#ungh i feel so shy about posting my writing but i want to learn to actually post about my ocs

[you-shiny-thing]

Hero Blue

It was grand. Ballas had really pulled out all the stops for today. The Grand Hall was decorated in lavish gold that had been polished to a sheen. Leveret could see their own reflection in the golden accents of the stand's railing grimacing back. They tried to quickly fix their expression into a more neutral one, but as if by force, it soon moulded itself back into the frown they had been wearing the whole day. 

No one needed something this garish, and with everybody gathered there as well. Both Tenno and Orokin alike were there, though Leveret noticed that the Tenno seemed to be in their own stand, away from the Orokin. Probably just the organisers wanting the whole thing to look orderly. Leveret looked at the empty stage. Even the stage had been embellished with golden and blue ornaments, and the middle of the stage held an odd slab that had enough gold to leave an afterimage as the lights reflected off of it. 

Soon the crowd's chatter turned into an excited silence, one in which you could feel the expectant smiles of the people, as a triumphant fanfare played and the main characters of the day arrived. From the impossibly tall door arrived Ballas, in his finer robes and his hair pulled back, followed by a smaller figure in a black Zariman suit so familiar to many in attendance. Leveret tugged at theirs, brushing off imaginary dust. The smaller figure had white hair reaching their shoulders, a square face Leveret had been told looked exactly as their father's, and dimples that showed whenever they smiled their bright smile. They had once overheard the other Tenno wondering what they would have to do to get similar dimples. Useless. That was a goal no one could reach if they weren't already gifted with those, like Ray. They would have to settle for idle hoping like the rest who saw Ray. 

"Oh welcome, welcome everyone! It is with great joy that I have summoned you all here today," Ballas' speech began. He was smiling, but somehow Leveret had never felt his smile reached all the way to his eyes. Maybe it was simply a habit of his. Not like Leveret had ever spent much time with him, not long enough to learn about the details of his life. Ray might know, but there was no way Leveret could ask them. 

"The most heroic among you must be rewarded. For their exemplary deeds, which I am certain you all are familiar with," Ballas continued as the blue screens scattered around the hall came to life to show various photos of Ray in action. Ray carrying someone out of danger, Ray shielding a child, Ray standing on top of a defeated Necramech… when were these pictures taken? Leveret was simply happy they did not appear in them as the rescued one. Despite their wish to look away, Leveret could not help but feel the smallest spark of pride in their sibling. Ray had always been more courageous than others, and it showed. It truly, truly showed. 

"For your service to the Orokin, I am pleased to award you the uniform of those whose service should be an example to all." He motioned towards the slab that had been on the stage. It opened, like a casket, and revealed an outfit in cobalt blue. A striking colour compared to the red and black one Ray was wearing. One they all were wearing. The outfit looked sturdy, with beautiful golden accents that reminded Leveret of the room itself, the excessive decorations it had been embellished with for the day. 

"The uniform of Hero Blue. May you wear it with pride, and inspire your fellow Tenno to aim just as high." Ray was practically beaming as they bowed in gratitude. They turned to face the audience, and smiled that winning smile. Leveret couldn't look them in the eyes. 

After the ceremony was over, Leveret stayed behind, anxiously glancing at the door they had seen Ballas exit from a while ago. They twisted and pulled at their low ponytail as they pondered. They wanted to just leave, go home and distract themselves, think about anything else. Play a round of komi, maybe. But they couldn't. They waited, the package in their backpack feeling heavier by the moment. There was no way Ray would like something so shabby, especially after receiving the Hero Blue. Ray deserved something better. Surely even they knew that. And it wasn't even long ago that they had gotten into an argument again, maybe Ray would just leave the moment they saw their face, and- 

Ray was at the doorway. 

Leveret hesitated, but pushed themselves off of the wall they had been leaning to, and slowly walked to Ray. They were still wearing the bright blue uniform, and Leveret's eyes couldn't help but follow the golden decorations. It was easier than looking Ray in the eyes. 

"Levvie! I saw you in the audience!" Ray exclaimed. Leveret nodded, one hand still fiddling with their hair. 

"Yeah. You looked… you looked heroic up there, as usual." The tone came out flatter than they had meant to. "Uhm…" they started. 

"What is it?"

"Well… Okay, it doesn't really match, but, hold on…" Leveret put their backpack on the floor and dug out a soft package wrapped in papers that had been taped together. It was an oddly shaped package with more wrinkles than smooth surfaces from the various folds Leveret had folded and unfolded in search of a shape fitting whatever was in inside. Ray tilted their head. 

"I heard about today in advance - it was hard not to - and thought… I thought, if you're getting the Hero Blue, you could do with a little blue hero." Ray opened the package carefully, trying not to rip the paper despite it already being ruined. As the paper fell to the floor, it revealed a floof. A floof in an off-blue, something that was closer to turquoise than true blue. It looked lopsided, and upon closer inspection one could see that the thread with which it was put together had run out and had been continued with a white thread that didn't match the rest of the floor. But despite it all, it was still clearly a krubie. A krubie with a mark on its forehead that was identical to the one in the Tale of a Tail, where a strong and kind blue krubie travels Duviri, helping others. An offshoot story of Tales of Duviri, one the two had read more times than they could count. One Leveret remembered Ray reading to them at night when they got scared, and one Leveret practiced reading with the help of Ray when they were younger. One they had lost in the Zariman, but had since then found and kept another copy of despite neither of them reading childrens' stories anymore. 

"Levvie…" The unstability in Ray's voice made Leveret look them in the eyes, and notice how they shined with moisture more than usual. Ray's eyebrows were turned up as if to frown, but their eyes seemed happy. Their dimples showed up again as their mouth turned into a smile. 

"It's not much, and it's really not a big deal," Leveret started off quickly, "but… take it, alright?" They offered an awkward half smile. The sloppy floof looked out of place in the arms of Ray in their shining new suit, but Ray was holding the floof like it was the heart of the universe, something immeasurably precious. 

"Thank you, Levvie." Ray pulled them into a sudden hug. Leveret let out a strangled noise of surprise, but soon wrapped their arms around Ray as well. They couldn't help but let their expression soften. 

"You're welcome, Ray. Live up to your Hero Blue. I know you will."

---

Leveret gazed out to the stars, sitting on the floor of their personal quarters. Those days seemed like they happened so long ago and yet like they happened just yesterday. Leveret glanced at the turquoise floof in their hands. It was never in prime condition, but the years had made their mark on it. It was scratched up, and Leveret wasn't even sure what the dark stain on its side was from. All in all it was a shabby thing that they were sure Ordis would've thrown out if it was anyone else's but Leveret's. 

"Mine, huh," they muttered. They remembered seeing the floof on Ray's desk ever since they gave it to them. And they remembered digging it up from the small cache Ray had buried on Plains of Eidolon, along with a letter Leveret kept tightly sealed in a hidden compartment. Read, but only once. But thought of so many more times. 

"You really did live up to that stupid blue, you know?" Their voice felt so small in the empty Orbiter. The floof did not hug them back.