Traditions.
Nov. 19th, 2017 12:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chiron_survivor[One week prior to the Second Cylon War.]
“Flowers, huh? I had no idea Caspar had it in him. He’s gonna make the rest of us lovestruck fools have to up our game.”
Adia giggled at Seth’s joke, then looked once more at the bouquet of birthday tulips sitting pretty on her desk. “I had no idea, either,” she admitted, touching one of the soft, orange petals. “It was very sweet of him.”
“I’m happy for you, kid. Listen, Maggie wants you in the conference room tonight after dinner. She has a surprise for you.”
“A cake?” Her smile turned a shade uneasy. “And a party, probably…”
Seth laughed and clapped her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I told her to keep the guest list to a minimum. Make sure you bring your boyfriend.”
“He’s not — we haven’t even gone on a date, yet,” she protested, even as a giddy blush spread across her face.
“Uh huh.” Seth tapped the side of his nose. “The dude is head over heels for you. He’s your boyfriend.”
~*~
Waiting for Caspar to meet her filled her with a nervous kind of energy. He’d come to her quarters dozens of times before, but this was different. Special.
When he rang her door, she had it open before the chime finished sounding. “Hi,” she said brightly, looking him over. He was dressed up for once, in a corduroy blazer that brought out the color of his eyes. Gods, he was handsome. She suddenly felt rather plain in her cotton blouse and slacks. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” He seemed surprised by the compliment, but in a good way. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You look beautiful, but you always do.”
She blushed, ready to automatically deflect his flattery, but he was already leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek in a gentlemanly kiss. The contact sent a shiver of pleasure through her that she didn’t bother to hide. “You’re sweet to say,” she whispered.
“I’ve been wanting to say that for a while.” He grinned at her, positively smitten, before twisting the corner of his mouth into a faint smirk. “Ready to go watch other people get drunk in honor of your birthday?”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Caspar knew how anxious parties made her. It was a sentiment he agreed with; one of the many things that they had in common. “Sure, let’s go.”
~*~
They held hands all the way to the conference room, which distracted her from the unpleasant anticipation of a large crowd of people. But when they entered the room, no one was there, and there were no decorations, either, just a small chocolate cake resting on a pedestal in the middle of the long mahogany table.
Adia picked up the tiny notecard lying next to it. Seth talked me out of throwing a party, it read. Enjoy the cake and your new man. Love, Maggie.
“Huh. Looks like it’s just us.” Caspar smiled in amusement while she hurriedly tucked the card away. “Too bad, I was looking forward to rescuing you.”
“Some other time,” she said with a relieved giggle. She reached for the cake knife, about to offer him a slice, but he held out his hand in a hold-up gesture before picking up a box of matches.
“You need to make a wish first.” He struck a match and lit the candle shaped like the number twenty-five stuck into the top of the cake. “There you go.”
The candlelight flickered warmly in his eyes as she looked up at him. Her best friend. Her boyfriend. Her gaze turned back to the cake and she blew out the tiny flame.
Please, Aphrodite. Let him be the One.
~*~
[Post Nexus Halloween Party and Nightmare]
There is a memorial in the center of Adia’s settlement. A planned tribute to those lost during the War. At the moment it is only a marked off grid and a series of blueprints, but people have already been leaving offerings. Candles, flowers, even stuffed animals.
Someone has the bright idea to carry in several buckets of smooth stones from the nearby river. People paint the names of their loved ones and leave them in the grass. Candles burn out, flowers wilt, and stuffed animals get moldy. These stones will last well after the memorial is complete.
Adia has already painted several stones. For her parents. Her aunt and uncles and cousins. For friends that she will never see again.
Today, she has one more stone to put among the rest. It has Caspar’s name on it, and a drawing of an orange tulip. There is a small gathering of stones devoted to Cylons, but she does not place it with them. She takes her stone to where she left the ones of her family.
Other people will see it. She doesn’t care. She kisses the stone, then sets it down among the others.
“Goodbye,” she whispers. She says a prayer for the dead — to Persephone instead of Hades. She’s crying when she’s done. It hurts. It still hurts so much. But not like it did before.
This is a hurt she can heal from.
“Flowers, huh? I had no idea Caspar had it in him. He’s gonna make the rest of us lovestruck fools have to up our game.”
Adia giggled at Seth’s joke, then looked once more at the bouquet of birthday tulips sitting pretty on her desk. “I had no idea, either,” she admitted, touching one of the soft, orange petals. “It was very sweet of him.”
“I’m happy for you, kid. Listen, Maggie wants you in the conference room tonight after dinner. She has a surprise for you.”
“A cake?” Her smile turned a shade uneasy. “And a party, probably…”
Seth laughed and clapped her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I told her to keep the guest list to a minimum. Make sure you bring your boyfriend.”
“He’s not — we haven’t even gone on a date, yet,” she protested, even as a giddy blush spread across her face.
“Uh huh.” Seth tapped the side of his nose. “The dude is head over heels for you. He’s your boyfriend.”
~*~
Waiting for Caspar to meet her filled her with a nervous kind of energy. He’d come to her quarters dozens of times before, but this was different. Special.
When he rang her door, she had it open before the chime finished sounding. “Hi,” she said brightly, looking him over. He was dressed up for once, in a corduroy blazer that brought out the color of his eyes. Gods, he was handsome. She suddenly felt rather plain in her cotton blouse and slacks. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” He seemed surprised by the compliment, but in a good way. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You look beautiful, but you always do.”
She blushed, ready to automatically deflect his flattery, but he was already leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek in a gentlemanly kiss. The contact sent a shiver of pleasure through her that she didn’t bother to hide. “You’re sweet to say,” she whispered.
“I’ve been wanting to say that for a while.” He grinned at her, positively smitten, before twisting the corner of his mouth into a faint smirk. “Ready to go watch other people get drunk in honor of your birthday?”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Caspar knew how anxious parties made her. It was a sentiment he agreed with; one of the many things that they had in common. “Sure, let’s go.”
~*~
They held hands all the way to the conference room, which distracted her from the unpleasant anticipation of a large crowd of people. But when they entered the room, no one was there, and there were no decorations, either, just a small chocolate cake resting on a pedestal in the middle of the long mahogany table.
Adia picked up the tiny notecard lying next to it. Seth talked me out of throwing a party, it read. Enjoy the cake and your new man. Love, Maggie.
“Huh. Looks like it’s just us.” Caspar smiled in amusement while she hurriedly tucked the card away. “Too bad, I was looking forward to rescuing you.”
“Some other time,” she said with a relieved giggle. She reached for the cake knife, about to offer him a slice, but he held out his hand in a hold-up gesture before picking up a box of matches.
“You need to make a wish first.” He struck a match and lit the candle shaped like the number twenty-five stuck into the top of the cake. “There you go.”
The candlelight flickered warmly in his eyes as she looked up at him. Her best friend. Her boyfriend. Her gaze turned back to the cake and she blew out the tiny flame.
Please, Aphrodite. Let him be the One.
~*~
[Post Nexus Halloween Party and Nightmare]
There is a memorial in the center of Adia’s settlement. A planned tribute to those lost during the War. At the moment it is only a marked off grid and a series of blueprints, but people have already been leaving offerings. Candles, flowers, even stuffed animals.
Someone has the bright idea to carry in several buckets of smooth stones from the nearby river. People paint the names of their loved ones and leave them in the grass. Candles burn out, flowers wilt, and stuffed animals get moldy. These stones will last well after the memorial is complete.
Adia has already painted several stones. For her parents. Her aunt and uncles and cousins. For friends that she will never see again.
Today, she has one more stone to put among the rest. It has Caspar’s name on it, and a drawing of an orange tulip. There is a small gathering of stones devoted to Cylons, but she does not place it with them. She takes her stone to where she left the ones of her family.
Other people will see it. She doesn’t care. She kisses the stone, then sets it down among the others.
“Goodbye,” she whispers. She says a prayer for the dead — to Persephone instead of Hades. She’s crying when she’s done. It hurts. It still hurts so much. But not like it did before.
This is a hurt she can heal from.
