26.3 Fic: Letters Home

Hi Shiv,   First of all, shut up. I can hear you yelling bloody murder from here, and here's pretty far off. If you're going to insist I write letters regularly I at least get to have some fun with them. Besides, it's only a Playfair and I know you know how to work those.   I'm not writing back until you tell me the key, so don't even think about skipping it. I’ll even give you a hint – it’s something I don’t tell you enough.   MCBOSDQCIYRNSRKHXHKHSVKBNQNKXDUFRGCQKHCTSPOKDKDQWRAFHLHAFCMDAVKSQDRTCFESQLHLTPZGQEAGAFCTCBRFOKDMVDINPMAHDULAIFXNULFSPVQLKSFALMMNCZBUFABTPUAVHAPOPBLFTRHNFUTDKSY   VROEAFIYIDMLGEFSOMISKQBSGATXDKHSCZDKRKAFINFPCYCNLKHAUDSBSVUDVLPUCLLAALHBQITBCZMUSVTXDUHICKUPRKSNKBCTUMKBLIAHTCHASCVFBVNIFDTPZBERWGSKZBDKOENKSNKBPSMCSAFXCMBTPORLQUPSHCRNFSUDASTPODUFSKAGHLINKSQY   KQQLTCCLIVMSUDKHSZDUVNAGHLBTPMBKDUSKANSFNOZMVOHABUINDSLAMBKDQNINDLVOFLQNMBBTPOBSESNCTCFSTPPMAHFAXHCTHBRFDKCMPBSPOUTPRSRKAFGYBMVSLACFESNKLDPQCMOESVKDKPMBTCBTPOBSOVOLFXBUSURGCKDLHASBHNIVITDLHBUSZSONKBWNTXSUZSQLMPSBCVBSMUDFMASKKBWNTXBMZMFSCTFRHVDUSBHNXLHLKBUDOVQNCGHVAGMDZBIKEMEOUDMOEAITDSSRSBKHHNEMNKVSKBODTPHNKFLQHISUQNDNRTCZDMBS   TPVBTPUMKDZSPLVSSVTCTAPVSZDUVRKDDMBSFCSRLAIWILIZUMNIFNKBKDVB   Cheers!   ~ K. Mika

Óla pai, mai,   <I'm writing from Mirage's house. You remember her right - of course you do. It's amazing she ever goes unnoticed. Her family is kind enough to let us stay with them.>   <Auria is not what I imagined. It's cold here. The wind is constant. I can't believe it's May right now.>   <You don't realize how big the sky is until you're in it. It makes everything feel small. It stretches in all directions, even downward. We flew for hours today, and didn't pass a single building. It's like being an ant on an enormous sheet of paper. I'm not explaining well, sorry.>   <The sea is below, presumably. I can’t tell where it starts or stops. It's all just blue forever. But it's beautiful. The stars are huge here. Closer. Bright as anything. It's like Candlenacht but without the crowds. And I'll give credit where it's due, someone in the kitchen knows how to use peppers, which is more than I can say for literally any inn we've stayed at.>   <We're here for a little while, I guess. Probably long enough to write back if you want. I’ll ask the address and put it in a postscript if so.>   <We picked up a passenger on the way. Kid from the north provinces who needs a hand getting home. Been a while since we were out that way. Maybe we can actually head to the coast this time. It's not that far. I'd say I still don't see how the ocean can be that much more impressive than the inland sea, but I also used to think I knew the scale of the sky, so I guess we’ll see.>   <I don’t know what else to say, so that’s it. I’m not sure where we’re headed next. Pet Rose for me.>   com amor,   ~ K. Mika