The same night at an estate in the Apex State of Oriel, a little boy was sitting up in his bed, holding his long ears, his fingers dug through his long platinum blonde hair. He knows he is scared, but he doesn't know how to say the word, nor understand why he is holding his ears, and jilting each time there is a flash.
Mommy told me that if I feel something is not good, I should go to mommy daddy or sis. The boy thought. After a few moments of taking his favorite bastion mini models in his hands, he walked to his sister's room.
It took him to jump over a few reluctances, since the boy didn't have a very clear idea if he isn't feeling well. Finally arriving to his sister's room (Scared of angering his parents for waking them up), he looks at the sleeping green haired girl, not flinching at the thunder storm at all.
Should I really wake sis up..? The boy thought. He wasn't sure if he should wake his sister up, with the same idea he would upset his parents for waking them up.
Flash. Boom.
A thunder closeby passed. The boy made a yelp and fell down on the floor.
"Nymph?" The boy's older sister sat up. She immediately headed towards her brother to help him up. "Nymph, are you alright?" The sister spoke in a soft voice, trying to keep her eyes on her brother's eyes. Nymph made a very awkward eye contact, as he had a poor understanding of social cues.
The boy did not answer.
Nymph knows he is scared, but because he is autistic, he doesn't know that what he is feeling right now is 'fear', nor he knows how to tell how he feels right now.
"Nymph, Meishou won't be mad at you OK?" The boy's sister, Meishou kept talking to him, trying to assure her brother that she nor their parents won't be mad at him for waking up because he was scared. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
"Mei?" The younger brother spoke, his voice was clearly trembling.
"Yes, Nymph?"
"Why am I shaking? Why am I quivering when the thunder comes?" Nymph continued, as tears started to fall from his eyes. Meishou used her fingers to take away the tears from her frightened brother.
"You are scared Nymph, the thunder is scary isn't it?" Meishou sighed as she picked up her brother. "How about we sleep together tonight? You will be safe OK?"
The boy rubbed his eyes to take away the remaining tears as his sister carried him to her bed. Meishou flipped the sheets, gently placed her brother in her bed. She proceeded to lie down next to her brother. As she laid down, she silently whispered to her brother, "Actually, it is a bit hard for me to sleep too Nymph, the thunder comes whenever it wishes doesn't it? But, it is probably the drums of Aion, telling us that the cold, cold winter is ending isn't it?"
The boy stared at his sister, listening to what she had to say about the scary weather.
A few more moments of Meishou comforting her brother, Nymph finally fell asleep. She realized her brother was still holding onto the mini models of bastions. Meishou looked at the figures, then gently took them from his hand, onto the bedside table so he wouldn't panic that he lost them. She then wondered what he would become when he grows up; he has so much in his future since he is a child prodigy of magic technology. She sighed, then closed her eyes, into the dream world after hearing a loud explosive sound, far away. She did not think much of it, dismissing it as the thunder going far, far away.
~x~
At a modest house in Rockroof village, while most of its residents were asleep, a young female templar was still awake. She was brushing her gorgeous, perfectly straight, long brown hair.
As the room flashed like a camera flashing, thunder rolling, the young woman put her brush down and looked out at the window.
From all these years I have been living in Oriel, this must be the biggest storm yet. She felt the sound of the rain pelting onto the windows, vibrations flowing into her thin fingers. Perhaps, because she was so used to the loud banging noises of war, she never flinched at any thunder which passed by.
I hope Huanghun is OK, I remember Cingloon saying that he is especially afraid of thunder. She then drew the curtains to a close as she sat back down on the stool front of her dresser. She continued brushing her hair until it was ready to be tied up and placed into a mobcap, adorned with delicate laces and frills.
She treasures this mobcap dearly, as it was a Solorius Day gift from her cleric friend Huanghun.
He is such a talented seamster. No wonder he makes such amazing dresses for the dolls Cingloon makes. She looked at the doll which closely resembled her. It was a birthday gift from Cingloon, who was so talented in sculpting. With well articulated joints, delicate paintjob on the face, it was in some ways, truly alive.
Many people think it is strange for men to have their own dolls, but many dollmakers are men. What is wrong with a man owning dolls? Cingloon and Huanghun are boys who truly love having their own dolls. Dolls are meant for everyone!
After a few moments of looking at her doll, she placed it in its bed, kissed it good night.
"Mistress Ooryuu, I have turned all the lights in the house off, as well as the dishes clean," A female shugo, dressed in an attire any female butler would wear, approached the woman.
"Thank you so much, Miminanerk," The woman smiled as she walked with the shugo to her bedroom.
"From all the clients I have had, you are one of the best, akakakak!" The shugo made a well known yet unknown sound shugos make as the thunder flashed. "Well sleep tight mistress!"
"Good night, Miminanerk," Ooryuu smiles as she closes her bedroom door.
As she settled herself for the dream world, the thunder started to fade away. The peaceful chorus of the wild ribbits echoed. Ooryuu was felt light when this moment happened.
Bang.
A sound, similar to thunder yet sounded so unnatural, echoed through the Rockroof village.
What in the name of Aion is that?! The woman sat up in a jolt of a second.
Immediately a firm knock, yet clearly made by a small hand, echoed on her door.
"Come in," Ooryuu answers.
"Mistress, I am sorry to bother you, but have you heard this peculiar sound, nyerk?" It was Miminanerk. She was also just as concerned with the strange sound. The shugo butler was rather unnerved at the sound.
"It is definitely not thunder. From all the time I have been in the battlefield, this sounds like an...Explosion,"