Honours Day
"This is Kailimee Hundachi, with me is Antoine Mjolnir. We are here at the Mei Imperial Palace of Kagomei at Innu where Meihomei will be announcing this year's honours, and this year's announced activities promise to be quite extensive. Who is excited?" I'm excited, are you excited Antoine?"
"He says he is! Let's go in."
"Come on, that 'he says he is', that was cheap, Kailimee." "Such a precious sourpuss, yes, you are, yes you are." "Will you stop that, I hated it when we dated, and I hate it even more now that we don't." "Then stop acting like this offends your great ancestors then. We're rubbing elbows with royalty, at their invite and expense, and all we have to do is not pee on the furniture. Would it kill you to at least put a neutral face on?" "Oh, yeah, sure." His mien grew fractionally less forbidding. "Tut, tut, you need to do better than that." "Ok, ok." He almost, but not quite, broke into a smile. Damn, damn, damn, that wasn't such a good idea. Kailimee thought to herself, that smile... "Why we here anyways." "In-vi-ta-tion." Kailimee repeated, manically. "No, I mean, why invite us all the way out here? There's a perfectly serviceable palace in Megamisama." "Oh, Innu's the officlal royal winter residence. Can't understand why, but it's in the books. And the honour ceremony was codified by edict, and that specifies the venue." "Oh, so someone who-was-Meihomei said: 'when you do this, do it in my palace of Innu'? I guess that makes kinda sense, especially if he liked it lots." "He would, it was named after him..." "What, Innu Yesugai himself codified the rule in an edict for the Domeidom of Innu?" "Yes, quite a few of those were imported, as is, into the laws of Kagomei. He wouldn't have had another palace, either." "It wouldn't have mattered, they probably chose the venue in his honour, anyways." Small knots of journalists, senior armed services officers filled the ballroom, its cyclopean vastness enhanced by the black marble tiled floor, split only by the black and emerald green of the Kagomei official colours on each round 12-person tableand chairs, four of these tables bearing the official Kagomine Crescent Flag. At each of those four tables, one of the chairs was black on green, instead of green on black. One was empty, the other three had servicemembers, one from the Imperial Kagomine Naval Forces, one from the Imperial Kagomei Lifeguards and Stalwart Defenders and one from the Imperial Kagomine Border Guards and Customs Controllers. Their uniforms sparkled, their medals shimmered. But not as much as some of the ones on the table with the empty chair. It was not hyperbole to say that that many merits of honour had never been in such close proximity before. At the left of the empty chair, usually reserved for the spouse of whoever's chair was empty, a slim and petite blonde Kagomine woman, her green over bright orange uniform impeccable, six ribbons of meritorious conduct hanging from her breast. At the right of that same chair, known as ahbut(family support in Kagomine Language ), wearing the non-uniform garb that had been the unofficial uniform of Bameimeitos in Kagomei for a hundred years: dark grey wool jacket over dark grey wool pants, a Kagomine dark green(emerald or kelly green) shirt, two-carat solid emerald cufflinks; Amarat Veneer Junior, his collar heavy with the collar of the Star-Emerald Knight of Great Kagome and a seperate collar of a Merit of Honour of his own underneath, his eyes reddened, his own red curls barely tamed. Next to him, Avalline d'Ankeryn, Enengmei of Outbox shone in a shimmering kimono of dark green and black. "This will not do." Interjected Maelle Comma, as she inspected the ceremony one final time. This table needs three empty green chairs, not one, there are three posthumours honourees there. Lest that mother or this one think their child unimportant in the eyes of Kagomei! I know there's twenty in the sixth basement." Her Nessun(roughly equivalent to Admiral)'s voice sharp, even as she tried to whisper. "They were horribly damaged in the last fire in this palace." "Are any of these burnt, but serviceable?" "Oh, yes." "Then let me ask if they will serve. Bring the sturdiest two of them to the table." She walked to Jima, and gestured for Amarat and Piersa to join. Piersa didn't react, but Amarat did. "Hey tcha-tchai." She wouldn't let him call that, not after today, but today he got a pass. "Zim, I would offer the services of these chairs." The staff having a pair of sorcerors among them, the chairs were already visible. "You wouldn't clean them?" "In this place, a burn is a mark of honour. Considering the honoured dead sacrificed themselves to save others from the fire, it would have a symbolic meaning." "Oh, of course. But leave Dentrag's chair alone. Not because Dentrag didn't face the same fire, but you might upset Piersa." "She's that affected?" "She barely responds to anything. But there's another reason. Dentrag was a civilian, Flora was military, and Syrtis had rights of Tribunal." "By that logic, he should have the most burnt chair, he sacrificed more, with less obligation. By tradition, Flora should have the impeccable chair." Which was not the thing to say to her widower. He grit his teeth, but managed to just exhale furiously a few times. "I know what you mean, but it could be misconstrued, Mother of Honour." "Ugh, I hate that title." "Mother of Honour, Matriach of Sixth Fleet, you keep collecting motherly titles." "I know, it's why I hate it, I'd rather those waited until I got called mama first. And at my age, that's no longer likely." "We should get ready." The two seats were added, Piersa and Amarat's chairs moved outwards to expand the circle to 14 seats, with everyone squeezing a bit on the opposite end.
"Innusians..."As she named the inhabitants of every Domei, or province, they sat down in turn. "...Megamisans, Garayians, Lilleans, Lavalis, Didinans, Jannets, Khlooians, Xandrans and Roomilians, welcome. It is my will that we gather together to honour those among our people who are of especial merit and consideration. Those who have put their fellow arndans before their own interests, and sacrificed for other's benefit." "As is tradition, I will keep those who have earned the higher distinctions for last, and start with the Meihomei's silver star of preparedness, ending with the Rembrandt's Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service and any more specific awards."
Two hours later... "We now come to the last table of honourees, it is no accident that they are together, as I understand they are family friends, visiting my Hero, Amarat, in his abode of Responsible Disclosure quite often." Amarat looked like he was trying to hide under the floor tiles. "In alphabetical order, not preseance, we start with Dentrag Aixpee, a civilian, late of Kannie's at #2. When the fire started, he let himself be evacuated with the others. But after the lifeguards were summoned deeper into the building, to fight a specific fire center, Amarat, Piersa and Avalline tried to help. Fifteen minutes later, some five children called for help. Dentrag knew the lifeguards might not react in time, so he called on Flora and Syrtis, Flora still affected from her recent pregnancy was not considered at her peak form, but the three of them saved all five children, just were unable to save themselves. Which brings us to Syrtis de Broceliande..." "Lanungmei Syrtis ran, using his great height to good effect, and reached the children, carrying two of them to safety. Running back to help the three remaining, he was able to push one out the door when the room collapsed." "Then we get to Eagle Flora. Using her power, she had given flight to two of the remaining children, carrying them away from the fire, then the room they were in collapsed before they could evacuate. They did not survive."
"Come on, that 'he says he is', that was cheap, Kailimee." "Such a precious sourpuss, yes, you are, yes you are." "Will you stop that, I hated it when we dated, and I hate it even more now that we don't." "Then stop acting like this offends your great ancestors then. We're rubbing elbows with royalty, at their invite and expense, and all we have to do is not pee on the furniture. Would it kill you to at least put a neutral face on?" "Oh, yeah, sure." His mien grew fractionally less forbidding. "Tut, tut, you need to do better than that." "Ok, ok." He almost, but not quite, broke into a smile. Damn, damn, damn, that wasn't such a good idea. Kailimee thought to herself, that smile... "Why we here anyways." "In-vi-ta-tion." Kailimee repeated, manically. "No, I mean, why invite us all the way out here? There's a perfectly serviceable palace in Megamisama." "Oh, Innu's the officlal royal winter residence. Can't understand why, but it's in the books. And the honour ceremony was codified by edict, and that specifies the venue." "Oh, so someone who-was-Meihomei said: 'when you do this, do it in my palace of Innu'? I guess that makes kinda sense, especially if he liked it lots." "He would, it was named after him..." "What, Innu Yesugai himself codified the rule in an edict for the Domeidom of Innu?" "Yes, quite a few of those were imported, as is, into the laws of Kagomei. He wouldn't have had another palace, either." "It wouldn't have mattered, they probably chose the venue in his honour, anyways." Small knots of journalists, senior armed services officers filled the ballroom, its cyclopean vastness enhanced by the black marble tiled floor, split only by the black and emerald green of the Kagomei official colours on each round 12-person tableand chairs, four of these tables bearing the official Kagomine Crescent Flag. At each of those four tables, one of the chairs was black on green, instead of green on black. One was empty, the other three had servicemembers, one from the Imperial Kagomine Naval Forces, one from the Imperial Kagomei Lifeguards and Stalwart Defenders and one from the Imperial Kagomine Border Guards and Customs Controllers. Their uniforms sparkled, their medals shimmered. But not as much as some of the ones on the table with the empty chair. It was not hyperbole to say that that many merits of honour had never been in such close proximity before. At the left of the empty chair, usually reserved for the spouse of whoever's chair was empty, a slim and petite blonde Kagomine woman, her green over bright orange uniform impeccable, six ribbons of meritorious conduct hanging from her breast. At the right of that same chair, known as ahbut(family support in Kagomine Language ), wearing the non-uniform garb that had been the unofficial uniform of Bameimeitos in Kagomei for a hundred years: dark grey wool jacket over dark grey wool pants, a Kagomine dark green(emerald or kelly green) shirt, two-carat solid emerald cufflinks; Amarat Veneer Junior, his collar heavy with the collar of the Star-Emerald Knight of Great Kagome and a seperate collar of a Merit of Honour of his own underneath, his eyes reddened, his own red curls barely tamed. Next to him, Avalline d'Ankeryn, Enengmei of Outbox shone in a shimmering kimono of dark green and black. "This will not do." Interjected Maelle Comma, as she inspected the ceremony one final time. This table needs three empty green chairs, not one, there are three posthumours honourees there. Lest that mother or this one think their child unimportant in the eyes of Kagomei! I know there's twenty in the sixth basement." Her Nessun(roughly equivalent to Admiral)'s voice sharp, even as she tried to whisper. "They were horribly damaged in the last fire in this palace." "Are any of these burnt, but serviceable?" "Oh, yes." "Then let me ask if they will serve. Bring the sturdiest two of them to the table." She walked to Jima, and gestured for Amarat and Piersa to join. Piersa didn't react, but Amarat did. "Hey tcha-tchai." She wouldn't let him call that, not after today, but today he got a pass. "Zim, I would offer the services of these chairs." The staff having a pair of sorcerors among them, the chairs were already visible. "You wouldn't clean them?" "In this place, a burn is a mark of honour. Considering the honoured dead sacrificed themselves to save others from the fire, it would have a symbolic meaning." "Oh, of course. But leave Dentrag's chair alone. Not because Dentrag didn't face the same fire, but you might upset Piersa." "She's that affected?" "She barely responds to anything. But there's another reason. Dentrag was a civilian, Flora was military, and Syrtis had rights of Tribunal." "By that logic, he should have the most burnt chair, he sacrificed more, with less obligation. By tradition, Flora should have the impeccable chair." Which was not the thing to say to her widower. He grit his teeth, but managed to just exhale furiously a few times. "I know what you mean, but it could be misconstrued, Mother of Honour." "Ugh, I hate that title." "Mother of Honour, Matriach of Sixth Fleet, you keep collecting motherly titles." "I know, it's why I hate it, I'd rather those waited until I got called mama first. And at my age, that's no longer likely." "We should get ready." The two seats were added, Piersa and Amarat's chairs moved outwards to expand the circle to 14 seats, with everyone squeezing a bit on the opposite end.
"Innusians..."As she named the inhabitants of every Domei, or province, they sat down in turn. "...Megamisans, Garayians, Lilleans, Lavalis, Didinans, Jannets, Khlooians, Xandrans and Roomilians, welcome. It is my will that we gather together to honour those among our people who are of especial merit and consideration. Those who have put their fellow arndans before their own interests, and sacrificed for other's benefit." "As is tradition, I will keep those who have earned the higher distinctions for last, and start with the Meihomei's silver star of preparedness, ending with the Rembrandt's Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service and any more specific awards."
Two hours later... "We now come to the last table of honourees, it is no accident that they are together, as I understand they are family friends, visiting my Hero, Amarat, in his abode of Responsible Disclosure quite often." Amarat looked like he was trying to hide under the floor tiles. "In alphabetical order, not preseance, we start with Dentrag Aixpee, a civilian, late of Kannie's at #2. When the fire started, he let himself be evacuated with the others. But after the lifeguards were summoned deeper into the building, to fight a specific fire center, Amarat, Piersa and Avalline tried to help. Fifteen minutes later, some five children called for help. Dentrag knew the lifeguards might not react in time, so he called on Flora and Syrtis, Flora still affected from her recent pregnancy was not considered at her peak form, but the three of them saved all five children, just were unable to save themselves. Which brings us to Syrtis de Broceliande..." "Lanungmei Syrtis ran, using his great height to good effect, and reached the children, carrying two of them to safety. Running back to help the three remaining, he was able to push one out the door when the room collapsed." "Then we get to Eagle Flora. Using her power, she had given flight to two of the remaining children, carrying them away from the fire, then the room they were in collapsed before they could evacuate. They did not survive."
Execution
On the first Aunday of every arnd(year), the Meihomei of Kagome
Participants
Anyone can attend, journalists of major publications are explicitly invited, as are all off-duty flag officers
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