#endfieldr

“ you really think so, endmin?? hehehe, thank yeeew!~ it's the first in a series, i'm thinking of doing four pieces altogether. something new i'm trying! ” palms together tucked against pink cheek, yvonne was REALLY excited about this one. it was obvi still early stages, but she loved sharing the progress!... whenever there was progress to show, anyway. fueled by passion, she usually worked SOOO fast! the vouivre had a tendency to immerse herself in her projects with little breaks in between, then suddenly it's like they're finished no sooner than she started!

they are, quite clearly, the chocolate wafer figures the endministrator ... so cruelly plucked from her dessert, shall we say. a pack— nope, make that two actually, trays of them . these particularly, while still mainly chocolate, have a layer of strawberry filling between an apparently bifuricated version of just the regular wafers . " ... uh . so ... sorry, about the other day . i got caught up listening to you . didn't even think before i acted . hope this pays for it laevatain— in full and some interest too, actually . "

With memories being unreliable by experience, and most of hers being shards and fragments from an old home no longer her own, Laevatain hasn't exactly bothered with what to her were, at least initially, the more menial things, slightly more urgent matters of her own to handle before bothering to commit to memory holidays and other local celebrations, let alone making it a habit of keeping track of the dates passing by in her stubborn search. To put it simply, she doesn't think about whatever date may have just passed, and doesn't bother to check by the time she's finally returning to the Dijiang once her most recent trip is concluded.

Laevatain is nearly bouncing on her steps as she makes her way through the ship's open spaces, returning greetings in kind, dropping off souvenirs at operators' desks and workspaces, waving off the unsurprising requests to test either her flames or her arts unit, already as busy as she can be— just what she wanted out of a home to call her own, huh? And it's when she's ready to turn towards the kitchen area to find her ice cream stash that she's stopped in her steps, curious look and fiery eyes just a little brighter now.

"Hey— missed me that much already?" Well, at least they've found her in a good mood, right? And it doesn't fade as she's presented with the box, blinking, a tilt of her head the only expression of her faint confusion, yet accepting it and studying it a little closer nonetheless. Valentine edition...? Ah, it was already that time of the year, wasn't it? She is certainly no stranger to finding herself on the receiving end of gifts, always more touched than she'd like to admit, smile on her lips now turning warmer, just a smidge, that little bit only those closer to her are allowed to see, but before she can offer her earnest thanks for the thought—

"The other day...?" Oh, right, the day her treat had been oh so cruelly stolen from her, and in the middle of her retelling, no less. Laevatain huffs, yet it hardly can mask the grin, more entertained than she should be. "I suppose I can forgive you for that offense. Don't worry, I'm not setting your precious piles of reports on fire." She certainly won't admit almost forgetting about the incident entirely until it was brought up now. Or how she had been actually pretty alright with letting it slide after cooling off enough and reminding herself there would be more treats to be had, the memory was more important. She still has an image to maintain!

Laevatain discovered very quickly how fond she is of retelling her story. Maybe it's as simple as making her memories feel more real, anchoring them in her head, claiming them as her own without doubt or hesitation the moment words start spilling from her lips with that certainty of having lived them, retracing them like ink on the aged, well loved pages of a journal, the tales rarely embellished, true to those scattered fragments in her mind that are finally being mended, finally healing. The easier the words come to her, the brighter she becomes— and could anyone blame her, seeing her finally free to claim her life as her own, to burn with such radiance after fighting her way out of the shadows?

Maybe it comes to no surprise, Laevatain has come to really treasure these little moments, peacefully gazing at the vastness of space, Talos II in all of its brilliance, perfect stillness in the silence only broken by their conversation, a rare moment of rest for the Endministrator, the operators aboard knowing better than to intrude when Laevatain is there. There's an odd feeling of safety in confiding her newfound memories in the one other person in this world that truly understands, like entrusting them to someone else, knowing they will always ensure she knows who she is, were the worst to come.

"—and I really didn't think Wuling was going to be that humid, I mean, I run hot enough that water isn't usually an issue—" she is certainly busy talking, too, ice cream in her hand almost forgotten entirely as her tale devolves into ranting for just a moment. Almost. "You should've warned me about how wet everything in there is, those rice paddies were almost a casualty when I was trying to dry off..." and as she turns her attention back to her ice cream, her words trail off, sudden silence surrounding them as she keeps staring at the frozen treat in her hand. Something is amiss, she can tell, she knows it is, staring closer and closer... hey, wait a goddamn second—

Ah. Busted. Maybe it's about time he'd gone back to the Nexus to check up on unoccupied stations and perhaps admire Talos-II from lower orbit—OMV Dijiang was still a fascinating concept he'd yet to fully understand, but he couldn't be surprised, there. He wasn't a scientist like the staff that tended to busy themselves for most of the day, he was just an angler, and one that liked to slack off. No way could he have the personal drive for something as sophisticated as this.

All things considered, the cot in the dormitory really beat just about any cardboard mattress he'd snoozed on, possibly surpassing the comfort of white sands and a gentle breeze. It was just a little too easy to take a handful of breaks an hour, but... unfortunately, he could recognize the Endministrator's voice even from the crowded idle chatter in the common areas. Rarely anyone strolled by the dorms, his manner of speaking unquestionably his own. But, Alesh wills himself up, rolling out of bed and setting his current book aside, upside-down and open, adding to the creases along the spine.