HarperMadi
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- RP Date
- YE45.9.25
- RP Location
- 42 Starmount Drive, Yamatai
42 Starmount Drive, much to Sacre’s less than festive chagrin, was lit up and decorated as Aliset had found herself fully infected by the seasonal festivities, and had come from Pisces with a full crate of boxes and games. Sacre was due home in the next few minutes, and she would find Aliset and Marigold already seated on the couch, hot cocoa in their hands and waiting to offer gifts.
“I thought you had burned a good chunk of your income,” Marigold gave a soft laugh.
“You think I can’t save money to unleash a gift reckoning?”
“One of the things I love about the culture I’ve inherited from you is how much you care and think about others, Metal-Mom.” Marigold said, giving Aliset a hug.
Returning the squeeze, Aliset gave a soft humming sound. “Funny enough I feel like you would have picked that up regardless.”
Sacre slid through the door, shaking off a light dusting of snow from her clothes. She stripped off the winter coat and scarf with an efficient finality and placed them on the coat rack. She turned to Aliset and Marigold and her demeanor changed from irritated at dealing with the cold, to pleased to see her fiance and daughter. “Snow is enough for you to almost believe there is a devil out there.” She said with her dour humor.
Marigold was already off the couch, her bushy blonde hair bouncing as she moved over to Sacre. She opened her arms, asking if she could hug the lanky Separa’Shan. Sacre gave an almost imperceptible nod in response and she flung her arms around Sacre. “Welcome back!”
“I made a big pot of hot chocolate! And I managed to gather a few small gifts for the both of you,” Aliset offered Sacre a smile almost as warm as a fireplace. At least until her brows furrowed and she rolled off the couch. Disappearing into the kitchen for a larger mug wouldn’t take more than a few seconds. That snow was likely as much fun for her fiance as it was for her. “It’s getting kind of wild out there, isn’t it?”
Marigold nodded enthusiastically, “It’s pretty! I love the snow.” Sacre and Aliset looked at her like she had grown a third head but she just grinned at them.
“I think I need to do a genetic test, there is no way this is our daughter.” Sacre said with deadpan humor and Marigold laughed.
“I mean, our family did need at least one black sheep, right? Just so happens,” Aliset carried the joke as she approached Sacre with a steaming mug. “I’ll go throw a blanket in the dryer?”
“I’m fine now that I’m in my happily heated home. Did you know that there are some houses that still don’t have heating systems on Yamatai? Whoever thought that was a good idea was a monkey-headed idiot.” Sacre shivered, taking a sip of the hot chocolate to banish the cold.
“Oh, dear, are the natives okay? And they’re just okay with that?” Aliset, for once, seemed truly horrified by the thought. At least until she realized the people native to this world.were warm blooded and could better handle the cold. It still sent a shudder up her spine. “Alright, alright, everybody to the couch, stockings first. Sorry if I kinda threw myself in the deep end on holiday shenanigans.”
“Aren’t humans and human derived species evolved from some sort of primate?” Marigold gave a small chuff of dry laughter.
“Oh, so monkey actually works! See, us slags tend to call them feathers.” Ali gave a laugh, returning to pull two largish, vaguely stocking shaped sacks from near the tree and hold them up for her ladies. From the lumpiness of the fabric, she had used various candies as packing material around a collection of small gifts. “Anyway, do you two want way more sugar than you need or nah? Cause I got silly games and cultural stuff for both of you in here. Bonus points if Sacre decided to be sneaky and put a few more things down there.”
“Yes please!” Marigold said, taking a seat on the couch.
Sacre followed Marigold to the couch with the hot chocolate clutched to her chest. “I won’t confirm or deny, but I think it will be pretty clear soon.”
“Alright, here you two go.” First was Marigold’s, colored to match her hair and eyes, but no real distinguishing markings otherwise. Sacre’s was the same way, though considering Sacre’s scales and hair matched in color, Aliset had found endless amusement in the fabric choices. Inside was, of course, candies and a collection of small wrapped parcels in the gaudiest paper she could find. A knife sharpening set for Sacre, a set of bright green slag gem earrings for Marigold, alongside more culturally appropriate gifts for the both of them, such as replicas of Helashio toys from when Marigold would have been a child or bottles of scale polish for Sacre sourced from well known Essian brands.
Sacre and Marigold had a stocking for Aliset and small presents of their own. Such as a assorted set of gourmet rocks for Aliset, Sharpening compound for Sacre, and a jade necklace for Marigold.
Marigold opened the Helashio toys and took them in hand, she played with them idly before sighing and putting them with the rest of her gifts.
“What’s wrong?” Sacre asked.
“I’ve seen toys like this, that the other Helashio have and in school and such. I…” Marigold paused, gathering her thoughts. “It’s not the present Metal-Mom. Their great toys and I’m going to play with them. I was kinda hoping that they might spark some memories or something. But nothing. I’ve been doing the memory exercises and Meditating, and on rare occasions I’ll get a feeling that something’s there, but blocked off.”
“That’s perfectly okay. I didn’t get them expecting a spark of recognition, not immediately,” taking Marigold’s hand, Aliset offered a soft squeeze. “I’ve kinda stopped expecting your memories to come back in some huge flood. But maybe asking your friends about these will help something flicker. I’m not expecting anything immediately. Don’t worry too much about it, everything will be okay. You’ve already done so amazing..”
Finally digging into her own stocking, Aliset found herself greatly enjoying the set of gourmet rocks, even if she didn’t open them. Her diet was doing well, no traces of those cravings. But still a sense of humor about them.
And then they started passing out larger parcels, equally gaudy. Things like heated thermals or ugly sweaters and practicalities. But it didn’t take long for the crowning jewels of Aliset’s offerings to be snuck in just at their elbows.
Sacre was the type to carefully take off the wrapping paper, as if they might use it later rather than throwing it in the fireplace to watch it burn. Marigold was the opposite, tearing the paper off and tossing the wrapped up ball into the fireplace. A small forcefield let the paper in but kept sparks and such from lighting anything outside of it on fire. Marigold’s elbow hit the box, “Ok, what’s this?” She asked curiously as she started to rip into it.
She would quickly find it cylindrical in shape, hidden behind several layers of wrapping paper and only then would she find royal blue enamel, depicting the national flowers and her own namesake in myriad colors on intricate vine work. The golden metal should be familiar by now, but as Aliset sat in her pile of wrapping paper and snacking on candy, her smile widened. “Something that I’ve been working on for… Little over two years. Sacre was the one who introduced me to the smith who made that. Go ahead and look inside.”
Marigold took a moment, opening the cylinder to find the scholarship inside, several pages of letters and information, all hand illuminated on old style parchment scrolls, with a small chip for the digital information. She hugged Aliset “Thank you!” She exclaimed.
Sacre’s, by contrast, was smaller, no bigger than her hand, but heavy like stone. Equally hidden in multiple layers in a padded box, Sacre would find a beautifully carved shedding stone. Ali had spent a lot of time and effort in secret carving it. Sacre picked the stone up, turning it over carefully. Then she noticed a part of the carving, simple but meaningful. It was of a snake sheltering under a rock and looking up at a star. She ran her thumb over it, and shivered quietly.
Returning Marigold’s hug, Aliset’s grin widened. “Sorry I didn’t make that case, I’m not good at enamel, but these letters of recommendation and that scholarship information should get you school anywhere you want to go. Not sure if they’ll let you park your ship on campus, so I’m still working on short range transport.” She looked over to Sacre, watching her expression with the shedding stone.
“Sorry it took so long to make that. I was working on it all year. I wanted to do something special for the both of you. Sorry if my carving’s not that good. I’m not much of an artisan.” Releasing Marigold, Aliset offered Sacre a smile. “Can’t say I didn’t have some help and inspiration.”
Sacre smiled, her thumb rubbing over the snake sheltering under a rock looking up at the star. The feeling bringing back memories. “Yhea, this carving here was on my first stone, the one I lost the first time I went to space. It even feels a lot like it.”
“It… Felt right to put that one there. I remembered during Mari’s surgery, when we were talking about what we wanted to be when we were kids. I was talking to someone on the message boards about traditional Separa art styles. Sorry we couldn’t find your first stone. So I wanted to do my best to make one like it. Asked around. Started having some dreams.” She offered a sheepish look and a soft touch on Sacre’s arm. “I hope that’s okay.”
Sacre had a far off look as her thumb stroked the symbol a few more times. “Yhea, it’s ok.” She said thoughtfully and gave Aliset a hug and a kiss. She pulled a box of her own out for Aliset. “This is something I thought you might like.”
Inside was a tablet that started to play a message from a pair of Nekos. One was blue and the other was Red. “Hi! I’m Akane Sisko!” “And I’m Aoi Sisko” “We flew your bomber, Dragon 871, we think we were a crew or two ahead of you.” “I guess that makes us like ship cousins or something.” “We just wanted to wish you a very happy Winter Festivities from our home to yours.”
Sacre could almost see Aliset’s heart melt. That ship held a part of her heart in its hull, and she wiped away a welling tear before the others could see. “I’m not sure what happened to that old bird. I… When I left the 17th, I couldn’t take it with me, no matter how much burial steel was holding it together. I’ll respond with a message. The Empress’s cards and their response, I sent a bottle of brandy back, asking what happened with it. All I got in return was that she’d look into it. Speaking of,” Aliset changed the subject, setting the tablet in her lap as she started looking through other files on it. “Who wants to crack the last of that batch? I was careful to make sure you two can drink it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. Tastes like sweet fruit juice.”
Sacre and Marigold each took some of the alcoholic beverage, but not enough to even get buzzed. Sacre didn’t like losing control, but had used it to loosen her inhibitions around sex in the past. Marigold for her part didn’t care much for the taste and hadn’t drunk much at all since her awakening. Sacre gave Marigold a handmade golden necklace and Marigold gave Sacre a book about traditional smithing techniques. Marigold then gave Aliset a small medallion of metal from the Starbreaker on a chain. “So a part of her will always be with you.” She explained.
Offering a confused look to Mari, her face broke into a wide smile. “I…” Her voice trailed off before she gave a small laugh. “I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you. I won’t be taking it off unless I have to. And besides. You weren’t planning on dragging us off into the black in your ship?”
“I do, probably a fun jaunt out to the nebula or something. There is a discharge nebula I heard about that might be fun to look at. I’m also planning to drag you along when …” Marigold paused for a moment, “I just feel like there is something I need you two for, something important. But I don’t know what it is. Probably fighting the Mishhu now that the war is ramping up.” Marigold said with a laugh.
“I thought you had burned a good chunk of your income,” Marigold gave a soft laugh.
“You think I can’t save money to unleash a gift reckoning?”
“One of the things I love about the culture I’ve inherited from you is how much you care and think about others, Metal-Mom.” Marigold said, giving Aliset a hug.
Returning the squeeze, Aliset gave a soft humming sound. “Funny enough I feel like you would have picked that up regardless.”
Sacre slid through the door, shaking off a light dusting of snow from her clothes. She stripped off the winter coat and scarf with an efficient finality and placed them on the coat rack. She turned to Aliset and Marigold and her demeanor changed from irritated at dealing with the cold, to pleased to see her fiance and daughter. “Snow is enough for you to almost believe there is a devil out there.” She said with her dour humor.
Marigold was already off the couch, her bushy blonde hair bouncing as she moved over to Sacre. She opened her arms, asking if she could hug the lanky Separa’Shan. Sacre gave an almost imperceptible nod in response and she flung her arms around Sacre. “Welcome back!”
“I made a big pot of hot chocolate! And I managed to gather a few small gifts for the both of you,” Aliset offered Sacre a smile almost as warm as a fireplace. At least until her brows furrowed and she rolled off the couch. Disappearing into the kitchen for a larger mug wouldn’t take more than a few seconds. That snow was likely as much fun for her fiance as it was for her. “It’s getting kind of wild out there, isn’t it?”
Marigold nodded enthusiastically, “It’s pretty! I love the snow.” Sacre and Aliset looked at her like she had grown a third head but she just grinned at them.
“I think I need to do a genetic test, there is no way this is our daughter.” Sacre said with deadpan humor and Marigold laughed.
“I mean, our family did need at least one black sheep, right? Just so happens,” Aliset carried the joke as she approached Sacre with a steaming mug. “I’ll go throw a blanket in the dryer?”
“I’m fine now that I’m in my happily heated home. Did you know that there are some houses that still don’t have heating systems on Yamatai? Whoever thought that was a good idea was a monkey-headed idiot.” Sacre shivered, taking a sip of the hot chocolate to banish the cold.
“Oh, dear, are the natives okay? And they’re just okay with that?” Aliset, for once, seemed truly horrified by the thought. At least until she realized the people native to this world.were warm blooded and could better handle the cold. It still sent a shudder up her spine. “Alright, alright, everybody to the couch, stockings first. Sorry if I kinda threw myself in the deep end on holiday shenanigans.”
“Aren’t humans and human derived species evolved from some sort of primate?” Marigold gave a small chuff of dry laughter.
“Oh, so monkey actually works! See, us slags tend to call them feathers.” Ali gave a laugh, returning to pull two largish, vaguely stocking shaped sacks from near the tree and hold them up for her ladies. From the lumpiness of the fabric, she had used various candies as packing material around a collection of small gifts. “Anyway, do you two want way more sugar than you need or nah? Cause I got silly games and cultural stuff for both of you in here. Bonus points if Sacre decided to be sneaky and put a few more things down there.”
“Yes please!” Marigold said, taking a seat on the couch.
Sacre followed Marigold to the couch with the hot chocolate clutched to her chest. “I won’t confirm or deny, but I think it will be pretty clear soon.”
“Alright, here you two go.” First was Marigold’s, colored to match her hair and eyes, but no real distinguishing markings otherwise. Sacre’s was the same way, though considering Sacre’s scales and hair matched in color, Aliset had found endless amusement in the fabric choices. Inside was, of course, candies and a collection of small wrapped parcels in the gaudiest paper she could find. A knife sharpening set for Sacre, a set of bright green slag gem earrings for Marigold, alongside more culturally appropriate gifts for the both of them, such as replicas of Helashio toys from when Marigold would have been a child or bottles of scale polish for Sacre sourced from well known Essian brands.
Sacre and Marigold had a stocking for Aliset and small presents of their own. Such as a assorted set of gourmet rocks for Aliset, Sharpening compound for Sacre, and a jade necklace for Marigold.
Marigold opened the Helashio toys and took them in hand, she played with them idly before sighing and putting them with the rest of her gifts.
“What’s wrong?” Sacre asked.
“I’ve seen toys like this, that the other Helashio have and in school and such. I…” Marigold paused, gathering her thoughts. “It’s not the present Metal-Mom. Their great toys and I’m going to play with them. I was kinda hoping that they might spark some memories or something. But nothing. I’ve been doing the memory exercises and Meditating, and on rare occasions I’ll get a feeling that something’s there, but blocked off.”
“That’s perfectly okay. I didn’t get them expecting a spark of recognition, not immediately,” taking Marigold’s hand, Aliset offered a soft squeeze. “I’ve kinda stopped expecting your memories to come back in some huge flood. But maybe asking your friends about these will help something flicker. I’m not expecting anything immediately. Don’t worry too much about it, everything will be okay. You’ve already done so amazing..”
Finally digging into her own stocking, Aliset found herself greatly enjoying the set of gourmet rocks, even if she didn’t open them. Her diet was doing well, no traces of those cravings. But still a sense of humor about them.
And then they started passing out larger parcels, equally gaudy. Things like heated thermals or ugly sweaters and practicalities. But it didn’t take long for the crowning jewels of Aliset’s offerings to be snuck in just at their elbows.
Sacre was the type to carefully take off the wrapping paper, as if they might use it later rather than throwing it in the fireplace to watch it burn. Marigold was the opposite, tearing the paper off and tossing the wrapped up ball into the fireplace. A small forcefield let the paper in but kept sparks and such from lighting anything outside of it on fire. Marigold’s elbow hit the box, “Ok, what’s this?” She asked curiously as she started to rip into it.
She would quickly find it cylindrical in shape, hidden behind several layers of wrapping paper and only then would she find royal blue enamel, depicting the national flowers and her own namesake in myriad colors on intricate vine work. The golden metal should be familiar by now, but as Aliset sat in her pile of wrapping paper and snacking on candy, her smile widened. “Something that I’ve been working on for… Little over two years. Sacre was the one who introduced me to the smith who made that. Go ahead and look inside.”
Marigold took a moment, opening the cylinder to find the scholarship inside, several pages of letters and information, all hand illuminated on old style parchment scrolls, with a small chip for the digital information. She hugged Aliset “Thank you!” She exclaimed.
Sacre’s, by contrast, was smaller, no bigger than her hand, but heavy like stone. Equally hidden in multiple layers in a padded box, Sacre would find a beautifully carved shedding stone. Ali had spent a lot of time and effort in secret carving it. Sacre picked the stone up, turning it over carefully. Then she noticed a part of the carving, simple but meaningful. It was of a snake sheltering under a rock and looking up at a star. She ran her thumb over it, and shivered quietly.
Returning Marigold’s hug, Aliset’s grin widened. “Sorry I didn’t make that case, I’m not good at enamel, but these letters of recommendation and that scholarship information should get you school anywhere you want to go. Not sure if they’ll let you park your ship on campus, so I’m still working on short range transport.” She looked over to Sacre, watching her expression with the shedding stone.
“Sorry it took so long to make that. I was working on it all year. I wanted to do something special for the both of you. Sorry if my carving’s not that good. I’m not much of an artisan.” Releasing Marigold, Aliset offered Sacre a smile. “Can’t say I didn’t have some help and inspiration.”
Sacre smiled, her thumb rubbing over the snake sheltering under a rock looking up at the star. The feeling bringing back memories. “Yhea, this carving here was on my first stone, the one I lost the first time I went to space. It even feels a lot like it.”
“It… Felt right to put that one there. I remembered during Mari’s surgery, when we were talking about what we wanted to be when we were kids. I was talking to someone on the message boards about traditional Separa art styles. Sorry we couldn’t find your first stone. So I wanted to do my best to make one like it. Asked around. Started having some dreams.” She offered a sheepish look and a soft touch on Sacre’s arm. “I hope that’s okay.”
Sacre had a far off look as her thumb stroked the symbol a few more times. “Yhea, it’s ok.” She said thoughtfully and gave Aliset a hug and a kiss. She pulled a box of her own out for Aliset. “This is something I thought you might like.”
Inside was a tablet that started to play a message from a pair of Nekos. One was blue and the other was Red. “Hi! I’m Akane Sisko!” “And I’m Aoi Sisko” “We flew your bomber, Dragon 871, we think we were a crew or two ahead of you.” “I guess that makes us like ship cousins or something.” “We just wanted to wish you a very happy Winter Festivities from our home to yours.”
Sacre could almost see Aliset’s heart melt. That ship held a part of her heart in its hull, and she wiped away a welling tear before the others could see. “I’m not sure what happened to that old bird. I… When I left the 17th, I couldn’t take it with me, no matter how much burial steel was holding it together. I’ll respond with a message. The Empress’s cards and their response, I sent a bottle of brandy back, asking what happened with it. All I got in return was that she’d look into it. Speaking of,” Aliset changed the subject, setting the tablet in her lap as she started looking through other files on it. “Who wants to crack the last of that batch? I was careful to make sure you two can drink it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. Tastes like sweet fruit juice.”
Sacre and Marigold each took some of the alcoholic beverage, but not enough to even get buzzed. Sacre didn’t like losing control, but had used it to loosen her inhibitions around sex in the past. Marigold for her part didn’t care much for the taste and hadn’t drunk much at all since her awakening. Sacre gave Marigold a handmade golden necklace and Marigold gave Sacre a book about traditional smithing techniques. Marigold then gave Aliset a small medallion of metal from the Starbreaker on a chain. “So a part of her will always be with you.” She explained.
Offering a confused look to Mari, her face broke into a wide smile. “I…” Her voice trailed off before she gave a small laugh. “I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you. I won’t be taking it off unless I have to. And besides. You weren’t planning on dragging us off into the black in your ship?”
“I do, probably a fun jaunt out to the nebula or something. There is a discharge nebula I heard about that might be fun to look at. I’m also planning to drag you along when …” Marigold paused for a moment, “I just feel like there is something I need you two for, something important. But I don’t know what it is. Probably fighting the Mishhu now that the war is ramping up.” Marigold said with a laugh.
Special thanks to @Soban
