MSFY-003

💖 Making Space for You is a solo roleplay campaign set in the Iron Valley TTRPG system.

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📌 Table of contents

MSFY-003#Textual Actual Play
MSFY-003#Reflection

Previous: MSFY-002
Next: MSFY-004

Textual Actual Play

Episode 3

System/s and/or resources:

• Iron Valley by M Kirin
• Solo RPG Toolkit
• MUNE to add additional flavour!

One-line synopsis:

{{one-sentence logline}}

Events

Year 1 Summer 7 Friends Day

Day left: ⌚️⌚️⌚️⌚️

[📖ROLEPLAY] Amaya and her Aunt head to the Community Gardens to check out the festivities. It looks like a lot of the town has come out to help out. Although there may be a risk for heat stroke, so everyone will take shelter if needed. Or perhaps leave the garden work early and visit with each other instead. It is Friends Day, after all.

Aunt Eskama pointed out a blue-haired woman hard at work at one of the plots. She's accompanied by a young child. Apparently that was Hollow, the one with a request relating to a haunted house. Amaya wondered how she could help as they approached.

Hollow noticed them, and Aunt Eskama was quick to introduce Amaya to the woman and her child. Before she knew it, Amaya was kneeling between Hollow and Spruce, chatting about today's festivities while tending to the plants. The hot sun felt good against her skin for now.

After a time, Spruce lost interest in the garden work and dashed off to play with some other children. "So, about your request at the community board...?" Amaya let the question hang in the air, as she heaved fresh compost into the ground.

Hollow sighed. She glanced around to check that her daughter was still preoccupied before she talked about the alleged haunting. It turned out that Spruce heard strange sounds at night and was now convinced that there were ghosts.

"I've tried to show her where the sounds were coming from, but she's convinced there's a ghost!" Hollow blew a wayward strand of hair out of her face. "I need you to convince her that the house is definitely not haunted."

Hollow's eyes turned sad. "She's currently staying with my mum. She won't even come home."

Eskama reached over and squeezed Hollow's shoulder in support, and so did Amaya before she got up and dusted herself off. She smiled confidently at the pair of women. "Why don't we tour the garden while we think on how to get your girl home?"

Day left: ⌚️⌚️⌚️⌚️

[📖ROLEPLAY] Amaya spent time with her Aunt and Hollow, getting to know each other while talking about ways to coax Spruce to return home. Unfortunately Amaya got the sense that she would be better off looking for inspiration on her own; Hollow was too close to the problem. But it was still nice to spend time with the two older ladies, without any burden of expectation.

A hunched figure approached them, still towering over them despite its advanced age. It was Tapang one of the elders in Aurora had come to pass on some safe advice to Hollow, and it had begun to speak about it. But it was quickly distracted by the reality that young Amaya who had left the town nearly two decades ago had returned. She accepted its bone-crushing hug and vowed to spend time with Tapang.

Day left: ⌚️⌚️⌚️.

Tapang again insisted that it would need to see Amaya again while she was in Aurora. The young woman agreed. The elder nodded, the shining tips of its tusks catching the light. Abruptly, Tapang strode assuredly away and Amaya marvelled at the quiet wisdom and confidence that seemed to emanate from the old orc, which contrasted its stooped posture.

As Tapang stopped to speak with another group of townies, Hollow and her Aunt resumed chatting companionably again. Amaya decided she would ask about Makisig's plan. A whistle sounded. Her Aunt patted her on the shoulder and said it was time to harvest the crops that were ready to take home; she he quickly forgot about Makisig and the mines. Amaya tried to bolster Hollow's spirits by telling her about life in the big city, as they whiled the time away.

Day left: ⌚️⌚️

The three have taken a break under one of the shaded spots. Only, now there were more of them, enjoying the day out. At some point, Amaya mentioned the Nubelli she found in the forested area around town. That took the wildlife rescuer's mind off her problems, and she straight away brought Amaya (and Aunt Eskama) to a spry-looking orc sitting in the shade. The orc, named Nailea, turned out to be the local Rancher and someone much older than Tapang. Her eyebrows were dark, thick and very arched, giving her a sharp and deceivingly youthful countenance. Hollow and Nailea spoke about the kind of work they did and how Amaya could help not only animals but the Aurora community. Amaya was excited. She could see how her experience helping her Papa would be useful in Aurora.

A goat butted its head against Amaya playfully but soundly. Amaya winced at the force, but Nailea barked out a laugh. They said the goat was to come home with her now. Amaya wasn't quite sure where they would stash the goat, given the condition of the house—but she wasn't sure she could say no. And her Aunt didn't voice any concerns either.

Day left: ⌚️⌚️

[📖ROLEPLAY] Amaya patted her new goat on the head, as they weaved through the crowd at the Community Gardens. Her Aunt had suggested she venture forth on her own. "Surely you've spent too much time with an old hag like me today?" her Aunt had said, in mock self-pity. Hollow had chided her, and Amaya herself had tried to insist on spending the rest of the day with the pair. But her Aunt insisted, and truth be told she was glad for the time alone–even among a crowd.

People waved and smiled, and she wasn't sure if it was because they knew she was Eskama's niece or because the townsfolk were just friendly like. She felt a newfound appreciation for her old town today. Although the road to town was falling into disrepair and most homes and buildings were looking worse for wear, the Gardens were bursting with life–plant, animal and person (of all kinds) alike.

A while later, she and her goat had made it to the end of the Gardens, where the tilled soil gave way to wilder grounds. She was just thinking how oddly obedient this goat was when she heard a bleat—then suddenly the dashing of hooves.

Amaya swivelled around and made chase. She was nowhere near fast enough to close the distance. Their chase brought them deeper into the forest. Then the mountainside where the goat deftly jumped from height to height. Amaya tried to follow, putting her work boots to the test. She made it to a ridge, and she wobbled unsteadily, trying to find her footing.

"Get down from there!"

Amaya internally groaned. She knew that voice. She angled her face down to check, and on solid ground—where she wanted to be—stood Stefan.

"Come back down, Amaya!" he yelled.

She shook her head. "I can't," she yelled back. Were they always going to be yelling at each other like this? "My goat—it escaped!"

A bleat in response. Amaya turned her head back, and she could see the goat a few metres above her, looking very bored. It chewed on some grass then bleated again. She only got this goat today, they didn't have any sort of bond. She wasn't sure how she was going to get it back.

"I'm coming up," she heard from below. Don't, she thought. She didn't need him up here, pointing out her deficiencies. "No, thank you," she answered, putting on a serene voice. Although maybe it came out slightly strangled instead. She couldn't seem to fake emotion as well with him. She gritted her teeth and tried to climb again, taking tentative steps.

"Amaya, I'm coming up. You need help," he insisted.

She didn't bother to look in his direction or check what he was or wasn't doing. The goat was just there, if she could just reach it and—she wasn't sure, actually. Nailea had proclaimed the goat hers, but it didn't have a collar or leash or anything to grab hold of. The goat continued to munch on grass.

"You couldn't have eaten the grass by the garden?" she hissed. The goat cocked its head and bleated.

Amaya was hugging the mountainside, trying to find the next foothold when her left foot slipped. A hand pushed into the small of her back, allowing her to regain her balance. Her eyes were wide in shock, breathing erratic.

"Please, will you come down now," Stefan said, materialising beside her. How did he—oh, elf-related probably. "We can try and get your goat tomorrow—when did you even get a goat?"

"Is everything alright?"

Stefan looked down, but Amaya's gaze was locked in front of her, as if in a trance.

"Cyan," Stefan said. "It's good to see you—we need some help."

Amaya blinks and reflexively tightens her grip on the stone face. She lets out a shaky breath. "Thanks," she mumbled, her face ashen.

Stefan still had one hand on the small of her back, but at the sound of her voice he released her. "Amaya, we'll get your goat down. I need you to move to your right, where there's more of a slope."

Amaya's gaze flicked to the side and back to Stefan. Her heart was hammering in her chest. He smiled. "Goats are better climbers than humans, so please do as I say."

She nodded, sucked in a deep breath and inched her way to the right. If she had looked around and planned her ascent, she would have seen this safer path. It was stupid of her to try and follow a goat up a mountain. Before she could descend into a pit of self-loathing, she felt a hand on her back again. "I'm here. Almost there."

A few more steps and Amaya was on even ground. Stefan flashed her a smile then turned to look at her goat, which had decided to sit down and watch the festivities. Amaya looked down and saw a young elf woman, cradling a baby against her chest. That must be Cyan.

"Hi," Amaya called down.

"Hello, Amaya," replied the elf.

Spooky. How did she know who Amaya was?

"It's not elf intuition. Your aunt told me to expect you, and I know everyone in town." Her voice had a musical tone to it, as if the wind were singing in time with her words. Amaya smiled. "You must be the Pigeon Keeper. Can you help with my goat please?"

Cyan smiled. She began to stamp her foot and sing. Fantailed Pigeons descended from the trees and sang with her. Then they flew to Amaya's goat. Some remained overhead. Others landed around the goat, and one perched on its head, cooing. Cyan stopped singing. The Pigeons cooed at the goat. It seemed to listen, shake itself off, dislodging the roosting Pigeon—then it calmly went down the steep mountain and came to a stop by Cyan.

Day left: ⌚️

"Your goat is very spirited," Cyan said, scratching the animal behind the ear. Amaya chuckled weakly, as she walked up to the Pigeon Keeper. "That's one way of saying it..."

Stefan languidly stepped up to the goat, before kneeling on the ground to better pay it attention. Amaya groaned. "It's going to think we're rewarding its behaviour," she warned.

"I don't think so," Cyan said. "Goats are goats."

Amaya blinked at the young woman. She wondered if Pigeon Keepers were trained to speak cryptically. Her father was much the same, even in song.

"There's no training for it," Cyan said. "We listen to speak as the Pigeons do, to send messages."

Amaya wanted to ask about that. She was thinking one way she could help around Aurora was to aid with the Pigeon Keeper. Since her father was one in the city, it made sense really. But she wasn't sure how Pigeon Keeping was different in a small town.

"Stefan, expect a message from the dark shine," Cyan intoned. Her baby fussed, and Cyan gently rocked her as she continued. "The Flock sense change."

Stefan glanced up, pondering this. "Dark shine?"

Cyan sighed. "As I said, there's no training to speak as the Pigeons do. I'm talking about the mine. Maybe I need a better phrase?" Her eyes shone with uncertainty, before she smoothed her expression back into serenity.

"Back in the city, my dad is a Pigeon Keeper. While he speaks mostly in riddles these days, he's still just my dad. So. Don't feel like you have to be a mysterious Pigeon Keeper all the time," Amaya said. She was twisting the fabric of her skirt as she said this, eyes glancing elsewhere. She wasn't sure if Cyan would take it well.

Silence followed for some time, broken only by the coos of Pigeons and the harrumphing noises of a goat eager to get a move on.

Finally, "Thank you, Amaya. I will reflect on that and maybe write to your father." Cyan smiled at her, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Let's talk about Pigeons another time. We must be going."

"We should head back too," Stefan agreed. "It's getting late." He frowned at Cyan. "If the Pigeons say more about the mine..."

"The messages will reach you, you needn't worry," Cyan called back, as she headed further into the mountains.

Day left: 0

As Amaya settled for sleep later that night, she paused and looked over at Stefan who was on his mattress on the opposite side of the living room. His eyes were shut, but she felt like he was still awake.

"Hey," she called out softly. He hummed in response. "Thank you—for the help today."

They were living together for now—she had to try and keep the peace, especially with someone who didn't seem to be trying to frustrate her. But she didn't like how a simple thank you could be misconstrued. She didn't particularly want to acknowledge him, but she probably would have been injured—or worse—if not for him. She bit down on the impulse to over-explain—justify that her gratitude didn't mean she was soft or weak. She swallowed it all down and stayed perfectly still.

In the dim of the room, she saw his lips curve into a smile. "You're welcome, Amaya."

Her face flushed. With careful precision, she wrapped her blanket tightly around herself and cocooned into the blanket, hiding her reaction. It's annoyance. He was always irritating her no matter what he did. He was frustrating, she told herself. Or maybe she was embarrassed. She shut her eyes tight. Pointedly, she turned her thoughts away. She thought of her family back home and felt the terrible heaviness of needing to be perfect—so nobody would leave or walk away from her. She needed to figure out why her Mum and Aunt fought. She needed a plan to keep herself anchored in people's lives. Hopefully in a way that didn't feel like she was lighting herself on fire, but keeping tethered was more important. That's why she was here, she reminded herself. Not to fight with wood elves.

"Sleep well," called a gentle voice.

Face still hot, Amaya didn't respond—she wasn't being rude, she justified to herself. Feigning sleep was better than potentially voicing her petty annoyance. It was better this way. She fell asleep, ignoring the dissonance between trying to hold people tight and push people away.

Reflection

So I read that you should end on a cliffhanger??? Which I did initially because I initially stopped when she lost her balance.

Then I felt bad because I hadn't resolved the rolls yet 🫠

So I came back and did the full day haha. I think later when I edit this to post online, I'll end it on the cliffhanger bit and start a new chapter from there. But for gameplay purposes, it just made sense to me to keep the day together??? Lol.

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Next: MSFY-004