• Solo • Ashan Fever

1st of Ashan 719

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Rei'sari
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Ashan Fever

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1st Ashan, 719


"You know I love you, right?"

Ari'sora looked up at her sister in confusion. She sounded as awkward as that question was between them. Ari'sora truly did not know how to answer the question, so for several long trills, she said nothing.

"What brought this on?" she asked finally.

Mi'zuri shrugged.

"I don't know, really. Maybe...well...it's just something that one of the girls in my sword class said yestertrial."

Ari'sora thought back to the prank that Mi'zuri had played on her yestertrial. Several of her sister's friends had come over, and Mi'zuri had thought it would be funny to humiliate her in front of them by drenching her in a mix of raw eggs, flour, and water. To be fair, it had been in retaliation for her eating a piece of the lemon merangue pie that her sister had brought home the trial before. How could she have known that her sister had bought it to share with her friends totrial? Mi'zuri hadn't said anything about it, and her sister certainly wasn't shy about helping herself to anything that she wanted of Ari'sora's.

But at least she could understand why her sister had done it. It was a harmless enough prank, even if it had taken her arcs to clean up afterwards, and even now she could hear the laughter as she had stared at Mi'zuri and her friends in shock. What she hadn't understood was why her sister had done it while she was holding Rin'saia. Her daughter hadn't been hurt, but what if she had? The prank had terrified the baby, and it had taken her well over a break to calm her down after being suddenly drenched in a sticky, gooey mess. Somewhat deserved revenge or not, Mi'zuri should have waited until she had settled Rin'saia down for her nap.

"She said that the prank I pulled on you yestertrial was mean, and that I shouldn't have done it. Especially when you were holding Rin'saia. And...well...she was right. It was stupid of me to get mad at you for eating a piece of that pie when I didn't tell you what I had bought it for. So...I'm sorry."

At first, all Ari'sora could do was stare at her sister. Mi'zuri didn't apologize to her...ever. Finally, she nodded.

"Thank you." she said softly.

She didn't say that it was okay...because it wasn't. Ari'sora hated the pranks that Mi'zuri liked to play on her, and she hated it even more that this latest one had involved her daughter. So it wasn't okay. And after making a vow to Pre and Pier that she wasn't going to lie anymore, she wasn't about to pretend that something was okay when it wasn't. That would be a lie, after all.

Fortunately, it seemed to be enough for her sister because she grinned at Ari'sora.

"How about I teach you some of the tricks I am learning with the sword some trial? I know that you chose the shortbow as your weapon, but knowing how to use more than one couldn't hurt, right?"

Ari'sora wasn't sure that she trusted her sister's offer. It seemed genuine enough, but that really didn't mean much when it came to Mi'zuri. Nor was she certain that she trusted her sister to teach her anything involving blades. So she wasn't going to agree to anything without think about it first.

"I'll think about it." was all she said.

"Great! Speaking of lessons, I'm running late to mine, so I've got to go. See you later!"

With that, Mi'zuri ran off, leaving a very bemused Ari'sora in her wake.



Last edited by Rei'sari on Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:25 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 658
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            Rei'sari was formerly Ari'sora, but after getting a fresh start in life and a new appearance from Vega, she changed her name to Rei'sari.
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            Rei'sari
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            Re: Spring Fever

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            Ari'sora was distracted from her bemusement when she saw Shadow walking across their small yard. She was about to call her friend over when she saw another cat join her. This one was larger, and from its behavior, she could only guess that the cat was a male. Ari'sora watched Shadow and her new friend until they disappeared around the side of the cottage. A few trills later, Ari'sora could guess what the two cats were doing by the sounds that filled the air.

            "That black cat is yours, isn't she?"

            Ari'sora turned to see her next door neighbor up. She greeted her politely, then nodded.

            "Then I hope you're ready to deal with a litter of kittens later this season."

            Ari'sora stared at her neighbor with wide eyes. The older woman laughed at her.

            "You do know what those sounds mean, right?"

            Ari'sora blushed as she nodded.

            "Well...kittens are the usual result of such activities. Has your cat ever had kittens before?"

            "No. Not that I know of, at least. But I've only had her since last Vhalar."

            "Well, if this is her first litter, you can expect her to have two or three kittens."

            "When should I expect them?" Ari'sora asked, her mind racing.

            What would she need to know to help Shadow with her kittens? Was there anything she needed to do? Or buy?

            "Cats give birth fifty eight to sixty seven trials after they conceive. So you have a little while to prepare. And don't worry. If you don't want to keep the kittens, the kids here in Beacon will be happy to give them a home when they're old enough to leave their mother."

            Giving the kittens away wasn't even an option, and Ari'sora told her neighbor as much. There was no way Ari'sora would ever take Shadow's children away from her. Nor would she ever want anyone else to help raise them. No. If Shadow had kittens, then she wanted them. Ari'sora knew that she would love them just as much as Shadow would.

            "How will I know for certain if Shadow is pregnant? When will I know? What..."

            Ari'sora fell silent when her neighbor laughed, and held a hand up for silence.

            "You really do ask a lot of questions, Ari'sora. That's good, though. You won't learn if you don't ask, after all. So. If Shadow does become pregnant from her little err..."date" with her friend there, she won't start showing any signs of it for the first twenty one trials or so. Once she does start showing signs, they will be subtle. Especially at first. Her nipples will become darker in color and enlarged. You might notice some milky discharge from the nipples, but cats don't start actually producing milk until after they give birth. Some cats suffer from morning sickness just like people do, but that isn't always the case. At around thirty trials into her pregnancy or so, her belly will begin to swell. Since Shadow isn't overweight, this will be more visible than it would be if she was, but it still won't be obvious at first. Towards the end of the pregnancy, usually when there's only fourteen trials or so until she gives birth, a pregnant cat will often start "nesting." She may choose a quiet place and start arranging blankets for a birthing area. Shadow may also start acting more maternal, mostly by being more affectionate towards you and purring more frequently. At the same time, she might become less tolerant of other pets or animals. So you will need to watch out for that since you also have a nightpup puppy, and a dog. That's about it, really."

            "You sound like this has happened to you before." Ari'sora half asked.

            "Many times. I've kept some of Willow's kittens over the arcs, and given others away. But it's always an adventure. Still. I certainly have experience with pregnant cats, and kittens, so if your Shadow does turn out to be pregnant, feel free to come to me with any questions."

            Ari'sora smiled.

            "Thank you. I will."



            word count: 716
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                      Rei'sari was formerly Ari'sora, but after getting a fresh start in life and a new appearance from Vega, she changed her name to Rei'sari.
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                      Rei'sari
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                      Re: Ashan Fever

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                      Ari'sora knew that she would have to meet with Simone for her bow lesson soon, so she thanked her neighbor again, and made her way to the field where the retired Element held her lessons quickly so she wouldn't be late. When she arrived, the older woman was waiting for her with a short bow in hand.

                      "If you're really serious about taking up this weapon, you will need to buy one for yourself, but for now you can keep using this one during our lessons."

                      Ari'sora nodded to show that she understood. She was serious about taking up the shortbow, but she wanted to know more about the weapon and how to use it before actually buying one of her own. How else would she know if she was getting the best quality she could afford? Or if she actually needed the best quality weapon she could afford, or if a lesser quality...and therefore cheaper one would suit her needs just as well. It wasn't as if she was planning to make her living as a fighter, after all. She just wanted to be able to defend herself if she had to.

                      "So the last time I saw you, I showed you how to nock an arrow, and explained the different parts of both the shortbow, and the arrows that go along with it. What I would like to start you on is nocking an arrow. Just that. You managed to do it once last time. But totrial, you are going to practice until you can do it three times in a row. If there is time left after that, we can work on something new."

                      With that, Simone handed Ari'sora the shortbow, and left her to get started. Three times didn't sound like a lot, but it was much easier said than done. It took her half a break before she managed to nock an arrow even once. Not having her own shortbow meant that she couldn't practice outside of her lessons, and Simone hadn't been available to give any lessons during Cylus. Not that she herself had been available to go to them even if she had been. And she hadn't had the chance to attend many lessons before she had given birth. So this was the first time she had even touched a shortbow since her last lesson.

                      Once she managed to do it once, Ari'sora had thought that it was a good sign. But it was a good twenty bits before she managed to do it again. And an entire break had passed before she managed to do it three times in a row.

                      "Not so easy, is it?"

                      "No, it isn't."

                      "You'll get better with practice, but in order to get that practice, you will need to buy your own weapon. If you want, I can help you pick one out when you are ready for that."

                      Ari'sora smiled as she thanked her teacher.

                      "I'd appreciate that."

                      "Then it's settled. For now, though, I promised to teach you something new, so let's get to it. Once you nock your arrow, the next step in actually firing it is to draw and anchor your bow. To draw a bow, you need to grip the bow handle firmly in your left hand while being careful not to squeeze it. Then, with your bow arm straight, raise the bow to a point that your arm is parallel to the ground, while at the same time drawing the string back to your “anchor point” with your shooting hand. Before you ask, the anchor point may be one of several points; the corner of your mouth, your cheekbone, or your chin. Only practice will help you determine what your best anchor point is. It needs to be one that is both comfortable and one that provides the most accurate shooting. Your fingers should touch the same anchor point each time you draw the bow. As with everything else, this will take practice."

                      When Simone had finished speaking, she demonstrated what she had just explained. Then she made Ari'sora do it...over, and over, and over again.

                      "Repetition more than anything else will help you figure out where your anchor point should be. The next step is taking aim. It is easy to say...and very hard to master. So you aim your arrow by looking at your chosen target with both eyes."

                      When Simone didn't continue with the explanation, Ari'sora frowned in confusion.

                      "That'i it? You just look at your target with both eyes open?"

                      Simone nodded.

                      "That's it. Of course...you have to take all kinds of factors into consideration like wind speed and direction, distance, the chances of your target trying to dodge, the terrain itself...but those things are all for another lesson. Right now we are dealing with only the most fundamental basics. So. You nock an arrow, draw your bow, anchor it, take aim, and release your arrow. When you do release the arrow, you want to allow your fingers to slip quickly away from the string. Doing this gives your arrow a straight, stable flight. Keep your bow arm pointed directly at the target after the release; if the bow is jerked on release, the arrow will fly off target. And finally, follow through by leaving your drawing hand at the anchor point well after the string is released. By remaining in this position, you can shoot a second arrow more easily should it be necessary to do so. Think you've got it?"

                      Ari'sora nodded.

                      "Good. There's just one more thing for you to keep in mind."

                      "What is it?" Simone grinned at Ari'sora's eager expression.

                      "All of that? Everything that it took me two lessons to teach you? A skilled archer can do all of that without thought, and without fail...in a matter of a trill or two."

                      Ari'sora's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her teacher. Simone laughed.

                      "You'll get there some trial, kid. If you practice long enough, and hard enough, you'll get there eventually."

                      With that, Simone laughed again, and walked away.




                      word count: 1048
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                                Rei'sari was formerly Ari'sora, but after getting a fresh start in life and a new appearance from Vega, she changed her name to Rei'sari.
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                                Strange
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                                Re: Ashan Fever


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                                Thread Review
                                Ari'sora
                                Skill Points: +10 (cannot be used for magic)
                                Magic XP: None

                                Renown: None

                                Injuries/Overstepping: None.
                                Wealth Points: None.

                                Loot: Three kittens that will be born on the 59th of Ashan. Two of the resulting kittens will be full Nekosani, and the third will be a normal cat, but after a full arc, it will be able to able to receive telepathic communication from its siblings, but won't be able to initiate it.

                                Skill Knowledges:
                                • Animal Husbandry; Cat: a cat's gestation period is 58-67 trials
                                • Animal Husbandry; Cat: female cats usually have 2-3 kittens in their first litter
                                • Animal Husbandry; Cat: signs that a cat is pregnant
                                • Ranged Combat; Shortbow: drawing and anchoring a bow
                                • Ranged Combat; Shortbow: how to aim
                                • Ranged Combat; Shortbow: how to fire an arrow
                                Non-Skill Knowledges:
                                • none requested.
                                Notes: n/a.

                                Aw, that sisterly apology was sweet. This was a cute slice-of-life with a nice teaching moment as the conclusion. Simone seems like a patient teacher and Ari'sora is a great student, willing to listen to people like her neighbor and Simone through explanations.

                                My only suggestion would be to have considered splitting the dialogue paragraph, of the neighboring explaining the technicalities of feline pregnancy, into two paragraphs for easier reading.

                                Great job and enjoy your rewards!

                                PM me if you have any questions, issues or concerns.

                                Total Word Count: 2,433 words.
                                Review Request Link: viewtopic.php?f=242&t=17435&start=30#p116109
                                stampcodehere

                                word count: 255
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