005. ☾ "Let us always meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love" { Action }

[proteusmoon]

Who: Cecil and YOU!!
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Adsum and SS First Breath
When: 2/14, all day! (Backdated!)

[ Where Cecil is from, Valentine's Day does not exist. The concept of celebrating affection and romance is tied into the spring festival in her home country, but in spite of this, she has in fact actually marked the occasion before today. Strangely -- or perhaps it is not strange at all considering how frequent an experience this has become -- she cannot remember how she learned what this holiday is about, nor from whom she learned its meaning, but she has the distinct feeling that it was someone in Court who explained it to her and she knows that the explanation she committed to memory was that it was a holiday for lovers only. This slight misunderstanding actually led to a rather heated argument between herself and her then master, who had inappropriately (she strongly believed) gifted her with flowers for the holiday. He certainly had romantic feelings for her, she knows that now, but at the time she very much did not believe that and did not want to give him the impression she felt the same.

Somehow, somewhere over the course of the week though, she's learned that Valentine's Day isn't strictly for those with significant others and that people do often gift friends and family with little treats, to remind each other that they are still loved and appreciated. Cecil regretted how she reacted to Damarhis's show of affection even back in Court months later, but now she regrets it even more. Maybe in her own, unusual way of trying to make up for her wrongs, she's decided to try extending this foreign tradition to the fleet and has bought many little gifts for many of them in her first participation in the holiday. She's sent out messages to everyone she knows, inviting them to come aboard the First Breath docked at Adsum. ]


( OOC ; Open to old, new, and yet-to-be-made CR! If you want your character to get a little gift for Valentine's Day, feel free to assume Cecil either sent them a message — or the network did some screwy things and sent out copies to random people — or implant glitch compulsions drove your character to go exploring other people's ships. The First Breath is open. She'll also be wandering around the moon, so if the aforementioned handwaving ain't your thing, that's fine, throw up a general starter! All implant glitches for both phase I and phase II are welcome and of course optional, Cecil has a pheromones one herself at the moment if you feel like doing something with that. Happy belated Valentine's Day, Drift Fleet! )

Comments

[treasureling]

[ His experiment of banana chicken hasn't really gone well. He's grimacing, tasting it, wondering if there's something better that he can put on it. It seems as though chicken would go with something sweet, but it needs a sort of spicy-sweet, and he doesn't think banana and chili will do the trick.

He glances up, and breaks into a smile at her presence. ]

No, please interrupt.

[proteusmoon]

[ Once given the go-ahead, Cecil approaches, notably hiding something behind her back. She's distracted though at the sight of Malak experimenting with cooking again and takes a moment to peer down at his newest attempts, keenly interested, but a little confused as to what it is HES trying to accomplish with the banana and the chicken. ]

Having... fun?

[treasureling]

Not... as such, no. Gods grant me a better kitchen - grant all of us a better kitchen in the coming month.

More flavors. More options. I'm much less enamored with the microwave than I was at first.

[proteusmoon]

[ She sighs deeply, exasperated. ]

I just want actual food back. Not this processed... "variety".

[treasureling]

The moons have been nice, for that.

Is there something you needed, or just looking for company?

[proteusmoon]

[ Ah, right! ]

Oh— a bit of both, actually.

[ She takes out from behind her back a brown gift bag lined with red and white tissue paper. It's not too big, but a decent size, and sturdily made, as though whatever is inside is actually a bit heavy. She holds it out to Malak with a bit of a hesitant — nervous — smile. ]

Ah... this is for you.

[treasureling]

[ It's on the tip of his tongue to give a polite refusal. When women give gifts, he's found, it's either a show of wealth or the beginning of a courtship, and either way it's patronizing, it implies that he can't take care of himself - it reduces him, somehow.

But he looks up to Cecil and thinks here is different. He truly believes that Cecil doesn't want anything in return; he even believes it deep in the pit of his chest, where his distrust lurks like a worm. ]

Is there an occasion? [ Lightly, even a little happily, as he takes the bag and goes to look inside. ]

[proteusmoon]

Yes, actually. It's Valentine's Day. It's a holiday I've heard for celebrating love, but it isn't just about romantic love. People apparently gift anyone they want to show some affection and appreciation towards on this day, so I thought I would give some presents to people of the fleet. I think we could all use some cheering up.

[ Inside the bag are three things: a brick of beeswax, a book on advanced metalworking, and a pair of plastic, rubber safety goggles. Cecil looks distinctly anxious, afraid that he would refuse it and misinterpret her gesture as something she didn't want. She sees it flicker on his face for a moment and once again she can't help but think back to when Damarhis gifted her with flowers. The same thoughts had flitted through her mind too. ]

I know you don't like making weapons and armor, and I've seen the beautiful ornaments you've made... so I thought you might find other things you enjoyed making that you haven't tried yet.

[treasureling]

I don't have anything for you. [ This, with a little bit of regret; he would have made her something simple and lovely. But he goes to open the gift anyhow; touching the beeswax, a delighted look at the goggles - he hadn't even thought to get something like that - and then there's reverence when he touches the book. A fusion of what he's been given, his augment, and what he knows from his own world. He'll be able to put it together. Make it a whole, not just pieces of new and old. ]

This is wonderful, Cecil.

[proteusmoon]

[ Relief washes over her and she slowly smiles, waving off his remark of not having anything to give in return with gentle dismissal. She's deeply glad this hasn't seemed to have gone wrong after all. ]

Please— there's no need. Knowing you like it is more than enough. Besides that, you've done plenty for me already, and for Tim, for the crew of this ship. There isn't anything I want more than my friends to be as happy and as safe as they can be here.

[treasureling]

[ A shake of his head. ]

I was brought up to manage a household. A ship is a very small place.

[ It's not effort-free to do what he does. It's about taking care of people, which is when he feels his most worthwhile. ]

[proteusmoon]

Don't be so quick to undervalue your work. You don't have to do all that you do, but that doesn't matter to you. We all appreciate it. I appreciate it.

[treasureling]

[ He might be blushing. ]

I just want to make this a home.

[proteusmoon]

[ The blushing is endearing, but it's not why she continues to praise him, even if it does make her smile. ]

You've done admirably so far. Thank you.