#this one is firefly and idalia

[yuesya]

AR-26710 gasps, jerking up harshly.

Her hands fly to her chest, only to be met with a stretch of smooth skin. When that can’t be right, because the last thing she remembers is a sharp, chitinous leg tearing through her armor and goring into her midsection. Goring through her midsection, actually, and–

Glamoth Military Regulations, Article 22: Knights must give all they have to Her Majesty, the queen, including their lives.

–she’d been prepared for it. All knights of the Iron Cavalry are prepared to die, fighting in this war against the scourge descending from the stars upon Glamoth.

She’d been prepared for it.

And yet, a burst of terror had filled her all the same, when her torso had been carved open even despite the protection of her armor. Desperation, as she’d struggled to reconvene with her unit through the staggering pain of severe injury, knowing that she could not call for help through her broken communications network. That no one would see her through the burning wreckage, that she would only be one of many who fell in combat in this war against the endless Swarm.

There was glory in such a death. It should be an honor. Their creators have taught them this, again and again. AR-26710 knows this, as well as she does every groove and detail of her own armor.

… But if she’d been prepared to die, then what is this relief that she feels upon waking up again?

“You’re up.” The voice is steady and feminine, not unfeeling and robotic. It takes AR-26710 a moment to place the speaker’s identity: AR-1368. She’s the Personal Escort Model who’d been temporarily assigned command of the squad! Was she the one who–? “Take it easy. The Juvenile Sting nearly tore you apart by the time I got there. You sustained a lot of damage –the scientists almost decided to recycle you instead of properly putting you back together.”

AR-26710’s eyes widen.

AR-1368 sighs. Her lips curve into a tired smile, an attempt at reassurance. “Don’t worry. The only acceptable death for a Knight is out on the battlefield. I wasn’t going to let Her Majesty down.”

“Her… Majesty…?” AR-26710 repeats in confusion.

“How else do you think I found you?” AR-1368 arches an eyebrow. “Your communications were broken, and you were buried under tons of burning wreckage. Her Majesty guided me to recover you.”

“Her Majesty… guided you to find me?” For her? But AR-26710 has never… there are so many knights under the queen’s command. Why would Her Majesty… did she really…?

A memory flickers in her mind. Through the haze of blinding pain and darkness and the certainty of imminent death… there had been an odd sensation, briefly. The cold brush of a phantom hand against her forehead, blessedly cool and soothing, providing a single moment of clarity.

You’ll be alright.

That… had that been Her Majesty?

When AR-26710 snaps back to attention again, AR-1368 is looking at her with a knowing smile.

“Her Majesty,” AR-1368 says, “Will never forget us.”

[timomaraus]

September 20, 2023

CNN Trump shares post on Jewish New Year attacking American Jews who didn't support him (Editor's Note: Stay classy to the end, Donald.)

CNN Kraft recalls faulty American cheese singles that might be 'unpleasant' or make you gag (Editor's Note: In my experience, that would be basically all Kraft American cheese singles.)

CNN Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how short attention spans are affecting our brains (Editor's Note: This looked to be a really fascinating story but I just couldn't get through the whole--squirrel!)

CNN Photos show bear and her cub after they raided the Krispy Kreme donuts van (Editor's Note: The donuts made a great dessert after they had the driver for dinner.)

Washington Post Trump hits new poll highs with Black, Hispanic voters. What to make of it? (Editor's Note: It's this week's sign of the apocalypse.)

Washington Post Nearly half of adults with hypertension are unaware they have it, WHO says (Editor's Note: Probably just as well. It would just make them even more tense.)

Washington Post After record flight, Firefly, Space Force look to accelerate launches (Editor's Note: Ever since I watched Apollo moon shots in the 60s, it's been apparent to me that acceleration is a key component of rocket launches.)

Washington Post Flamingoes have been across the U.S. Hurricane Idalia may be why. (Editor's Note: Can it be long before we see a new made-for-TV spectacular, "Flamingonado"?)

Washington Post Assyrian-Style Vegan Meat and Rice Balls (Editor's Note: Why is it that so many vegan recipes include the word 'meat'?)

ABC News Asteroid could hit Earth in future: NASA (Editor's Note: Well there's a bold prediction. "It may rain one day." See? We can be just as good at predictions as NASA.)

ABC News Oscar Meyer reintroduces Wienermobile to the road (Editor's Note: I know what you're thinking and while it is tempting, driving the Wienermobile will not be my retirement job.)

USA Today 70-year-old surprised by skydiving trip on her birthday (Editor's Note: The even bigger surprise? No parachute!)

USA Today Danny Masterson's wife is divorcing him. Experts aren't shocked. (Editor's Note: The guy was just convicted of rape. You have to be an expert to not be shocked that his wife is divorcing him?)

[rannadylin]

Dear Grandmother

So, Dal and her family are war refugees now, fleeing to her mother’s family in Ixamitl just in advance of the Godhammer, and with her epilogue over it turns out that the dear old elf who raised her in Gilded Vale died before Dal’s farewell letter could reach her. :-( Which seems like a good time to go ahead and post it here, right? The Dyrwoodan generals have all no doubt read it even if Siofra didn’t, so you can too!

Dear Grandmother,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am so sorry that I could not come and tell you myself how our journey went, but Ona, my friend who bears this letter, was part of our group and will gladly answer all your questions, I think. (She may also make up half of it for her own amusement or yours, but not unkindly.) 

I wish I could say that I will see you again soon, but I think now that’s a thing I cannot promise. We went to Readceras; we saw Eothas - he is indeed Waidwen, or sometimes Waidwen is him, at least. He was...not what I expected, but maybe being Waidwen complicates things. He seems determined to come to the Dyrwood: to save people from some evil, he says, but he explains little. 

But I am not writing to you of gods and wars. That is the Rectrix’ concern, I suppose. I don’t want you to worry over my return. I’m safe, as much as one can be in such times, but my journey is not yet over. I have found -- stars, how impossible it sounds to write it down now -- it seems the greatest coincidence, but perhaps it was all by Eothas’ working. My parents, my birth parents, the ones who left me with you, they were there in Waidwen’s camp. They seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see them, but glad too. I would say they weren’t what I expected, but I think I honestly stopped guessing what they were like years ago, since you didn’t have answers for all my childish questions and I grew resigned to never knowing for sure. Now all of a sudden, I know so much! Their names - my father is called Jarlath and came from a Glanfathan tribe; my mother is Zyanya Tlalli and came all the way from Ixamitl. I look much like her -- and so does my sister! I have a sister, Ceri, and a brother, Cahal, though I’ve only this moment seen Cahal for the first time. (You will have to ask Ona about all that.) By the time they were born, my parents were secure enough to raise them as they couldn’t me. But they missed me all the same, and now that we have a chance to make up for the lost years...well, I don’t think I can turn down such a chance, even though it breaks my heart not to come home to you. Because at this moment I really have nothing more than names and first impressions, and to leave it at that and go back to life as I’ve known it, always wondering more and more about them, would break my heart even more.

So, we’ll be well on our way to Ixamitl by the time Ona reaches you, most likely. My father wants us safely away from the war, and the duc wants us far from Waidwen, which is fine with me. Maybe, I hope, there will come a time when I can see you again, perhaps bring this sudden influx of family to meet you too. At the least, I shall try to write to you once we’re settled in Ixamitl. I wish you could even join us there, but I doubt the journey would be easy on you. So rest well, dear Grandmother, and don’t worry for me. Shining God keep you safe and well! My thoughts are ever with you.

Your Firefly,

Idalia

[rannadylin]

Character Interview: Idalia

Tagged by @haledamage​ - thank you, these are fun!

I’m tagging (and I know some of you’ve been tagged elsewhere too but if you want to do it for more than one character, I would love to give you an excuse to! ;-D and feel free to tag me back if you want, I have an abundance of OCs) @ariela-of-aedyr​ @queen-scribbles​ @aban-ataashi​ @serenbach86​ @lunarowena​ @sayonaramidnight​ @risualto​ @fangmich​ and tagging @haledamage​ back too for another character!

Today’s interview is with my shy little Dal of @grumpy-jedi​‘s god squad rpg campaign! Bonus: her most recent picrew image, but you gotta imagine the ears longer and fluffier, alas for the lack of orlan-friendly dollmaker options ;-D (Still this one’s an excellent Dal expression, really)

name ➔ Idalia. Most people call me Dal though. Or sometimes Lia, or Ida, or…well, it’s fine either way. (It’s a big name for someone as small as me, anyway.)

are you single ➔ Oh…yes, I am.

are you happy ➔ I’m…content, usually. Though recent events have been very trying.

are you angry ➔ No. Just…sometimes sad and disappointed.

are your parents still married ➔  They are now! They couldn’t before I was born, but they are now.

NINE FACTS

birth place ➔ Well, I’m still not exactly certain. Near enough to Gilded Vale; maybe I should ask my parents just where it was. I never thought I’d have the chance, and I didn’t think to ask details like that when they were telling me about how they came to leave me at the temple. There were fireflies there, that night I was born.

hair colour ➔ Strawberry blonde

eye colour ➔ Blue

birthday ➔ Oh! I should ask my parents this too! I never knew it for sure; Siofra celebrated it on the day I came to the temple, but I suppose my real birthday was not long before that.

mood ➔ Quiet

color scheme ➔ Sunrise colors – yellow, pale orange and pink. I like blue too, and sometimes a bit of green.

gender ➔ Female

summer or winter ➔ Winter

morning or afternoon ➔ Oh, I am definitely a morning person. I’m not sure if that is by my nature or from growing up in Eothas’ temple, but I think it unlikely to change now.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ Me? Oh, no. I mean…well, perhaps someday, but no one I’ve met…

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ Well, it sounds lovely. I think it would take me longer than that, though.

who ended your last relationship ➔ No one can end what hasn’t begun!

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ I surely hope not!

are you afraid of commitments ➔ No, but I wouldn’t begin one without giving it plenty of thought, you know.

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ Yes, I…well, I may not ever see her again. So now I’m glad I did.

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ Me? Oh, I don’t think so!

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ By pining, do you mean? Well…maybe once or twice, a little? I mean, I’m…not what most of the folk where I come from would be interested in.

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ Love

lemonade or iced tea ➔ Tea, in any form

cats or dogs ➔ Cats. Dogs are very excitable, but cats make good quiet company.

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ A few best friends.

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ A night in, whether or not it’s romantic.

day or night ➔ Day; rising early means I don’t care to stay up too late.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ I’d rather stay in where it’s safe.

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ Oh yes, a time or two!

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ In a sense…mostly I just want things back to normal, but I think normal is just shifting.

wanted to disappear ➔ Yes; I really don’t like being the center of attention.

been involved in a fight you thought you couldn’t win ➔ I haven’t really been in an actual fight myself – not yet, and that’s good because I probably couldn’t win one anyway – but this whole war that is brewing feels like an unwinnable fight no matter which side I look at it from.

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ Smile

shorter or taller ➔ Short as me!

intelligence or attraction ➔ Intelligence

hook-up or relationship ➔ Relationship

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔  Siofra and I get along very well. My new-found long-lost family…well, I’ve just met them, but I think we will. It’s a very difficult time to actually get to know them though.

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ No, not really. I was very content at the temple. Perhaps it seems messed up that I grew up away from my birth family, but I understand why they gave me up.

have you ever ran away from home ➔ It feels like I’m running away from there now, though I don’t want to – no matter what direction I go.

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ No, that would be very sad!

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ Of course not! Even if…some of us may be on opposite sides of a war now.

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ Some of them I’m closer to than others.

who is your best friend ➔ For most of my life it’s been Weynid – I keep her out of trouble, she gets me into it, but she makes me laugh and she doesn’t mind me being different as much as some do –  but she transferred to another temple, few years back, so we just keep in touch by letters now. And wartime is probably going to make that harder.

who knows everything about you ➔ Well, to an extent, Siofra, but she didn’t know anything about my birth parents, so now I’m not sure that counts. It seems Eothas probably knows everything about me, though.

[rannadylin]

Special new additions to the Cafe Nua tea shop on Adagio: Teas for each of the four priestesses sent to investigate Waidwen’s claim to be Eothas. Watcher Wednesday seems like a good time to highlight four of my favorite non-Watcher PoE characters, right? :-D They may not be Watchers, but they are definitely the coolest priestesses in Saint’s War-era Eora, and they have their signature teas to prove it!

Firefly: Idalia’s tea is mild and sweet with gentle fruit flavors.

Heriteage: Nona’s tea is strong and unexpectedly a bit sweet, with just a hint of hazelnut and cinnamon. 

Curiositea: Ona’s tea is sweet and bold, a melange of fruity flavors to satisfy the most curious tastes.

Puriteacation: Yarrow’s tea is smokey and spiced, not overly sweet.

Want to try them (or any other Adagio teas)? Use 3688116742 for a $5 off coupon - good for one day only, but if you see this post too late, message me and I can generate you a fresh code.

[rannadylin]

17 for Dal from the OCtober list?

(17. Safety) Belatedly posting this for OCtober day 6, since I didn’t quite get it finished in time to post before god squad time last night and then after the session, Word was not cooperating with the copy-paste... :shrug: Plus! Same prompt was also requested for Dal by @aban-ataashi but I may have another idea for it so I’ll keep that in the list for later... :-D Anyway, time for more kidfic; have a wee Dal growing up in the temple!

Also on AO3!

OCtober Day 6: Refuge

“Dal?” 

Despitethe boxes between her and the exit of her nook, Idalia could easily hear thegentle, frail voice that she loved best in the world calling from beyond herhiding place, but she hesitated. A moment too long: Siofra called again.

“Firefly?Where have you gone? Oh, dear. Perhaps Hekla was right; I’m getting too old tokeep up with a little one.”

Well,that simply wasn’t true, and Idalia couldn’t leave the old priestbelieving such a thing. She scurried back through the path she had foundbetween the crates of ceremonial vestments and such in their cubbyhole backbehind the altar.

Shereached the cabinet-like door and slipped back into the chapel just in time tosee Siofra slowly making her way to the next room. “You’re not too old, Grandmother!”she called. 

Theold elf turned at Idalia’s slight voice and smiled, crinkling the folds at thecorners of her eyes. “Ah, there you are, Firefly,” she sighed, holding out herarms as Idalia ran to hug her. “You had me worried.”

Idalia’seyes went wide. “I didn’t mean to! I just...there were a lot of people and itwas quieter in there. I was still listening, but no one was staring at me likelast time.”

“In…?”Siofra followed Idalia’s pointing and saw the cubbyhole door. “Well, saintspreserve you, child. Were you in there the whole service?”

Idalia’sears drooped and flickered with a faint light. “Is that bad?” 

Siofrachuckled. “Oh, the Rectrix would have something to say about the impropriety,I’m sure. And joining the other priests in worship is important for alittle girl who will soon be an acolyte, Dal,” she chided gently. “But there’salways the next service. You’ll stay with me, the next time?”

“Yes,Grandmother.” Her eyes lit up -- for a moment, literally -- and she tugged atSiofra’s hand. “Do you want to see it? It goes really far back, and there areboxes!”

“Arethere, now?” Siofra’s eyes crinkled with a smile again. “I would love to seethem, dear, but I think I will have to stay out of crawlspaces, at my age. Andthis looks like a thoroughly orlan-sized one. It’s all yours, Idalia.” Hersmile faded and she slowly knelt next to the girl. “You won’t always be able toavoid people staring, you know. An orlan, in Gilded Vale -- bearing Eothas’light, no less -- you are a curiosity, and that can’t be helped. But noveltiesfade in time. You are one of us. You’re safe here. You know this, yes?”

Idalianodded, ears flicking once. “Ye...es, Grandmother.” Fidgeting, she glanced backat the cubbyhole. “But...I can still play in there? Just not during services?”

Siofrasighed. “I suppose there’s no harm. Quietly, mind you, and without leaving anymesses. The Rectrix probably wouldn’t approve of this. But if a retreat justyour size makes you feel safer, my Firefly, then yes, you may.”

[rannadylin]

Meet Idalia, the character I’m playing in @grumpy-jedi‘s PoE ttrpg campaign! She is an orlan and a dawn godlike, because why would Ranna play anything else when orlans are even remotely an option, and because dawn godlike was a very exciting thing for me to see in the ttrpg handbook. Which apparently doesn’t mean she looks anything out of the ordinary like other godlikes...until she lights up like a firefly, which she can do at will, and can choose from what part of her body she emits light, and it’s not inherently damaging to those nearby or anything, she’s just shiny. We’re all set if the party needs to travel any dark caves or anything, we have a nightlight orlan. (She’s also a priest of Eothas, having been left by anonymous parents in his temple in Gilded Vale on account of the glowing when she was an infant, and raised by the priests there, which is kind of awkward when on the one hand you are clearly touched by their god but on the other hand you are an orlan. In Gilded Vale. See the dilemma?)

From this dollmaker

[rannadylin]

OC Asks #1, 9, 16, 33, 42, 63, 64, and 69 for the OC or OCs of your choice :)

Thanks! I’m gonna go with Dal for the ones that I hadn’t done yet for her and throw in some of the Citlatl crew and Ianthina for the ones that I had done. :-D

1. What is/are your OC’s nickname(s) and how did it come about? Dal is in itself a nickname - short for Idalia. It’s the shortened form most people use with her, although she also gets called Ida, or Lia, or Dali, and so on. She will joke that the Gilded Vale folk thought Idalia was too big a name for such a small person. Her other nickname is Firefly, which her adoptive parent, Siofra, has called her since she was first left at the temple as a baby. (And from this week’s minisession, turns out her birth mother called her that too, and Idalia is the name the priests gave her I presume. Dal was a bit shocked to hear someone besides Siofra calling her Firefly! @grumpy-jedi, omg the feels!)

9. What does your OC’s bedroom look like?  His/her living area? Lottie’s room is, of course, a mini-library at all times. And pretty messy on top of that. 

16. What is your OC’s strongest childhood memory? Why and how has that impacted him/her? Ianthina’s got a pretty traumatic candidate for strongest memory in the storm that killed her parents along with several others in their village, but prior to that…she’s got a memory of her mama dressing her up in a fancy dress when she was a tiny tot for a village festival and just how much her mother was enjoying the whole process, braiding her little girl’s hair up with flowers and all of that. The impact: though Ianthe can be pretty austere and grim much of the time (priestess of Berath, y’all), she’s still got a taste for finery and gravitates toward finely-made clothes even if it’s just her everyday priest robes, and as much ornamentation as she feels is appropriate for her to augment it with. (I totally just took this ask as an opportunity to justify all the fancy bits I’ve been putting on those dollmakers of her… XD)

33. What subjects interested your OC? Since this looks to be about school subjects, Dal’s Herbalism skill rank suggests Botany would be high on the list; and of course Theology; and Home Ec/Culinary Arts/Family&Consumer Sciences or whatever they call it these days, because her Cooking skill rank is right up there with those first two too. So if you need an orlan to grow some lovely herbs and cook them into a meal all while lighting up the kitchen without adding to your electricity bill, she’s your girl.

42. What makes your OC happy?  Proving himself to be more than just his father’s [spoiled] son makes Anselm happy – using his cipher skills for the good of the community; winning the object of his affections (whether that’s Lottie in Soul & Shield canon or Vi in Deadfire canon) by winning her respect and not out of obligation; not giving in to the sort of selfishness and anger that were his habit when he was younger.

63. How does your OC display love? Did the Love Languages quiz for Dal a while ago for one of these ask lists, and it was a tie between Acts of Service and Quality Time. She’ll find any opportunity to help someone she loves; the quality time one may manifest more as just finding any opportunity to be near them if she cares for someone that she’s still shy around; for a friend (or a love interest should there ever be one) it would be more of making herself available to spend time with them when they want.

64. What are some habits your OC has picked up?  How about that habitual game of Anselm trying to read Lottie’s mind just for fun though it started as training for her in shielding her thoughts? (After they’re together, that game/habit definitely continues though she’s not worrying much about shielding anything from him anymore…)

69. What is your OC’s favorite kind of weather? Dal likes sunshine with a decent breeze. If she must be outside, anyway. ;-D She also likes snow!

OC Asks