Completed [Okomo Estates] Family

[Gemma Parker]

It was the evening of the midwinter festival, and the whole Parker family was in the house, each carrying out their own function. Sera, Gemma's mom, was the clear leader in situations like this, and even more so now that they had such a special guest coming over. Gemma had not told her mother about any of the nervousness she had felt or how long she had procrastinated. She had simply said that she heard there was a new Konti in town, and had decided to invite her to spend time with the family. Her father was fine with it, and her mother actually nodded in approval, which was a big win for Gemma, confirming and affirming her actions. It left a smile on her face all throughout preparation time so that she barely even noticed the work.

At the moment, they were just finishing up 'cleaning up' her dad's work space, which in Gemma's house meant that her mom stood there making sure he was doing his part, her dad tried to sneak bottles and jars and herbs into cupboards and drawers, and Gemma did normal things like sweeping. She had also taken the time to braid her hair over her left shoulder. It was a very simple braid, but she thought it might be nice to change her hair style for the special occasion.

Then, in the middle of it all, there was a knock at the door, and for a moment everything stopped.

"Go get it!" Her mom whispered, shooing Gemma toward the door.

Gemma went to the door, rolling her eyes at her parents. She had talked to Dev just yesterday. She was super chill.

She opened the door and greeted Dev, inviting her in.

"Hey, Dev! These are my parents, Sera and Miles. Mom and dad, meet Dev'Ania." She allowed them to bow and greet each other, and then Gemma showed Dev to the table.

Inside the house was a simple four person square wooden table with four chairs and four place settings. Each seat was set with modest but still nice ceramic plates and metal silverware on top of wooden place mats. The food was not yet on the table, but that would soon be remedied.

"Dev'Ania, it's so wonderful to welcome you into our home." She said.

"Yeah, it's open to you whenever you want." Miles said.

Gemma and Sera brought the dishes from the kitchen counter against the wall over to the table, which was in the middle of the room and lit by candlelight. The main course was roasted turkey with herbal seasonings and potatoes as a side dish, also seasoned with different herbs. In fact, everything had some kind of herbal flavoring in it. They also had apple bread and jam for desert, and either milk, water, or wine. Gemma took a glass of milk.

Before they started eating, they bowed their heads and gave thanks to Rak'keli, Avalis, and Laviku for bringing Dev'Ania to their home and their family.

"So Dev'Ania," started Sera, clearly taking point in the conversation as they dug into their food. "Gemma says you're new in town. How did you come to Lhavit?"

[Dev'Ania]

46th of Winter 518 AV

Walking to Gemma’s home, a million thoughts ran through the mind of Dev’Ania. She had been so excited yesterday when Gemma had invited her. But now, a deep realization had sunk in - she was going to have dinner with a family of complete strangers. Of course, she had gotten to know Gemma yesterday, but there was only so much you can learn about a person in one day. Would they like her? What if they asked about her family? What would she say? Dev’Ania was more nervous than she had ever been.

Dev had planned on bringing something as a gift for Gemma’s family, but because of her nervousness, she had forgotten, making her even more nervous. She wanted to present herself as best as she could. It would have been terrible if she dressed in ragged clothing the first time meeting someone. The morning of the Mid-Winter festival, Dev’Ania went to the Azure Market to look for something nice to wear.

After wandering the market for almost a full bell, She had bought a nice, silk yellow dress that caught her eye and a bit of makeup. On her way back home, she realized it would be very awkward to wear a beautiful dress with leather boots, so she returned to the market and found a nice pair of black heels to purchase.

She returned home and spent the rest of the time getting ready for dinner. She combed her long, blonde hair before tying it up into a ponytail. She was finally ready. Dev’Ania left her apartment and walked through the city to the Okomo Estates. As she walked through the estates, she admired all of the nice houses. Soon, she would have a house to share with the love of her life and their family.

Arriving at the Parker residence, she lightly knocked on the door. Her nervousness was still present. Was it too late to go back home? Soon she was greeted kindly, by Gemma and then was introduced to her parents, Sera and Miles. In her mind, Dev’Ania thought they were a cute family.

“Hello. It is very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Parker. And it is great to see you again, Gemma. Thanks again for the invitation.” Dev’Ania greeted Gemma’s parents with a smile and bow. She observed the family’s house as Gemma showed her to the table for dinner. Dev’Ani had arrived just in time.

Dev’Ania sat at the table and watched as the food was being brought out. Once everyone was sat down, she joined in giving thanks to the gods and goddesses whom she worshipped. Afterward, she poured herself a glass of wine. “Thanks, again, for such a warm welcome. Yes, I am relatively new to the city. I actually moved here from Riverfall in the Fall.” Dev took a sip of her drink and began to make her plate of food. “The food smells amazing! Did you cook it, Mrs. Parker?”

Ledger Changes: :

Dyed Silk Dress - 30 Ki
Shoes - 3 Tk
Simple Makeup(10 uses) - 10 Ki
Total=40 Ki, 3 tk

[Gemma Parker]

As Gemma opened the door, she was greeted by pure radiance. Dev had dressed in a cheerful yellow silk dress and black heels and had even put on makeup.

"Wow, you look great! I love your dress!" She looked her fellow Konti up and down. It made her feel a little self conscious about her own unchanged wardrobe, but there was nothing to do about that now.

Dev came in and seemed to be enjoying herself already. They sat at the table and she commented on the food.

"I did most of the cooking, but Gemma and Miles handled the seasoning. Herbs are their specialty." She said with a kind smile that did not reflect her expression and mood only moments before.

Dev mentioned where she was from, and Gemma perked up. She hadn't thought to ask yesterday. "Ooh, Riverfall? Where's that?" Gemma asked, excitement in her voice. "And how did you get to Lhavit? I've heard it's really hard to travel to and from the city."

[Dev'Ania]

Dev’Ania sat at the table with the Parker family, making her plate of food as it was passed around. The savory smell of the food wafted into her nostrils, causing her mouth to water. She hadn’t had a good home cooked meal in such a long time. This meal was definitely going to be enjoyed by her. “Wow,” she directed her attention to Gemma and Miles, “great job with the seasoning, you might have to teach me about herbs one day.”

Her plate made, Dev began to eat. She took a bite of potatoes and turkey, chewing and swallowing it completely before replying to Gemma’s question. “Riverfall is to the east of the Suvan Sea, in Cyphrus. I loved it there. It was where my father lived, but he, unfortunately, passed away a while ago. I was raised there for some time with my mom. It was so beautiful there, too. I would love to teach you more about it sometime.” The thought of when she lived in Riverfall, alone, caused her to become upset. But thinking about her parents, made her even sadder. She didn’t want to put a damper on the mood, so she quickly gave a big smile, hiding her smile.

“Tell me about you guys. What is the story of the lovely Parker family?”

[Gemma Parker]

Gemma smiled as she saw Dev clearly enjoying herself with the food. She was proud that she had at least contributed in some small way to the way the night was going. Their family did not often have company, and never for dinner like this. It was a new experience, and Gemma was enjoying it. Maybe with Dev here they could at least pretend to be a normal family, able to socialize and not bent on living up to unrealistic standards. As long as she kept those thoughts far to the periphery of her mind, she could enjoy the evening and the food.

“I’ll totally teach you any time you want! It could be fun, and the basics are pretty easy. It is, admittedly, a lot of either memorizing or note-taking or both, but it can also be very calming.” She smiled at Dev.

Dev mentioned her father passing away, and Gemma’s face took on the conciliatory expression of condolence. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” She said quietly while Dev was still speaking.

“Well hey, maybe you can teach me about your home city and I can teach you about herbalism! You can also tell me all about your travels and how you got here, that would be awesome. I’ve always wanted to travel, but my parents say it’s too dangerous.

“That’s because it is.” Her parents said in unison, glancing at each other for a moment in shock before laughing together for a few ticks.

Gemma wanted to ask more about Dev’s mom and why she came to Lhavit, but she could see that the woman’s countenance had shifted while telling her story. It sounded like she had been running from something more than running to Lhavit. Gemma guessed it had to have been something pretty bad, and she didn’t want to spoil the evening by bringing up something painful.

Dev asked about Gemma’s family and she perked up a bit. As much as she struggled to relate to her mom, she always loved her parents’ stories because they always involved traveling. She also knew that she would be merely a tack-on detail at the end to round out the interesting part of the story. Her parents had both given up so much to raise her. She was sure that if she had not come along, they would have kept traveling and seen more of the world.

Miles looked to Sera, his chin in his palm and his elbow on the table as he prepared for another mouthful.

“Would you like to, or shall I?” He asked with a smile.

“You go ahead, dear. It’s probably more interesting when you tell it.” She said.

“Ok!” He put his fork down, his plate already several bites cleaner than it had been when he’d served himself.

“So there I was…” He began.

“The short version, dear. We don’t want to bore Dev’Ania with history.” Sera interrupted.

“Right, ok. So I was standing on the docks of Konti Island after having received grave news of my father’s failing health.” He began, but Gemma cut him off.

“No dad, you have to tell about why you were there in the first place!” She said, nudging him with her elbow.

“I can’t please you both, it seems.” He chuckled. “Well I’ll try to tell a shorter version of the background. So basically, my dad was an herbalist with a successful shop. I started my own side company because I felt that it would be too much work to take over his business and please his clients, so I used my herbal knowledge to make drugs for kids. I always planned to get good enough to join with my dad again, but while I was selling drugs, I started marketing to people who wanted visions and spiritual encounters and such. So as I made a name for myself, people started asking about Konti Vision Water. Well of course I didn’t have that, but eventually it got to me, and I set sail for Konti Isle to bring me back some of the precious water, sure that then I would be taken seriously and be able to get back together with my father.” He took a big breath and looked to his wife.

“Do you want to tell about what you were doing before we met?” He asked, shoving two spoonfuls of food into his mouth before she could say no. She looked at him with slight annoyance, but only for a moment.

“I’d love to.” She plastered on a smile. “I am a member of The Opal Order, which I’m sure you’ve heard of before.”

At this, Gemma perked up. She loved hearing about The Opal Order, but her mom almost never talked about them. Gemma only knew that they were a healing organization who scoured Mizahar looking for medical knowledge, and were devout worshipers of Rak’keli.

“Basically, we are an organization of gnosis-marked healers of various levels who practice medicine and herbalism and travel across the map in search of obscure medical knowledge to further our cause. I was just about to set off on a trip to Lhavit to visit the Catholicon when I met Miles, who can finish the story.” She said, giving a perfectly cordial smile to Miles, who had to chew for a few ticks to clear his mouth.

“I think the story would definitely be shorter if you told the whole thing, honey, but all right.” He paused for dramatic effect.

“So there I was, standing on the docks-” Gemma laughed and nudged him again.

“Dad, you said that part already.” She complained through a smile.

“So I did, so I did. Right, so I met Gemma’s mom just before embarking for Lhavit. We were both charted for the same ship, and I had failed for several years to get my hands on Konti Vision Water, but I’d learned a lot about their culture and was much better as a person for it. But I got news that my dad was really sick, so I hopped aboard the next ship, hoping I’d make it in time. I told Sera about my dad and she offered to help if she could. It was a long voyage, but we kept ourselves entertained.” He smiled deviously at Sera and Gemma showed a look of embarrassment and disgust.

“Yeah, dad, you can skip that part.” She hurried her face in her hands.

“But you said you wanted details! So this one night…”

“Miles!”

“Dad!” The mother and daughter agreed for once that this story must be cut short.

“All right, all right. Well you get the idea.” Miles said to Dev. “So we got to Lhavit after the most boring and uninteresting boat ride ever where we did nothing but talk and talk and talk.” He looked at Sera again, bobbing his eyebrows. “And talk…”

“Dad!”

“Miles!” The two chorused again.

“And we got to Lhavit! Sadly my dad was already too far gone and Sera was only able to keep him lucid and out of pain for the last several hours. The nurses said he was just waiting for me. We told him about us, and apparently Sera told him about Gemma before she told me. She wasn’t showing yet, but after all the talking we did, I should have guessed.” He looked very earnest, but his wife and daughter buried their faces in their hands and shook their heads in unison.

“So he married us right there in the hospital room and gave me his house and his shop. I sold my drug shop, which I’d already left to a previous employee anyway (it has since then closed without my incredible management skills), and we had Gemma about ten months later. I took over the shop, Sera volunteered when she could at the Catholicon while also taking trips to other places to keep up with her Opal Order duties, and Gemma has changed our lives for the better! I still run the shop, Gemma has steady hours at The Catholicon, and Sera keeps doing whatever it is that she does when she’s out of town!” He grinned.

Sera looked annoyed again. “Despite my husband’s implications, my travels are purely professional.” She said, lifting her nose and closing her eyes.

“So that’s the story!” Gemma chimed in. “That’s a pretty short version, but I can tell you some other fun stories later if you want.” She said through an almost empty mouth. Her mom gave her a look.

She swallowed and continued. “How long do you think you’ll stay in Lhavit, Dev? Do you have any long term plans or ideas?” She asked, turning the conversation back to Dev.

[Dev'Ania]

Dev'Ania listened intently to the story Mr. Parker was telling. She thought the Parker family was so cute, it made her kind of jealous. The story he was telling was quite cute if Dev was honest. It was romantic how Gemma's parents met. A small giggle would come from Dev'Ania every time Miles tried to add in a joke and annoyed Gemma and Sera. It seemed like the small family was quite close.

Once the story was over, Dev clapped her hands together, giggling at the ending of Miles' story. "That was a great story, Mr. Parker." She took a couple of bites of her food as Gemma asked her about her plans. The only plans she Dev could think of was getting married and having her own family. A family like the Parker family. "Well, I plan to stay here in Lhavit for the rest of my life, really. I just love it here so much. I mean, of course, I will visit my homes in Mura and Riverfall, but I would rather not go there often. They really just revive bad memories in me. I would rather not relive the hurt of my parents' deaths. They were good people." Dev'Ania took another bite of food, chewing it fully before swallowing and continuing to speak.

She took a deep breath, feeling the warm air of the home enter her nostrils and exit through her painted lips. She felt comfortable with the family and wanted to tell her own story. Hesitantly, she began to tell the story of her parents' deaths. "That is the reason why I have left Riverfall. I actually lived in Mura also, as a small child, but after my father passed away, my mother and I traveled to Riverfall, where she finished raising me. SHe actually passed away, unfortunately from a disease when I was 24, but I know she is always in my heart. Riverfall made me very sad all the time, so I decided to leave and move somewhere where I could start a family of my own."

She placed her fork down on her plate. She had finished her food and took a sip of her wine to wash it down. She touched the rim of the cup to her lips, letting the wine enter her mouth. Her eyes looked over the rim of the cup, looking at those who sat across and next to her. "Sorry, my story isn't as good as the one Mr.Parker told."

[Gemma Parker]

Gemma smiled as she saw that Dev was having a good time with the stories, but frowned when she heard the woman's sad story. She wanted to say she was sorry, to offer her condolences again, but all she could do was gasp lightly in shock at how bad her life had been compared to Gemma's. At least Gemma had parents. She could say a lot of things, but she could never accuse them of leaving her alone, even when her mom traveled a lot.

There was nothing left to say, and the moment hovered, weighing heavily.

"Well you're always welcome in our home, Dev'Ania." Sera said finally. "It sounds like you've had a hard lot of things, but now you're here. This is a great place to make a fresh start and move forward with your life." She gave Dev'Ania a motherly smile that sent a pang of jealousy through Gemma's heart. She didn't know if she'd ever gotten a smile like that from her mom. And here Dev was, just meeting her, already the favorite. But Gemma had to push those swelling feelings down. How could she feel like that toward Dev? Jealous of all things? Dev had had a hard life, and Gemma needed to be open and inviting, not for her mother's sake, but for Dev. Because Dev was a nice girl and Gemma was sure they could be friends.

"Yeah, Dev, don't worry. We can be like your adopted family." She said with a smile, reaching across to hold Dev's hand in her own.

There were questions Gemma wanted to ask. She wanted to ask about Dev's gift, about Mura, about Riverfall. She wanted to ask about traveling and what the woman had seen while abroad. But none of those questions seemed to fit the moment. Maybe it was better for her to just let the evening slowly close, say her goodbyes, and meet up with Dev another day. So that's what she did.

[Dev'Ania]

It was time to clean up, so Dev staid and helped. She didn’t want to leave them to clean up the mess alone. And, she really just wanted to spend more time there before going home. She rose from her seat and picked up the plates and utensils from the table, taking them to the water basin. As she helped Sera wash them, they made small conversation over the culture of Kontis and more about what it was like in Riverfall.

After finishing cleaning up, Dev said her goodbyes to everyone.“Thank you so much for inviting me, again, and most of all, for treating me as a part of your family. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.” Dev’Ania smiled and gave each family member a hug, making sure to hug Gemma extra tight. She already loved Gemma. She wanted Gemma to look up to her, and be her younger sister that she never had.

Dev’Ania and Gemma made plans to spend more time together on another day before Dev left the Parker residence. Leaving the home, she reflected more on her time there. SHe thought about her parents, too. Only this time, she didn’t cry. She was too happy to cry. She had a new family and a new sister. Her parents still lived on in her heart, but Sera and Miles be the longing for parents she wanted.

[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request!

Gemma Parker

Skills

• Cleaning: 1xp
• Organization: 1xp
• Socialization: 4xp
• Cosmetology: 1xp
• Observation: 4xp

Lores

• Dev'ania: raised in Riverfall and Mura
• Riverfall: east of the Suvan Sea
• Dev'ania: an unhappy past
• The Opal Order: a brief overview
• Dev'ania: aspires to have her own family

Awards & Retribution


Notes
The personality of Gemma's family really shined through the entire thread. They feel really real, you know what I mean? A+ family dynamic, would read again. <3

Dev'ania

Skills

• Cosmetology: 1xp
• Observation: 4xp
• Socialization: 4xp
• Storytelling: 1xp
• Cleaning: 1xp

Lores

• Lore of the history of the Parker family
• Cosmetology: dress to impress
• The Opal Order: a brief overview
• The Parker Family: a new adoptive family?

Awards & Retribution
+Dyed Silk Dress: -30 Ki
+Shoes: -3 Tk
+Simple Makeup(10 uses): -10 Ki

Notes
Konti friendship! How pure. I hope to see more of your characters together in the future!