Chapter Text
Morgen scanned the table and the supplies that had been laid out on the surface. Wire, beads of various colors, jewelry fastenings, tweezers, and pliers were neatly organized in sections on the table.
Morgen sat next to Sable, his eldest daughter, who had her brown hair pulled back in a voluminous ponytail. She gazed at the materials with eagerness and joy.
“So, Sable dearest, how many friends are you making these for?”
“All of them~!” was Sable’s chipper answer.
“Oh? And how many would that be?”
Morgen silently watched as Sable counted her fingers and muttered various names to herself. There were a few he recognized, such as the youngest daughter of House Vermillion and the triplet sons of House Silva. Others were completely new to him. And the number of names just kept rising as Sable counted.
All those children would be receiving a handmade friendship bracelet, if Sable’s plans panned out that is. And that’s where Morgen came in. With Josele away on a long-term mission, Morgen was the only one available to act as Sable’s helper in her task.
“Um… I think forty?” Sable concluded after her count.
“Goodness gracious! I don’t think I’ve had forty friends in my whole life! Where do you find them all?”
“Everywhere!” Sable exclaimed. Her smile was as bright as the sun.
Morgen loved that about Sable. He loved everything about his daughter. Despite her Shadow Magic, she was optimistic, friendly, and had only sweet intentions. She reminded Morgen of himself in his youth. Though he wasn’t as energetic as her, Morgen and Sable shared a love of life. That was enough to bring father and daughter together.
“Let’s hop to it,” Sable said and reached for a spool of beading wire.
“Yes, let’s begin.”
And so Sable and Morgen settled in for a long day of crafting bracelets for the many children Sable had made part of her life.
Morgen measured out the wire, testing lengths with Sable’s wrist to make sure they wouldn’t be too large or small. With the wires cut, he applied fasteners to one end of each piece. He didn’t quite have a hand for the delicate work of beading but Sable leaned over and said “it looks good enough. Keep going, Papa” to encourage him.
Another reason to love Sable. She was content like Josele was, never asking for more than what someone was or could offer.
“I really hope everyone likes them!” Sable giggled while beading with her bare hands.
“As do I. Your friends will surely—” Morgen paused to concentrate on keeping a bead pinched between tweezers and stringing it on a wire. “They’ll surely appreciate your kindness.”
Sable rocked her body from side-to-side and hummed a tune she had learned from Morgen. While hidden, her legs were surely kicking under the table too. Sable’s happiness was just too much to keep within her little body so it came out in these little gestures.
They worked for a while in silence. After a few bracelets were completed, Morgen turned to Sable.
“Say, where did this idea come from?” Morgen asked as he finished beading a bracelet. He picked up a fastener to affix to the wire’s end. “Making the bracelets that is.”
“Well I’ve been feeling really happy about my friends,” Sable started to explain. “I wanted to show them how much I like them. I first thought of writing ‘thank you’ letters. But then I realized I’m not good at writing.”
“No shame in acknowledging such a thing,” Morgen assured before giving Sable a kiss on her crown. “So then what?”
“Obviously, I decided to make something instead!” Sable raised up an incomplete bracelet to the light, making it sparkle. “Plus, people don’t carry around letters everyday but people can wear bracelets everyday!”
“That’s very true!”
“Now let’s hurry and finish them! For a Light Mage, Papa sure is slow!”
“Wha—? Sable, you wound me!”
Still, Morgen let out a chuckle and Sable laughed.