|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 9:36 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 2:44 pm
 |
|
|
|
Saffron had certainly never looked for power. It wasn't in his nature. And he'd certainly never considered himself in a supervisory role. It had just sort of...happened.
What had always been his simple home had grown and flourished, spreading out into the jungle and firmly digging in its roots. It was no longer simply the home of his family, but others had been drawn in as well. Strangers from the Isle and the City who wished to move in and ply their trade had settled here, making the small settlement something more than just a family homestead. It had been strange at first, but no one was turned away. All were welcome to settle here. In time, Takeko had embraced the idea as well as their new neighbors. Their homestead was something more of a village now, even earning its own name in the matriarch's honor.
Kekomura.
It had started as a joke at first, but the name had stuck. And it didn't seem to be going anywhere now. With more new faces all the time, many of which knew no other name for the place, Takeko and her family had accepted the name and that's what it would be. Of course, with so many new faces, many looking to the matriarch for guidance, it became clear that she couldn't manage an entire village on her own.
That's where the others came in.
Though it seemed everyone still looked to the angel for the final word on important matters, daily tasks and issues were handled by others. Horticulture had fallen to Saffron. Whether it was designating plots for new crops, coordinating crop rotation, or overseeing efforts to reduce pests, Saffron had taken the reigns to try to take some of the stress off of his mother. And honestly...though it was a lot of work at times, especially during harvest and planting seasons, Saffron found that he enjoyed the work.
Having just finished taking inventory on their supplies for the coming season, as well as noting the status of a couple of test crops, Saffron was making some notes on a piece of parchment when a flash of color caught his eye. Ah yes, the young lady who was growing all those lovely vanilla orchids. He raised a hand and smiled in greeting. "Good day, Miss...Grendell was it? Are you faring well today?"
EvilSilverDragon ((My bad! Had to figure out who to throw at ya' and how. We're good to go now! XD)) |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 12:59 pm
|
|
|
 |
If there was ever a good pae to run into, it was Saffron. As he called out to her, she finally settled eyes on the older angle. Smiling brightly, she gave a wave and started over. Grendell make her approaching, hips swaying with an oh so light exaggeration, offer the warm smile hiding the intent.
With her new home came the job of getting to know of as many of the villagers as possible. Just like her orchids, it took a calculating eye to see what could be of use and what wouldn't grow. Most of the males had been sorted much the same in the time she'd had to spare. It was Saffron that she hadn't quite pegged yet. All the more fortuitous that he was the one she ran into on this day.
Being important in the area, he was already sorted more favorably but yet, there was more testing to be done. "Thats right, I am glad you remember me!" It really was her fault for not being more of a center of attention since arrival. Settling in and getting her lovely beans growing had taken oh so much of her time.
With her head tilted own, large blue eyes wide focused on Saffron, she added, "I am doing very well. The my vanilla beans are ready for harvesting. I simply had to take a break they grew better then I expected!" With a giggle she rolled her shoulders back and batted her lashes once for effect.
Always the part she had a love-hate relationship with, Grendell waited to see just what was and wasn't going to work. It was a puzzle and all puzzles had their fun, but wrong moves at home had their own risks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 3:16 pm
|
|
|
|
There were just so many things to be done, Saffron realized he'd been slacking severely on the socialization side of his job. For that reason, he was infinitely relieved to hear that he'd gotten the young lady's name right. That could have been embarrassing; more so than admitting that he hadn't been sure of her name at first. It wasn't as if he forgot Pae, so to speak...he just had trouble with names sometimes. He'd certainly seen the young woman around and remembered that she was growing vanilla orchids around her home. She had seemed so familiar when she'd moved in, though he couldn't seem to recall why. Perhaps he'd met someone who looked similar. It seemed a lifetime ago.
Smiling warmly at her answer, Saffron replied, "That's wonderful news! A bountiful harvest is always welcome, but that's especially good results for a new crop!" After a moment's pause for thought, he added, "Do you have everything under control? If you needed some help with the harvest, I'm sure we could pitch in to assist. My son, Aster, and I have a couple of test crops we're keeping our eyes on...mostly testing new forms of pest control and repellent...but aside from that..." He was rambling a bit and realizing so, cut himself short with a chuckle. "Sorry, not trying to impose if you have everything in hand, of course. Just an offer if you need it. I'm sure my mother might be interested if you have some extra vanilla from the harvest. She does love to bake in her free time." Not that she seemed to have as much of that as she used to. At least now that she was keeping busy, she seemed more like herself these days.
"If you don't need help with the harvest, what about everything else? Have you had any trouble settling in to Kekomura?" Yes, the name had stuck. Despite his mother's initial half-hearted protests, the name held a certain fondness to it. Eventually, she'd given in and simply smiled and shook her head when it was mentioned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 5:03 pm
|
|
|
|
Smiling warmly she clapped her hands together once when he offered her help. Not just help but offered up another to also assist. This was perfect! With a slight bow, Grendell shifted into more humble to follow the offer, "I would appreciate any extra hands. I really did grow more than I could harvest by myself." To be fair, more than she could handle by herself equals one. "Oh no, I appreciate the offer greatly, a village prospers when everyone comes together!" What was left unspoken was come together to do her work for her.
Listening to what he mentioned about the village founder, she offered this, "It will be a few seasons before the beans are ready for extract on their own. There will be vanilla bean paste for pastries now and more than enough for your lovely mother to bake until her hearts content!" Vanilla is a long process for something so sweet, a great parallel to herself in many ways. Once the first batch was fully done it would be a rolling output. With the help of strapping young men of course.
Well, there weren't boys busting down her door so there was one negative. Smiling all the same, Grendell offered, "I haven't had the true time to socialize with my fellow villagers but other wise I feel right at home! I'd love to make new friends here and maybe meet old friends again." There was one in particular she missed, he was a great kisser if her memory served her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 2:29 pm
|
|
|
|
What a charming young woman! What a shame her crops had kept her so busy; else Saffron was sure she'd have made friends with most of the village by now. "We'd be glad to help. I'll speak with Aster later about it. Is there any particular time you would like us to help, or would any time suffice?" If she was so busy, he imagined that any help she could get and whenever she could get it would be needed, but he didn't want to push too hard or inconvenience her in any way. He was sure she had her own schedule and way of doing things, after all.
"I know Mother would greatly appreciate the vanilla," he continued. "Extract or paste. And the rest of the village would probably appreciate it too!" he laughed. "She makes the most wonderful cherry vanilla scones you've ever had in your life. The only trouble used to be a ready supply of the ingredients, of course. But with the way trade has been picking up lately, hopefully those difficulties will be in the past."
Though the village was a bit out of the way and most of the trading was done by taking goods up to the City, there were some other settlements nearby that had started opening up trade with Kekomura as of late. A few new faces had been making appearances with loads of new trade goods, bringing new supplies to Kekomura that hadn't been available before. "You know, with trade picking up," Saffron continued his line of thought aloud, "there's no telling who you might see around here these days. Lots of new friends, but there's a possibility of meeting old as well. Looking to reconnect with anyone in particular?" Not that he was likely to know anyone she might mention, as he had a fairly small circle of friends as far as the entire Isle was concerned, but he did have an important role here in the village. He could always ask around for her, or keep an ear open for any information on old friends from the Isle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 4:56 pm
|
|
|
|
With eyes alight she happily responded, "Any time would be fine, thank you!" A beaming smile, slightly lopsided followed her acceptance. Bingo! Two strapping strong males would do just fine. Clearly, he was someone that was good to know for future projects. She'd cheer later, the deal wasn't over until it was over.
Most of what he said just filtered in one ear out the other. A few phrases stuck and she remarked, "I will be proud to present your kind mother with the first complete product. Once the crop gets done she'll never need for vanilla again." A good way to to get on the lady's graces, she'd imagine. "Those scones sound heavenly!" Clapping her hands together for emphasis, she laced her own fingers together and let her hands fall to her waist pulling them to the opposite hip facing her new friend.
The question he ended with was a tricky one to answer. Act too interested in finding her teenage sweetheart and she'd risk losing the attempt she was working on with this one. Buying herself a little time she let out a said sigh, "Dev..A green demon, purple hair golden eyes. We were close when we were teens." The name wasn't right and she tripped over the last of it dragging out the 'v' her tongue hesitating. It wasn't the full name she just couldn't settle on what the name ended lyn? Tin? Unsure herself she let it hang there like it was a nickname. Certainly not the nickname she'd ever used for him. Really it had been a very long time since she'd seen him. It would deeply wound her if he didn't remember her, being as unforgettable as she was, but if he didn't remember her name clearly that would be mostly okay. He'd have to earn her forgiveness for the slight but that was do-able.
For what she forgot, she remembered what he looked like clear as day. As well as his unique trait, if she recalled right he wasn't proud of it so that part she left out.
"Have you seen a demon matching that description? I know its not as detailed as it could be." With that she followed with a half-hearted chuckle playing off being embarrassed.
Teigra Has it really been ten days? Where did the time go? sweatdrop sorry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 10:34 am
|
|
|
|
Saffron made a quick note on the parchment he was carrying with a pleasant nod. "Wonderful!" He knew Takeko would be excited to have a ready supply of vanilla and would likely bury the poor kind nymph woman in baked goods in exchange. At least he and Aster could help her along with the first harvest. Perhaps they could come up with some ideas for how to streamline the process in the future as well. Aster had been discussing some possible ideas that could branch out from his latest experiments that--
Saffron's thoughts came to a screeching halt before they had a chance to wander much further. It wasn't that he hadn't been paying attention to Grendell, but when she began describing the particular Pae with whom she hoped to reconnect, it felt as if the world suddenly slowed to a stop around the mixed angel. Could it be? It was impossible...wasn't it? But no...
"Devyn? You know Devyn?" he blurted out, not realizing he may have interrupted Grendell. Politeness gave way to urgency in his tone. Suddenly, the pieces seemed to snap together; it all made sense now. Now he knew why she looked so familiar. A long ago memory rose to the surface, of a group of young teenagers, socializing with one another as a (somewhat overprotective, he admitted) parent watched on in secret. He'd been so proud that Devyn seemed to be making efforts to make friends his own age and after seeing his son accepted into the group, had left them to their own devices. He knew that Devyn had slipped away more and more to be with his new friends, as typical of any teenager, he supposed. He'd never known much more about those friends, but he did remember now, a colorful young lady with striking red hair...
"Tell me, please, when did you last see him?" Saffron had tried to give the boy space to grow, but as Devyn disappeared more and more often to see his friends, he'd grown worried, but been unsure what to do. When he stopped coming home...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 3:44 pm
|
|
|
|
With her mouth open to say something else, all she could do was blink as Saffron took her vague description and ran with it. Like an itch in the back of her head, she was becoming aware that her mouth was still open. That is not a good look.
Clearing her throat she gave a nod pulling herself back on track. What are the chances he knew Devyn? If there was some one else the young man she remembered knew, it was better chance that he would come here, right?
Grendell had to pause longer than she would like as she tried to reevaluate the situation. Without knowing more about the man she was speaking to it was hard to place him. The memory of how long ago it was was fuzzy at best. "My mother creates illusions, its difficult to tell how long it has been. She took me somewhere and I only returned to what is real a short time ago. I think the isle was still floating?" Holding her left arm with her right hand she had chosen to go for the vulnerable look searching for the reactions she was looking for, it also fit with the confusion at the tail end of the conversion.
The little girl had a harder time with the illusion world but even Grendell had found herself lost for a time. It was easier growing up with the parents she had, even the strict male she couldn't see as a father figure and the other father running away. Her brother and sister were grounding agents then she lost them all. The trade off of the little girl was not even close to adequate.
To decide if she should still flirt with him, or attempt to appeal to the 'paternal' thing some guys have, she asks, "He and I were close, especially when were teenagers. Were you related to him?" Calling Devyn her first kiss was too risky at yet, she had to know the relationship to play him right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:22 pm
|
|
|
|
Saffron felt his rising hope crash with Grendell's answer, his expression falling with it. Back before the isle fell? That was many, many seasons ago now. Far longer perhaps than the last time Saffron had seen him, surely. For a moment, he'd felt hope rise that perhaps the young lady before him could offer some news on Devyn, his welfare or his whereabouts. It seemed she knew as little as he did, or less.
Not doing very well to hide his disappointment, Saffron sighed and shook his head. "I suppose it was too much to hope that you had seen him recently. I had hoped for some news..." he trailed off, reaching up to rub the back of his neck self-consciously. Still, he could be excused for his abrupt interruption, given his position on the topic. "We...we aren't related by blood, however...as is probably clear here in Kekomura, we have different ideas about how important that is. For all intents and purposes, Devyn w--is my son." He nearly cringed visibly at the near verbal slip. No, even if he hadn't seen the boy in seasons, he held out hope that he was still out there somewhere on the isle. He had to be fine, somewhere out there. He had to be.
Though, how long had they held out the same hope for his father, Aspen?
Yet, the Guardians brought your sister home after just as many seasons, a little voice at the back of his mind reminded him, fending off the previous depressing thought. He had to hold onto that slip of hope, reassured by the blessing of his sister's return. It was still possible. One day...one day maybe Devyn would return home again. He would probably scarcely recognize the place, as much as it had grown.
"I am sorry, but it seems neither of us has much information to offer the other. Devyn had taken to wandering a bit, and I wanted to give him his independence. I thought it was important to let him find his way in life and discover what he could about himself on his own. But...his trips became more frequent and he was away from home longer and longer. It was sometime after the isle fell, but one day, he simply never came back," Saffron explained, the note of sadness obvious in his tone. "Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I should have been more insistent that he stay home. It was a fairly troubled time on the isle; so many strange things happening. It's just...I don't think I could have kept him here if I'd tried. He was too much of a free spirit."
He didn't mention his son's troubles. Though Grendell said that they had been close, he didn't want to assume she knew Devyn's secret. And he wouldn't be the one to betray that trust, even now. He'd never fully understood it himself. It had been odd, and more than a little disturbing to the few others who found out, but Saffron had pushed all that aside because the boy was his son. He'd loved him, despite his difficulties. As much as he'd tried to make Devyn feel normal, he couldn't deny that there had been a growing sense of frustration and anger in the boy regarding his 'cravings'. Perhaps that was why he'd tried to distance himself more and more from others? It had hurt to see Devyn isolating himself so, but the more Saffron had pushed to try to include him with the family, the more Devyn had pushed away and fought. Was that what had happened in the end? A self-inflicted exile because he felt his differences were too much that they couldn't be resolved?
Perhaps that was the real reason that he had gone away, but Saffron wasn't about to bring that up with a young woman he barely knew, no matter how well she claimed to know his son. If she really had known him well, he wouldn't have to explain. Either way, this wasn't the conversation to begin airing personal struggles for all to see.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:18 pm
|
|
|
|
Holding her expression of sadness was difficult, studying his reactions worked better when she was looking him in the eye but that wasn't possible as of now. No, she had to keep the sad expression until she figured out exactly where things stood. Turns out, that didn't take much longer, as Saffron identified himself as Devyn's father. Well, there went flirting further. It wouldn't bother her but the judgement was passed that he wasn't as likely to be receptive now that it was known that she knew his son.
Blast, that was always be easiest way to get what she wanted.
"I remember him talking about his father." She offered that bit information, but it wasn't like it was too helpful in the short term. It was time to build a new foundation on a different approach.
Listening to him speak of Devyn wondering off on his own brought a look of concern that she didn't have to fake. Tilting her head slightly to the side, she frowned and repeated part of what he said, "Devyn is on his own out there and hasn't returned?" That she was genuinely concerned surprised her, but where on the line wasn't clear. He had wanted to be accepted and part of a group, that much she remembered. It would seem being on his own would be counter to that. Perhaps he was hiding because someone rejected him? Or worse, he had found someone else to play with and that was what kept him away. "I hope he doesn't feel like he needs to hide." Not a chance his father didn't know, and Saffron didn't seem like he'd reject the son he was so concerned about. The only answer that fit was Devyn had to be somewhere else, with a group like himself or like her, not afraid of what made him different. All she cared about was the affection, and assistance that could be offered after all.
The supposed crime of giving anyone else attention besides herself had her seeing green. Not that it was fair, she had her share of flings but no one said she had to be fair. That kick also stopped her hand from rising, to rest against her shoulder as she tended to do when she thought of her teenage affection. The irritation wouldn't have shown on her face but did cause her to slowly drop her half raised hand, disguising the action by fiddling with a lock of her red hair.
"If you see him before I do, would you tell him I'd like to see him again? I miss him and nothing has changed." Other than the imagined crime, she still cared and still accepted him with open arms.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:13 am
|
|
|
|
If one was not aware of the entire situation, one would think Grendell's choice of words odd. It didn't seem to link to what Saffron had said about Devyn taking to wandering like a typical teenager seeking independence. However, taking the demon's secret into account, it made much more sense. Saffron had paused, considering Grendell carefully before responding, "Guardians, I should hope that's not the case. He should never, ever feel like he has to hide from family." If she did know, then it was an unspoken acknowledgement of the fact that they both knew and accepted Devyn's differences without care. If not, well, then the statement could be simply taken at face value.
After a moment of consideration, Saffron added, "I hate to believe that he might think that for whatever reason. However, it does give some credit to the way things appear. It wasn't as if we didn't look for him; we did. It's just as if...he didn't want to be found." It had been frustrating to find no sign of the boy...yet also reassuring that they'd also found no sign that any ill had befallen him either. He'd just seemed to vanish.
Saffron sighed, then tried to offer Grendell a patient smile. "I had hoped at one point that he'd simply found somewhere else he felt comfortable, given early travels. Perhaps even someone else that made him happy. When you admitted you knew him and had been close, I had momentarily hoped that perhaps I'd found what had drawn him away from home. My apologies. I didn't mean to assume, but you seem to have known him well and it would have set my heart at ease to learn that a pretty young lady had been the reason he had wandered from home." He managed a sheepish grin, hoping he hadn't just embarrassed Grendell with his candid statement. "Of course, I'd be happy to pass the message along if he does ever decide to come home. If possible, could you do the same if you see him again? Let him know that no matter what has happened and how much time passes, he always has a home here in Kekomura with his family?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 3:42 pm
|
|
|
|
"Much appreciated, Grendell. I should let you get back to work for now. It's been wonderful talking to you. I'll speak with my son, Aster, and we'll see what we can do to help you with harvesting your crop." Smiling, Saffron gave Grendell a half-bow in farewell. "For now, if you'll excuse me, dear, it's back to work for me."
With a last nod, he took leave from the young woman, reflecting on what he'd learned. While he still had no new information on Devyn's whereabouts, he at least had filled in a small piece of the puzzle of his life. Just meeting someone who had known his son and could attest to at least some part of his life was reassuring. And Saffron wasn't exactly the most skilled in subtle talk, but if he was correct, then Grendell had known his son quite well and must have been close. Devyn must have trusted her greatly. While it was disheartening to have no more recent news, it was also a step that pushed him not to give up hope just yet. Devyn was a smart boy, if a bit reclusive. Surely he was okay out there and could take care of himself. He just...Saffron wanted to find him to know for sure. But, with no new clues, he had no idea which direction to search. So, he continued to just keep his eyes and ears open while going about life and the tasks that had come his way. In doing so, he'd met Grendell and at least perhaps he could do something to help her out.
What a lovely young lady.
*****
[FIN]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
