2024-05-01: ...even as the water recedeS
- Log: ...even as the water recedeS
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim, Elisa Kafim, Wendy Yuan
- Where: The Silent Castle, Kaffeklubben Island
- Date: 2024-05-01
- Summary: The Silent Castle copes with Yuliana's recent plunge into the Arctic.
'April 28, 0099
It's some hours, before Yuliana enters the sitting room her family has gathered in, grasping Elisa's arm. Enough time for Sashenka to have collected herself, evidently -- because her mother smiles to her, from the couch where Makar and Maksim spring up, shouting in unison: "AUNTIE!"
And Yuliana temporarily disentangled herself from her wife to drop to her knees, so she can embrace them both in her broad arms and curling tentacles. "Shh, shh," she hushes them, pressing her lips to each of their foreheads to soothe them both. "I'm right here, see? Good as new. Elya made sure I'm good as new."
"And what did you want to say, boys?" Sashenka prompts them, gently.
Both of them look up from the cousin they call their aunt, tears threatening their lashes. "Thank you for saving our Auntie, Auntie Elisa," they say, in unison, and mindful.
Yuliana smiles, pulling back just enough to look between them. "I was so worried about you," she says, tucking some of Makar's messy aqua hair behind his ear. "I'm so glad you're okay. Malyshonok," she addresses him as her baby boy, "what possessed you to do such a thing? You know not to go on the ice without an adult!"
Maksim sniffles, and all but wails: "It was me!!"
And Yuliana hugs him again, one-handed, giving him a light squeeze as she bumps her forehead to his. "It's okay, zvezdochka moya," she assures Maksim, her little star, looking to him with those endless eyes of hers. "What happened...?"
His own eyes are even bluer with tears, but he sniffs them down, and summons his bravery. "Makar said he was brave enough to touch the evil rock," he says, "but I laughed at him. I told him he'd cry."
"Oh, sweetheart..." Yuliana sighs, with a muted smile. Stuck for a moment how to manage such a thing, she catches Tri Darma offering them a box of tissues; one of her tentacles reaches out to grasp the box, as she takes some in her hands and dabs at the children's cheeks. "... do you remember what I said about what I'm doing when I'm not here?" She asks, after that quiet moment.
"You said you're goin' to th-theruhpie," Makar can't quite pronounce it, but he's close enough.
"Therapy, that's right," Yuliana says. "And do you remember what I said that was?"
"It's, um, like a class you go to when bad stuff happens to you," Makar says.
"Exactly right. And do you know one of the things I learned there?" She doesn't pause long for this one; she expects their uncertain 'ummm's. "I learned that saying 'no' can be brave, too. If you know something isn't right -- you don't have to do it, even if someone bigger than you makes you feel like you have to. And if you're not sure if you're right or not, you can ask for help. You can always ask me or Elya, or your Graunties and Gruncles. Okay?" She asks Makar, squeezing his shoulder gently.
"'Kay," Makar sniffs.
"And that goes for you, too, okay?" She looks to Maksim, now. "I want you both to have faith in yourselves."
"Okay," Maksim gulps, and nods. "Uh... hey, Auntie?"
"What is it, dear?" Yuliana asks, canting her head as her frills fan behind her ears.
Maksim pauses, for a moment. "Should we be in therapy?"
And Yuliana blinks, evidently surprised by the question. "Well," she starts, "something bad certainly happened... maybe you should be. Elya and I will talk about it, okay? We'll figure something out for you. But for now, you've both had a big, awful day," she embraces them, again, before she pulls back to pick herself up. "Don't you think it's time for bed?"
"Aww..." Makar pouts, before he grasps Yuliana's scarred hand, tugging at it. "But will you tuck us in, Auntie?"
"Of course I will, sweetheart," Yuliana smiles, ruffling her hair. "I'd do anything for you -- both of you," she adds, looking to Maksim again. "Didn't I promise to take care of you?"
"Uh-huh," Maksim nods, still shaken.
"That's because you're my family and I love you," she adds, with a big grin. "You can't escape it!"
"Come on, that's embarrassing..." Maksim grumbles, to hide his reassurance.
Tellingly, he doesn't insist he's too old to be tucked in, when she puts them to bed.
...---...
'May 01, 0099
It takes a few days, for Yuliana to be willing to leave Elisa's side. (It might not just be Yuliana.) But eventually they are able to tolerate a few hours apart -- because there are things Elisa must do.
Yuliana keeps the company of Wendy Yuan, while her wife is busy; she does consider her a friend, and of course it's best if she keeps to socialising in the Castle, so soon after such a harrowing event. (Parminder simply commented, "SMH, can't believe the ocean's got a higher miss rate than Brassy." This is riotously funny to everyone who knows what a terrible assassin Brassy Cachet was.)
Wendy is... far more empathic on the face of it anyway. "I never knew you were such a family woman, Captain," she says, stirring her black tea with a spoon. She can taste it, now, thanks to Elisa's referral.
"That's because you didn't know much about me at all!" Yuliana huffs, sipping at her own. Green, with honey. "Is it really so hard to believe I'd show basic decency?" She pouts, and it's clear there's a right and a wrong answer.
"It's not that," Wendy hurries to assure her, all too aware of all the things Yuliana could throw. "I just thought -- you know, why not ask your wife? Couldn't she just, I don't know, levitate him with a magic spell?"
And Yuliana sighs, her offence deflating with her wilting frills. "That would have been smart, wouldn't it?" She asks, looking down at her tea. "But the truth is, I wasn't thinking at all. Elya went to fetch the napkins, and... and it just happened, you know? It just happened. I know I should have asked her..." Her mood is all the more labile, after such an awful thing; she falls into her depression quickly and easily.
"It's okay," Wendy's still assuring her, reaching out to pat her scarred arm. "You're just an impulsive woman, right? But your impulse was to save Makar... that's good, you know? You did a good thing."
"But he was so frightened... it was a stupid idea. Really, a picnic?! What a stupid idea! Everything outside these walls is too dangerous, everything--!" Yuliana's voice raises, and-- there goes her cup, soaring across the room to smash against the far stone wall.
Wendy, give her credit, doesn't flinch. (She knew it was bound to happen.) "Captain," she says, and repeats herself, more insistently: "Captain! Calm down!"
"Don't yell at me," Yuliana sulks, arms clasping about herself.
Don't yell at me, Wendy is smart enough not to say. Instead, she lowers her voice back down. "Even if it is dangerous," she's smart enough not to argue with something that sounds like Elisa's logic, too, "you can't just keep kids in a perfect bubble of safety, Captain. I mean... neither of them will mess around on thin ice after that, right?"
"I guess not..." Yuliana grumbles.
"And you made sure they didn't get hurt, right?" Wendy goes on.
"I guess..." Yuliana's still grumbling.
"Sometimes shit happens, Captain," Wendy shrugs, leaning back on the couch. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known it would end up like that. You're doing your best. That should matter, right?"
"I suppose I can't really be blamed," Yuliana allows, uncoiling a little. "Though I wish it hadn't happened."
"Yeah," Wendy nods. "It sucks. ... but I'm glad you're okay, Captain. Parminder is, too..." She pauses, "I think."
"Who knows what that guy is thinking?" Yuliana laughs, as she reaches over to pour herself another cup of tea.
And Wendy's the one who gets to feel bad that Guanyu's men have to clean the first cup away, all shards on the floor.