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New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 9:25 pm
by Torin Kilvin
Glade 1, 122

The end of the year had rushed in full of unexpected things; Torin's mysterious and harsh threshold sickness, the death of the monarch, the abduction of his heir, coming war whispered through the streets.

But, the runesmith was safe, his business was safe, his home, and, most importantly; the people he cared for. Torin had wanted to celebrate and show gratitude toward the friends that had come into his life during the previous year (or a little before). The party had been in his mind since Searing, when he'd begun using his spare time to make trinkets for the people he cared for. Some had been delivered already, and though he felt a little guilty, he hadn't had the time to make additional runeforged things. His plans for small magical gifts for some had been delayed due to his illness, so they would have to sit in his head for later.

As it was he had small, mundane things he'd been able to make while recovering. Aurin had occasionally given him a raised eyebrow but they had not taxed him and without he would have been constantly restless not working. Destyn's gift, he was a bit ashamed to admit, had been partly purchased, but at least a part he had made.

All the gifts, none of them very large, had been neatly wrapped in colorful paper or fabric and places in a pile on the little rug he had bought for his sitting area. There were comfortable chairs for guests (in inhabitants) to sit in, and the bookshelves there were beginning to fill up between texts for Torin or Timon's work and their shared instability for adventure books. The house was decorated in the traditional fashion, mostly Frost greenery, but a few vases of flowers were laid out or woven into the boughs of pine or holly. The large, brand-new dining table was festooned with decorations, Timon's work, and groaning under a feast of more dishes than Torin had ever seen in one place before, also Timon's work.

The boy had demanded that the shop be closed on the first of the year and shoved Torin out of the kitchen for the duration so he could throw together the great abundance of finger foods, savory and sweet, desserts, and a full, multi-course meal. Torin had explained that he was not sure who, of all the friends they had invited, would be there for a sit-down supper, but this had not seemed to stymied the boy's intentions so the smith had given him whatever money he required for ingredients and stayed out of his way.

The chosen day was neither the traditional last day of Frost that would lead to a midnight toast, nor the first day of the new season. Torin knew that some of his friends would be expected to host their own celebrations, that the Peacock Theatre would be hosting one, and that most people were likely to want to spend the day with their families. On New Year's Eve Timon had been bundled off to his Aunt's house with presents for her and his cousins, as well as a basket full to bursting with venison pies and other treats. The apprentice hadn't really complained, he seemed less uncomfortable with his family now that he was proudly earning a living in his own right and need never return to their questionable care.

Torin had begged off both the party at the Peacock and the one held by the Leukos'. Another year he might accept one, or both invitations but since his sickness, large groups of strangers had sometimes given him odd sensations, almost visions but not associated with his eyes. So instead he'd spent the time alone, quietly finishing and wrapping the presents he'd managed to get together and enjoying the rare solitude. It was with surprise that he'd realized how rarely he was alone anymore; a realization that both made his heart sing and his eyes tear up.

Now the day had arrived, the house was a wonderful combination of the scents of the decorations and the scents of the kitchen. The Illumite lamps were filling the two, large rooms on the lowest floor with magical lighting to enhance the many candles that were giving everything an almost magical glow of their own. The kitchen hearth was roaring and there were two braziers in the combination dining room/sitting room, more than enough to heat the space to comfortable.

There were small velvet bags tied with ribbons with each person's name written on them at the place settings. Even if some might not be staying for the duration, they could take the little pouches of candy with them along with their presents.

Both smith and apprentice were wearing new sets of clothing, a little lighter than what would be comfortable outside yet, but they would wear well for the coming season. At noon, the time he'd said that guests could begin arriving (though they had also been told that things would continue till midnight and they could arrive at any point) Torin checked with Timon and found the boy well pleased, so he unlocked the front door, as well as the side gate, and waited for their friends to arrive.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2022 7:16 pm
by Finn
Finn was, apparently, the first to arrive. It had only been a few days since the reception, but it seemed rioting was not to come. He wished Arry would come, but he knew there was bad blood between him and his friend, so there was nothing to be done about it now. They were safe enough for now, he supposed. All the same, he was learning the lines he could travel through the slipspace from their home to the forge, and he knew where Arry was and where he was going and where he would meet him later, his mind sifting through the threads that would take him from wherever he was to wherever he had to be in case it had to be quick.

He was dressed up a bit, though he still looked a bit like what he was: a village lad with a veneer of city sophistication rather than one born and bred to it.

His face cracked into a grin when he saw Torin opening the gate; it was a nice relief from the constant worry that war was coming.

"Joyous New Year, Tor," he said, bringing it in for a bear hug. His stomach growled, but of course, he hadn't really eaten a thing, trying to save room for the wealth of victuals that would be put before him that day. He selected that melody of gleeful hunger and tried to weave it into Torin's symphony. The man looked and felt healthier than he had when he was taken ill, but it wouldn't hurt to keep him eating, especially if he was the sort of host who forgot his own hunger while seeing to his guests'.

He then fished something out of his bag, checking the color of the ribbon before handing it to the man.

"For you."

It was a roll of fine parchment tied with a golden ribbon. If Torin opened it, he would find a few sheets of paper with careful calligraphy mapping out a simple melody on a treble clef and accompaniment on a bass clef. It was a song for Torin about Torin though it had no words, but there were echoes of the forge in it, the joy of work and simple pleasure. He didn't know if Torin could read music, so he explained it. He would, of course, teach him the song, but he wanted something tangible to give, and so there it was. He had two more in his bag: one for Timon and one for Torin's lover, who had once been Arry's lover. Strange, that.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 3:19 pm
by Destyn
New Year's Party
Kalzasi - 1 Glade, 122

Image

Destyn descended the steps hugging a pile of gifts, all wrapped in large, thick leaves and bound with rough hewn twine. It hadn’t been the simplest task to find such greenery in Frost- especially not with the city borders being tightly controlled in the aftermath of the reception riot- but there were places infused with life giving energies for which weather was no match.

Destyn’s gifts were all hand-crafted, as he was increasingly sceptical about the concept of money and avoided transactions requiring it’s use when at all possible. Some were personal, but he’d made or found a few extra trinkets knowing that there would be strangers in their midst and not wanting them to feel excluded. Strangers could, after all, turn quickly into friends.

He knelt to arrange his gifts in the pile with the others. He had distinguished the specific gifts by scrawling little depictions of their intended recipients onto the leaves with some sort of bright yellow substance. It was a good thing his friends all wore their hair differently, or they might have been indistinguishable.

With his presents placed, Destyn put his hands on his hips and knitted his brow. Where was Torin? He sniffed the air, but whatever Timon was concocting in the kitchen masked the milder aroma of his friend. He perked his ears at the sound of voices outside and scrambled to the door, peeking out and finding Torin in conversation with someone unfamiliar. A big, burly fellow to Destyn’s eyes, with arms that looked well suited to hugs.

Destyn stepped outside- immediately awash with a chill that gave him goose pimples. Though his trousers were a warm knit, his torso was only covered by a light vest that left much of his back exposed due to the simple straps holding that side together and affording freedom to his wings. They fluttered in a shiver at the cold, but he powered through and approached the pair.

“Hello, Mister. I am Destynrael but you are allowed to call me, also, just Destyn. I, uh… cohabitate much of the time with Torin and Timon.” He tilted his head in a vaguely avian gesture- or was it more insectoid as his translucent wings might suggest?

“But, who are you, though?” Blink.
New Year's Party

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:25 pm
by Torin Kilvin
The hug was returned with all of Torin's returning strength. It felt good, like home in a way wholly different than Aurin felt like home, or Sivan, or Timon. The smith was coming to learn that, for him, the concept of home was made up of the people he wanted to share his space and life with.

"Happy New Year, Finn." He said, more quietly than he'd intended, throat tightened with more feeling than just a well-wish. This man too, had been there to lead him back when his spirit had drifted. Where the friendship had started as a spark of similarity, and then drifted when the minstrel had started his relationship with Arry, it had steadied now into something solid, something like brotherhood.

There, in the doorway, Finn pulled out a roll of fancy paper tied with a string, which, when opened, Torin was at least able to recognize as a song. He could not read music but he at least knew what it looked like written down. The idea, that it was a song for him, sprang immediately into his mind and there was a moment when his throat tightened again though he was smiling with all his might.

"Thank you." He cleared the throat and remembered they were still standing in the cold.

"You will have to teach it to me, I can't read it. But come in, I have something for you, though you asked for part of it yourself." Turning to lead the other man inside he saw that Destyn had followed him to greet the guest.

"Oh. Good morning, Destyn. This is Finn. He's a friend of mine, he works here sometimes." He hadn't been sure the two had ever been introduced, though they might have seen each other around the forge or house.

He let the two greet each other before bundling them both back into the warmth of the main room. Timon stuck his head out of the kitchen and waved, saying,

"Hullo, Finn!" Before disappearing again, flour smudged over his face, though none was on his new clothing.

Torin led his friend over to the pile of gifts, which seemed to have grown by a half dozen or more packages since he'd left it. Plucking from it the smallest he held it out, only slightly bashfully, to his human friend. The small wooden box under the wrapping contained two things, one was a set of spell-strings for the lute that would not break and would allow Finn to more easily incorporate his magic into his performances, the second was the set of lute pegs which had been requested.

The pegs were silver, also magically strengthened. Each was etched in simple, elegant scrollwork that would hopefully complement the curves of any lute they were attached to. He explained, briefly, about the spell strings, but Finn knew what the pegs were.

Turning to Destyn while the other man investigated his gifts he said,

"Would you like your present now, or would you like to wait?" He imagined the excitable Fae would not want to wait, but perhaps he was hungry.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:54 pm
by Finn
"I surely will," Finn promised.

Then, his eyes widened a bit at the sight of the Fae'ethalan. Torin had spoken about him enough, but Finn had yet to meet him.

"Happy New Year, Destynrael. Destyn." He nodded to Torin's introduction and smiled. "Just Finn." Usued to the Kalzasern weather, he was still pleased to move into the warmth of the house, as well as the cloud of cooking smells. His stomach immediately growled in appreciation.

"Hey, Timon—oop, 'bye, Timon." He grinned and shrugged. The kid was good, and clearly had his work cut out for him in the kitchen. As he was pulling out similar rolls of paper tied with different colored ribbons for Timon and Aurin, Torin foisted a present off on him.

"Oh..." Smiling dumbly, he opened it. "Tricky bugger, thank you." The pegs were perfect and the strings looked the same. But he had wanted to pay for the pegs, and now they were a present. It was bad business, but he appreciated the generosity. He gave him another hug as the man asked Destyn about his own present preferences. In the meantime, he gave his presents another look as he wondered how long he would have to wait to apply them to his battered lute and see what they could do.

"I can't stay too long," he said apologetically after Destyn made his decision. "But I want to spend some time and definitely eat some food, and we can figure out a time for me to visit and teach you all your songs." His smile faltered a little; perhaps he would get to know Destyn well enough to write him a little something for a belated New Year present. It was too bad that he couldn't just say he was going to meet Arry for another party, doing the rounds. He tried not to mention Torin to Arry, nor Arry to Torin. Arry could get icy with resentment, and Torin was only now starting to get over the aftereffects of whatever Arry had done to him. It had been too quick, Arry too powerful, and Finn too out of it to know exactly what sort of meddling he had done in Torin's symphony, but its effects had been long-lasting, for certes.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 6:22 pm
by Destyn
New Year's Party
Kalzasi - 1 Glade, 122

Image

Destyn tilted his head in the other direction, but kept his eyes fixed on the new human, when Torin introduced Finn.

"He works here?" Destyn wrinkled his nose in an expression that might have looked akin to distaste, "I have never seen him before. I would remember." When he was addressed by Finn directly, a beaming smile supplanted his bemused grimace.

"Happy New Year! May I have, from you, a hug? You appear very good at them." He opened his arms in offering, but would not presume to claim an embrace without clear consent from the stranger. He was very cautious around strangers, nowadays.

He followed them in, feeling a bit of the gooseberry in this situation- neither wholly host nor wholly guest, it felt best to let Torin and Finn lead in a social experiment that was, like so many things, new to Destyn. Such as things were, he just hung about on the periphery- folding his wings, now that they were back in the warmth of the indoors.

The Fae blinked at Torin when the question was posed to him directly, and shrugged one shoulder.

"I... do not know. Whatever you think is, um... appropriate?" He and Finn had exchanged their gifts already, "I have presents for you and for, also, Finn, but..." He looked to the new human, "I do not know you, so your present will be kind of random? I just, you know, collected extra things because I knew I would encounter, today, new people. I hope this will not make you feel unspecial." He pouted a bit,

"But why can you not stay long, Finn? I wish to know you."
New Year's Party

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 9:04 pm
by Torin Kilvin
The second hug was nice, the easy comfort remaining between them felt good, safe. There had been a few moments of painful vulnerability while Torin had been sick, but, as with the shared work, bathing, meals, and all else, it hadn't changed the feel of his connection with Finn. If anything, they felt more like brothers in his head than ever.

As much as he hadn't always enjoyed the other apprentices being around when he first came to the city, he'd grown used to having others of a similar age who he could discuss his work with around all the time. Timon understood the idea of the work, but none of the details, Aurin was in a similar place, but Finn was a smith too, and Torin could complain about complex ideas to his heart's content and know that, with the minstrel, he'd be understood.

"Sorry for stealing your idea. I was making the strings already, so it was right next door. Maybe you can come by, when your lute is finished and let me see how they play?" They could sing songs, old favorites, and Finn's new compositions. It felt comfortable to have friends over in his house whenever they wanted to be there now. It felt like a home.

When Destyn seemed hesitant instead of excited Torin threw his arm around the smaller blond and said,

"You and I can exchange gifts later, when we can concentrate on them." Turning and throwing his other arm around Finn he said,

"Come on, if you aren't going to be staying long the least I can do is feed you." Ushering both men over to the table they sat down just in time for Timon to appear carrying a huge, stealing venison pie that had been in the oven since just after dawn. The little bags in front of their table settings contained candy and other small, useful things; pen nibs for Finn, Glade seeds for Destyn. While the candy was of the normal sort for the human, it was actually honeyed crickets for the Fae. Torin had been offered a bowl of fried crickets the first time he'd visited his friend's tribe as a boy, and Destyn had enjoyed honey on the picnic they'd been to with Sivan. The smith could only hope they were acceptable. There was a large assortment of every type of fruit available in Frost, so Destyn wouldn't go hungry either way, but Torin wanted to try and give him a treat as well.

Taking a seat with them Timon let out a sigh as though he'd been working hard at a forge all day, and, Torin supposed, in one way, he had. When offered Finn's gift he took his reverently with eyes wide.

"Like the one you wrote for the Prince?" He was more careful with his S sounds around Finn since the man was helping him with them, but it was surprising, and a good sign, that he remembered while so obviously awed. Attending the Capstone performance had been a life event of great import to the apprentice, one he still seemed to barely believe he'd been allowed.

While they talked Torin filled their plates with hot pie, thick with chunks of tender venison and fresh bread to soak up the gravy. There were cookies, cake and candied fruit all over, so he figured sweets could be gathered at will.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:29 pm
by Finn
"Oh," he said, a chuckle startled out of him, "of course. Bring it in." He opened his arms wide and managed to carefully embrace the slender Fae without damaging his wings. Finn wasn't shy about it; the Fae seemed like a good sort from what Torin had said and Finn's own brief time in his presence. His symphony was light and delicate, albeit with an undercurrent of deep trauma. Such was the world. And then Torin had his arms around both of them and was leading them in.

"A present for me?" He considered. "Well, then I will have to write you a little song. It will be a belated gift, but I'll have it the next time I come by to help Torin at the forge."

Finn laughed at Timon's exhaustion, but it was good-humored.

"Can't leave without sampling Timon's feast. Oh, nothing quite so grand as what I wrote for the Shinsei, but long before that was written, I played him something simple like this, letting him know I was working on something grander. The melody remained largely the same, the ideas and the themes. They just got more complex and all as I developed them. So... sort of like what you heard at the Pyrecaeon?"

He smiled, a little flushed himself at Timon's awe. He was a good lad, quick to learn the tricks that helped with his lisp, and it seemed as though he and Torin were good for each other. It seemed Destyn and Torin were good for each other as well. It was too bad Arry couldn't quite put behind him the feeling that Torin had stolen Aurin from him. But even as Destyn asked, he didn't want to bring up Arry, knowing Torin hadn't reacted well to even mentions of him since... Well.

"Unfortunately, I have a difficult time saying no to people, so there are several parties I have to show my face at... but never fear! Soon enough I will be back and pestering you to sing me all the songs of your people if you are willing." His face grew serious for a moment, not wanting to pull that traumatic undertone to the forefront of his symphony. "That is, if you would like to share. Perhaps it might help. My condolences for your loss."

It had been some time, he thought, but then, he still wasn't right about losing his grandmother, and that had been years now. He couldn't imagine losing his whole village in one fell swoop, though he also had his reasons to hate and fear the Zaichaeri.

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 8:34 pm
by Destyn
New Year's Party
Kalzasi - 1 Glade, 122

Image

Destyn knitted his brow perplexed at Finn's turn of phrase.

"Bring what i-..." His query was interrupted by a clarifying gesture, as Finn drew him into his arms. The words he'd been forming just melted into a satisfied hum as he pressed his cheek to the big broad chest of the warm human.

As they made their way inside, Finn's proposition of writing him a song set his wings to attention at his back.

"A song?! For me?! Yes, please!" That would be an unique honour in his limited reckoning. As Torin spoke with Finn, Destyn moved to pluck up one of the unmarked gifts he'd wrapped in leaves for the people he didn't know. "You can have this one." He informed Finn, when there was a lapse in his exchange with Torin and, if he opened it, he would find a tarnished broach. Destyn had cleaned it of the grime from whence he'd dredged it, but it had still seen more glistering days. At least one could tell it was meant to be a beetle of some kind and beneath the scraped paint was a golden hue, though Destyn neither knew nor cared whether the metal itself was precious.

Claiming a seat at the table, Destyn sniffed at the offerings before him and quickly sussed out the location of the honeyed crickets.

"Yummy!" He exclaimed, as he dug into the pouch and munched down on one of the protein-rich treats. To Timon he smiled, picking an errant cricket leg from his teeth as he said. "Your pie smells very good! I almost wish I could eat it, but not really because to me dead deers are more sad than meat is tasty..." Not that he'd ever tried mammalian meat, but he couldn't imagine there was anything that could eclipse the feeling of gnawing on flesh enough to make it feel worthwhile to him. Happily, Finn addressed him again and drew his thoughts from thence.

"Of course I will sing for you! Music is, I think, the best form of communication so our folksongs might teach you much of us, if you wish to learn. Oh..." His light dimmed at Finn's offered condolences, "...you have heard about that, have you? I thank you." He wrinkled his nose and looked to Timon,

"Will you pass to me, please, the cherries?"
New Year's Party

Re: New Year's Party [Closed]

Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 5:52 pm
by Torin Kilvin
Torin ate, mostly quietly, letting his two friends talk so that perhaps they might also become friends. It seemed a little inevitable, seeing as they were both around the forge and house regularly.

He was surprised when he looked down and found his plate mostly empty. It was beginning to become obvious to him that, when left alone with something to distract his mind, his body would happily feed itself. It was when he was alone, or thinking specifically about how it was sometimes difficult to eat, or his lack of general appetite, that it became increasingly difficult to fill his belly. Days like today, when there would be plenty by way of distractions, company, and food, it seemed likely he would be able to fulfill his promise to Aurin to put back on the weight his various illnesses, physical and mental, had taken from him.

The conversation passed around him with only his occasional input until it became obvious that Finn had to leave. He didn't expect any of his guests to stay very long, being as it was still a busy, festive season during which people were expected to visit various friends and family.

When they stood he hugged the musician again, somehow closer than the happy greeting embrace had been. Finn was strong in a similar way to how Torin was, and there was something specifically comforting in that. Likely some sense memory of his old master, but he was not thinking of that now, only that it was nice to have friendships that were so comfortable.

"Thank you," He said as they pulled back, "We can sing together the next time you're here. I have a new order for blades I'll be working over the season and experienced hands are always welcome."

Grasping Finn's forearm in farewell as he said it made a tiny joke out of his words, and he smiled, hopeful that it would amuse more than just him.

When the Finn had gone Torin turned back to Timon and Destyn and said,

"How about presents for the two of you then?"