eulalia | Veridia Round 1: Hill Farm (Reply)

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These two are adorable and also cannot keep their hands off each other.

Drustan: Eew, kissing!

Okay, fine, you can go with your uncle to the well and carry home buckets of water. :)

Drustan: :(

In my head, Eisu’s and Norweni’s family share the well on Norweni’s lot, since they’re right next to each other, but in reality I’ve made it Elmet’s chore to get water.

Speaking of Norweni! Drustan loves his auntie very much and constantly rolls wants to do things with her.

Spotted: omg, scandal at the well.

Xiang: I seem to recall this being Elmet’s chore, and yet here he is not.

The Hill farm has a vegetable garden and a small flock of sheep kept primarily for their wool. Everyone not tending the fields really should be walking around with a drop spindle.

Drustan: I just think it would be nice to have a sibling around to play with, like Glamaer and Gytha.

Xiang: Uh, well, that’s not really possible right now…

Drustan: Why?

Eisu: Because the spirits need two different types of essence to form a babe, and your bàba and I have the same kind. And it’s not every day that you find another little Drustan somewhere!

Drustan: Hmm. What about if we got another kitten, then?

Xiang: That’s a little more doable. We’ll see if anyone has any new litters soon.

Drustan might not have siblings, but he does have a passion for science! Between this and his building experiments with his anachronistically colored blocks, his future possibilities seem endless right now.

Elmet, on the other hand… Elmet has had a string of bad luck lately. It feels unending. The wolf bite that didn’t kill him but might as well have, the way there’s so much to do and nothing he wants, the way everyone he talks to besides his brother to seems to hate him…

Shep: Stop talking to me.

Elmet: Okay. :(

Elmet: I swear, when I brought it up, the fish was THIS big–

Helenet: Excuse me, I’m trying to run an errand, not listen to tall tales.

Same, Drustan, same.

Eisu: You know, there’s something to what Drustan was asking about. Some of the priests and priestesses say that with the correct offering, the spirits can bless anyone with a child.

Xiang: That sounds almost too easy to believe. But they’re not the spirits I’m familiar with, so you would know better than I.

Eisu: I don’t know if I really believe it. Norweni’s sister spent years making offerings before they were blessed with their son. But… it would be nice. I didn’t know how much I would love being a father before we found Drustan.

When the moon rises in the night sky, the change comes over Elmet. His brother spent six months discreetly inquiring with priestesses, headmen, witches throughout the land surrounding Veridia, and even one particularly knowledgeable pirate, but none has presented a cure. No amount of prayer, offerings, or supposedly magical amulets stops it. The pirate called him lykánthrōpos, the priestess wirokū–werewolf.

Elmet calls it a big pain in the butt.

Outside of the immediate family, only Headwoman Norweni knows about his condition. At the time, it seemed better not to alarm the rest of the village. This means that Elmet has few options for his sleepless nights–he can sit around the farm talking to the sheep and playing river stones with the cat, or he can run down to the forest and at least see something different than the usual four walls. He spends a lot of time fishing (with a pole or spear, not his claws, thank you very much), which at least helps him not eat Eisu out of house and home every night.

Still, Elmet would give his left hand to be able to visit the meadhall at night again. (Not his right, though–he needs that one for things.)

And wet fur is not very pleasant to deal with.

Elmet: Ughhhh…

Dawn isn’t much of a relief, knowing he has to do it all again the next night.

Eisu: *snore*

Xiang: Heh. I would like to have another child with you if it is possible, love.

At least with 3 - 4 sims working on it, the garden work goes faster. Xiang usually prepares breakfast and joins them in the garden after they eat.

What is Xiang looking at with that dopey smile, you ask?

This.

I wanted Drustan to make some friends with the local kids, so it’s off to the well again, where Elmet finally manages to have a positive conversation with someone (townie Cara).

Cara: Hug?

Elmet: Oh, uh, no.

Fial: Doesn’t Cara look handsome with his hair like that, Helenet?

Helenet: I guess? I didn’t really notice…

Eisu and Xiang took advantage of the house being empty. Surely your big comfy bed that’s steps away upstairs would be nicer than that little bench???

Eisu got woken up by Elmet leaving for his nightly constitutional. He ends up warming a cup of the last of the prior year’s cider to try to make him sleepy again. He loves his brother, but sometimes he’s not sure what to do with him, or how to help him.

Mouse: ZzZZZzzz… I hate fish… give me sausages… zzzZZ…

At least Elmet’s unused cot makes a great sleeping spot for Mouse at night.

In the morning, Elmet discovers both of their rams are gone. Who could have guessed that that rickety fence couldn’t possibly contain them?!

Luckily one of the ewes recently had a lamb, but they’re going to have to save up the money or goods to trade for another ram or two if they want to expand their flock again.

Eisu: Drustan! It’s lunchtime, lad, come in and wash your hands!

Drustan: I just wanted to look for ladybugs. :(

Now reconsidering my decision to give Eisu more children.

I guess Wulfric brought the twins to market with him. Drustan has a fun afternoon talking with Glamaer about all sorts of interesting things and teaching him how to play riverstones. Besties!!

Most of Veridia’s warriors fight with spears, but Xiang prefers the old sword he brought when he left home. It served him well on the road, and though Veridia is peaceful, he makes sure to practice with it and keep it in good shape. (Also, it’s just fun.)

Norweni: …you want to leave an offering for that?

Eisu: It can’t hurt anything to ask the spirits’ favor. Tomorrow is the festival and the peak of spring–I thought doing it tonight might be a good time.

Elmet: I’m going to pretend I can’t hear any of this.

Norweni: Never did Fial and Dinn much good, but do it if you want. Why are you telling me this?

Eisu: Would you come with me?

Norweni: Oh, don’t tell me you’re still afraid of caves after Drossburh.

Eisu: Just because I can find my way out of a dark cave doesn’t mean I want to.

Norweni: Alright, I’ll go with you.

Elmet: Still pretending I can’t hear this.

I looked at my town population and quickly decided that some kind of same-sex pregnancy mod needed to go back in my game, so: a spirit/fairy/deity of your choice did it. I will now proceed to not explain this any further at all except for mentioning that sometimes when a spirit/fairy/deity of your choice does something there are... unintended consequences. :)

It’s been a while since Eisu has been up in the hills. The cave still gives him the heebie-jeebies.

Eisu: Where’d you go?

Norweni: Had to pee. Figured it was better to pee outside than in the gods’ house.

Eisu: Well… now what?

Norweni: I can’t make your offering for you, Eisu.

Eisu: …do you think the spirits are pleased?

Norweni: It’s hard to say.

Eisu: Maybe I should’ve made a priestess my best friend instead.

Norweni: For this, definitely!

Eisu: Uh–

Norweni: _{I wonder how far up the ore veins come…}

Eisu: Norweni? Did you see that?

Norweni: What? What?

Eisu: A bright light around the shrine.

Norweni: Spirit light. I’ve seen it once before, but I’m not sure what it means… I don’t know why any spirits wouldn’t be pleased with you, though. But maybe it’s time we head back toward home.

Eisu: I think you’re right. That really startled me… thank you for coming with me, Wenna.

Norweni: Sure, sure. *pats* Okay, that’s enough hugging for now.

Xiang: Wolf time?

Elmet: Arooooooo–yep. G'night.

Xiang: Night.

You guys, Elmet leads such a hard life. 😔

Drustan: What’s wrong, Uncle?

Elmet: Ehh, nothing. General tedium. I don’t recommend growing up in general, Drustan.

Drustan: I don’t think it’s a choice?

Mouse’s problem is that SOMEONE is on HIS BENCH!

Okay, he’s at the point where it amuses him to fart on the bean plants, we need to get this Pleasure sim to the mead hall, stat.

Spotted: Townie Derelei amusing the patrons, and Wulfric and Helenet making a connection.

What’s this? Someone who enjoys listening to Elmet? (This is actually Derelei’s sister, uhhh– *checks notes* –Brigid.)

Yeah, boy, ruin it yourself! Wooooo!

Elmet: *hic* Hey, Norweni.

Norweni: Elmet.

Elmet: Norweni… what’s wrong wit’ me? Why’s everything end up going wrong for me?

Norweni: How much did you drink? Do you want a list?

Elmet: Yeah, really, I do.

Norweni: You try too hard and not enough at the same time, somehow. Try actively listening to people, even if you think it’s boring. Maybe you’ll learn something. You mope too much and you don’t seem to have any idea what you want out of life. I know you think your… curse ruined everything, but it’s just something you have to live with and live around. Maybe give some thought to how you might want to do that, huh?

Elmet: …Wow, brutal.

Norweni: You asked.

Elmet: Yeah, I did. Okay. *hic* Thanks, Norweni, I’m gonna think about stuff and things like you said.

Norweni: Please do it safely at home, without another cup of mead. Actually, maybe I should walk you back there–

Elmet: I’m not that wasted!

I didn’t realize Mouse could climb the ladder into the loft, simply because he hadn’t done it yet. But look how cute and cozy he looks up there!

Xiang thought today would be a good day to take Drustan on a hike to explore and learn from the natural world.

It was not, in fact, a good day.

Xiang: I swear that hive looked abandoned!

Drustan: AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Drustan: I hate bees. :(

Eisu: *yawn* How was your walk?

Xiang: Bad. Bees.

Eisu: Bees?

Xiang: Bees.

yeah, woooo, festival day! I am absolutely not going to eventually forget to play these!

Glamaer, WHERE is your FATHER?

Glamaer: Playin’ skittles across the green.

Oh.

Speaking of, Elmet inquired if Brigid would like to play a game or two with him, and maybe take a turn around the dancing square afterward, and for some unfathomable reason she said yes. But it’s not too long before the setting sun starts to cast a warm glow over the festival. Elmet can practically feel the moon lurking behind him.

Elmet: This was fun, but I, uh, have to go… take care of the sheep.

Brigid: Well, you can go do that and come back afterward? We could have a cup of cider together.

Elmet: I wish, but… I can’t. Lotsa sheep to care for.

Brigid: Uh, okay.

Drustan: WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!

Much safer to stay inside and play riverstones. Unfortunately, most of his chores are outside. 😔

Drustan: Uncle Elmet, why do you do that wolf thing every night? You don’t seem to like it.

Elmet: I’m not really choosing to do it, kid. You know what a curse is, right? It’s a kind of curse.

Drustan: How’d you get cursed?

Elmet: Lemme give you some advice, Dunk: never walk home from an unfamiliar tavern alone at night on a full moon.

Important updates from the garden: baby impending! Eisu’s so excited, and he can’t help but wonder who this baby will grow up to be. Hopefully Drustan will still be happy to become an older brother.

Eisu: You alright over there?

Xiang: *groan* Nothing hurt except my pride.

Eisu: Maybe it’s time for a break. And lunch!

Elmet: Mouse, you dumbass, that’s a skunk. Hey, go on, guys, shoo, get outta here!

Mouse did not enjoy that experience.

The hay is ready to be cut, just in time for the start of summer—

—and Elmet finishes the round with a little more nighttime fishing.

Elmet: Who keeps putting these shoes in here?!