open

[astralera]

Characters: Era Ra & OPEN
Summary: stuff and things
Date(s): December
Warnings/Notes: n/a



☘ CRAFTING

Actually preparing gifts herself to give to her friends and acquaintances is something rather new to Era. While she's certainly delivered her fair share of gifts to children over the last few Starlight Celebrations it was always because an extra hand was needed to help, not because she provided any of the gifts herself.

She hates being cooped up indoors for extended periods of time despite how unbearably cold it is, which leaves Era to suffer through the chill in various quiet places around the city as she pieces together delicate works of art. With her limited supplies she takes her time with each piece, deciding against using any more of her elemental crystals for non-vital crafts. What usually could take her under an hour now takes multiple, but it's a welcome distraction.

For all that Era is skilled in crafting and how much she loathes the cold on her tail and scales, it still hasn't hit her yet that perhaps she should craft herself a tail warmer. While her Carbuncle curling itself around it helps, a proper warmer would likely be more efficient.

☘ HUNTING & GATHERING

Partly due to the aftermath of the war and partly due to the upcoming months, Era has taken to hunting a few times a week to gather various necessities.

Hunting game at least once a week for meat to be cured, skins for leather, and bones for alchemy. It's a good way to keep her archery skills sharp, for she is a good shot with a keen eye and doesn't want to risk getting rusty from disuse. She makes sure to never kill more than she needs, and ensures that whatever she's hunting dies as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Gathering various plants keeps her busy between game hunts. There are so many that Era is unfamiliar with, and many others that she recognizes. The season means what's available is fairly limited, but she never leaves the wilderness without adding a few more things of use to her inventory.

When neither hunting or gathering, the Auri woman takes to fishing. No matter the climate or time of year, if the water is deep enough then there will be fish to be caught. This proves as true in Xistentia as it does in Eorzea, yet it is still incredibly boring no matter where she is. Luckily she catches enough fish a week to keep herself and Aymeric well fed.

☘ TRAINING

There sure is a ridiculously tiny woman doing some ridiculously powerful skill rotations against a striking dummy she has set up a safe distance away from anything that might become collateral damage.

Maybe she's flinging fireballs, explosions (Fire IV), or glaciers (Blizzard IV or Hyoton) at the surprisingly sturdy dummy, or maybe she's zapping it with lighting (Verthunder or Raiton). Or powerful swirls of air (Aero III), miniature earthquakes (Stone IV), spouts of water (Suiton), giant beams of white light (Death Flare), white balls of energy (Ruin), red balls of energy (Broil II), etc.

Or maybe she's just bashing at it with her sword and shield. Or a sword or axe both larger than herself. Or from a distance with a very large bow. Or with her rapier, or twin daggers, or a spear.

Or maybe she's just punching the shit out of it.

☘ FREEZING

Au Ra are not made for cold climates.

Era has met Au Ra who live on beaches, great plains, desert regions, and even under the sea, but she has never found any number of Au Ra who made their home someplace cold. While hearty and powerful, their scales leave them a little bit more sensitive to temperature than the other races. At least in her own experience.

When faced with the prospect of enduring an entire winter without the ability to Teleport to Costa del Sol or the Forgotten Springs or literally anywhere else not freezing cold to stay for a few days Era can only feel a sinking sort of dread that not even a Primal can cause.

Even during the Dragonsong War Era made time to Teleport away to someplace warm - it was the only way she could tolerate trudging through the Western Highlands or lingering in Ishgard for an extended period, despite how much she came to love the city. If her scales just wouldn't warm up again she would just pop over to Southern Thanalan or The Mist and soak in the sun for an hour or two, then return to the Holy See.

But she's trapped in Xistentia, forced to cloak herself in layer upon layer before leaving the apartment. And if she's not keeping busy outdoors she keeps herself sequestered inside, wrapped up in thick, warm blankets and dozing with the cats. The cold has made her chronically drowsy and Era swears she has slept more in the past week than she has in the entirety of her life.

Enjoy the Starlight Celebration without her, friends. She is just going to wrap herself in a cocoon of blankets and sleep until the weather no longer sucks.

☘ WILDCARD

Hit me with whatever you want - no need to stick to these lame starters! Also feel free to [action] if you'd like, since I have no real preference. :)

froakie / Era Ra#4916

Comments

[drapes]

Thor has fought Loki far too many times to really be at a disadvantage with casting classes any longer, so Ninja is a good route for Era to go. Still very much like his brother's combat, but more the aspects Thor's never quite caught up on. Stealth, the finer, minute dexterity, speed. A familiar style, yes, but always an intriguing one, difficult to keep up with. It'll make for a fun spar, certainly.

Thor arrives in his battle garb, worn through their trials on Sakaar, and through their brawl with Hella, so it's a bit worse for wear, but Thor still manages to look like the demi-god he is in it, tattered cape flowing behind as he paces over, a hand raised in greeting with Mjolnir rested on his shoulder.

"Lady Era! I hope you weren't waiting long."

He's bad at punctuality some times, but thankfully, Loki's good at getting him where he needs to be roughly around the time he said he was going to be there.

[dothelokimotion]

Loki follows closely at Thor's heels though he hangs back. Not that he doubts his place at Thor's equal now. Their circumstances had finally changed their dynamic into a place that Loki no longer chafes against. All the same, some habits are hard to break. Besides, this was about sparring. Loki may enjoy a good fight now and then, to keep the blood pumping, but he has never truly cared for it.

"Yes," he drawls, schooling his face into a vain visage, "You can blame Thor for that.

[astralera]

Era smiles at Thor, giving a slight shake of her head to indicate that no, she hadn't been waiting overly long. When she spots Loki close behind his brother her smile brightens.

"Hello Ser Thor, Loki." If Thor is so insistent on calling her 'Lady' then she will insist on 'Ser' in return, of course. "I have waited for less pleasant company for far longer, so it's of no concern."

The thermos in her hands has cooled considerably and Era quietly seals it shut again, tucking it away to seemingly nowhere a moment later. When they've finished with their spar she'll take it out again and heat it up with a bit of thaumaturgy, or perhaps a Katon. For now Era will focus on her present company rather than how chilled she is. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person."

[drapes]

'Lady' and 'Ser' are just things Thor's used to hearing, so her insistence on it doesn't much bother him. Thor beams at the girl as he approaches, though his head tilts as her thermos disappears into seemingly nowhere, the aesir letting out a chuckle.

"Either you have many cleverly hidden pockets, or you must carry some kind of dimensional subspace with you, my friend."

Mjolnird is flipped in his hand a couple times, as he paces over a companionable distance, an idle hand lifting to pat Loki at a shoulder blade, happy to have his brother out and about making friends with him. "The pleasure is mine. And more so still to have such a formidable sparring partner. What combat style do you wish to try for first?"

[dothelokimotion]

Loki swats Thor's hand away lightly, much lighter than he would have before in or in the past. He would not consider himself mellow, but certain fights, certain grievances were not so important anymore. Loki is learning to let go, piece by piece and holding onto what matters.

"Yes, please hash out the details in where you pummel each other," Loki drawls, "I have no doubt it'll be exciting."

[astralera]

"Perhaps a combination of both," Era admits, drawing her twin daggers out from what most definitely could not have been a pocket. In the blink of an eye her warm winter outer clothes are gone and replaced instead with an outfit of thick, skin tight black leather strengthened with coatings that she risked life and limb to acquire.

It might remind the Asgardian brothers of one Black Widow's combat suit, albeit in more separate pieces. Era hopes that her appearance will clue Thor in to her combat style of choice, she asks him a question in return: "I know you are intimately familiar with daggers, but are you familiar with ninjutsu?"

She turns to Loki with a smile. "I brought one of my journals if you would prefer reading to watching."

[drapes]

Definitely a dimensional subspace, Thor thinks, as his head tilts, brows knitting deeper, looking over the clothes that just appeared on her out of nowhere. So many questions. Did she just change really fast in front of them? Are these clothes on top of her old ones, or were these just underneath the others? Can Loki do that? Are they even real clothes? Are both Era and his brother, actually, naked right now and just projecting magic clothes?

That last one makes this feel very awkward. Moving on.

"No, no, he's being serious - seeing me almost lose fights is one of his favorite pastimes." A l m o s t . And it's debatable if Thor is being serious here as well or if it's just a very straightly delivered joke. Possibly a mix of the two. But back to the thing he's really interested about here - this fancy new combat thing she's bringing.

"Ninjutsu? I've heard something close to the term before from a dear friend." Things from Hogun's world probably seem close in the All Tongue, anyway, we're just guessing here, la de da. "But familiar, no."

[dothelokimotion]

"No, thank you," he responds politely. Loki then kicks Thor's shin discreetly as if fully aware of the dubious train of his brother's thoughts while rolling his eyes and looking away, the very picture of innocence. He does, however, make note of the daggers, the weight and the stance. Daggers were Loki's preferred weapon of attack. He has always lacked the muscle mass and strength that the Asgardians boasted of. It used to be a personal failing, one Loki could never quite fix.

He can't remember when he stopped.

"I believe a demonstration is in order," Loki murmurs as he finds himself a suitable location to watch.

[astralera]

The way the brothers interact reminds Era so much of Alphinaud and Alisaie; teasing and taunting but with obvious fondness behind it. She supposes the same could be said about most siblings, though Era hasn't met enough to be able to say for certain. Regardless, seeing Loki indulge in more childish behaviour makes her smile.

"As you wish," Era says, spinning her daggers twice before sheathing them against her side for a moment. With her hands free she forms the proper mudra - Jin, Chi, Ten - and activates Huton. A spiral of wind twirls around her from the ground up, and while the mudra's effects aren't visible the speed enhancement it gives her is indispensable.

Blades back in hand, Era turns her attention back to Thor. "I will make no wounds deeper than half an ilm, and you will make no blows that break bones."

She'll try and limit herself to a quarter of an ilm, but knows she can get rather competitive... "Afterwards I will heal all injuries. Do you have any further stipulations?"