Veridia Round 6: Seax

[eulalia]

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Diseta: I divorce you; our bond is severed. You no longer have any obligation to me, and I none to you.

Norweni: ...




Norweni: That's fair.

Diseta: I would go cut the fucking ribbon from the tree if it hadn't weathered away by now.

Norweni: You've made your point, Diseta.




Diseta: I'm going to move back to the workshop. The kids can live with me.

Norweni: What? I'm not letting you just take them away.




Diseta: I'm not living apart from my children just because you decided you wanted to destroy our marriage.

Norweni: They're my children; I birthed them.

Diseta: That doesn't make you more of their mother than I am!




Norweni: ...This is stupid. We need an impartial lawspeaker to help sort this out. Kinet can't step in, since he's my nephew. I'll send for someone.

Diseta: Fine. But I'm staying here with Sun and the twins until then.




Norweni: Fine. No one asked you to leave.

Quick question, does anyone know when therapists will be invented?




Well, at least no one will be hungry or bored for a few days.




Norweni has acquired a new dog between rounds.

Norweni: I can't believe Elmet is trying to pass your litter off as normal puppies.

Grendal: ???

Norweni: Well, I can, but anyone who believes that is either ignorant or lost their vision in both eyes.




Diseta is like, what if I seduce his wife and see how he likes it? (An admirable idea, but I don't think Orla is interested in women that way.)








Senovara: Hi, Mam!

Diseta: Good morning, kids.

Cinaéd: You weren't at dinner last night. Where'd you go?

Diseta: ...I had to go do some work at the smithy.

Cinaéd: Oh, okay.




Cinaéd is a little cutie. It's too bad he's really boring so far.








Speaking of the smithy, Diseta has been throwing herself into her work while waiting to sort out, uh, the shattered remnants of her married life I guess? The smithy is pretty busy these days, and is a level six business now, which is unfortunate since I'm gonna have to have her sell it and reopen it as a home business again when she moves out.






Myr is finally here for her discount, haha. I thought maybe she and Diseta might eventually become a couple after the divorce, but right now Myr is seeing someone and it's getting kinda serious. I think River might be fine with Myr dating other people, but Diseta would decidedly not be at this point.




Cinaéd's OTH is nature (I maaaaay have rerolled it because there are so many damn music/dance OTH sims), so I gave him a garden plot to keep him occupied. I'm sure he's thrilled!






Sun: Can you believe that?

Jia: No, that's wild. Are we still doing the blackmail thing?

Sun: I guess not; I don't think it's gonna work at this point. It was probably a stupid idea anyway.


* * *






Twice now Norweni has missed her monthly bleeding. She's about the age where she might assume it's her cycle starting to come to its natural end, but her exhaustion and the familiar constant nausea is a dead giveaway that it's probably something else, unfortunately.

(I'm not joking about the constant nausea, girl threw up like five times in one morning. Once twice in a row.)






Helenet: Lune dragged Cinaéd off to show him all the dogs. I'm guessing from your face that you didn't send him to invite me here for a social call?

Norweni: I think I'm pregnant; I don't want to be.

Helenet: Oh! Good thing I brought my work basket. Let's go inside.








Helenet: Alright. Drink half of this tonight and the rest after sunrise tomorrow. Send for me again if your moon cycle doesn't come on within two days, or if it lasts more than a few days, or if it seems like there's too much blood.

Norweni: ...Helenet. What exactly is too much blood in this context? Be specific.

Helenet: Well...




Helenet: I won't ask what's going on with you and Diseta, but I'm here if you want to talk to a friend.

Norweni: Not really, but thanks. I appreciate the thought.

Norweni's heard enough shit about the Relationship Situation from Eisu, thanks. Also… Helenet doesn't know about Norweni and Maddan; and Norweni doesn't know that Maddan fathered Helenet's son, just that Helenet thinks he's a bit of a dick. So that's fun!




Awww. I'm just gonna ignore Maddan's face.


* * *




Maddan: Why are there so many unattended children in the woods?






Senna is slowly befriending Xiuying, who seems to be asking her to keep an eye out for Mouse; and Cinaéd has met Gwendolen Salter, who has wandered quite a ways from home today (I guess she's here with Enna back there).




Sun: Is that board safe? It looks kinda splintery.

Jia: It's great! I do this all the time!






This wasn't a ploy at all to get Sun and her linen shift all wet, I'm sure.


* * *




Lu aged up and has acquired some adorable gray about her muzzle.






Fial: Why exactly is Diseta moving out, again?

Norweni: ...Irreconcilable differences?

Fial: *pointed stare*

Norweni: I don't see why it has to be everyone's business.

Fial: If I have to go all the way to Evervale to get my pots patched, I'm going to be so mad at you, Wenna.

Norweni: Please, she's not that vindictive. You've done nothing wrong.






Sun: This is awful. I miss Enna.

Norweni: You're welcome to cook supper if you prefer.

Sun: Maybe Aunt Fial will let me move back in. I could sleep in the barn.

Norweni: That's a little dramatic, Sun.






It's a good thing we kept Enna's pallet, I guess.






Norweni, meanwhile, has trouble sleeping and turns to her time-honored relaxation technique of hitting things.








Sun: Are you really moving out? What about us?

Diseta: Well, yes, but don't worry about it, sweetheart. The adults will sort things out. And it's not as if the smithy is far; you and the twins can just walk to see whoever you want, whenever you want.




Helenet's herbs have done what they're supposed to; it's not the most pleasant thing Norweni's ever done, but it's not the least either. Mostly she's just relieved to have it done with. She does stay home today; running or riding around the village in the hot sun all day with cramps isn't her idea of fun.




Maddan: Hey. I heard you weren't working today.

Norweni: That's because I feel like crap.




Maddan: What's wrong?

Norweni: Moonblood. Also, it's too fucking hot today.

Maddan: Ah.




Maddan: Oh—where'd you get the puppy from?

Norweni: Helenet's husband.

Maddan: Oh, so it wasn't just a bid to torment me by giving Orla more animals. That's good.

Norweni: Not everything is about you. Anyway, Elmet doesn't have a vindictive bone in his body; it's the other one you should worry about.

Maddan: Is she married to the fae creature too?

Norweni: Oh, I don't know. I don't really want to know.




Maddan: Hm. Anyway... you know these puppies are wolves, right?

Norweni: Aye. That's how one gets dogs.

Maddan: Most dogs are more removed from it.






Norweni: But they were all wolves before we found them and made their nature more like ours. Deep down, even the littlest lapdog wants to howl in the woods like one.

Maddan: You know a lot about dogs.

Norweni: I like dogs.


* * *






Senovara: Mum, did your parents teach you how t' fight?

Norweni: No, they didn't. My mum, your grandmother, died when I was little, and Da was a strong man but absolutely averse to fighting. But he saw that I was interested in it and sent me to train with the few warriors the village had then.

Senovara: Hmmm.

Norweni: I don't expect you to do that, child. I just want all of you to know a few ways to defend yourselves.




Senovara: Alright. I kinda like it anyway!

Norweni: Good. Now go wash up, I have to meet with someone soon. Sun said she'll take you and your brother out with her again today.




Norweni: Lawspeaker Cunobelin, welcome.

Cunobelin: I take it you're Diseta? And Norweni, Cador's apprentice, right?




Cunobelin: How's old Cador doing anyway?

Norweni: He's been dead for twenty summers.

Cunobelin: Has it been that long? Shame, shame.

Norweni: Stop hugging me.




Cunobelin: Hmm, so! You've broken up and you can't decide who your children should live with? Correct?

Norweni: That's the gist of it.

Diseta: I still think they should come with me. I spend more time caring for them.

Norweni: And I don't think that's true.




Cunobelin: Well! There's an easy solution; the children can live with whoever they like best.

Diseta: Um. I don't think I want to force them to pick—

Norweni: Agreed. That's a bad idea.




Cunobelin: Nonsense! You there, child!

Sun: Me?

Cunobelin: Yes. Which parent do you like better?




Sun: Whoever is going to buy me a pony—

Norweni and Diseta: No one is buying you a pony.

Norweni: Sun, aren't you supposed to be taking the twins to the pond instead of eavesdropping?

Sun: Ugh, fine.




Cunobelin: Well, if you don't like that idea, then I suppose the next best solution is to have the children live with one of you half the week and the other the second half. It's not as if you can copy them and each keep a set!




Norweni: That seems... disruptive.

Cunobelin: Nonsense, children are very adaptable, or so I've been told. Never had any of the buggers myself. Anyway, you're living in the same village, they'll probably be wandering in and out of both homes as they please.

Diseta: I... suppose that would be fine.

Norweni: *sigh* Fine.

Cunobelin: Great!


* * *






Jia has strong Fun Big Sister energy.






Although I'm not sure Senovara enjoys it.

Jia: Whoops! You okay now?

Senovara: So dizzy...




Aren't you forgetting something?

Sun: Cinaéd will catch up eventually!






I guess this is the end of Faun and Lu's great blanket battle. :( Diseta has taken Lu back to the smithy with her, and the children will join her in a day or so for the rest of the season.






Speaking of the children, they're doing a lot more fending for themselves without Enna around to cook.




Sun has decided she really ought to try her hand at cooking supper, lest they end up eating burnt-tasting soup every night.






She also invited a few of her and the twins friends over for a party. Faro, I'm glad you approve of your bestie's relationship, but could you maybe do it from slightly farther away?




Faro: Ya know, I'm pretty cool too! I can play, like, four instruments.

Ebba: Uh-huh.










Norweni, meanwhile, has gone to spend an hour or two at the mead hall.
Maddan: Have you given any more thought to trying to grow the town like we talked about before?

Norweni: No.




Maddan: Someone's going to do it one day; it might as well be you.

Norweni: And I said I'm not interested in such a thing. Stop bringing it up.




Maddan: So... now you're no longer married, is this going to become a thing where you ask me to leave my wife as well?

Norweni: Spirits, no.

Maddan: Oh, good. I know it's a little hard to understand, all things considered, but I did promise to both our families to care for her. So I'll keep doing that until Orla gets sick of me and throws me out on my arse.




Maddan: You're getting better at this, by the way.

Norweni: Pffft.




Norweni: I think I get it. It's not exactly the same, but when I was younger and away from home, my father got sick. When I returned for a visit, he made me promise that when he died I would come back for good to take care of my little sister. He always worried about Fial, since she was born early and then our mum died when she was two. So I did, right after Maccus reclaimed his crown, and here I still am.

Maddan: That long ago? You must've been pretty young yourself.




Norweni: It didn't feel like it. Should we do best two out of three?








There are a lot more children here than when Norweni left.




👉👉 👈👈




Norweni makes sure to tuck in all the children at bedtime; it's their last night here before they go to stay with Diseta for the rest of the summer.




This doesn't suit her at all, I'm gonna reroll it when she ages up, but it does give me an idea.






Sun: Mum, remember you said you wanted me to 'show I can be responsible'? I was talking with Jia, and what if there was something I could do to help out around the village like her? Um, maybe I don't want to hit people with wooden swords, but I don't mind helping.

Norweni: That's a nice idea. I'm sure there's something I or your cousin Kinet can find for you to do—




Which one of you is putting the fourteen-year-old in charge of the fire bucket brigade?








The hall feels very empty with Sun and the twins at Diseta's place. Norweni is practically rattling around here by herself.








Luckily she has the dogs, and Grendal is old enough now for Norweni to get started on training her.








Norweni: Do you want some lunch? I'm trying to make this soup the way Fial told me to... again.

Eisu: Wait, you're cooking something?

Norweni: Why does everyone think I can't cook?

Eisu: Because everything I've seen you make other than toast has been burnt?






Norweni: See? Not burnt. Perfectly edible food.

Eisu: This is surprisingly good soup.




Norweni: Be nice to me, I have an entire childhood's worth of embarrassing anecdotes I can tell your husband.

Eisu: Joke's on you, Wenna, I'm incapable of embarrassment.


* * *








Norweni: I can't believe you've convinced me to do this.

Fial: It's fun! C'mon, you were a soldier, you must know every drinking song this side of the isle.




Norweni's been finding things to do to occupy her evenings.




Faun likes Grendal a lot more than he did the cat.






Unfortunately it's not to be for long, as Grim comes to shepherd Faun onward . :'( Man, Norweni's going through a lot of life events this round and now she lost her dog too?




Norweni: I hope you won't be lonely when you're here by yourself, Grendal.

Grendal: ?

Norweni: Though I suppose now I could get as many dogs as I want...








Norweni spots Diseta and Diseta's best friend, Shep, at the mead hall while stopping in to pick up her supper, but does her very best to ignore whatever it is they're doing.

That's all from Norweni this round! We'll finish out Diseta and the kids' round... whenever I get to actually playing it.