Salem Ilmari

Date: October 3, 2022 

Location: Navigation Room 

Characters: Salem Ilmari, Robin Astrea @robinastrea 

Characters mentioned: Lydia Seong, Ryder Astrea 

Description: Salem isn’t feeling well, and Robin tries to help.

From Ali: 

Happy Birthday, Salem!

I know you’re used to navigating the galaxy, but I thought you might like this book in case you ever decide to navigate Earth. 

Have a supernova birthday.

From your fellow Hole Club member,

Happy birthday to my favourite navigator named Salem! I know how much you love your tea, so I found your brand new favourite cup to drink it out of. Cheers!

Happy birthday, Salem! Thought your job could use a certificate, as I am told certificates make everything look ten times more professional.

 Happy birthday, Lemon! I got you some light up wheels so we can roller skate in the dark!!!!  I hope your birthday is a good one! 💙🕺

Happy Birthday, Salem!

I know you’re used to navigating the galaxy, but I thought you might like this book in case you ever decide to navigate Earth.

Have a supernova birthday.

From your fellow Hole Club member,

Wishing you a great birthday and a memorable year.

From, Gwen.

These Tea Coffee Sugar Ice Cream Dessert Mini Shovel Shape Spoons probably won’t be much help digging holes for hole club, but I figured you could use them for the tea/sugar part of their very long name. Or as this very nifty guide that came with them says - eat cake, eat fruit, anything you want.

Happy birthday, Salem!

I hope you have an amazing birthday! I’m so excited to celebrate for the first time with you and look forward to many more birthday celebrations in the future. 

This is my Nintendo 3DS, and the games I used to play on it (including Animal Crossing!) I thought it was about time you had a little gaming system of your own. I’m sorry it’s pink, but obviously past Ryder chose the pink option. 

Now we can play even more games together!

Love, 

Dear Salem,

To be honest, it was hard for me to write this letter, but only because I didn’t know what else I could say that I don’t tell you already. I’ll give it a shot. You make me excited to see you every time you’re around. Even when I pass by you in the hallway, seeing your face and your smile makes my day. I want to continue to see that beautiful face of yours every day. I want to continue to have cheesy dates and kiss and hold hands for as long as I can. I love how funny you are, and how caring you are. I just fucking love you. Now, these presents. I may or may not have been working on compiling this book for…a while. There was a bit of difficulty with assembling the lining, so it might not be as perfect as I would like but it should work. It has special pages for tracking coordinates and constellations. I hope you like it. The bracelet- I know you don’t necessarily wear bracelets, but it reminded me of you. I heard emeralds were good for inspiration and patience…though you do seem to have a lot of patience already. Especially with me. ❤️️ Happy Birthday.

Skylar did smile a little when Salem pointed out that the twins looked up to him as a big brother, because he was in agreement with the navigator on the whole on that being a good thing even if he didn’t always know what he was doing or how to be the big brother they needed. He was the one they had though, and he knew that counted for something. He noticed Salem didn’t really elaborate on his answer to the question about the PowerPoint, which was fine. Sky hadn’t asked for specifics on what Salem had been told, because if it hadn’t been the whole story the question itself would have suggested there were some pieces that Salem might then go seeking from Robin, who might or might not be ready to share them. Ideally he would have liked to hear a little more from Salem anyway, but he didn’t hold it against him that he didn’t. PowerPoint aside though, he was a little surprised by how candid Salem was being with him - referring to the ‘rocky relationship’, then asking directly for Sky’s own opinions on both the relationship and Salem himself. It was a definite shift from how the vanneer had interacted with him previously, though he noted that Salem did still seem pretty nervous about all of this. For his part, Sky wasn’t really sure how to answer. In a way it was a little nice to have his opinion valued by proxy, but it felt a little bit like he was being asked for a performance review from someone who didn’t actually fall under his jurisdiction. It also felt off for Salem to be asking him whether he and Robin talked about all of this - that really seemed like something to ask Robin, not him. Still, it wasn’t like Skylar was going to be asked all of these questions and not provide any kind of answer - he did pause though, taking a moment to collect his thoughts rather than just saying the first thing that came to mind. Salem really did seem pretty nervous, and he didn’t want to make that worse if he didn’t need to - but more importantly, he didn’t want to cross any boundaries that Robin might set if he were here participating in this conversation.

“We’ve talked about the two of you, yeah,” he answered first - both because that was the question that had come first, and confirming that was the easy part since it didn’t actually require providing much detail. From there though, he switched the order up - it was easier to start with what he thought about Salem and then talk about the relationship from there. “I think you seem like a nice guy,” he began, expression contemplative as he considered this further. He didn’t necessarily make a habit of forming solidified opinions on people he didn’t know well, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say he didn’t think anything further of Salem, either. “You’ve been thoughtful and considerate when we’ve talked, and it was fun hanging out with you at the beach party. As for what you have with Robin - I’m not standing in your way, if that’s what you’re worried about?” He honestly didn’t understand what Salem was looking for here - a seal of approval from him on a relationship that wasn’t his to pass judgment on? It did occur to him though, that Salem had joined the crew of The Prosperity alone - and after coming from such a big family, maybe he just wasn’t used to making decisions on his own. Whatever the reason though, it didn’t change Skylar’s view. “It’s not really my opinion that matters here - Robin’s the one who knows you better, and the two of you are going to know better than anyone else what your situation is. But for what it’s worth, I do want him to be happy - and he seems happier with you around.”

Salem supposed the sauna wasn’t the most ideal place to have this conversation. Skylar probably came here to relax, and yet here he was asking him quite personal questions about what his opinion of him was. He always got the impression that the human didn’t really like him. Whether it was because of Robin or just something he wasn’t particularly sure about. Then again, they didn’t really know each other all that well aside from their tech support encounters and up until recently. He supposed he had just been overthinking things by the way Skylar was talking now. “Sorry, I know it sounds silly, but I had this feeling you didn’t like me very much. It’s not that I’m worried that you’re going to stand in the way or anything. More so, I just wanted to clear the air, I suppose. The ship isn’t all that big, and it’s quite awkward to work with each other while simultaneously trying to avoid each other like the plague?” He said with a chuckle, a bit nervously, losing a nerve a bit. 

“Not that I think you’d do that. You’ve been nothing but nice and very helpful the whole time I’ve worked here. It’s just that ah--Robin was like that, and since you’re so close, I figured you and Ryder had the same idea of me, like I’m some weird person who followed Robin onto this ship,” he said, pressing his lips together to keep himself from laughing. He didn’t even know why he was so nervous at this point. “And well... Robin does make me very happy, but if the people he cares about might not like me, I don’t want him to choose between his brothers, who he’s know his whole life, and some guy. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m relieved I was wrong? Sorry, I don’t know if I’m making any sense,” he said with a chuckle. “Maybe I’ve been in here too long, and my brain has turned into mush.”

Robin did have coffee-related opinions, as a matter of fact. “I like when coffee tastes like coffee a little bit,” he answered, “And whether it’s sweet or not I guess depends on the drink. But I don’t really like the bitter or sour taste, so I at least like to have something to put in it. That’s usually creamer, and I buy a lot of that whenever we have the chance to go to a grocery store,” he answered. “Chai is good,” Robin confirmed. “It’s all the way over there, though,” he gestured to it sitting on the table. “That makes sense,” Robin said, then asked because as being a twin himself, it sort of mattered a little bit for dynamic reasons, “Of the three of you, who’s oldest and youngest?” He scanned Salem’s face, considering his suggestion. “Actually, would you…want to hand draw it for me?” Robin reached over and pulled his messenger bag onto the bed, taking out the journal Ryder got him for his birthday, which was already mostly written-in, and a tortoiseshell-patterned pen he’d filled with brown-colored ink. “Well, this way, I can take it with me,” he said shyly. “I know this isn’t exactly a test to study for, but I want to make sure I know everything about your family. It’s important.”

Salem nodded and thought about that for a moment because he did not like the taste of coffee, so he wondered if he could actually get his drink right if he ordered it for him one day. He took a mental note of that rather detailed explanation and hoped he could get him a cup one day or at least make one for him. “Did you want me to get it? It’s going to get cold all the way over there,” he said with a chuckle. “Oh, Sepher hatched first, then I came out 2 days after followed by Fi 3 days after. Although, Fi acts like the oldest, and Seph acts like the youngest. She figured out how to fly and swim first, and she’s always looking out for us,” he said with a chuckle. “Oh yeah, I’d love to,” he said with a grin, always happy to talk about his family around anyone who’d be interested to listen. “Wow, you’re taking out the stationery. I’m honored,” he teased to hide his blush and the way his heart seemed to beat a mile a minute, touched by the sentiment. He gently took the journal and set it on his lap before pulling out his left wing from behind Robin to start drawing out his clan. “So we have five parents,” he said as he slowly wrote down their names to make his handwriting a little nicer. “Shiloh and Gökcan are my biological parents. Then there’s Frida, Zaheer and Kailani.”

✴♒︎☽☄✩ 

“Actually, I kind of do,” Ali laughed good-naturedly. It was weirdly interesting to learn about wax buildup. Everything was just still so new to Ali, and he liked learning. He had his own quirks as a djayyar. For one–the glittery skin and eyes. He never knew how things like tattoos would work on him, though he always wanted one. He would just have to test and see what happened one day. “That’s understandable,” Ali nodded in understanding. “She wouldn’t, but fear isn’t really rational. I can keep telling you she wouldn’t but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s kind of a knee-jerk reaction. You can be with Ellie in distanced, bite-sized chunks.”

“Oh, well in that case. Vanniree usually know who to groom themselves for the most part, at least the ones I know, but it’s always better when someone helps you out. Thankfully we have Muffy on board because she does a really good job. Preening removes dust, dirt, and parasites from feathers and align each feather in the optimum position relative to adjacent feathers and body shape. It also really helps to keep the feathers waterproof for the most part,” he said with a smile. “Yes, I think we can be friends if we stay a few meters away from each other at all times,” he said with a chuckle. “Shall we go in to watch the movie? Did you want to get more snacks?”

Skylar wasn’t surprised to hear that Salem was getting a little tired of their stay on Molfaun. The place was fun enough, sure, but a good portion of the crew - himself included - seemed about ready to put this place in the rear-view mirror. Especially after that cutout game - even if they had gotten the majority of the cutouts, it definitely hadn’t felt great to be used for entertainment like that over something they shouldn’t even need. Why bother setting up an audience with the queen when the queen could just pay them? These weren’t frustrations to share with Salem though, when they were talking about the spa and Salem’s family. Not that Salem really said all that much about his family - Skylar wasn’t really sure what to do with nice as the lone descriptor - but he did appreciate that Salem was opening up a bit.

When the vaneer brought the subject around to the twins and Robin’s powerpoint, Skylar nodded. “Yeah, we’re close. My parents know his parents, so - I’ve known them pretty much since they were born. I don’t have any siblings biologically, so - we wound up taking on that role in each other’s lives,” he explained. It felt a little stilted, explaining it in so many words to someone he didn’t know all that well - but if Robin was serious about Salem and vice versa, it was probably an important detail. “He told you about that, huh?” The fact that Salem’s reaction to it was a chuckle made Skylar wonder just how much Robin had told him about the PowerPoint and everything that had happened after that.

Salem nodded, wondering if asking about Robin from someone else who wasn’t Ryder was appropriate given that Sky seemed to still be a bit reserved around him. Not that he expected the human to be friendly with him like he was with the twins by any means, but he still felt a bit nervous around Sky like he was being assessed or something. He supposed if the human was protective of the twins, he wouldn’t be all too welcoming towards him seeing as how he was the oddball who applied to the same ship his one-night-stand was working at, even though he hadn’t known at the time. He understood how that must look to Skylar. Yet, the human was still making idle conversation with him, so he supposed this was a step in the right direction.

“That’s really nice. I can tell the twins really look up to you as their big brother,” he mused. “Yeah, he did. I’m assuming he tells you about our rocky relationship as well?” He asked, pressing his lips together nervously as he tried not to laugh. While he was completely serious, the nerves really came out around Skylar, and he really couldn’t help but laugh inappropriately when he was very nervous. “I was actually curious about what you think about it? What you might think of me? Because your opinion really matters to Robin, and therefore, to me.”

✴♒︎☽☄✩    

Ali chuckled when Salem painted an interesting picture for him. He kind of wanted to see what the vanneer’s bedhead looked like himself. “That sounds kind of cute,” he mused. Ali knew Salem wasn’t actually a bird like bird on Earth. He didn’t even really look like one–he was way bigger for one thing. He did have feathers though, and feathers were cute. That was just an undisputable fact. “I think you’ll like it. It’ll be fun to watch it with someone who has fresh eyes,” Ali said as he nudged their shoulders together. “That’s…a good question. I don’t think he’s that scared of them. It’s like me with the ocean. I can look at it, and I’m fine, but if I was actually in it, it would be a different story.” 

“I suppose it can be. Though, smoothing it out can be a bit of a pain sometimes, especially when the wax sort of builds up after a while, and I’d have to work out the new feathers to open up,” he began before catching himself and chuckling. “I don’t think you want to hear about vanneer grooming problems,” he said. He smiled as Ali nudged him, quite excited about bonding with another member of the crew. “Oh, that makes sense. Sort of like when I look at Ellie. She looks cute from afar, but once she starts to sniff me, I get scared she might snap at me,” he said. “Not that I think she will, but I still get scared nonetheless.”