Veridia Round 7: Hill Farm

[eulalia]

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Most important thing first: Mouse is BACK!!! He ran away, had some summer adventures, maybe fathered a few kittens, and now he's safely back home.

Xiang: We missed you very much, Mouse. Didn't we, love?




Eisu: *hackcough* Yep—*cough*

Oh, Eisu has the flu again (Xiuying too). This man is constantly sick when I open the household.





That seems like a good idea, Dunk.




No!! Go to bed!!! Drustan can cut the hay!










Speaking of Drustan, he's picking up a lot of the slack while his father is sick.






Jia does take care of the sheep when she's not training or scouting with the town warriors.




Eisu: It's so nice that you've become friends with all the other kids, especially Senovara. Auntie Wenna and I were best friends since before we were your age, you know!




Xiuying: Yeah. I wish Senna would stop telling me about the differences between her spindles sometimes, though... it gets kinda boring.

Eisu: Yes, well... that's just one of the ways she takes after her mum.


* * *






ROS! Mouse killed a fox somehow? Good job, Mouse, I guess. I like foxes, but I suppose their lambs wouldn't.






Helenet dropped by to deliver some medicine for Eisu and Xiuying, who are soon feeling right as rain.








Gee, I have no idea why you two are always sick.








Eisu: Hmm...




Eisu: Now, Mouse, I heard from Angus that you were tomcatting around on your little adventure. I expect you to be a responsible father, you hear?




Mouse: I regret nothing.




Eisu: I think Drustan needs some guidance. If he's not depressed about one girl or another, he's bored out of his mind, and I hate to see him moping around like this.

Xiang: He does behave uncannily like Elmet used to some days. *sigh* If we were living back home, I'd have sent him to sit the exams a few years ago. He might have studied to become a scientist or a philosopher. I suppose that's a bit too far to ship him off to.




Eisu: True... but you're not too far off. I think it might do him some good to get away from Veridia for a time. Let him learn to stand on his own and see what the world's about, you know?




Xiang: Do you think that's a good idea? He's never been away from home before.

Eisu: Well, neither was I until I left. The farthest I'd ever been was the market in Evervale. He's smart, love, I'm sure he can take care of himself on the road. You've taught him well. And at the very least, maybe some time and distance will stop him from making puppy dog eyes at the Salter girl all the time.




Xiang: Hm... it could be beneficial. Perhaps we should suggest someplace we're familiar with, though.

Eisu: Oh, I have the perfect idea!




Meanwhile, Xiuying's friend Kara visited and brought along another of her friends, Acca, who also moved here from Wyll. I've been trying to get Xiuying and Acca to be friends too, but they don't really get along. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯






Kara: This music is terrible. :(


* * *






After finishing his daily chores, Drustan headed over to the mead hall and started up a game of fidchell with Derelei, but he lost interest and left the hall when Gytha showed up.

Derelei: Was... was it something I said?

Gytha: Nah, he's just like that, don't worry about it.






Spotted: Helenet probably stopping Norweni from doing something regrettable. (girl, I made you selectable and I SAW that flirt interaction in your queue! leave your ex-wife ALONE!!)




Bro, I'm so over this emo phase.




Sun: Hey!

Drustan: Uh, hi, Sun. Did you need something?




Sun: Why are you sitting out here in the dark?

Drustan: I felt like it? I'm just bored.

Sun: Mm, that's because you're boring. Hope that helps!




Drustan: Where's my sister? Go harass her.



Sun: If you're bored, maybe you should try something new! Like jumping off the rocks by the waterfall, or that new mead Shep is selling. It's really strong—

Drustan: Excuse me if I'm not gonna take advice from a fifteen-year-old—




Sun: I'm sixteen. Next month, anyway.

Drustan: —wait, is that where you and Jia sneak out to and pretend no one knows you're doing it? Jumping into the waterfall? That's so dangerous!

Sun: This is why you're boring, Dunk.

Drustan: Ugh.


* * *






Drustan's da corners him as soon as he gets home.

Eisu: Drustan, my lad, we're kicking you out.




Drustan: What?! What did I do? Is this about Orla?

Eisu: Not forever! You know you always have a home here. Wait, why would this be about Orla?

Drustan: No reason.




Eisu: Uh-huh. Anyway... your baba and I were talking. You're clearly discontent here; we think it would do you good if you spent some time away from Veridia, got to know the world a bit. Explored.

Drustan: Let me get this straight... I'm unhappy, so you want me to leave?




Eisu: No, we're strongly suggesting it. You need something to get you out of your own head for a bit, Dunk. You can go see someplace new, meet different people, spend some time learning who you are without the expectations of your family and friends hanging over your head. Eat olives and look for krakens at the beach or something.




Drustan: I dunno...

Eisu: I think it's good for a young person to explore a bit. Your baba and I did, Aunt Wenna, even Elmet traveled around Abona a bit when he was your age. Just a bit of vagabonding.

Drustan: Uncle Elmet got attacked by a werewolf doing that.




Eisu: Okay, true, but the rest of us didn't. Listen, there's this island your baba and I visited once that I'm told is very well known for its library. I was more interested in the markets and the wine, personally, but Xiang was impressed.




Drustan: Wait... you can just visit it? I could go study there?

Eisu: Well, that's the point of a library, as far as I understand it.




Drustan: And you're just... giving me money to do this?

Eisu: Not a lot, mind you, but yes. You've more than earned it; don't think we don't notice all the work you do around here. Well?

Drustan: I'm going to ask Baba more about this library.






After the rest of the family has gone to bed, Drustan eats his supper and contemplates what his father said.

There's an appeal to the idea, especially the thought of being able to study more than what his baba could teach him here. Jia and Xiuying are both plenty old enough to help around the farm, especially with the bulk of the harvest in. And maybe he'll figure out what it is he's supposed to be doing with his life; maybe the answer is outside Abona.


* * *




It's not long at all before Drustan is ready to head off into the wider world. He's going to get a ride from one of the merchants to Evervale, and seek out a boat to the island of Thessos (and it's famed library) from there. We'll catch up with him later on in the round.




Jia: *grumbles* I never get to do anything first. Just 'cause Dunk's older than me...






Eisu is very determined to stay Diseta's friend, even though she divorced his own BFF. Diseta is a little more skeptical, but Eisu's cheerful nature is pretty hard to resist.










Faro: I'm going to go set up the game board while you try to figure that out.

Jia: I've almost got it.

Faro: You've been working on that for five days, Jia!






Jia: Ew, parents kissing.

Faro: What? Your dads are adorable!





* * *




Mouse: Woah, this nip is really strong. I think I'm seeing rainbows.






The dinner table is so empty with Dunk away and Jia working in the evening. ;_;

Xiang: And what will Norweni think about you still being friends with her former wife?

Eisu: She won't care, I promise you that. Besides, Diseta is still their kids' mother! She's family!

Xiang: I believe I need a chart of all the separate ways one can become family in this country. I've counted at least five.








Most evenings, Xiang either reads stories out of one of the books Arturo gave him or tells Xiuying tales he learned during his own childhood. It's Xiuying's favorite part of the day.




And Jia has maxed her teen career and started scouting occasionally for the town guard.










Can the aliens bring some of our livestock back sometime? Please?







Orla: Hi, Eisu! Is Drustan about?

Eisu: Oh, didn't that boy tell you? Good grief.

Orla: Tell me what?




Eisu: He's gone traveling. Adventuring, vagabonding, what have you. Xiang and I suggested it to him.




Orla: Oh. I didn't know that.

Eisu: I see. He ought to have said... well. You look like you could use a hug?

Orla: Oh, yes, please.




Eisu: *pats* There, now. If you need anything at all, let Uncle Eisu know, hmm?




Jia maxed her athletic skill while playing Punch You, Punch Me, which is very Jia of her. Unrelated, I think I'm going to install a slower skilling mod (if I can find one I like). It's a little too easy for sims to max their skills with a longer lifespan + non-conventional jobs and schooling.






Angus is... not quite as likeable as his mother. Eisu thinks there's a bit of his brother in the boy.






Mouse is making good use of Drustan's empty bed.








Family dinner night with Elmet and Helenet!






Jia leaves after eating to go hang out with Sun and Ebba.




Jia, sweetheart, my darling baby lesbian: I'm not sure that's happening.






Ebba: Does Sun always have to hang out with us?

Jia: Um, she's my best friend.

Ebba: I thought that was Faro. Anyway, I feel like she's... glaring at me, sometimes.

Jia: That doesn't sound like her.




Jia: You sound great!

Ebba: I'm leaving—

Jia: *sigh* Okay, see you later, Sun.

Sun: Bye!




Hi, Daisy!


* * *






Norweni and her kids dropped by the next day for a visit.

Sun: That coat looks so cute on you! The gray really accentuates your hair.

Jia: Um... thank you? I was gonna take it off now. It's gotten warmer out.




I know, Xiang, it's just painful to watch at this point.












Eisu: You've got a thing right here—

Norweni: Eisu.

Eisu: What?

Norweni: You're such a mother hen sometimes.

Eisu: Somebody around here has to be!










Eisu: You all should come over for dinner more often. The table feels empty some nights, with Elmet and Helenet busy with their own family and Dunk gone, and Jia is off running around the village half the week too.

Norweni: We can't have that. I'm sure the kids would be happier to eat your cooking than mine, anyway.

Eisu: Hmm, I seem to recall someone claiming that she could, in fact, cook…

Norweni: Hush.




Senovara is getting left behind like usual.


* * *










The family took a trip to the forest for Xiuying to get some fishing in before the pond freezes over, but Eisu and Xiang got distracted (by each other).




Eisu: Wenna! Would you like to come with me to make an offering for Samhain tonight?

Norweni: Last time I went in that cave with you so you could make an offering, I ended up magically pregnant.




Eisu: And look how well that turned out!

Norweni: Oh, alright. Meet me at the foot of the hill after sunset?










It's near the end of autumn, and everyone is busy harvesting the last of the garden's bounty...




...except these two.








Faro: Mouse, my little buddy! I'm so glad you came home!

Jia: You should get your own cat, since you like ours so much, Faro. Cousin Angus's wife's cat had kittens last month.

Faro: I wish. Cats make Mum sneeze.






Samhain is a quiet holiday around Hill farm. Eisu likes to leave an offering at the shrine for any restless spirits, accompanied by Norweni this time (he still doesn't like caves), but the rest of the family isn’t very spiritual.




That's all, good night.