Kiza was doing her best not to laugh at Caine's face, as he carefully settled amongst the fancy bean-bag chairs she had whipped up on Jupe's Entitled grade loom. Comfy, cool fabrics, and so soft it felt like you were floating in water, he looked grossly out of place in his dark combat gear, his hulking frame against the pastels she had meticulously chosen to clash against the guest suite Jupiter had chosen to make her own until they could feasibly gut and redo the master rooms. Something about living in the same space as her predecessor in the same opulent design had made her skin crawl, and honestly, Kiza didn't blame her.
Living on the Red Hawk was a necessary evil they had all agreed upon when they had found the will of the dead Queen and analyzed their future assets. It was a fully functioning ship equipped with weapons and armored to withstand nearly impossible scenarios, not to mention was essentially a self-sustaining ship. The gardens and water and the air were recyclable, and only occasionally needed maintenance and restocking. They could purchase a new ship, they were certainly rich enough- Seraphi had made sure her spiritual successor would be well cared for, a vanity to care for a creature remade in her image without realizing the actuality of being reborn. But to get it to the same level of safety and versatility as the Red Hawk was honestly unfeasible in a relatively short amount of time. They did have renovations planned, but it would be touch-in-go for a while.
Hence they were all stuffed into an off corridor, just off the heart of the ship where the main rooms were.
"So… This uh, Matrix, performance, you've seen it a couple of times, Kiza?" his voice was stiff, and his shoulders tight as he shifted around on the chairs.
Kiza flopped backward, mindful of her wings as she did, smiling gently. Her actions caused his shoulders to ease up a bit, his hands to unclench in his lap.
"It's one of our favorites. I think you'll like the action sequences," she said, and she deliberately pressed her face against his side.
As if no time had passed, a giant bronze wing unfurled and tucked around her in a gentle and careful hold. Despite being as hardy as him and her father, Caine had always treated her like she was made of glass. She thinks it's a side effect of them both being young as they had been when they met. He had been an adolescent when he had been sold to the Legion, barely old enough to pass the minimum age limitations. He had seen her being born, seen the Mother she had never known die, and helped her take her first steps.
She rarely felt young. Being around Jupiter, for all her maturity caused by the memories of her past life, still made Kiza feel so old.
She was the sweet young sister she never knew she needed, and it would be so strange when it finally got to the point that Jupiter looked physically older. She doesn't think she'll ever treat her any different, however, and it is… So nice that Caine treated her the same as he had nearly two hundred years ago. Despite the fact that she no longer is the toddler he would hold onto, he still treated her the same. A strange parallel that she welcomed.
"Action?"
"Very cool. Kinda like a more twisty way that you fight, actually. But the main character, Nero, isn't as cool as you are."
"No one is cooler than the One!" declared Grey, voice careful and measured, even as their dark eyes were narrowed and pinched.
In their arms, they carried the provisions necessary for the movie, snacks of Earth fair. Sodas and popcorn and the like, with plenty of candy, tossed in for good measure. The door opened, and Jupiter dragged in Da looking half-awake and beaming.
"I got Stinger! It's now family night!"
Caine jumped. Da looked at the enormous screen and gave a sigh.
"The Matrix again? Can't we watch Golden-Eye?"
"NO!" Kiza said, firmly, with a chorus in the form of Grey and Jupiter.
"It's freaking weird how much Sean Bean looks like you, Stinger," said Jupiter, with a wrinkled nose.
"It is unsettling to watch what seems to be your death," trilled Grey.
Da gave a sigh.
Kiza opened her arms, and Jupiter, hesitating for a fraction of a second, eyes flickering to Caine. Then with a determined glint, she dived into Kiza's arms, her small head against Kiza's chest, and she let her arms loosely around the young girl.
Caine stiffened. But Kiza paid him no mind and started to comb through Jupiter's hair with one of her hands.
"Are there any Twix left?" she asked, humming as she carefully tamed Jupiter's hair with practiced care.
"I did not devour the entire stock, as promised," said Grey, dryly, "Hard to do that when you purchase an entire truckload of them."
Da settled onto Caine's wing without care, hand reaching out to tangle with Jupiter's small one, and Grey, after placing their munchies and drinks on the floor, dropped their head into Da's lap. Da immediately began to rub at the skin around their eyes, knowing how pressure could build up there when they focused on screens all day. It was due to the way the Keeper's bodies were constructed, or something like that. Grey whistled a cheerful 'thank you' in their native language, interlaced with a soft note of affection.
Caine, slowly, surely, completely relaxed as they all piled in. The casual, intimate nature of their touching was soothing instincts that he had probably long suppressed.
"Hawk," called out Jupiter, to the voice of the Red Hawk, "Will you play the Matrix movie and dim the lights in the Queen's Suite?"
"Certainly, Queen Jupiter."
The lights dimmed, and Kiza admired her hard work as the first bit of commercials started on their DVD copy of The Matrix, on the enormous screen she had installed in Jupiter's room, the place where most of their Earth-related materials stayed for security's sake.
"It was such a pain in the ass to get the technology to be compatible," she said, with a satisfied sigh.
"You're a genius, Kiza," mumbled Jupiter, past a yawn.
Kiza playfully pinched at her ear.
"That I am Jupe, that I am. Now stay awake at least for the 'I know Kung Fu' scene."
"Let her rest, Kiza, she is a developing youngling and she has been awake since- I believe nearly forty-eight hours at this point."
"I'm the only one that can put a confirmation order on the-"
"Shush up, Jupiter," said Da with a yawn of his own, "Movie's starting. And pass me some of them honey crisps, be a pet."
Jupiter gave another yawn, and did indeed crawl out of Kiza's arms and obediently gave Da his favorite snack. And Kiza saw Caine stare at her with this understanding look and oh thank the 'Verse Caine is starting to open up. Because I know that confused, half disbelieving look of impossible becoming real.
"That's a good girl, thank you, Majesty," said Da.
Jupiter was captured in Grey's arms, and Jupiter silently curled around her oldest friend, whilst pressing into Da's arms as he scooped them both up, settling his beloved crisps on Grey's head. Grey giggled a spark of song and nudged the bowl to lay comfortably if a little precariously on the edge of their beanbags.
And Kiza settled more firmly into Cain's side and focused on the screen.
AN:
Sorry again guys =.=.
I've just been doing some home improvement these last few weeks and it's been exhausting. The joys of adulthood mean my biggest thrill is picking out new furniture, organizing and ordering about my house, and realizing how many THINGS I have. It's been a long process around my job and I just recently had a small personal crisis that involved a lot of running around and will be untangling for weeks… Not going to disclose the details, as it affected someone dear to me, and I rather keep their privacy. Just know we are physically well, no illness or anything like that, just something that REALLY sucked and was emotionally draining.
Know, however, I am DETERMINED to give you guys two chapters a week. Hence why we this chapter today, and the next one tomorrow. Sorry again my lovelies. Hopefully next week we can get back onto the two correct days, Saturday and Sunday. If not, I'll try to have it consistently arrive every Sunday and Monday for now. God knows my weekend has been mostly eaten up lately.
Any well wishes and concerns sent my way are unnecessary, but very much appreciated. I am saying thank you in advance, and not to worry about me.
~Be Safe, Be Well,
Moon Witch '96