Veridia Round 3: Shep

[eulalia]

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Shep is having a pretty calm autumn. She checks on the bees (she’s glad now that her mothers insisted she bring that queen bee cell all this way to start a new hive, because the honey has been a nice little boon), chats up random passersby, and works a little bit on her weaving in the evening before it gets too dark for fine work.




When she’s not weaving, she likes to spend time at the mead hall.

Xiang: Shep, you have bees, correct?

Shep: I do, in fact, have bees! I just finished a batch of honey, were you interested in buying?




Xiang: Actually, I was wondering if you would be willing to give Drustan a lesson or two about the bees. See, he’s developed something of a phobia after an incident—

Shep: And you think learning about them will help?

Xiang: That’s my theory. We can work out payment for you, of course, if you’re interested in doing it.

Shep: Be paid to talk about bees? Sure! I could do that in my sleep.

(Reminder that Drustan actually got chased by bees three times in one round. On the other hand, I just started playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time and immediately got chased by bees, so maybe I am the problem.)




Elmet and Eisu are here too. Who’s watching the kids, you ask? Eh, Mouse has everything under control, I’m sure.




Helenet and Elmet’s impending marriage has become the hot topic in town this week.






Helenet: What about you? Do you have your eye on anyone in particular, Shep? Oh, or if that’s something you’re not interested in, just ignore me, I’m a little tipsy I suppose.

Shep: I do, actually, but it’s nothing serious yet.

Helenet: Well, just kissing is fun too! *giggle*






BIG NEWS! Selling off most of her honey meant Shep could finally afford that pottery wheel! She may only have 82 simoleons to her name now, but she can make plates!






The next morning, Xiang brings Drustan by for his beekeeping lesson.

Shep: Rule number one about bees, bees mostly only get aggressive when they feel threatened, especially if their home is threatened. It’s how they keep their hive safe from intruders trying to eat their honey and babies. Lots of beekeepers will use a smoky torch to make the bees sleepy when they collect honeycomb.

Drustan: Don’t the bees get mad afterward that they don’t have any honey?

Shep: You have to leave enough in the hive for them, otherwise you won’t have bees anymore. It’s what the baby bees eat. Anyway, my mother believes bees recognize their keepers and have people they prefer. I don’t know, they do seem calmer after they’ve become acquainted with you.




Drustan: Hmm… does the silly hat make them bees like you more?

Shep: My hat isn’t silly. I just burn easily. Do you want to look at the bees with me now?

Drustan: Maybe. From a safe distance.




Someone get this woman an apron.




She did it!






This might be my most unexpected friendship in Veridia so far. We got past that first impression, huh, Elmet?




Who are you talking to??




Spotted, at the market: why are so many of my townies FIGHTING?






Shep thought it would be nice to get to know Derelei’s sister, Brigid, better, but Brigid doesn’t make it easy. For starters, she hates anything fun, like drinking, carousing, cards, betting, and probably make-believe too for all Shep knows.




Nights and mornings are getting cold. Shep is grateful for a hot meal and her fireplace that she shouldn’t have but I got tired of putting fire pits on every lot.




One person Shep doesn’t have an issue making friends with is Xiang! Elmet seems to think his brother-in-law is kind of a stick-in-the-mud, but she disagrees. Xiang is also a lot more willing to tell her about all the different places he’s traveled to than Norweni was when Shep asked her. Maybe he’ll let her check out that cool sword he has one day, too?




Shep: Is it snowing? Oh man, it’s snowing already.






Samhain is a time when the boundaries between the real world and the Otherworld thin, letting spirits and creatures slip between them with ease. There will be a bonfire in the hills, and some people will go to the village shrine to leave offerings or ask for the spirits’ favor. Shep prefers to invite some of her friends over. She has some food and mead, and noisemakers for them to scare off quarrelsome spirits, and a carved turnip lantern to keep watch on the threshold.










Everyone seems to have a good time (even Brigid, who refrained from fighting anyone tonight). They should; that was good mead Shep bought. Derelei thinks Shep looks so adorable trying to blow that horn.




Brigid wanted to gossip with Diseta, but Diseta is a very serious person who does not subscribe to such things as gossip and rumor, thank you very much.






As things are starting to wind down, Derelei approaches Shep.

Derelei: You know, I really, really like you. Adore you, even. It would make me so happy if you wanted to make this more serious and go steady with me.






Not only did Shep say yes to being Derelei’s one and only, they decide to take another step too and have some fun in Shep’s bed. 👀



As she’s falling asleep later, Shep thinks that she’s really settling into Veridia. It’s been the better part of a year since she arrived. There’s been some ups and downs, but for the most part it’s been good.