#theylia

[naivaria]

♘ - a memory of their sibling(s)

((These memory ones take me a while sometimes, sorry for the wait!))They were outside, running along the sandy beach in their swimsuits, Naivaria cackling as she chased Theylia. “I’m gonna get you!” she shouted, and Theylia looked behind her for a moment before she sped up.“No you’re not!” Theylia called back, her feet now kicking up plumes of sand as she sprinted. Naivaria had just had a growth spurt, and like most her age she had an abundance of energy to burn–if slightly shorter legs than her sister. She’d never been particularly good at anything athletic, but when she ran it was almost as if her feet took flight.It was unfortunate that Theylia was faster than she was.Eventually the chase ended, fruitless, and she collapsed onto the sand and rolled onto her back. It was only then that Theylia circled back around and came trotting up to her side, panting. “Nai Nai, you are getting faster every day. Pretty soon I’m going to have to start being tricky–”Those words died in her mouth as Naivaria moved her arm, tossing something slimy onto Theylia’s leg. It was that momentary shock–that time when Theylia only had that unpleasantly slimy feeling to tell her what was there–that had Naivaria cackling breathlessly in the sand. And then it evolved into a full-bellied bout of body-curling laughter as Theylia shuddered and made to frantically peel the piece of stranglekelp off of her. “Eew, eew, eew,” she breathed between hops, trying to grab the plant but failing a couple times before she finally managed to peel it off of her. By the time she’d gotten it off of her leg she’d fallen back to sit on her rump. “Augh, I hate that feeling!”Naivaria was too caught up in her giggle fit to really pay attention. Then she felt something slimy hit her right int he face, and she reached up to tear it off. “I have slime on my face!” she complained, but even that was lost as she giggled and tossed the kelp away. There was a moment of silence once she’d gotten herself under control and sat up, sand all over the back of her. Then she turned to her sister and grinned.“Ohhhh, no. I know that smile.”“Want a hug?” Naivaria asked, that evil glint in her eyes that made Theylia scramble to her feet.“YOU KEEP YOUR FACE AWAY FROM ME!”And they were off again, sprinting along the beach back the way they had come, both of them shrieking and laughing as they kicked up sand and surf.[ theylia-shadowphase ]

[seviar]

Commission I did for Theylia

[naivaria]

⌘

Send me ⌘ and I will pick a random word and write something that has to do with it. (click here for the original prompt with the word randomizer)Random word:  Curse [This ought to be fun!]“Nai Nai,” Theylia crooned sweetly, wandering around the dress shop and casually trailing her fingers along the fabric of the dress that she was skirting around.  “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”A three-year-old Naivaria huddled beneath a mannequin, obscured by the thick white satin of a wedding gown that sat in the storefront window, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling.  It was her favorite game, and she always tried to scare her big sister, even if most of the time Theylia found her before she could jump out at her.“Are you… here?”  Naivaria tensed up with wide eyes, but the whooshing of fabric wasn’t coming from the dress that she was under.  “Huh.  Nope… where are you, little Nai Nai?”A tiny little giggle escaped her lips and she pushed her hands tighter against her mouth.  Footsteps paused, and then began meandering closer.  “How about… here?”  Another dress swishing, this one close by but still not little Nai’s hiding spot.  She held her breath.  “Here?”  Another dress, this one very close.  She saw a little bit of a shadow on the ground as Theylia passed right by.Scooting forward just a little, Nai’s little hands lifted the fabric of the dress as quietly as she could to see the backs of Theylia’s legs.  “RAWR!” she shouted as she tumbled out from beneath the gown, causing Theylia to let out a startled shriek. Naivaria giggled madly.  Success!“Shit!” Thia exclaimed as she lost her balance and careened into the mannequin in front of her. The two went crashing down together, tangled on the floor, and Nai gasped.“Oh no Thia!  You falleded!”  The toddler’s quick words were accompanied by little hops around the spilled fabric and her big sister.  “And you said a bad!”“Shh, shh!” Theylia hurriedly hissed, attempting to shush her sister before their mother came running into the shop proper.  She rolled out of the fabric and carefully stood up, righting the mannequin and checking the dress itself for tears or stains.  Luckily there were none, and when Theylia made to scold Naivaria for scaring her the diminutive girl balled her tiny hands into fists and planted them on her hips.“No Thia,” she reasoned.  “You said a bad and now you go to jail.”  Her little face was screwed up in an expression that could only be described as adorably stern, and she pointed over to the cabinet, whose doors were open on the far side of the large room to display containers full of sewing supplies. “Or I tell Minn’da!”  Theylia looked to the door leading tot he back of the shop and then sighed. “How long am I in for?” she questioned as she trudged along with her shoulders in an exaggerated sag.“You in five minutes!” the toddler squeaked, holding up four fingers before following her over to the cabinet.  Five minutes was a term that her mother often used when Nai asked her how much longer before she could play, or go home, or have a snack.  Five minutes was a really, really long time.  She carefully arranged the doors to that they stood straight out, and then dragged an empty fabric rack over, grunting with the effort, to screen off the open space in front of them.  Theylia sat there obediently, her eyes repentant.“But five minutes is foreverrrr!” she complained.  “Is there any chance that I could get out in three minutes if I behave?”“No.  Five minutes.  You said a bad!”Theylia gave an exaggerated groan.  “I’m gonna die in here!”“What is this?” came another voice.  It was their mother, just having stepped out from the back of the shop.  She was staring at the scene, from Theylia, trapped in the little cube of space between the cabinet and the fabric rack, to Naivaria, who had taken to patrolling along in front of it, pacing back and forth. The toddler spun to face their mother and announced quite proudly, “Minn’da, Thia did a bad and now she’s a crime.”Their mother chuckled and came around the counter, fixing Theylia with a grave look.  “Oh, my.  How long are you in for, you criminal?”“Five minutes,” Theylia said drearily.“Five minutes!” Sinaeryn exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth.  “Why, that’s practically forever!”  Then she looked to Naivaria, giving her a salute.  “Officer Nai, I need to borrow your prisoner to try on a few things.  Do I have your permission?”“Ooooh,” Nai replied, her eyes lighting for a moment before she got back in character.  She cleared her throat and said, “only if I go too.”“Deal!” her mother said, and then easily lifted the light fabric rack to replace it by the wall.  By the time they were done in the back, Nai had forgotten all about the crime and its sentence.[ eymbyrwish ]

[naivaria]

⌘ for Arandoros!

Send me ⌘ and I will pick a random word and write something that has to do with it. ( click here for original prompt and word generator )Randomly Generated Word: BonusThey were sitting together on a blanket, pointing out constellations to each other; Naivaria in thick, warming robes and Arandoros wearing thinner summer dress.  They had hit the wine bottle, and while he held his liquor well, she was a bit of a lightweight.  Actually, a bit of a lightweight was a bit of an understatement.  Her thin frame and her lack of appetite gave very little in the way of actually absorbing the alcohol, so of course she had had to stop after about half a glass, and even then she was a bit tipsy.“No, no, that’s the Centaur’s Belt!” she said,and then started giggling.“I’ve never head of the Centaur’s Belt,” Aran said, turning an amused look on his stargazing partner.  “Are you certain that’s a real constellation?”“It’s not,” she admitted.  “This one time when Theylia and I were younger, we got into a rather heated debate about centaur.  I don’t remember what the original conversation was about, but it ended up devolving into a stream of jokes about them and Theylia asked me, ‘Nai, why do centaur wear belts?’  I of course told her that she was being silly, and that they didn’t wear belts at all because centaur don’t wear pants.”  A grin curled at the corners of her lips.  “But then she started laughing, and said, ‘well, how else do you know where their centaur is?’ It was a really, really bad joke. I even groaned.  So then I found the Great Steed and named the stars in the middle of it the ‘Centaur’s Belt.’ When I pointed it out to Theylia I was fairly certain that she was going to smack me, but she laughed so hard I thought she was going to turn blue.  Then she snorted, and it was just icing on the cake.”[ arandoros | eymbyrwish ]

[naivaria]

June 9

Once again, I am lax with keeping this journal up.  Let’s see... my apprenticeship to Lady Devonshire goes well.  While I live at her Estate, I keep the old apartment in the Exchange to house the things that I acquire for the shop.  It is really quite fortunate that it has happened this way; as I make money with my commissions, I am able to purchase more and more.  I only hope that when the time comes to finally put an offer in for a shop I will not have to use too much of the bank note that Lord Bladerunner gave to me.  It will make it easier for me to pay him back in the future--and I do fully intend on doing just that.  It is, after all, a matter of pride that I do not take with no intent to give in return.  And while he will be receiving a fraction of my profits when I do open my shop, I still don’t feel right not giving back the money he loaned even if he insists that he does not need it. I always--always--repay my debts.

Arandoros and I are... well... I don’t really know what to write in here.  We’re not doing anything inappropriate, though I think about it sometimes when his back is turned.  Especially when his back is turned.  Mostly we sit and talk, and get to know each other.  He shows me some things, and I show him others (though he really is quite terrible at working with the smaller, more precise things--his hands are simply too big, and I’ve yet to decide if that is a good or bad thing).  In the end, I suppose people would say that the two of us are fairly tame. Just a few days ago our conversation turned to more serious issues, and I learned quite a bit about his past.  He was reluctant to share it, and I understood the sentiment. My mother had always told me that trust is not a thing freely given. Rather, it is an exchange; a knowledge that no matter what the weather, your faith in that person or thing is not misplaced. And to gain one’s trust, oftentimes you must give your own to them first if only to show them that you know what it is to share yourself with another person. When he told me the story that he had been so reluctant to share, my heart wept for him. It was hard to look into his face and know that pain; pain that still eats at him in a much different way than mine eats at me. I did it anyway.  I suppose I am still unsure whether being able to feel what others feel is a blessing or a curse, but in the end I cannot really question it.  People have seemed a bit jumpy lately, and though I do not have the specifics I did hear just this morning (yesterday morning? I have not yet gone to sleep) that Lord Sunrunner was arrested and is currently awaiting trial for murder.  While I harbor no love for the man, having only seen him once acting every bit the pretentious jerk I had originally assumed every nobleman to be and once being rather short-tempered and incensed by something or another, I have it on good faith from several trustworthy individuals that he is not what he has presented himself to be in these two very isolated occurrences.  I have been told that he is actually somewhat charming and gentlemanly in nature.  Would he, then, stoop to such a low?  I am really quite unsure, but I have to hope that that is not the case, lest I find myself associating with those who have sworn themselves to a criminal.  The very notion makes me ill at ease. Tonight Lady Ashfall made it clear that I am to have a guard on me at all times. While I am not happy with this arrangement in the least I must abide by it, for if I am to believe what I felt, there is a real chance of danger. There was fear there tonight; not just for herself, but for others as well. In the end, Arandoros accompanied me back to Lady Devonshire’s estate, and is staying in the guest room nearby--at least until a guard can be put on me. I know that Aran wishes to protect me, and I respect that, but I do not want to get him involved if there is no need. I would rather see him safe if there is any real danger there, and would feel terrible were he to be injured on my account. On that note, I think I am rambling in this light-forsaken book because I am afraid to close my eyes. What is it that lurks out there that they believe poses a threat to me? My mind keeps running in circles with the possibilities, and I don’t know how to turn it off. If I go to sleep, does that give it permission to come out of hiding? It’s interesting how those words of warning, coupled with that feeling of urgency and fear, can completely transform a pleasant evening into a restless night. I wonder if Theylia is home yet. I should go and check on her before I go to sleep, and warn her. [ arandoros | arandael | aeviaras | merialeth | theladydevonshire | thedeceptiverose | aeviry for mentions! ]

[naivaria]

Light.

It was a rare day when Naivaria was actually hungry.  This new tonic that Theylia had brought home was a different formula than the last. It seemed that with the concern for the effectiveness of the tincture came a lack of regard for its taste, for this one was more vile than the last.  Still, Theylia had given it to Naivaria as soon as she’d woken up this morning, and by the time midday rolled around Naivaria was up and out of bed, her legs weak but not shaking as they typically did when the pain consumed her.  For that she was thankful.

She found the lunch that Theylia had left for her–bread, cheese, and grapes–and set to work on it before her stomach could get any other ideas.  She knew that she needed to eat, and if by some miracle she was to be pain free–or at least in far less pain than she normally was–then she needed to take advantage of her hunger.It didn’t take her long to polish off the majority of what Theylia had left, and when she had packed up the rest for later she turned to look at the curtained window.  It was a bit stale in here as far as air went.  Maybe she should open the window–or better yet, go outside.  Deciding on the latter, she went about doing the things that one normally did at the start of their day, and when she was finally clean and dressed and ready to go out, she reached for the door handle and paused.What if the tonic stopped working?  What if she couldn’t get back inside?  Sighing, she decided against taking a walk, and instead returned to her bedside long enough to grab the book that she had been reading: A text on magical theory.  Oh, she had no talent with the arcane, but it was interesting to read about nonetheless.  Returning to the door with the book tucked under her arm, Naivaria tugged it open and stepped outside.  She would only go as far as the stoop, and read for a while in the fresh air of the Bazaar.The light outside was so bright after weeks of being inside that she had to squint for a good long while before her eyes adjusted.  She didn’t care, though; settling up against the banister on the top step she cracked open her book and began to read, warmed by the sun and sporting a smile that was genuinely happy for the first time in what had seemed like forever.

[naivaria]

Worry.

It was a warm sort of feeling, the man’s hands upon her bare skin, and even though she knew it would do nothing in the long run, for a little while the pain went away and she was able to relax against her bed, lids fluttering closed over tired eyes.  Theylia hovered, as she tended to do these days–Naivaria had seen her there, looking on worriedly.  Now she felt her presence, and the clench in her chest that came with her sister’s anxious shifting.

“You look worse than the last time I saw you,” a deep voice rumbled; and though she knew that he was only making conversation, her lips turned downward into a frown.  She said nothing, only concentrating on the warmth radiating from the man’s hands where rested; one gently enveloping her forehead and the other resting on her belly.  It was the latter that helped the most, his warmth touching her limbs as it flowed through her.  “Have you been eating?”“Yes.”“No.”  The sisters replied in unison, and Naivaria opened her eyes to glare at Theylia for her traitorous comment.  The other woman shifted, sitting down on the mattress that lay next to Nai’s on the floor, staring right back in a way that suggested she would hear no argument from her younger sister.  “She’s been avoiding meals.”“Loss of appetite, or nausea?” the man asked.  When Naivaria just frowned, he knit his brows together.“Both,” she answered honestly.  A small sigh escaped her lips, and her stomach rumbled as if to contradict that statement.  Her cheeks flared crimson.  “I feel like I could eat a horse right now, though.”The man smiled down at her, his kindly eyes lined with the pain that he was surely feeling now.  “We will just have to get you something to eat, and I have good news for you.”  He leaned down then, whispering in an almost exaggerated manner.  “I’ve got a tonic for you that will help you get some sleep.  I want you to take it for the next week, eat, and recover what you’ve lost.”Theylia smiled, though that worried crease never left her brow.  “That’s excellent, Perollan.  Do we owe you anything for it?”“No,” he said sternly, looking toward her sister.  “It’s on the house.  I’ve more than enough to pay for it; and besides, I have a friend who makes them.  I can get them cheap.  The only downside is that she can’t take them for too long, or the effects will begin to diminish.”“Isn’t there anything we can do to heal her?” Theylia asked, and Nai sighed and closed her eyes.  There she went again, talking like Nai wasn’t even there. She waited for the words that she knew must come; the words that the healers had told her over and over again.“This, I am afraid, is beyond my capability to heal.  It is much more complicated than a simple injury.  This is something that is so deeply ingrained that it’s going to take a lot of time and special treatment to sift it out of her… and then she’d be in the same boat as those who fled and never came back to the city.”  The man sounded tired.  Her heart beat a sad little rhythm in her chest, for the mood of the room had suddenly spiraled from tension to despair, and she felt it more acutely now that it hung in the air between the three of them like a thick fog.Theylia buried her face in her hands, going silent for a long time. Naivaria wanted to reach for her, wanted to get up and wrap her arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.  But she couldn’t move, her limbs having gone weak as the man worked his healing into her strained muscles.“I’m sorry,” he said to no one in particular.  “I can keep coming back to give you relief from time to time, and you have my word that I will look into treatment for you.  You’re a sweet girl.  You deserve better.”  His hand stroked her forehead now, the soothing motion easing the turmoil that she felt swirling inside her like a tempest.  When she finally managed words, they were not the words she wanted to say, but they were heartfelt nonetheless.  “Thank you.”When the session was over and the healer reluctantly left the two sisters with instructions for his tonic, Theylia returned from seeing him out to crouch near Nai’s bed.  “We’re going to get you better, Nai Nai,” she said gently.“I’m tired, Thia,” Naivaria replied.  They were the only words that she could muster, for her eyelids were already closed and sleep was fast descending upon her.  Still, she felt her sister’s concern–even moreso when she climbed into the bed with her and hugged her tightly.“Rest,” she urged.  Nai’s arms came up to find Theylia’s, and the two sisters held onto each other for a long while, until Naivaria finally drifted off into dreams.Dreams of making her sister happy again.

[naivaria]

April 20

So much has happened since I last earnestly wrote my thoughts in this book that I cringe just wondering where to begin.  Truly, I ought to have done this more often between last month and today.  I suppose I ought to do this in chronological order, then.

I met a man named Zanteron; who at first I thought by his bearing a man of high status, only to find that his ear was much more attuned to a rougher kind of mercenary folk.  Not well spoken at all, that man—but then, I got the sense that in many and more cases, eloquent speech did not serve him well enough out in the world.  We came upon the subject of reading, and when I suggested that a man of his profession likely had little time to read atop his other endeavors… well, he took it to mean that I thought him illiterate and walked away from me in the Square right then and there.  That was not the case.  Several days later he came to me while I was speaking to someone else and gave me the very same book that I was reading at the time.  He told me that until I read that book, he had nothing to say to me. It all seemed very odd at the time, but when I returned home that evening I opened the front cover to find writing inside—it was small and cramped, but readable, and I started flipping pages to find that every margin had a note in it.  I could not read it right then—and, truly, I was not done reading the book itself—so I tucked it away next to my bed until I at least finished the story. I have since started in on the annotated version, and I must say that the notes are almost as interesting as the story itself.  Once I have finished with this I will seek him out to return his book, and perhaps finally have a pleasant conversation with the man.  I’ve many questions, after all, for a man who has seen the world. Speaking more upon men, I met a man who I quickly learned is a man of high status.  His name is Lord Bladerunner.  I believe that he told me his first name, but upon his introduction I must have forgotten it, for I cannot remember   Lord Arandael Bladerunner.  That is his name.  He approached me while I was looking for a pencil—admittedly, so that I could write another thought-piece about a man I had seen lingering around the exchange—and he offered me his.  And while this may sound silly and superstitious, I want to keep his pencil forever as a reminder of how my life turned that day.  For when he learned that I dream of starting a boutique—though I do not think he really knows the reasons why I want to do so beyond my love for sewing and fashion—he began asking all manner of questions pertaining to my plans, and once he had exhausted those, asked that I bring samples of my work to him. I should have spoken to Theylia first, I really should have, but I decided then to seize the moment and gathered up the best examples of my work to show him (including one that I made using one of the sheer drapes from the inside of one of the public buildings which I am certain Theylia did not come across innocently; I hope he did not note that one’s source but I was so proud of it that I couldn’t not show it).  That night he offered me a ludicrous amount of money and a paper with his seal on it to show that he was my patron before he sent me on my way to draft a portfolio and a list of materials I might need to outfit a shop. I cannot describe the feeling that one gets when they realize that suddenly their dream is within reach, but it is one that warmed me that day.  This man swept into my life and changed it forever.  He later inquired as to my living conditions, and upon seeing them for himself offered to pay a small stipend for my sister and I to improve them.  Theylia refused, and… she is right.  It is not a matter of stubbornness, but pride.  That we have come from living on the streets to an apartment in the Exchange is a feat that I, for one, hold in high regard.  We have money problems, sure, but we make things work, and were it not for our struggles would any of this be worthwhile? The shop, too; my motivation is not the money.  That is something that I have seen precious little of in my time, and I am a firm believer that money corrupts and warps.  A person with immense wealth is a person of comfort.  No; my motivation lies in the touching of lives.  From the time I was a little girl, wandering around my mother’s tailoring shop and watching her interact with her clients, I realized that the art of fashion is not one that simply puts an attractive piece of cloth upon a person’s body; it is something that puts an attractive piece of confidence in a person’s mind. A woman or a man who is dressed nicely automatically stands straighter, holds their chin higher.  For me to touch the life of anyone like that does not require me to own a shop as my mother did, but to pay her the homage that she deserves as someone who did touch the lives of so many is something that I have always wanted to do.  I know that she would not fault me for taking money to start a shop so long as I make it successful, but I do think she would frown upon my taking charity from anyone at all.  I am a woman of means.  I must earn every success in my life; not just so that it is an accomplishment made worthwhile from the time and effort afforded it, but so that when I have made myself into someone respectable that respect is a direct reflection of what I have given to others. I have met a lady as well; a friend of Lord Bladrunner’s.  Lady Starsong was a bit different; somehow more gentle and welcoming than the lord, though I think it mostly because he is a man and she seems to know a fair bit more about fashion than he (no offense to men, but many of them must be dressed by women to be dressed properly).  It could also be the fact that she was not wearing armor, and thus simply looked less imposing.  She and I spoke of a commission for Lord Bladerunner’s Gala—I will be making a gown for her, and once the cloth has arrived I will begin in earnest.  It is four days away, now.  The mock-up is done, and I’ve her measurements.  I do hope that she falls in love with the dress I’ve envisioned for her.  I do hope that I can get it done in time.  I’ve quite a bit of sewing to do if I am to have a fitting with her in two days, and have the finished product for her either the day after or the morning of the gala.  Honestly, though; what else is there for me to do with my time?  I will work my fingers off if it means creating something beautiful for someone who is also beautiful. Theylia told me that she spoke with a physician and managed to procure some medicine for me last night after Lord Bladerunner took his leave.  It is different than the last; the tincture tastes awful and it was less effective than the other elixir that she managed a few months ago, but it afforded me at least one night’s peaceful rest and I woke today feeling hungry for once before the pain set in again.  I will only take it at night so that I can sleep.  I will need that rest to fuel me during the days to come.