Matters of the Family [Caro]

Caroline scanned through the hundredth file of the day, still turning up nothing. The laptop she took from her father’s possession hadn’t been opened a single time since her exodus until she met the Mad Dog. After their “chance” meeting, her rage against Axium redoubled. It was time to dust off the past and figure out how deep the lies and secrets went.

She fell back onto a pile of blankets and pillows that she bought from Haven, a small, frustrated groan escaping her lips. So many weeks, so many hours, and so few answers. All it did was infuriate her; not only was she coming up with nothing, but scanning the files of hunter atrocities and coverups just made her want to go out and shoot them.
Well, more than she already did.

CC? Caroline?

She perked up at the musical sound of her girlfriend’s voice. CC. She’d laughed when she first started calling her that, play fighting with her about how it made no sense. But she liked it; Caro was a good nickname, but CC was one that came from Lelianna. It was theirs.

There’s someone I really want you to meet.

Huh. That was… unusual. She sounded pretty nervous about it, too. “Mmhmm, I’m here, just a second hun.” She unplugged herself from the computer and stashed it back in its secure lockbox. After running her fingers through her hair a few times, the tanktop-clad cyborg emerged from her tent, already in better spirits now that she was taking a break from her research. She would never tire of being greeted by the ring of flowers around her little slice of Arecia, either.

“Who…” She started to ask before she even saw the woman. Why did she look familiar? Her head tilted as she racked her brain… Wait, could this be? Caroline smiled and, understanding now how important this woman was to Lelianna, straightened her posture as if she was an officer at a formal event. “Did you send a letter after all, then?”

So far her first impression of Shiva was a good one; anyone who enjoyed teasing Lelianna as much as she did was going to be fun to get along with. She couldn’t contain her laughter at her first words (though may have been stammering herself if Lelianna hadn’t been the first to be flustered). The tension in the air just melted away.

“<You are too kind>,” Caroline replied in Surajan. Unlike a certain former coworker, she took her language studies seriously. She stood with pride, a partly-mischievous smile on her face. “<It’s a pleasure to meet you. Lelianna has told me much about you.>”

She extended her hand to Shiva, and if taken, would do her best not to accidentally break her fingers. If anything, it would be a very firm shake.

Truth be told, she was a bit nervous, as well. This was Lelianna’s last family member, basically her second mom, and she felt pressured to make a good impression. So far, she seemed to like her. You never could tell how people would react to cyborgs; she didn’t have the hyper-realistic synthskin many preferred, so it would be obvious after close observation that she wasn’t a flesh-and-blood human. Not to mention some people were a bit thrown by the eyepatch.

She nodded at the last words from Shiva. “I’m sure you’re happy to know she’s alive and well, <if perhaps a little forgetful.>” She shot Lelianna a playful smirk. “I would invite you in, but it’s a bit crowded for three people.”

She then turned to Lelianna, turning her smirk into a comforting smile. “So what was the plan? Were you going to show her around the garden?”

Caroline laughed along with the older woman as she took her hand. “<I don’t think she knew I spoke the language.>” Her smile continued as Shiva spoke to Lelianna. She could already feel the motherly aura coming from their interactions; Leli may act embarrassed now, but Caroline could tell she was happy to have a family member back in her life.

Caroline nodded. “<I understand. It’s strange to see someone like me living among nature, I know. I did not think I would end up here with my life, either. I could not be happier, though>,” she said, giving Lelianna a warm smile. “<It is my fault, though; I was the one to fall for her first.>” She laughed a little, recalling their heartfelt night together near the cliff. It was terrifying, but it was the best decision she ever made. Just thinking about it made her feel calm and warm.

She tilted her head a little at the cold metal comment. What was she getting at? “<Cold? I don’t think so. Leli hasn’t said anything, at least. I am mechanical on the inside, but otherwise my body is perfectly human, down to warmth and->”

She jumped a little at Lelianna’s sudden outburst. After a few moments, it dawned on her that Shiva was getting at… something that made her cheeks feel VERY warm, especially after the explanation of her chassis she offered up in response. “Ah r-right. Yes, of course, I’d be happy to come with.” She looked at Shiva, though couldn’t bring herself to look her in the eyes so soon after her… implication. “<It’s amazing, really. It would take weeks to explore it all, but it’s worth it; even after living here for months, I'm struck with awe every day.>”

“Starting with my favorite part, too,” she said. “<You will not believe your eyes when you see it. Or maybe you will. Has Leli always been such a determined gardener?>

Caroline strolled with them, happy to admire the garden at whatever pace they set. She laughed; so even the obsession ran in the family, it seemed. “<It’s more than not minding, I’ve come to learn>,” she said. “<The priestesses of the Grand Temple to Arithelia used Lelianna’s garden as inspiration for their own. She may not have intended it, but it’s somewhat famous among local magi. As well it should.>”

She said the words with no small amount of pride. She couldn’t have dreamed of places this beautiful, and yet Lelianna created them as if they were nothing, purely for the love of it. Perhaps that’s why it was so incredible.

She chuckled at Shiva’s storytelling and nodded. “<You’re correct; I settled down here before I ever met Lelianna, and as luck would have it, I was right on the edge of her garden. I think it’s a definite improvement from when I first arrived. Though if you noticed the little patch of struggling plants… Well, let’s just say I don’t quite have the Varna touch when it comes to gardening. Maybe the opposite.>”

She laughed sheepishly. Well, she was trying, and things didn’t ALWAYS die. One day…

Caroline took a deep breath as they entered her favorite part of the garden. The smells danced perfectly in her senses, the flowers were as beautiful as ever… And Lelianna had a noticeable spring in her step. She must be so happy to be showing her work, her home, to her family.

She perked up at the sudden warmth in her hand, matching Lelianna’s smile. Yeah, she was happy. Even if her flower-filled hair and crystals didn’t give it away, her smile would have. Caroline gave her hand a lingering squeeze and nodded, understanding exactly what this meant to her.

“<When she showed me this part of the garden, I don’t think I was able to speak for a long time>,” she said with a small laugh. <”It was the first time I was able to forget all my troubles and simply take a moment to enjoy peace.>”

Caroline smirked. It was time to play her favorite game: how red could Leli get? “<I talked to the priestesses at the temple myself; there was lots of pride in her voice as she told me and the other visitors. It is apparently the most popular area among guests and monks alike.>” She nodded. “<They couldn’t have chosen a better reference.>”

She laughed a little at Shiva’s comfort. “<I have something of a black thumb, it feels like. But I agree; if anyone can teach me how to do it, it’s Lelianna. I doubt there’s a better gardener in all the world. I’m just trying to follow in her footsteps.>”

Caroline made a short, pleased laugh at the peck on the cheek. She really was happy for Lelianna; she knew firsthand what it felt like to lose almost everything. Having this reunion would do her heart lots of good.

She also examined the flora; even after seeing this field dozens of times, it never ceased to amaze her. There was always something more to notice; a different flower, an overlooked pattern, a new mixture of scents… On the whole, it was amazing, but the true beauty was in the details. Every inch of the garden was clearly crafted with love. “<I didn’t think I would ever find peace before coming here>,” she said, only half paying attention.

She perked up at Shiva’s suggestion. A new part of the garden? How could she say no to that?

And you can tell me more about…

Oh, that was how. Apparently it was her turn to be in the spotlight. Her mind raced for things she could say. Well, for starters, I’m one of Ethea’s most wanted, I killed my own father because he brainwashed me, I’m in this body because of a huge fire that burned me so long that I should have died, my hobbies include long walks through the garden and killing hunters, and oh, of course, the first time I met Lelianna, I pulled a gun on her and suplexed her pet bear after it decapitated me!

Which all came out as “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……”

She scratched the back of her neck as she fought for something to say. “<I’m not sure what she told you about me already, but there’s not too much to say. Kind of plain for a hosted human living in nature, ha,>” she said, her laugh betraying how awkward she felt. Thank the gods Shiva was from Suraja; if she’d watched the local Ethean news anytime in the last few months she’d have recognized her as the treasonous ex-agent that left the country. “<I used to live in Felici, working for the government. I… couldn’t really stand the corruption, though; it’s not easy to change it from the inside. I left immediately after my resignation and moved out here to try and gather my thoughts.>”

Vague, but… she wasn’t going to volunteer any details. Shiva would have to pry if she wanted to know more, and judging from that smile, Caroline could tell that she planned to.

There was the hue that made her grin. She snickered softly at her color-changing girlfriend; there was so much fun to be had when she wore her emotions in her hair. But it was all true, too, and Caroline was also quite proud of Leli’s abilities, and everything she’d done so far.

Unfortunately Shiva was persistent. She returned Lelianna’s concerned look with a desperate shrug. There was only so much she could say. If she gave away too much or said too little, Shiva would get suspicious. But at the same time, her own officer senses were tingling, ironically brought on by Shiva’s words. Caroline never said she was an officer, yet somehow she figured it out. Or perhaps she already knew?

It was too late to try and back out now.

“<I was, though not by choice>,” she said, looking away for a second. Though she would never forget her past that haunted her, she hated the times when she was forced to remember and focus on it. It only occurred to her after a moment that that may have sounded like an odd thing to leave hanging, and scrambled for a follow-up. “<Ah, I mean, because it’s sort of the family job, working for the government. At least, on my father’s side. It was assumed that I would follow the tradition.>”

Lelianna’s brief interlude barely even registered in Caroline’s mind as she struggled with her thoughts and Shiva’s interrogation. Yeah, she followed, because her father spun a lie about her mother’s death and never encouraged her to do anything else. Her fists clenched for a moment, until Shiva said more. She closed her eye at her question and took a breath to calm herself.

“<Interesting… I suppose that’s what most people would say, even if it was all just part of my daily routine. I did field work; investigations, raids, national security… Nothing about it was pleasant, though.>” She opened her eye and gave Shiva an apologetic shrug. “<I’ve been shot at more times than I can count, but I wouldn’t call it interesting. Weren’t many happy stories in my work, and I’d hate to kill the mood with them.>”

But there was no way Shiva would be satisfied with that, was there? She hummed for a moment. “<There was one good thing that sticks out; I worked with an officer friend of mine, Talia, and together we cracked open a magi trafficking operation. I thought it was small, that we only saved a handful of lives, but it turned out it went bigger than that. International. I suppose there’s some pride in being the one to pull the thread that unraveled the tapestry.>”

Despite the happy story, Caroline didn’t crack a smile. Yeah, that was how it went, but at the time… she also tried to cover it up. She was pissed that they saved Magi. She was a monster then, and dwelling on it tore her up inside. Fortunately she also gave her a handhold with which to climb out of this… topic.

“<It was mutual, really>,” she said, now cracking a small smile as she stole a glance at Leli. “<I am new to romance, too; if anything, she was the one who opened my eyes. I didn’t think a relationship was in the cards for me, but when someone as unique and incredible as Leli enters your life, even someone as dense as me can fall in love.>”

She hummed happily. “<If I’m not boring, it’s because she showed me how to have fun. Exploring, gardening, wrestling bears… Oh, has she introduced you to Skjorn yet? He likes to hug.>” She snickered. “<It may be hard to believe, but I truly didn’t have many hobbies whatsoever before I came here. It was… not a pleasant time in my life, let’s say.>”

Hopefully that would stop the questioning, gods have mercy.

She nodded along solemnly with Shiva’s assessment. “<I saw the worst of society every day. Most of it was from inside; I couldn’t take it any longer. I’m sorry that I can’t think of anything more pleasant as far as old work stories go, but it was not a pleasant time.>” Her lip curled up, briefly. “<I’m sure they’ve been caught by now. I went around the red tape to make sure the information got to people who wanted to stop them.>”

That was one way of putting “I delivered countless classified files to the police and an information broker.” But Shiva didn’t need to know that. Part of Caroline still kept an eye out for more clues that Shiva knew the details of her “retirement.”

She nodded; yes, indeed, wrestling bears. “<It’s not something I expected to be doing, but it’s pretty good fun. Bath time… yeah, that’s basically just a wrestling match that takes place in the river>,” she said with a laugh.

She smiled silently at their banter. It was cute, and reminded her of her niece and nephew. How were they doing? How was her sister? A small ache shot through her chest, courtesy of her brain realizing that any chance at having a normal family relationship like Shiva and Leli… it was something she’d never had again. She gave it up on her exit. That was a consequence she had to live with now.

Shiva’s whisper brought her mind back to the present, drawing a little laugh from the cyborg. “<I suppose she had to get it from somewhere>,” she whispered back.

She also felt the warmth in Shiva’s next words, which made her unexpected joke hit her that much harder. Caroline burst out laughing, crossing her arms over her abdomen and leaning forward as she did. When she settled down (which took a bit), she shrugged, still chuckling. “<If it works, right? Ah, but I’m a bit of a goof, too. Might be why we’re such a good fit, hm?>”

She stuck her tongue out briefly at Leli. Shiva wasn’t wrong; Lelianna was goofy, but she was also so much more. Still, the goofiness was what made her fun, what allowed Caroline to relax around her… So, yeah. She was. She fell for that goofiness because that’s exactly what she needed in her life.