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

closed to the lord of thunder :U hope this works for you!

[astralera]

The wait for her midday spar was an agonizing one in Era's opinion. It had been far too long since she had a proper spar with anyone new, and Thor will (hopefully) be a worthy opponent she won't need to hold back with. So far all she really knows is that he specializes in blunt weapons - war hammers specifically - and lightning, which is likely more than he knows about her skills but still isn't enough for Era to know which job set to use in their first spar.

Paladin would certainly provide her with suitable defense and longevity, yet lacks the raw power of her other job classes. Casting classes could leave her at a disadvantage, with her casts being interrupted to regularly if a hit by Thor takes away too much of her vitality... Physical ranged could be a fun challenge for future spars but not a first, and she isn't confident enough in her skills as a warrior, monk, or dragoon to face someone considered a god by many.

Red Mage would be a nice balance between ranged magic and close combat, but so would Ninja. Either of the two would make for a fun fight, Era's certain. Her most recent conversation with Loki implied he heavily favoured daggers when not using sorcery, meaning Thor would be find fighting against the bladed weapons familiar.

So... Ninja.

With that key decision out of the way Era is left to wait at their agreed upon meeting place; a spot outside of the city, where collateral damage will be minimal if they decide not to hold back. It's her favourite spot to train, though with the recent drops in temperature Era finds herself less enamored with it, shivering as she waits. Not even the thick cloak she made herself, lined with the soft fur of animals she hunted over her months in Xistentia, is able to keep the chill from settling in her scales and she is loathe to warm up in earnest lest she expend too much energy before her spar.

Luckily Era has a wonderful, thoughtful friend (boyfriend, she mentally corrects with a blush) who packed her a thermos of hot cocoa before she left. It might have been meant for later on, but the young Auri woman is cold now and so shamelessly pulls it out of her bag, letting the container warm her hands through the leather of her gloves for a few moments before unscrewing the lid to take a sip. It's perfectly made; rich and creamy, warming her up from the inside quicker than if she were casting a Fire spell.

Suddenly her wait is that much more bearable (though she still can't wait for her newest friend to get here).

closed to peeper

[astralera]

Era had meant to follow up with Peter much sooner but had been sufficiently distracted by 'Christmas' preparations. Eventually she made sure to set aside some time to meet with the craftsman despite her reservations about the entire process - she had never had anything custom made for her like this outside of the outfit Tataru made for her so long ago, and Era is also admittedly a bit shy when it comes to exposing large amounts of her skin to strangers.

But Peter is a craftsman and therefore a professional, facts that settle her nerves somewhat. He also didn't seem too taken aback by her mention of scales and a tail, which is more than what could be said for many Eorzean crafters just a few scant years ago when 'tail' automatically meant 'Miqo'te'.

By the time she arrives at Peter's workplace Era has managed to shove her anxieties away, focusing instead on how nice it will be to have new underthings (maybe even a nice set of lingerie to wear for Aymeric someday and not just herself) and how nice it is to be out of that damnable cold once she steps inside.

"Hello," she announces.

freezing;

[hasitsthorns]

While Era is bundled up and looking closer to a marshmallow than an Au Ra, Rose is perhaps even more scantily clad than usual. A black spaghetti strap tank-top and jean shorts that are so short they really have no right to be considered clothing at all is her outfit of choice today. The blond gives no indication that she feels any sort of chill whatsoever and that's because she doesn't. Being born of the eternal winter in the northern mountains, Rose was impervious to cold. Whereas Era thrived in warmer climates, Rose seemed to bloom in winter's heart.

"You sure you aren't cold-blooded?" she asks, quirking an eyebrow at the multiple layers Era has adorned in contrast. "The only people who dislike cold this much back home for me are the fire apparitions..."