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 Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 4:38 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 4:39 am
January 2025 It's a new year in the Kawani lands! Winter is in full swing and much of the land is covered in snow. Does your soquili do anything to acknowledge or celebrate the new year? Are they part of a herd or family that has a tradition or ceremony? Have they made a promise to start the new year with a clean slate and change themselves for the better? Or did they simply try to stay warm and wait for the snow to melt and spring to arrive? Write an RP responding to the above prompt. Your soquili should acknowledge the fact that it is a New Year - how they react to that is up to you.
That's what he would be doing. Instead, he was settled out on the grass waiting for the moon to reach it's peak, a little mouse curled up in the fur on his back.
Okay, fine. Maybe not everything was the same.
Brisco could hear Cardamom's soft little snores with cute, intermittent squeaks. He had no idea why he'd ended up bonded to a tiny little mouse for a familiar. Not that he was complaining -- beggars can't be choosers, after all. But just because he had no idea why this happened doesn't mean he wasn't grateful -- or happy. Cardamom was cute, and sweet, and it ticked off every protective bone in Brisco's body whenever he so much as looked at him. He knew these thoughts were more akin to things you'd think of a pet than a friend, but Cardamom was just so small... only a little bigger than the charm on his neck.
How was Cardamom not terrified of him? Every day Brisco worried that Cardamom would wake up and come to his senses, realize he was friends with a shifter and make a run for it -- and every day, Cardamom stayed. New beginnings, Brisco thought. Maybe it was still safe to have hope if a mouse, of all creatures, was willing to be friends with him.
And a unicorn. And a kelpi...
Okay, maybe sometimes it was so easy to fall into his broody habits that he completely forgot that a lot of things have changed. He had friends now -- more than one, even! A new record. He thought of Melody and her nice singing voice, the way she had accepted him so quickly after being introduced to him by her friend. He thought of Casimir, that really pretty stallion who took a lot longer to warm up to him, but Brisco had been patient. They'd both gone through and survived a traumatic experience together and that, it seemed, had been enough for Casimir to stick around and get to know him for him.
Wait. Didn't some new years traditions involve kissing when the moon was at it's highest? "Oh, I am so stupid," he muttered with a groan. What was he doing here instead of with Casimir, trying to get a kiss from a pretty stallion? His mumbling must have disturbed Cardamom; the snoring had stopped and switched to little sniffles, moving about in his fur.Cardamom yawned and stretched, arcing up his whole body before he started to climb off Brisco. "Issit time yet?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then licking his paws to clean off his whiskers."Ah, no. Almost. Woke up just in time, I think." He looked up at the sky to check, squinting. Moon wasn't quite there, but Brisco could guess it'd only be a few more minutes. He was eager to get to bed. As nice as it was to take in the new year with a friend, he did need his beauty sleep, after all.Cardamom nodded, looking up at the sky with him, more awake now. "What was that you were saying when I was waking up?" he asked, curious. He'd heard Brisco speak, but he'd been still too sleepy to make out all the words."Oh, you heard me?" Brisco laughed, shaking his head. "It was nothing. I was just realizing we could've met up with my other friends tonight and spent it with them. You know, try and make a move on Casimir finally. Midnight's a perfect set up for some romance. The moonlight, the made up importance of a new year, you could've distracted Melody so I could talk to Casimir alone... it would've been perfect," he sighed wearily. "I can't believe I didn't think about it sooner!"Cardamom perked up. He hadn't met Brisco's other friends yet, but he was eager to do so. He'd heard him talk a lot about Casimir before, though. He patted a little paw on Brisco's knee in sympathy. "Maybe it's not too late? If you run, there's a chance we could make it! Anyway, we can't really measure when it's exactly the middle of the night... so there's some wiggle room, right?"Brisco hadn't really expected Cardamom to encourage him to go now. There really wasn't time, anyway -- they were too far from the beach. The support was nice, though. "Eh," he shrugged his shoulders, shooting Cardamom a grin. "Maybe next year. Not enough time... and anyway, I'm just glad you're here to spend it with me. Besides, I'm charming enough that I don't need the perfect setup, right?"Cardamom giggled. "Whatever you say," he teased, but he was beaming. He'd been worried that maybe Brisco was miserable just spending new years eve with only him -- but Brisco looked happy. He looked up at the sky and realized Brisco was right -- there hadn't been enough time, after all. The moon had reached the highest point in the sky. He turned to Brisco and hugged his leg as best as he could, face buried in fur. "Happy new year, Brisco!"For a second, Brisco was startled by the hug -- and then he relaxed. He couldn't hug Cardamom back, so he just smiled down at him instead. "Happy new year." It might've been the best one yet.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2025 4:51 pm
Quote: Love is in the air - you can feel it as the temperature is starting to warm and day by day the snow is starting to melt. What is your soquili's experience with love? Have they experienced true love? Is the only love they've experienced that of a family or a friend? Perhaps they have known love and lost it. Maybe they do not love another - but they find love in their hobbies or the world around them. Write an RP responding to the above prompt telling us about something or someone your soquili loves or loved.
Of course, sometimes, when you stop looking for something, it finds you instead. This time, love found Tarashikomi in the form of a little pixie usdia she had rescued from a shifter attack. Rescuing soquili and familiars was par for the course for Tara, but most of the time, after being rescued, they would just... leave. Not without thank yous and gratitude, but they had lives of their own to get back to. Tara didn't do this for anything in return, so she didn't really think about it, just happy to have been able to help someone in some way.
Parthenos didn't leave, though. He didn't seem to have anyone or any place he had to return to with any sense of urgency. It was a little strange at first, but conversation was easy and pleasant. He was sweet, eager to help, and every morning Tara found herself looking forward to spending more time with him. It was cliché, but Tara felt like they'd known each other forever. It was a little amazing to think about how far they'd come since they first met; how this cute little pixie managed to wiggle his way right into her heart. She was ready to spend forever with him, excited to see what their future would bring.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 12:30 am
March 2025 The weather is turning but mother nature has one last hurrah in store - it seems she has mustered up a blizzard that's blown down from the mountains and over the majority of the Kawani lands. This is highly unusual for this time of year, it seems winter was not ready to let go! How does your soquili fair in this blizzard? Do they see the signs early and manage to avoid it completely? Do they seek shelter in time and wait it out? Do they find themselves stranded and in danger? Do they fend for themselves or do they help others around them? Write an RP responding to the above prompt telling us about how your soquili responds to this natural disaster! Should you meet the requirements, the spirits may send them something to keep them warm!
He realized too late that the blizzard was going to hit earlier than expected... and it was going to be a lot worse.
Blackthorn wasn't going to be able to make it back in time; he was going to have to seek shelter elsewhere. Gritting his teeth through a few mumbled curses, Blackthorn trudged onward to try and find a safe place to settle down. With any luck, there might be a break in the storm long enough for him to make a break for it -- but he couldn't get his hopes up. This was looking like it was going to be a bad one. He struggled through the wind, squinting as it blew snow into his face and eyes. It was coming down fast now, so think he could barely make out anything a few feet in front of him. His teeth was chattering between every shaky exhale, his breath a visible cloud.
When he was young, he'd seen fellow herd members lose tails, ears, or parts of their legs due to severe frostbite. He remembered the adults whispering about a foal who'd gotten lost during a winter storm and wasn't found until much later when the snow began to melt and their dead body was uncovered.
They've come a long way since then. Nature could be ruthless -- but so could he.
He pushed himself forward, blinking away the snowflakes that clung to his eyelashes. His thoughts drifted towards his home as he walked, imagining the warmth of their den, what it would feel like when he finally returned. The color of his mate's eyes, and the way her mouth curved when she smiled. The foals of the other families playing in the snow once the blizzard passed. These thoughts kept his heart warm, if not his body, but it was enough to keep him moving.
An unusual fluttering movement off a tree branch caught his attention. Blackthorn's ears flicked forward, alert, and he paused to raise his nose to the air. The temperature stung his nostrils as he sniffed, but there was nothing alarming in the wind, so he trudged closer. Caught on the branch was a brown scarf, whipping around from the wind. Whoever it belonged to seemed to be long gone by now; he couldn't smell anything when he scented the fabric. Grabbing onto the end with his teeth, he pulled it off the branch and whipped it around his neck and over his shoulders. Most of his body was still exposed, but a little coverage was better than nothing.
He could barely make out the sun in the sky to tell how long he'd been walking. The thick snow disoriented him; he couldn't tell if he was walking in circles or making any kind of progress. He couldn't be sure he was still walking in the direction of his herd, let alone how much further it was. Blackthorn was almost certain that he was lost.
He kept going. There wasn't any other choice. The snow was up above his ankles now, and fatigue slowed down his legs.
And then he saw it -- a cave, its entrance partially obscured by the snow. Emboldened, he quickly ran towards it, eager to finally have some shelter. He had to lower his head to fit through the opening, carefully squeezing by the piles of snow, trying not to disturb them too much. They would help block the wind and keep the cave a little more hidden from the sights of predators.
As he looked around his new temporary shelter, he noticed little signs that it was once lived in; broken pottery, some threadbare blankets strewn about, crude drawings on the cave walls, old jewelry... but when he scented the air, he could tell this place hasn't been a home to someone in a long time, save for the visitation from small critters every once in a while. It was perfect. Mentally thanking the spirits for guiding him here, he set to work making himself a nest, dragging the blankets further into the cave to protect himself from the wind still howling outside.
As Blackthorn grabbed the last blanket with his teeth, he uncovered a set of arm bands and bracelets with beautiful glowing white beads. Normally he wouldn't be distracted by such frivolous things when he was trying to survive, but... he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. He felt compelled to inspect them, nudge them with his nose. Well, whoever used to live here was long gone by now... so surely they wouldn't miss them, right? He carefully picked up each one with his mouth, slipping them onto his front legs.
He took a brief moment to admire them before shaking himself out of it, blinking to refocus himself on the task at hand. He grabbed the blanket again and went back to the nest he'd fashioned out of the materials he could find. Blackthorn groaned as he settled down, pulling the last blanket over top himself to start warming up. As ratty as the blankets were, they would work well enough. He tucked his nose into the blankets and closed his eyes to rest.
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2025 12:35 am
April 2025 The snow has finally melted from everywhere except the mountaintops. Flowers and plants make their final push through the soft ground as it finally defrosts to bloom and sprout; leaves return to bare branches. Green and warmth are returning to the Kawani lands. Warmer days have melted frozen lakes and the snowmelt coming down from the mountains seems greater than previous years (perhaps credited to the blizzard). New rivers and streams are being created from this snowmelt and lakes and rivers are widening and rushing. How does your soquili react to the changing landscape? Do they stake claim to one of these new bodies of water? Does the creation of a new stream put their territory at risk? Do they have to relocate? Write an RP responding to the above prompt telling us about how your soquili responds to the changing soquili lands.
The blizzard had been... challenging. Protecting her garden from harsh weather was still something she struggled with. She'd been able to protect most of her plants this time, but not all of them. This time, she was a little more prepared. She'd collected a stockpile of seeds, carefully sorted and stored away. Her raccoon familiar, Eðvaldína, had helped her collect and carefully label clay pots and jars, using paint she'd made from charcoal. Meeting and befriending Eðvaldína has proved invaluable to tending to her garden, but Þyrnirós had come to treasure their friendship, too. They had learned a lot from each other -- refining poisons and remedies using their shared knowledge into more potent and efficient results. It was exciting, and Þyrnirós was eager to find out what they'd discover together next.
Eðvaldína had gone ahead to their garden earlier that morning; the river and lake in the herd's cave had risen a little as the snow melted, and Þyrnirós had stayed behind to survey for any damage. Luckily, there wasn't much other than a little minor flooding. Once the water receded back to its normal levels, everything would be easy to repair. Satisfied that their home was safe, Þyrnirós headed out to meet her familiar at the garden.
It hadn't occurred to her that her garden might have suffered some damage, too. It needed to be close enough to a water source for easy irrigation, of course -- but she'd only just recently recovered her garden from the last time it had been destroyed. Surely, it wouldn't happen again... and not so soon.
"Rós!"
Þyrnirós came to a halt, surprised to see Eðvaldína striding towards her a little over halfway to her destination. "Dína? What happened to you?" Þyrnirós eyed the raccoon suspiciously; she was nearly entirely covered in mud. Eðvaldína rubbed her paws against her flank, trying to wipe away some of the mess, but it didn't really help much. She shook her head, wringing her paws together. "The river by the garden... it's completely flooded over. It spilled into the garden, the dirt is --"
Þyrnirós didn't wait for her to finish; the whimper she let out was one of distress, and then she was off in a gallop, rushing over to see how bad the damage really was with her own eyes. When she arrived, her heart racing in her chest -- it was a disaster. There was nothing left of her precious garden, the dirt so soaked through with water there was still a layer of it above the surface. Most of the plants had been washed away, and what few remained were drowned underwater. She didn't have very much hope of nursing them back to health -- and there would be no telling when the land would be usable again.
Her despair quickly morphed into white-hot rage. "Grraaaaaah!" Þyrnirós screamed, leaping into the remains of her garden, splashing through the water. She stomped her hooves onto the plants and carefully dug furrows, most of which had been washed away already. If anything had been even remotely savable, it certainly wasn't now. She bucked her hind legs, slinging mud and water across the ground. Her legs were getting covered in it, hair in a state of disarray, bangs hanging in her eyes and shedding a few of her petals.
"Rós?"
Þyrnirós whirled around to face Eðvaldína with an angry scream. "WHAT?" she shrieked, panting harshly through her nose. Her eyes were wide, wild; she was barely seeing Eðvaldína as the raccoon briefly recoiled in shock, then turned Þyrnirós' anger back on her. "Don't take that tone with me," Eðvaldína growled. "I didn't destroy the garden. I was trying to save it!" She stood up taller, holding out her arms to show Þyrnirós just how caked in drying mud she was. "You think I'm not angry too!?"
Eðvaldína was right, but at the moment, Þyrnirós was loathe to admit it. She was still too angry -- at the ulun'suti who destroyed her first garden, and the late blizzard that delayed the work on their garden, at the fast melting snow for not only destroying her garden again, but making the soil unusable. She grit her teeth and blinked away the angry tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't stop trembling. "We had just finished fixing it. It was perfect. We just had to wait for winter to be over... I'm sick of my gardens getting RUINED!" Þyrnirós shrieked, stomping her hooves into the mud again. She was too lost in her anger to realize she was acting like a filly having a meltdown, but they had worked too hard on this for all of it to just be... washed away so easily. Like it was nothing.
"And we'll do it again," Eðvaldína insisted. She pulled up the root of a plant, examining it in her paws before crushing it, watching as it squelched between her fingers. "The next spot will be better. We'll build moats around the plots to redirect water to keep them from flooding. We can try a tiered irrigation system... mold the ground exactly how we want it..." She dropped the plant to the ground and waded through the mud to Þyrnirós's side, putting a comforting paw on her leg. "We'll do it again, and we'll make it even better," she assured.
Þyrnirós closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. The anger was starting to ebb, and she could feel the embarrassment from her behavior starting to set in. If there was anyone she was going to act that way in front of, though, she was glad it was Eðvaldína. "You're right," she croaked, throat a little sore from all the screaming. She cleared her throat and sighed, peering down at her friend. She nodded. "Sorry. I was just..."
"No kidding," Eðvaldína grinned. She'd seen Þyrnirós angry before, sure -- but never like this. She waved a paw at the remains of the garden. "There's nothing more we can do here. We should go see Icarus," she suggested.
Right. Icarus. He had a garden, too -- full of useless flowers, but he liked it, and he had helped her with her own garden the last time it had been ruined. If his garden had been destroyed this time, he'd probably be all sad about it. "Yeah. I don't think his garden is as near to a river as ours was, but... I didn't think ours would be flooded, either." As much as she thought his garden was a pointless waste of time, he was still a member of the herd, and that meant that they were there for each other when they needed it. She was still feeling quite raw, but this could be a welcome distraction until she was calm enough to make plans with Eðvaldína for their new project.
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