Trixie started out that day relatively relaxed in her dorm. Then front desk informed her that she had a letter waiting for her. Her mood shifted from surprised to curious to excited. Perhaps it was from that nice Fey she'd met at the Hunter's Jubilee. But when she retrieved the envelope, she was mildly disappointed that it wasn't from him but it was, in fact, actually a letter from her parents.She brightened quickly and thanked the receptionist before returning to her dorm, the envelope secure in her hand. Why would they want to write to her? She couldn't help but wonder. After all, surely sending her a message on her phone or on the computer would have been faster. But then she remembered how, like many of the older generations, her parents were reluctant to embrace the newer technology. She couldn't help but giggle at the memory of her mother looking helpless and declaring apologetically "I think I broke the page!" the first time she ever encountered a new screen popping out because she clicked a link. Her daddy was better but not as technologically savvy as the younger generation.
Perhaps it was just them asking for updates and wanting to give it a more personal touch. With a smile, the pink Nixie slit the envelope open and began to read.
To our dearest, darling Trixie,
Your daddy and I hope this letter finds you well. How are you doing in university? Are your classes difficult? Have you made friends with the other races? If you have, we do hope they're nice or at least worthy of your company. We heard in the news that travel between Above and Below have been opened again. Have you met any Daydreams? Are they nice?
We would love to hear about your experiences, preferably in person but we'll be just as happy with a handwritten account as well. We like to see those calligraphy lessons come in handy after all.
The reason we are writing to you is more than just to ask how you're doing, darling. By your dad's calculations, this letter should arrive sometime during the surface-dwellers' celebration of the Hunter's Jubilee. We also wanted to strongly suggest you think about imbuing a stone. After all, there aren't a lot of Nixie-stones in the great cache. Not to pressure you or anything, of course, sweetie. Just think about it, alright?
If you do decide to imbue a stone, let us know. If you decide to postpone it, let us know too. We love hearing from you now and again.
Love,
Mom and Daddy
At the bottom of the letter, written in a different hand:
Trixie, your mom and I are proud of you for living on your own and such but we're still your parents and we want to hear from you from time to time. Call us, our number hasn't changed since we got the line connected and it's not as if your mom spends all her time on the phone (at least not as often since you've left.) -Dad
Trixie re-read the letter a few more times and while her peers might have a stronger sense of individuality, Trixie was more of a follower. Besides, they had a point. There weren't very many Nixie stones around. And her parents did say imbue not keep. She could donate the resulting stone to the great cache for some willing family to adopt. Her gills wiggled in thought before she made up her mind to do as her parents asked.
