Lingering Protection: A Birthday Short

Lagom
Élan Region
Viridia Faction
xxxx, H.E.

“Do you have something for me?”

“Don’t be a spoiled brat,” Marguerite Russet retorted, but kept her tone warm. A smile lit the girl’s features as Skylar inspected her thoroughly, checking the other’s pockets and such for anything – a gift – only to pout when she felt nothing. “Disappointed?”

“I didn’t say anything,” the girl mumbled, but Marguerite could detect the faint discontent in the other’s eyes. “N-Not that I was expecting anything. Not really,” she rambled.

“We’re meeting Althea today, remember?” Skylar perked up slightly, “So search her for gifts.” The youngest Viridia nodded and Marguerite merely smiled, listening as her shorter friend began to talk about what they had planned for the day.

It was Skylar Viridia’s fourteenth birthday, and they were going out into the city to meet up with Althea Goldenrod in Skylar’s favorite café.

It was also the day her friend was presented with her Gear.

“–what did they call your Gear, Marg?”

Marguerite blinked and looked at Skylar. The girl was fiddling with a strand of her hair. “Oh. My Gear? If I remember right, it’s called Theiara.”

Theiara. The name felt right on her lips.

The Gear and Armor mechanism wasn’t unknown in Lagom – in fact, it was one of the technologies most known by man. Marguerite thought about this as she lightly touched the thick bracelet on her wrist, knowing that a single push of the button could fully activate the object. Her own Gear – Theiara – was in a state of ‘slumber’.

Rather, its capabilities weren’t ready to be fully opened yet. Marguerite could tell. The overwhelming urge hadn’t arrived yet.

Gear – Armor – Humanoid.

The Gear was better suited for those with an ‘offensive’ characteristic; those who were more open to battle and more willing to participate in the front lines. Marguerite remembered her parents smiling proudly upon seeing that Marguerite would follow in their footsteps.

On the other hand, the Armor went to those with more ‘defensive’ characteristics and features. Frequently, those with healing abilities and such received the Armor. Althea was one of the 45 – 49% of the population who was an Armor user.

In fact, she thought that Skylar Viridia – sweet and sunny Skylar – would receive the Armor like Althea. So when Skylar ran to her excitedly and said that she had taken possession of a Gear called Asterious, Marguerite was covered head-to-toe in shock.

Skylar, at the front of the battle field?

Skylar, wielding her magic and at the risk of dea –

It was nearly impossible. But when she saw that Skylar had been ‘marked’ with her Gear, all words fell apart and she merely nodded silently, unable to comprehend at all. Marguerite outwardly expressed her happiness for her, but deep down wanted her to exchange the thing for something ‘safer’.

But now – it didn’t matter any longer. Skylar was, like her, a Gear-user. (At least this gave her more of an excuse to check up and take care of the blonde-haired girl). Marguerite gave a soft sigh and watched as Skylar readjusted her bag and the straps of her shoes.

“Are you ready, Marg?”

Marguerite found herself nodding.

* * * * *

The afternoon with Althea was nice – the other expressed her surprise when she found out that Skylar had received the Gear. (“Imagining you fighting is like me swimming,” she had insisted.) The threesome spent their time inside the café, eating and laughing and bonding. Althea made the jokes, Skylar laughed and Marguerite merely watched them with a pleased smile.

Skylar had invited Althea back to the complex, but the curly-haired girl politely declined, saying that she had to be back by her own personal training.

So it was just Marguerite and Skylar going back – Marguerite would be staying the night – and the black-haired girl anticipated what she had prepared for the other.

“Won’t your sister intrude, Skye?”

“Harlene’s busy with her study group,” Skylar explained while walking up the stairs. “Parents are out for business. It’s just us in the compound for tonight,” she said excitedly, not noticing the relieved look on Marguerite’s face. “All the food – we won’t sleep at all!”

“Will we watch movies like last time?”

“We can do whatever you want,” Skylar said happily, opening the door. Marguerite felt a sense of home – she had been over at Skylar’s so many times that her bedroom was like a second home. Everything still looked like it did last time, except that there was more color on the walls and rugs on the floor, making the place look warmer and more inviting. “What do you want to watch first–?”

The look on Skylar’s face made Marguerite’s efforts worth it.

“M-Marg, what is this…?”

Skylar’s room was littered in balloons of varying shades of green and red. If she looked carefully, she would see that the balloons contained small strips of paper to be read out. Aside from that, a small surprise sat on the foot of her bed.

A mint-green teddy bear holding a box of sweets in its hands greeted Skylar. Marguerite smiled slightly as Skylar picked the bear up, crushing it close to her chest and ignoring the box which had fallen on the soft rug. “Did you do this?”

“I might have,” Marguerite admitted. She smiled more upon seeing Skylar squee at the cuteness of the stuffed toy, “With Harlene’s help. She set up your room while we were out.”

“You got Harlene to help you–?” Marguerite cut her off by tossing a balloon, which Skylar managed to catch while dropping the bear. It landed by her feet with a small ‘thud’.

“Inside those balloons are…small messages from the others. Althea. Harlene. You know. The usual crew,” Marguerite explained. “But enough of that.” Skylar remained speechless as Marguerite came forward, removing something and holding it tightly in the palm of her hand. “Skylar.”

“Y-Yes?”

Marguerite gestured for Skylar to turn and slid something onto her, the girl feeling something hang from her neck. She looked down and saw a black stone shaped like a bullet, Skylar’s confusion soon turning into realization. “Marg, this is…”

“It was mine. Now, it’s a hundred percent yours.” Skylar faced Marguerite again and the other looked at her with her tangerine eyes, “Black onyx,” Marguerite explained. “It’s for protection purposes. Some protect from physical; others emotional. This one is for both.” Skylar let go of the pillow as Marguerite touched the stone lightly, “…since you’re going to be alongside me in the Gear group. I thought you’d need all the protection you can get.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Marg,” Skylar attempted with a smile. “Seriously. I – I don’t need protection, this belongs to you.” But Marguerite refused. Skylar blinked. “…Marg, if this is for what happened before…”

“It’s not,” Marguerite snapped. Skylar flinched and the lone Russet daughter sighed, cooling down in a matter of seconds. “It’s not,” she repeated. “Just…accept it for me. Please?”

Skylar wanted to protest.

She wasn’t Marguerite’s little girl to be protected.

She decided years ago.

“No matter how you see yourself, you’re still going to be the little girl who I encountered in the forest.” Marguerite ruffled Skylar’s hair with a faint smile on her face. “You need that necklace more than I do. So don’t protest.”

Skylar managed a nod and Marguerite couldn’t help the thoughts that came after.

This is the only way I can keep protecting you from them, Skylar.

A warm hand slipped into hers.

Forgive me.