songerein | [Open] Begin Anew

Entry tags:

[Open] Begin Anew

Who: G'raha Tia & You
Which: Open Log (possibly closed threads down below?)
Where: Various locations
What: A March catch-all and aetheryte shenanigans.
Warnings: There will be Endwalker spoilers more than likely. I will do my best to mark them accordingly. I need to update this for Endwalker stuff as well, but here is my opt-out post if people would rather not be spoiled about Shadowbringers or Endwalker. Feel free to fill it out to where you are in the game and I will say nothing past that in our thread.

AETHERYTES; (No spoilers beyond location in the video)

[Perhaps you've noticed a few crystal structures strewn about Reverein. If you hadn't, don't feel bad. There are only really three at the moment. One placed nearby the dream swings and the other one placed nearby stores. The last one is located outside of G'raha's home for the sake of experimenting. What are they? What do they do? It doesn't take much to realize that it appears to be made out of crystal. Mayhap from the crystal caves? Or was it something more? Simply touching it won't do anything. It appears to be just for decoration for the time being.

Well, that is until a cat boy with red hair and eyes appeared out of nowhere in a flash. He seemed composed for a time up until he collapsed to the ground, catching his fall with his hands. His breathing seemed slightly labored as he tried to compose himself.]

No... No luck this time either. Mayhap it best to further-- [Gods forfend. He did not miss aetheric sickness. Letting out a small groan before continuing his thought.] To further attune the coordinates... Mayhap adjust the amount of dreamotion as well...

[Oh. Were you standing right there this entire time? Don't mind him thinking out loud. He finally noticed he wasn't alone there. Pushing himself off of the ground, he gave an apologetic smile to his companion.]

My apologies. I did not mean to disturb the peace.

WHERE'S YOUR GREEN?;

[Having recovered from his aerthical sickness (mostly), G'raha has been otherwise occupied recently. The leprechauns weren't exactly weird-looking to him. After all, Lalafell were normally short like this. No. It wasn't the appearance that worried him. It was seeing so many unlucky people around that put him on edge. Meanwhile, there were those who seemed to have nothing short of amazing luck. Whatever the case, he had been on his guard as of late.

It all started little. Shoelaces untied that made him lose his balance, having a bag of flour explode open while at the market, flying produce? Annoying at best, but nothing he couldn't handle. And then his home turned green. Everything was green. Standing outside of his home...]

... Seriously? Did I upset someone?

[Can he clean this mess up or is it just there for an unknown amount of time? It was hard to say with how dreamotion worked here. Glancing down to the leprechaun with the yellow cap, he didn't like the look they were giving him.]

Is this some sort of message?

THOSE HALCYON DAYS;

[Having retrieved his lost job stones, it was a relief to have access to the rest of his magic. One he had been surprised to see was his Bard stone. It had been quite a while since he last touched a bow and arrow, much less a harp. There was a part of him that wondered if he could still perform properly anymore. So somewhere out in a far enough place out of the way of heavy foot traffic, people might hear what sounds like music in the distance. Not complete to say the least, but attempts to create it nonetheless.

If they chose to investigate where it was coming from, G'raha can be found somewhere outside, sitting by a tree. By now, he's managed to pick up on his innate skill he had thought once lost. Enough to be able to do a passable rendition of a song. No vocals while he's just trying to get the hang of playing once more. Anyone is free to stop by to listen.

He might even notice he's not alone and sheepishly smile to his company.]

WILDCARD;

[OOC: Hit my up for any other prompt ideas if nothing catches your fancy. If you want anything specific with G'raha, I'm more than happy to do a closed prompt as well. Feel free to poke me on plurk (byefelicia).]

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[ The large, crystal-like structures catch Gorou's attention as he's walking past the shops, back to where his living quarters. He's carrying a little bag with basic food necessities as he looks up at structure, shimmering under the sun. It's reminiscent of the waypoints back in Teyvat, and he's hit with a little bit of homesickness just before he hears some mumbling nearby.

Gorou's ears perk up attentively and he turns towards the sound. Someone – who also has ears like his! – on the ground seems to be the one responsible for this, judging by his mumblings. And when he addresses Gorou, he turns to face the other man with a shake of his head. ]

That won't be necessary, though maybe I should be apologizing for interrupting your experiment. [ He gestures towards the crystal with one hand. ] What is it that you're trying to do?

[Shaking his head, G'raha gave him a sheepish smile.]

You are not interrupting anything.

[If anything, Gorou probably wasn't expected to see him pop out of nowhere.]

Ah, transportation, though I'm still figuring out--

[Hold that thought. Hand covering his mouth for a moment... ugh... He was going to have to do something about this later. He's fine though, really!]

...the kinks. It's been quite a while since I've last set up an aetheryte.

[An estimate of at least 60-80 years anyway. But now taking notice of his company and more importantly the ears...]

You must be new here. My name is G'raha Tia.

[He would offer has hand, but regardless if his aetheric sickness was infectious or not, he didn't think Gorou would appreciate it.]

[Zidane remembered reading posts about crystals to help people get around Reverein, but this was his first time looking at one up close. It looked cool, and the idea of zipping around Reverein was even cooler, but the crystal itself didn't appear active. Until it did, and the cat guy appeared out of nowhere, making Zidane's own tail stand.]

[And he stood there as the other guy just fell over. Look, he was getting over the shock...]

Woah, don't worry about it! You gonna be okay, man?

[He holds out a hand to help him back to his feet.]

[If there was music to be had, she was the hummingbird brought to the music's alluring blossom. So she had her basket of wild mushrooms and herbs and was on her way back when she heard some harp music. But it wasn't just any... she knew this song.

Madhuri's heart raced as reached down to hike up her skirts before she realized she'd gone for pants today, and hurried along. Her earliest dreams in her childhood were rife with that song, of seas of red, a furious dragon who hatched from a strange and glowing cocoon...

It was coming from over-]

...!

[She was briefly taken aback, but had to recall that- at their technical first meeting- he did wield a bow and arrows. Who was she to simply believe he was an archer rather than a bard? Oh, but she wouldn't interrupt him. She wiggled her fingers in greeting and settled into the grass beside him. A moment to remove her leather gloves and place them in the basket with her findings and a small book of identifiers for plants and fungi in the area.]

So you do play. A man of many talents~

[Giving him thanks for the help, he nodded in response.]

Yeah, I'll be-- [Gods. Okay, nope. It's passed just like that.] okay.

[G'raha had been engrossed in his music -- or therefore attempts of music -- that he hadn't noticed Madhuri right away. It was mayhap a little slow on his end to realize, but he paused in his music to glance up to her. His ears perked up as he offered her a smile.]

Long ago, yes. I must confess that I have forgotten a lot since last I played, but it's slowly coming back to me.

Though I'm sure that you would fare better than I.

You flatter-

[A kiss on the cheek for this twice-aspiring musician-]

But I have tickled nary a harp! A hurdy-gurdy during my circus days, certainly, but we all learned the morin khuur in the Steppe... ah... I don't remember the common tongue name of it, however. Sorry.

Oh, but don't let me interrupt. You're un-rusting!

[He was going to ask what that was, but if she didn't remember the common tongue...]

Mmm... What does the morin khuur pertain? [Forgive him if he butchered that.] Any requests? I'll do my best to accomodate.

Oh, it's a stringed instrument made with horse hair, played with a bow drawn across them. A violin, but not. I've had a mind to build a new one for myself, but this land lacks in horses.

[But she had a strange bauble at home, one with the note that said it would grant her something from home. But a morin khuur was such a small thing, not important like a job stone... would that waste the bauble?]

Hmm... why not something from your homeland, or a favorite of yours?

You sure?

[And helping him keep steady.] I could probably get you something to drink real fast.

... My apologies for being a bother.

[That's a yes, Zidane. He's standing just fine but has opted to take a seat nearby. If there is no bench or makeshift seat, the floor was as good as any. Resting his forehead in his hands...]

I would appreciate that.

What're you apologizing for? Getting sick from this? Nah, you don't have to.

[But damn, if someone isn't just polite. Now that the guy's seated, Zidane nods.]

Alright, don't go anywhere.

[Not that he probably would, but some people try anyway.]

Ah, I see! Are there be any other suitable substitutes that can be found here?

[Something to keep in mind, perhaps? Pondering on the possibilities, he tried to recall how the tune went.]

Hmm... It has been some time, so pray forgive any errors.

[Not that she would be able to tell. Strumming the harp, he tried recalling exactly how it went. What was more fitting than melodies that had been passed down in the family? He was no songbird, not like his lovely girlfriend, but had a surprisingly beautiful singing voice. After finishing the song, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.]

[Zidane has nothing to worry about. He's not moving from his spot. If anything, mayhap readjusting himself to feel more comfortable as the waves of aetherial sickness hit. Note to self: next time come prepared with a remedy much like Hannish cures. He'd hate to have others have to babysit him because he didn't get the formula correct.]

[It doesn't take too long before Zidane comes back over holding a travel cup.]

Alright, one drink that should help your stomach. Don't ask me what's in it because I don't know.

[Taking the cup, he glanced at it for a moment.]

Mayhap it's better that I don't know? Hannish cures are not exactly known to be delicious either. My thanks.

[He'll just have to suck it up and hope for the best that it doesn't taste awful. Here goes nothing.]

Ah, yes. I should probably introduce myself. My name is G'raha Tia.

[Not that his name was likely needed for Zidane to connect the dots. Here sits a red-headed cat boy with red eyes. Hard to miss the similarities to the person Madhuri described.]

Oh, maybe one of those large violins that you have to prop against a leg... Could work.

['Cello' wasn't a word she heard much. But he asked forgiveness and she sent him a look and a smirk- he needed to look elsewhere for a harsh musical critic- before he shifted gears to playing.

Miqo'te hadn't been a frequent sight back home in the Far East, so of any legends, songs or folklore she knew very little. She was profoundly interested in this glimpse, but the impish humor didn't last long. Instead her stomach twisted into a first, second and third knot as she recalled something she'd confided in an old friend during her childhood in the Steppe:

"Is it Qalli of me to fall for a man that sings...?"

But he was telling a story, one that jingled with that familiar tone of something that fathers told sons, or mothers told daughters. It made her heart ache, wishing for just a moment that her own parents had left anything like that for her.

But stories, like many things, had to come to an end. G'raha had finished and she scooted closer to lean against him, rest a cheek upon a shoulder. Hopefully, her angle could hide the blush. No angle could hide the clovers and blossoms that had grown a little ring in the grass around them.]

...Thank you for sharing that with me. You did fine, you know. And from a Qalli, that's nothing to sneeze at.

[In case you doubted yourself, sir.]

[He hadn't gone this long without realizing what it meant when flowers popped up around them. He could notice a hint of that blush, but it just made him feel more at ease (as if he wasn't already) to know that she was happy. If she was happy, he was. Whether or not she could take notice of his ears or tail from that angle was up for debate. He set the harp (carefully) off to the side so that he could turn his full attention to her, slipping his hand into hers as he entwined his fingers with hers. Laying his head gently against hers as if to return the gesture...]

I am pleased to hear that then. It was... something that had been passed down to me as a boy. It has been some time since last I played. Mayhap I should pick it up once more for old time sakes?

[Also to play for her whenever she wanted it.]

I mean, could be worse! Could be trying to fix a hangover.

[Which, that... aha, some people have interesting thoughts on how to do that.]

G'raha Tia... oooh that's right, you're Madhuri's boyfriend~

[He'd thought he remembered being told about a cat boy with red hair and eyes. He has to grin even more.]

The name's Zidane.

Edited 2022-03-07 06:23 (UTC)

[No, no he was hardly standing there, but as G'raha Tia half-collapses into a rather unseemly heap, he'll likely be able to pick up the sound of slow, steady footsteps approaching, and then the hush of layers of fabric as Emet-Selch kneels nearby - not too close, mind, but still close enough to be unnerving.]

[And then Emet-Selch takes a prolonged moment to glance around them, noting the presence of the crystal structure which is exceedingly familiar to him in appearance. This would explain the notes he spied within the Exarch's home just a few short days ago. And then there's the...]

[hmn.]

[Emet-Selch regards him impassively, one arm propped on his knee. Aether sickness, he supposes? Well that's unfortunate.]

Ah, so this is what you've been up to.

A rather foolish way to go about testing them, however. Wouldn't you agree, Exarch?
And just how long have you been adjusting them now? I imagine it would be rather taxing even for one of your caliber.

[However, despite the verbal prodding, Emet-Selch makes no move to disturb him otherwise.]

[ The bright glimmer of the aetheryte catches Zelda's attention as she is passing by the dream swings and it gives her pause. Was that always there? Surely she would have noticed a three or four foot tall crystalline monument before today (even though Zelda doesn't visit the dream swings very frequently). In fact, the crystal looks rather similar to some of the ones she saw in the crystal caves beneath town during her recent expedition with Merisia.

Zelda retrieves the Sheikah Slate from her belt hook and opens a gallery full of photographs of crystals from her trip. She slowly swipes through them, looking back and forth between the screen and the aetheryte as she compares it to her pictures.

But before she can find a match, G'raha suddenly appears before her, causing Zelda to stumble back with a yelp of surprise. ]

G'raha! How---Where--- Are you all right?

(Of course, explore enough and you're bound to find all sorts of surprises. These crystals seem strange to Tsurumaru in the sense that he's only seen one so far and it looks like it stands out to him. Which means he has to get a closer look.

He circles around it a couple of times, holding a hand over and under it to see if does anything. No? Hm. Convinced that nothing will happen at all, he places his hand on it. Nothing again.)

Should I make a wish...? (Because this is clearly a normal observation.) Ah, where do I begin...

(AND THEN SUDDENLY A CAT BOY APPEARS FROM THIN AIR IN A FLASH OF LIGHT WOW)

Wah!

(Tsurumaru pulls his hand away and jumps back?! He looks???? Surprised???)

A surprise!?

(Wait... did the spontaneous cat boy say something?)

[Thankfully, he's never had a reason to. Being too busy meant that drinking was not advised. Not that he wouldn't. There were too many other important things to worry about generally.

Oh. There's that word. The word he hasn't actually heard outloud much yet. He's ignoring his burning cheeks at the moment. Between him turning flush red and his ears perking up at the mention, it's not hard to miss.]

R-right. [Boyfriend. Man, those butterflies.] it's nice to meet you, Zidane. Though, I can't say this is the best-- [There's another wave.] first impression. My apologies.

[G'raha hadn't been keeping his project a secret really. There was no harm in Emet-Selch knowing what he was up to.

But of course Emet-Selch had to be there when he failed (again). Oh well. In time he'd get it figured out. Pushing himself off of the ground to at least sit, he glanced at Emet-Selch with a tired sigh.]

Not long enough. I refuse-- [Hand to mouth... He's fine.] to allow others to test it before it is safe and accurate enough to do so.

Its no trouble. I simply have to adjust it to dreamotion here. [And then a pause.] What would you think would be more productive if you consider this foolish?

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[Open] Begin Anew

aetherytes!

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Aetherytes

Those Halcyon Days

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Aetherytes; (Shadowbringers and probably Endwalker Spoilers)

aetherytes

aetherytes 1/2

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