( open ) dreaming again but I know that it's all in my head

[hearthwarming]

( open post for oriphi 🌼 leave prompts, blank toplevels, anything )

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[hearthwarming]

[ The thing is... Oriphi gets seasick so easily; she has never fared well on the seas.

The few times she has traveled by ship in her life have seen her leaning over the edge of the ship for the better part of the journey, in an effort to spare other travelers from the sorry sight of a seasick tiefling. And they have always ended with her nearly toppling over as soon as her feet finally found land again.

Which is why she was absolutely gutted to hear that this was the only way to travel to Inazuma. And ultimately, at the suggestion of a similarly nature-loving friend, why she ended up as a stowaway cat aboard the Crux.

Part of Oriphi thinks that Kazuha was amused by the whole situation - especially the antics that Cat-phi got up to in order to avoid detection by Captain Beidou or anyone else on the crew (which she's pretty sure were all in vain anyway, as perceptive as the captain is) - but she has to agree that the journey was easier to stomach when she could spend the whole trip curled up and catnapping in Kazuha's belongings. Still, the ordeal as a whole was just exhausting.

Now that they've finally reached and docked at Ritou, though, the cat is quite literally out of the bag. Ori finds herself wanting to get off the Crux as soon as possible and flusters a few of the crew as she zooms past on her way down to the best of her ability which, admittedly, is not at its best at very moment, as going from sea to land proves to be just as difficult as a small feline. The people around the docks of Ritou may be perplexed to find a black cat making its way very unsteadily along the piers before ultimately slumping against a crate with a soft, sad meow. ]

[burnbrighter]

[ Stray animals aren’t an unusual sight around Inazuma. Sure, they avoid the more wild areas unless they’re especially tenacious, but where there’s civilization, there’s sure to be cats and dogs roaming around, begging for scraps or getting scratched behind the ears by anyone they manage to charm into it.

Thoma usually finds himself utterly charmed - he just can’t resist a cute face and a pair of fuzzy ears. Most of the strays on Narukami Island know his face and are well-aware he often has food in his pockets. Sometimes he can’t go even two steps because there are so many animals swarming around his feet.

The animals here at Ritou aren’t quite as spoiled, but he still takes time for them when he can.

He’s around the docks on an errand when the poor kitty wobbles its way across his boots and he finds himself following, concerned, with his shopping tucked under his arm. ]

Hey little friend. [ Softly, warmly, as he crouches, one hand held out to the cat. Is it sick? Maybe he should take it back to the Kamisato estate with him? ] Are you okay?

[hearthwarming]

[ The cat's ears perk up at the sound of a concerned voice and - that's not Kazuha's voice nor does it smell like him - so she lifts her head slightly and opens her eyes slowly to see who it is. ]

Meow?

[ Oh, that's right, she's still in the form of a cat. She really ought to change back, at some point, but at the moment she really is just too tired to even think. Although she doesn't recognize the man before her, her instincts are telling her that this is a person she doesn't need to be afraid of. After all, how a person treats a stray speaks volumes of their character.

She lowers her little cat head again, but this time finds herself leaning into Thoma's open hand and rubbing the top of her head against his palm. ]

[burnbrighter]

[ Thoma can’t help but smile, something bright and fond, when the little cat steps up to nuzzle against his hand. ]

You were looking pretty unsteady on your feet there. You’re not sick are you?

[ Said as he watches the cat move, looking for any signs of illness or injury. So far it seems fine, so perhaps it was a momentary thing? Or maybe the little critter came in on one of the ships? He doesn’t know if cats can get seasick, but it seems like a reasonable assumption.

If so, that’s a long journey for such a small creature to make alone. ]

Are you hungry? I have some fish here if you want it.

[ Yes, he does keep snacks for strays on him all the time, why do you ask? ]

[indolentaxe]

o o o
[The story of Hilda and Oriphi starts, as many good stories involving adventuring types do, in a tavern.

Hilda has only recently arrived in town, traveling the world now that her homeland has stabilized post-war and no longer requires her continued presence. Ever since Claude - well, King Khalid - shared his vision of a world with open borders and open minds, Hilda has found herself increasingly curious about what lies beyond Fódlan. Mostly rid of the narrow-mindedness that encompassed her world before, she's decided to take advantage of the opportunity and see as much as she can.

Even if he coin is strange, it's made of gold--which means that the bartender has no issue accepting it as she orders herself a glass of wine and looks around for a good candidate to strike up a chat and get to know the area. Her sights settle on a tiefling woman about her own age who seems cute and unassuming, and she approaches with a smile.]

Mind if I have a seat?

[(The first time she met a tiefling was weird, since most of the more fantastical races that seem to be common around these parts exist in Fódlan and its surrounding countries. But she's gotten used to seeing different races around these parts, so the strange appearance doesn't strike her as very strange at all. Progress!)]

[hearthwarming]

[ Oriphi has, much in the same way, decided to continue adventuring and see more of the world beyond the continent in which she had spent her whole life; although there's a part of her that longed (and continues to long) to find a quiet place somewhere in the woods to put roots down... she has made a promise to herself and to everyone she's loved and lost in her life that she would continue to use her magic to help and fill other's lives with wonder.

And so here she is - far, far away from anywhere she might even remotely consider as 'home' - in a tavern, because any decent adventurer knows that you can find most anything in a tavern, whether it's a bed to rest in for the evening, information, a pint of ale, or simply company. Truthfully, it's not Ori's scene of choice, but it's a good place to start in any new place. At best, she'll overhear someone say something about someone needing help, or at worst, she'll conjure some flowers as the local bard spins tales and songs and make the patrons' nights a little more joyful.

She's nursing a glass of apple cider and quietly enjoying the aforementioned bard's musical musings when a woman approaches, and for a moment Ori doesn't realize that it's her that the woman is speaking to. When she does, though, she looks up to meet her gaze and finds herself struck by the color of her eyes.

But after a moment, she realizes she's being awkward and then finally responds, ]

Oh—! Please go ahead, I don't mind at all.

[indolentaxe]

[Hilda doesn't find the hesitation awkward so much as she finds it charming. Plus, she's used to people taking an extra moment to stare (sometimes, she even counts on it).]

Thank you~

[Hilda sits down and takes the opportunity to get a good look at her. She's quite pretty, much moreso up close than from across the tavern--which is saying something, given that Hilda had found her quite pleasant on the eyes from even that far away. Sitting across from her, however, she gets to see the softness of her features and the beautiful amber of her eyes.

Yeah, she's picked a good partner to share drinks and perhaps a meal with.]

My name's Hilda, by the way. Are you from around here, or just traveling through like me?

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori can't help the way her stay fixed on Hilda as she takes her seat, noticing the very confident air with which she carries herself. She's always been drawn to very self-assured individuals, perhaps due to her own lack of self-confidence, but she's been getting better at it in recent times after playing a part in a grand adventure (although she would never call it that, herself) at least.

So she answers dutifully, ]

I'm Oriphi - but please, call me Ori. I'm a traveler, too. I've only just arrived here today. It's very nice to meet you!

colin | tfln overflow

[hearthwarming]

( from here )

That looks delicious but...

[ Colin............ ]

If you were hungry you could always just ask me? I can always try to cook something but I usually have snacks on me...

[ are her snacks not fancy enough... oh. She needs to revisit this recipe. ]

[lutefluteriot]

I mean yeah I would've preferred your snacks but like

It was a matter of convenience bc I mean I was in the neighborhood, that's all and you know, I can't just drop by whenever I'm feeling kind of peckish.

And weirdly their registration was super easy?? Which both does and does not make sense for a cult, if you really sit down to think about it

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori would have maintained that he absolutely can just drop by whenever he's feeling kind of peckish, but— ]

So where is this cult, anyway...? Now I feel like I have to scope out their snacks...

[lutefluteriot]

[ Insert address here! ]

Plus there's wine!

So far I'm getting the impression that this is more like a meet-up for pretentious college kids who've got money to burn than a for real sinister cult

I mean they're probably one or two months away from falling in with the wrong crowd and trying to sacrifice themselves to bring about eternal darkness or whatever

But we'll cross that bridge when we get there

look i know we still have a thread going but here u go

[lutefluteriot]

[ Rebuilding Duskvale is a trial.

It takes months to rebuild what was destroyed by the dragon and the riots, to regrow the crops that had withered during the imposed darkness, to reestablish trade routes and assure their foreign partners that they were, in fact, safe once again. And that's just the obvious damage. There's also the political damage of rebuilding the people's trust in their royal family, to prove that the Suonas can stand strong without the corrupting influence of Sheng at the helm. Colin's father, Yu, takes his place once again, with Colin's mother, Celesta, at his side. Colin's sister, Alyria, helps with the logistics and takes a boots-on-the-ground approach, walking the streets of their home and finding who was most in need of the family's help.

And after the mess with Gran Karrefour, after Colin and the other members of the team extricated themselves from the giant political shit show they had embroiled themselves in, after they're cleared of all the crimes they committed in the name of saving the world— Colin returns home, rolls up his sleeves, and gets to work.

He's a little surprised when Ori decides to join him, having fully expected her to spend some much needed time with her sister. But join him, she does. And after everything they've been through, he's feeling a little too grateful (and a little too selfish) to turn her away, or to insist that she take some time to rebuild her bonds with Valphi.

With time, though, Colin did reluctantly offer to let Ori invite Valphi to stay with them in Duskvale as well. This time, the reluctance was less from Valphi's role in the kidnapping of his sister and in Gran Karrefour's intricate plot, and more from the deep, profound understanding that Valphi hates Colin's goddamn guts.

There's so much work to be done, and for months and months and months it's almost all that Colin focuses on. Despite how long he kept himself away, he still loves his home and wants to see it set to rights.

(That, and he feels horribly guilty. If he had been more adamant that his grandfather was an evil bastard, if he had been wise enough to see into that man's true heart, if he had only come home sooner, if he hadn't been so bull-headed and insisted on coming to Duskvale without his party—

If, if, if, if.)

Over time, though, Colin and Ori are finding fewer and fewer tasks that need their attention, and fewer and fewer things that need doing. Healing Duskvale no longer feels like the insurmountable undertaking it once had immediately after the dragon attack; now, it looks like his home is starting to regain its footing and is slowly shaking off its pallor.

At the end of a task force meeting, Colin had stood from his seat, a little dazed at not being assigned anything new. Alyria had poked him as she passed.

"Honestly," she had sighed, but the grin she flashed him took away the bite of her words. "Why are you even still here?"

Colin had been obliged to flick Lyre on the ear on her way out.


Three weeks later, his parents have announced their intentions to step down and allow Alyria to take over. The inauguration is planned for the following month. Of course, there's a huge party that needs throwing, and a month is almost no time at all to plan it. Colin knows he needs to stick around for that. (That, and a small, paranoid part of him worries that the transition may invite trouble; he needs to be there to ensure his family's safety.)

But after that party, after Alyria is established and is on her way to truly ruling Duskvale, after Colin runs out of things to do to make himself useful around here...

What then?

For now, at the end of the day, with the sun dipping low behind the horizon, Colin is seeking out Ori with a wicker basket hanging from the crook of his elbow. ]

bless

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori follows Colin to Duskvale, her reasoning twofold: she wants to help undo at least some of the damage wrought by her enthralled sister’s actions. Of course Valphi’s actions are not Ori’s responsibility. Of course she’s not at fault for what happened. But she knows that she can do a world of good if she goes; she can heal the injured and heal the lands and she can use the power of nature in a myriad of ways to help.

The second reason being that part of her is afraid that if she and Colin part ways now, she’ll never see him again— and the thought is near-unbearable after everything they’ve been through. After seeing the state she’d found him in when last they parted ways, after seeing how much he hurt for his home and how much he wanted to save his sister, after each Counterspell and Cutting Words hurled towards anyone who tried to harm her. But outside of the Alchemighty, they could be worlds apart. He’s a prince - and she is a druid that rightly belongs to wherever the spirits of nature might need her most. Perhaps they have no reason to stay connected to one another - but doesn’t like that at all.

So she follows. She helps the people of Duskvale recover with her healing spells and she spends much of her days helping imbuing the lands with vitality so that they may grow crops once more, the same as she had for the woods where Philostenes lived. And she helps the children - particularly those who were orphaned - doing everything she can to make sure they never feel as alone as she and Valphi did when they were children. She may have followed Colin here, but with everything that needs to be done to rebuild Duskvale, the times that they can actually enjoy each other’s company can be few and far between.

Still, it’s nice to be able to visit the palace and see him there, or to be out and about on the town with the kids and run into him and Alyria. To just have him around.

It’s selfish of her, too, she knows. But it’s not as though she’s forgotten about the work she needs to put in to make sure Valphi is okay after everything. Whenever she can, she disappears through a tree to spend time with her sister, and she does so regularly until one day, Colin tells her that Valphi can stay in Duskvale, too.

Then, not too long afterwards, his parents step down from the throne with Alyria set to take over, and soon after that, Valphi departs on her own quest, with a newfound resolve to build her own adventuring group, and when all is said and done…

What then?

With the sun close to setting at the end of the day, Colin will find Ori escorting children back to the orphanage after spending a day out with them. One of the kids notices his approach before she does, and makes a big show out of the prince coming to visit. But they’re shortly ushered back into the home for supper by a cleric, leaving Ori standing outside with ”the hero prince,” as the kids around the city have taken to calling him. ]

Hi, Colin. I mean— Your majesty.

[ She’s all smiles as she gives him a half-respectful, half-joking curtsy, curiously noting the basket on his arm. ]

What have you got there?

[lutefluteriot]

[ Colin, ever the showman (and ever perceptive) notices the way the children bounce in excitement. The one making the most ruckus is offered a quick wink and a grin as they're guided away—

—which immediately folds into a grimace at the form of address and the curtsy, joking as it my be. ]

Oh gods, no. Please don't do that.

[ He's managed to weather the formality well enough while he's been back. The hurried bows and the reverent your highnesses! Most of the time, he endures it, if only because denying it is its own form of disrespect on Colin's part – and right now, he and his family hardly need any additional controversy.

He refuses to stand on ceremony with people he's bled for and who have bled for him.

He huffs out a breath, half-disgusted, half-amused, before his gaze drops down to the basket, just as Ori's does. Lifting a shoulder in a shrug, he offers as casually as he can, ]

It might be dinner for two.

Or, you know. It might also possibly dinner for just one, if you aren't currently available.

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori, by association, has been met with some formalities on her end, as well, though none so reverent as with an actual, literal member of the royal family. Mostly, people recognize that she is a friend (?) of Colin’s; her actions since arriving at Duskvale have not gone unnoticed, either—

Not the least of all by the children at the orphanage, several of whom are now stacked with their faces pressed up against a nearby window, watching this interaction with undisguised interest. ]

Really… I don’t have anything else going on this evening, so…

[ Whether or not Ori knows of the eavesdroppers behind her is indiscernable. Perhaps she hasn’t noticed, or perhaps she’s simply chosen to pay them no mind. Regardless, she smiles warmly at him in turn. ]

I’m all yours.

two druids walk into a forest...

[secondthoughts]

[ In some jamjar universe far, far away...

It isn't as though Hector makes it a habit of venturing into the woods. In all honesty, it's more of something to do than anything--he's had enough of idling away in his room, but the entertainment on offer in the city isn't, well, very entertaining. Someone as driven as him needs something to do, lest he finds himself buried in empty bottles again. Why not get lost as a form of entertainment?

There is something refreshing about wandering aimlessly among the trees. The air is brisk and the world feels brighter. He can scarcely feel his hangover at this point--he feels more alert as his eyes scan the details of the underbrush and the bark on the trees. So he immediately notices the disturbed leaves and fresh, unusual prints sunken into the dirt. His brow furrows as he comes to a halt; he crouches and lightly traces his fingers along the ridges, studying the shape and gait.

These are dire wolf prints. Rare, beautiful creatures.

He moves slow and deliberate through the brush, quieting his steps and his movements as to not frighten the animal when he gets close enough. That doesn't take very long; he finds the dire wolf sitting peacefully on the opposite side of a clearing. For a moment, he just watches in awe, admiring its majesty. But his awe quickly gives way as he starts cycling through names if he manages to successfully tame it--Lucy? Verus? Maurice? Fuzzbucket...?

As he pulls a packet of animal-friendly rations from his pack, he gives a slow, low whistle to get the wolf's attention. Blue eyes settle on the creature's form, taking in every movement and studying its demeanor. In all honesty, he's fine if the taming doesn't go well. He's just awed to see a dire wolf up close. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ This is no regular dire wolf, as it turns out. It is a tiefling druid who has shifted into the form of a dire wolf. Oriphi had taken this form some hours earlier in order to track something in the woods, but has since decided to pause for a moment’s rest. Her coat is covered in wildflowers - which has historically been a way for her friends to distinguish her from other, actual dire wolves - but this likely only makes her seem all the more majestic to any who cross paths with her in this form.

She realizes this, now, when a stranger tries to catch her attention with a whistle and some rations.

Her ears perk up at the sound and she turns her lupine head in Hector’s direction, regarding him for a long moment as she tries to assess what to do in this situation. With all the experience she’s had, by now, one would think she would have a standard protocol for this kind of encounter, but alas. Does she run off? Does she play along? Or does she try to communicate with him telepathically, without his consent…?

In the end, she rises from where she has been resting and cautiously approaches, but she also… shakes her head. Not in the same way that a canine would, but in the same way that a person would. Maybe that can be a hint that things are not as they seem? ]

[secondthoughts]

[ This is, truly, a majestic beast.

As good as Hector is with animals, he can't actually see through spells. It isn't the telltale norn transformation--those are easy to spot--and transformation magic of the like is practically unheard of at home. The thought that this might not even be an actual dire wolf doesn't even cross his mind.

Not even when she shakes her head at him. That, he recognizes, is not animal-like at all. It speaks to intelligence no regular creature should normally have. His hands, partway through unwrapping the rations pouch, pause in thought as the action processes. ]

No?

[ His tone is soft, yet confused. If this were some kind of all-powerful being, then it'd surely make itself known to him. That, he's no stranger to. So that this wolf can shake its head like that yet chooses to remain silent and in this form is unusual. A lesser spirit, perhaps?

--Right. In this world, anything can happen. Anything was possible.

Still, he doesn't know exactly what he's dealing with. If it's no regular animal, then he'd best stay on guard. He makes eye contact, which he'd been generally avoiding until that moment, and his brows furrow in thought. ]

Mind telling me what you are, buddy?

whatsthehurry | tfln overflow

[hearthwarming]

(( from here ))

So it seems you do!

Okay, so... I should maybe be something like a large dog or something, then? I don't think I'd be able to do much to keep you from getting hurt if I'm just a little mouse.

[whatsthehurry]

That's very fair. Ah, I'm sure you'd be such an adorable dog!

[hearthwarming]

Haha, I bet you say that to all the ladies who offer to turn into animals for you!

Do you have a kind of dog that you prefer, Kaeya?

[bladesong]

HELLO MISS ORI I AM TESTING OUT A NEW SPELL

[ Does this world have text messaging? Well, it does now! And Dae is taking this opportunity to use Ori as a guinea pig for his recently developed speech-to-text spell! ]

CYAN AND MISTER MELON SAY HI WE HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL

[hearthwarming]

[ oh.... This message feels so alarming!! And also she has to squint to figure out who he means... ]

Hello, Dae!

Is everything alright? Your message came through with everything capitalized... Please tell Sian and Mellon that I say hello to them, too!

[bladesong]

EVERYTHING IS OKAY SO FAR I AM JUST TRYING TO WORK OUT THE KINKS ON THIS SO FAR IT'S GETTING MOST OF THE WORDS AT LEAST I WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT PUNCTUATION LATER I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THE DEVICE TO TAKE WHAT I AM SAYING AND SEND YOU A MESSAGE THAT WAY I DON'T HAVE TO USE A SPELL SLOT ON SENDING HANG ON I THINK I NEED TO TRAIN THIS PLEASE IGNORE THESE NEXT MESSAGES

Sian Sian Sian Mellon Mellon Mellon

SEE AN SEAN SEAN MILL OWN MALONE MALONE

Argh!!