Samurai Chai Maté Tea

Samurai Chai Maté Tea
18 June 2017
-June 18, 2017-
Every so often, Raleigh's train-wreck mind will come to a quiet stop. The reason's actually not girls (they leave him tongue-tied, not stupid); it's crochet. It takes all of his thoughts like Gipsy does and organizes them so easily. The problem is getting the time to do it so he's taken to doing it every Sunday of the month. The Marshal's always busy too so they've carved a niche for themselves in the Rec Room.
Stacker's already in their spot with his headphones on and the knitting needles clicking in a rhythm to knit an afghan for his daughter. Raleigh pulls out his crochet project, slipping his hook easily into the stitch he left off on last time. They spend some time with the sound of needles and yarn scuffing until Raleigh stretches absently to crack his shoulders. He looks behind, spotting Hermann looking a little lost at the entrance.
"Doc, over here." Hermann's head snaps up and a warm smile crosses the thin lips. It's so quick that half the room wouldn't have noticed it at all but Raleigh grinned right back.
"I thought you had left the Shatterdome." the slimmer man limps over to take in their table.
"Nah. Boss an' me just get our crafting groove on." he hums as he counts his stitches for his ariguimi seal. "Take a seat?" Raleigh pulls out his crocheted cushion, setting it on the metal chair that's standard in the Rec Room. Hermann gingerly settles down and crosses his ankles. He loops the yarn around his fingers while crocheting a few more stitches, the tip of his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth.
"This is something you've mastered." the surprise makes him chuckle over his work.
"Yeah. My thoughts, they, uh, slow down when I crochet. It's nice." he explains as he counts again to make sure that his seal's flipper won't be wonky. Raleigh cuts the yarn and sews on the second front flipper. "I can start you out with a basic stitch if you'd like to try. Knitting is more Pentecost's thing."
"I believe I will attempt this. It looks simple enough." Hermann sits up in a correct body posture as he lays his hands on the table.
"Hold on then." Raleigh sets down the beginnings of the third flipper and digs through his yarn bag for a bigger crochet hook. Grabbing the worsted weight yarn, he offers Hermann a choice between an ugly yellow and a bright blue. "It's practice yarn so pick whichever one feels better."
"That one." Hermann points directly at the blue so Raleigh banishes the yellow back to his bag.
"Okay, so you start out with a slip knot or a noose like this." he doubles the yarn over to create a mini-noose and slides it over the hook. "The tail you don't want so just push it out of the way with your finger." Raleigh demonstrates and then unties the knot for Hermann to try. The genius gets it on the first try. "Good. Now we're gonna go ahead and make a chain. Take the yarn still attached to the ball, wrap it around your finger with a double loop. You pull the yarn like this and voila, your first chain and stitch all in one." The process goes quickly until Hermann has a decent chain. Stacker has stopped knitting to watch the impromptu lesson. "Now, put your hook through the first part of the stitch, right here, yarn over and pull back out."
"There are two of them now." Hermann observes wryly as he holds the hook properly.
"Mmmhmm. Yarn over again and then pull that through the first two you made. There's the single crochet. Go ahead and practice that for a while since you're gonna use it for pretty much any beginner project." Raleigh says with a shrug as he picks his own project back up.
"Did you get it right the first time around?" comes the question as Hermann slowly gets a rhythm going.
"Nope. I had to unravel nearly my entire first try and recount my stitches so that it didn't end up a triangle instead of a simple square." he laughs as he counts. The third and forth fin are attached while Hermann makes at least three squares of single-crochet stitches.
"What about the one you are doing right now?" The question comes after Hermann counts out his twenty stitch square.
"Intermediate. It's for when I need a distraction or I want cute things to look at and give away. I can make all sorts of plushies but seals and birds are my favorite aside from the square bunnies I got off a Polish blog. I look up new stuff when I want another challenge." he replies as he sews on the bead eyes. "This one's actually for one of Jazmine's friends."
"I see. This is quite the hobby you've picked up." Hermann's rows are neat and fluffy when it took Raleigh years; then again, he'd started learning at age ten from his Mom when she had pulled out her special yarn bag.
"It's easy enough. The hard part is the yarn since NZ left their sheep but Wales is working on the supply of wool. Only reason I know is because a friend of ours lives in Cardiff." Raleigh hums as he starts a new chain in a warm cream color. "The bag here is actually a combination of old and newer yarns. Cotton's easier to get than wool but it's harder to work with properly and you can forget about the synthetic stuff. It's slick but pretty much used for either carpets or curtains. How's your single-crochet square?"
"Adequate. Is there a reason it's a square?" This is why he likes Hermann. The man pays attention to everything.
"Yup. We're gonna wait until you finish that row right there and then attempt a square bunny." He digs around in the bag, nearly reaching the bottom as he pulls out his very first attempt. "This is my first bunny by myself without Mom's help.
Haha, I got so frustrated that I almost threw it across the room once or twice."
"Your Mother sounds like quite the woman."
"She was great." the soft smile on his lips makes him feel warm. "I was fifteen when she decided to let me get past lumpy squares."
"I will take it as a compliment that you're letting me move past the single-crochet so quickly."
"You should." he laughs as the entire Rec Room turns back to whatever they were doing when Raleigh looked up from his own row. "They're so interested but they don't have the balls to ask."
"Agreed."
Hermann's first bunny turns out just as lumpy as Raleigh's had been so they left the pair together in the lab area. They're just messing with numbers (at least Raleigh is, Hermann's concentrated on the glitch in the unbuilt Mark IVs OS) when the mathematician sets down his chalk to look at the board with a frown. "Raleigh?"
"Mmm." He pulls away from the calculus equation he'd been doodling around with white chalk feathers while half-assed solving it.
"I have been informed of a possible reassignment."
"Oh. When?" Raleigh's a bit disappointed that Hermann's moving on so soon but he'll spend as much time as is possible with both their busy schedules.
"Nothing immediate but I am leaving by year's end. I was, perhaps, wondering if you would not mind keeping some of my model aircraft." Raleigh almost chokes on his tongue; Hermann loves his models. "I understand if you do not-"
"I'm down. Yan an' me are here on permanent assignment so
if you think I can take care of them..." he blurts out, blushing bright pink as his mind catches up with his mouth. He peers out into the labs but they're mostly deserted since it's the weekend. "I'd love nothing more, Hermann."
"Good. I'm afraid my new rooms will not house all of them and I know they will remain in good condition under your care." The warm smile flashed at him brings out his own grin as he resumes doodling the gyrfalcon he'd started on the edge of the board. "What is that?"
"Gyrfalcon. They're pretty common in Norway and most of northern Europe." Raleigh hums as he smudges away the darker spots on the raptor. "Big white predator that eats every rodent they come across. I was always at the falconry near where we lived. Yan should still have some of the feathers they shed somewhere in our room. We used to make headbands and stuff with 'em when we were kids."
"I see." Hermann touches his chest reflexively as Raleigh watches him with sharp eyes but doesn't say anything.
"I like the big ones. The falcons, the owls... Pretty much if it hunts and is a decent size raptor, I know about it." He scribbles a signature under the branch he drew the gyrfalcon perching on. "I know a lot of random facts so trivia games are a nightmare with me."
"You read a lot as a child?" Hermann could pack so much understanding into a sentence and it broke Raleigh's heart to hear it.
"Oh yeah. Everything I could possibly get my hands on and not even caring what language it was in." he murmurs absently, snapping a picture of his doodle to send to Tendo. "The only thing that frustrated me was trying to read Indian myths in the original Hindi and not knowing enough of the language to really read it. I had to get the French translation."
"You gave Tendo and I the short list, as you called it, but not the comprehensive one." The mathematician states with curiosity.
"Umm the good ones that we're sort of fluent in are Portugese and Arabic. The smattering that we know from side-trips are Hindi, some Cantonese and Finnish. Never managed to learn anymore aside from Inuit." Raleigh shrugs as he moves his doodling from the board to printer paper.
"The amount of languages is incredible by itself."
"Well, that covers a bit of the world so I think we're good. I'm not a perfectionist, by any means, but I like my knowledge." he knows that if he wanted to so much as drop into a doctorate program, he could keep up with them all. "I suppose Sindarian counts as a language, now that I think about it."
"I suppose it does." the wry smile cracks him up.
"I mean, technically, they're speaking neo-Sindarian with his son's input-"
"Raleigh? Oh. There you are." The LOCCENT technician wipes sweat off his brow with a handkerchief while he leans on the door.
"Tendo? Thought the calibrations were done for the day. We've already done training." Raleigh's got a feeling it's nothing good if Tendo is running.
"Yancy's not in the Shatterdome and he's not answering his phone; we've got a possible Kaiju." Tendo informs them seriously, his gaze worried.
"What makes you think I can get to Yan if you can't?" he asks while he grips the desk tightly. Technically he could contact Yancy but it would strain him if his brother had gone beyond their typical range of seventy miles. They were on call though so Raleigh's betting on the ocean shore only a mile or so from The Icebox Shatterdome.
"You're connected. You know your brother better than we do. Don't you Ghost?" Tendo's not letting up and Raleigh gets it but he's been in Yancy's shoes before.
"I know where he is and his phone's not on him because today... Today's an important anniversary. Yan and I do things differently when it comes around." He closes his eyes and breathes slowly in, keeping his cool.
"What--"
"I'll get him. I just need an ATV." he counters quietly. Raleigh opens his eyes to see both Hermann and Tendo staring at him in concern. "Keys would be nice." The LOCCENT technician handed them over without a word as he grabbed his jacket, tied his scarf and marched down the hall to grab his as well as Yancy's helmet.
He finds Yancy where he expects him to be on the shoreline.
"Hey. I'm sorry but there's a potential Kaiju."
"'Sokay Rals." Yancy's pressing as close as their Drift-link can allow without some serious Ghosting later.
"No it's not but that's what we do. Defend Anchorage and the West Coast from those bastards." he manages as he hands his brother the helmet. "I think we'll do mine this year. Just in case."
"Yeah." Yancy's casual tone is graveled from the raw emotions running rampant through their link.
They make it back to the 'dome in time for Tendo be there waiting, "Matador Fury caught it. What's going on between you two?"
"It's... It's a family thing." Raleigh struggles to find the proper words when Yancy's leaning on him emotionally. "Everything's okay?"
"Yeah. You're good to go. Just take your phone." Tendo
hands it to him and Raleigh just herds Yancy back onto the ATV. They drive in silence back to the shoreline.
She was so vibrant, y'know? Yancy sends as they huddle together in a pile.
I know. She was sick as a dog and still managed at least a pack a day. I don't know how she did it. he hums back.
Three kids, a husband and she gets sick when we need her most. It's like the universe is saying fuck you to our family. comes the disappointed answer.
Well then it can go to hell because fuckin' Beckets aren't going anywhere. Raleigh growled as he tucked Yancy under his chin. She was somethin' though.
Remember her lemon cookies? Beat out Wanda's every time and never gave the secret to anyone but us. Maman wouldn't want us sulking about her but it's... it's how I cope. Fucking asshole just left us after the funeral. Jazzy was so goddamn hurt. Yancy wraps his arms around Raleigh and they settle into a rocky nook to stare out at the ocean.
Fucker better not contact her at school. I'll find his sorry ass and beat it. Mom. We were talking about Mom. Your brooding spot's a good one though.
She loved the ocean. Remember when we joked that she was a smoking mermaid and she kinda just winked at us before laughin'? Yancy replied quietly, breathing in the ocean air. Or that time we thought she was a selkie?
That was pretty good. Raleigh lets out a watery chuckle at that particular memory. She was laughing so hard I thought she'd keel over. Jazzy was over the moon.
Maman always was the anchor. We should call Jazzy.
After. Right now is for remembering Mom. Curled up as they are, Raleigh merely sighs when his cell rings. Gimme a sec.
"Becket."
"You guys okay?" Tendo's worried and Raleigh tries to be understanding.
"Yeah. Listen, if nothing's urgent, can you call back when dinner's served? This is personal stuff." He leans back fully against the rock as Yancy pretty much lays on him.
"That's fine brother. You text me if you need more time, yeah?" Tendo definitely deserves something; maybe a rosary. He plans silently, eventually settling on the wood grain while they stare out at the ocean.
"Okay." Raleigh closes his phone and tucks it away again, humming Yancy's favorite song. Gonna join me this year?
Sure. Untangling takes them at least a minute. They climb back onto the ATV and drive back to the 'dome's garage. I've never intruded on your time.
You'll like it just fine Yan. That much I can promise you. Raleigh enters their rooms to see a nervously pacing Hermann in their living room/dining room and Tendo drumming his fingers on the tattered couch. "Hey."
"You guys look like you've been punched by a truck. You want us to make you some tea or something?" Tendo asks as gently as possible.
"It's an emotional anniversary. Tea would be appreciated, as would company, just- Don't say a lot. Let us do our thing and then we'll tell you when we're done who it celebrates." Raleigh holds up his hand to forestall any other protests or arguments as he pulls out the ingredients for the lemon cookies. The smile that steals over his brother's face is totally worth the pain of haggling for the ingredients.
"Scootch. I'll zest the lemons." Yancy dropped into the Southern French of Mom's birthplace and even Hermann looked like he was having a hard time understanding the slang.
"Fine but I'm rolling them in the sugar." he fires back as
he starts prepping the wet ingredients.
"... You cheater."
"Never said it was fair, Yan, just that I was doing your favorite part since you're doing mine." Yancy just wordlessly handed over the grater and the lemon as they switched places. "See?" he nudged his brother as they moved around the kitchen and Raleigh flicked on the radio to the only French station they could get that played decent music.
"Rals, you do this all by yourself?"
"Yeah. I send a package to Mémé, Uncle Charlie and Jazzy." He rattles off the short list of family they have left.
"Oh."
"Your name's on the package too, you dummy. I know you've got your thing." Raleigh takes a second to touch foreheads with Yancy, both of them getting covered in powdered sugar. They smile and Raleigh pours love down the link that's been there since their second Drift. Yancy returns it in equal measure so they're brushing against each other like cats as they put the cookies in the oven. They take Raleigh's chair and curl around one another, Yancy softly stroking at Raleigh's wrists. Hermann and Tendo take the cue to find their own seats. The tea is gently curling steam as both of them get handed a cup by Tendo.
Raleigh slips back into English to explain when Yancy beats him to the punch with the words, "It's Maman's anniversary."
"Of... Ah." Tendo turns to Hermann before it also dawns on the man and he sighs.
"No wonder you two have been somber lately. You usually crack a lot of jokes before your calibrations." Tendo murmurs as he settles back into the guest chair. Yancy drinks his tea and gets up to take the first batch out of the oven.
Raleigh stretched over the arm, the tension in the room dropping considerably. Yancy ruffles his hair and Raleigh grumbles half-heartedly but doesn't put up much more protest than that. Yancy allows him to loll across him to take up most of the chair after they get situated again. Tendo starts off with how he can't seem to get a woman that's up to his caliber to go out on a date with him.
"Stop trying so damn hard then." Raleigh snorts before he claps a hand over his mouth. He cusses soundly in the link, knowing that his brother can ignore it.
"Actually, that's some pretty good advice." Yancy sounds vaguely impressed by his blurted quip. "I'm never gonna get bored with you around, Rals."
"Decidedly not. He decided to teach me crochet this morning." comes Hermann's fond remark.
"Did his bunny come out the same way yours did?" Yancy asks while trying not to laugh.
"Yup." With that, all of them were laughing as Raleigh complained that they were picking on him. He decided this was definitely a better way to memorialize their Mom.
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