The Elementals IVL Quest for Family
"Megamisama, it is 7 Quan, 815, we are here across the street from Megamisama Palace Theatre, last night had a break-in. Apparently, the would-be burglars wanted to attempt to falsify credentials for tomorrow's movie premiere. From official reports, they were unsuccessful."
"We now turn 90 degrees to a more cheerful note, local military watering hole the Laughing Fire celebrates its two hundredth year in operation on the 27th." Camera pans to said wattle-and-daub building, solidly built, partly underground. "The owner, Langedier Matsumoto also heading the The Laughing Fire Emeritus veteran group for armed servicemembers has announced that a small ceremony will be held on the 27th, and free drinks will be offered to regular customers who visit from now until then. It is our understanding that a rare Honour Convention could convene as a quorum of that rare body could be composed simply by members of the Emeritus and one public official."
Responsible Disclosure
"So, are you going mom?"
"Going?"
"There's a ceremony for the bicentenary of the Laughing Fire, the broadcast mentioned they only needed one public official for a quorum..."
"Ugh, they did mean me, I mean, a star-emerald knight is normally part of a quorum, and I'm the only one besides Marhamat."
"How's he doing?"
"I wasn't told, I'm a little worried about him, he's been checking into the hospital a few times lately."
"Well, hopefully he's doing better, he's certainly earned a rest."
Laughing Fire
"Is this honour detail ready for orders?"
"Not yet Zim, pray wait a minute, our XO is putting his decorations on."
"What's the hold up?"
"It's them blasted decorations! He's got so many elements-blasted ropes, and no one has found a way to put those on easily!"
"Elements honour my late father's sacrifice and succour me, what is that?" That was the seniormost flag officer of Imperial Kagomei Lifeguards and Stalwart Defenders (except for Meihomei's Care)'s dress uniform, on one side, in light blue and green, the non-com officer's 'telbun' formal dress, in black with dark emerald trim. The 'maverick' so frocked, carrying ALL his decorations, including his many foreign ones. Five different dawn standard medals, in an x-pattern on the right side, three merits of honour, worn as a cordon with two clusters, worn around the neck, over his left shoulder, one hundred 'ropes' of platinum as backdrop for a lifetime's worth of more regular medals on the left. This assemblage marked the most decorated officer in Kagomei in at least the last two centuries. "Apologies, Zim. I'm ready now."
"Kon-Meritant-Zim, are you in posession of your orders?" As he asked the question, Firrson Moray, newly frocked active-duty flag officer, hid his shakes. Only twenty lifeguard flag officers did not count as outranked by Marhamat Dandelion, local legend, but none of them had membership, so, his name had gone in, he assumed, as officer, while, much to Tadros Dandelion's displeasure, Marhamat had been named XO, simply on basis of seniority as both cousins had both been non-coms and commissioned officers. This honour guard had seventy years of active duty service in just these two most experienced officers, and two hundred, total. Firrson didn't know they had him as leader precisely because he made the total two hundred, exactly.
"No Zim, if you have them at the ready, I will distribute them to the men?"
"Let us get them from the safe, together." That wasn't the normal procedure, in fact, an Edict of Meihomei had been needed to designate the local safe as 'safe to hold orders' just for the ceremony.
Kagomine Palace at Megamisama, 27 Quan, 815AK, Meihomei's own desk.
To cousins Marhamat and Tadros, celebrated officers of my honour guard seconded to the Laughing Fire Emeritus honour guard, Meihomei sends greetings.It is her Mei Duty and Pleasure to assign this august body of my most experienced servicemembers to the protection of the Laughing Fire for its two hundredth arnds of operation celebration, and in commemoration of the strong fellowship of that body with the most respected and hallowed heroes of my armed services. Please have fun, while keeping everyone safe, I am sure you can. After all, you managed to survive serving me this long, finding fun, food and drink among the celebrating shouldn't task you.
Amalthéa Kagome, Meihomei.
P.S. Please leave the place standing, I don't think destroying the place is really in your plans, but if two hundred arnds of rowdy soldiers didn't kill it, only you heroes could manage.
Laughing Fire, 2000
"Yelp, well lads, this is our temporary duty station until relieved, let's keep the place standing." Firrson managed not to fumble his delivery of the traditional line for a temporary duty station one was assigned to on short notice, causing some of the very senior officers watching him to think more highly of his grace under pressure.
It was mid-evening, the moon was just coming out, and there was a crowd in front of the moving pictures theatre across the street. "What's happening across the street?"
"Movie premiere, there's lots of brass."
"Brass-brass?" Meaning military officers, not just distinguished visitors.
"Some, Telbun went across, had tickets."
"Oh, nice, dropped us like a hot potato huh?"
"I guess."
laughing fire, 2200
A movie-length later, Tadros Dandelion, ex-Telbun, current Tiger-Striped Javelin Bundle was manning the booth, Abirnoth Kukulkan having been convinced that just this once, he could get nice and drunk. "What's the password?"
"Kon-Meritant-Zim! Fall-jaws-plausibly-ribbon-ferry-disarray."
"I shouldn't let you in, that Meritant bit isn't part of the password."
"But... Zim! Force of habit."
"Kon-Meritant-Zim, keep your clothes on, Telbun, I'll open the door."
"Do keep your clothes on Mariwolfe, I get to see you naked, not the Kon!"
"Aw, spoilsport."
"Keep your clothes on, both of you ladies, let's keep the nakedness for the bedroom later ok?"
"Levikins was joking Marsha, I promise."
The door opened, all 1m90 of should-have retired five arnds ago non-commissioned officer flexing to shuffle the heavy door. "Nice to see you for the party, ladies." Tadros hummed to himself as he walked back out of the way to the stairs.
"Anything to report, so far?"
"No one reported anything to the desk, if anyone did any kind of trouble, I imagine Langedier or Kukulkan took care of it."
"Well, carry on, Kon, and make sure you try some of that beer, I hear it's great."
"Had two, been keeping myself to water since, it's very good indeed. How was the movie?"
"Oh, normal movie, first time with the bigwigs though. Having that many Toutatis and Bellisama dresses in one place, I thought it was going to catch on fire!"
"Anyone we know at the movie?"
He meant probably 'friends of the armed services', Mariwolfe thought, and answered accordingly. "Nameihomei was just behind me, and the Bameimeito.
Laughing Fire
"Honour guard, stand by, prepare to render honours!" Tadros spoke into his mouthpiece.
"They've seen us auntie."
"We're invited guests, we can hardly sneak in, son. You going to be ok Shibué?"
"I'm fine, it's just Jor-Jie that's a little peaked. I'm sure there's some seafood inside to perk her right up!"
"Chirp-chirp?"
As Amarat prepared to knock, the door opened in a highly uncharacteristic fashion. "Atten-tion! All loyal Kagomine prepare to render honours to a Star-Emerald Knight of Kagomei!" Marhamat's gruff voice rang over the cobblestones like he was twenty years younger, drilling new guards.
Amarat and Linni, having heard him, and trained as any Kagomine who'd been in the presence of Marhamat before, obeyed. Taking position to either side of the door, arms at the side in the civilian salute.
Shibué's salute to her father was scarcely less automatic, the otter on her shoulders rising to blep at the nice old man who brought her treats every so often. Mikhala's reaction was hardly an automation, but a carefully rehearsed, deliberate gesture on her part. Saluting the old man who'd saved her mother, her adopted mother, her adopted sister and herself, among other people's lives, and was never under any circumstances, allowed to forget about it.
"Mother of honour and valour, be welcome." Marhamat's salute was that of a drill instructor, he had after all, taught three hundred classes at least, at this point...
"I am but a servant of duty, pile honours elsewhere." Mikhala was worried about the otter, it didn't usually look quite so sassy... "Can we get on with this? I intend no disrespect, to you, or the medal, but I'm not keen on besmirching those I wear, or those my companions have." That she bore a Star-Emerald Knight of Great Kagome medal, was accompanied by two Merits of Honour, and was met by an honour guard totalling eight Merits, was a rare event indeed.
"Mother of honour, we've kept the place safe for you, let this place be hallowed for heroes sung, let them be praised high! This is auspicious indeed!"
"For longer than you've been alive, Marhamat Dandelion, thrice-meritant of honour, five-times bearer of a dawn standard, and other honours beside, this place has stood, and given a safe place for those who served, let us remember their sacrifice and celebrate those who yet serve."
"In honour, valour and sacrifice, let those voices be heard, that speak truth and courage."
"How come no one says his honours the same way twice?" Shibué asked Mikhala.
"No one has that much patience. His foreign honours tax my patience and humble my own book." Shibue's eyes widened. She'd seen the book of Mikhala's proper titles, and the poor page carrying the thing got a crook to his neck!
"Chirp-dit-chirp." Jor-Jie smelled something tasty.
"Welcome, Mother of Honour." Langedier, with Kukulkan at his back, stood with the entire staff on the lower level to welcome her, she hadn't seen the faces of the cooks outside the kitchen, ever, before. The waiters too, took a knee.
"Welp! We have a hungry defender of Kagomei, and you're all outside, not preparing food, oh dear me, whatever shall we do?"
Kukulkan, uncharacteristically loquacious, pointed. "There is a buffet, I'm sure we can find some river Gaigang for the worthy defender of Kagomei."
\Jor-Jie shocked everyone by climbing down Shibue's body, then leg, and running to the buffet table, but stopping, clearly waiting to be outfitted with a bib before digging in.
"There you go, little guardsbeast." Linni put the bib on, Shibue watching on, and thinking, damn, he looks good doing that, almost paternal.
"Dit-Chirp-Dit." Linni then proceeded to pick some choice fish for the otter who's day had been long enough. Forgetting that Shibue probably would have expected the duty.
"Thank you Zim." She pointedly reminded him.
"Oh. Well hopefully, since we're celebrating service, and both you and your father are alumni, you won't mind that I borrowed your duty to help this fine otter get fed."
Her voice was whimsical. "Not many otters can say a tribunal served them fish, let alone the Feline Advisor to Meihomei."
"Miau!"
"Robyn? What is she doing here?"
"I'm sure everyone thought she was visiting her grandkits. But this grand lady smelled all the nice fishies..."
"Grandkits?"
"She's the grandmother to my four cats."
"You have four cats? You're braver than I thought."
"I'm the cat prince of Kagomei, when my cousin isn't monopolizing Robyn..." Which he was, and she was shamelessly letting him give her belly rubs right this moment.
"How does that work?"
"She's the cat queen, whoever she prefers is the cat king and heir, that's Amarat, I'm the favourite of her grand children."
"Any of her children have kits?"
"Not at this time."
"And you live where?" Thinking he lived in some state-mediated lodging.
"I live in Tranquility, with my cats, and my delusions, as my detractors are wont to say."
"A named estate?"
"The Benevent embassy to Kagomei, when there was such a thing. I inherited it."
"What, there hasn't been a Benevent nation in 225 years!"
Tranquility is almost five hundred years old..."
"Just where do you live, exactly?"
"Dock ward, palace avenue."
"Oh, frick me, frick me now, you probably have so much money, you barely understand the concept, PALACE avenue?"
"Tranquility is a mansion there."
"Please tell the story properly, Linni. You see, back in the day, the Benevent bought a wetland, and some savannah, attendant to a nearby prairie. They developed the prairie, put a two-axis Kagomine Manor Plan called it Tranquility."
"Wait. 'back in the day' as in, before property in dock ward was worth a small fortune?"
"Before owning more than an acre and not paying Kagomine property tax on it was illegal..." Referring to a 400-arnd old court case, in other words, Shibue thought.
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