Work Text:
It had been a rather long day. There was the upcoming feast to prepare for, books to organize, and another child had fallen ill. She enjoyed helping, it's what she'd done her entire life, but today had her wishing she could crawl straight into bed.
Not that she'd ever give up on the work that had to be done, of course. She's pretty sure that no one would blame her if she feigned an illness, but then she would lose some respect. She would be less reliable.
Soon she was startled from her thoughts by a soft voice coming from behind.
“Lauma?”
“Oh! Kuutar! I mean, Columbina. What is it?”
Columbina smiled.
“You look busy, can I help?”
“Oh, no! Please don't worry about me. I only have a few more things to get done.”
Despite her requests, Columbina raised a book into the air and reshelved it in the correct spot. She arranged some loose papers into a neat stack.
Lauma frowned.
“Please, I mean it. You've done plenty for us already. I can handle daily chores.”
“Do you not want my company?”
“No! I didn't mean it like that…” she panicked for a moment, gesturing to a chair, “Please, sit! I can make you something to drink!”
Columbina shook her head.
“Lauma, don't stress so much about my presence. I want to help. You've also done so much for the people of the frostmoon scions, and for me as well.”
Lauma shifted nervously. It was wrong to ask a goddess to help with menial tasks, right? No, no, thinking like that was wrong. She wanted to see Columbina as a friend, not as a sacred, distant deity.
She thought for a moment then nodded firmly.
“I would… appreciate your help.”
Columbina smiled at her and began to tidy up the area. Many animals visited the outdoor library, tracking in dirt and bumping the chairs. It was all an easy fix, really, and having two people working made the whole process much quicker.
Not much time had passed before they had finished. Lauma smiled proudly.
“It looks nice, doesn't it?”
“Yes, it's very pretty.”
Lauma turned towards her friend to properly thank her, but she gasped, unsure of what to say. Columbina had set her mask to the side and opened her eyes.
“Columbina! Your eyes…”
“I apologize for startling you. I was told by someone special that I should see the world for myself more often. I want to look at my friends.”
“I… understand. I assumed you maybe lacked the ability to see in the same way as everyone else.”
Columbina shook her head, taking a seat.
“No, I was just,” she searched for the right word, “Scared. I was scared the world wouldn't be what I hoped. But I learned that not everything is going to go the way I want. The world is beautiful in its own way.”
She had a serious look that didn't match the rest of her soft features. Lauma almost wanted to reach out and comfort her- a frown didn't belong on that face. She kept her hands busy instead, reaching for the nearby kettle.
She sat down alongside her, pouring two cups of herbal tea. She knew Columbina tended to like sweeter drinks, but this one was soothing. Lauma hoped she wouldn't mind.
“Is that… weird to say? You’ve seen people's smiles and the striking white hills your entire life. It must seem strange for me to be this curious.”
“Not at all, the beauty of this world and all the life in it is ongoing. I've never grown tired of resting on the grass and watching the birds.”
She laughed softly.
“I suppose the serenity comes to a pause sometimes whenever the birds start to argue. They call each other names, and then they ask me to settle their debates. They can be so childish,” she smiled.
“Really? Even the animals have their own worries, then.”
“They do, it's quite fascinating. Although, I do sometimes get overwhelmed hearing all of their thoughts combined. I only wish I could spend more time helping them one by one.”
“Is there anything I could do?”
“You helped enough already, please don't burden yourself with my personal worries. I didn't mean to concern you!”
“No, I want to help. I want to be there for you too. You're so kind to everyone, and you've always reached out a hand for me. I'm aware that I can't speak with animals, but I can sense certain things within the kuuvhaki.”
“Columbina… I- you really don't have to-”
She reached out her small hand to rest on the one resting across from her.
“Lauma, please let me help you. I would enjoy it.”
Lauma did her best to settle the butterflies fluttering inside her stomach and nodded.
“Thank you. Thank you, Columbina.”
Columbina met her eyes once more. The pure purple was so alluring, Lauma couldn't look away. She missed the soft pink dusting the cheeks not far from her.
“Yes, you're very welcome.”
She put back on her face mask with a sigh. It was a true comfort to her, despite how much she wanted to get rid of such a crutch. Seeing people she'd spoken to many times this close was overwhelming. That was surely the only reason she felt the need to close her eyes again so quickly.
“So, Lauma, how can I help?”
It was easier to close her eyes and focus on the ground below her, the flow of energy around her. She didn't have to think about how others saw her. She didn't understand so many expressions, they were so intricate. Everyone else already knows how it all works, she felt like she'd never have enough time to catch up.
Sometimes she felt like Lauma was the same. Maybe she was only assuming, only projecting her own feelings, but she understood how much pressure the Moonchanter put on herself. She'd spent so much of her life focused on nothing but her duties, surely she'd missed a few of the lessons on understanding others.
Sure, she wanted to help Lauma with her work. But she really wanted to spend time by her side. Maybe she would understand her confusions. Maybe they could trade information about how conversations are supposed to work. Surely they'd both learned enough to fill in each other's gaps. She needed someone similar to her, someone kind, someone who would listen quietly.
Was it selfish to want something like that? Or was that what it meant to have a friend? Columbina wasn't sure, but she didn't find herself wanting this same quiet, special time with any of the other friends she had made. She went on adventures with the traveller, she had tea parties full of gossip with her harbinger friends, she tried new foods with Aino and Ineffa. But with Lauma, she enjoyed a comforting silence as they worked together and often spoke about stories they'd never shared with anyone else. Stories about responsibilities and expectations, tales about secret worries and fears. It was such a unique thing for her, something special only the two of them shared.
She wondered if Lauma thought of her in the same light. She hoped she thought of her just as often.