strangers meet on this one, so take some time to bring your characters out of their comfort zones. ]
Adjusting to life in a larger port city was off putting for the more reclusive hybrid. U'ilani was starting to make a habit of being in areas they normally tried to avoid, but there was always a reason to stick around. This time it was the need to buy passage to Matori which was, admittedly, harder than they would have thought.
Without proper knowledge of ships or travel to this degree U'ilani wasn't sure which ones could take them and which ones carried goods. Huffing in frustration, they allowed their pack to slide down their shoulder before giving in and sitting on a low stone wall. It didn't help that a lot of the Kahikians they were used to seeing weren't there and instead had been replaced with...earthlings? Is that what they were called?
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:53 pm
Mako was being crushed under the weight of his pack! It surely weighed twice as much as he did. Of course, it was his own fault. He'd gone exploring while the ship was in port and had found a veritable treasure trove of cool looking rocks that he had to bring back with him.
By the time he got back to the docks though, he was exhausted. "I shoulda made Ronan come," he grumbled to himself as he trudged along. Not only was it always strange to be alone, but his brother could have helped carry the load.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He gasped out and swerved to the side to drop the pack out of the way of the path. Only after he dropped to sit on the ground did he realize that he had nearly dropped the bag on someone's foot! He looked up as though the person had appeared out of thin air. "Wah! Oh, um.. sorry." A whole wall.. and he'd picked the one spot that someone else was sitting at. "I'll move in a second. Just need to catch my breath."
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:05 pm
Of course U'ilani had seen the little one; it was impossible not to notice the child and their large satchel. With so many earthlings around them, though, they hadn't worried over the little ones appearance. Surely it belonged to someone? So, they'd done their best to scoot further down the wall without getting in the way -
Until the bag nearly landed on their foot!
"Watch yourself next time," U'ilani grumbled. Was it so heavy that the kid needed to breath like that? He should just leave it be, walk off on their own or tell the kid to buzz off, but...Well, they might have been going soft. "Come here; sit down. At least until you can breath normally again."
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:52 pm
Mako ducked his head. "I will," he said meekly without hesitation. As much of a free spirit as he could be, he had still grown up on a ship with Yokka for a mother. His impulse was first and foremost to either be useful or get out from underfoot, and this felt similar to being underfoot. He put a hand on the pack and briefly debated pulling it a few more feet away.
The offer to sit made him look up with a tired smile. "Thanks!" He came as close to flopping over the wall as he could without hurting himself, his body straddling the stone while his limbs hung toward the ground. With a sigh of relief, he couldn't help peeking over to the stranger again. Which race had the horns again? "You live here?" he asked without preamble.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 12:21 pm
"Sort of." U'ilani adjusted themselves so that looking down at the smaller creature wouldn't be as much of a strain on their neck. "I'm from Po'lua, but I'm looking for a ship take me away from the islands." Being this close to the sun tended to make U'ilani's skin itch, but at the very least they didn't have the sensitive eyes of their father. At this point it was more an uncomfortable feeling after growing up in the coldest, darkest regions of the ocean.
Actually they wouldn't even be out right now if it wasn't for the fact that most decent earthlings preferred to travel by daylight.
"Passing through or visiting?" They couldn't imagine the little ones family settling in to live here, but then again stranger things had happened.
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 9:47 am
Mako perked up with curiosity. "Po'lua? That's under the water, right?" Po'luan kind were not common, making Mako extra intrigued with the stranger. "There're lots of ships 'round here to pick from, an' lots of places to go!" He couldn't help letting some excitement show. After all, travel was his life!
"Um... both! I live on a trade ship, so I've been here a few times. We'll stay for a bit so they can sell and buy things, and then go on to the next place. Here, Belrea, Matori, Yael..." He let out a sigh as though just thinking about the trips exhausted him as much as lugging around that pack had.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 11:57 am
"It's really, really far under water." The fact they had yet to see any Kawena among the throng of bodies moving about this port was telling enough. In all actuality U'ilani hadn't seen either a Kawena or a Moakai in weeks. "There's a whole world of caves down there that no one will ever be able to map. It would take more than a few lifetimes."
"Do you not like traveling?" Was the child's exhaustion from carrying his pack or a constant nomadic lifestyle? U'ilani could empathize with both. While they had 'homes' to go back to, their parents were so far apart that just the act of visiting them was almost too much work in itself.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 1:49 pm
Mako let out a soft coo of awe. Innumerable caves that couldn't be mapped? That sounded thrilling! From what he knew though, no mere earthling would be able to reach Po'lua anyway. This made it all the more amazing to see U'ilani at all! What were they doing up here on land?
"No, I like it. It's fun and there's always somethin' new. It's a lot of work, though!" He looked down at his pack with a knit brow. "Sometimes.. I think about what it might be like to stay in one place. All these people in the ports have one shop that stays put. That sounds nice. Sometimes." He looked back at U'ilani with a little smile. "Why're you going away?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 1:56 pm
I can tell. What kind of parent just let their child roam around with a bag that big, anyway? At least in the water the weight was lessened, even if it did make it harder to swim. Drawing their eye away from the bag, U'ilani took in the sights around them instead and focused on some of the stalls. "I don't think I'd like it; staying in one spot all the time. Just makes it harder for you when things go wrong."
U'ilani crossed their legs and used their hands to balance themselves as they leaned back. "I wanna take down a monster no one else ever has. Something that no one ever has ever even seen, and bring it's head back." While there were some true leviathans in the depths U'ilani wanted something fresh. A creature of legend, one that scared earthlings in the night and could bring some information to those that would never get out of the caves.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 2:31 pm
After a moment of contemplation, Mako nodded lightly. "That's true. Still, at least you'd have everyone around you to help out. When things go wrong on the ship, all we can use is what we have on board. Can't get to anyone else to help unless we're close to a port." His ship was always well stocked, but they couldn't predict everything!
U'ilani's goal had the youngling sitting upright with interest. "A monster? Really? That sounds super dangerous." He scooted a little closer with a big grin. "I caught a beast once. Everyone in town was gettin' all worked up about it." A bashful tone tilted his grin. "It turned out to be just a keldari.. but it was still exciting to go after. You gonna go everywhere lookin' for it? That's a lot of places to look."
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 2:40 pm
"That's the draw. If it was an everyday occurrence then where would be the fun?" U'ilani wanted that thrill one only received when one's life was on the line. They knew it was enough to bring out concern in others which was also partly why they preferred to hunt alone and travel. Less people to get in the way.
"What's a keldari?" Apparently it wasn't anything really by the tone of his voice. "See, you get it; it's the chase that's fun. Nice enough to get a big catch, but the journey is what makes memories. I'm gonna start out in Belrea and then work my way wherever the ships take me."
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 3:05 pm
Mako chuckled and nodded. The stranger had a point. The whole reason for a grand adventure like that was the fun and excitement the trip brought. Still.. part of him was warmed by the idea of keeping in one, safe place. Would.. would that be so bad?
His cheeks burned a little now. "A keldari's like an eel on land. A snake. They have big fangs and pointy sharp crystals on their tails." Well, it wouldn't hurt to play up the story just a little... "I went after it all by myself and hunted all day. When I caught it, it tried to eat me!"
He cocked his head slightly and smiled again. "I hope I get to hear about you catching a great big beast someday. What's your name?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:50 pm
A land eel? U'ilani hadn't heard much of snakes before, but as weird as the concept was to them it wasn't completely out of the scope of imagination. "Sounds like you'll be a pretty tough hunter yourself one day. As you get older just keep going after bigger creatures and you'll get there." If the kid had that kind of tenacity it was possible, but so many times before that childish wander seemed to fade with age. U'ilani had been part of a group growing up that loved to hunt 'monsters' but now they were the only one still doing it.
"I go by U'ilani. You?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:57 pm
Did they really think he was impressive enough for that? Mako couldn't help glowing with pride. While he figured he would be more likely to settle into a calmer lifestyle.. hearing that he could lead a more exciting life by following U'ilani's path was encouraging.
"I'm Mako!" He had his breath back and a renewed vigor sparking in his chest. No matter which path he followed.. he would be able to find joy in it for sure.
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