Closed Getting Your Hands Dirty (Ssanya)

Gardening leads to a curious discovery...

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Considered one of the most mysterious cities in Mizahar, Alvadas is called The City of Illusions. It is the home of Ionu and the notorious Inverted. This city sits on one of the main crossroads through The Region of Kalea.

Getting Your Hands Dirty (Ssanya)

Postby Asterope on April 3rd, 2018, 4:48 pm

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2nd/Spring/518 AV

Aster hadn't meant to end up near the walls of the Alvadas, and she certainly hadn't meant to end up on her knees in the dirt; but Alvadas was funny like that.

She'd heard that the new farms were seeking help with ploughing and planting, but she'd never paid much mind to it; until that morning, when her walk with Navi had lead her to the outskirts of the city, and subsequently the farms. Aster had zero experience with farming or even gardening, but when one of the farmers had greeted her with an offering of chilled tea and asked if she was there to help, she'd given in easily.

In all honesty, it seemed like it could be fun, and a good experience; the Eth was used to getting dirty with far worse things than soil in her line of work, and she'd had the occasional daydream of someday starting her own herb garden, so it didn't take much to convince her.

Aster accepted the tea despite not needing it, enjoying the sweet taste as the farmer explained what was needed to her. Aster listened quietly but intently, though her gaze was on Navi. The mutt was in her glory, bounding through the grass and chasing a handful of squawking, indignant chickens, barking happily.

"We have tools for you to use, since you don't seem to have your own," The man chuckled. Aster nodded as she finished the last of the tea and handed the cup back to the farmer with a smiled thanks; sure enough, Aster didn't even have her coin pouch on her, not having intended to do anything but stroll around the city.

The man took the cup, leaving briefly to fetch Asterope the necessary equipment. She whistled sharply to Navi, calling the large dog over in a reprimanding tone of voice when she heard a particularly angry cluck from one of the chickens. She didn't want to have to apologize for Navi eating one of the birds, or deal with her having her eye pecked out.

"Behave," She scolded the dog, who simply lolled her tongue out and wagged her tail harder as she looked up at Aster. The farmer chuckled, overhearing the exchange as he returned with a small trowel, a watering can, and a paper bag.

"Don't you worry about your beast," He reassured Aster. "We have plenty of animals running around here. She's free to do as she likes and have her fun, just so long as she don't go digging up anything."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Aster promised, taking the offered tools.

"I'm sure you will. That should be all you need really; that there's some radish seeds. They need to be planted over there," He nodded towards the far end of the field. "I have some more, if you still want to help once you're done those. Oh, and if you find anything while you're digging out there that you think is worth keeping, feel free to nab it." The farmed grinned, shooting her a wink.

Aster nodded with a faint smile, bidding the man farewell before heading over to where he'd pointed, Navi bounding along beside her. There were a few other people working the fields. It was a pleasant morning, not too hot, with some clouds and a cool breeze fluttering Aster's dress around her legs.

She reached the area of the field where the farmer had motioned her; the land was already tilled, the soil ready for seeds. Aster settled down at the far end, tugging the skirt of her dress up above her knees before kneeling in the soil so she didn't get the fabric too dirty. Rolling up her sleeves, she tied her loose waves up in a messy bun before getting to work.

It was quite a picture; the otherworldly woman on her knees, glassy lavender and jade horns curling around her head and her skin shimmering in the faint sunlight, her delicate hands streaked with dirt as she dug a trowel into the soil. Asterope was out of place, like a diamond sitting in a pile of sand, the ethereal among the mundane; but if she realized this, she paid no mind to it, instead focusing on digging out a hole for the seeds while Navi ran around behind her.
Last edited by Asterope on April 4th, 2018, 2:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Getting Your Hands Dirty

Postby Asterope on April 3rd, 2018, 5:04 pm

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Aster hummed absently under her breath, no tune in particular as she dumped the dirt she dug out into a small pile beside the hole she was digging. The farmer had advised putting a few seeds per hole, so she fished into the bag and dropped four small brown seeds into the hole.

She scraped the pile of dirt back over it, using her hands to pat it down firmly. It seemed easier to plant and then walk down the line to water the seeds, so she left the watering can where it was and shuffled forward a bit, beginning to dig another hole.

The work was slow, but methodical in a way she was familiar with; it was a soothing, calming balm on her mind. The shuffling sound of the trowel digging into the dirt and the steady movement of dig, dump, dig, dump, sent her into a mental state similar to when she was stitching a wound shut. Dropping a few seeds into the next hole, Asterope filled the hole with dirt and moved on.

She continued like that for some time, losing track of just how long she was on her knees in the dirt for, when she noticed something in the hole she'd just dug out. She paused, placing the trowel down; something hard and off-white, stained with soil, was peeking out of the bottom of the hole.

Curiously, Aster scraped some of the dirt around it away with her fingers before grabbing the edge of the object. A little bit of tugging and wriggling successfully pulled it out of the dirt. It wasn't overly large; Aster rolled the object into her palm, poking at it for a moment before she recognized what it was.

It was a bone. She had no idea if it was from a human, animal, or some other race; but if she had to guess, she would peg the strangely shaped bone as a vertebrae. Aster tilted her head to the side, rubbing her thumb over the smooth surface; she supposed it wasn't that strange of a discovery. Bones were bound to be discovered here and there when digging over such a large area of land.

She went to toss the bone to the side, then paused when she felt her thumb catch on some sort of groove in the bone. She glanced down at it again, tilting the bone. She rubbed at the spot with her thumb, cleaning some of the dirt off, only to find some sort of circle engraved into the bone.

Now that was strange. Aster sat back on her heels, frowning down at the bone. She glanced around, but the watering can was back where she had started, so she licked one of her cleaner fingers and scrubbed at the bone, slowly cleaning more of the dirt off to reveal more of the engraving.
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Getting Your Hands Dirty (Ssanya)

Postby Allassanachassanya on April 5th, 2018, 4:30 pm

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"Speech"
"Others"


The upcoming trip was sending joint feelings of nagging worry and excitement waving through her. Madeira had been fairly insistent that she come along to Riverfall, where Ssanya had been before. She herself had been reluctant in some ways and overly eager in others. Ssanya was long-lived and thus lived life at a different pace. Alvadas was only just beginning to feel like home, with its quirky ways so far removed from the glistening city of the Akalak. It felt strange to leave it now, even if it was with her lover and her entourage... But then, equally, she had quickly become accustomed to being in Madeira's presence and being away from the Spiritist for an undefined period of time made her worry. Not that she thought she had any form of control over the roaming of another person, especially her. But Madeira was naive in some ways, having known Alvadas all her life and never the other parts of the world. Ssanya wondered what that felt like, to only know one place in your life. She wondered about her family, one of those constant yet background thoughts, thinking if they were well and happy.

Perhaps she wouldn't ever know, but only time would tell.

In the meantime, to calm herself and breathe freely for a while by herself, the Dhani woman walked from her room and out into the city. She was in human form, wearing a long lavender dress that was comfortably warm enough for the early Spring. Despite the relative warmth, she still wrapped her customary purple scarf around her neck enough to keep her happy.

She found her feet taking her to the edge of the city, a hive of activity since the growing farms had begun to be built. Ssanya wasn't much of a grower or a cultivator, but as she approached the farmlands she couldn't help but admire the landscape. It was in the process of being transformed, and would surely one day grow to be bountiful and pleasantly green. Somewhere, past a newly built farmhouse, chickens squawked and a dog barked gustily. It was the picture of tranquillity and the Dhani woman stepped into the beginning of the field, intent on browsing through and seeing what she could see before turning back to the city.

There were two people about. The closest to her was a farmer, his sleeves rolled up and stained from weather and earth. At his feet, chickens clucked and squabbled amongst themselves, fluffing up their feathers and searching for new, exciting places to rest and lay eggs. Ssanya smiled, but said nothing to the farmer. He nodded his head towards her, and simply pointed to a pile of tools that lay stacked against the side of the wall. "You going to help your friend over yonder? Tools are all here, she's borrowed some too. Thanks for your help!"

This was different. The woman was slightly confused, but followed the direction of the man's finger to where a woman knelt in the earth digging. "I'll be going over this way, give a holler if you encounter anything that you need a hand with, won't you?"
"Aah..." It was too late. The man walked away, whistling cheerfully, and Ssanya was left alone with a curious, tiny spade held loosely in her hand.

But, after a moment's thought, she accepted it. After all, she wanted a chance to think. She wasn't a gardener, but then she had never tried to be one. She began walking out to the woman to introduce herself, perhaps even joke that they were the friends who hadn't met yet... When she saw who it was, and her heart sank.

It was the horned woman from Verlyna's Pool. She was sat amongst the dirt, curiously digging, oblivious to her stunning beauty. The dog was sniffing around elsewhere, but that wasn't the problem. What should she do? It would be difficult for Asterope to recognise Ssanya. The dog might, for she was a predator underneath the human surface, but for a start she was much smaller in her human form, and generally unrecognisable. Their first meeting had been in an entirely different circumstance, too. Ssanya felt heat flush her cheeks and her stomach turn to iron at the thought of how she had been, what she had done. This poor woman had dealt with her at one of her worst, most vile times. Why had she tried to attack the Ethaefal? Ssanya was sure she'd never truly know. But the guilt of her wildness would never truly go away, and had only seemed to get amplified the further time flew by.

Yet it was too late to stop now. Ssanya would be noticed, whether she turned to go or didn't, and the farmer expected her to work. She was set on this course, and so she would continue. Maybe the Ethaefal would not remember and Ssanya could remain quiet about their previous meeting. Her heart was beating like a drum as she approached, but she plastered her best, friendly grin on her lips and waved the tool in the air as a way of showing why she was approaching.

"Hello. The farmer thinkss I am your friend, ha ha. Can I help?" She approached further, but then something caught her attention and for a moment she forgot to be worried and knelt down in the soil next to the Ethaefal. She was holding something in her hands, that looked like a bone. Ssanya peered closer, intruding upon the woman's personal space without a care in the world. "Isss that... Give it to me." She didn't wait. The Dhani snatched the freshly scrubbed bone from Asterope's grasp and peered closer at the design. It was maledicted! Ssanya whipped her head up at the Ethaefal, and her shock would be distinctly visible. "Did you... Isss thisss... Yourss? Did you find thiss? Can you do malediction?" She held the bone in her grasp, eyes wide and staring, knees already stained with mud and earth as she looked at the Ethaefal in a new light. There was still caution and worry to be found within her gaze, but now there was also the amazement of a new discovery.


"Meaning Through Death"


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All 's' sounds are hissed in Ssanya's speech.
Resolve score - 30/100
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Allassanachassanya
Sifting through the bones
 
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Getting Your Hands Dirty (Ssanya)

Postby Asterope on April 13th, 2018, 4:02 pm

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So engrossed with her work and then her discovery, Aster wasn't aware of the other woman approaching until she called out. The Eth jerked her head up, startled, and blinked at the woman approaching her.

Something about her words sent a chill through Aster, and for a moment she couldn't place why. Then she realized it wasn't the woman's words that were making her spine tingle, but rather her voice. Sibilant and almost hissing the 's'es from her lips.

A memory resurfaced, of a snake-woman, a monster hissing at her and lunging towards her at the edge of a brilliant green pond. Aster stared at the woman with wide eyes, her mouth suddenly dry. Navi suddenly came barreling forward, pushing herself between Aster and the woman, her ears pinned flat and hackles raising as she growled, baring her teeth.

The sudden aggressive appearance of the mutt shook Aster from her thoughts, and she swallowed hard. Surely the woman approaching her wasn't the same monstrous figure that had attacked her seasons prior; in a city like Alvadas, there could be more than one Dhani.

Even if it was the same woman, her voice and words were friendly, and there was a smile on her face. Swallowing, Aster released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, and placed her spade on the ground, resting her hand on Navi's shoulder.

"Easy, Navi. Down," She ordered the dog firmly. Navi hesitated, but her growling slowly ceased, and she sat beside Aster, though her gaze was still suspicious on Ssanya as she scented the air.

"Hello," Aster greeted the woman. "I'm sorry about Navi. She can be a little protective. I would appreciate the help." She gave a small smile, an olive branch for her hesitation and Navi's behaviour.

It was unneeded, because as the woman approached, she seemed to zero in on the bone in Aster's hand. Asterope leaned backwards slightly as the woman swooped in on her, snatching the bone from her hand. "Wh- hey!" Aster protested, a frown curving her mouth downwards. Beside her, Navi let out another low growl.

Aster watched the woman examine the bone, unsure why she felt so possessive over it, but knowing that she wanted it back. The look the Dhani was giving her, having examined the bone, was one of shock, her dark eyes wide as she spoke. "I found it, just now. While I was digging. What's malediction? I've never heard of it, I don't think. I have no idea what it is."

Aster's head was spinning slightly at the sudden forceful change in atmosphere and the other woman's questions. "What's so important about it?" She glanced down to the bone still clutched in the woman's dark hand, her eyes tracing the sigil carved into it. "Is it something to do with magic?"

Aster knew little to nothing about the subject of magic, but the strange carving combined with the other woman's excitement - borderline trepidation - and intense curiousness made her think her discovery had something to do with the arcane. Clearly, whatever it was, the Dhani knew something about it. Malediction. Aster had never heard the word before, so she waited somewhat impatiently for the other woman to explain, her palms and fingers practically itching with the desire to reach out and snatch the bone back, but she restrained herself for the moment.
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Asterope
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Getting Your Hands Dirty (Ssanya)

Postby Asterope on June 6th, 2018, 9:31 am

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The Sun Has Risen

And so have your grades!

Allassanachassanya
 
Skills
✧Observation +1
✧Socialization +1
 
Lores
✧Ssanya: Nervous about going to Riverfall
✧The Eth from Verlyna's Pool: A second meeting
✧Ssanya: Feels guilt over attacking the Eth woman
✧Eth from the Pool: Knows malediction?
 
Notes
Sorry I couldn't give you more for this! It's a shame we won't be able to finish this, I feel like it had a lot of potential. Also, sorry if the lores seem a tad awkward; I realized Aster and Ssanya never actually introduced themselves to each other haha.


Asterope
 
Skills
✧Socialization +2
✧Observation +2
✧Gardening +2
✧Singing +1
 
Lores
✧Aster: Wants to start a garden
✧Gardening: Plant more than one seed per hole
✧Dhani woman: Seems familiar
✧Malediction: A type of magic?
 
Misc.
✧Maledicted bone (vertebrae)


Thank you for your patience! As always, please edit or delete your request in the grading queue; and if you have any questions or concerns about your grades, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me!
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The sun will rise, and we will try again
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Asterope
A light that never goes out
 
Posts: 651
Words: 661387
Joined roleplay: August 16th, 2017, 11:11 pm
Location: The Outpost (Sunberth)
Race: Ethaefal
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Journal
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Medals: 5
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Overlored (1) Alvadas Seasonal Challenge (1)
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