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

[detectivewonder]

My sensei told me that I'd never have the skill to be world-class if I trained in every style I could and diversified. So to keep myself alive, I needed to focus, and choose just one weapon to excel at.

This is what we settled on.

[proteusmoon]

[ A thoughtful hum. ]

...When you described Malak to me, you called him "a civilian". What does that make you? Military?

[detectivewonder]

[Well, crap. He hadn't intended to keep cover entirely, but this isn't how or when he would have chosen to go confessional either.]

Paramilitary.

[proteusmoon]

[ He's still been rather obvious, and his skill and discipline with that bo staff only makes it all the more so. His admission to being related to "Batgirl" doesn't exactly help with the secrecy. ]

Paramilitary? Meaning what, exactly? I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific. I don't know this term.

[detectivewonder]

An unofficial group using militarized training, tactics, and discipline.

[proteusmoon]

[ It takes her a few seconds to take that in, then... ]

Vigilantes.

[detectivewonder]

That's one word for it. We worked in conjunction with law enforcement, with their knowledge and logistical support.

[proteusmoon]

[ That doesn't quite make sense to her, honestly. She thinks that if you work with the law enforcement and actually train and plan to do so, does that not make you law enforcement? It's hard to see the difference as he describes it to her. She gets the feeling that he doesn't mean they're adventurers either. His skill goes above and beyond that of a merely concerned citizen. ]

Well... why? Why do you do what you do?

[detectivewonder]

That... that's a question I ask myself a lot. It's complicated.

[proteusmoon]

[ This makes her furrow her brow in concern. ]

You're awfully young to be a part of something like that and not know for certain where you stand with your decisions.

[ She takes a breath. ]

Tim, I don't want to seem... judgmental. I'm sorry for being this way, but...

I grew up believing I owed my entire life to someone else. I did what she wanted me to-- I trained to be a knight. I worked hard to gain status in my military. I am only queen now because I made mistakes and I had to try my hardest to right those wrongs.

I was about your age when I obtained my proof of knighthood. I know what it's like to feel responsible for so many people when you're still not even sure of who you yourself are. That's all.

[detectivewonder]

You're not being more judgmental than I am. But... I need to be clear.

I chose this. I pushed my way in, five years ago. And what we've accomplished... I believe in it. But I wonder if there's a better way. Something more efficient.

[proteusmoon]

[ She just smiles faintly at that. ]

If you knew what I had to endure to keep my squire status all those years, you wouldn't think we were so different.

My point is, risking what you do on a daily basis and what you expose yourself to doing this work... if you have doubts, they are worth investigating.

[detectivewonder]

I know. But this... isn't really the place for a journey of introspection. There are higher priorities.

[proteusmoon]

There is never a perfect place or time for introspection, Tim.

[detectivewonder]

No. But some are better than others. And this isn't one of them.

[proteusmoon]

...said the seventeen-year-old boy.

[ She smiles. She's only teasing. ]

[detectivewonder]

... Cecil, I don't want to offend you. But judging me by my age is a mistake.

[He sees the smile, and that's what makes it easy to keep his cool, stating the fact and letting it lie there, rather that becoming too defensive.]

[proteusmoon]

[ But experience does not necessarily make you wise, if take nothing from it. She doesn't say that though and doesn't seem offended by his insistent disagreement. She nods to him anyway, in any case, both as a farewell and an acknowledgement of his words. She can tell when she's outstayed her welcome, so she says nothing more, relenting, and turns to leave him be. ]

You're welcome, Captain.

[ For the gift, she means. ]

Have a good day.