Faerinn Cassius Cyran O'Delia-Veomuthea
N/A Faerinn Cassius Cyran O'Delia-Veomuthea (a.k.a. Cyran/Cyerie to his parents, Fae to his friends apparently)
Faerinn Cassius Cyran O'Delia-Veomuthea is a rather shy and intimidated individual who prefers to hide in a backline instead of being up close and personal unless he severely has to, while he's gotten a tiny bit better at actually trying to make friends, he's still rather scared of most people and big cities, raised in a small forest he finds animals more comforting than people. He's rather slow at talking sometimes but rather quick and nimble, able to scavenge for food that doesn't require hunting and forage for anything that may be able to help medicinal wise. He was rather sheltered and grew up raised by his biological mother Asphodel Veomuthea-Xaviere a famous adventurer in her own right and caretaker of the forest where he lives and his step father a tall tan skinned goliath named Koragun Daylogger-O'Delia who runs a small wood working and logging business by the house he built for Faerinn and his mother. Faerinn thinks highly of both his family and his newly found friends, wishing he could be more adventurous and brave like this mother and said friends.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Faerinn is rather scrawny and lean and a bit shorter than the average of his family, he stands at around 5 foot 7 and hides his figure with bulky loose fitting clothes
Body Features
Large pale ears, masculine looks with a slightly boyish appearence, he has small pointed canines that looks more like the ones from a human
Facial Features
his jawline is a tad bit sharp with red eyes and agressivly bad under eye bags that seemingly never go away
Identifying Characteristics
his red eyes and large scar on left cheek
Physical quirks
he tends to hunch over when sitting and hang from trees to sleep, he twitches his ears when he hears things and his eyes glow reflectivly in the dark
Special abilities
He can hang upside down like a bat with ease and find items in trees like a champ, he also can climb them very well, he also doesnt need to eat
Apparel & Accessories
a navy blue cloak, a side satchal bag that moves sometimes, ranger tall boots, and a pair of tan pants that have many pockets for holding items, he has a medium sized bag he throws over his shoulder sideways that holds his animal friends and various items that wont fit in his pockets, strung over his back is a bow and quiver, and hidden beneath his cloak are his two shortswords with a black leather hilt, they seem old and worn as if they aren't his entirely maybe a hand me down?
Specialized Equipment
He specializes in making friends with animals and trying to keep people healed up, learning both from his mother, a fellow ranger and druid, perhaps her own forester in a regard
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Faerinn doesn't have much for history aside from helping his mother take care of the forest and the animals, keeping poachers away from the distance while his mother charged in with his step father, he often helped with wood working but wasn't very good at it.. He tended to keep away from people and often hid around places to avoid being laughed at by other children who thought he was strange
Gender Identity
"Betwixt" but doesn't make it public, will tell those he is closed to though
Sexuality
Demisexual and needs a bit more of a relationship with the person before he would do anything, but is inclined to be homoromantic (for the guys)
Education
Homeschooled by both parents
Employment
Worked on parents land with farming, foraging, and cleaning
Accomplishments & Achievements
Befriended a squirrel
climbed the tallest tree in the forest before age 10
Has befriended a cobra
Been able to focus on his healing abilities more tapping into his magic from his focus
Went on his first adventure
Been able to make a few friends
Failures & Embarrassments
He gets spooked by the sun and sometimes his own shadow
He's not very strong and considers himself weak in most aspects
Gets blinded by the sun and ends up falling over if he looks at it
Easily skiddish and inexperienced with most things
Mental Trauma
Attacked by wolves at a young age which gave him that nasty scar on his cheek, he was surrounded by a pack of them at around 4-6, his step father rushed in as they jumped on him, leaving some other scars across his body he keeps hidden, ever since then he's had a fear of dogs and wolves and will activly avoid them at all costs
He puts a lot of pressure on himself internally and wishes he could be like everyone else, normal both in gender and in appearence, but also he wishes he could push himself further and wants to keep people from getting hurt
Intellectual Characteristics
He's decently smart with book smarts but very much less when it comes to social situations and when talking to other people unless it's about something he likes a lot, (animals, foraging)
Morality & Philosophy
Doesn't fear death as much as he should sometimes
Never will hurt an animal unless self defense or for hunting
He doesn't like killing people but if he has to he will try his best as he doesn't want his friends hurt
Taboos
Sleeps on an unusual time and mostly during the day
Has an obscure love for the forest and animals itself much to some people's chigrin as they call him a tree hugger
He sleeps upside down
Hates the sun and sunlight
Has a very strong aversion to eating meat but if he has to he will
He's very much either no eye contact or full eye contact
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
He's motivated to keep his family safe, find out more about himself, and learn new things about the outside world and the people he shares said world with
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Knows his way around most forests in the area and likes to learn about the wild life there
Likes & Dislikes
Likes animals
Hates crowds
Likes most fruits
Very much dislikes when people are rude as he can cry easily
Likes being alone to a degree
Likes climbing trees
Hates most poachers in his forest and in general, hunters are ok
Virtues & Personality perks
Doesn't need to eat
Strong sense of justice for animals
Vices & Personality flaws
I am callous about death. It comes to us all eventually.
I never make eye contact or hold it unflinchingly.
Personality Quirks
Tends to stick to shadows and keep quiet
Also tends to fiddle with a dagger as a fidget
He tends to shake when scared or feeling a heightened emotion even if it's happiness
Hygiene
Cleans well and keeps neat, but prefers privacy and to bathe alone with no one around at all
Social
Contacts & Relations
His parents
Family Ties
He has a biological father
His step father's family is a massive clan in the mountains which he's heard from a few times, it's just too hard to travel that way for his mother and himself
His mother is well known by the elves
Religious Views
N/A
Social Aptitude
He isn't very good at being social
Mannerisms
Tends to fidget with hands when nervous and hide from people
Hobbies & Pets
Sir Squibbles the black squirrel
Tor the cobra
He likes to watch people make things and he likes to help his mom make berry pies, he is pretty ok at making eggs and cooking without meat, with meat it's a disaster
Speech
Speaks softly and in a slight dialect of whatever the tone is from ravenbrooke and rather slow
Wealth & Financial state
Not much he only sold when needed to in the bigger city market
Faerinn Cassius Cyran O'Delia-Veomuthea, a trans male "elf/human?" raised in the woods by mom and step dad, very shy, keeps to himself. He wants to go out and find out answers about his kind and the world around him.
View Character Profile
Alignment
Neutral
Honorary & Occupational Titles
N/A
Age
20ish
Date of Birth
?
Birthplace
Ravenbrooke
Children
Current Residence
In a forest
Gender
"Betwixt" and unknown to others but appears rather boyish and masculine
Eyes
red
Hair
black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
pale
Height
5'7"
Weight
180lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
N/A
Related Plots
Faerinn and the Village
A Lot of these events happened separately but a few incidents stood out to faerinn from the memories of his childhood.. From age 4 or 5, to 11, to 19
It was a more cloudy day, the sky swirling with some grays and a bit of a sprinkle teasing the ground. Every third day of the week Faerinn and his mother Asphodelia would walk cloaked to a nearby village to sell skins, meat, and sometimes furniture and knick knacks, he often didn't come with his father since he was a bit too outgoing and faerinn liked his mothers quiet nature.
She'd talk shop with a few people but most of the time would sit and keep fae occupied. He's always been a bit shy not really knowing how to make friends with humans, always hiding in his mothers cloak and skirts from the people in the village wanting to meet him or say hi to the new baby. Today however his mother was occupied with selling a few things to the merchants guild.
Faerinn getting a bit hungry and bored decided to get up and wander around a bit, maybe he'd find somewhere to spend the gold his mother had given him to spend that week, it was rare he got any money as he didn't really need it, but he'd been eyeing this pretty white mouse with red eyes in a shop and he was determined to get squibbles a friend.
It took him a bit to open the door but as he did a human woman looked down over the counter, elderly in looks with wrinkles and laugh lines aplenty. "Oh you must be Asphodelias boy, you came to look at the mice today again?" She said it with a chuckle, as faerinn just shook his head and stood on tiptoes placing the gold and pointing at the mouse.
"Ah come to give her a new home then?" As she hobbled over pulling out the baby mouse and holding her down to fae. Faerinn stared wide eyed happily at the mouse, his mouth open in surprise, the mouse seemed to mimic him before crawling into his pocket with a chirp. "I think she likes you already Faerinn, here take some cheese bits for the road so she won't nibble your shirt"
Faerinn hurried out pulling his cloak over his eyes, he darted off into the shadows curling up against the wall with a smile as he began to feed his new mouse friend "I think I'm gonna call you petunia!" The mouse squeaks as she nibbles some cheese. It was a nice quiet moment before a sharp pain rang out from faerinns right ear and his hair yanked yard as his head was smacked against the stone wall, his head felt wet.. faerinn reached to touch it shakily wide eyed when his pale fingers had red stains to them. As he looked up a group of boys and girls seemed to surround him, about 5, they just began to laugh.
"Look at this kid he talks to mice what a loser"
"Old knife ears really doesn't have any friends at all that's pathetic he has to talk to rodents"
"He kinda looks and acts like a rat, come on fae show us your rat teeth'' as one reached and began to pry open faes mouth he panicked and bit hard, as blood began to fill his mouth he coughed and sputtered while the girl screamed and held her hand, another sharp pain to his head as fae was knocked to the ground. Tears welled up hot in his eyes as he tried to scoot away holding his head and petunia close, "Just.. Just leave me alone! I didn't mean to.. I'm sorry!"
"You really think we're about to let you go after what you did to my cousin?"
"Aw look at him he's crying go cry to your dad, oh that's right you don't have one!"
Faerinn felt anger just rush up into him as he shook, petunia squeaked angrily as she left from his hand over to the boy who yelled at faerinn, climbing up his pant leg and beginning to bite savagely at anything she could get her mouth on, fae cried out scared as the boy yelped and slapped around before she appeared going to run towards him. Fae opened his arms but before petunia could jump back a foot came flying out of nowhere
A sick splat against the wall, and there lied faerinns new friend twitching on the ground as it began to rain. Faerinn felt himself wrack with sobs as he screamed for his mom and petunia cradling her in his hands sobbing onto her body. The group dispersed as faerinn sniffled and choked, wobbling standing up shouting for his mom the entire way back.
"So that'll be 6 gold for the fox pelts.. another 3 for the squirrels, I'm willing to give you the bear pelt for your wife Zakarias but in exchange for that tea set and wooden horse-" asphodelias ear twitched a moment and her head whipped around as she saw a blue cloaked figure with red eyes sobbing uncontrollably. Her first instinct was to see that exact red and she charged towards her child dagger brandished as she scooped him up with one arm. The crowd dispersed giving her leeway as the weapon was brandished, she scowled at them, looking down at her child.
He held out the body of a small white mouse, begging her as loud as he could, snot pouring down with the tears to "FIX PETUNIA SHES DYING MAMA SHES DYING" she set down fae putting the dagger away as she pressed a hand to the mouse muttering something as this golden energy flew from her fingertips around petunia. Faerinn held close watching as his sobs simmered down.
A few moments later petunia opened her eyes, looking to faerinn she walked over on his arm and began to nuzzle his hand for more cheese. Asphodelia picked up her child before angrily looking at the crowd "You make big mistake if you hurt hair on his head.." she ruffles his hair applying the same energy to faerinn and closing the wounds, "be lucky I do not know a witch.. less you all and the town be cursed at my hand" she promptly placed fae and the items in the cart and away they went. Faerinn had told his mother the names of the children.
The next week those children ran from faerinn hobbling and pale almost sickly.. rumor has it they weren't heard from again, all but one.
Another time during a rather cold day in the market square faerinn and his mother were sharing a bowl of oatmeal together, it was a nice honey maple with blueberries on one side (faerinns favorite) and the other side raspberries (his mothers favorite) it had been made by koragun that morning, through He made a bit too much, enough for a cauldron worth. Squibbles sat between the two digging his paws into the lukewarm oats after washing them in a puddle. It was a slow day, not many people out in the cold, and they had sold all the pelts. Faerinn again was given a small pouch of about 3 gold, sent to go buy some more warm drinks from the tavern, maybe some bread or a soup as well. Faerinn was fond of the hot chocolate the tavern keeper's wife made. Around this time Faerinn had grown to be about 11.
As he made his way to the Tavern, a place called the braying donkey, wrapped in a small cloak with a hood, Fae went to push the door before a hand smacked in front of his own, fae startled, looking up, seeing some older children, around their teenage years. “Well if it isn’t the “son” of the tree hugging hippy and the tribal boy” Fae scowls up “Don’t call my parents that! Goliath tribes are quite advanced, if you wanna talk tribal boy, look in a mirror you lumberfooted cow” He pushed past the tall human and angrily stomped into the tavern, going to the counter he smacks down the coins and just pouts down at his feet “My mom’s not a tree hugging hippy, you just over use the forest.. If you do that there won’t be any food left.. Stupid humans..” He spoke in abyssal, scaring the tavern keepers wife for a moment as she slid some bowls over with a cup or two. Fae balanced them on his way out, just angrily talking to himself, going out the back door, as soon as he did he was shoved to the ground, face and soup clattering to the stone.
He stood, holding part of his nose, a little blood dripped to his fingers and he winced a little woozy. “What-” a kick to his side, he whimpered holding it as he tried crawling to an area by the barrels before someone stepped on his hand making him cry out. “I told you she doesn’t fight back” Fae looks up with his eyes half closed, the human had a knife more of a dagger pointed down at him. “You know what’s your name, Fae? Sounds awful girly, where’s your dress huh? Hiding something from us?” Fae backed up into the wall, his eyes shaking “No! I’m a boy”
“are you? Prove it”
“I DON'T HAVE TO PROVE TO YOU ANYTHING”
“What fraid of someone calling your tits pretty snow white, cough it up and we’ll let you go”
Faerinn’s breathing picked up as he leapt up grabbing ahold of an iron rod holding a candle, he clambered up to it leaping to another one up higher away from them
“You wouldn’t know what a woman was if she shoved her downstairs in your face, Haymish!” Faerinn hisses holding himself back as he sat there shaking, he couldn't understand why people hated him, he just wanted to be himself, but his gender, race, looks, parents, they were all on display and up for arguing.
His hair moved a bit and squibbles looked over at the men, squeaking at faerinn
“Are they bothering you?”
“Yeah but it doesn’t really matter Squibs..”
“It does too, you need to make them afraid of you”
“I can’t do it..”
Squibbles sighs as faerinn climbs down and looks in a puddle, seeing his facial structure, more chubby, baby faced, a woman.. He reaches down and punches at the puddles scooping it away as tears fall down his face with a sniffle.
“Why can’t I just be stronger than this.. I can’t even trust anyone here but my mom, even the merchants look at me like I’m nothing, a monster, a beast, they just.. They call me a bastard squibbles, I have a father, I don't understand what’s wrong with me..” He looks over at the dagger on the ground and grabs it, holding it to his eye in the puddle “Maybe if these were gone and my teeth..” he lifts his lips to see the small canines poking out, “maybe my hair..” Squibbles pushes Fae’s hand down and began chittering
“You can’t let them decide who you are Fae”
Fae looks back down and he drops the dagger, “Fine.. I won’t.. But the next time they make fun of me they’re going to regret it..” He stands looking at the soup and he just continues to walk back to his mother, this time he doesn’t say anything, too ashamed to tell her what’s wrong.
The last encounter of importance he had was when Fae grew to his late teens, around this time he stood a bit taller, more lanky but with experience, strapped to his back was a bow, this time he went alone, the dead of night which was his favorite time. He climbed to the top of a building crouching down waiting and watching the tavern door. Fae grew to be patient, as he sat waiting a few hours later a man walked out, the same one that had tormented him for years every time he came to the village, Haymish. What a stupid name for a person anyway.. Faerinn followed him, across the rooftops and hidden spots in the village, watching his every move. As he rounded the corner, no candles, no lanterns to see, but Fae could see.. Haymish had grown into a bully of a man, hurting anyone in his way and drunk, he reeked for miles and Faerinn after years finally decided to pay back his actions. As the man stood there relieving himself on a planter, Fae swooped down his cloak billowing behind him as his foot made a connection to Haymish’s shoulder, he hit the ground similar to how fae fell all these times.
As he sat there holding his shoulder Faerinn stood over him, his red eyes glowing in the dark, he reached down and grabbed Haymish by the collar of his shirt and gave him a long look. “Funny meeting you here Haymish..”
“What-”
“Cut the shit with me you rabbit spawn, you know who I am and you know why I’m here” His voice quivered unsure if this is what he wanted to do.
“Half blood, halfy, FLING KID, HALFWAYS, MUTT, TRAITOR BABY, BARK SNIFFER, KNIFE EARS LEFT HANDED CASTER, Do those ring a bell to you Haymish?”
“No-”
“They were all the things you kept calling me all my life.. Don’t you remember? The “Tree hugging hippies son?””
Fae removes his hood from his head, black hair curled and a bit bushy, the whites of his eyes no longer there, black surrounding the red, something haymish had never seen before.
“Get away from me you creature, you’re a monster!”
“OH SO THAT’S HOW IT’S STARTING, call ME the monster, I’m the horrible one here.. All I wanted was friends yet you had them all, doing your bidding, not one person helped me not one cared, they WATCHED YOU BEAT ME WITHIN AN INCH OF MY LIFE AND WALKED ON how do you think that made ME feel.. You SHORT LIFE SPOON EARED WHORE RACE huh?” Faerinn shook the words coming from him not feeling like his own, his anger consuming him.
Haymish looked on, afraid, Faerinn paused, looking down at him. “I think you need to know what it’s like to be me, and he pulled Haymish closer, biting into his neck and shoulder pulling, enough for blood to fill into his mouth, faerinn winced hating the taste before he threw haymish down and spat the blood out, rinsing his mouth with puddle water. “It’s only fair right? Let’s see how you like being the one who’s ostracized..” He got up from the ground and turned away.
No one knew what happened that night, but Faerinn sat with squibbles and his mother atop a building that night, watching as the town raised a fire pit, another execution or something else who knew, but they sat in silence not a word said to each other, as faerinn’s eyes still held the black to them, his mother ran her hand gently over his hair and forehead, not saying anything but looking at him, not with disgust, with concern, as the black faded from his eyes she held faerinn close, just brushing his hair as he sniffled, trying not to cry. The flames lit up her own eyes as she watched scowling in the direction of the village. This would be one of the last times she associated with them, they could burn, the whole town could for all she cared. She stood holding Fae up around her back. “Let’s just go home, your father is making vegetable soup..” And she jumped down from the building, walking the rest of the way through the forest and back home. “I’m tired of them making fun of me mom..” His mother looked back towards her child, now grown but she could still see the little 4 year old holding a field mouse in his hands sobbing and she gritted her own teeth “One day Cassy, you’ll find someone else like you, you’ll find people that care, people that are deemed different than you and everyone around them, they’ll accept you.. Those will be your friends Cassy and you’ll take good care of them..” Faerinn just nodded, too tired to even process truly what his mother was saying, and he wouldn’t for a good few more years.
How Faerinn's Parents met
In the dead of night a woman walks down the cobblestone path, the candles flickering in the lanterns. Clouds cover the sky as it begins to sprinkle rain, she sticks to the shadows, clad in an evening gown she rips away at revealing more peasant clothes and a cloak of rich green. She scowls at it baring her teeth angrily as she stomps on it trekking the mud from her boots over its red silk. As the heavens begin to open pouring rain on her, her braid of silver gray unfolds showing her curled hair. She holds her stomach and sits hidden in a hidden part of a shop, clad with bits of furniture, hay, and barrels. With a slow roll and thud as she settles herself down, she looks at her stomach feeling a kick. A small sigh escapes her as she places a hand to where the kick was. “It’s just you and me then huh little one?” She offers a smile and reclines watching the rain.
A door squeaks open disturbing her rest as she backs away reaching to her side gripping her rapier with white knuckles, stilling her breathing she watches as a man with a dark tan and brown hair cropped short and shaven holds out a lantern, ducking his head down with shoulders as the building is too short. “Hello? Is there anyone there? We’re sort of closed right now-” he walks around trying to look before he comes face to face with a rapier. He pauses, staring down at an elven woman, pale with pale hair and dark eyes, obviously pregnant. His eyes widen “Hey lady I don’t mean you any harm-” “Silence you insert elvish for bastard here. I just want to stay here for a few moments I’ve been on my feet all night and you’ll allow me to do s, won’t you?” Her arm shakes but she holds firm. “Woah woah hey” the man holds up his arms in defeat and surrender.
“I don’t mean you any harm! I just.. If you’ve been on your feet here allow me to help!” As he lifts up the woman gently and carries her inside. She hisses beating on him with weak arms clawing her nails and teeth into his form “PUT ME DOWN YOU SAVAGE! I’m-”
“Hey hey It’s alright I’m not going to hurt you! It’s cold outside and if you’ve been on your feet you’re probably in pain, with as far along as you are.. It can’t be good for you or the baby- when was the last time you’ve eaten!?” He sets her down gently on a chair as she flinches and tries to move from him, the man stands crashing his shoulders into the roof with a grunt “We’ll have to be quiet, my master of the craft is sleeping, but I’m not one to turn away a woman in any pain, what do you eat?” The woman gawked at him a moment as she crossed her arms baring her teeth to the man about to tell him off but she looks down at her stomach and holds it in some pain. “A warm soup would do me wonders I suppose.. But don’t think this gets you any special favor..”
“No ma’am of course not!” He puts his hands up crashing them into the roof again with a wince. “You klutz.. Give me your hands” she demands and he holds them out, sitting on the floor with his legs criss crossed. She pulls out bandages and wraps his hands now bleeding and scraped from the wood. “Sorry about this ma’am.. I’m still not used to things built for smaller creatures, no offense..” She smiles a slight smile “No offense taken.. Mr?” She raises her eyes in confusion.
“Koragun! Koragun Daylogger Vemothea ma’am, logger and furniture crafter by trade day and night!” He smiles widely and happily. She half chuckles and half scoffs. “Asphodelia O’Delia-Xavire.. Protector of forest by day and night.. Hunter by trade.. Unfortunate prisoner of the lord by accident..” Her smile fades as she sighs. Koragun looks up confused “Is that why you’ve been running? I’ve heard a little about that man and not much of it has been good..”
She laughs with this hatred in her face, “When you treat a woman like a piece of meat and property you earn yourself the deepest circle of hell.. Especially after what I’ve been through..” She reclines with a sigh, her features thinned and almost starved. Koragun looks her over, “So I take it you probably need a doctor as well.. Lucky for you I know some backwoods medicine from the mountains!”
As the night goes on the soup cooks and Koragun tends to her wounds, helping her to eat and making sure she has a safe spot to rest and hide in a bed rather than a hay covered stone floor. The next day Koragun thanks his craftsmen and says he wants to sell his wares in another city, to be pleasant with the old woodworker and his wife, maybe even set up trade, he’s sad to see them go but he has to continue on with his trade and make his own living. The old couple look to Asphodelia curiously but not saying much, they’d learn from Koragun she was a refugee needing some help to get on her feet again, still oddly thin. They wished them both well and off they went.
A few weeks later the two had built a fine cabin for themselves wide and two stories tall, with a shop for Koragun to build his wears, in which he was already busy building a crib and many wooden toys for the child. Asphodelia had taken no orders and was up helping despite needing to stay and rest. She reclined against a tree holding her stomach a moment, the two had gotten to know each other rather well, Koragun spending the nights entertaining Asphodelia and her unborn child with stories of his home town, the city and his furniture, whittling, playing a flute, recipe sharing, and making sure she was as comfortable as possible. It made her think of an old love she had a long time ago back in her party before they fell. She sighs happily thinking of the fond memories, for she had told him her story as well, how they were trying to fell a lord at the request of a wealthy noble but how it had failed, ending up with her being prisoner and a favorite of the man for a while, her almost under a spell before breaking it when she was sent to the dungeons, how her and her friend still alive, a woman of half wood elf and half another race she couldn't recognize, both fled one night splitting and vowing to meet again when they were safe. As much as Asphodelia didn’t like to admit it, she’d fallen a bit for the Goliath, who had a habit of carrying her around and tending to her every waking moment when he wasn’t working.
He could hold his own, hunt for himself, forage well.. She thought he’d be a good father figure for her baby in place of the man that truly was his father, as she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for him entirely just yet this early and if Asphodelia had any will left she wouldn’t allow that man to come for her child, she wouldn’t let him know far until adulthood. Koragaun walked over holding a crib under his arm, made of rich pine wood, “How’s this Asphie?” A nickname he’d given to her fondly, Asphodelia’s cheeks went pink a moment as she tried to cover her face with a cough into her elbow. “It looks lovely Koragon, I’m sure he’ll love it.” Koragun smiles widely, “Are we sure this baby is going to be a boy? You keep talking like it is” he pushes his face to her stomach as she smacks the back of his head harshly “One way or another I have a feeling.. Call it a hunch from someone in tune with the forest and nature..” She looks at Koragun who rubs his head in pain as she left quite a red mark from the smack. “Ok Ok I trust you Asphie but you don’t have to smack my head around like a watermelon”
She smiles down at him “I think he’ll take a liking to you Koragun, I think he’ll think you’ll be a great father..” Koragun stares at her for a moment before scooping her up as fast as he can making her dizzy “Hey put me down-” she begins, “YOU HEAR THAT FOREST!” Koragun roars out shaking the birds from the trees “I’M GONNA BE RAISING A MINI ME! I’M GONNA BE A FATHER!” Asphodelia sighs as she looks at Koragun with a bit of admiration in her eyes “You’re such an oaf sometimes Korie..”
How Sir Squibbles and Faerinn Met
It was a rather cold night over the thick forest by Ravenwood. Snow pelting down on the pine, cedar, and fir trees falling in clumps. The wind shaking the branches and causing a chill even to the small naturally cold child down below. Quite literally skipping down the paths slightly cleared by foot prints and cart tracks from his parents, a small child in an oversized dark blue cloak made of wool sneezes a bit, wipes his nose on the cloak and says aloud; "pinecones, tree nuts, and Faerinn Cassius Cyrano don't forget the well water lift the lid and put the bucket on the lid so it doesn't get frozen, or else you'll have to take a cold frozen bath." He shakes his finger mimicking that of his mother. He's no stranger to walking by himself and it was cold enough where the animals won't be out, most would be hibernating as it's the middle of winter. He loved being outside anyway, often bringing home trinkets and odd fauna and flora for his parents. As Faerinn made his way to the well he tried pushing the lid off the well, it appeared to be frozen shut. "No matter I'll just chip at it with um the hammer" the child fumbling in the snow for a wooden pick hammer they used to lift the lid.
A small squeak made his ears twitch and he looked around. There was a black mass of fur in the snow, shaking, barely covered in fur even, it'd freeze soon! Faerinn always had a soft spot for animals and he quickly abandoned the quest running to the baby squirrel, he scooped it out of the snow and covered it in his cloak. "Oh no you're not supposed to be out here! It's too dangerous where's your mama??" He looked around feverishly for a squirrel's nest, finding none. As the squirrel shivered and squeaked pathetically, Faerinn raced off through the trees ducking and dodging leaping over stumps and hills as he barreled past his stepfather who barely opened the door. This caused the door to be flung onto his nose and stomach as faerinns skidded across the floor on his own. By the fire warm and crackling sat in a red cedar rocking chair, a woman in her 30s, toned with long gray hair, knitting away at a scarf, blue and green probably meant for faerinn. She looks down perplexed, about to ask where the bucket of water was for their baths when she spots a shivering squirrel. Her eyes widened a moment, mouth open to ask a question or seven before faerinn let out a bursting sob, tears and snot running down his face. "FIX HIM MOMMY HE'S COLD I DON'T WANNA WATCH HIM GO!!" As he holds up his cloak wet from the snow and housing a newborn squirrel.
There wasn't much time as she flung herself from her chair barking orders at her husband like a general as he raced around trying to gather scraps of clothes and cloth for the squirrel as faerinn hiccuped and stood right by his mother watching. She wrapped the squirrel in warm dry dressings, assessing damage, and pulling out a little vial and syringe, giving the squirrel some sort of nutrients. Faerinn sniffled trying to talk to the squirrel and for a moment it seemed like the squirrel understood. His mother watched wiping the sweat off her brow as her husband leaned over her as well. Not long after the squirrel began to crawl and he crawled to faerinn blindly smacking its paw to his nose as he sniffled. With a heavy sigh his mother smiled at her child and the squirrel, "he needs rest faerinn, we'll keep him fed and when he's old enough on his own we have to release him"
"But I don't want him to go!"
"It's the way of nature we can't keep it unless it wants to stay"
"Then I'll make sure he wants to!"
That's her child alright, stubborn willed when it came to nature and animals. She patted Faerinn's head barking at her husband to go get the well water while faerinn watched the squirrel sleep.
A bond was formed that night.
Ever since then his mother watched as faerinn learned step by step how to take care of a squirrel, and that squirrel went everywhere with him, bath time, bed time, to supper and breakfast, accompanied the lad in his pocket wrapped in a small scarf and gloves with a nest of scraps of cloth. Any time his stepfather or mother tried to keep them apart or if by accident, they'd both find each other, the squirrel scampering over to nest in his pocket or hair, or faerinn scooping the squirrel up in his hands with a smile.
And so it happened that these two became fast friends, even having a small spot at the dinner table, learning manners from faerinn, taking baths together, going everywhere around the forest.
One day his mother sat in the summer shade with her son on her lap, working on identifying food and poison plants, his stepfather cutting lumber for his latest project in the far distance with a huff and a laugh. "Faerinn, it's about time to name this squirrel of yours.." she sets the book down looking at faerinn.
Faerinn put his chin in his hands and re-crossed his legs, it seemed the squirrel mimicked him which made his mother tilt her head. "What about tiberius?"
The squirrel shook his head
"Captain whisker?"
Again another shake
Faerinn picked up the book and flipped through it, finding a fiddlehead fern, he pointed to it "these look like squibbles..squiggles.."
The squirrel squeaked at the top of its lungs running in circles around the two. "Squibbles?"
His mother questioned. The squirrel chirped and put its paws on the page. "What about sir squibbles?" Chirped again
"Sir squibbles the nutty! Heir to the squibble nut fortune in Ravenwood forest!" Faerinn declared as he picked up a little twig and knighted the squirrel who seemed rather happy, flicking its tail and chirping.
Faerinn's mother just smiled, holding her palm out for the squirrel "well sir squibbles.. if you intend to stay with my boy, then you both will look out for each other" she set the squirrel on top of his head. "Yeah! I'll always look out for him mommy! Sir Squibbles is my bestest friend in the whole world!" She just chuckled at that, letting the breeze move her hair and skirthem as she listened to her son and the squirrel talk about all the things they were going to do together for the summer. With that squibbles grew with faerinn, more than ever bonded and friends, taking up space in his bag, being together at the best and worst times, even fending off bullies in the village by crawling up their pants and shirts. To this day as Faerinn looks at the edge of their forest taking the first step over the edge where the trees thinned out, he follows. "Well squibbles.." a now more mature now adult faerinn looks at his friend who is seated firmly in his shirt pocket, above the mice family, paws at the edge. "Hopefully this adventure doesn't take too long huh.." he smiles down at the squirrel who seems to give him a thumbs up as faerinn walks. "I could really use a bite to eat when we get to the tavern the paper our book said to go to.. I've heard the outside has different food.. have you ever been on a boat squibbles?" A squeak "me neither.. I hope we don't get sick.." the two continued chatting as he walked, cloak hood over his head, towards the docks to begin their first ever journey to the outside world.
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