(Flashback ) [ The Mithryn Outpost] Being Thankful

Sydelle has much to be thankful for

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

(Flashback ) [ The Mithryn Outpost] Being Thankful

Postby Sydelle Faraway on August 18th, 2014, 4:26 am

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90th of Autumn, 502AV
Morning


Sydelle fidgeted. There was no other word for it, and she couldn't seem to help it, despite mum's stern warning look. The eight year old managed a few ticks of respectable stillness before her hand wandered out to play with the skirt of her dress. The tiny, delicate patterns of vines and flowers was too much of a distraction to be ignored, and her small fingers followed diligently as the design curled itself over her knee.

Imagination was running away with her, and Sydelle pictured the vines coming to life, growing up out of the skirt and high into the air above her head. She would braid them and make a secret tent where she could hide inside them, sniffing the beautiful yellow and blue flowers all--

A hand clamped down over hers. interrupting her daydreams, and Sydelle looked up with a guilty flush to meet her mother's eyes.

"Sit still, Syddie! Mind yer hands and sit on them if you must, but stop fussing with your dress." Though the words were quiet enough, Sydelle had no trouble identifying the ring of impatience in her mums voice and stilled instantly. Ticks later, when her hand was again under her own control, she squirmed them both under her bottom and sat on them, as suggested.

But her mind, unlike her hands, would not stay still - and Syd couldn't exaclt sit on that. Her mother sat, impossibly still, unknown prayers on her lips. It was the change of seasons, and Ebelle had always set aside this time to give thanks for the passing season and ask for blessings in the season to come.

What this meant for Sydelle was that, twice a season, she was expected to sit and think about the good things that had happened and be thankful for them. And when she was done with that, she was supposed to ask the next season to be just as good. But it was so hard !

Still she gave it a valiant effort as she sat there, thinking back over the days of Autumn and the interesting things that had happened:

Gemmel stopped pulling my hair. That was a good thing. And he gave me a little piece of his candy. Even though he did call me a dumb girl after that. But that's 'cos his friends were being mean about him being nice. And he doesn't really want to kiss me - yuck! But just sometimes we don't hate each other.

In her heart of hearts, Sydelle didn't mind if Gemmel wanted to kiss her. His mum made the best candies in the Outpost and if Gemmel wanted to kiss her he would prob'ly let her have his candy any time she asked. Absently, she licked her lips, imagining the taste of the candy again. But she wouldn't ask for all of it because that would be selfish and Syd knew that being selfish was not a nice thing at all.

As an afterthought, the little girl thought a quick 'thank you' to the Goddess Bala, even though she couldn't figure out what the Goddess of Autumn had to do with Gemmel's mother's candy.

And thank you, Bala, because the apples grew extra big this year and dad let me have one that was bigger than my whole hand!

Sydelle remembered the apple in question. She had to use two hands to hold it, and after she had eaten the whole thing, her tummy hurt just a little bit. But she didn't tell her dad, because he gave her the apple and he might have felt sad if he knew it had made her sick. But it was the best apple she'd ever had, in all her whole life, and thinking about it - and about Gemmel's mum's candy - was making her hungry all over again.
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(Flashback ) [ The Mithryn Outpost] Being Thankful

Postby Sydelle Faraway on August 20th, 2014, 2:27 am

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Soon enough, Sydelle's stomach made it audibly clear that mere thoughts of candy and apples were not enough. The low gurgling rumble made Syd giggle - and Ebelle sigh resignedly.

Casting a look at her daughter, Ebelle quickly ended her prayers. If it were a little less formal than she'd liked, or a little more hasty, she was sure the Gods would understand. After all, they had surely had plenty of time to observe 8 year old children.

"You managed to sit still for nearly five chimes, Syddie-dear. I suppose you think that earns you a reward? Bit of dinner, p'raps?" It was only a mock sternness in the face, and there was more than a hint of teasing in her tone, that grew to a laugh at her daughter's enthusiastic nod

Ebelle was devoutly religious, however she recognized that Sydelle was simply too young to fully grasp the concept of prayer and thankfulness. Still, she tried to gently nudge her daughter onward in her religion, without making it seem like a chore. "So tell me, then, what did you find to be thankful for in five whole chimes?" The question was casual, accompanied by a chunk of day-old rye bread for Syd to munch on.

Manners forgotten, Syd bit into the bread and chewed excitedly. In her haste to answer Ebelle's question, words began to flow before she'd quite finished her food. The result was a disjointed retelling of her prayer of thankfulness that made her mother's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"...Gemmel..."
"...candy..."
"kiss... Bala. Oh, and I thanked her for the big apple that dad let me eat. 'Member it, mum? Bigger than my hand!"


Sydelle had, by this time, finished her bread and stared at her mother expectantly. "It was the biggest apple ever, wasn't it? And crunchy!"

The older woman didn't know whether to laugh or lecture or ask her daughter to repeat the story again, and finally decided that a different approach was necessary. Nodding, she said, "That was a very good thing to be thankful for. Bala is, after all, the Goddess of the harvest. Everything we gather from the fields and plants comes from her hand, Syddie. Even the rye for the bread. But," she looked at Syd's smiling face, "What has Bala got to do with Gemmel? Or candy and kisses?"

Blushing, but not knowing why, Sydelle giggled and twirled in a circle. Her skirt flared out around her, looking just like a flower, and she said matter-of-factly: "I don't know, mum. You said to thank her for the good things and Gemmel used to tease me but now he doesn't and he gives me candy instead. But he doesn't want to kiss me. So I said 'thank you'."

With that bit of simple logic, Syd shrugged and twirled again. No longer hungry after the bread, but now a bit unsteady after the twirling, she laughed and wobbled her way to the door. "Can I go play, mum?"

After receiving a nod of permission, she twirled herself out of the cottage, leaving a bemused Ebelle staring after her.
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(Flashback ) [ The Mithryn Outpost] Being Thankful

Postby Sydelle Faraway on August 20th, 2014, 3:04 am

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90th of Autumn, 502AV
Afternoon


Playing Knights at the edge of the now-empty rye field, Sydelle and her friends had unavoidably split into two warring factions: the Seras against the Sers. Sticks smacked together and war cries filled the air, nearly obscured by shrill laughter. There was the occasional lull in fighting, during which both sers and seras would hurl knightly insults across the battle lines, before the war waged on.

"Back, filthy knave! I'll have your head! Hi-YAH!" A loud cracking sound echoed as Sydelle's sticksword crashed into Gemmel's. She laughed, proud that she'd gotten to use a word like 'knave' and happy that she was able to play with her friends without worrying about Gemmel calling her stupid.

"Never!" Gemmel gave back as good as he'd gotten, and swatted at Syd in mock anger. "Yer no match fer me, Sera Sydelle, I'm the greatest Knight in the Outpost!"

'Swords' clattered back and forth; before battle's end, they had rescued a bunch of slaves, defeated an evil wizard, and killed a great hulking beast that was trying to steal Gemmel's candy. The last one was a most impassioned battle with a sturdy tree on the edge of the field. Though the tree-beast was not felled, the Knights all felt confident that they'd scared it away from the candy.

When the dust cleared, and the stickswords had fallen to the ground, the seras and sers were children once more. The girls wandered the edge of the field, looking for late-season flowers and pretty leaves, while the boys searched for the ugliest, the scariest, or the biggest bugs they could find.

In the relative peace, Sydelle wandered just a bit away from the group. Gemmel, who did not want to kiss her, ran up and poked her shoulder. Hard.

"Ow! What'd you do that fer, Gemmel?" Rubbing her shoulder angrily, Sydelle glared at the boy remembering how just that morning, she'd thanked Bala for making him be nice to her. 'What a waste of thanks,', she thought. Poking Gemmel's arm, as hard as she could manage, Syd spun on her heel and began to walk away.

But she didn't get far before she felt another hard jab. She whirled around to confront Gemmel and -

- was shocked into silence when the other child leaned in close and kissed her right on the cheek.

And immediately pushed her to the ground and ran back to the other boys before Sydelle could say a single word. She fell hard, gasped at the impact and bit her tongue. Tears sprang to her eyes, and Sydelle didn't know what was worse: the pain of biting her tongue, or the fact that Gemmel had kissed her... Or that she didn't mind the kiss. Sitting alone on the ground, with a sore arm, a sore backside, a sore tongue, and a confused and tingly feeling spreading over her cheek - Sydelle started to cry.
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(Flashback ) [ The Mithryn Outpost] Being Thankful

Postby Vanari on October 6th, 2014, 6:50 am

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Sydelle
Observation +2 XP
Logic +1 XP
Intimidation +1 XP

Lores :
  • Ebelle: Honoring Changing of Seasons
  • Giving Thanks to Bala, Goddess of Harvest
  • Bala: Everything Gathered Comes from Her Hand
  • Kissed and Knocked Down by Gemmel!


Notes :
Good job! That was a lovely thread from the eyes of a child. It was such a fun read that I reached the end without knowing and was sad that I did. Keep up the great work!

Please don't hesitate to PM me with questions, comments, or concerns! Also, remember to edit your grade request as "graded."

Cheers :D
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A lonely heart is better than a bored one.

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"Vani"
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