[for Niko]

[onceaqueen]

The hurricane had been rather frustrating for Susan. Her house had mostly remained undamaged, save for a few small things here and there that had been inconsequential enough that Susan had been able to fix them herself quite easily in her free time--although as anyone with two small children under the age of three knows, free time is a precious

Comments

[fears_nothing]

Training a direwolf was a bit more of an undertaking than Niko was used to but it was a nice way to pass the time when there was a surplus of it on the island. Training Hal and Cal took less and less time daily, especially when the idea of a threat seemed so far away and almost as if it were another life entirely. Still, no need to let the sword go dull, even a proverbial one and to that end, Niko still trained.

Today, however, he'd decided to go to see Susan and allow his new direwolf the opportunity to bond with his mother and siblings, as well as Susan's own children. As close as friends as they'd become, Faolan would need to be as accustomed to their family as he was to Niko's own.

He wasn't surprised to see Susan in the garden as she was often there but he was surprised to see the mess it was in. The hurricane, he mused, and drew a little closer.

"Edmund hasn't taken care of that?"

[fears_nothing]

"Trouble finds Cal. He doesn't go seeking it out," Niko said, trying to correct the impression that maybe he was exasperated or frustrated with his brother. At the moment, Cal hadn't done anything that would fall into either category and it was an eerie calm, like the calm before a storm.

"None has found him here, not yet. I'm prepared for the eventuality."

[onceaqueen]

"I do hope trouble stays far away from him here," she said, "though I know that with some of the mischief that the island likes to get up to, sometimes that is not as easy as we would like."

Susan pressed some seeds into the earth, and then scooted over so that she could start on a new patch; but she hadn't quite realised how close Niko was to her, and as a result she bumped him a bit with her shoulder and hip. "Pardon me," she said, flushing. "I'm a bit clumsy today, it seems."

[fears_nothing]

"Susan Pevensie, clumsy? I think my childhood expectations have all been shattered," Niko teased dryly, moving a little to give her more room. He was quiet for a few moments, happy to just clear the earth and re-till the garden for planting before he spoke again.

"I don't mean to make light of your origins, in case that offended you. I honestly forget you're her, sometimes. You're a real person to me."

[onceaqueen]

"You didn't offend me," Susan said. "I'm used to people knowing about those books and where I came from... I don't suppose that's something a person ought to get used to, but I have. It bothered me a lot at first that those books existed, but now I simply don't care."

She shrugged a little and continued working. "Whether I exist because of the writings of Mr. Lewis's pen, or whether he simply had some special insight into my family and friends, I haven't a clue, but if I ever met him I should like to have a chat with him about how he doesn't know me at all. 'Lipsticks and nylons and invitiatons' indeed."

[fears_nothing]

"I haven't seen you wear lipstick or stockings since I've known you," Niko said, laughing a little.

"Obviously Mr. Lewis is pretty wrong about you. Besides, I know the things you did before you came here, but I didn't know you. I didn't know you could cook or that you liked to garden or the way you took your tea. You're a lot more three dimensional than the book leads us to believe."

[onceaqueen]

Susan laughed a little. "You've never seen me wear those things because I haven't any lipstick and it's far too hot for stockings--and I haven't had the occasion to dress up very much, anyway. Not for a while." Susan couldn't remember the last time she'd been to a party--and that was all right. Her priorities had been elsewhere for a while, and honestly still were.

"I was never very good at school work, so I'm not much for 'literary analysis', but I think it's rather narrowminded of Mr. Lewis to hint that one can't be a good person if one likes pretty things and the company of others from time to time." The bleakness of wartime rationing had made the following years seem more abundant and colourful than perhaps they really were, and Susan had been unable to resist the invitations and the lure of sociability. She had seen little point in obsessing about Narnia round the kitchen table when it had been made very clear to her by Aslan himself that she would never be allowed to return simply because of her age.

[fears_nothing]

"We're all shaped by our experiences," Niko mused, "And that you have an appreciation for fine things means no more or less than the fact that I like history and weapons. It's just a difference, born out of our own unique experiences. I don't think there's a such thing as inherently good or inherently evil anyway. We choose our own destinies."

Niko had always felt that way because the alternative would have meant Cal doomed to Tumulus or for him to become a wandering con-man in the vein of his mother. While he had no qualms about doing something underhanded if it was to benefit his family, he didn't have the love for it that Sophia did.

"You're a good mother, a good sister and a good friend. Those are the things that matter, not the false assumptions that you're vapid or immature because you like beautiful things. Anyone who can't see past that isn't worth the time anyway."

[onceaqueen]

Susan's cheeks were hot, and she looked back down at the dirt. She was nearly out of things to plant, so that excuse for avoiding Niko's eyes would not last much longer. "You are too nice," she said quietly, thinking that she hadn't felt quite this happy in a long time. It wasn't even anything in particular that made her happy, other than good conversation with a friend over good work--but that wasn't the entirety of it, and Susan was afraid to examine it too closely.

[fears_nothing]

"I have never been accused of that before," Niko said, amused, and went back to the plot. There wasn't much left to clear away on either side and most of it was ready for planting already, but he liked to have something to do with my hands.

"In twenty two years...well, I guess it's twenty three today. I've never been accused of being too nice. Ask Cal, I'm sure he can give you some horror stories."

[onceaqueen]

"Today?" Susan looked up, surprised. "If it's your birthday today, then you really must stay for tea. If I had known, I really would have done something special." They could have cake, at least; Susan had made a lemon cake two days ago simply because she wanted one, and there was more left than she could ever eat alone.

[fears_nothing]

"I have never done anything special for my birthday," Niko said, waving that off. "No need to start now. But tea, I'm fine with. It will be the most celebration I've ever done."

[onceaqueen]

Susan waved off his dismissal with one of her own. "Nonsense," she said. "I firmly believe that birthdays ought to be celebrated, especially here. Now that I know when it is, I will file it away for future reference."

[fears_nothing]

"Do you always remember birthdays?" Niko couldn't remember the last time he'd really even acknowledged his; the life he and Cal had led didn't leave much time to celebrate much of anything.

"Or is that since coming here?"

[onceaqueen]

"Always," said Susan. "Even during the war when flour and sugar rationing meant very few cakes or treats. And I don't think it should be just for children, either, though I'll admit I've spoiled Rickon quite dreadfully on both of his birthdays. I try not to spoil him in general, but birthdays are the exception."

[fears_nothing]

"I think Rickon would be spoiled whether you tried or not," Niko mused. "He is very charming, even if he is a little...exuberant. It will be good later though. He already seems to be very aware of Helen and very jealous of anyone coming around her."