CH. 08 - Winter Solstice

[Ezeze]

Katya approaches Lillian and Finbul with a smile.

"Happy Solstice!" She tells Finbul. To Lillian she says "It's good to see you keeping so busy, and being so sociable."

[Daos]

Ladonna
"I would say you've already made a name for yourself, far more than anyone could have expected, Derica says.  "You averted another war and made peace with the goblins.  Few can make that claim."

Katya and Lillian
"I don't know if there's anything 'happy' about the appropriation and erasure of my people's culture, but sure," Finbul replies.  His eyes dart down to the ring on her hand.  "A gift from Jherek?" he asks.

[HorizonsDream]

"True, but it still doesn't appear to be enough for people to look past the fact that I am from a broken family," Ladonna says.

[GravityEmblem]

“Well, I don’t believe the fault lies in the usage of the holiday, per se-most of ‘human culture’ is taken from others-but in the lack of acknowledgement that Haflings even might have invented it...and of course, treating those Halflings as second-class citizens.” After this statement, Lillian stays tactfully silent at the mention of Jherek.

[Ezeze]

"What?" Katya is taken aback, but just for a second, by Finbul's statement. She transfers to the second question without too much delay, though.

"No." The statement comes out a little harsher than anticipated. She mollifies it by continuing "a gift from my mother, actually. Apparently it's a family heirloom. I didn't even know she had it."

"She's currently talking to Kohen Hedra about calling off that engagement, so I'm taking the opportunity to deliver your present." She offers the colorfully wrapped package to Finbul.

"I wasn't aware that Solstice was a Halfling holiday first. Was it celebrated differently?"

[Daos]

Ladonna
"For what it is worth, I truly am sorry," Derica tells her.  "At the time, I never stopped to think about how my decisions would affect other people, including yourself.  You were just a kid at the time...I guess it was easy for me to dismiss the idea that you would pay the consequences for my own mistakes.  I was young, and stupid and selfish and short-sighted.  After everything that had happened to me, I guess I felt like...the world owed me.  It owed me happiness, and I didn't care who got hurt along the way to get what I wanted.  But in the end, I didn't even get the happiness.  Your father was quick to throw me under the carriage to try and save his own hide, and we've barely spoken since then.  I helped destroy multiple lives, and I didn't even get anything out of it.  I wish I could take it back, that I could do it over again, but make the right decisions and not destroy a family or ruin the future of a child.  But what's done is done.  All I can offer is more apologies and hope you avoid making the same mistakes in your own life."

Katya and Lillian

"You're...calling it off?" Finbul asks, stunned.  "Well that's...that's good.  Good, he's a scumbag and a criminal anyway.  Both him and that thieving gnome Wiggledigit.  Actually, come to think of it, I haven't seen either of them around for awhile.  I want to say that's a good thing, but part of me wonders what they're up to..."

The druid stops short at the offering of the gift.  Again, he looks rather stunned by it.  "Wha?  But I'm...we aren't related.  Even my own family doesn't give me Solstice gifts anymore..."

[Ezeze]

"Well, not by blood" Katya agrees "but I've always thought of you as practically my big brother and this year I actually had a bit of my own coin after that mess with the goblins, so-" she continues to offer him the present.

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna looks at Derica for a few moments, then shakes her head. "Why the apology is appreciated, I was just a kid. I don't even remember the whole ordeal," she admits with a shrug. "Something like that takes two people, but if I was to place blame on anyone then it would be on my father," she explains. "He made these choices as well. His choices almost ruined your life," she points out. "And it did ruin his life."

[Daos]

Ladonna
"Maybe, but I'm just as culpable as he is," Derica says.  "I knew what I was doing was wrong, I just didn't care at the time.  I could have put a stop to it before it even happened, if I had wanted to."

Katya and Lillian
Finbul blushes and shakes his head.  "But I...I can't accept this. I didn't get you anything," he protests.

[Ezeze]

"I don't expect anything in return" Katya says with a look of mingled confusion and hurt.

It hadn't even occurred to her that Finbul may refuse to accept the gift.

He was saying he didn't consider her family. Even after she had plainly said she thought as much of him.

[HorizonsDream]

"I've never been in that type of situation," Ladonna admits. "But I've never really had those type of feelings before either," she adds thoughtfully.

[Daos]

Ladonna
"Pray that you are never put into that situation," Derica says.  "Or that if you are, that you'll at least be wiser than I was.  Gonto teaches us that no person is an island.  We are all connected, and every decision we make, even if for personal reasons, affects all those around us.  I truly learned that lesson the hard way back then."

Katya and Lillian
Finbul shifts his weight from side to side, looking embarrassed by the whole thing.  Finally, he nods and accepts the gift.  "Alright.  I'll...make it up to you on your birthday then," he says.

[HorizonsDream]

"Hmm," Ladonna says before she finishes off her food. "I wonder if I can get a plate to take home to father?" she asks. "He should at least eat something today."

[GravityEmblem]

Lillian lets Finbul and Katya talk, silently thinking of the preparations they would have to make, and what she would do after she finished talking to him.

[Ezeze]

Katya smiles a little when Finbul takes the present.

"I'll look forward to it" she says, honestly.

"and, yeah, you did say Jherek was a scumbag. I agreed with you at harvest, remember? My mother and I finally got a chance to talk about it and she agreed to call the whole thing off."