I apologize if you saw the first run. Unfortunately the thing copied the code as well as the real words. I'll try to remember to double-check my documents next time before I post.
Also, just in case it doesn't look like it, this is the same universe as Fire Alarm. It's just many, many years in the future.
"Mamae! Come on, Mamae!" Nyra laughed as Yvanne tugged at her hand, dragging her to the rink's edge.
"I'm moving," she reassured her. "Go on, I'll catch up." She caught Yvanne's hand before she could bolt, though. "Remember the rules?"
"Don't run into people, avoid the middle, and don't wander off," Yvanne listed off easily.
"Good," she said. "Now you can go."
She watched her daughter scamper off, jump onto the ice, and streak away. Nyra approached the ice at a more sedate pace, knees wobbling as she tried to get her footing. Unlike Yvanne, who had taken to skating almost before she could walk on her own, Nyra barely could stand up on ice without falling on her ass. Her arms spread out and she tried to still her feet, but they started slipping of their own accord. "Oh no, oh no, oh fu-"
"Need help?" Nyra's head turned to see Dorian standing nearby watching with amusement. The movement caused her to lose the miniscule amount of balance she was trying to maintain; she would have fallen if he hadn't grabbed her arms and tugged her towards him. She leaned on his arms, breathing heavily from the scare. "I'm suspecting your daughter's grace doesn't come from your side of the family," he joked.
"Shut up, Pavus," she said. "I'm perfectly graceful on normal ground and you know it." She freed one of her hands and poked his chest.
"Yes, but on ice you are a lumbering cow, my dear Lavellan," he said.
"You, my good sir, are an asshole," she said dryly.
"But such a charming asshole," he fawned.
"Naturally," Nyra said, rolling her eyes. "So did you come here with the sole purpose of laughing at my skating?"
"Hardly, though I must say there is quite a lot of appeal in that," Dorian replied.
"So what are you doing here, then?" she asked, still leaning on his arm as he helped her forward.
"A friend is in town and he expressed an interest in skating," he said. "And since I heard that my favorite goddaughter -"
"Your only goddaughter."
"- was coming, I thought I might oblige."
"So is this a friend or a friend?" Nyra asked. "Woah!" she gasped, as her legs nearly gave out on her.
He grunted as he caught her again. "The man is sadly already taken," he lamented, as he stabilized her. The man was deceptively strong for his build - then again, Nyra didn't weigh much to begin with.
"Oh, poor Dorian," Nyra said, her smirk teasing.
"Yes, well, he's very happy with his wife, so I find myself being a bit more charitable."
"Always the giver you are, Dorian."
"I am such a catch, how can they resist?" Dorian asked, pretending to preen a little. "I do try to save at least some of the men for others."
"Many women of the world are eternally grateful," she said. "So where is this friend?"
"Lost the idiot, I'm afraid," he said. "No matter, he'll find me again, I suppose."
"The chances are pretty high," she said with a nod, looking around.
"Uncle Dorian, come skate with me!" Yvanne called as she sped past the two of them.
"Oh, go on," she said, pushing him away. "I'll flounder a bit, then go get some hot chocolate for all of us."
"I like the sound of that," he said, before skating after Yvanne. "Have fun!"
Nyra wobbled without the support, swaying back and forth as her balance deteriorated. "Creators!" she yelped, as she fell backward, but strong arms encircled her waist and she hit a hard chest before she hit the ground. "Mph!" She grunted at the impact. "Thanks, Dorian," she said, trying to push up on his arms to right herself again.
She heard a warm, familiar chuckle that was certainly not Dorian's and froze. She tilted her head back up and saw brilliant golden eyes looking down at her with love and her heart fluttered.
"You're not Dorian," she said dazedly.
Cullen laughed, a sound she had wished to hear again for so many months. "I hope that's a good thing."
"So much better than a good thing," she said, starting to recover from her initial shock as he pushed her upright and turned her to face him.
"Oh, go-" he started, before breaking off as she propelled herself forward, bowling him over. He let out an "omph" as they fell into the snowbank behind them, but Nyra didn't give him a chance to recover before she gave him a long, hard kiss. She had landed in his lap and he pulled her closer, holding on to her as though she could disappear at any moment. She had looped her arms around his neck and clung to him with equal fervor.
"Papa, Papa!" They broke apart as a little blur crashed into them, knocking them further into the snow. Nyra laughed as Cullen's head popped out of the snowbank and saw his hair was covered in clumps of snow. His eyes narrowed and he growled, before grabbing two big handfuls of snow and dumping them on her head.
"No, no, no!" she yelled in protest, futilely trying to protect her face.
Yvanne squealed with laughter, still holding on to her father while watching him attack her mother with snow. She turned to a skater that approached their little reunion. "Uncle Dorian, Papa's home!"
"So I can see," Dorian said with smirk.
"You knew this whole time," Nyra said, pretending to glare at him.
"Dorian was the one to help me arrange this," Cullen said. "An early Satinalia gift. Do you like it?"
"You'd be hard-pressed to top this," she said, curling into his side again. He held her with one arm, while pulling Yvanne into a hug with the other. Nyra also took her daughter into her arms and they held each other, a complete family once again.
"So you actually managed to convince Greagoir to give you leave for Satinalia?" she asked, sipping her hot chocolate. She glanced up at him, trying to memorize all the minute changes to his face in the four months since she last saw him.
"Something like that," he said. "Aveline and Donnic were helpful in wearing him down as well."
"I'll have to send my thanks to them," she said, leaning into his shoulder. She chuckled as she saw Yvanne skate circles, quite literally, around Dorian. "How long do we get you this time?"
"Until a week after Satinalia," he said. "Then I have to report back to Kinlock."
"That's not a lot of time," she said.
"Somehow, I think you'll make it count," he replied, bending over to peck her lips.
She smirked as he pulled away. "Well since Yvanne's going to be spending the night with Uncle Dorian tomorrow, that's a promise."
"Mmm," he hummed. "I like the sound of that."
She laughed as he pulled her towards him to steal another kiss, only to be interrupted as a snowball was pelted at each of them. They whipped their heads around to see Dorian and Yvanne standing with their hands behind their backs, Dorian whistling innocently and Yvanne attempting to do the same.
"Then again, he gives her way too many ideas," Nyra said. She quirked an eyebrow at Yvanne, who quickly pointed to Dorian and shuffled a few feet away from him. He clutched a hand over his heart in shock and Nyra thought she heard him hiss "traitor" to Yvanne, who giggled.
"Shall we?" she asked, leaning over to grab a handful of snow.
"We shall," he replied, mirroring her movements. They slowly crept towards the ice's edge and the two parties stared at each other for a moment before Cullen and Nyra both threw their snowballs. Cullen's was a gentle lob that barely brushed Yvanne's coat, but Nyra put all her strength into revenge and smacked Dorian so hard in the face he nearly fell over. She laughed loudly at the sight of his shocked face, a little bit of snow hanging off his mustache.
"You'll pay for that one!" he yelled at her, before skating to the lake's edge to grab some more snow, Yvanne following suit.
It escalated quickly, snowballs flying left and right until no one was sure who was hitting whom (though they were careful not to throw too hard in Yvanne's direction). Alliances were created and broken with a single lob, blood feuds starting and stopping in a similar fashion.
Cullen eventually stopped the war by running onto the ice, scooping Yvanne into his arms and plowing into a snowbank (though he thankfully cradled her so she took none of the impact). Their snowy heads popped up and Dorian and Nyra mutually agreed on a cease-fire to go inspect the damage.
Yvanne was giggling, her arms wrapped around Cullen's neck. "I'm so glad you're home, Papa."
"Me too, sweetheart, me too," Cullen said, pulling her into a bear hug.
"Best Satinalia present ever!" she exclaimed. After a pause she added, "Though do I still get toys?"