The sun was warm as Sylvia settled onto ground on Mieni, though she also found the island rather quiet. It wasn't quite like during the summer when there had been a lot of tourist traffic going on and the sounds of people splashing in the sea or in the lagoon inside the atoll could be heard. In a sense it was welcome, though it was something of a surprise as she figured that a spot like Mieni would have the potential to attract attention all year around. She slowly made her way into what had been the barracks when the atoll was being used by the US military as a base for patrolling this particular part of the Pacific. She found Rapier and Gladys on "desk duty" to welcome tourists. They were presently wearing a set of red and green vests to match the small sets of Christmas décor that had been set up in the lobby, though she noticed that Mieni's Christmas Tree was a palm tree rather than a Fir or Spruce tree.
"Hello, Miss Sylvia," Rapier said with a small smile, "Welcome again to Mieni. How long do you plan to be staying with us?"
"For a few days," Sylvia answered, "I have Christmas break right now and it's pretty cold in Nevada at the moment. I thought I'd come here. Enjoy the sun... keep my scales warm."
She then offered the ticket that she'd gotten before she left Lyre. While she liked Christmas, she really didn't feel much like staying in Lyre. Particularly as Lyre and Animalia were getting so into the winter season. She was too old to be in "the Great Snow War" and some of the winter sports things that Diego was trying to get started was only a reminder of the things that had inspired her to choose a snake for her conversion rather than becoming an Animalian that had legs or would gain them. Mieni's tropical climate wouldn't allow for that sort of thing and the warmth did feel nice.
"Though things seem rather quiet," Sylvia commented, "I'd heard that you guys had a lot of groups come in over the summer... some just to swim while others for the history and scientific museums that were built here..."
"It's Christmas, I suppose," Gladys commented slowly, "We've been told that a lot of people treat the holiday as a means to be with family. Harold and Kirana flew out to be with his parents and took their little ones with them. And many of the Horizon staff went as well. Those that are still here have some major project or something that they can't abandon and thus had their families come here... though there isn't a lot of that... if you understand my meaning."
"Makes sense, I suppose," Sylvia commented. Christmas was a time when many people travelled, but it was to see family usually. Most people didn't decide to go on a "typical vacation" for Christmas.
"But we'll do fine," Rapier answered, "and with the success we had this past year... we expect that things will pick up again soon enough."
Sylvia nodded as Rapier reached over the front desk and handed her a small envelope that contained the key to the room she'd be staying in.
"And while you're here, we can let you know that we do have plenty of food and could even manage something Christmassy if you wish it," Gladys added.
"Thanks," Sylvia nodded and moved on her way. While the sun on Mieni was still warm, after a long flight, the thing that she really wanted to do was sleep.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sylvia did enjoy her time on Mieni during the Christmas holiday. She periodically called friends that she'd made in college and those that she'd made in Lyre and Animalia to wish them well and see what they were up to. Of course many of them were with friends or family and couldn't talk for long, but it was nice enough to catch up. The things that she was able to do the most was to enjoy the warm sun that shone down on Mieni Atoll. It was something in deep contrast to Nevada. Nevada wasn't the coldest of states, but could get cold enough for snow to fall, and it was something that Sylvia didn't like very much...
In nature, rattlesnakes commonly hibernated during the winter, and usually in big communal dens, often with other snake species as well. As an Animalian, Sylvia couldn't get into that as there were other responsibilities that she'd have to follow. This had meant that on the colder days, a well heated room was good and a sauna even better, and that was a major part of why she chose Mieni as her Christmas vacation spot, as it was warm enough that she didn't have to worry about warding off the cold.
She also took the opportunity to practice her swimming. All snakes could swim, though rattlesnakes weren't exactly known for it. Kirana and the uplifted Moray Eel, Teela, had given her some pointers on how to better use her serpentine body in the water during her previous visit to the atoll. Her class schedules and so on had actually limited her ability to practice her swimming, but with Christmas break, she had the time to practice and figured that Mieni would be worth it.
And it became a welcome cycle for Sylvia to warm herself in the sun and then swim for a little while and feeling secure that lagoon's waters were reasonably safe to swim in. Though by the afternoon of December 24, that changed as she found herself getting an unexpected guest at her spot on the beach as she came out of the water from a dip in the ocean. It was Teela who came toward her calmly and quietly. It wasn't until Teela was a few paces away that she actually addressed the converted pit viper.
"Having fun?" Teela asked politely as she watched Sylvia dry off.
"Yeah," Sylvia nodded, "I think I'm really getting better at the whole swimming thing."
"That's good," Teela smiled nervously and then went silent for a moment.
The two stood silently for a few moments before Sylvia managed to get the conversation going again.
"Was there something that you wanted?" Sylvia asked.
"Yes, yes," Teela caught herself and nodded vigorously, "I wanted to know if you'd like to join everyone for a special Christmas dinner. Chipper wants to show some of the recipes he's picked up for a special dinner... It'll be a lot of fish and will be something of a luau, but it'll be fun."
"I don't want to impose on your Christmas," Sylvia answered.
"You wouldn't be," Teela assured her, "and from what I've been told by Harold is that Christmas is a time where friends and family come together... and you've been rather... alone."
Sylvia's eyes narrowed and within her mouth she flexed the muscles that controlled the hinges to her fangs.
"Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that..." Teela spoke quickly, "but we just figured you'd like some friends and company... as otherwise you'd be with your family now..."
"No I wouldn't," Sylvia answered and wanted to go on but she then remembered that most of the Animalians on Mieni were all uplifted animals. As far as she knew, the Horizon scientist, Harold, who'd married Kirana was the only converted Animalian who lived on the island. In this, it wasn't likely that they had any real familiarity with the sorts of pressures some parents put on their children. "I'm sorry... family and things like that are rather complicated for me."
"I... I don't understand, don't they love you?" Teela asked.
"They've loved things that I could do before I lost my legs and what I might become with the right prodding," Sylvia answered and settled down into a more coiled position, "but they never really asked if it was anything I wanted... and I... I don't think they ever truly loved me in the way that I've seen most happy families engage in... the way Animalian families engage in."
Teela slowly sat down next to Sylvia and looked to her.
"My parents wanted me to be some Olympic Figure skater... it can be a beautiful sport, but it wasn't and isn't one I liked," Sylvia explained, "I never wanted to be a figure skater and have had more interest in the law. Yet they put me on a sort of schedule in the hopes that I'd become the next Tonya Harding or Nancy Kerrigan or something..."
"Who are they?" Teela asked, "Figure skaters?"
"Olympic ones, yes," Sylvia answered, "though I don't think either skates any more... And I never wanted to be them, but they never gave me the chance to be what I WANT to be. In that sense when I lost my legs I was free from that. I missed walking, but in a way it was a break from being sent to skating camps that I didn't want to go to and so on. But then came Project Phoenix and when they advertised as being able to restore one's legs my parents got the idea that I'd be able to become a swan or something ice skate again."
"But you became a snake, like Kirana," Teela said pointedly.
"Yes, as since I'm over eighteen, I was able to talk with Horizon directly," Sylvia nodded, "and I chose a snake... though rattlesnakes and sea kraits are fairly different... so that my parents couldn't demand I get back into ice skating..."
"That isn't polite," Teela stated.
"It's not," Sylvia agreed, "and with Animalia getting into their Christmas celebrations... I really didn't want to have to have another argument with my folks over my choices. I'm more interested in the law and I'd probably have more success long term as a lawyer than as a figure skater. But I'd rather not deal with my parents' preferences on MY future. It's why I came here."
"But you're still alone," Teela spoke slowly, "you should have some friends to be with at Christmas time... even if your family isn't..."
"You can say that my family life is bad," Sylvia gave a sigh, "I've long accepted that much."
She blinked in surprise when Teela's hands wrapped around her own. She looked up and over to the uplifted eel who managed a weak smile.
"The invitation still stands," Teela spoke, "let us be friends and have Christmas together. Most everyone will be there for the luau and no one will make ice skate if you don't want to."
Sylvia paused for a moment and then smiled. It was true that she was trying to get away from the pressures her parents put on her, and she had had a good time in the sun and soaking in Mieni's warmth. But at the same time there was some level of emptiness that was something she'd frequently remembered from her Christmas's with her parents. It was something that wasn't there the previous Christmas in Animalia and Lyre. There was a level of comradery there that she'd never had before. She'd felt it because the people of Lyre and Animalia didn't force their expectations on her in the way that her parents had, and she found that she missed that.
"Thank you," Sylvia answered, "I'll join you... so long as I don't get in your way."
That made Teela smile, "You won't be. Don't worry. It'll be fun. We'll eat, we'll sing, and we'll all have fun. You can even come as you are... Some swimming might be part of the party as well."
"Okay," Sylvia chuckled, "though remember, I can't swim as well as Kirana can and neither can I hold my breath as long as she can. So... I really can't go out to sea to where I wouldn't be able to get back to one of islands here on the atoll."
"Don't worry, no one will let you drown," Teela smiled back.