16751/Sword and Paper

Sword and Paper
Date of Scene:	02 January 2024
Location:	Fledging Space
Synopsis:	Nettie is brushing up on her longsword skills when Joshua Foley makes his way to deliver holiday presents to his adoptive mom -- including the paperwork to make it official
Cast of Characters:	Nettie Crowe, Joshua Foley

---

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Usually the Fledging Space was used for meetings and the practice of younger whippersnappers with magics a little bit out of their control to tighten up what they're looking to do with powers from the aether.

    It it not, normally, where one would find Nettie, wearing a gray racerback shirt over a compression top, gray work-out pants and bright yellow shoes.

    It's rare to see her with her arms so exposed -- showing trails of poke tattoo work around her shoulders, drawing down to her elbows in different sanskirt forms. Her silvery hair was bound up in a tight bun as she works out.

    Her lift of choice?

    A Freaking Longsword. Which she appears to at least be passingly familiar with its use, though her arms are a little bit shakey.

    The room smells like stale cigarettes and curry powder.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua hasn't visited the Candle since before Christmas - it intereferred with his two week swing in Genosha, where he rescued a beautiful blue girl and struck up a friendship with her. He sent texts and postcards, at least!

Now back home, he arrives at the roost with a small wrapped package on his hands. Pausing as he sees Nettie at practice, he seems unwilling to interrupt, until one nasty swing gets his attention and he ohs. "That's a nat 20 on that goblin!" he offers in a cheer, a smile coming to his golden face. "Hi, Mom." he greets cheerfully.

"Late holiday gift?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Pff. That goblin had no chance. Even Gygax would have agreed." Nettie states as she pauses, bringing her sword tip down and to the mat as she leans against it lightly, looking over to her 'Golden Boy'. She gives a bright grin to him and a small wave.

    "And the prodigal son back from healing parts of the world. How goes the travels?" she greets Josh with a smile, and her eyes drift down to the package, her eyebrows rising up.

    "Late holiday gift? For me? Aww, Josh. You're the best gift the world's given me. Dunno how you could top y'self, lad." she gives a smile, and holds up her sword. "Decided to brush up on some old skills. Don't know when you might need to cut off a head of a goose hydra."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"It went well. Met a girl there. She was really nice, made a good friend!" Joshua offers as he approaches now that he's made sure it's safe and he's not going to get struck down. Dressed in a warm sweater and blue jeans, he offers up the package to her with a grin.

"A goose hydra... it's back again?" he asks with a bit of worry. "Are we going to need to invade Canada to find out where they are all coming from?" A bit of dry humor to his tone, or at least attempted humor.

Inside the package? Well, Joshua attempted to take up knitting. It's an attempt to make Nettie a pair of warm mittens, but they might be a little too big on of her hands.

Below it, though? Is an official New York State form for adoption. "Turns out." he says quietly. "When your parents are ready to sign you away and remove that branch of their family tree... it's remarkably easy to set this up."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Pretty sure with the Demogorgoose plucked, we should be free and clear. He was the largest, oldest, most dangerous. As far as I know anyway." Nettie replies as she taps herself down, and makes a face. Nowhere to stash her cigarette case.

    She instead reaches for an actual bottle of water, and accepts the package. "Who knows what 'fowl' thing we'll have to take on next, and I've an agreement to stay out of Canada... those Canadian mutants are *weird* and the Sasquatch of Saskatchewon don't care for me neither." she replies, sitting down on the mats as she opens the package.

    "Aww, look at this! These are brilliant -- mittens are *hard* for a new knitter -- ought to be so proud of yourself, Joshua!" Nettie exclaims with pride, immediately going to put them on -- and then she looks down at the form for adoption. It's readily filled out.

    Her face goes blank a moment, eyes too light blue to be natural blinking as she takes an intake of breath, and she (as delicately as she can while wearing the mittens), picks up the form, looking at it.

    Her mouth works a moment, then closes, and Josh could see her swallow down something before she asks, her voice thick:

    "Are... are you certain about this, Josh? Are you sure?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshus considers Nettie's question for a moment. And he moves to take a seat. As he does do, he folds his hands in his lap in thought. "You know what I've been through." he admits to her quietly. "Seen me when I was absolutely nothing. And you took me in. Gave me a home. Feed me, clothed me. And you didn't judge me for what I was or how I looked."

"You've given me everything I could ask for or want. And while I may be staying with Sara... who knows what may be there. But, even if she were to dump me, you'd still be a constant. And you'd probably tell me to buck up and get back on my feet. Who knows, I may be twenty-one before the papers are processed..."

"...but the intent is still the same. I couldn't ask for someone who would want me more, or that I would want more in my life, than you."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie's quiet for a moment as she looks over the paper. She listens to Joshua quietly, her lips pursing as she breathes out.

    "You have never been 'nothing'. That's your birthparents, your church, that evil bastard that I should have --" she trails off a moment, and then breathes out.

    "You have never been 'nothing'. You have always been My Son. You just didn't know me yet." she states softly, and she looks up at the paperwork. She turns it this way and that, and then gives a whispered word and a blow of her breath, the name Annette V Crowe appears where the signature should be, in fancy, proper script.

    And a fake birthday, because of course you can't have a one hundred and seventy year old lady adopting someone.

    "And there's nothing that could change that. This is *just* a legal formality so that if I kick off you get the Candle."

Joshua Foley has posed:
There's a small blink at that. "If that happens, I'm not sure if I'm the best for the Candle." Joshua admits quietly. "I think that Belinda or... someone else on the leadership council would be better." he offers to her as he reaches up to brush at his eyes.

Dammit, Nettie, why you gotta make him tear up?

"I'm going to try to put that all behind me this year." he explains to Nettie. "This. This is my fresh start. And I am going to make the best of it and not waste it. I have friends. I have family. I don't want to lose it. Not again." He admits, his hands clutching together tightly.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "The Candle needs a landowner, same as anything else. It passing to you just means that you get all the dividends that are tied to it. Money from the Crowe Shipping Company, rent from attached buildings, the like with that. The Legal items." Nettie states, and she reaches for him. Her hands are still covered by the mittens he's knitted for her. She holds his hands.

    "You are my son." she states softly. "You will always have me behind you to cheer for you, or beneath to catch you if your wings fail from time to time. You are /my son/."

    she looks to his face, searching his eyes a moment. "Not even Death herself will change that."

Joshua Foley has posed:
His hands squeezes hers tightly and Joshua looks up at her and he nods his head. "Oh... okay." he manages, as if trying to realizes what she's saying. But she's probably going to outlive Joshua by a bunch. After all, she's been alive this long! It's nothing for him to worry about it. Not ever.

"And you are my mother. I will be there when you ask, and I will not every be far removed from you." he promises her, looking up at the woman.

Tears, happy ones, spill over his cheeks. "Death?" he laughs. "I resurrect from death. Myself and others." It's a dry retort. One that is trying to show confidence. Because that's all he can offer to her.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Eh, well, she an' I have to have words now and again. Bit of a brat, that one." Nettie mutters. It's hard to tell if she's joking there.

    "But she reaches up with a mittened hand, and ruffles on Joshua's head.

    "Oi now! No tears, this is s'posed to be happy! You'll make your old mum cry." she laughs, shedding a couple herself, and she goes to get to her feet.

    "C'mon. This calls for celebratory happenings. And I know a place."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Ruffled, Joshua laughs. "I thought I was the brat." he points out with warmth before he nods his head in agreement. "I am happy, mom." he points out to her as he sits up and closes his eyes, tucking the adoption papers away to file with the state.

He gets to his feet and nods. "Let's go!" he says eagerly, ready to go out and celebrate!