//------------------------------// // Two Together // Story: Making Family // by Cirrus Sky //------------------------------// Chrysalis leaned on the door-frame, watching with fondness and a warm feeling in her middle that could only be described as contentment. The final box of Luna's things had just been emptied, the contents placed with precision in the large and airy room she had set aside for her partner. The floor to ceiling windows were treated to keep UV light out, a design feature Chrysalis had installed when she moved in. Perfect to protect the many books and figures Luna owned, protecting them from damage but letting plenty of light into the room. Before she had invited Luna to share a home, Chrysalis had not had much use for the space. She hardly entered the room in the past, it was just a space that reminded her the house was large and empty. Now it was a room that was pure Luna. The shelves loaded with books and discs, model kits and action figures, folios full of playing cards and carefully arrayed roleplaying miniatures. Luna's HEMA armour and weapons were racked against another wall, her campaign table was set in the centre of the room. A couch sat opposite the huge TV, all the different systems she had collected arrayed below the screen. “Are you sure you don't mind me taking over the whole space?” Luna asked, she was stood by the table, idly pushing a token along a path. “Of course not.” Chrysalis walked in to slip her hands around her lover. “This is your room, it reflects you and I love you.” She leaned in close enough for her breath to caress a blue ear. “I fell in love with the girl who played Hero Quest with her sister's stupid college roommate.” -*- A year before, a loud and proud Chrysalis had gone with her roommate to visit for Thanksgiving. Celestia would not hear of her friend remaining on campus for a holiday, the darker of the pair having been kicked out and disowned. She'd not needed the invite by Christmas, her then girlfriend quick to invite her back home for that holiday. Chrysalis was not feeling so confident this visit to Celestia's family home. There was a reason she was visiting for a second Thanksgiving, one that Celestia didn't want to approach while simultaneously wanting to chastise and comfort her over. When they arrived, Chrysalis showed herself to the guest room, not wanting Sassafras to make a fuss of her. She lay on the bed, the arm that was held in a cast resting awkwardly on her stomach. Downstairs she could hear Celestia recounting the story to her mother. “Bruises don't show up on her skin, it's far too dark, worse than it is with Luna even-But she sure as hell couldn't hide being pushed off the second floor balcony.” There was a pause, Celestia's mother was speaking. “She's just so... she wants someone to love and then...” Celestia was saying, her voice drifting from audible range, it was all true though. Chrysalis grimaced and turned over on the bed. She was not happy with herself or with Celestia right now. Her friend had no right to share the story. None at all. Not one bit. Really. “They're like that because they care.” A voice said from the door. Chrysalis recognised it, but it sounded a little perkier than last she had heard it; on her visit the year before. “Okay, so I'm coming to believe it. Doc says it's the case.” Luna entered and dropped onto the corner of the bed. Dressed in an oversized hooded sweater, the other girl peered over at Chrysalis. Blue eyes. Luna had been home last Thanksgiving, but was only on a few days release from the hospital. She had been near silent and virtually unseeing. Focused on her game console and not the people around her. Hidden under a hood and curtain of hair, her eyes had been a bright point in the darkness she carried. Chrysalis saw a spark of mischief in those eyes now, even if there was still a subdued sadness to the younger girl. “You heard them talking then?” “I heard enough. Plus you have that there.” Luna pointed to the cast. “But they care.” “Yeah.” Chrysalis sat up on the bed. “I take it you're doing better now?” If Luna was going to be straight to the point, she was going to be too. “I guess. I've been home properly since the summer and I caught up on all the school work I missed.” Luna shrugged. “I'm not in that place any more. I'm not near it either.” She was quieter and looking away, fingers fidgeting with the drawstring on her sweater. Concerned, Chrysalis thought a moment. “Do you have much you've got to get on with now?” Changing the subject seemed the best bet. Luna looked up, the slight sadness was still there, but you could see her working to push it away. “After I caught up with the schoolwork I missed, I carried on ahead. I can take my exams early now and graduate.” She shrugged. Blinking a moment she looked at Chrysalis. “You, you know I'm a nerd right?” The words that came right to mind could be inappropriate, and Chrysalis didn't care; “Nerds are cute.” That got Luna blushing a little. “Having a passion for something and being clever are stupid things to make fun of someone for.” She grinned, not one of her more predatory ones, this one was mostly friend. “I never did that and I always have believed in being who you want to be.” A beat, “Unless you want to be an axe murderer. Then maybe not.” Chrysalis chuckled. Luna giggled, it nearly killed Chrysalis with the cuteness. “I'm not going to be doing axe murder. I only have a x-acto knife for my model kits.” She finished laughing at Chrysalis and smiled. “I've got a few friends at the tabletop gaming store, so we share a lot of interests. I'm enjoying things again. I was bought a lot of kits and games while I was ill and now I can have fun with them.” “That's good.” Chrysalis smiled. She had spoken a little to Luna when Celestia had put her sister on speaker-phone during their regular calls. “You can count me as a friend too, y'know.” “Cool.” Luna's cheeks darkened a little. Chrysalis had to remember that a three year age gap was still pretty big between sixteen and nineteen. “So, you guys got anything to do around here? One handed?” Chrysalis waved her unencumbered hand. “Um, maybe? If you don't mind board games.” Luna looked hopeful and Chrysalis couldn't deny the offer. -*- After a while, a bemused Celestia found her room-mate playing a role-playing game with Luna. Her little sister was perched on the ottoman at the end of the bed, Chrysalis was sat at the head of the bed, a pair of game-boards sat between them. Tiny doors, furniture, treasure piles and monsters populated both cardboard squares. The swords and sorcery screen covered Luna's notes from the player's view and a box lid lay beside them. “Hero Quest?” Celestia read, she also could see Chrysalis mid die roll. “I'm an Elf.” The teal haired young woman winked and loosed the dice. “Oh hey, is that a good roll?” “We're playing a lone hero game.” Luna looked to her older sister and Celestia saw sparkles in her eyes. She nearly cried to see it, the little bits of the happy Luna seeping through. Luna didn't notice, she was checking what her player had rolled. “That looks okay against my monster roll actually.” She looked at some paper. “Yup, you slay the dread glob.” “Woo, dread glob is a dead glob.” Chrysalis cheered. “You know, she wrote all these extra rules herself using the rules from her other games? And made the miniatures.” She looked to Celestia with a smile. “Luna has always been very creative and very clever.” Celestia said, proud and happy. “Is it, uh- Would it be too late for me to join in?” “If you want to play I can work a way in.” Luna smiled to her older sister, a genuine smile. “If you don't mind a little wait, I can put you in one of the rooms and Chrys can rescue you when she gets there.” “That sounds good.” Celestia took a seat on the floor by the bed to choose a character and watch the game until it came time for her to join in. The trio spent and afternoon gaming. Chrysalis felt a lot better about her situation. Blue eyes really did help. -*- Held in a loving embrace, Luna laughed a little. “You fell for a nerdy kid?” “Okay, so maybe I made friends with a sweet girl who even though she had so much to deal with, thought to come and see if a guest she hardly knew was doing okay.” Chrysalis swayed them both from side to side. “But it certainly grew into so much more.” “It has.” Luna smiled, looking at the space she had filled with her things. The space her partner had invited her to occupy. “For that I am glad.” She put her hands over the charcoal toned ones at her middle. “I couldn't be happier, here with you.”