Each Day's a Gift and Not a Given Right

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth sighed softly, "It's not an easy tale to tell I'm afraid. And few people I've ever really told the complete details of what happened." That seemed like the most reasonable place to start the conversation.

"So, the story begins when I was just a Knight in the Jedi Order. A few months after my knighting ceremony, I was so young and naive back then." She sighed, "I'd recently been engaged to Andreas and life was good. Though, the Council in it's infinite wisdom." There might have been just the slightest hint of sarcasm in her last two words. For the council had always been a brainless bunch of fools and hypocrites in Coryth's eyes. "Had a habit of sending me on missions that I was ill suited for. They sent me to Tatooine." She shuddered at the mention of the planet. The same one that repeatedly tried to murder her everytime she stuck a toe in those hot sands. "To infiltrate a criminal syndicate. Something I was entirely unskilled for but that hardly matters. I didn't even make it to the bar that night to meet with my contact."

"I remember arriving, was early. I went to this little cafe for a cup of tea. Only a slight hint of warning came, mere moments before the sleeping darts hit my neck. By that point, it was too late to act. For the life of me, I couldn't make sense of it as I collapsed."

"It was what it was. I woke some time later, without clothing chained to a wall and without the force. And things then became much clearer as I learned who had taken me. In his search for immortality, a trait my fiance's line had managed, but he lacked. Xerexes was using me as bait, to get to my fiance, his cousin. He not only figured my pain would hasten Andreas along, but the sick bastard enjoyed cutting into people. I was held for a few months, tortured near daily. And I wish I could say that was where things ended but no, no .... It couldn't end with just brutal torture. He wished to ensure I was permanently marred and unwanted by anyone. So, my wounds were poisoned with an extremely slow acting version of Sith Poison that hindered any healing process. The wounds, all of them didn't heal over until nearly a year after." The same poison that had plagued her when Kaida first met the tiny redhead.

"Unfortunately scars were not the only thing he left me." For a moment Coryth bit at her lip, not sure she really wanted to say the words aloud. "He raped me, and as a result I became pregnant." Sighing, she reached up to wipe a tear away. "Had a baby girl. Gave her up for adoption." She finally said, and waited to let that sink in for a moment before she went any further.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


Kaida listened in silence as Coryth spoke. For a moment she did not know what to say after the little redhead had relayed her tale. She had expected things to be bad no doubts there. After all, while she had not known the whole story, she had been part of the quest to Malachor where Coryth had almost died. But she had not expected it to be this bad!


Finally she found her voice again and spoke. Kaida was no Siobhan, which meant that she was not the type for long pep talks and empathy. She was direct and focused on the present. Meaning on who Coryth was now. "That's...horrible, Coryth. More than anyone should suffer. But it says a lot about you that you're as great as you are despite going through hell like that." Blunt, direct, to the point, which pretty much summed up her character. "What about your daughter? Did you ever see her again?" she queried softly. No judgement about Coryth giving her up because frankly that would be mean and ignorant.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth found herself staring at the floor for a moment. There was something to be said about speaking the story aloud, made it feel so much more real than just memories. Thoughts she soon did her best to push away. Some things she simply did not wish to feel again.

A slow nod was all she could manage in reply to Kaida for a moment. "Perhaps, just took a long while for me to ever get back to being okay. Nearly ten years, and that mess, still haunts me from time to time." She gave a small shrug, "As for my daughter, I started having visions of her more recently and I chose to follow them to Rhen Var. There I met Elpsis, my girl." Coryth needed a moment as she stopped there, brushing away tears that were threatening to fall.

"She was uh, a bit pissed with me and not that I blame her. Her life hasn't been sunshine and roses to say the least. And the same monster who got to me, got to her. Something I had hoped in giving her up for adoption would never happen. No one, deserves that kind of hell, least of all a child. Anyway ... I have her com number and she has mine. The best I can really hope for after everything." Coryth couldn't help but feel guilty, and responsible for the state of things between her and Elpsis. At the same time, knowing she had given up her rights to the girl and had no right at all to expect anything from the young woman. It still didn't change a desire to want to protect the girl, and help her how she could.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


"You can't change the past. You can regret it, but not undo it. But that doesn't mean there can't be a future for both of you. No instant family happyness, too much has happened and she went through hell - but so did you. But she gave you her number, that's a start," Kaida said softly. Apparently she was trying to see something positive and help Coryth that way. Whether this was the best approach remained to be seen.


"What sort of life does your girl have now?" she queried curiously.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth sighed heavily and leaned against Kaida. "I know.... I just, I feel horrible. Wish I could change some of it, but I can't. I know." Another sigh came and went. "I do want something, a future. I don't have much of a right to ask for it. Gave up those rights when I gave her up years ago. But I guess that number is something."

The redhead ran a hand slowly through her hair, "Well, she is a smuggler from what I can tell. Into less savory elements of things. Which, does not help my worry for her. That's not a life I'd want for anyone. The Gods know being a child thief on the streets was bad enough for myself, and nearly got me killed a few times over, can only imagine the crap she has been through already."

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


"Agreed," Kaida said with a nod. Being Lawful Neutral, she had rather negative views on criminals. Then again, Eldorai parenting tended to be less liberal and more focused on discipline than the average human household. "Well, have you tried calling her? At worst she'll hang up. But at least she'll know you're taking an interest in her life."


Perhaps not the most original suggestion, but then the frost elf was not good with kids. Nor did she like them much.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

She sighed softly, "If I'm honest, I'm afraid to call her. Not afraid of a sith, but afraid to call my teenaged daughter. Where's the logic in that?" Coryth certainly did not see a single ounce of logic in that. But the heart did what it wanted, without regard to the mind. "I just ... I think, I'm afraid of being rejected. Of her wanting nothing at all to do with me. Not that I can blame her for that."

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


"I'm probably not the best choice to ask for advice on kids or emotional stuff...but what would you prefer? To face the risk of being rejected or not trying and never knowing whether you might have been able to make a connection with her? It's not gonna be easy, but if you never try you'll end up regretting it. Especially if something happens to her," Kaida responded softly.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

"You're right." She whispered softly as she snuggled closer to Kaida. "This stuff, it's not easy. And if I'm honest, I'm not mother material, and I sure as hell don't know what I'm doing." Leaning forward, she lightly rested her elbows upon her knees, and laid her head in her hands. "Haven't a clue at all."

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


These emotional talks were real awkward. "I don't think there's a 'how to be a mum' guidebook lying around. But I've yet to meet someone who cares so deeply about others as you do...even if they're complete strangers. And I'd say that's the most important ingredient. Besides, you're hard not to like."



Maybe at this juncture Coryth's com would suddenly beep, indicating that she had received a message..

"Hey, mum. Just fled Nal Hutta. Everyone there wanted to kill me. Beat up bad people and made a new friend. She's real cool! BTW...I heard you're, what it's called now, Exarch now. Congrats...I guess."

 

[Coryth Elaris]

She nodded slowly, "I guess you're right." Her lips were just starting to curl into a slight smile. "You think so?" The redhead had to ask. Oddly enough, she'd never had many friends or people that seemed genuinely interested in her. These days it was just Siobhan and Kaida. Not many other folks paid her much mind. Then again, maybe part of that rested on her shoulders. It wasn't like she ever hung around long enough to find out if anyone like her before. Things were starting to change in that regard now, as she was finally starting to settle down. Especially since her job demanded such from her.

It was then that her comlink beeped. And with a sigh she retrieved it from her pocket. Briefly scanning the message, Coryth reached up and rubbed her forehead slowly. "Oh my stars, I do not think I can handle this one." She said ominously as tension quickly spread through her body.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


"Yes, I do. Otherwise I wouldn't have said it, dear. I don't have the tact to say things just to cheer people up." Apparently Kaida had inherited this writer's complete lack of tact. "You're great. If people don't get that, they're stupid." The commlink beeped, Coryth got a message and her mood seemed to sour. Kaida leaned over, though to her credit she did not try spy on Coryth's mail. "What did it say? I take it nothing pleasant."

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth nodded, smiling slightly. "True. Means a lot coming from you, truly." She said softly.

With a sigh, she handed the comlink over to let Kaida read it. "It's Elpsis. I just ... I don't know. I don't know at all how to respond to that, much less handle it." This parenting thing was clearly a lot harder than the tiny redhead ever expected or imagined. That and she hadn't had eighteen years of practice. She was getting a full grown young woman thrown at her with all the wildness of her own youth.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


Kaida's brow furrowed when she read the message. "I'd have some things to say to her about how she shouldn't be so dumb to go to Nal Hutta and that she should be more respectful to you, but I imagine they wouldn't go well," she said, shaking her head. Leaving aside Elpsis' criminal life style, Kaida clearly disapproved of the flippant way she addressed her mother. In a number of ways Eldorai culture was more permissive and less constrained than human, especially in sexual matters, but on average parenting tended to be stricter.


"Girl's a trouble magnet. Maybe...ask her about that friend she mentioned?" Kaida wondered aloud.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

"No, that would not go well at all. After all, she's my kid. Fiery temper and all that comes with it. And damnably headstrong." Exactly how Coryth was at that age, as a matter of fact. She certainly was getting a taste of her own medicine with that kiddo.

"You know, I'm truthfully a little afraid to ask about the friend. God knows what kind of person she ran into. That part worries me, but I guess I'm not going to know unless I actually get brave enough to ask. Who would have thought that Sith don't scare me, but my eighteen year old daughter sure as hell does." She gave a small shrug as Cory took the comlink back and typed a quick message to Elpsis.

'Just do me a favor and try not to get killed, okay? So tell me about this friend. What are they like.' It was the best she could manage under the circumstances. Coryth really was quite uncertain of what to ask. Such a strange thing for Cory, that was for sure. With a push of her thumb she sent the message off. No doubt to soon be received by Elpsis, wherever she was in the galaxy currently.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


Elpsis was thousands of light years away when the message reached. The rock music that came drumming out of her stereo was roaring loud when her battered freighter left the cursed world of Nal Hutta behind it, though by some miracle she actually heard the message. She had enough sense to turn the volume down a bit and type up a response. Time to fangirl about [member="Abaigeal E'ron"]! "Yes, mum. Name's Abaigeal. Black hair, looks kind of exotic. Looks like she's been through a hell of a lot, but tough as nails. Also real cute...get the feeling she's straight though. Going to Zeltros. Getting laid and drunk. Have fun with...whatever Exarchs do. BTW. Think I saw that Sio chick in Ashira's Angels. Gotta say, them knockers. Good catch!"

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth read the reply, and leaned forward a bit exasperated as she laid her head in her hands. "That girl, is going to be the death of me." She said to Kaida, with a huff. So exhausting. She thought to herself. The last line, made her blush a fair bit. Were kids supposed to do that? Coryth wondered.

Looking back to the comlink she sighed heavily. She sounds lovely. And at least make sure it's safe sex. Last thing you want is some infection. It's not fun. Seen plenty of patients with stuff like that and the last thing I want to do is to have to treat you for something like that. Embarrassing mom moment for the win! Exarchs are like vice presidents ... so lots of bureaucratic stuff, and more paperwork than you can even imagine. And yeah, Sio is. That was the best answer she could come up with, even if she was totally mortified by what her kiddo had said about Siobhan.

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


Kaida cocked her head to the side slightly as she looked upon the message, frowning. "I see she's a Kerrigan fangirl. They would get on far too well," she said flatly. Needless to say she did not like that at all. Presumably she saw what Coryth wrote in response and nodded. "Nice reply. You have the give good advise while embarrassing your daughter part down pat."

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth shook her head, "Yeah, they would. Not sure it would be a good influence on her.... Isn't much I can really do to stop that though." That much was certain. "It was the best I could do. Plus I've gotten fairly decent at trolling over the years. Why not apply those skills to my daughter? It seemed the logical solution." Certainly she had gotten much better at trolling in the last few years, being exposed to the Kerrigan-Alcori clan. As it seemed in their very DNA to troll.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


There was a bit of a delay before Elpsis responded. "Mum, that's so mean of you! Anyway, I'll be a good girl. Mostly. Have fun with paperwork. I'd probably get pissed and set people on fire at some point. Think I saw you on telly. There was that blonde elf chick staring at you all the time. I think she has a crush. Anyhow, bye."