Something to Remember [Private/Lillian] [Vanyel/Calypso]

Even if the thought scared him, he had faith that it wasn't a mistake -- and even if it wasn't real, they could always try again. It wasn't like it was impossible for them to have a child. More than anything else, he had to push those thoughts out of his mind and do his best to soothe her fears. He knew she was scared, but he had to say something.

Reaching down and taking a small segment of his jacket in hand, he gently wiped her eyes, still holding her close as the two quietly walked through the Forbidden City, with Vanyel remaining mostly quiet aside from remarking on a few little bits of trivia from history. He kept her close the entire time, whether holding her hand or keeping her firmly at his side, occasionally giving her continuous words of love and faith as they walked.

The day went on, and rather than take the bus back home, Vanyel opted for the quicker route, using a cobalt vortex to take them to a store not far from the hotel they stayed in. Taking some time to lighten up the subject as they browsed through the store, picking up some things, Vanyel told her more stories from Chinese legend, more funny stories from the tales of the Monkey King, and even told her about the tale of when Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince, sacrificed himself to prevent the world from being flooded by Ao Guang.

It didn't take them too long for Vanyel to pick up what he needed for dinner and using another vortex to bring them back to the hotel, Vanyel went to the kitchenette. Thankfully, the room that he managed to get for them had a slightly bigger and more expansive one than normal ones, and as a result, had an oven.

With the ingredients that he got from the store, Vanyel went to work (along with Calypso, if she wanted to) with cooking and putting together a small set of dishes for the two of them. Mandarin oranges, jiaozi, or dumplings, tang yuan, or sweet rice balls, various other sweets, as well as noodles. He had made sure that everything he made for the dinner was something that Calypso was willing to eat -- but also picking them out specifically for the cultural and symbolic value that they held.

For the oranges, their names were a homophone for luck. For the jiaozi, good fortune. The noodles represented longevity and long life, and finally, the sweet rice balls represented something he felt was the most important for the time -- being together with your loved ones and family reunion. With a smile, he set out everything on plates and sat down to eat with his wife.

After finishing, cleaning everything up, and taking a small bit of time to let their food settle, Vanyel checked the clock and grinned. The time for the special surprise that he made sure to keep hidden more than anything else. Slinging his jacket back on, he stood up, taking Calypso's hand as he smiled with an almost child-like excitement in his eyes.

"Ready for the big surprise, Caly? I know you've been waiting all day for it, but, it's just about time, and I promise, it's well worth the wait."