Impromptu & Overdue Mother's Day [Inanna, Ninsianna]

"Mum! I'm back!"

She said shouting down the corridor while walking towards Cyrus' office. They let her past when she said that she was here for Ninsianna and her daughter, maybe it wouldn't have been such a tough fight if she started with informing her mum that she was on the way. There was actually no warning either to tell Alex or Nel, she told her bff naturally at school that she was going to see her mum but failed to say that she was leaving immediately after school rather than organising it.

"It's me, Nanna's back! I brought candy for a present for you. Stop working!"

A long list of demands and she expected them to be done immediately. How was her mother going to work and confine herself to a boring task when she was here!?

It surprised Ninsianna to hear her daughter's voice, but at the demand to stop working, she set down the papers at her desk and stood to greet her as a mother naturally would. A smile and a warm embrace for her little girl, who cast away so much of the gloom that had filled her mind of late.

"Welcome back, Nanna. Have you enjoyed your time away?"

It was all too welcome, to see her beloved daughter again. She of course valued Inanna's freedom, and did not wish to stifle her in her growth. Ninsianna knew all too well that the two of them could not possibly have been more different, and that it would have been outright cruel of her to simply force the young girl to stay.

"And what sort of candy have you brought?"

"Uhuh!"

She did not waste anytime, lunging up and taking full advantage of the spring in her step to jump up and bury her face into Ninsianna's chest. Of all the pillows, these were her favourite but mostly because of sentimentality that it had a leg up on the competition of Nel and Alex.

"Mmpfh hmmph flac-mh pff."

Her mouth continued to run and barely any of it made sense until she pulled away and slid down back so that her feet touched the ground and she was not awkwardly threatening to tip her over.

"And that's what I've been up to. What have you been doing? Here, I've got some chocolate and some proper candy. Do you want to try the green one or the red one? The green one is kind of sour though."

Ninsianna hardly minded the difficulty in understanding Inanna's speech, given how long she'd been away. Besides, she had heard enough stories spoken in such a way that she was perfectly adept at decoding the message as it came to her. Even if she hadn't her surveillance had painted her a quite clear picture.

"How very exciting. I am quite glad to hear that you've been enjoying yourself so much. I would quite like to meet this friend of yours."

The offer of the candies was one that Ninsianna put perhaps far too much time toward, given it was such a simple question. But, after a moment or two, she gave her answer, confident as always.

"The green one, I think. It sounds as though it might be a bit more exciting."

"Sure! Your can meet her one day, you just have to come visit me but you never do that. Why don't you ever come to visit me?"

Inanna inquired while trying to crawl up Ninsianna again, it was probably far easier if she sat down for this to work but why would the little girl consider that? It was far more fun to climb up her and try to make a game out of it, though this particular attempt did leave her slipping a bit.

"Sugar!"

She whined and she made a concerted effort to hold herself up which left her staring at the weird necklace that she always wore but Inanna never really cared to bring up. It was kind of like her dad, things that she never really brought up since she didn't expect to get an answer out of it.

"Hey Mum. What's this? Is it a lock for a cabinet or something? You know they're meant to go on things rather than be used for jewellry right? Mmmph, hold me up. Hold me up!"

Bickering at her to help the little hybrid remain on the front of her body, she was far too big for this now compared to when she was younger.

"Ah, I'm sorry my dear. I have a bit much to do for work most of the time, and I rarely get the opportunity to travel."

But it seemed that Inanna had already been one step ahead of her. She was almost surprised that her daughter had asked about the talisman around her neck, if only because she never had before. Ninsianna made sure to adjust her hold on her daughter and keep her secure. Even if she was getting a bit big for this, Ninsianna hardly minded.

"No, Inanna, it is intended to be jewelry. This was the style, when I was young. It..."

How did she explain such a thing to her daughter? She had looked upon it more than she typically did in the last months, and she knew that it was inevitable she would return to that sacred place. It was something which carried so much more meaning than could possibly be conveyed in a simple explanation. But, at the same time, Inanna was not a small child any longer. Despite her youthful exuberance, she was old enough to understand more serious matters. Ninsianna did not wish to hide things from her daughter if it was not crucial to do so.

"I suppose you might say that it is not unlike an engagement ring."

That was at least a good comparison, she felt.

"Then don't work as much... I'm sorry."

"An engagement ring? Is it from dad?"

Inanna looked far too hopeful for details, more than she normally did when she avoided bringing it up. This was the first time she heard of an engagement ring and her only basis of her mother's partners were the absentee dad who she liked to think was off doing cool things which were far more important than being here. It was thinnest of veils that divided her blissful childish ignorance and the fact she was actually smart enough to know the reality of the situation. She just tried to ignore it.

Her hand reached up now that she had Ninsianna's support to reach at the small trinket, looking up cautiously while she gently analysed it and felt it. It seemed so plain but it looked so old.

"Ah... No, it has been with me far longer than that. This has been with me for many centuries now. I was far younger then, and brighter in many ways. I think I was a bit more like you, if you might believe that."

Ninsianna offered a small smile as she said that, a bit of emotional support to soften the blow that she knew it had still been. She did nothing to stop Inanna from touching it, for her daughter was the only one that she ever would have allowed to do so.

"It is a bit of a long story, and I know that you do not like when I speak for too long. But if you wish to hear it, I would be happy to tell it for you."

There was almost a hopeful edge to her voice as she said that, a part of her that earnestly wished to share that life-changing moment with Inanna. It was only fair, wasn't it? Even if it was selfish, her goddess had allowed her those brief moments of selfishness. She would allow herself to want something, for the first time in many years.

She felt her shoulders slump a little bit, if only by the obvious reason that it had nothing to do with her other parent and yet she cared about it a lot more than that. She just sighed and put on her jubilant smile again which she often carried about.

"Uh..."

Inanna was a little aback, she never really talked about herself or gave much away, she'd speak of recent events whenever she was asked how she was but it was so hard to wring details from her own youth out of her. It felt a little wrong to not quietly nod and keep smiling.

"Sure Mum. Tell me all the story you can, every little detail."

To say that it was a pleasant surprise that Inanna wished to hear about that night would be a profound understatement. She thought for a moment to set her daughter down, but frankly, she felt no need to do so. Ninsianna could carry her as long as necessary, and she knew Inanna enjoyed this simple closeness.

"It was over 4000 years ago, in the near east. At the time, I lived among the Sumerian people as one of their priestesses. It was a simple life, and quite rewarding. I still have my garb from that time, though I've not worn it in a very long time. One day, when I was serving in the temple, I saw a woman approaching, and I knew in an instant that she was not simply one of the citizens. She was a goddess, the very same that sat in a place of great prominence in that faith, and so naturally I showed her the appropriate reverence."

It was almost difficult for her to recall this, if only because it was painful for her. But Ninsianna made no indication of that, and she simply continued on without allowing any of her grief to spill over. For her daughter, and for her goddess, she would tell this story with only joy.

"She came to make a gift to the temple, and as I was the lone priestess who could see her, I naturally accepted her blessing. But her blessing was not simply material wealth, it was a matter of wisdom, of kindness. She and I spoke at length that night, shared a great deal with one another. She asked what I might desire of her, and I requested something to always remember her by."

Gesturing to the talisman that sat around her neck, Ninsianna took a brief pause to collect herself, before continuing on, still maintaining her smile.

"I made a promise to her that I would always uphold the very same ideals that I had lived by in my service. Those same ideals that you know even now. I did not change myself for her, of course. She and I simply saw eye to eye on that matter, and from all of that... I fell in love with her. I love her even now."