The Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Saturday Evening (Fandom Time)

[trigons_child]

With all the time differences between Fandom and Glacia, not to mention time spent in other worlds, keeping track of just what day it was could just be asking for a headache. So Raven was very much surprised when one of the staff told her she had visitors, and even more surprised when she went outside and found the wagon and its occupants waiting for her, bearing birthday gifts.

Much later, after making certain that all her visitors had full stomachs and a place to spend the night, Raven retreated to one of the Estate's sitting rooms, Philia curled at her feet. She clutched some of her presents to her chest as she read and re-read the letters from the children. She wasn't crying. The sitting room was just dusty, that was all.

[Open for those in Glacia or text/phone calls, but it's late, so SP will be in effect!]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

And it was the very worst, wasn't it, Philla? Karla missed being able to do that, too. So much. So, so much.

Granted, she was pulling a treat out of her pocket to give to her, but it wasn't the saaaame.

"An army of toddlers, hmm?" she asked, winking at Raven even as she continued to scratch Philla's velvety ears. Greeting pets should never be rushed. "You're not inciting them to revolt, are you? I don't think I could handle losing Glacia to Toddler Treason."

[trigons_child]

Treats from a pocket were just as good as ones that appeared out of thin air! The pretty golden one was the best!

"Well, as long as I am kept happy, then you have no reason to fear them," Raven said as Philia munched on her treat. "And you only must do so until they become teenagers, at which point I am sure they will have no time for me and my fiendish plans."

[glacial_queen]

If the pretty golden one had had her way, Philla would be roughly spherical and unable to do more than waddle. It was probably best that Nemit had taken the place of Cora's birdie in the girl's heart, or Karla would have likely ruined him, too.

"By the time they're teenager, I'm sure they'll be able to come up with their own reasons to riot and revolt. That's what teens do, that, and running off to get themselves killed at the tiniest provocation."

Well, that's what they'd done as teens. Which they no longer were. Which reminded Karla of the real reason why she was here, besides her never-ending quest to buy Philla's affection with treats.

"So, I hear happy birthdays are in order?" she teased. "I'm not supposed to tell, but Ermengarde's taken some time out of Winsol preparation to cook you some kind of amazing dinner. Shh, be surprised."

[trigons_child]

"I will do my best to appear so," Raven said solemnly. "And I will be very happy to enjoy it, so long as it is truly no trouble for her. I know Winsol preparation can be very time consuming."

She leaned back in her chair and gestured to the basket of gifts beside her. "And yes, it is my birthday," she said. "Momoko seems to have unleashed a flood when she asked if some of the children could send me a note of good wishes."

Not that Raven was complaining.

[glacial_queen]

"Well, I have a few presents of my own to add to that," Karla said, reluctantly letting go of Philla to fetch the gifts she bought for her dearest friend. "And one gift I'm not giving, but not getting it is a gift in and of itself."

One was something of a joke, which Raven would get as soon as she opened it, and another was actually sincere and came with a promise that she could make Karla sit down and watch the whole thing with her. "This is for when you want to be alone and comfortable and this is for when the exact opposite is true." Because friends were allowed to scandalize each other from time to time, and a blushing Raven was an adorable one. "And then these are from the baby."

[trigons_child]

"What are you not giving?" Raven said, curious as she started to open the presents. The parasol made her giggle, the DVDs made her squee, and, yes, the lingerie made her blush.

"Karla, you are far too generous," she said, squeezing the World's Best Aunt shirt to herself. "Thank you."

[glacial_queen]

"I tried to knit you a winter hat," Karla said with a shrug just a touch too careless to to be entirely sincere. "It, umm, didn't work out well. When I left, the maid were disposing of it. Somehow. Possibly with fire."

[trigons_child]

Which was worse? Karla's cooking or Karla's knitting?

"You are being too hard on yourself," Raven scolded gently. "Even were it not perfect, it would have been made with your own two hands and the love in your heart, and I would treasure it."

Just maybe not actually wear it.

[glacial_queen]

Well, you actually had to ingest Karla's cooking...

"You're just saying that now, since you've been rescued from it," Karla teased, coming over to give Raven a tight hug. "You're welcome, darling. Happy birthday."

[trigons_child]

"Thank you," Raven said, squeezing her back as best as she could with that huuuuuge belly in the way.

She wondered now if she should tell Karla about what she'd asked Jono. Not that she thought Karla might try to talk her out of it, but she certainly had enough on her mind with the baby.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked, sending out an empathic tendril at the baby as she did.

[glacial_queen]

Kayla was drowsing when she felt the Kindness say hello, so it was a sleepy pulse of happiness that she sent back in return. *☺*

"Not bad," Karla answered. "The baby has settled down a great deal since that uterine riot of the other day. I'm still tired a lot, but it's a good tired." A persistent tired, but Karla hadn't put on much non-baby weight. The weight of a baby on her otherwise still-thin frame was a burden, for all that it was a much-beloved one. "So long as no one suggests we run a marathon anytime soon, I'm fine enough."

[trigons_child]

Raven gave the baby a warm empathic hug, then withdrew, leaving her to her rest.

"Well, in that case I shall have to cancel the one I had planned," she said, heaving a put upon sigh.

She gave Karla a warm smile. "It will not be long now, though. And then, should any of your Court decide to bear a child in the future, you will be able to offer them your advice."

Raven was so subtle.

[glacial_queen]

Suuuper subtle. Which was why Karla's eyebrows were making a break for her hairline.

"Are there really people who are looking at me waddling down the hall and thinking 'I wanna do that?'" she asked.

[My apologies for the delay! Holiday travel and family and general holiday everything.]

[trigons_child]

"Of course," Raven insisted. "The physical effects are only temporary, and you are carrying life inside you! Soon you will have a child of your own flesh and blood. I envy you for that. I wish to have a child as well."


[No worries! Ditto! :) ]

[glacial_queen]

"What does it matter?" Karla asked, now genuinely confused. "The flesh and blood part, I mean. You're in charge of the orphanages in Glacia. You could probably have your pick of babies there."

She pointed at the heap of gifts Raven had near her. "Or kids of any age, really."

[trigons_child]

"I do wish to adopt some of them," Raven said fondly. The hard part would be choosing which ones, since she wanted them all to feel loved and wanted. "I had planned on requesting I be given larger rooms, if possible, so that I could accommodate them."

Her expression turned wistful again. "But I also want a child that is mine by blood. Like you! Even with the children you and Warren have taken in, you still intended to have children of your own, did you not?"

[glacial_queen]

"I..." Karla frowned, unsure. "Probably? In some distant future? I mean, we wanted Kayla and Nommy, of course. But it was always some kind of nebulous thing." Karla waved a hand, as if that would help define the thing it was. "No concrete plans of when or anything. Just that one day, maybe, we'd like to have the children we met at Fandom."

But they both had deep-seated parental issues, which kept things on the nebulous end of 'probably.'

"But becoming parents at twenty-two and twenty-three which is roughly how old Raven is, btw! was definitely not our plan."

[trigons_child]

"Well, planned or not, your child will be well loved, and so will mine," Raven said, failing to see any downside here. Her own normal parental issues had been abandoned.

"And they will be able to be playmates and grow up together! It will be wonderful, do you not think?"

[glacial_queen]

"Any child you have will be loved as fiercely as my own," Karla promised, giving Raven a hug. "And I'm not going to deny that I wouldn't mind having playmates around."

If this were Kayla she was carrying, all the friends she'd had on Fandom breaks were either not happening or would be very much younger. Momoko and Jaime hadn't even started sleeping together yet, never mind getting ready for their first and the very idea of Emma and Jack having their triplets soon was laughable.

"But as much as I'd love a little dark-haired munchkin with a chakra running around the estate, there are a few, umm, prerequisites that need handling first. Like the conception, if you're not going to adopt."

[trigons_child]

Raven hugged Karla back, then continued to lean against her as she explained her plan.

"I have asked Jonothon to be the father," she said. "I know it is not an easy choice to make, and he is considering it. I have told him that I do not expect any sort of commitment from him for this, and he may play as large or small a role in the child's life as he wishes. I just wanted the father to be someone for whom I cared and trusted."

[glacial_queen]

"Did you really?" Karla asked, dismayed. The question slipped out before she could help it. "Oh Raven...Jono?"

That seemed...thoughtlessly cruel.

"I understand you wanting someone you care for and trust, but--" It was just as much a kick in the balls as it was asking to use them. She shook her head. "That's a pretty deep tangle of issues right there."

[trigons_child]

Raven frowned and drew back from Karla. "I had hoped you would be more supportive," she said. "I want a child, and I know Jono does as well, I can feel it. He will be a wonderful father. I know he is worried about passing along his mutation, but we have seen so many children from other worlds, and they have been fine."

[glacial_queen]

"I am a hundred percent supportive of you having a child," Karla said, shaking her head. "I will fight Momoko for the right to throw your shower and collaborate with you about how our children can share nurseries. I'll make sure that neither you nor your children want for anything, including love, friendship and emotional support. But I can support you having a child while still having grave reservations about using Jono to get it."

[trigons_child]

"I am not using him!" Raven said indignantly, spurred on by Envy. "I merely asked him! I am not compelling him in anyway, and I resent you implying that!"