Tales of the Red Knot - Arc I - Halcyon Ether [Melon/Eteru] [Dropped]

Lincoln took in a breath of the cold air as he stepped off his bus. It was well past dusk but thankfully the brightly decorated storefronts of the street gave him ample view of everything around him. Colors of rich red, deep greens, and pure white swarm in his vision. He always enjoys how festive his street gets. Especially now when it’s snowing. Giving the city that warm, magical feeling. Zipping up more of his winter jacket he headed off down the street to his apartment building. The towering building was dolled up like the rest of the city.

He felt nostalgic looking up at the place he spent over a decade of his life living in it. It was a high end luxury apartment. At first he was skeptical of renting at a pricey place. But it was situated very close to the university he and his sisters went to, only a mile away. When there’s an available room there’s typically a hyperbolic bloodbath from people who really want this location. In short, he’s very grateful that he managed to get a room, even if it is studio size. A perfect size really.

Even if he’s sharing it with his younger sister, Lisa. Dr. Lisa now she is officially done with university life. Having lived in a house with nine other siblings have made them accustomed to being with one another in a small space. So neither felt uncomfortable sleeping or even bathing together. The latter is somewhat an old habit. In their childhood they and their siblings had to share bathroom sessions so the line to said bathroom can move quicker.

For many reasons he was thankful to have Lisa as a roommate. He would have been worse off in transitioning to city life by himself. Sure he did have a room (a renovated closet to put it plainly) to himself when he got old. But he was a snuggler. For the most part he spent more time cuddling with his sisters than actually sleeping in his own bed.

Thinking about his loving sister as he strolls into the lavish lobby with the music of Carol of the Bells playing. She should still be up at this time making holiday delicies to share with their neighbors on their floor. Said floor being the 82nd. Their room has a clear view to the distant buzzing financial heart of the region. Lit with holographic, moving images that he used to be mesmerized by for awhile when he first moved here.

Coming up to an elevator he pressed the button on the panel. The doors then slid open for him to step inside. Punching in his floor number he then listens to festive elevator music. He unzipped his jacket to start losing himself up. He had just driven all the way from his old home in Imperial Woods. Having spent a week with his family for the holidays. Afterwards they started drifting back wherever the stream of life had deposited them.

It was somber to think about how they spread a part from one another. He yearns for the good old days when they were all young and things felt like they could stay the same forever. It was the bitter truth to swallow that there comes a time where you have to leave the nest to make your own life.

He was reminded again that change is not always a bad thing when the doors open up to his floor. As far as his eye can see to the other end. It was completely furnished with the holiday spirit. The staff never decorate much of the levels. Instead they encourage the tenets to pitch in. Creating a strong sense of community within the apartment.

And ever since it first opened its doors it worked like a charm. Their neighbors were always warm and aimble. The air is light and warm. Even now he still smiles at the sight. Heading to his door he ruffled around in his jacket to get his keys. Grabbing it he pulled it out and unlocked the door.

Their apartment has managed to be fairly clean and tidy over the years. The wonders of technology helped digitize a lot of things. When it comes around for the holidays however they like to put up a decent amount of decoration but not to the degree of making things look cluttered.

The biggest set piece being their fake christmas tree in front of the window. Adorned with ornaments that have pictures on them. Many being them and their family. The tv was on to the fireplace channel. Giving the room that much more of a cozy ambience. To the kitchen he saw his sweet little sister who looked snug in her festive sweater and brown leggings. He found her very huggable. A perfectly wholesome sentiment for a brother to have for their little sister.

She turns her head to look at him as he takes off his jacket on the rack and closes the door behind him. “Welcome home dear brother.” He could see she was in a more jolly mood now they were back here. Not that he blames her. It was awkward to see the tension between her and Lily when they were at their old house. What made it more sucky was that he couldn’t do more to help. What came next was entirely both their choice.

“Nice to be home sis.” He came over to loop her arms around her lithe frame. Lightly resting his chin on her mop of brown hair. Lisa gave a low hum of satisfaction with his presence. Resting against him as she kept focus on baking their treats for the neighbors. Smelled and looked just as nice as always.

Truly, change wasn’t all bad. It was scary to be sure. Always is with big changes in life. But he and Lisa were more confident now about the galaxy at their feet. When it comes to move on to the next chapter of their life, which is soon, they’ll greet it with much more vigor and enthusiasm. Because no matter how far they are separated from the rest of their family. No matter if it halfway around the world or across the galaxy. They will always be family.

The apartment would remain quite peaceful for a while, although there was a sudden disruption to the peace. There was a disturbance across the hall. Some distinct sounds of struggle, followed by the sound of broken glass. That was soon followed by the sound of some annoyed shouting, before that calmed down and the talking returned to normal levels. Under normal circumstances this would be an oddity, but not for that particular apartment.

Lincoln would know the neighbor that lived there. It was a certain Tena Arunekt, a female Anubite who worked for Aztecha as a researcher and linguist. She was friendly and kind, but she was also notoriously clumsy, and was very easily annoyed when this came to light. She had very likely just broken a cup, as she had many times before. The shouting almost certainly contained a variety of cursewords of various languages, some modern and others more archaic. What was unusual in this instance was the sound of another feminine voice seemingly trying to comfort Tena. That was unusual, as Tena lived alone. She was not a Mystic either, and so didn't have any phantasmal companions. That meant she had a visitor.

That would bring up thoughts of the other neighbors. There were two other notable personalities on this floor. A male Taurus named Lioneal, who worked as a construction worker, although Lincoln would also remember that he was on Javalus's active reserves list, to be called up when the time came, as it did before during the civil war. The other neighbor of note was a male Ialao named Chasli, who was a cook in a nearby restaurant, and lived with his wife Kamala.

But in any instance, the voice of Tena's guest did not match any of this floor's residents, nor anybody else Lincoln would recognize.

Standing there in each other's embrace was certainly tranquil. Basking in the warmth of their body heat. Taking in the scent of their perfume. They could have stood there till the timer went down on the oven. But it seemed the younger sister wanted to feel more of this pleasant feeling. To drink in more of her brother. Turning to face him their hands began to languidly roam their bodies.  Nothing too risque. It would have been unwise to drown in their emotions while something is cooking. Besides this was pleasant nonetheless. In the beginning they were more passionate in not only yearning the sensation of their bodies firmly pressed against another. But to relieve the stress that the war brought upon the siblings.

Neither felt shame for what they have started. And as they grow older the more they settle down into this new normality. Taking these intimate moments more slowly to savor it and appreciate the time they have together. In the last few years the chances to have this sort of closeness was limited. Only when they got back to this apartment could they freely express themselves in the privacy of their own apartment. No one would ever expect for them to share this kind of relationship. To many it’s logical that siblings who have been going to the same university would pool their resources so that they could save money.

Their lips graze eachother’s. Sharing breaths as they continue to lose themselves in this sensual tempo. The sound of the timer going off brought a pause to their trance. Lisa gave him a kiss on the lips before turning back to the oven. “They should be done now.” Lisa didn’t need to request for some plates. For Lincoln was already at a cabinet getting some out. They lived together long enough to read each other's vibes well. “Thank you dear.” Lisa gave him a small smile as she went in splitting up the holiday treats among the various plates he set out on the counter.

“They look good Liz, I’m sure our neighbors would like them” Their idyllic moment was broken by the distant sound of loud noises. Lisa stiffen enough while continuing setting things up for Lincoln to notice but to his displeasure. She never reacted to noises like this before the war. Holding back a sigh he took out his smartphone to call the front desk for security. “It’s alright. I’ll have someone check on her. We can wait after they come by before we go out.” When he was young and loved comics books (He still does. On his phone he has a comic book app with a subscription to get monthly comics for free. Just not as much in his youth.) he was the sort to help strangers because he liked the sense of being a hero. Such naivety partially went away for him to realize that there are more important things to protect. And he doesn’t blame bystanders as much anymore when something bad happens. Society doesn’t reward heroes.

So he just calls for security instead of potentially involving himself in a sticky situation. Before the war he could tell they were getting a bit tired of him calling about noises from Miss Arunekt’s room. But still did it given it was better to be safe than regret it. Especially now after the war’s end. No one wants to take any chance.  

Of course this was not to say he wasn’t tempted to go check himself. He did care about his neighbors, especially Miss Arunekt. It’s why he’s calling security instead of just ignoring it like many people would. They crossed paths plenty of times out in the apartment over the years. So they know each other enough. More so in this last year when he went back to school in 4744’s Autumn Quarter and had ten months to make his dissertation. He went to her asking if she could be his guide on Tombuiron. He had never been there before and he chose his thesis to be about the very first Nomadic Tribes long before Gildtetk Ithkar erased them from the surface of the planet. His essay went over a period of a century and it covered subjects such as their oral traditions, migratory routes, languages, skirmishes, and other forgotten histories that had been long buried under that dune sea.

Thankfully Tena was more than on board in helping him. He can guess like many Anubites they love supporting aspiring students. And the obvious reason is seeing his unique gift in action. By now it was well known in the scholarly circles. His thesis was no doubt going to be passed around in the academic conferences for quite awhile. And if rumour has it, he’s likely going to be rewarded for it. While the validity of his essay can easily be questioned due to where the evidence came from. It fits everything that historians and anthropologists know about that obscure period in history. In the end, he was just happy that he was able to do something of his own choice with his gift rather than feel like a tool during the civil war.

During the time spent talking to the front desk. Lisa went over to activate a gift her sister Lucy gave her years ago with a vocal command. It sat in the corner as a small ball of liquid mercury with a mirror-like metal sheen on its surface. In response to the command it began to coagulate. Taking the form of a golem in maid attire. Lucy designed this multi-purpose Automata to be Lisa’s lab assistant and also turned out to be a very good personal bodyguard during the war. “Come carry the plates for us, Trinme.” Giving a polite bow it went over to the counter. The golem turned one of her hands into a solid large platter and went to put the plates on it. By this time Lincoln finished his call and put away his phone.

He went over their door’s peephole. It gave him just enough vision to see when the security came by Tena’s room. Once they check up on her and leave. He’ll notify Lisa that it’s clear for them to leave. If nothing comes up they’ll start going around giving out the treats and wishing them happy holidays.  The first notable neighbor they met next was Lioneal. Knocking on his door they stood there smiling  like the sweet pair of siblings they are. And totally not at all a couple. When it was open they would chime happy holidays in unison. Lincoln then took the lead. “We're handing treats out around on our floor. Would you like to take a plate?”

Security received the call, and the apartment complex decided to send up a security guard to go investigate Miss Arunket's room in case anything was wrong or if she was just being overly noisy. The guard that came up on the elevator was somebody Lincoln would recognize as well, from being in the complex for long enough, as it was the most active of the few security guards in the building. It was a male Drelakini by the name of Caldos. He was an older man, with his prime certainly behind him, but he still remained quite fit. Lincoln would know Caldos was not at all a native to Javalus, but rather he was actually from the Drelakini homeworld, Daslak. He used to work in a fishing job, but moved to Javalus some years back. Caldos became this apartment complex's security guard, and also happened to live in one of the apartment's here, so he was pretty much always around, making him a consistent sight. He simply waved to Lincoln as he went over to the Anubite's room, a visit that was somewhat routine. Using his security keycard, he went on inside to investigate.

Regardless, Lincoln would head over to the Taurus's door. Soon after knocking, the door slid open. Looking down upon Lincoln and his sibling was Lioneal. By now Lincoln would be quite used to the towering stature of the Taurus, having seen him around before. Not to mention, Taurus were far from an uncommon species here on Javalus. Perhaps a foreigner would be intimidated, but to an Iammelonian, Lioneal was a pretty normal sight. And with a little additional knowledge of this particular Taurus's personality, he was additionally not scary at all.

Lioneal smiled down at Lincoln, seeming a bit surprised but happy, "Aw, thanks!" He happily took a plate of treats. Holding the plate with one hand and using the other to toss a treat into his mouth, the Taurus seemed pleased, "These are pretty alright! Also, what's going on over there? Tena break a plate or something?" He gestured over towards the Anubite's door.

Some information on that got provided soon after, as Caldos emerged from the doorway. The Drelakini sighed, shaking his head, before looking over towards Lincoln and Lioneal, deciding to give a quick disclaimer, "She's fine. Apparently brought a ghost home with her from work, and they broke a vase. Old Anubite ghost seems to be just as clumsy as the living one. Guess it's just in the family..." Shaking his head, he walked back towards the elevator, heading back on down to the ground floor.

Lincoln beamed at his old neighbor. “My sister Lisa is always a good cook.” Lisa found his praise cute. That sort of gushing can be embarrassing for young siblings. But for the young sibling she had long grown used to it. Deep down she was a bit relieved that he didn't boast about her much during their time in the war effort. He knows very well how she feels about bringing attention to herself. Now with the looming shadow of war gone. They could afford to be more open. Not too open of course. “Are you having a good holiday season so far my man?” Lincoln kept up the friendly small talk for a bit. It was a proper thing to do as a neighbor. They would have talked for a few minutes before he and sister would have gone over to see Chasli until Caldos came back out. He gave him a smile and a wave as he headed back to the elevator.

A ghost huh? That subject was something he had complicated opinions on to say the least. Before he ever learned much about the jackals his perspective on the past was a bit skewed due to his gift. Through high school and higher education he developed a sense of kinship with them. In ways they were a big influence on his life regarding what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without them and the wonderful Anubites he met in his time at school, he doubted he would have been as certain to study to become an archaeologist. Especially when he has a big family. A family that have also supported his career and pushed him to pursue it instead of wasting his gift to only take care of them. He spent so much time tending to their every need when they were young that they essentially had to make an intervention to make him stop being so dangerously altruistic. His sweet children also supported his career. They found it cool that their dear ole dad was working to be an archaeologist. Granted, their vision of an archaeologist is somewhat influenced by those silly tomb raider movies that the film industry from Avalantus made.

Feeling it was time to move on he gave a smile to the Taurus. “It was nice talking to you. Have a wonderful night, Lioneal” Giving a friendly wave he and Lisa would stop by Chasli’s room. They would have a pleasant chat with the Ialao and his wife before finally going to the last door on their floor. Lisa was the one to initiate things by knocking on the door. Lincoln wasn’t concerned about Lisa meeting an Anubite ghost since she interacted with them before when she was with him on Tomburion. Like most Iammelonians, Anubite spirits were a natural part of society. When the door opens they chime their usual greeting of happy holiday. “Wish for a treat Tena? Oh by the way it’s good to hear that everything is okay over here.”