#februaryday72023

February 25 - Day 7 Event/Recovery

Ashraniel’s pleasant babbling filtered into the kitchen from where he was playing in the living room of Meryn’s row house. Her half-brother had been gracious enough to watch his four year old nephew for a week while she’d been preoccupied with other business.

Lyn smiled and palmed her mug of coffee, the warmth between her palms an extension of the comfort that enveloped this home that Meryn and his husband had built together over the years. He set a pot of cooking mint in the middle of the table in front of her before drawling, overly-pleased, in his low-Thalassian, “I’ve got some bad news for you, Lyn.”

Meryn only carried that tone when he was about to be extremely annoying, and she sat up a little straighter in preparation for whatever he was about to drop on her, “About a mint plant? It looks great, but you’ve always had the green thumb between the two of us.”

He had inherited their grandmother’s inclination toward nature magic, something he hadn’t really had time to nurture until later in his adult years; his grasp of it was middling at best, but he had managed to get her some of the freshest cooking herbs she’d ever managed to get her hands on.

His smirk grew as he held his hands out in presentation, pointing at the lush plant sitting pretty in front of her, “Y’owe me fifty gold.”

No. She’d only been away for a WEEK. Her long ears slanted back and her freckled nose wrinkled as she shot a glance toward the living room before narrowing her eyes at her brother. “Absolutely not, he’s four. There’s no way he’s gotten his magic yet and—”

Meryn cut her off with a pleasant shout toward the living room, “Hey Ash! You wanna tell yer mom about th’ plant?”

They both looked at the doorway when Ash toddled over, the top of a small wooden spire tower in his hand that he’d brought over with him from whatever little city he’d been building, “I fixed it, momma! Uncle Em said it was sad, and that made me sad, so every day I talked to it and now it’s happy!”

Her brother grinned, obnoxiously pleased at the simple explanation, “An’ now it’s his friend, so y’own a mint plant.”

Lyn did her best not to huff — this was actually a big event, even if Ash didn’t realize it, and as much as she’d hoped he’d be a Light user like her there had always been a solid chance that he’d be able to use any kind of magic. Ana, his long deceased aunt, had been an arcanist, and between the surrogacy and not knowing who Ash’s father actually was or what they had been capable of… well.

She smiled back at her son, proud (if not a little miffed that she’d missed such a significant milestone), “You did a good job, hon. Maybe you can help make a window box with your uncle sometime soon, and we can pick up a few more sad plants at the Bazaar market on our way home?”

Ash beamed and bounced in place, obviously excited by the prospect, “YEAH!”

Her brother chuffed a pleased laugh, “Fine, fine. I’ll draw up some plans,” he leaned in and stage-whispered at Lyn for effect, “an’ buy some materials with th’ fifty gold you owe me.”

Lyn sighed and unlaced the coin purse from her belt, ready to pay up on a bet well won.

@daily-writing-challenge​

"Oy, let em know chow's ready," Zexx grunted as he set the heavy cauldron down in the center of the main deck of the Wayfarer.  Rey letting out a groan as she stood up and limped over to the passage leading into the hold to let out a scream into the depth of the ship.

"Soups on!"  Rey yelled once, twice, and three times before limping back toward her father.  She looked a mess after the entanglement with raiders recently, patched burns crisscrossing her face, arms, and neck to match a harpoon she took to the calf.  Zexx could only chuckle as he felt a kinship in the beating she took, he likely should be a bit more worried since his daughter could have well died but he could tell by the hungry look on her face the soup was going to do wonders for her.

"Thanks, dad," Rey said with a grin as she breathed in the spicy scent of the chicken and hominy soup, her limp carrying a bit of a skip as she made for a crate to sit and eat.

The compress sat cold over Luminash’s eyes, evening sun illuminating his tent at the Expedition base camp through the open tent flap. He could tell time had passed by the steady dimming of light through the cloth draped over his face. Since the attempted rescue of the lost explorers at Eon’s Fringe, the sand-wreathed images had not ceased, following him back through the waygate and even into his work.

Writing had become a trial. For every word committed to the page in his own pen, he could see - or feel, perhaps, was a better word for it - other possibilities, his own hand writing other perspective, other potential answers. At times, he heard Jaskian’s advice or input, others he knew he had written alone.

In the morning, a consultant from the Timewalkers would arrive, and Luminash hoped he could reach an understanding of what had happened if they put their minds together. Though, were he to concentrate hard enough...

He knew an answer would come. He knew, in fact, precisely what the Timewalker would look like. Or could look like. What the answer was, however, was far less clear, but he knew that whatever outcome was reached, he would recover from the ordeal stronger than before.

Then, he supposed with a heavy sight, he would need to see about pulling the lost pair of fools from the trap they had fallen into after all.

It had been a few days after the event where she witnessed Ryland’s dance and the random woman who sat with her.  Ziorea still was unsure how she felt about it all.  One thing she knew, the woman was whom she was supposed to become.  A seductress of the dark magic, bold, and confidant.  Everything Zio was not

Yet the sudden kiss on her cheek had left Ziorea with fear and panic.  Not an ounce of her liked the other lady touching her arm or whispering in her ear.  When she heard the woman was going to bid on Ryland, Ziorea felt the need to outdo her.  Why the urge to win took over was hard to explain.   There was a tad competitive side to her.   An unhealthy one that cost her a bit of gold. 

The one memory she had of Ryland and others softly teasing her about talking to Taz.   Not knowing what to say or how to reply, Zio had darted off. 

He was an amazing dancer,  eyes locked on him,  people spoke praises. Ziorea had to admit his emotions of dance did speak to her own.

His notes said he did like an adventure.  Would he enjoy rock climbing?  Maybe they could go surfing, or something crazy of that sort.  That's what he meant by enjoying the wild side of life right?

It was kind of sweet he gave her a kiss on the hand.  Ziorea did like that at the end of the night.  Did he leave with the dark seductress lady?  She seem more of his type.  They where bound to bed each other, as the woman told Zio it was her plan.  That didn’t worry her at all.

What troubled Ziorea was the bubbling feelings she had after winning the bid and how sweet he was toward her.   She was used not to liking other people’s attention.  The event left her confused and nervous about if/when her communication device would go off.

Tinnaire gave a long and satisfied sigh as she slipped into the hot springs. She was in appropriate water wear--it was hardly a private place--but the pool was quiet tonight. Steam rose around her, water burbled softly, and the sounds of nature--both crickets and birds singing--lulled her There was one of those big soup events going on more directly in the town, so she had taken the chance to slip away from the crowds.

She draped a warmed towel on her head and closed her eyes. Tinn swore she could feel the gentle caress of the starlight on her shoulders and the brisk kiss of the breeze. Goosebumps rose on her arms and a smile curled her lips.

She’d heard the mineral infused water was good for sore muscles and scars, and the idea was too charming to do  anything but accept. Validity did not really need to factor into it. Whatever it took to recover.

Being alone wasn’t so bad. But neither was company, and she let herself experience the moment of longing, before letting it wash through her and slide away down into the depths of the dark water.

Her eyes opened a crack and she felt a tug at her heart, staring up at the night sky.