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Content warning this round for the sudden death of a character. The most of the round will be touching regularly on grief as a result.
Hmmmmm. Also: he's the same age as your dad.
Fial: How are you feeling today, sweetheart?
Faro: I'm fine, Mum, really. I promise I'm not sick again.
Fial: Oh, good! Then you can help me clean all of this up!
Why is THIS the designated sports spot? -_-
Jia: Hi... um, can we hang out for a while?
Faro: Of course. You're the one who's been in a snit.
Jia: Yeah, yeah.
Faro: That sucks.
Jia: Yeah.
Faro: I'm sorry for being kinda mean about you not telling her.
Jia: I'm sorry for being mad at you about it for so long. Especially since you were right. If I had said something before… it doesn't matter.
Jia: So... good news! I guess your best friend status is now undisputed.
Faro: If this is what you call good news, I'd hate to hear any bad news.
Fial is pleased to see Faro and Jia talking again; surely whatever teenage drama they were arguing about isn't worth giving up a friendship.
Liona: Cináed! Will you spin me around like Da does?
Cináed: Pass.
So she chased him around the lot instead, lmao.
Winter is so much slower on the farm than other seasons. Of course the cows still need tending, and there are other everyday chores, but Dinn spends a lot more time indoors when it gets cold. I'm sure Fial appreciates him taking over the bulk of the cleaning for a while, too!
He's also been teaching the girls occasionally, just some basic arithmetic and a few odd things about farming. His sister-by-law Norweni had Liu Xiang teach her children how to read and write—perhaps Dinn should suggest Kinet and Aífe do the same? He's quite sure Sabren would enjoy it!
I missed taking a pic of her and Aífe, but Sabren ran to hug BOTH her parents when they got home from work (at the same time). <3
...why??
Kinet: It's been a while since we've practiced your self-defense moves together. Want to spar after we eat?
Aífe: You aren't too tired?
Kinet: Nah, there's not much happening today. I guess even Aunt Norweni doesn't want to run around in the cold rain.
Kinet: Want to try?
Aífe: Absolutely.
Kinet: Ha! Nice. At this rate, Aunt Wenna ought to replace me on the town guard with you.
Aífe: Need a hand up?
Aífe: Are you coming? Kinet?
Aífe: Kinet!
It's not long before the house is flooded with family and friends. Aífe's father, Cian, takes charge of the girls while Derelei immediately sets to preparing food for everyone.
Aífe herself eventually stumbles up to the loft and into a bed that feels too cold and too empty.
Norweni is the last to leave for the night and lets herself weep a moment once everyone is gone, before she cleans up and slips out as well.
Aífe eventually gives up on her restless sleep and tries to distract herself with the fidchell set.
Faro: ...Can I play too?
Aífe: Yeah.
Each day, Fial brings offerings to Kinet's niche in the shrine, only staying away when the snow is truly too deep to get up the hill safely. Usually Dinn comes with her; her sister accompanied her two or three times. But sometimes she rises before anyone else and makes the short trek alone in the thin predawn light.
It's hard to tear herself away from the niche. Leaving her firstborn—her baby, the one she'd watched grow from a chubby-cheeked infant to a cheerful, strapping young man—alone in the shrine feels unnatural.
Dinn says he isn't alone though, that his parents and hers, and her grandmother, and everyone else they'd ever ushered into the Otherworld there are with him. Maybe it helps him to think of that, but it doesn't do much for Fial.
When the rest of the household is up and about, she tries to keep up a brave face. Fial has lost a son, but the girls have lost a father—a more natural order of things, perhaps, but no easier at their tender age. She tries her best to comfort them and always worries that it's not enough.
Her own experience does her little good; she was a young woman, close to Faro's age, when her father died, and she'd expected it. She doesn't even remember her mother. Fial does remember being very small and sitting on someone's hip, reaching up to grasp a long braid, and used to think that was their mum, but when she said as much once, Norweni said that'd been her, not their mother, and that 'you always tried to pull my braids when I picked you up—you were a real brat when you were little.'
Fial: This is all my fault—
Norweni: Fial, how can it possibly be your fault?
Fial: Before Kinet was born, I was so focused on actually having a baby that it never occurred to me then that they might end up having the same trouble with their heart as Da and our grandfather.
Norweni: That's bullshit. You're healthy, I'm healthy; you had no reason to believe this would ever happen.
Fial: Kinet was healthy until last month. I thought.
Norweni: So if one of my children gets sick, you would blame me?
Fial: I—but—
Norweni: No? Then don't blame yourself. I know it's easier to blame yourself, to think that if you'd just done something differently or been better that it wouldn't have happened, but it isn't true. Not in this case. It isn't your fault.
Since Kinet's death, Sabren has latched onto Fial, and she can hardly deny the girl anything she asks for—another round of a game, a honey cake before dinner, to brush and plait her hair each morning even though she's definitely old enough to do her own hair now.
And someone has to do all of that anyway, since Aífe is not fit for much lately.
Much like Fial, Aífe can't help but blame herself for Kinet's death. Helenet—the midwife had apparently been trained more broadly than Aífe realized—said that it wasn't, that it might have happened at any time and she'd seen it at least once before, but Aífe didn't really believe that. It was her Kinet was sparring with, after all, her who he'd been excited to show a new move.
Cool skull, babe. So, like, who is that? You can have it, I just want to know.
Dinn tries to distract Aífe and gets nagged in return for it.
The farm chores still need doing each day.
And Faro has suddenly become one of the more competent people in the household. It feels weird.
Faro brings his nieces with him to the market in the interest of everyone getting out of the house for a while.
Jia: How are you doing?
Faro: Honestly? I would just like to pretend everything's normal for an hour or two.
Jia: Why don't you come over to our place tonight? I'll invite Acca and... well, maybe Xiuying will want to invite her friends too or something.
Faro: Sure, as long as it's alright with Mum.
Jia: Faro, you're practically a grown man. Are you going to ask her permission for everything forever?
Faro: Right now, yes.
Sabren: I don't want to play tag with Bel anymore, she's too fast. :(
Faro: C'mon, girls! Let's head back home.
Sabren: Should we tell him home is in the opposite direction of where he's walking?
Liona: I want to see how far he goes before he notices!
At some point while trading, Aífe came into possession of a small, polished metal mirror and decided to keep it out of a fit of vanity. It helped when she decided to do her hair in more complex braids, for festivals and parties and such.
Dinn: Oh, your hair is—short.
Aífe: Kinet liked my hair so much and I just felt... I kept some of it in a braid; I thought I might take it to the shrine and burn it.
Dinn: I think that's a nice idea. And the short hair suits you, too, sweetheart.
Orla dropped by to see her friend Fial. She doesn't know how Fial manages to hold herself together—if Orla were to lose one of her children, she would be an absolute disaster.
Fial: Perhaps you can bring Bel and Duncan along next time too? I think Liona has taken a shine to Duncan.
Orla: Certainly! Duncan's such a shy thing, I'm glad he's still making friends!
Aífe isn't sure why the girls are so enamored with being flung around in a circle, but she's willing to indulge them.
Faro: Jia invited me to spend the evening at their hall—is that okay?
Dinn: Well—
Fial: Oh, sure. *yawn* But don't be too late coming back. Actually, if you kids are going to drink, stay the night there. I'm sure Eisu won't mind.
Faro: Mum.
Fial: What? I was your age once. I'd rather you not be walking home in the cold after drinking is all.
Faro: Yes, ma'am!
The gossip that will never die.
The next day, Aífe finally feels up to heading over to the market to work, not that they're seeing a lot of trading caravans with the cold and snow.
Sir.
Faro: :|
Compliments are one thing, but tickles? Absolutely not, respect Senovara's boundaries, Kara.
Faro reminding Jia that she used to have a girlfriend, I guess, lmao.
Hmmm, I have a weird sense that Senna might suddenly stop being friends with Kara for some reason.
Who pissed in your
Okay, that's enough teen drama for now.
Fial's friend Xiang has agreed to tutor the girls a few afternoons each week, teaching them their letters. Liona enjoys it, but Sabren is particularly enthralled with learning.
Fial is pleased to see Aífe making an effort with her children and to join the family for meals again, even if her choice in conversation is... less than savory.
Dinn: Y'know, I've noticed you making an effort to clean up more around the house and help your mum and I appreciate it. Especially since it's not like this has been easy on you either.
Faro: Yeah... I really miss him.
Dinn: I do too.
Aífe: Do you have to do that so early?
Faro: Uh, yes, since I have to go milk the cows and muck the pen once the sun's up, and then I have to help set up for the party this afternoon. This is when I get to practice.
Aífe: *eye roll*
Sabren wants her own knife for Yule. Preferably a big fancy one like Great-Aunt Norweni's seax, but any one will do, thank you. (Sabren is not getting a knife for Yule.)
There's a lot of cooking and cleaning happening this morning. Fial wasn't sure about still holding a big party on Yule—it just won't feel the same without Kinet here. But she doesn't want to deprive Sabren and Liona of the holiday, and she thinks Kinet would probably agree.
Yes, that's the perfect place for a snowperson. In front of the outhouse.
Fial: How does her hat look?
Liona: Perfect!
Faro: Hey. Do you wanna stay for my parents' party? There's loads of food, and trust me, my mum's cooking is good.
Acca: Yeah, sure, sounds fun.
Faro: So, um... you like me after all, right?
Acca: Yes, you dork. I thought it was obvious.
Faro: Well, I've learned that sometimes you need to ask even if it seems obvious.
This is the first time on Linux my game has lagged appreciably--there were 22 sims on the lot and it was snowing with heavy accumulation. Had to turn the lot view down from extra-large to small.
Cináed: Can't you leave your boyfriend alone for even five minutes, Sun?
Sun: Excuse you.
Cináed: Hmm, sounds like a no.
Diseta: Senna.
Senovara: Mummy said I was allowed to drink a little mead.
Diseta: I was there and heard her specifically say 'half a cup'. That is not half a cup.
Cian: Eh, let her drink the whole thing—regret will teach the lesson faster than telling her not to will!
The kids spent most of the party playing in the snow.
Oh, girl, no one here needs a rehash of your relationship problems. Diseta is probably just drunk enough to consider dumping that cup over your head.
Faro: How's the party treating you?
Acca: It's great. You have a huge family.
Faro: Heh, well, the only people here actually related to us are my aunt and cousins, but yeah.
Faro: Do you maybe want to spend some time together tomorrow? With fewer people?
Acca: That would be cool.
Aífe eventually headed upstairs to lie down. She's not a huge people-person at the best of times.
She's also not sure what to do now with Kinet's spear and seax—for now they're tucked away behind the clothes chest in the loft. Perhaps Sabren or Liona will want them when they're older. (Scratch that—Savvy definitely wants the knife now, but Aífe is definitely not trusting her with it yet.)
Who knocked down our outhouse sentinel? 😭
Aífe: Good night, girls. I hope you had a nice holiday.
Fial: So where's Jia? I'm not used to seeing the two of you without her.
Faro: Um... probably working?
Fial: I forgot she does guard shifts now. Spirits, it seems like the three of you were just babies!
Sun: So...
Faro: What?
Sun: Did you know? About... Jia?
Faro: Mm, I think I'm going to choose to not incriminate myself today. No offense.
The bust a move interaction is so funny. Acca doesn't know what all that just was, but he's suitably impressed.
You haven't even kissed once yet, slow your roll.
I guess the problem with going out in a small place like this is that you inevitably immediately run into some relatives (Aunt Norweni, Diseta, Acca's sister...).
Norweni: Do you have to drink there?
Diseta: Do you have to be where I want to drink?
Wulfraed suddenly glad that his ex-wife didn't also want to leave Wyll for Veridia, probably.
Go home, Diseta, you're drunk.
Do you need to throw the ball that hard at your seven-year-old?
Fial makes a stew and dumplings for Dinn's birthday supper.
Sabren still wants that knife and she promises she will not sever any of her fingers with it, really!
I want to recolor that beard, but he can rock the mismatch until then. Some people's hair is just like that anyway.
Fial still thinks he's just as attractive as the day she first laid eyes on him.
And as spring creeps in, Aífe is feeling... still shitty and sad, but she still has goals she needs to pursue regardless and she decides it's time to start putting more into it.
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