1.5 round 1 - hafsaer

[tedsies]

1.5 round 1 - hafsaer

reminder: household introductions

ahhhh. it feels so good to be back playing on a beach lot, and with mermaids as well! two of my favourite things.

yes, our time with the hafsaer household has finally arrived, out in their small beachside cabin on the outskirts of nordhavn main.

having arrived on these shores just as the trees had shed the last of their golden leaves last autumn, the hafsaer women had spent the entirety of winter here in total isolation, keeping themselves out of sight of any watchful eyes.

yet it was spring now, with the snow melted, and the days growing longer. how much longer could they keep their presence here unknown? and did they really need to?





tove, for one, hoped they wouldn't have to do so for much longer.

unlike her older sister, edda, tove wasn't so pessimistic about the populace living up in this most northern of countries.

they were so far from home up here.

surely far enough away from the people they had fled from.




still, edda had so far forbidden them from leaving the cabin.

and if tove knew anything about her sister, being as stubborn as she is, it would be a hard task to change her mind.




tove: the water is getting warmer each day. not anything like it was back home, of course, but its pleasant enough.

edda: good. it shouldn't be long, then, before it'll be safe enough for us to take meya back out into the open ocean.



meya: huh? so does that mean we won't be staying here for much longer? i haven't even been able to go exploring beyond the beach yet... its not fair!

edda: i've already told you that wouldn't be wise, meya. we still don't know who might be out there. we're better off leaving before we have the chance to find out.



tove: sister, really? must we have such a glum outlook on the world? i'm sure there's no need for us to leave with such haste. i promised meya i'd take her up into the mountains once the ice had thawed out, and i'd quite like to see the view myself. how does that sound, niece? are you still up for it?



meya: oh yes! absolutely! can we go today? oh i'd so love it if we could go today...

tove: well, i don't see why n-



edda: stop with this nonsense, you two. have you not been listening to a word i've been saying all winter? neither of you are to leave the bay, understand? perhaps in a week or two, given the conditions, i can take a swim out to check the conditions of the ocean currents, but that'll be it.



tove: sigh. edda... we spent the entire summer, and most of autumn, swimming all the way up here. we're at the very highest point that any map appears to show. where else could we possibly go next?



edda: wherever humans are not.



i don't know if its the topic of conversation, or the fact they're all sick of eating the same seaweed gruel for months on end, but the sisters are at least in unison about something 😆




meya: was mama serious? i don't want to go back into the ocean yet. i hated the journey here. we just swam all day long, and whenever i asked mama where we were, she just pretended to know where we were going...



tove: its okay, little fish. i'll talk to her. i don't see why we need to be going anywhere just yet.

though tove knew persuading her sister of that would be another thing altogether...



yep, i think its definitely the seaweed gruel...




meya: oh dolls, you're just like me... trapped in your little house all day long... sighhhhhh.




edda really wants to get good at this whole archery thing. she'd take any advantage she could get in protecting her family.

kind of a weird concept if you asked her, but she had learnt better than to rationalise human customs.



meanwhile, out front of the cabin...




astra: oh... so someone does actually live out here, huh? everyone in the village said it was empty. see, this is why you should never trust a farmer. i wouldn't even trust them to tell their carrots from their parsnips.

tove: umm. i... what are you doing here? you should leave...



astra: gosh, you look like you've seen a ghost! must not get many visitors, i assume. i'm astra. i was just taking a bit of a stroll, honestly, but sometimes i forget that i'm heavily pregnant, and that everything takes twice as long when you have to waddle everywhere...



tove: well, my sister isn't keen on... wait, yes, look at you! oh my! how exciting!



astra: yes, i suppose it is, really...

tove: oh absolutely! i would love a child one day. do you have a husband? what is he like?



astra: ha. you're an excitable one, aren't you? but no, there's definitely no husband, but the father.. umm, he's nice enough, i s'pose. a soldier. black hair. a slither of a beard. you've probably seen him when you've been into town. maybe you could ask his name for me again if you do...



tove: oh no... i don't go into town.. at least not yet.

astra: well, that sounds mighty boring. why ever not?



tove: uh, yeah... it is. we just... can't right now. weird question... but can i touch your belly? i really do love babies.

astra: no?

clearly its been a while since tove has been around other people, lol.





edda: ...




meya: i'm borrrrrrrreeeeed. bored, bored, bored, bored, bored!





well done, edda. you finally hit the target.

now try and hit that same spot again 😆



huh. i didn't have tove down as a knitter.

though in hindsight i don't know who i actually placed this knitting object down for lol



tove had vivid dreams that night of busy villages full of pregnant humans and handsome soldiers.



oh nordhavn. you so pretty.




meya: where's mama this morning?



tove: busying herself with something or another, i suppose. i think she's been avoiding me for some reason.



meya: she probably just didn't want anymore of this disgusting seaweed.




tove found edda out by the still-empty garden patch.

she took a deep breath, not sure how her sister would react to what she was about to tell her.



tove: y'know, that garden patch would actually be quite nice if we had some seeds to plant there.

edda: meh, i guess. but we won't be here long enough to see anything grow, anyway.




tove: edda... i've decided that i will go into the market today. i don't expect you to come with me, but its something that i'm going to do regardless. okay?

edda: is this something to do with that woman i saw you talking with yesterday?

tove: no... well, yes. but mostly no. how do you even know about that?



edda: i'm tired of this conversation, tove. do as you must. i've spent my whole life looking after you, but i guess sometimes you just have to make your own mistakes.

tove: ... wait, really?

edda: be careful, sister.



tove was just digesting her sister's suspiciously feeble attempts to stop her leaving the bay, when astra suddenly appeared again.

she'll do anything to get away from eydis for a few hours, lol.

astra: howdy.



tove: i'm going to the market!!

astra: oh. nice.

tove: will you join me?



astra: oh no. i'm faaaar too pregnant to do that.

tove: but you walked all the way here... two days in a row?

astra: don't try to use your logic on me.



and so tove left their little bay for the first time since arriving on the shores of nordhavn.



whilst edda seemingly attempted to completely disassociate herself from the situation. lol.




tove: umm.. i haven't actually got any money on me right now...

cashier: well what do you expect me to... *looks up*... oh! well a pretty lady like you can always come back another time and make up the deficit, if she likes. in fact, please do...

tove: wow, thank you! wow, people sure are kind here. how wrong you were edda!

cashier: edda? no, my name i...

tove: well... bye!




y'know, tove, i find its generally better to talk to people instead of staring intensely at them from close proximity.




tove: its nice to meet you, sir.

yoren: the pleasure is all mine, my lady. may i ask your name?

tove: tove. tove hafsaer.

yoren: ... this is generally the part where you ask me my name in return, but... never mind that... i'm yoren vinterfjord. local physician, and husband to the jarl.



tove: oh yes, your name, i'm so sorry... i'm just a little nervous. this is my first time here in town, you see.

yoren: ah! well, i figured as much. we don't get many newbies here, to be honest. don't be a stranger, okay? we're all nice people in nordhavn, i promise.



tove: oh! a soldier, with black hair, and a slither of a beard... you must be the father of astra's baby!



harald: father.... baby.... who are you and what are you talking about?!



tove: oh... umm... maybe i'm confusing you with another... i'm sorry.



harald: i... please excuse me.. i must go immediately... to find astra...



really, tove? now is not the time 😂



tove, a popularity sim, after one visit to the market.

to be fair, she has been explicably starved of socialisation as of late.






edda: so... are you going to tell me how it went? you didn’t tell anyone we’re mermaids, right?



tove: it went well... mostly. and no, of course i didn’t tell anyone… do you really think me so naive, sister? perhaps you and meya could join me next time. the people are truly welcoming here.



edda: we’ll see.



meya had, of course, been listening with eager ears to this entire conversation.




meya: oh you simply must take me with you next time, aunt tove! i simply can't take another day inside these cabin walls!




the next morning...




thank goodness for edda's brave trait, lol.

i feel like mermaids and fire don't go well together...

phew!




though the incident did send edda into full-blown aspiration failure.

something tells me this isn't really about the fire, however...




maybe it was a temporary lapse in judgement from her sudden mental breakdown, but edda actually allowed meya to join tove into town that evening.

and the pair promptly became best friends, awww.



tove: everything okay, meya? its not too all overwhelming for you, is it?



meya: oh not at all! i feel so... FREE! and my goodness... the food! i never want to see seaweed again in my life!!



norf: hmm.. and who are you, young lady? and may i ask if are you already pledged to our almighty watcher?



tove: oh... no, definitely not. i'm from far, far in the south... i worship only the mother of the ocean herself, nalania.



norf: *gasps* oh the horror! you must be converted to the watcher at once, girl, or your soul will forever be forsaken!

tove: hmph!

i see what tordis means. these watcher faithful really are something else.

your lack of eyebrows freaks me out too, norf, but you don’t see me recoiling in terror at your very existence!



i think meya is starting to reconsider that whole feeling overwhelmed thing, lol.





meya: hehehehe! i had the best time with you this evening, aunt tove. i love you!



edda: ...




meya and tove were exhausted from their little trip, lol.



edda finally got to work on the garden the following day, seeing as tove had brought back a small bag of tomato and courgette seeds from the market.



her morning peace didn't last long, though.

and astra hadn't come alone today.



edda: i knew that girl was trouble the moment i set eyes on her. i told tove to make sure she knew we didn’t want to be found, but-

tordis: hey, don’t blame the pregnant lady. i happen to be a very observant jarl, and i take notice when i see a heavily pregnant citizen of mine waddling off into the woods on her own every day. plus, your sister actually bumped into my husband the other day at the market. PLUS, you really aren’t that far away from town out here. you know that, right?



edda: what is it you want from us?



tordis: want from you...? no, thats not why i'm here at all. my duty as jarl is to ensure all my townsfolk are happy, healthy and safe. i wanted to come to make sure you and your family are all three of those things, and i wanted to make you feel welcomed here too, of course.



edda: well, yes. we are happy, we are healthy, and we are safe. does that satisfy you? and worry not, we don't intend to intrude on your land for any longer than we need to. i plan for us to be gone as soon as the waves fully still themselves again after winter.



tordis: pardon my confusion, but do you even have a boat?

edda: see, what is it with you people and your questions? that's all it ever is with you humans...



tordis: humans? okay... well, i'm sorry for asking. pardon me in saying so... but it sounds like you've had a terrible experience from wherever it has you have come, of which i will be sure to ask absolutely nothing about unless you wish to share it freely in the future, but we folk of nordhavn are nothing like that, i promise you. i can only hope you will give us time to prove that to you.



edda: ... urgh. i'm sorry. this is so embarrassing. things have just been... a lot, lately. dammit edda, pull yourself together.



tordis: you never need to apologise for your feelings. better out than in, i always say. unless we're talking about my nephew's belching, for that i truly believe should never see the light of day.



edda: heh. i say the same to my daughter, actually... though she doesn't have the same belching habit, thankfully. so... you're really in charge around here? i've never met a leader who isn't a... how do I put this... a total arsehole, s'all... no offence.



tordis: none taken! i'd be inclined to agree with you there. and i'm glad that you don't think i'm a total asshole, at least.




tordis and edda stayed chatting for a while.

it turns out that they have quite a bit in common, actually.

and i think this makes tordis not only the eydis-whisperer, but the edda-whisperer too 😅




meya: so are you like the queen here, then?



tordis: not quite, little one. you're around my daughter's age, y'know. i reckon you would get along just fine. i'm sure she'd love a new friend to play with.

meya: a friend... cool!



tordis even ended up staying for dinner.

i love that.



edda suddenly felt a whole lot lighter when she awoke the following day.

it felt good to share the load, even if just a little bit.



and she's smiling! at the dinner table! yay!



though i'm not sure what this face is from meya 😆




next up on tove's list of places to explore - the mead hall!



the fact that tove is the only non-pregnant one in this picture.



and it was this as this point that i realised i gave both tove and tyrella the same hair, lol. i just really like it, okay!

but that doesn't mean i'm not totally changing tyrella's hair when I get to her household.



tove and astra became friends! eeeeee.

quite an unlikely friendship though, considering how very different they are.



the strip poker table is far too popular in this joint... and you can't really see, but thats actually norf the watcher faithful who is playing with magnus there, lol.



and then here we have the other watcher faithful, dionisia, throwing a lusty look the pair's way... although at which one in particular, i wonder??

scandalous.



play nice, eydis. please.



and with that, we end our first round with the hafsaer mermaids! i can't wait to see where their story takes them.

progress has definitely been made!

next: rodtoppen household