#arrowind

[celelorien]

we had some good clear hot weather for a bit and so i took a brief detour from working on the initial meeting cycle to bring you family hammock naps, because Why Not. A definite perk to being so tall is that you can gently push the hammock back and forth, heh.

[celelorien]

Let's go on an adventure!!

[celelorien]

was scrolling back through my tag to cheer myself up and realized i'd forgotten to post this to tumblr! i drew it ages ago, before i drew the actual meeting set for this 'verse, so i was gonna wait til i finished THAT before posting THIS, and then... forgot. but yeah! off on another family picnic (it's a tradition now) and the nice thing about having Very Tall Dads is even when you're a teenager you can still swing from their hands, hahaha.

[celelorien]

First Watch - Glinmuin usually stays up for first watch, as he's used to being up late as a bard and his lack of darkvision means its better for him to take a watch while the fire's still going a bit. Kluh'taq prefers to sleep against him during first watch, so that if anything happens he'll wake up right away. Second Watch - Kluh'taq usually puts at least his chain shirt back on for his watch. While he was avoiding his feelings (and Glinmuin) Kluh'taq generally took either the last or second to last watch but he prefers the watch directly after now. Off Watch - The rest of the night, while the remaining party members take their watches. Kluh'taq usually braids his hair and ties it into a loop on itself if they're out in the field, and Arrowind determines if they use a blanket or not. (Usually, sandwiched between two very hot-running dads with Glinmuin's sleeve as blanket is sufficient, hahaha.)

[celelorien]

Got a bit long, so storytime to go with the pictures under the read-more! How Arrowind met Glinmuin and Kluh'taq in the universe where they're married and live in Exandria. (Though this is pre-handfasting of course - just dating!)

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Kluh'taq turned from the stall, tucking the purchased meat buns safely away in his pack next to the bundle of vegetables. Walking briskly down the busy street, it was unusually difficult to spot Glinmuin - here in Asarius, the City of Beasts, there were many beings as tall as or even taller than the firbolg, so he simply headed towards the cider stand they'd pointed out before. And indeed, there he was, leaning on the counter and chatting up the shopkeep animatedly as she filled an earthenware jug - and there, just behind him, a small hand delicately plucking at his purse strings. Scowling as he widened his stride, he covered the remaining distance swiftly. Snatching the offender up by the wrist and spinning him - it was a young boy?? - to face him, he demanded, "What's all this, then?"

The boy's eyes widened in fright, then shrank suddenly - along with the rest of him - as he transformed, arm slipping out of Kluh'taq's grasp.

"Haah?!"

"Whoops! Got him," Glinmuin said, having turned to see what Kluh'taq was talking about and reflexively reaching out to catch the falling creature.

"Think you scared him, love - yowch! Hey now, biting does you no good - I'm not gonna hurt you, and all the pups used to love teething on me," Glinmuin scolded, tucking the boy-turned-giant-rat firmly in the crook of his elbow, against the leather of his vest. He frowned, fingers shifting slightly against the matted brown fur. "Why, he's nothing but skin and bones..."

Kluh'taq's scowl deepened, crossing his arms as he recalled the feel of that too-thin wrist. "Rrrgh, don't even bother breaking out the puppy eyes. This is our first downtime in weeks, so if you want to feed the stray he'll just have to come along. I'm not giving up our picnic time," he grumbled, turning on his heel to march back towards the meat bun stall.

Glinmuin beamed, first at Kluh'taq's retreating back and then down at the rat boy who had frozen stock still in his arms at the mention of food. "There, see? Not so scary once you get to know him!" he chirped, still grinning broadly.

"I heard that!" Kluh'taq called over his shoulder, still frowning fiercely.

"Love you!!" Glinmuin shouted back, his grin taking on a decidedly wicked cant as Kluh'taq hunched his shoulders, the tips of his ears darkening as he picked up his pace and hurried off.

"Well, now that that's settled, let's finish up here and go get some dessert!" he continued cheerfully, placing his coins on the counter and picking up the finished jug of cider. "Do you want to stay there or ride on my shoulder?"

The rat boy hesitated, then reached out a tentative paw and climbed slowly upwards, slinking up the bell pouches like ladder steps. It seemed too good to be true - he'd just tried to pickpocket him! But if the blue guy really meant to feed him... His stomach twisted painfully as he crouched there, reminding him how long it'd been since his last real meal. He could always jump off if it seemed they were headed to the guards, he reasoned to himself, scanning the area around and behind with quick glances. His nose twitched and he looked down, eyes widening at the pie being wrapped in a large green kerchief. It smelled of apple and cinnamon, and was definitely worth the risk of trusting these weirdos.

They left the market thoroughfare and headed towards the outskirts of the city, the dirt path well trodden as they climbed up the hill. "This looks like the spot! That innkeeper was right - this is quite nice!" Glinmuin declared, setting the cider jug on the ground and extracting a large checked blanket from his bag. He shook it out with a snap and laid it down, nodding at the rat boy. "Mind getting those corners?"

His passenger nodded, skittering down his arm and shifting back to his halfway form, pulling the edges of the blanket straight. "I'm Glinmuin, by the way - Glinmuin Tarogness Turen! The grumpy one's Kluh'taq. And you are?" he continued, pulling more and more foods from his pack, handing some to the boy to set down.

Hesitating just a moment, the boy decided. "Arrowind. Arrowind Skint," he answered honestly.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Glinmuin replied, smiling broadly.

(and so.... Nice picnic chats were had, Kluh'taq continued to pretend very hard not to care whilst caring very deeply, offering that he guesses Arrowind could come along as his squire or something, he's been looking for a likely lad to assist him no he hasn't he doesn't let anyone touch his armor if he likes or whatever but he doesn't have to or anything.)

[celelorien]

Handfasting shenangians, part two!! (part one over here!)

So the time of the opening ceremony changes depending how feisty you feel and how confident in your skills you are - regardless of when you start, the challenge officially ends at midnight. So of course these two start super early with a big lunch feast followed by the ceremony, and then it's dancing and drinking and partying with the guests! Until it's time for them to turn on their hosts!!

Technically you can attempt to try and steal the ribbon at any time after the binding ceremony finishes but the real concerted effort to swipe the ribbon starts at dusk, which was the traditional start time from back in the old days. So at sunset, the participating guests REALLY let loose with trying to capture the pair of them, generally chasing the "happy couple" all over town to try to steal the handfasting ribbon. The chase ranges all over, though the main party area has a dinner buffet set up with finger foods and snacks that are quick and easy to swipe and eat on the run. Nowadays, folks don't generally use live weaponry, but the wooden ones still sting! But even when their ribbon bearer turns traitor and nearly takes the ribbon, the two of them are having a great fun time! With Arrowind punished for his crimes with tickles, Glinmuin and Kluh'taq run for it - and at the stroke of midnight, victory is theirs with a triumphant lift to celebrate!

(And, as a side note, while they do the handfasting hobgoblin style, Kluh'taq takes Glinmuin's secondary name in Gnomish tradition and has to meet / get approved of by his family to take his clan name. So Kluh'taq becomes Kluh'taq Tarogness, and eventually Kluh'taq Tarogness Turen - though meeting the Turen clan is a challenge perhaps comparable to the handfasting gauntlet!!)