5 little snowglobes, all in a row... Alairi huffed slightly and adjusted her seat. She’d carefully lined up the snowglobes she’d won from Imperium on the little table that sat beside her bed at the hotel. She’d patiently and gently wound each up, hungry to hear the tune that issued forth. She had even suffered a near panic attack when she’d accidentally jostled the table that morning and nearly sent one of the globes tumbling off. To make it even worse, she’d carried the damn thing with her on her food run, cradling it like a baby, almost apologizing to it, even! It wasn’t normal or natural.

“What is it about you?” she muttered under her breath as she reached for the first globe to wind the little key that made the music come out. As the music began to relax, she closed her eyes and felt herself relax slightly. The music, as wistfully sad as it was, caught at Alairi’s heart and tugged insistently. It made her feel oddly happy. And it made her think of her sister. Maybe that was why she was letting herself become obsessed. These globes reminded her of Ume. Of the games they’d played as children. Of the good times they’d had. Before Alairi had found herself consumed with jealously for her big sister. Before Charonite had recruited her.

And now that she thought about it, the music reminded her of Charonite and Nealite as well. They’d been such a good couple. And they’d have had a baby by now. And somehow, that thought made Alairi sad. While she wasn’t a pro-life nut by any means, she found it terribly unfair that the little unborn baby had been punished along with its parents and frozen forever in a chunk of crystal.

The music began to wind down and Alairi snatched the globe up frantically to wind it back up. And when it began to play, her mind wandered until it again settled on her sister. Would Ume worry about her? Or had she been so awful of late that she’d be glad to be rid of her troublesome little sister? No, Ume was too sweet to stay mad at anyone for long. Maybe... Maybe she would go and check on Ume tonight. It wouldn’t be too hard to sneak in and just take a quick, refreshing peep at her sister sleeping. But if she got caught, it would ruin her attempt to keep Ume and their parents safe. And right now, Alairi needed them to be safe for her own peace of mind.

With a sigh that somehow morphed into a choked sob, Alairi reached for one snowglobe after another, winding the keys and losing herself in the music and in memories of the people she loved most.