[RP] Oceanview Cottage

Moderator: Community Team

Post Reply
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

[RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

Dwayberry stood with her children on the edge of her new plot of land. This patch of sandy soil and tough dune grass was 26 Sea Lane, Paz, Bravia. A few other homes on the same road were visible in the distance. On the other side of the road were the beach and the Gulf of Bravia. On clear days, Waveson Isle was visible in the south.
Dwayberry chose to purchase a plot some distance away from others. as she l. As much as she loved a crowded tavern, she liked to have privacy at home, which was one of the reasons she chose to move here. Fenia City and its lake were becoming crowded.

Now, all that rested was the actual moving part. The moving that was supposed to happen automatically, by magic. Her mill and most possessions should just appear in front of her, and the only thing that stayed behind in Fenia City were her house and furniture, as well as her fields. Why the moving magic had this limitation, Dwayberry did not quite understand, but for this reason, she had asked her daughter Patience to make some arrangements. The girl inherited shadow magic abilities from her father and this allowed her to do things her mother and brother Aldwyn were not capable of. Dwayberry didn't mind leaving the furniture behind, except for the baby cradle Roger had build for her years ago. The children were too tall to use it now, but they frequently stored their toys in it. Furthermore, Dwayberry wanted the drawings Aldwyn and Patience made on the wall as toddlers to be transferred to their new house. Not a big deal. Patience had simply ate the parts of the wall that had been drawn on, and put the cradle in the special backpack her father had given her.

A cool wind came blowing from the sea and played with their hair. It carried a typical scent that Dwayberry's children had so far described as 'rather nasty'. But Dwayberry was convinced that, after some getting used to, the children would be happy here. The sea had more room for fishing and swimming and the strawberry fields were only a day's travel away.

"Are you sure it will work, mommy?" Aldwyn asked.
Dwayberry inhaled and exhaled slowly. "The book of Common Sense Magic said it would. So if it fails... let's just say I know where to find the Mages."
She took some steps forward, until she reached the middle of her plot. There, she crouched down. From her bag she took a small pouch, filled with soil from her previous home. She turned the pouch over and poured the soil onto the ground, drawing small circles. She whispered the words she had taken great care to memorise:
"By the power of the great Zachrin, almighty Mage of Secfenian lands, let this soil bring forth the mill it once carried." She visualised her mill with all its details, inside and out, the sails and gears turning, the sounds of the machinery, the smell of the flour. "Let this soil bring forth the goods I call mine." She visualised her many clothes and shoes, the children's toys, her significant sum of money and all the other items her family possessed. Then, she concluded with a string of words in a language she didn't understand, but which she assumed to be the conclusion of a powerful spell. The last bits of Fenian clay hit the ground. Dwayberry waited.

For a moment, there was silence. Dwayberry stared, wide-eyed, at the still empty plot of land. She was about to start praying to the gods of her childhood when a the ground began to shake, not unlike it did when the volcano in Old Kiene erupted, or that time lightning struck the ground only several feet from where she was hiding. A low, murmering sound came from under her feet, growing in intensity.
"Moooommyyyy!" Patience yelled. The girl was beside her mother in a flash and pulled her away towards the edge of the plot.
Cracks emerged in the ground and with a loud rumbling noise, Dwayberry's mill erupted from the ground. It rose to it's full height. It appeared to be completely intact, though sand cascaded down from the sails and walls and at least two dozen earthworms wiggled about on the mill's surface, determining the quickest route back into the safety of the soil.

Next, dark clouds formed over the plot. Dwayberry urged her children to the other side of the road. A loud crack of thunder, and it began to rain. It rained freznics. It rained wheat, potatoes, iron ore, wood, dog food, parchment, clothes, toys, weapons and other many other goods. Dwayberry and her children cheered as they watched.
"It worked! It worked!"
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

It had been over half a year since Dwayberry and her children moved to Paz. At first, another Fenian by the name of Marcus had decided to move to the plot next to theirs. Dwayberry hadn't been pleased with that, having no desire for another man in her life, ever. But Marcus remained his own self - a man somewhat between an acquaintance and a friend - and appeared mostly interested in climbing the ladder of the local politics. Dwayberry was very surprised to learn of his death, only a short time after him being elected mayor. Would the citizens of Paz have been any less complacent, Dwayberry might have thought he could have been assassinated. But as it was, she figured an illness or a mug of booze too many to be the reason for his sudden death, and she had paid no further attention to it. After all, most of her friends had suddenly died or disappeared at some point. It was the way of things.
Another mayor had taken over the job, and life continued its calm way. Dwayberry's mill lay idle most days, as people had little need for flour. Her crops grew, were harvested, and sold at a loss or stored until she grew sick of them. Marcus' house and stable in the distance were overgrown with plants and slowly fell apart. Dwayberry's son Aldwyn had released the cows very soon after Marcus' death, as the boy could not stand animal suffering. They had grazed in the vicinity, wandered about and were probably taken home by other farmers or butchers at some point.

Dwayberry's temporary need for more privacy and solitude having been fulfilled, she had grown restless again. The dragon Balerion's invitation, some weeks ago, to take the town of Cork had been very welcome. The town was left undefended so taking it was no challenge. There were no supplies to have a statue raised in her honour, so Dwayberry had sold some cheap bread, renamed a few streets, and left as soon as Logo had been there to take over. She had been summoned to show up court, but for some reason her case was never finished and she had just stopped bothering to show up. It wouldn't be long until everyone had forgotten there even was a court case against her. Balerion had grumbled, because he had not even been summoned to court at all.

Now, life had yet again returned to its relative normality. Dwayberry spent most days at the university, studying the books she had saved for last as she was not particularly interested in them. She had also decided to have her home expanded, and in a strange but typically Secfenian fashion, the roof was finished before the foundation or walls were done, making it float in mid-air. It was on this floating roof that Dwayberry found herself sitting one day, thinking.
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

Aldwyn was the first to notice something was up with his mother. He had been playing on the galleon - which Dwayberry had pulled into the yard together with the help of a bunch of peasants - with his sister, when he noticed Dwayberry on the roof of the unfinished part of their house.
"Patience, come up here," he whispered into a shadow.
Soon, the girl joined her brother in the mast, and Aldwyn pointed.
Patience frowned. "How did she get up there?"
"She must have climbed," Aldwyn said.
"Climbed?! Mommy?"
Aldwyn shrugged. "She is a Master Rogue after all. Only a month ago she took over a town hall."
"By walking straight into it, just like the one before that," Patience reminded him.
"And she brought about the downfall of New Kiene," Aldwyn said, putting a similar amount of drama into his voice as Dwayberry had done the day she told her children the story.
"With the help of two mighty dragons. No, our mommy can't climb, brother. She is too old and too... well... too not athletic enough."
The children stared at their mother for a while, who was just sitting there, doing nothing.
"Should we help her?" Aldwyn asked.
"Nah," Patience said, "Let's just wait until she calls for help." And with that, she disappeared into a shadow and appeared back on deck, holding an imaginary spyglass against her eye. "Sea monsters at starboard!" she yelled.

Dwayberry had, in fact, climbed up to the floating roof by herself. After that, she spent half an hour recovering from exertion, and the next half hour thinking about how to get back down.
I truly am in most horrible shape, she thought. Could anyone blame her? Human women's bodies changed after baring children. And there was too little to do, no-one to fight with, and her steward happened to be an amazing cook.
She realised last night how much she had changed for the worst. Some strange, ghost-like being sat in the tavern and brought up memories of times she could hardly remember herself. Times of excitement and almost daily tavern brawls. Nowadays, she could be lucky if there was anyone to talk to in the tavern, and the men were ogling other women. Not that Dwayberry cared about that last part, she didn't need another man in her life. She wouldn't make such a mistake a fourth time.
But it did leave her with a painful realisation that she had become heavier and weaker. And it was inevitable that she would need her strength and agility again at some point in life. Town halls wouldn't always be left undefended. Zyrks and yvyrms weren't always fat and lazy. Xanthareels could come closer to shore again. And one could only go for so long without making new enemies.
It was time to resume training.
And to ask her steward to stop baking pies.
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

Elias, Dwayberry's steward, was just working on a traditional 'Bravia sandwich', two slices of sponge cake filled with cream and strawberry jam, when he heared a loud thump noise outside.
The young man started, dropping a spoonful of cream on the floor. He picked up a heavy rolling pin, then rushed outside. Looking both ways, he spotted Dwayberry on the site where the house was being expanded, coming out of a shrub and dusting off her clothes.

Elias' brows furrowed. After working for Dwayberry for over seven years, he knew he should no longer question the strange antics of his employer. Yet, he still frequently did. In truth, he probably would not have chosen to stay with her if it weren't for the fact that she helped him realise his dream: a tavern shop where he could cook whatever he pleased. Sadly, due to lack of demand he could not live on the profit of the tavern shop alone and so he still worked in Dwayberry's house and mill as well.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he walked up to Dwayberry.
She smiled "Of course! I was inspecting the roof and needed a way to come down. That shrub broke my fall quite nicely." She picked a few leaves and twigs from her hair, then looked at what Elias was holding. "Why did you bring a large rolling pin?"

Elias raised the rolling pin, studying it as if he forgot it was there. He had picked it up in a reflex, perhaps to defend himself should the thump noise have been an intruder or an aggressive animal of some kind. As if, in such a case, his first instinct wouldn't have been to run back inside and bold the door. "Ah, I was just working with that when I heard the noise," he said.

Dwayberry frowned "Why?"
"I-I'm sorry, why?" Elias looked from Dwayberry to the rolling pin, and back. In the past, he had to explain to her several times why he needed more than one rolling pin. She hadn't understood until she had tasted the cooking he was capable of when he had the proper equipment. Was her memory failing again, or what reason could there be for such a ridiculous question?

"Were you baking anything?" Suddenly, Dwayberry reached out and grabbed Elias by the arm, pulling him close.
He gasped, eyes widened.
Dwayberry sniffed his arm and hand. "You smell of cake!"
"Of-of course I do!" Elias stammered. "I was just preparing your sandwich cakes for lunch, like always." He pulled slightly in an attempt to free his arm.
Dwayberry leaned close. "You need to stop doing that."
"Stop what?" Elias asked carefully.
"Baking! Stop baking cakes. Stop baking pies. Make normal food!" Dwayberry pulled the rolling pin out of his hand. "Do I make myself clear?" She proceeded to throw it as far into the shrubbery as she could. "Do. I. make. myself. clear?!" And with that, she stomped off.
"Are you..." Elias dropped his voice, making sure she would not hear him. "...drunk?"

Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

It had been a miserable few days since Dwayberry had decided to stop eating cakes and pies. The days suddenly consisted of bread or oatmeal for breakfast, boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables and unseasoned fish for lunch and something similar dinner. Even sweet strawberries were banned from the household, because, in Dwayberry's own words, they would only 'tempt her further'.
Dwayberry was grumpy and returned from the tavern most nights in a bad mood, grumbling about people trying to tempt her with cake.

Patience, who had inherited her mother's liking for cakes and pies, was especially miserable. She had wined to her mother, even changed her appearance to that of a teenager to be able to argue better and slam doors harder. But all to no avail, so she and her brother saw no other option but to roam the market by themselves in search for sweeter foods.

Then, one day, relief came when Dwayberry announced she would be away for a few days to check on their old house in Fenia city and the peasants who lived there now, and she would stop by some party in Imperius on her way there.

On the day of Dwayberry's departure, Patience sat on the roof and waved.
"Alright," she called down after a while. "She's out of sight."
"You sure?" Aldwyn said.
Patience nodded, disappeared inside the roof and then stepped out of the wall next to her brother. "Let's get started. Where's Elias?"
"Cleaning up the breakfast things. You get him, I'll get the ingredients."

"Alright, you two," Elias said as he put on his kitchen apron. "She'll be gone for at least eight days. What are you in the mood for today? Remember eight days is a long time, so we don't have to do everything at o..."
"Apple pie!" Aldwyn interjected, "Fried potatoes, fried fish, strawberry milkshake, please!"
"Strawberry pie!" Patience added, "Orange cake, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, lemonade, candied orange!"
Elias scratched his head, grinning. "You better help me."
Patience cheered. "To mommy! May she find her previous level of insanity in Fenia and return happy and normal again!"
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

Dear Aldwyn and Patience,

The royal gardens in Imperius are a sight to behold. There is plenty of space to wander about, trees with curved branches perfect for climbing, roses with all kinds of colours and smells. Should the queens throw another party when you two are older, we should stop by as a family.

I found our house in Fenia city in less good state. The peasant family renting the place decided to let a bunch of family members move in. I counted as many as twenty in total! Completely ridiculous as the house is way too small for that many people. The floors were worn down, the doors and window shutters were off their hinges and I don't know what they did to the outhouse. It was simply no longer there. I left for North Fenia as I needed some time to think. Should I evict the peasants or simply increase the rent? I hunted some zyrk to release my frustrations and returned to Fenia city for a comprise: no more than ten peasants will live at the property. They can figure out for themselves who stays and who goes, and I will increase the rent by half. They objected, of course, but that is none of my concern.

I will have to spend some more in Fenia city for some additional business, among others to have the floors, door and window shutters fixed and the outhouse replaced. Perhaps I should have an extra one be built.

I miss you, my children. I think about you every day. But I know you will be well with Elias. Please give him my regards, don't completely forget about your studies, and don't let strawberries enter the house. I will see you again in a week or so.

Your loving mother,
Dwayberry

Finished reading, Aldwyn handed the letter to Patience. The girl wiped her cake crumb covered hands on her skirt and took the letter, finishing reading in just under three seconds.

"Thoughts?" Aldwyn asked.
"She is going to revolt in Fenia, I think," Patience said, "But whether it will be the town hall or the castle I don't know. Hey, do you think she convinced those peasants to join her?"
"Depends on if she actually wants to take over a town or castle, or if she just wants to check whether the place is defended."
"I don't understand why this is mommy's job," Patience rubbed her chin. "Is anyone even paying her to do this? And why does she always have to show up in court for it, if she is just checking things? Should the town officials not be grateful for it?"
Aldwyn sighed. "I think mommy just likes having dangerous hobbies. And she's usually in a better mood after she's done these things." And one day it'll go wrong, he thought, very wrong.
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

My dearest children,

There have been some unexpected developments. Remember I checked the town hall defences in Cork a few months ago? A trail started against me, but nothing came of it after I defended. Well, I received a letter from judge Logo that the reason this happened was due to some magic gone wrong, keeping the courthouse locked to everyone trying to enter. The issue has been resolved, and the bad news is the Bravian courthouse resumed my trial. At the same time, there are some issues that came up due to my checking the defences in Fenia city. People are not happy with my work, it seems.
Anyway, I will be travelling back to Bravia, but not to come home yet. I will have to travel between Cork and Widu to deal with both court cases. Hopefully, you can last without me for a bit longer? I will buy something nice in Widu or Cork to bring home.
I trust you eat well and take care of your studies in my absence.

Your loving mother,
Dwayberry
"Our mommy is infamous, Aldwyn," Patience said, passing her brother the letter.
"I thought just crazy," Aldwyn said. "That's what I overheard mutter Elias a few times.
Patience shrugged. "Maybe both. I think I'll sneak into the Bravian courthouse again to follow the trail. What do you think? They're supposed to have put up defences in the walls against creatures using magic to enter, but if they work as well as keeping our mommy out of the town halls..."
Aldwyn grinned, but then shook his head. "I don't know, Patience. Last time, most of that court stuff was a little boring." He sighed, remembering those days, when Nocturne had been with them at the dinner table. It wasn't fair that he had first lost his real father, and then his stepfather as well. Aldwyn's memories of Roger were few and vague, but mommy had told him a lot about the man who, apparently, was just as good at speaking with animals as he was. How he would have loved to speak with that man! Spend some time together, just the two of them, to talk about these things his mother just didn't understand. Patience still contacted her father every once in a while, somehow, through the shadows. But Aldwyn couldn't figure it out and so he always had to hear from Patience how Nocturne was still proud of him and all that.
He swallowed, then turned to Patience again. "Sure we can find something more fun to do? Mommy will keep us updated. Come on, let's take some cookies and go to the beach to find jellyfish."
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

A brown squirrel ran out of a shrub and into a walnut tree. From here, he had a clear view of the pale female human with the black hair approaching from the town square. The human passed the tree. The squirrel took that moment to run along a branch reaching over the path, and aimed his jump perfectly.

Dwayberry yelped when something landed on her hat, causing it to tilt forward and block her view. She pulled her hat off and stared at the squirrel holding on to the brim for a brief moment, before it led go and ran off.
"Nutcakes?!" Dwayberry caught her breath, and chuckled at her son's pet squirrel. The animal disappeared up another tree and Dwayberry lost sight of it. She resumed her walk through Paz. Finally, after weeks, she had decided she could just as well await those slow judges' decisions at home.

Nutcakes ran from the blooming lindens on Main street to bushes to trash heaps in back alleys until he reached Sea lane. Jumping from one windswept oak tree to the next, he finally reached the home of his young human friend, the only one who would supply him with enough treats for winter. He found his friend playing on the beach and told him about the older human whom the boy referred to as his mother.

"Patience!" Aldwyn yelled to his sister. "Mommy is coming home! Nutcakes saw her in town centre"
Patience' eyes widened. "You warn Elias, I'll make the house look like we ate well and kept up with our studies."

When number 26 Sea Lane finally came into view, Dwayberry smiled as her children came running to her. She stopped and opened her arms to catch them, hugging them tight.
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
User avatar
Dwayberry
Posts: 2491
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:29 pm

Re: [RP] Oceanview Cottage

Post by Dwayberry »

It was just one of those times again, when mommy was off travelling and the children didn't see her for days. First there had been some hunting trip which, unlike other hunting trips, had seriously decreased her mood for some reason. Mommy didn't want to talk about it much, only said that the number of creatures out there in the woods had been disappointing and the nights had been cold and uncomfortable.
And now, she was away for the duel tournament organised by Balerion the dragon, having told her children that after the trip up north to take over mines, it was now time for them to stay home again and mind their studies. Of course, this meant that most of the day was spent playing and exploring the town and the shallow waters near the coast.

Then, one morning, after mommy had been gone for about two weeks, Patience woke up early from a strange smell. Or rather, a terrible stench. She looked out the window, then ran to wake up her brother.
"Aldwyn, wake up and look outside!"
Had her tone been enthusiastic rather than frantic, Aldwyn would have thought mommy had finally arrived home, but now he went to the window quite apprehensively before looking outside.
Trash, everywhere. The entire home seemed to be surrounded with trash. Spoiled food, dirty rags, scrap wood and things that could no longer be distinguished. And it smelled!
Meanwhile, Patience shadowed herself to the mill and reappeared outside a moment later, together with steward Elias holding the large shovel they normally used to clear snow away from the door and fields in winter.

Elias first cleared a path towards the front door and ripped a piece of paper off the door. Aldwyn went outside and together, they tried to decipher the letter left by Celestine Morrigu de la Croix.


Dear Dwayfifi

Itch with a warning i shend a notish.If you trew anny trash over my cousin again. I will do shomething .

Celestine Morrigu De La Croix.

"So, it seems like mommy threw trash at someone's cousin and that person is now angry," Patience said. "Who is this De la Croy-x?"
"And what is this something she is going to do?" asked Aldwyn, not at all trusting his mother to not throw trash at this cousin again.

Elias sighed. "I will hire a couple of peasant to help clean this up. You two don't touch anything with your bare hands and you," he addressed Patience specifically, "Don't try to eat any of it, please."
With that, he rested the shovel against the door and left.
Patience rubbed her chin. "You know what we must do, brother? We must set traps around our property so this kind of thing doesn't happen again!"
Image
"It's alright, you wouldn't be the same if you were nice."
Post Reply