It was tempting for Aira to skip the festivities altogether. She hadn't been in the mood, and there was a bunch of work in the shop that she needed to catch up on.
Yet, here she is. The jovial atmosphere is infectious, and frankly, it would have been insane to pass up on all this good food. As for the drink to go with it? Since joining the Corsairs, Aira has stayed well clear of the grog; if pressed, she could use the excuse that she's too young to drink—back home in Japan, anyway. Tonight, though, a jug of the honey wine is too great a temptation. It isn't that strong, but before she knows it, Aira is about two cups deep and pleasantly drunk.
"Oh my god, have you tried this? It's freaking amazing." She points across the table with a dramatic flourish. "And you. You're freaking amazing!"
Yes, you—stranger, acquaintance, friend. Everyone is in this fight together, after all! Anyway, the first part of her declaration could be referring to the honey wine, or one of several dishes she has laid out in front of her: shrimp, crab, calamari, whatever else. It's her goal to try a bit of everything, at least.
II. STORY TIME
Earlier in the day, a sober Aira can be found reading picture books to a group of kids, many of whom are refugees from Vindess. The selection is somewhat limited, but there's one in particular that she likes. It's a grounded, beautifully illustrated story about a girl named Clara who loses her father to war. Her widowed mother is sickly and bed-ridden, and while she has three older brothers, they leave one by one for their own pursuits: one to join the war and avenge their father; one to start his own business in the city; one to elope with his lover.
This leaves Clara lonely, overworked, and beleaguered. Her mother's condition doesn't seem to improve despite her efforts: she takes care of the house, tends the garden, raises chickens, and works odd jobs for her neighbors so that she can buy books on healing and medicine. Clara makes friends with a sprite from the nearby wood, who helps a little with her endless chores, but it's unclear whether the creature is imaginary.
Her brothers return only after years have passed. The first has lost a leg in the fighting; the second is penniless and in debt; the third is bitter with a broken heart. In the final scene, Clara's ongoing treatment hasn't cured her mother, but she has the strength to walk with her arm-in-arm up to a colorfully illustrated hillside. She kindly urges Clara to pursue her own dreams, and observes that there are countless people out in the wide world that she could help using her compassion and the knowledge of healing she's accrued. With her mother's heartfelt blessing, Clara leaves the little village to become a traveling apothecary.
"The end!" Aira closes the book and smiles warmly towards the kids gathered around. "Did you all like that story? It had some sad parts, huh? But I love how Clara is so brave and smart and kind to her mom. So, do you think there's a message in the story we all could learn from?"
The children are quiet and shy, as one might expect, so Aira looks to whoever else might have stayed to listen. The group might be encouraged to open up a bit and chime in after hearing an older person's answer.
no subject
It was tempting for Aira to skip the festivities altogether. She hadn't been in the mood, and there was a bunch of work in the shop that she needed to catch up on.
Yet, here she is. The jovial atmosphere is infectious, and frankly, it would have been insane to pass up on all this good food. As for the drink to go with it? Since joining the Corsairs, Aira has stayed well clear of the grog; if pressed, she could use the excuse that she's too young to drink—back home in Japan, anyway. Tonight, though, a jug of the honey wine is too great a temptation. It isn't that strong, but before she knows it, Aira is about two cups deep and pleasantly drunk.
"Oh my god, have you tried this? It's freaking amazing." She points across the table with a dramatic flourish. "And you. You're freaking amazing!"
Yes, you—stranger, acquaintance, friend. Everyone is in this fight together, after all! Anyway, the first part of her declaration could be referring to the honey wine, or one of several dishes she has laid out in front of her: shrimp, crab, calamari, whatever else. It's her goal to try a bit of everything, at least.
II. STORY TIME
Earlier in the day, a sober Aira can be found reading picture books to a group of kids, many of whom are refugees from Vindess. The selection is somewhat limited, but there's one in particular that she likes. It's a grounded, beautifully illustrated story about a girl named Clara who loses her father to war. Her widowed mother is sickly and bed-ridden, and while she has three older brothers, they leave one by one for their own pursuits: one to join the war and avenge their father; one to start his own business in the city; one to elope with his lover.
This leaves Clara lonely, overworked, and beleaguered. Her mother's condition doesn't seem to improve despite her efforts: she takes care of the house, tends the garden, raises chickens, and works odd jobs for her neighbors so that she can buy books on healing and medicine. Clara makes friends with a sprite from the nearby wood, who helps a little with her endless chores, but it's unclear whether the creature is imaginary.
Her brothers return only after years have passed. The first has lost a leg in the fighting; the second is penniless and in debt; the third is bitter with a broken heart. In the final scene, Clara's ongoing treatment hasn't cured her mother, but she has the strength to walk with her arm-in-arm up to a colorfully illustrated hillside. She kindly urges Clara to pursue her own dreams, and observes that there are countless people out in the wide world that she could help using her compassion and the knowledge of healing she's accrued. With her mother's heartfelt blessing, Clara leaves the little village to become a traveling apothecary.
"The end!" Aira closes the book and smiles warmly towards the kids gathered around. "Did you all like that story? It had some sad parts, huh? But I love how Clara is so brave and smart and kind to her mom. So, do you think there's a message in the story we all could learn from?"
The children are quiet and shy, as one might expect, so Aira looks to whoever else might have stayed to listen. The group might be encouraged to open up a bit and chime in after hearing an older person's answer.