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Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
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last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
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May 28, 2021 1:46:09 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on May 28, 2021 1:46:09 GMT -7
As was usually the case with authority figures, Aidan naturally assumed that they knew what they were talking about (most of the time, at least). It didn’t always mean he turned that obedience into action, if his shoddy attendance record at school was any indication, but well…he didn’t know much about the world, and they just seemed to know everything. The Druid Council was the see-all know-all authority on the island, and the High Druid could guide the council as they saw fit. So Aidan usually took anything Fae said as true, and he nodded seriously now as she untangled grindylows from her dress and commented on its seaweed-like appearance. “I wish we had mermaid tails,” Aidan commented wistfully with a laugh at the strange thought. Fae’s comments about her dress had him looking at his own wet clothes, and Aidan gave a wince as he noticed a new tear near his knee. Wow, his ma was going to kill him. To avoid that unpleasant thought, Aidan readjusted his hold on his lute and strummed a few notes to start drying their clothes. That spell wasn’t difficult, and worth the effort because he was quickly remembering that it was October and they’d just come from the water. As he wrapped up the song, he listened thoughtfully to Fae’s unhappy observation about their attempt to make contact with the merfolk. Some days it was easier to accomplish than others, but Aidan had learned that – as with most magical creatures – it was usually easier to let them set the terms and come to you. Sure, as druids they could encourage a rowdy mooncalf to calm down or soothe a dragon as they inspected a broken claw, but there were limits to what even they could do. And Aidan hated the idea of forcing it. So he shot Fae an encouraging smile and assured her, “They’re probably all busy right now.” His eyes widened at a new thought. “I hope the barrier breaking didn’t do anything to their houses. Or what if some of their animals are hurt? Do you think they’d bring them here? I hope so…” Aidan cut himself off from rambling as he worried at the strange new thought. His mind had been almost completely occupied with the thought of the island’s creatures that had escaped. He hadn’t even begun to think about the aquatic ones. He could see his look of worry reflected on Fae’s face, although she had already looked that way when he found her. Aidan remembered her gray hair, and the way she tightly clutched her new staff as if she hoped it had all the answers. He sighed slightly as he trailed behind her on their way back to the beach, eyes following the water as it tried to pull him back in before receding again. His concern wasn’t long-lasting though, because he trusted Fae and knew she would figure this all out. So as she commented on getting his help again, Aidan nodded vigorously. “Next time with a new song,” he assured her, smiling brightly to make up for the chill in the air and in her eyes. “I can start writing when I get home…” he wondered out-loud, fingers plucking idly at his lute. Then he refocused on Fae. “And since I’m visiting, I can check on your griffins too? I already have plans to visit the wild unicorn herd,” he informed her matter-of-factly. fae iona cloudbreaker
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last online May 1, 2024 16:14:00 GMT -7
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Jun 29, 2021 21:30:29 GMT -7
Post by fae iona cloudbreaker on Jun 29, 2021 21:30:29 GMT -7
▲ Mermaid tails…now that was certainly a concept. But it also made sense, in a way. A simple transfiguration charm would do the trick though getting used to legs becoming a tail would probably take some effort at first. Fae wasn’t necessarily concerned about what it would take to function correctly underwater as much as she was with getting to the merfolk village with said charms. There were rules and regulations established between them and her forbearers, and whilst all of those could be set aside under the current circumstances surrounding the island, she still wanted to remain respectful to the merfolk. Especially because she believed that they would be able to help with bringing any animals that fled via water back, should they be found. Aidan continued to hypothesize on why the merfolk didn’t appear, mentioning that there could have been damage to their village as well, causing them to be caught up in that. Fae had thought about that, and while certainly possible, it was more likely that any fish they kept near their community were driven off by the sudden quake and mass exodus of all sorts of beings from the island. That would definitely be a problem for the time being but not nearly as long term as the druids were about to have. “That is a fair point. Which is also why I wanted to make contact with them,” she admitted. They were all part of the same ecosystem of Hy-Brasil, protected by the barrier and benefitting from the centuries of magic there. Having their one defense system gone was like being left out in a storm naked and hungry. She really disliked feeling so exposed and at the will of the Ministry already. She watched Aidan pluck away on his instrument as he accepted her offer to come back once she found a better translator, and then nodded her head as he asked to see the Cloudbreaker griffin herd. That was already a sore subject for her parents, who had spent every waking moment already trying to recover their feathered friends. “That should be fine. There are only a few in the grove right now, but they have calmed down a considerable amount already,” she told him. “I would suggest being quieter than normal though, as some of the younger ones are still skittish.” It would be a while to get them all used to people again, and she could forget about riding any of the ones aside from the one she was bonded to. As the hours ticked on from the dropping of the barrier, Fae was realizing that there were a lot of serious issues that would need to be handled with a lot of care if Hy-Brasil wanted to return back to anything close to normal. MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
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last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
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Jul 17, 2021 6:24:52 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Jul 17, 2021 6:24:52 GMT -7
The benefit of sharing a pair of magic mirrors with his family was that Aidan could get news insanely quickly – even faster than any of the magical birds they used to deliver post. His ma had reached out to him not even an hour after the earthquake had shocked all of Hy-Brasil’s residents awake, and she hadn’t protested Aidan’s declaration that he was coming home immediately. There wasn’t even anything to consider, nothing to plan or debate or worry about. Of course he was coming home. He’d spent the last two years outside of Hy-Brasil, but his love and loyalty was always to his family and community first. He’d only remembered that he technically had a job after he’d taken a Portkey, so he’d sent a golden snidget with a long letter explaining what had happened to the master veterinarian. As much as the man was highly traditional for a mainlander, expecting Aidan to follow all their customs…he was also an avid lover of magical creatures. No doubt he too would be visiting the island to see what had happened. Aidan had spent his time home so far worrying over the loss of the barrier and seeking comfort from his friends and family. It had actually only occurred to him to start visiting all the magical creatures’ regular haunts to see which had stayed and which had fled after running into Fae. Of course one of her first concerns had been to reach out to the merfolk and see how they were coping. She was naturally thoughtful and compassionate like that, and Aidan admired her greatly for the respect she showed everyone – even lovably stupid apprentice veterinarians. She’d been too far ahead of him in school for Aidan to have an up-close idea of what she’d been like before becoming the High Druid, but he was sure those were qualities she’d already had before. But everyone knew everyone on the island, and that included their families. Aidan’s Elder grandmother seemed more inclined to work with Fae than against her, and his dad had grown up with her parents and they’d gone to school together. He could get utterly lose in druid family trees, so Aidan refocused his distant gaze on Fae and shot her a bright smile. He understood her concerns about the remaining griffins – he could also get quite fussy about making sure his beloved creatures were comfortable – and wanted to assure her that they’d be in very good hands. “I’ll be careful,” he promised, giving her an earnest look that was probably more suited to his dog form (puppy dog eyes and everything). “I really want to help and it’s so important to get them home as soon as we can. They’re used to being on the island, not around people that might want to hunt or hurt them…”That was a frightening thought, and it was the only downside Aidan could think of to a nice, sheltered life on the island. The magical creatures here had free space and were surrounded by nature-loving druids that knew how to care for them. They only faced natural competition from the other creatures, and even that was fairly limited on an island of this size. So many of the escaped animals simply wouldn’t know how to cope in difficult environments…ones with not-so-easily-accessible food, or hunters they had never seen before…by Boudicca, he was so worried for them. In his mind, as obsessed with magical creatures as he was, it should be the top priority to get them home and back to safety. His face lit up at the thought. “I’ll help find them! I’ve been on the mainland for almost three years.” He didn’t want to say something like ‘I know what I’m doing’ because that wasn’t necessarily true…but spirits, he really wanted to help. fae iona cloudbreaker
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last online May 1, 2024 16:14:00 GMT -7
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Jul 17, 2021 13:55:31 GMT -7
Post by fae iona cloudbreaker on Jul 17, 2021 13:55:31 GMT -7
▲ Fae had spent the majority of her life, aside from her High Druid duties over the last five years, carefully getting the griffin herd used to human interaction. When she had her brief stint as the island tour guide after completing school, she often took the more mild-mannered groups to the grove to introduce them. Obviously once she took up her new position that stopped, and aside from the druids that stopped by the grove and farm, the griffin herd mostly kept to itself and her family. With everything around her falling apart as quick as it had, she wished she had been able to wrangle the herd together before they flew off. Her parents were worried sick, and rightfully so. She was experiencing everything that the island was, with it reflecting in the ashen black hair that had manifested the day prior. She trusted Aidan with the griffins, despite the warning she had given him. He had decided to dedicate his life to helping animals, and that included the Cloudbreaker griffins. Normally she would have cleared that with her parents, since they were the actual caretakers, but the more druids that checked on them, the better. There would be Ministry involvement soon too, and while the magizoologists and other researchers meant well, they didn’t understand how dangerous it was for both the mundane world and the creatures to have escaped the island. They didn’t understand what muggles or motor vehicles were, or that there were giant flying pieces of metal in the air. Aside from being a threat to the Statute of Secrecy, it was probable that most of the animals wouldn’t be found alive. That hurt so much even though it hadn’t been confirmed yet. “I truly appreciate it, Aidan,” Fae said quietly, a smile cracking when he got excited about how long he had lived on the mainland. That would most likely prove to be useful in the coming days, considering he was probably acquainted with magizoologists that would be assisting in the recovery efforts. “If you need any help, I am sure my parents will be more than willing to assist you. They are just over the hill from where the grove is.”MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
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last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
DRUID
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Aug 19, 2021 11:30:36 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Aug 19, 2021 11:30:36 GMT -7
It was easy to forget how unusual it was to have experience with magical creatures – most mainlanders had minimal interactions with any creature rarer than a kneazle, and their knowledge was limited to the theory they learned in school. It wasn’t like that for druids – from the minute they could walk, they were constantly surrounded by magical creatures. Racing unicorn herds on their way to class, walking amongst the trees of the Wildwood searching for bowtruckles or mokes hidden in the branches. To a mainlander, griffins were fierce creatures that should be approached with caution, if at all. To Aidan – well, he’d visited the Cloudbreaker farm multiple times since he was a child, and they knew not to fear him or snap at the wandering hands of a druid child. But Fae had a lot more contact with outsiders than he did – before she’d been the High Druid, hadn’t she been a point of contact for curious strangers? Aidan didn’t remember exactly, but either way, Fae knew more about mainlanders than he did. So in hindsight, he could understand the warning and her concern. It seemed odd, but less so than it did three years ago. Just after graduation, Aidan wouldn’t have understood at all the dangers of magical creatures being released on the mainland. He would have assumed that the attitudes abroad were just the same as on Hy-Brasil, or at least they should be. Now…he didn’t need to approve, but he knew more about mainlander ways, how they viewed non-wizards. That knowledge would surely help when it came to recovering the magical creatures that had fled with the collapse of the barrier. He knew how the creatures would act, and now he was learning how mainland wizards would too… “I remember,” he said, vigorously nodding as Fae reminded him where her parents were based. Aidan’s family were farmers and herbologists, and as such they supplied many of the basic staples that the island’s inhabitants prepared and ate. How many times had he made deliveries to the island’s vineyards, fishermen, creature keepers? He tilted his head curiously as he studied the horizon – no longer swirling with the beautiful colors of the barrier, only clear sky now. Then he turned back to Fae. “I’ll go after breakfast! But what will you do?” he asked, his tone as plain and curious as a child. He was sure Fae was extremely busy, because even with a small population Hy-Brasil must have a lot of demands. But he had no clue where she would even start, or when he might hear from her again – about visiting the merfolk or anything else. But he was a healer, and he knew what a sick creature looked like. Humans were more complicated, but fundamentally the same. Fae’s ashy complexion and lank hair suggested she was under an intense amount of stress, not completely healthy. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything in his medical kit that could help. The thought made a frown pull at Aidan’s lips – an unusual sight for the usually unflappable boy. fae iona cloudbreaker
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last online May 1, 2024 16:14:00 GMT -7
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Sept 1, 2021 16:55:42 GMT -7
Post by fae iona cloudbreaker on Sept 1, 2021 16:55:42 GMT -7
▲ What was she to do now? Obviously the plan to find someone that both understood mermish and could sing in it was her first task. At the same time, she couldn’t exactly pull anyone away from rescue attempts or work they were currently undergoing. Her inability to do it all herself was really starting to weigh down on her the longer she thought about it. There were bound to be other pressing matters that were going to pop up the second she stepped back into Boudicca’s Grace and was spotted by elders and Council members. Shirking her responsibilities wasn’t common at all, and definitely was not going to be happening today of all days. The merfolk were most likely okay, though she figured it would be a sign of good faith to reach out to them now when the two communities needed to work together more than ever before. “I will most likely have to move onto the next problem…at least until I can find our vocalist,” she explained solemnly. Just the thought of having to wander around asking her friends if any of them could sing in an underwater language while they were potentially suffering from the loss of their animal friends hurt her immensely. But it had to be done, and they were all going to have to pull together to get anything done over the coming days and weeks. Hardening herself and hoping that the Council did as well was at least part of her job, as well as dealing with the Ministry employees that were starting to trickle in. She could deal with their sudden intrusion since this ultimately effected their various departments as well. The only problem she had thus far was that it made her look like a complete failure of a leader in front of the new Minister, who quite frankly didn’t seem to want to deal with her on a regular basis anyways. “Do what you think is best, Aidan. If my parents seem like they have everything under control, there are definitely others in the community that could use your assistance. Like how you have helped me so far.” Plants and animals included. There were all sorts of things out of whack, and getting everything under control was going to take all of them to manage it. MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
DRUID SCHOOLING ALUM ANIMAGUS MWRC APPRENTICE VETERINARIAN
156 posts
played by Jenny
Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread
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last online Apr 28, 2024 8:58:41 GMT -7
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Sept 7, 2021 3:01:41 GMT -7
Post by Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn on Sept 7, 2021 3:01:41 GMT -7
Fae seemed deep in thought, mind far away from where the two stood on the coast of Hy-Brasil. In the interest of also looking like he was doing some serious thinking, Aidan turned to examine the horizon and the strange sight of seeing the lightening sky instead of a barrier. In reality, he wasn’t thinking much at all, but copying Fae seemed like the natural thing to do and it made her look quite solemn and stately. Like a true leader, a queen even. Druids didn’t have such a ridiculous system as anything the mainlanders might recognize anymore, but if anyone could capture the imagination, it was certainly Fae. They stood in silence for a moment, and Aidan listened for the telltale signs of the island waking up – crups barking in the distance, the steady beat of the sea as the tide pulled in and out. Even though the circumstances were terrible…it was truly good to be home. He startled slightly as the silence was broken by Fae’s contemplative answer, and Aidan nodded sagely as if he’d been expecting it all along. He didn’t have any deep advice to give, not like his ma or his Elder grandma who were clever and insightful. Even his pa, who was more on the slow and steady side of things, had grown up on the island and could have given some observation of how things had been twenty years ago. As it was, Aidan didn’t have any nuggets of wisdom, so instead he offered, “I believe in you.” It wasn’t much, but it was all he could really say. The boy couldn’t imagine what sort of problems the High Druid faced, either from overseeing the island or fending off troublesome Ministry interference. But he had confidence that the druid leadership knew what they were doing. The sentence ‘do what you think is best’ made him blink owlishly in surprise, mostly because nobody had ever told him that before. There were always a million things that needed doing on the family farm, and every aunt or cousin or grandparent had their own idea of how to do it. And on the nature reserve, Aidan was expected to receive and follow the master veterinarian’s instructions to the letter, which was a difficult task for the boy. Certainly no one around him had ever thought that his judgment was worth allowing him to do things his way, and Aidan struggled to come up with an answer for Fae. “Um, okay,” he finally said, face lighting up when Fae said he’d helped her. “I’ll find Aofe to figure out where the creatures might have gone,” he mused out-loud, naming the Head Ranger and his longtime mentor, “And then I’ll go find them!” Aidan was ready to go, until he remembered he should say a proper goodbye to the High Druid. “Bye, Fae! Good luck!” He dared to give her a quick hug and then tucked his lute under his arm so he could zoom off to find Aofe or visit the Cloudbreaker farm, whichever he remembered to do first. fae iona cloudbreaker [End Aidan!]
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