Burn our hopes, scorch our dreams.
#1
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-AW- Morning of the 20th. Remember! Only Tiva and Gemma are allowed to actually touch the fire's embers.

The wall of cloud loomed over them now, and the winds were fierce as the two AniWayan fire tenders rose very early with the dawn. Both Tiva and Gemma were resisting the panic that threatened the tribe knowing that they had to maintain a spiritual dignity and convey calmness at all times lest the tribe sink into a mass hysteria. The night before the two women had thrown a hastily constructed fence around the ceremonial fire to keep the fearsome winds from blowing it out. Both of them had been hoping that the storm would divert and pass around them but one look at the morning's sky said it all, the Great Fire was in danger of going out and was burning very low to what it usually did.


It was something akin to blasphemy and both woman were choked up at the thought of it, they didn't speak to each other and avoided catching each other's eyes. Only a master fire tender, the Etikaiele Gata, had the knowledge and the spirit's blessings to tend to the ceremonial fire in such a way. It sent the both of them cold inside but it was necessary, this branch of AniWaya had no Etikaiele Gata which to perform this sacred ceremony. Together they deconstructed the fence and then worked to douse the torches that ran along Aniwaya's main pathways, they could not be allowed to topple or they would burn the village to the ground.


'Mama' A small voice made Gemma turn around and her stomach dropped as she saw her two children struggling to come towards her. Shrieking fearfully she ran towards them "Get back in there right now!" And ushered them back into the town hall almost running into Ulilohi in her haste to make them safe.


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#2
PP'd Gemma exiting again and joining them, hope that's okay!

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Doyi godvi

Gemma and her two little ones almost ran her down as she exited. Now, with the Town Hall all boarded up, Gemma was right; it was a safer place to be. The wind would still make one hell of an impression by sound once one were inside there, but outside... it was beginning to truly tear at her. The councilwoman wore her mane in a tightly rolled-up braid and stepped out of the way for Gemma and the children to pass, joining Tiva near the Great Fire, holding a satchel. It was an awkward feeling, and she could see how uncomfortable Tiva was, embodied in her stance. In truth, what they were doing was blasphemy. But had they any choice? She doubted if Chief Aatu would have made the decision otherwise. They had no time to send messengers, nor could they risk the fire.


Gemma came to join them again, and Ulilohi spoke loudly, her deep voice now backed up with the strength of her stomach muscles, so her voice could be heard over the sheer noise of the weather around them. She handed the satchel gingerly to Tiva as she spoke. "Take large embers, as many as you can fit inside." The satchel had been constructed for this very purpose, and she hoped it would not fail them now. The craftsman who had made it, years and years ago, had hardened its inside. It was not a soft bag like her water skin was, but almost as if it was made from wood. Saturated with something, and scorched on the inside to keep it from catching fire. It was hard and solid. She hoped it would allow them to save the fire. What would she do if it did not work? The thought was unbearable. The failure too great to comprehend. Her work here was for this -- preservation, protection. If she failed this, she might as well just turn back and go back home. Or better, escape the shame and run away, as Maska had done. "Gemma, use one of the dead torches, maybe, to roll some embers out?" It was only so much poking one could do before the whole fire collapsed; exactly the opposite of what they were aiming for.


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#3
In the day before the hurricane, Fire had just started to get used to her new pack. So different then her old. The Shewolfs and Males seemed to hold equal rank, instead of just the males. While still fighting to fully understand she reveled in the knowledge that here, she could actually touched the fire. That here she could actually make her father proud as the last of his line. Even if that ment nothing to his spirt. But, this all depended on if she lived.



Fire Lynn looked over the fire's fence her face and fur buffeted by the wind. Her eyes were only for the leaping flames of the diminished fire. Looking wide she noticed the others trying to gather the embers from the center. Flinching she jumped over, and move closer. She had only been here days and now she was going to try to talk to the other firekeepers. Her tail whipped nervously. In her old pack Shewolfs were forbidden to touch the fire, but she had watched. Taking a deep breath of smoke and humid air she ran over, "You can get hot coals near the edge under everything. Then you don't have to try to dig them out from the middle.... And I have these." She held out her clamps to Gemma. "We can gently grab coals with this." Her voice was low and growly from the smoke and her deeply scared throat. Looking at their faces she just hoped that she was doing right.
#4
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Welcome welcome to AniWaya! I'm looking forwards to having Gemma and Fire interact some more in the future Big Grin

Tamai Waki: Invisible, Unaudable.



Now that her children were relatively safe Gemma could go from freaking out about them being outside to freaking out about the ceremonial fire and what she was going to have to do. That the very idea filled her with a sense of foreboding and almost sickness helped to show herself just how deeply she had immersed herself in the culture of this tribe that she was not a native of, it helped the small flicker of fire in her ches to stay alight. As she followed Ulilohi back outside after apologizing for nearly mowing down the councilwoman the wind pulled at her, tearing at her hair and Gemma was dismayed when the blue band she kept to tie it back was ripped out. Her curls now free they blustered about her face, rippling in the gale.


She was shivering, now from the cold but from what she was going to have to do. If only Ralla were here she would be able to help them and Gemma's blue eyes threatened to overflow their tears. She would have broke at that point as both Ulilohi and Tiva looked at her expectantly but a voice came to her ear that only she could listen to, "Do not fail in this. Do not fail in yourself.. and in me. Do not let that fire go out Gemma, there are lives resting in your hands now... Do NOT fail your tribe." Tamai Waki was close by but she could not see him and Ulilohi and Tiva didn't appear to have heard him either. Steeling herself and trying to still her shaking hands the Gata Hineyu began to reach forwards almost on autopilot when a new voice cut through the wind.


She looked up and there was a third woman stood there, mostly dark colored on her spine side and light on her breast side. And red, red like burnished copper. It took a moment for Gemma to realise it was her that this stranger was talking to and snapping back to herself she pulled herself up straight and looked at the strange metal contraptions that were held out to her. Despite their strangeness she could see how the things were held together and they would certainly be a lot more useful that an old torch. The information given about flame and embers burning was something she already knew but she kept her council on it.


Before even Ulilohi or Tiva could react Gemma had gripped hold of the 'clamps' held out to her and was smiling weakly at the unknown red woman. "Thank you! These will be much better." Her heart began to beat unnaturally fast again as she turned to Tiva and finally the two woman's eyes did connect and both saw the other's growing horror and grim determination.

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#5
Ger sorry for not posting I had a really long post and my Internet failed just as I was submitting the post. Anyway I just wanted to say here is I tend to be a bit controlling in rps (not godmod but I have an idea and run with it) just tell me if I go to far.)


Fire barely noticed the other Shewolfs except to note their calm Looks. she quickly realized that as important and nodded silently to her self, but her mind was on the flickering flames. Her heart reached as the leading edge flicked out at the fallen fence. Quickly she reached deep in her bag. Her hand groped for the hard, long, metal stick of her coal shovel. Even though it would work better than the clamps; she had no thought to use them for gathering. With a quick glance at the Shewolfs she worked to build a deep trough and thick dirt wind sheld around the hottest part of the flame. Her light tan chest was quickly stained a dark dingy grey. Gritting her teeth she plowed though the tightly packed dirt and stone. She prayed to the gods that this was not a unexqusable of offense.

Grimcing and flashing her teeth she stood the shallow wall built. Shaking she turned to the others her body week with fatigue. Her younger lolled as the oppressive air thickened,"How far have we gotten?" She hollered hoarsely. Though she grew up inland she knew this heavy feeling. It was the calm before the twister; the calm before all hell breaks loose. Realizing she still held her shovel now bent and covered in dirt. She looked at it sadly emotions flaring for just a second before she called to Gemma,"Traid me tools." Her hand shook as the wind picked up.
#6
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Doyi godvi

Gemma appeared to freeze, and as Ulilohi and Tiva both waited, she stood as if listening and the two other females waited. Tiva held the satchel gingerly and Ulilohi, too, felt uncomfortable at what they were about to do. It wasn't right, but it was necessary. She kept repeating it in her mind, as if it would somehow change the fact that it was bordering on blasphemy.


A stranger emerged, one Ulilohi had not seen before, and she eyed the female suspiciously for a moment, until she remembered that Claudius had told her about a new joiner, to the Fire Keeper path. This would probably be the one, then. She seemed tentative at first, but engaged in the situation and the fire's fate, which only strengthened the councilwoman's suspicion of her rank. Also, she offered useful advice, seemingly from experience. Gemma snapped out of it in time to receive a contraption that had to be human-made; the austral female had never seen anything like it, at least, which usually meant that it was salvaged from some remains somewhere. The stranger was right, though, as was Gemma; it would be much more usable than an old torch, as Ulilohi had suggested. "Clever." she agreed, trying to keep her voice calm, as if that would somehow calm herself, and those around her. Again, her attention turned to Gemma, and she looked at the young Fire Keeper expectantly. Time to get this over with.


The stranger appeared as eager to save the fire as they were, though went about it in another way. Or, perhaps she supplemented their efforts, rather. She produced anouther peculiar item, and though Ulilohi recognized this as an obvious shovel, she usually did not wield metal ones. The councilwoman's attention was divided; she wanted to pay close attention to Gemma and aid her and Tiva, but she quickly found herself focusing on the stranger. "What are you doing?" she said to her, half alarmed and half curious. The female had no experience from storms such as these, nor any knowledge on how she could shelter a fire. She only knew that the fire must be saved, and the only way to ensure it was to take its embers and keep them until this was all over. Digging near the Great Fire made her uncertain -- was it blasphemous? Was it disrespectful? She wasn't sure, part of her felt it was wrong, part of her saw no problem -- it was just dirt, after all.


Some time passed until she could recognised the function of the stranger's actions. "It will inevitably die in the storm. I think your efforts may be wasted." Still, she was uncertain. Glancing at Tiva, who also seemed divided, she saw conflict on everyone's faces.


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#7
Fire flinched back slightly as a wolf yelled at her, but she was half way though. Her muscles contracted ready for a hit as she finished. Looking up she froze realizing the "alpha female" was speaking to her. It took a moment for her words to register. She bowed her head ears flat not only from the strong winds. "Where I come from huge funnels of wind and dust spin and touch the ground. Since we rarely get rain; my old pack learned to dig the fires into a hollow.. When the twisting winds came the fire wouldn't be blown out. " she said the words calmly and slow hoping her pounding heart couldn't be heard. "I was trying to bide us some time to gather the coals before the rain. If we aren't clear from here by then..." She closed her eyes before looking at the pale flames, " if we don't have enough coals saved by then." She paused again her gruff voice holding a whine. She believed strongly that her place depended on this fire. Holding back her tears she whispered what everyone knew. " then the fire will be lost."

Her mind flashed back to family's banishment. Some had called for her death and worse, but her mother had stood strong. Her father was ill already, and was sleeping. Suddenly her mind jerked to the present a pain stricken look on her face. Could it be her fault her family died? Because, she chose to use fire? She blinked trying to follow what was said, and not her internal turmoil.
#8
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Doyi godvi

Just a note; Ulilohi never yelled at Fire, she just spoke Smile Sorry for the shortness of this post, guys!


The new female explained her intentions and Ulilohi listened, though not sure if she should be worried about her actions. The female described weather with which Ulilohi was not familiar, and her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as the system was explained to her. She shook her head eventually, failing to understand. Funnels of wind sounded highly unlikely to her, having never seen such a thing. "I think the winds will claim our fire regardless," she said, her deep voice loud over the sounds of the storm. "Your efforts may be wasted." The fire flickered with the increasing wind, as if echoing the councilwoman's worries. Flames were a fainting and shifting in color, versicolor gusts of light that were increasingly weak.


The councilwoman looked to Gemma and Tiva, asking for a status update. "How are you faring?" Tiva would know if they had enough embers to maintain the flame until the storm had passed. Perhaps it would be blasphemous to keep it in her hearth in the Town Hall, but it was the only way that the fire could be saved. She would not dare put all her trust in the ditch that Fire had dug - it was best to be on the safe side.


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#9
sorry for being fail on my holiday x3 Gemma is pretty terrified looking

Gemma was also alarmed when the woman began to dig out a trench near to the Great Fire and was confused as to why she was doing it, did she not see that the winds would destroy anything left outside? But this was not for Gemma to say, and she forced herself to look back down to the fire that was decreasing in size by the minute. Her single ear was pulled back tightly to her skull, and her scarred face was pinched and crumpled, distorting horribly, showing her distress and fear. Tiva was also likewise hunkered down almost submissively with her ears drawn back, it was just too much to fully comprehend.

Her breath came in short, quick gasps, so much so that she felt light headed as she slowly thrust the metal holder into the embers and scooped up a heated pile of charcoal. Trying to stay her shivering hands she deposited the first of many such piles into the specially crafted pouch intended purely for this task. Forcing herself to ignore the Councilwoman and the new fire tender Gemma continued to pull out choice embers and place them into the pouch that Tiva held for her. As she worked Gemma's vision continually swam with unshed tears and she whispered constantly in a low hushed voice, prayers to the spirits racing from her lips asking for forgiveness for the blasphemy she was comitting, Tiva looked at her with mingled empathy and understanding, sometimes joining in with her prayers for a few sentences. Eventually it was almost full and she turned to Ulilohi just as the woman questioned her, then she spoke,

"I..it's done. I..i think." She looked to Tiva for confirmation and the fire tender nodded also looking vaguely ill.


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