[SE] The Wild Rushes [OPEN]
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#1
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
Sam had not often attended the Midnight gatherings during Longheat - it had not been so long since he hadn't ever left his house and he knew it was a party, with something like a gift giving element...a social nightmare like no other, truly. So many potential moments of awkwardness loomed in the dark evening that it made him feel vaguely nauseous.

But he'd explored Halo, had fought monsters, had faced threats to his life...he was not going to let this scare him away from finishing off the last part of the rituals. He had done the rest, after all.

So who was it he wanted to give a gift to? Nate, obviously, was one. Rexanna, too, and Wessex, of his Ascended family. As for the forth...he had decided to make something for Remi, on the off-chance that he returned before the gathering; Sam felt it unlikely, but he couldn't help the ache in his heart, the hope.

Sat in the VlamVloed (he had decided to come and see it after speaking to Maea; it was indeed lovely) with a drink he didn't need on his table, he bound together dried flowers with bits of ribbon he'd had left over from various books.
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
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Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
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MP: 9427
#2
It's with a reluctant pace that she enters the bar. Things between she and Sunjata are still fraught with tension, but her enjoyable evening with Maea - and far less enjoyable meeting with the man in question -  have at least encouraged her enough to set foot in its door with a proud tilt to her chin. At least cooler, as the nights are still thick and heavy with heat for hours after the sun sinks.

Just as the evening she'd had with Maea, the electric woman isn't necessarily looking for company when she arrives. Saying it finds her is similarly unfair when her eyes descend upon the redheaded man she has seen a ridiculous amount of times to not know his name. He is sat at a table, tying together what appears to be flowers from a distance. Before she can doubt her decision, Hotaru crosses the wooden floor with muted steps, shameless eyes roving over his creations as she places her hands on the back of the chair opposite him. "Interesting past-time for a bar. Mind if I join you?" Because apparently she's making a habit out of pestering people in this bar, and she can't say it's a bad thing when it so far has a 100% success rate. Time to test that data.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#3
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
Who wasn't dealing with Sunjata tension

Sam was absorbed in his task as Hotaru approached, imagining each person the flower bundles were intended for taking them and reacting. Of course, he couldn't give one to Remi, but he liked to think his friend would enjoy it - maybe they could put it on a memorial for Aoife? Wherever he was, Sam was sure Remi must've made one.

He looked up, fingers lingering on the ribbon. While he didn't know the name of the woman that had approached, he had seen her plenty of times - something to do with Rexanna, maybe? "Go ahead." He gestured to the sit opposite himself. It wasn't like he could deny her it anyway...and he'd begun to found conversation was one of the few things that could quieten his mind for a time.

"I'm Samuel." He offered, holding a hand out over the table to shake.
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 2,241 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#4
Being close to Rexanna means that the tiny flash of fangs as the man speaks is easily recognizable, and she wonders if she will soon become some sort of honorary member for how she seems to be collecting friendships and family ties with all the Ascended. It certainly warms her to Sam after two direct words he has ever spoken to her, and as she alights gracefully upon the chair she wonders if that endearment will continue or die splendidly over the course of this conversation.

Samuel - as he quickly introduces himself - is perhaps the first to ever offer his hand in greeting to her. Hotaru is distinctly pleased by it, and her smile curls at the corners as she firmly grips and shakes it. "Hotaru, a pleasure." As she retrieves her hand she lets it drop to the table, playing with a scattered leaf with her fingertips. "Is this intended for something? I haven't been here long, so excuse any ridiculous questions I may ask." Amusement lights up her heterochromic eyes as she says it, sincerely curious as to why he's bundling together these things.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#5
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
Hotaru, the woman that had chosen to sit by him, seemed very pleased indeed to make his acquaintance, taking his offered hand with a bright smile; it was a nice change, actually. Whether or not it would last once she realised he was Ascended Sam wasn't sure, unaware of her connection to Rexanna, but he felt a little smile touch his own lips in response.

"Oh, these?" He looked down to his bundles of dried grasses and flowers, picked one up to pass over to her - the one intended for Remi, as it happened. It was unlikely it would ever reach it's intended recipient anyway, so he didn't mind if she handled it roughly. "I'm making gifts for the Midnight Gathering. It's a part of the Longnight festivities...the end of everything to do with Capturing the Sun and so on -- have you been partaking in them?" It seemed not, given her ignorance and admission she was new here, but it felt polite to ask.
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 2,241 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#6
She manages to turn his attention back to his task, and hums softly in an interested noise as he begins to explain. Nobody has told her of this celebration, and she will certainly have a word with Deimos and Rexanna now that she is apparently very behind on gift making. Not that she needs a reason to make them gifts considering it's probably her love language. But still, a celebration!

Not that the last one had gone very well, but she digresses.

"I've heard a bit about it, seen everyone scuttling around doing such things, but I honestly have no formal idea." She's not particularly dedicated to such things. Why would she waste her time honoring another culture's beliefs when they don't like her, she hasn't met them, and she could be doing other things with her time? Not that Hotaru is a shining example of empathy in that regard. "Is there a certain structure to the gift giving?" Blind gifts perhaps? As she speaks she opens her palm and with a trickle of magic creates a beautiful teal satin ribbon a tad thicker than the ones he's using. "Can I help?" Here she offers the ribbon if he'd like it, though she wonders if he'll even want to use the color. Or if the ones he's using have some sort of significance that she's undermining with her offer.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#7
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
"Ah, well, maybe next year - I have not completed all the tasks every year either." Sam shrugged, not wanting to exclude her based on this. After all, not everyone had the patience to go around pretending to put the sun in a basket using perspective tricks. It was a rather bizarre thing to do.

He looked up at her question and frowned, not really understanding it. "Um...no, you just give your gift to whoever you'd like to give it to, and receive them from whoever chose you. I'm...not sure if I'll have any this year...but...hopefully." Sam tried to smile after this particularly miserable statement to lighten it a bit, but there was no way to not sound pathetic after those words. With a hum, he went back to tying the ribbon.

"Oh, well...if you like I could show you how, so you could make one for someone at the gathering." He offered, holding up his bag of flowers and a few spare ribbons for her.
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 2,241 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#8
"I've got far more interesting things to do some seasons, like sleeping or sunbathing," she jokes, casting a playful wink his way. Part of her wonders if he regrets not being able to experience such things anymore, but decides it's far from her realm of allowed inquisition. It's likely insensitive, and she doesn't want to come off as someone who would hold that against him for Ascending.

His nervousness reminds her of so many lost and trembling boys found on her doorstep, and it melts her heart all the same despite clearly being more man than boy. "I'll bring you something, you can at least count on me," she comforts, giving a smile that is far smaller but much more sincere than her normal fare. "Though if it's not a creative gift you're not allowed to tell me to my face." Mischief rears its head in her eyes once more, chasing away the sorrow of the topic with teasing.

Hotaru gratefully accepts the flowers and ribbons he offers, fingers dancing over the textures and colors. "I'd love that, thank you." Another twitch of her hand and a few small, metal flowers on stems are created from her magic. A different color in the center of each bloom. She places the metal flowers in the middle, bunching the fresh ones around and tying them off with a ribbon. "This used to be a common gift in one of the places I portaled to. A cheesy saying of 'I'll love you until the last flower dies', and the implication that the unnatural one would persevere forever." As she speaks she ties off the ribbon into a bow, already thinking of the recipients.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#9
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
"Sleeping is indeed a worthy pursuit..." Sam agreed softly, with a smile. While he didn't need to sleep anymore and his rest tended to be oddly shallow, Sam still got into bed most nights, like the ritual and comfort of his sheets and pillows.

Hotaru's promise to bring him something was kind enough, but Sam shook his head. "That's very kind of you, but if I do attend the gathering it'll only be in secret...Ascended are banned from the Greatwood." He sighed, having conflicting feelings on the ban; on one hand he felt it had been earned and was a reasonable measure for peace with the Fae, on the other he hated being excluded because of his race, could only imagine how the Fae had to see them.

It seemed she knew how to make the bundles herself so Sam continued on his own without giving her instruction, listening instead to her story of an old world. "Oh...this doesn't have any such meaning, really...I just wanted to make something simple and pretty. You said 'one' of the places...have you been to more than just the two worlds?"
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
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Posts: 2,241 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#10
Ah, yes. She had forgotten that particular little tidbit...but nonetheless she can work around such a problem. Her smile is comforting as she gently flicks the end of a ribbon at him. "I'll send my present with Rexanna then. She's practically my sister, I just have to call in a favor," she laughs, eyes bright with mirth and mischief. Not that Rex will deny her she's sure, especially if it's for another of her Ascended brethren. Hotaru would not want to intrude on their own little gathering, or she'd simply show up to give it to Sam herself.

"Simple and pretty are meaningful in their own ways," she assures as her eyes flick over at his words to glance over the ones he's making. A small shrug of her shoulder precedes her answer, tying off another bundle. "Yes. I came from a place called Helovia initially, and upon its destruction we were herded into a portal. Many arrived where they should, but I...well I'm not sure what happened, but I fell through many more. Sometimes I would spend mere hours in one place, or months. They happened irregularly, until the time spent grew longer and longer. And then I ended up here." She creates another metal flower and twirls it in her fingertips contemplatively. Turning a wan smile at Sam. "After finding my family here, I admit I'm still irrationally terrified it will happen again unexpectedly. But I have The Voice to thank for bringing me here, it seems she broke the cycle by pulling me here directly instead of letting me continue to be lost." A way of saying I am your ally without doing so directly.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#11
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
At the mention of Rexanna's name Sam looked up, a surprised look on his face. "A sister? I know Rexanna well...she is one of my Ascended family, so my sister as well, in a way." Though if Hotaru was actually a biological sister of Rexannas, he supposed she had more of a claim to the title.

Hotaru's tale of her time through various worlds was harrowing; Sam knew he would have likely gone mad. He had thought before of what he would do, how he would act if he had been thrust into another world like an Outlander and it had never been positive; he could not imagine it happening many times over. "When you spent months in a place...you must have begun to put down roots. How..hard..it must be to leave."

That she was grateful to The Voice made him smile though, glad to have another example to provide to people for his Goddesses virtues. "I see. Have you gotten to speak to The Voice yourself?"
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!
Hotaru Kaito
the Valkyrie
Masseuse / Headmistress

Age: 33 | Height: 5'2 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: King's End
Level: 3 - Strg: 38 - Dext: 38 - Endr: 54 - Luck: 40 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 2,241 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#12
"Then I suppose I should start counting you in my family numbers," Hotaru says cheerily with a wink, grinning. If Rexanna has tied herself to the other Ascended then Hotaru will simply follow in turn. Bastien has already endeared himself to her, and Sam is swiftly following. Politics and gods and other such nonsense have no bearing on the woman's quick, decisive measures of adoption. What's a little enamel difference between friends?

Sam's empathy is unexpected, but certainly not in a way that makes her bitter. Sometimes she wonders if she and her loved ones have simply grown too hollow, too burned out inside to do more than nod and chase the horrors of their own pasts through the labyrinths of their own minds. Hotaru pauses, fingertips stroking down the metal stem of the flower she has created, unable to meet Sam's gaze for a moment. "Yes...I can't deny how hard it was. To finally consider giving up the search, to settle somewhere you think you cannot escape, and then..." she snaps her fingers in an imitation of how quick the change had been, lifting her eyes to smile sadly at Sam. "But you adapt. And here I am, reunited with at least some of the ones I lost."

Something she still thanks The Voice for every season. Though her golden hair sways as she shakes her head in response to his query. "I haven't unfortunately. Being Abandoned does not make it easy to speak with any Gods at all, even her. But I feel her presence sometimes when I leave my gifts." Which is all that she can really ask for.
With your big heart you praise God above
But how's it working for you honey?
Do you feel loved?
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#13
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
"I suppose so." Sam flushed, a little embarrassed to suddenly be declaring a woman he'd only just met as family, but it was true enough, however tenuous their link was.

Glad that Hotaru had found herself somewhere stable he smiled and nodded, though he could not help fearing for her that this too would turn out to be a temporary stay, that one day she could be plucked out of Caido too and forced to start yet again. He didn't voice this; if she somehow had not considered it, he didn't want to give her that worry. "You must be very strong. I don't think I could handle it."

An Abandoned leaving gifts for The Voice made him smile wide. "If you do ever want to speak with her, let me know. I would love to take you." He offered, wholeheartedly meaning it and now pleased indeed he had met Hotaru. Happily Sam stayed to chat for a long while, fiddling with his flower bunches, until he had to go and tend to his books.

{FIN}
There's nothing more you can do
I'm gonna blame it on you
SAMUEL
Base Code by Sky!


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