The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Marian Hawke]

Marian blinks. "Uh. Okay."

[Haliel Lightsong]

Darting over to her bag, Haliel rummages through it. Low mutters drift over to Marian, unintelligible but audible. After a moment, she finally straightens with a soft 'this will do for now.' Smiling now, she returns to Marian, a bundle in her hands made by the aasimar draping a shirt over... something. "Here. It's not... great, but I don't- I'll get you something when we get to Raplin's as well. Promise," she babbles.

[Marian Hawke]

She takes the bundle, blushing. "You don't have to-- it's fine, I wasn't trying to--"

[Haliel Lightsong]

"Coming of age is important," Haliel says firmly. "Even my parents remembered to send me a gift for my coming of age." Well, eight months late but still.

[Marian Hawke]

"It's not... It's not that important," she mumbles, as she goes to unwrap the bundle.

[Haliel Lightsong]

It's clear that Haliel didn't just happen to have a gift tucked away in her bag- and why she already made sure to say she wanted to get her a proper gift later- as this is clearly used. Underneath the shirt is a small book, one that has been read repeatedly. The front of the brown book is plain and unadorned in a style Marian recognizes- this is a standard Alydrian copy. Not mass-produced, but a cheap and no frills copy of a book. The front page has a title and reads simply, Ray Eothul Lightsong, 1055-1060, vol. VII.

"My grandfather, on my mother's side," Haliel explains in a warm tone. "I only met him once, when he was very, very old- he was human and my inspiration. His actual journals are in the reliquary but I was allowed copies and- this one is one of my favorites, covering the span before and after the Poor People's Plague in Glaley. He was part of the relief work and- sorry. You mentioned you liked travelogues and this is... sort of similar."

[Marian Hawke]

"I... I can't take this," she says, looking up. "But I'll borrow it, for sure."

[Haliel Lightsong]

Haliel hesitates, then offers, "would... how about, go ahead and read it, and if you like it, I can ask for another set of copies to be made and then we can trade?"

[Marian Hawke]

Marian nods. "Thank you, Haliel," she says, with a crooked, real smile. 

[Haliel Lightsong]

Haliel beams at her friend, glad that despite their somewhat conflicting worldviews, they're still okay. "I... From what I understand, it's traditional for a party or outing to happen on important birthdays..." She speaks as if talking about a strange and distant idea, one she approves of but has no familiarity with.

[Marian Hawke]

"Well, what did you do for your coming of age?"

[Haliel Lightsong]

Haliel winces, glancing to the side. "...took the afternoon off and had some honeycomb," she mumbles, hating how... lonely and awkward the truth makes her sound. "Reread some letters from family. But that was almost a decade ago."

[Marian Hawke]

"And you turned out fine. So it must not be that important."

[Haliel Lightsong]

"I regret it though." Haliel shrugs. "The letter from my brother was nice, I still have the ribbon he sent but... I really wish I could have... talked to someone."

[Marian Hawke]

"Look, I just... I don't want a lot of attention. It only ends up badly for me."