Disclaimer:
Me: Ah booga booga booga! Mwuahahahahahahahaha! I've frightened you, yes? Grand! My work here is done!
Audience and Lawyers: (blinks) (glare)
Me: Eh, I don't own it.
Author's Note: Okay, I'm reposting this story to add this message to people. Reader's, I am more than aware that the day in which American Independence was gained is not a global holiday. I am also aware that in the A.C years, it most certainly would have become a lost holiday as a result of Earth becoming almost obsolete in the eyes of most people. From the series, we can see that Earth's current established nations are crumbling from time, tyranny, and negligence as focus has shifted to outer space conquest. In spite of all that, we just finished celebrating Fourth of July, and I wanted to write a story, damn it! So, please read this story without a critical eye for the likelihood of the event, and certainly do not approach me with a history lesson, as I am well aware of the details. I hope you enjoy reading this. Happy Readings!
000
Dependent Adaptation
By: Obsidian Sphinx
000
When you've been at war for more than a year it becomes easy to get a little confused during peacetime. You know that it is what you were fighting for, and you understand that you should be happy about it, but that soldier inside never really goes away, in fact, he is usually quite active in daily life. You have to retrain him; the phrase "at ease" becomes a working mantra in the mind.
Basically, it's a learning experience. Just like anyone else, we soldiers have to teach ourselves to adapt to new situations, and we pick things up on the way. For example, the fourth of July is an ex-soldier's worst nightmare. Think about it, the entire day is filled with randomly timed explosions of various degrees and sounds. It's a lost holiday, really, but when people first began settling in outer space many groups felt it necessary to drag along their holidays and pieces of their livelihood. As a result, several events lost their initial meanings and became mere celebratory events for the unification of colony citizens. Hence, our celebration of American Independence day. That first year, the guys and I were twitchy, grabbing for invisible guns in nonexistent holsters, falling into defensive and offensive stances, and even had a couple embarrassing instances when we hit the deck for cover. It's gotten better since then but as previously mentioned the soldier never goes away.
We've learned that it's easier for us if we stay away from colony wide celebrations and stick to private functions at Preventer HQ or someone's residence. We try to alter houses/apartments, but everyone generally agrees that Quatre's place is the best suited to our purposes. It has to do with space and familiarity. Naturally, WEI's corporate head lives quite comfortably in a gorgeous Tuscan style mansion with acres of land surrounding it. If it belonged to anyone else, it would be impersonal and museum-like, but Quatre has always managed to make it inviting and homey, so that everyone who enters is put at ease. His home has become our gathering location, so we celebrate in a place we know well. It's also incredibly capacious, which helps to alleviate that claustrophobic feeling that a lot of the public events cause. There are no "civilians" at Quatre's, only ex-soldiers, and that gives us a sense of security.
We're a close-knit group of people. There's the five of us: Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and I. Then there's the little Preventer team leader quartet Une, Sally, Noin (we've taken to calling her Lu), and Zechs. Relena, Dorothy, and Hilde are usually there, too, and what's a party without Howard and a few of those guys? I never would've seen all of these friendships coming back in the war. Just like the rest of them, I was as lonely as a guy can get, but here we all are.
We're actually fairly normal in our gatherings. Everyone tries to bring a dish, and Une usually has dibs on Jell-O because she hates to cook. Lu and Zechs offer chips and dip; Sally brings a little something different every time (she's always playing with recipes); Relena tackles finger foods; Dorothy brings mashed potatoes; Hilde comes with desserts; Heero supplies buns and rolls, I try to mix it up a bit but always make sure to have the essential condiments; Trowa and Wufei end up with the same dish because they're in an on-going argument about whose potato salad is better (they try to top one another every year); Quatre supplies the meat; and in typical fashion, Howard and the boys bring beer.
I also supply the music because I'm sure my taste is sublime, and while Wufei and Trowa argue about potato salad, Heero and Zechs fight over who gets to run the grill. Quatre keeps an eye on food amounts and also has the daunting task of keeping Howard, the guys, and Hilde from spiking things they shouldn't. The rest is all conversation, volleyball, swimming, and messing around on Quatre's completely awesome trampoline.
Despite our aversions to the jarring noises symbolic of the holiday, we do enjoy a firework display, but I set them off. There isn't anxiety if we all feel like we're in control of the situation and know where everything is coming from. I'll never abandon my love for explosives, so I'm only too happy to grab Heero and head for the trunk of my car. When I come back everyone settles down to watch. Heero stays with me to help (and to sneak kisses between sets), Trowa and Quatre usually end up curled together on the trampoline (they're still shy about their blossoming relationship), Lu and Zechs are seated comfortably beside one another in the content manner of many long established relationships, Sally and Wufei bicker even as their hands meet, Une uses the moment for quiet reflection and toasts each brilliant explosion with pained remembrance, and Howard, the boys, Hilde, Dorothy, and Relena generally band together in a messy heap on the lawn.
And it's right, all of it. We compliment one another in the way that some of us are strong where others are weak, and weak where others are strong. We draw from each other a strength that makes their peace our peace, and when I'm looking at them all together, their faces happy and delighted, my soldier dies a little on the inside. In those moments I'm happy, and adaptation isn't half bad.
-Owari