12 Days of Selfshipmas 2025 - Day 5 - Sugar and Spice - Till Death Do Us Part
Day 5 of 12 days of Selfshipmas 2025, and while it's technically Till Death Do Us Part (Rue and Blade from HSR), it's more so Rue + the Stellaron Hunters as a whole, but I don't have a ship name for them yet, soooo-
“Are we sure this is gonna be safe to drink?” Silver Wolf whispered, leaning towards Kafka as she watched Rue in the kitchen. “It looks like she's a witch making potions or something…”
Kafka chuckled at the younger Hunter’s concern, relaxing in her seat. “It’s a tradition on her planet, apparently. Most people drank it during cold months.”
Silver Wolf fixed her with a deadpan look. “That doesn’t comfort me in the slightest. I’ve heard of her willingly drinking poisons.” Yes, she’s fully aware that no one amongst the Stellaron Hunters are exactly ‘normal’, but something about actively and willingly consuming poisons feels about twenty steps too far.
“I can hear you, you know,” Rue hummed casually from her place at the stove, “and I’m learning I should drag you into the kitchen more so you can learn the differences between poisons and spices.” She looked over her shoulder to see an amused Kafka and a pouty Silver Wolf. “Besides, I wouldn’t intentionally poison allies. Like Kafka said, this is just a traditional drink from my home planet. It’s meant to help stave off the cold, and the illnesses that tend to come with it.”
Groaning, Silver Wolf rolled her eyes and went back to her phone, not wanting to get dragged into some sort of lecture.
Rue didn’t press the issue though, humming as she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to the absent Hunters, warning she’d hunt them down if they didn't come to claim their drinks. Yes, the threat was mostly pointed at Blade, but she makes it equally all the same.
Satisfied, she then sets to work pouring the drinks into each Hunter’s respective mugs. This was something that Firefly had insisted on initially, each Stellaron Hunter having their own unique cups and mugs that were theirs and theirs alone.
Firefly had chosen a clearly handmade mug with a blue glaze, the handle thick and sturdy. Perfect for days when her grip was at risk of faltering.
Kafka’s was filled next, a burgundy mug with a loosely painted pattern akin to spider webs. Hers was tall, meant to hold plenty of coffee and keep it scalding hot.
Silver Wolf’s mug had a more square body and a pixelated appearance, making it more frustrating to clean when she’d undoubtedly forget to finish a drink and give up on it once it had gone cold.
The plain black one belonged to Blade, also boasting a thick handle. His mug was larger than the others, ensuring he could fit his hand within the handle more comfortably, even on his worse days.
Finally, Rue filled her own mug. A simple white to red gradient, and the handle has clearly been repaired multiple times. Sometimes her Gift makes her forget her own strength, and the poor mug has had to pay the price.
As she carefully set the pot back on the stove to keep the excess drink warm, the remaining Hunters finally entered the room with Firefly tugging Blade by his hand gently.
“Perfect timing,” Rue greeted as she set the mugs on the table in front of their respective owners with a warning, “Fresh off the stove, so be careful.” She spared a moment to set a small sugar container near Silver Wolf, amused by the confused look she received in response. “At least try it first, then you can add some sugar. It shouldn’t take much to make it palatable for you, though.”
With that settled, she finally took her own seat.
“This smells amazing!” Firefly praised as she picked up her mug carefully, relishing in the warmth before taking a small, curious sip. She did her best to ignore the fact that her teammates were watching her for her reaction. Why was all of the pressure on her to be the guinea pig?
It didn’t take long for the flavor to hit her. Lots of different flavors at once, various spices and herbs, yet managing to be cohesive at the same time. Above all else though…
“It’s bitter,” she admitted, sticking her tongue out with a grimace.
Rue laughed as she took a relaxed sip of her own. “You can add sugar to make it more palatable, but medicine seldom tastes good.”
With that, Silver Wolf wasted no time dumping some sugar into the drink, ignoring Rue’s request to try it as-is first. She trusts Firefly’s reaction enough to know she’d be likely to just spit it out on its own. Firefly took the sugar next, adding only a little bit at a time before tasting it again. Blade and Kafka took to drinking their own as it was, both unphased by the bitterness.
“Medicine?” Kafka echoed curiously, looking towards their medic for an explanation.
Rue nodded. “Like I said, it’s also used to stave off illness. It serves many purposes, honestly. A medicine, a way to warm yourself and others, and if you choose to believe in it, a wish for health. For whatever wishes may be worth.”
“Sure doesn’t taste like wishes,” Silver Wolf muttered, dumping more sugar into her drink.
Despite Silver Wolf’s complaints, the others seemed mostly content to focus on their own drinks. “It serves its purpose…,” Blade commented during the lull. He didn't bother looking up from his mug, staring at the steaming liquid thoughtfully.
“Good,” Rue hummed approvingly, absently swirling her own. “I had to make do with what ingredients we had on the ship, so there were a few substitutions and a few missing ingredients. All in all, a decent recreation.” Lifting the cup to her lips, she smirked against the rim. “And we have plenty of extra.”
Silver Wolf’s groan was enough to make most of them laugh, Firefly turning her head in an attempt to hide her amusement, while Kafka made no such attempts.
I’ve spent way too much time taking screenshots in this game, especially of these three beauties. My three main rides (top to bottom): Fidget, Blazing Glory, and Kaa.
wanting to get my double helix done since I've been slacking off on it for no particular reason so I'll probably do it within the next week. but now it gets a lil gay ass bonus because they'd be matching 🛡️'s piercings :3
Rue is the Stellaron Hunters' healer, and a result she ends up spending a lot of time with Firefly trying to help with her Entropy Loss Syndrome. For the time being it's just symptom management and physical therapy, however Rue is doing her best to research any semblance of a cure.
Firefly is touched by the effort, and remembers every little trick and passing comment that Rue teaches her about pain management and tending to injuries so that she can help Rue and the others when they need it.
