Adia Costas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chiron_survivor) wrote2019-01-04 09:10 pm
chiron_survivor) wrote2019-01-04 09:10 pm
A special visitor. ((for rogueinladysclothing))
On the day that Amelia is supposed to visit, Adia spends more time than usual cleaning up the cabin, outpacing even Caspar as she bustles about their tiny home to make sure everything is in its proper place. This is the first time she's having a Nexus friend see where she lives, and she wants it to look its best.
Caspar sweeps the floor methodically. Even a little sluggishly. He's been quieter than usual since the New Year began. Maybe it's because he hasn't a good glass of wine since the Solstice; Seth's attempt at sparkling apple cider didn't go much better than his previous attempts at brandy.
Or maybe it's something else. She's been giving him the chance to tell her in his own time. Regardless, she hopes Amelia's visit will improve his mood.
The coordinates she sends Amelia are not for the inside of the cabin, even though that would be the most cautious. Instead, they teleport her to the garden behind it. It's dormant now, the perennials resting until it's their turn to blossom once more, but there is plenty of evergreen forest further in the distance to give the landscape some color. From this spot, Amelia will get a lovely view of her friends' cabin, made of wood but surprisingly modern in its design, with a slanted roof and a large, open-air patio attached.
"Hi, Amelia," Adia greets her when she arrives. "Welcome to Atlantis."
Caspar sweeps the floor methodically. Even a little sluggishly. He's been quieter than usual since the New Year began. Maybe it's because he hasn't a good glass of wine since the Solstice; Seth's attempt at sparkling apple cider didn't go much better than his previous attempts at brandy.
Or maybe it's something else. She's been giving him the chance to tell her in his own time. Regardless, she hopes Amelia's visit will improve his mood.
The coordinates she sends Amelia are not for the inside of the cabin, even though that would be the most cautious. Instead, they teleport her to the garden behind it. It's dormant now, the perennials resting until it's their turn to blossom once more, but there is plenty of evergreen forest further in the distance to give the landscape some color. From this spot, Amelia will get a lovely view of her friends' cabin, made of wood but surprisingly modern in its design, with a slanted roof and a large, open-air patio attached.
"Hi, Amelia," Adia greets her when she arrives. "Welcome to Atlantis."
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Once she's dressed and ready to go, she picks up a simple bouquet to brighten her friends' home and gathers up the ribbons for hair braiding that she intends to gift to Adia. Her last stop before heading to Atlantis is to their favorite coffee shop to pick up mochas for everyone, with chocolate whipped cream on two of them for herself and Adia. After that, she pulls out her phone and uses the PINpoint app to get herself from the Nexus to somewhere new.
She'd been expecting to step out of the portal into the small house Adia's described to her on multiple occasions, but the sight that greets her is well worth the surprise. The earth beneath her boots may be cold and dormant now, but it's so much like the farmlands she remembers riding and walking through on Karin. The trees are a little less familiar, but the smell is so reminiscent of her lost world that her knees tremble slightly beneath her. It's not her world and she knows it, but it feels so much closer than any other place she's been since arriving in the Nexus.
Adia's words catch her slightly off guard, but she turns quickly to greet the other woman with a bright smile. "Hello Adia. Thank you for inviting me." She holds up the small carrier with three coffees in it and then the bouquet and wrapped package of ribbons in the other. "I come bearing housewarming gifts."
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The reason she had her friend arrive outside becomes apparent as they step around to the front. Caspar is getting a fire pit started on the patio. He's dressed more casually than usual, but otherwise is his usual put-together self. "Hey," he greets Amelia. He gives her choice of clothes an approving nod. "Nice jacket."
"We figured since the weather was mild enough, we could sit out by the fire for a little bit," Adia informs her. "I was going to make tea, but you've already got us covered with the mochas."
There are a couple of camping chairs set up around the pit, as well as a wooden one that looks to be hand-carved. From the front of the cabin, Amelia can get a clear view of the rest of the property: another, larger cabin several hundred yards away, some sort of outdoor cooking station, a small animal barn, and some storage sheds. Further off is an apple orchard, and surrounding everything is more of that forest, a mix of bare, deciduous trees and their evergreen brethren.
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At Caspar's compliment, Amelia can't help but grin. "My tailor will be pleased to know his work is appreciated. I still have to get you over there one of these days." Maybe once it's warmer outside and getting to and from the shop from her apartment isn't such a struggle. Winter has been more unkind this year than it has in years past.
"I enjoy the chance to be outside," she assures Adia with a smile. "As for the mochas, I thought they'd be a nice treat for starting our day." Speaking of which, Amelia will pass those out now. Once she's set down the carrier, she grabs one and hands it to Adia, then offers Caspar the one without whipped cream on it. "Farel has upgraded to more insulated cups to combat the Winter chill in the Nexus, so they should still be hot. I hope the whipped cream didn't melt too much."
With drinks distributed, Amelia takes a seat in one of the camping chairs and smiles at each of her hosts in turn. "The property you live on is beautiful. I hadn't imagined it would be this large or full of trees. Were you offered a choice when you settled here? Or was it chance that landed you in this spot?"
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Adia lifts off the insulated lid of her cup and is delighted to find her whipped cream intact. "No, it's perfect. She takes a sip, smiling happily at the chocolatey warmth. "Oh, this space was all woods when we arrived. Maggie and Seth and I talked about it, and we decided to share a property away from the city center. None of us grew up in urban environments, so we all wanted a chance to have more nature in our lives."
She points to the larger cabin on the other side of the property. "That's their house. Seth, Maggie, and their son Jason. And over there is our outdoor cooking space. It's basically a glorified grill, but it's nice in the summer."
Remembering the bouquet in her hand, she holds them and adds, "I'll put these in some water and be right back. Caspar, do you need anything from inside?"
"Just Princess," Caspar replies, as he fusses with the kindling.
Adia nods and heads indoors. Very soon afterwards, a small pig comes trotting out of the same door, her tail bobbing merrily. She gives Amelia a curious but friendly look.
"Hey, Princess. I need you get this fire going for me," Caspar instructs the pig, stepping away from the stacked wood. The piglet gives him a skeptical look, and Caspar grins. "It's okay. Amelia's from the Nexus, and Seth and Maggie aren't home."
Princess lets out a porcine snort of relief. Then she approaches the pit and lets loose twin jets of flame from her nostrils, igniting the firewood and sending a shower of sparks into the air.
Caspar grins at her. "Ace work, Princess." There really is no better way to light a fire, as far as he's concerned.
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"You cleared the land and built all this on your own?" If she sounds impressed, it's because she is. Given how large the trees in the distance look, she can only begin to imagine how much time and effort was required to remove enough of them for the cabins, cooking space, and gardens. She takes a sip of her mocha to give herself a moment to think through the sheer scale of that undertaking and then shakes her head a little. "I wouldn't have guessed that you'd done all of this yourselves. It's quite the task, even with multiple people working together all at once."
The addition of the pig to their party is a bit of a surprise for Amelia. It seems oddly intelligent for this this kind of creature, but the reason for that is quickly revealed when Princess lights the fire for them. The rogue chuckles softly as she watches Caspar dote on the little pig, then grins up at the Cylon over another sip of her coffee.
"I take it you found a Pokemon for yourself the same as Adia found Zelus?" Her grin widens a little before she turns her attention to Princess. "You seem like quite the helper, little one. Tell me, what kind of Pokemon are you? I haven't met anyone quite like you before."
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"Not all on our own," Adia says with a modest laugh before heading inside. "The settlement as a whole worked together to clear land and build houses for anyone who wanted one. They planted the orchard, too, but Seth put up the barn and Caspar added some shelves and things to the cabin. I'll show you later."
Many hands make light work. And heavy machinery converted into construction equipment doesn't hurt, either.
Caspar bends down to give Princess an affectionate scratch on the head, then catches Amelia's eye. "More like she found me," he admits. "I was helping Professor Madrone with some field work and she got attached to me." Of course, the feeling is obviously mutual. He tried fighting the commitment initially, but with every visit it became harder to leave her behind.
Fire successfully a-blaze, Princess plops down on her haunches in front of Amelia's feet. "Tep!" she announces, in answer to the question.
"She's a tepig," Caspar clarifies, straightening up. "A fire type. She's so damn cute that no one thinks to ask where she came from, although we have to keep the fire-breathing a --"
He cuts himself off, squinting at the sky as a shadow passes overhead. "Look out, here comes the party inspector," the Cylon says with an eyeroll before he takes another sip of coffee.
The shadow reveals itself to be Zelus, who spotted the fire from above and has apparently come to see what all the fuss is about. He lands on the patio and ruffles his feathers at the sight of someone new. "Brave?" he croaks, before peering at Amelia again and then relaxing. Oh, it's Adia's friend from the Nexus who likes the library. She's okay, then.
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Caspar can claim all he wants that Princess is the one with the main attachment, but she can see otherwise in the way he speaks and looks after her so fondly. It makes her smile - and have to hold in a small laugh so she doesn't embarrass the Cylon too much. "You both look very happy to be settled here together," she notes, somehow managing to hold back a smirk. "I can't imagine being separated until you were able to bring her here was comfortable for either of you." ...what? She's trying to avoid too much embarrassment, but she can still tease Caspar a little!
As Zelus comes in for a landing, the rogue smiles at the Pokemon. Her body language is relaxed and calm as the Braviary gives her a look and then settles in himself. Where she was wary of him in the past, she knows Zelus means her no harm. "It's good to see you again, Zelus," she tells the Pokemon with a nod. "Are you adjusting well to life on Atlantis?"
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That seems to also be true for Zelus. The large bird looks much more comfortable here than he ever did in the Nexus, where there were so many unexpected threats. Life on this island is very peaceful, even if he has to cohabit with Caspar. He blinks slowly at Amelia, but Adia is stepping back outside before he can answer her properly. With an excited chirp, he hops over to her and touches his forehead against hers in greeting.
"Like he didn't just see you this morning," Caspar comments off-handedly before taking a sip of his mocha.
"Oh, he's always happy to see me," Adia replies sweetly, giving her pokémon a gentle scratch along his neck feathers.
Confirming that Adia is safe and content, Zelus hops back, then flaps up to the roof so he can settle in his roost and keep a watchful eye over everything.
"I didn't open the package yet," she tells Amelia as she takes a seat next to her in one of the camping chairs. "I figured I'd wait until we're inside. How's your apartment doing? Are you starting to feel settled in?" She hopes so. It's been months since she showed her friend how to properly clean. That should be enough time to make the apartment feel like more of a home."
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"We might need it later," she says in reference to the package, "but I'll let you know if it comes to that." She doesn't know if they'll get to the hair braiding or not, but that seems like a much better activity for inside. Fingers cooled by the mild Winter air won't do much good when it comes to that sort of activity anyway.
She takes a sip of her mocha and then nods in answer to Adia's questions. "Very much so, thanks in large part to your help. I've set a schedule for cleaning that helps keep me organized and allows me to plan my other daily activities without worrying I'm missing something." Her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink as she adds, "The tableware have been an amazing addition. I was able to donate the old pieces I had and was inspired to replace other things in my apartment to match. The set gave me the inspiration to coordinate and make the place feel more... like a home." And that is no small feat. There's still plenty of mismatched things in her apartment, but the new towels, bath mat, and sheets match the perfect set of tableware her friends gifted to her.
After taking a moment to hide in her coffee so she can keep herself from blushing more, she smiles at her friends and gestures to their cabin with her free hand. "How has your home been progressing? Any new additions recently with the onset of Winter?" It seems unlikely, given how mild the weather is, but with the addition of Princess and Zelus? Anything seems possible.
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"Go ahead. I'll come find you if the fire fizzles." The piglet grunts and then dashes off towards the barn eagerly, slipping under the doors, her rear wiggling for a moment as she squeaks through. Caspar snorts at the sight before gesturing with his to-go cup. "She likes to check on the goats. It's hilarious, they all crowd around her because she's so warm."
Amelia's admission that the tableware inspired her to coordinate more of her appointment has Caspar looking damn pleased with himself. Look at what he got the ball rolling on. "I knew you'd like the color," he says smugly before taking a sip of mocha.
"It sounds like you've finally made your apartment your own, Amelia. I'm so happy for you." Adia smiles, although she tries hard not to go overboard in her praise. She can tell her friend is already self-conscious enough about it. "What you see here is pretty much how it's been the last few months. I'm going to put in another garden bed and Caspar is working on a lean-to for Zelus so he doesn't have to be outside in inclement weather.
"So he doesn't come into the house with wet, soggy feathers," Caspar adds. And wet, muddy feet, and the sour attitude that comes from being out in the elements.
"That was one time," Adia is quick to interject. "But he's too big for our cabin, anyway. He needs his own space."
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Her cheeks darken a little at Adia's praise. "I'm trying, at least. It could still use some work, but it's improved a lot since you last saw it." Amelia's honestly proud of how much she's accomplished in less than a year. Her apartment is not only habitable, but also organized, clean, and attractive day after day. For someone who's never lived alone, that's a feat the rogue is happy to claim so soon after moving into the place.
The gentle ribbing between her friends has the rogue hiding behind her coffee cup for a moment. No need to tease Caspar further with the smirk she's having trouble suppressing. "I'm certain he'd appreciate that anyway, right Zelus?" Amelia turns to the Braviary with a smile. "A nice, warm place to rest your head close to Adia seems like the perfect option."
She takes another sip of her mocha before asking, "What do the two of you grow in your gardens? Mostly vegetables? Or do you have space set aside for spices and herbs as well?" It's an honest curiosity for Amelia. She may not be running her family's business anymore, but all things related to spices and herbs will always be of interest to her.
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"A vacuum." Caspar sighs wistfully. "That'd beat out a broom any day."
"Our electricity grid can only handle so much, so we try to stay low-tech where we can," Adia explains. She doesn't seem to mind, but then again, she's not nearly so desperate to keep every speck of dust out of the house like Caspar is.
As for where Zelus would like to rest his feathery head, he peers down at Amelia, then pecks at his roost. He has the perfect place already. At least, when it isn't raining.
"Oh, all kinds of things," Adia answers in regards to what they grow. "Carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers. We have a raspberry bush that keeps threatening to take over the entire garden. I grow herbs, too, but only a few kinds. I've been looking into medicinal properties for some of them. That's our biggest gap right now, you know. Trying to replenish our medications. If there's anything natural we can use instead, we've been trying."
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The rogue nods along with Adia's list of vegetables - all good things to keep on hand in her mind. At the mention of medication, Amelia's brow furrows slightly. "Was the list I gave you in the past helpful for that?" she asks. "I can also find more books from the library, if you'd like. It's may not the right time of year to find seeds in the Nexus for some of the herbs or roots I might suggest, but no reason you couldn't get ahead on planning."
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"I'm glad you got the hang of it," Adia says. "I would have recommended bagless, too, you don't need that extra step." Far be it from her to find Amelia's learning curve laughable. As for the list of herbs, she smiles reassuringly. "Yes, that was very helpful. If there are other books you can recommend, that'd be great. I think Caspar could use a good pain balm."
Caspar blinks out of his thoughts. "What?"
She gestures to her waist. "Oh, you know. When your side was acting up on New Year's?"
There is a brief flash of guilt before Caspar forces out a small laugh. "Yeah, that. Sure. Couldn't hurt..."
Feeling awkward for bringing it up, Adia quickly finishes the rest of her mocha, then stands up. "Would you like to see inside the cabin now, Amelia? Oh, I can show you the beehives first, if you like, although nothing's really happening right now."
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"I'd love to see the beehives first, if you don't mind. You were so excited about getting them started that it seems right to start our touring there. Maybe we could take a quick turn through the orchard, too? If it's not too cold of course." She smiles at each of her hosts in turn, then gestures to Adia. "If you let me know what you've managed to start growing and the type of soil you're working with, I can offer suggestions for medicinal herbs along the way." It's by far her most knowledgeable subject (one reads all the books they can on such things when it's essential to their business), and all the tidbits will give her a good starting point for later library research.
Turning to Caspar, she asks, "Will you be joining us? Any information about your injury would be helpful to me for recommendations as well."
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When Amelia addresses Caspar directly, his expression turns guarded. Yeah, he knows that she knows. "You know what, I think I'll stay here and keep an eye on the fire. You ladies have fun, I'll see you when you get back."
Adia's expression turns vaguely disappointed, and it just about breaks his heart, but that he manages to keep completely under wraps. She leans over and gives him a kiss goodbye before gesturing for Amelia to join her. "C'mon, I'll show you the beehives first."
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As the two of them walk along, Amelia turns to her friend with a concerned face. "Is everything all right with Caspar? He seems even more guarded than usual." Not to mention he lied to Adia, and she knows how much he hates to do that. He must feel like he has a good reason, but that doesn't make it any more right to do so.
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Much like moody boyfriends, apparently, because when Amelia expresses concern, she casts a furtive glance behind her, as if worried that Caspar will overhear. She's clearly noticed the change, too.
"He's been a little down since New Year's," she says quietly. "I think this time of year reminds him of the War. He doesn't sleep as much as me, you know, that's a lot of time to spend awake in the dark..."
That's her best guess, anyway. He hasn't told her if something specific has been eating at him. And sometimes he's so good at pretending nothing is the matter that she wonders if she isn't imagining things.
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All talk of Adia's hobby falls behind when she speaks about Caspar. She can't relate to going through the kinds of things the Cylon has, but being trapped inside with nothing to do but think? Well, being a shut-in has helped with that.
"Is there something special about New Year's Day that would bother him?" she asks, her tone soft and low. She doesn't worry that Caspar is following - it would be fairly easy to hear him if he was - but the lower tones aren't ones Adia slips into lightly. If her friend is this worried, then Amelia is, too. She hesitates for a moment before continuing. "Are you sure he's sleeping enough right now? If there's something bothering him, he might be avoiding sleep to avoid dreaming about it." It's not uncommon for anyone and it's something Amelia understands all too well.
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As far as Caspar's drop in attitude goes, she gestures for Amelia to follow her and heads towards the orchard, leaving the bees to their seasonal slumber. As they approach the neat rows of barren trees, she mulls over her friend's questions. "Not New Year's, no... it's not the anniversary for anything, so far as I can tell..."
Sleep seems to be a more delicate subject. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and shrugs pensively. "Honestly, I don't know. He only needs about four hours of sleep." She picks at a thread on her scarf and adds, "I know he doesn't like to dream, but he hasn't complained to me about it..."
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"If it was a bad dream or nightmare that bothered him, he might not be ready to talk about it," she offers, uncertain if that's true but wanting to give Caspar the benefit of the doubt. "It might also be that he doesn't know how to start a conversation about whatever's bothering him. It's a common thing for anyone to do." Herself included.
Amelia diverts their stroll through the trees to approach one of the larger ones. Her eyes track to the few clouds hanging low in the otherwise blue sky through the bare branches for a moment as she thinks through how to say what's on her mind before she turns back to Adia to speak.
"Maybe he needs help to speak up the way I did," she starts slowly. "Until Harley... made it my choice to take that first step, I couldn't do it. She offered her help and guidance, but she let me do the hard work of opening up." Speaking of Harley is difficult for Amelia, but she's pushing through it to help. Adia and Caspar deserve to be happy, and any disruption to that, even self-made, is something the rogue wants to see worked out. "Maybe he needs someone to be there to offer him that hand, and make it seem possible to take that leap."
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She pauses when Amelia does, watching her silently while her friend looks up at the sky. When the rogue finally imparts her advice, it's met with mild surprise. These are some of the same issues that Amelia struggles with, but it sounds like she's made a great deal of progress in handling her emotions. She's even able to talk about Harley without misery. It makes Adia smile briefly, happy to receive the suggestion from someone who's experienced this themselves.
"I think you're right. It's not easy for him to talk about his problems. I don't think that sort of thing was encouraged during the War." She bites her lip, thinking back to when he came to see her on Atlantis, after the Quorum had pardoned him. He had told her so much... like a confession, of sorts. But after that, he rarely brought up his past. It hadn't seemed relevant before.
She lightly tugs at the scarf around her neck. "I thought I had made it obvious that I'd always listen to him, but maybe it'd be better if I actually said something."
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Amelia can't begin to count the number of times she though about letting someone in but didn't. It was something always on the tip of her tongue with friends like Adia and Steve, but she could never convince herself to say something. When she finally opened up to Harley, it was like jumping from the top of the tallest building she could scale and floating gently in the calming waves of the Inner Sea all at once. It was terrifying and freeing at the same time, and it was one of the best decisions she ever made.
Smile warming a bit, the rogue walks over to Adia and offers her hands to her friend. "Caspar trusts you, I'm sure of it," she assures Adia. "Try talking to him, and I'm sure you'll be able to work through this together."
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When Amelia holds out her hands, Adia takes them gratefully. "Thanks," she says, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I think I needed the reminder." From Amelia, of all people, which makes her smile again, looking far less troubled.
For sure, she'll tell Caspar that if there's anything that's weighing on his mind, he can share it with her. And who knows? It could be something so minor that it's fixed with a simple discussion, and she would have been worrying over nothing. That's certainly happened before. She'd prefer his gentle teasing over it than being left in the dark.
(Never mind that he didn't have any problems last Winter. No sudden shifts in mood, nothing unexplained. She pushes that thought away as quickly as it comes to her. Everything will be fine.)
Remembering the entire point of Amelia's visit, she lets go and gestures to the bare trees around them. "Well, what do you think? It's more impressive when they're bearing fruit. We picked so many apples, it was like a full-time job for a little while."
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"I think it's impressive now," she counters with a small laugh. "There are so many trees here, more than I'm used to after living in the Nexus for so long." True, there are plenty out in The Wilds, but that's not exactly a place she likes to roam through. Getting lost in a place like that is something the rogue would like to avoid for the rest of her life at all costs. "Was it only the four of you - you, Caspar, and your friends - picking the apples? I can't imagine how many days it must have taken to collect them all with an orchard so large." A beat, and she laughs to herself. "If I'd known there were so many, I'd have offered to come visit at night to help out," she teases.
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