So Umm Hi (Sio)

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Her daughter's reaction - or rather her lack of it - made Siobhan sigh. Disappointment and frustration washed over her like a cold shower. Is it too much to ask for you to act like a grownup when we're discussing serious issues? Like your future. Instead of being zoned out in your own world. You're like a damn child. It took a lot of self-control for Siobhan not to launch into a rant and give voice to her thoughts.


She narrowly restrained the urge. Nato had always been quirky, which Siobhan found endearing. But now she'd gone past that and become full on incoherent. "I'm sure you'll do your best and comport yourself like any other Firemane employee. I expect nothing less," she spoke tartly. She forced a smile. "Adril and Marcus are good choices." She thought so genuinely, but there was little enthusiasm in her tone. Right now she strongly doubted Natoline would be even remotely capable of raising a child.


Perhaps a time skip was in order soon so that everyone's favourite Eldorai Priestess could show up!

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Natoline Kerrigan"]

Tegaea would probably share her wife’s opinion. It seemed to her that Natoline was becoming more vague and unfocused, which did not bode well for her future motherhood. On the one hand it was good because it meant the baby or babies would be better taken care of. On the other of course it meant that Firemane would be having to take care of children. Firemane certainly had the money, but unexpected pregnancies was not something the company was going to allocate much cash to!

And so, a timeskip occurred until the priestess appeared. Tegaea greeted her at the door.
“Welcome, Priestess. Please come in, and thank you for coming,” she said with a smile.
Whilst she had little time for religion herself, but she had no problem with others practicing it so long as they didn’t convert her. Ardarvia excepted!

 

[Glade]

Rant that would have been well deserved from Sio’s heavy heart. Transitioning from reckless teenager to adult, to mother and responsible for those around you, was not something she’d had any experience of seeing or being around. Everyone she knew was either a kid, or an adult, nobody making that jump with her, and past her time to do so.

Empathy in waves.

Given her father’s nature responsibility was something Nato actively avoided like loaded guns, but Sio’s concern came not from how she’d look to people at work, but from her concern for new life on the way, her household, and Nato, that was the big difference. Only now did Siobhan’s daughter FEEL that difference, not just know it and her heart could have broken.

“I will.” She said softly, “I will.” Her voice louder. Actions were going to speak louder than words would for anything their daughter could say, perhaps she might surprise them yet.

Awkwardness certainly for awhile, black sheep home again yep, but she didn’t wander or stay while their nurse came to examine Natoline. Taking her to private room to leave her mother(s) concerns to be discussed out of earshot, or awkward silences to prevail, or just more tea.

Eventually their nurse would probably emerge with news, while Nato waited somewhere out of sight.

The answer:

Spoiler

Fate's Dice was literally rolled and triplets was the answer! Three girls. Force help their mother.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Siobhan's features softened just a little when Nato departed with the Priestess. But not much. Her expression was still rather sour. Words are easy. Make good on those promises, then we'll talk. I'm not giving you anymore chances if you run off again, she thought to herself. One of Sio's characteristics was that once she'd formed a poor opinion of someone, it did not change easily. In that regard she was rather rigid. It was the flip side of her caring, nurturing persona.


And so time past while Natoline and Eileithya spent some time in a private examination room. Finally the Priestess emerged from the chamber. Being an empath, she could sense the tension in the room. Siobhan in particular seemed to be a big ball of tension and annoyance. Her aura had the taste of a sour lemon. Eileithya was not privy to the conversations that had taken place prior to her arrival, but she hoped they could sort it out and place the good of the babies first.


However, first she had some news to deliver. "Well, I examined your daughter. All in all, she's in good health. I suppose...congratulations are in order," she began, fidgeting a bit nervously. "She's pregnant with three healthy baby girls."


Siobhan's cup suddenly dropped to the ground and burst into a couple dozen shards. "Triplets?! Feth. I need more whiskey." She'd been saying that a lot today. Hopefully she would not go overboard with her drinking.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Natoline Kerrigan"]

The happy moment was considerably less happy for Tegaea than she might have expected.

“Three…girls,” she said flatly. She personally doubted Natoline’s ability to deal with one, let alone three children.
Carefully avoiding the broken glass she poured herself a double shot of spirits. It was early in the morning, but she felt she needed it as much as Siobhan.

“Plus side, we’re going to be grandparents. Minus side, we’ve got three babies and their mother hanging on our charity.”

Tegaea should be happy, and she felt bad that she wasn’t. At the same time though she felt detached from the whole situation. Natoline had not seemed to care much about them until she’d come back to them pregnant.

“I wonder if she wants to keep them or whether she wants to adopt one or two out,” she mused. Tegaea would certainly prefer that, Natoline was her daughter by adoption after all, not blood.

 

[Glade]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmroWWoY8Fk​

Some news just kind of sucker punches you. They’d be waiting a while for Natoline to digest her news. While the mums got some probably much needed words out, about her behavior as of late, or absences. Weird how you recreate situations you’re so used to, over and over again. Not kids but feelings of distancing, familiar distance, self created. As our daughter walked back into their room, fresh set of clothes cleaned and pressed. Eileithya had been kind, perhaps knowing their cloud which had settled in their room opposite! Compassion, but then she wasn’t the one footing their bill, or having to take responsibility for how things ran either, effects on others or their house.

Natoline caught or rather for her, felt Tegs last word about adoption from where she had been, but her head didn’t raise, she couldn’t even process three as a number, let alone any more than that, and her usual happy mood was reflecting their own feelings about her behavior, not an undue guilt trip to take. No more words came from their usual plucky daughter unless pressed, if there was ever an urge to run, buried well enough. She wanted to say, can I go sit in my room and work this out, but didn’t feel as safe calling it her room, so she stood instead somewhere near their kitchen fridge. Door was one way, stairs up the other, our empath torn for her love for them, for all Sio had given her, and her own nature to flee that heavy, familiar weight she felt brewing. Subtle breeze blowing outside, weather hadn't forecasted anything, strange.

Choice about to happen, not made by her, she was here whatever happened. Learning part of what responsibility was, living with mistakes, but she decided when she looked up, arms hugging her own sides, they took her as she was, or not. That's what Sio might see in her eyes, love but that.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


Siobhan poured herself another glass and gulped down a good portion of it. Eileithya looked disapproving, but presently the Countess did not care. A servant girl was clearing away the broken glass shards. There was an awkward silence before words left her lips. "Three babies, a daughter who's acting like a five-year old child and is extremely unreliable. Do you want to talk to her?" she asked Tegaea. "I've tried, and we saw how that went."


"Siobhan," Eileithya reproached her gently.


"What? For Ashira's sake, I've fething tried. I've given her a home, a family, love, a job. I saved her life on Kaeshana when the asteroid was about to hit. I almost bloody died there. You know, I could handle her suddenly showing up with kids. Even triplets. She was foolish and got deceived. Chit happens. I wouldn't be thrilled, but I'd support her. What pisses me off is the blatant disrespect and unwillingness to take responsibility. Getting a single coherent word out of her is like pulling teeth. She cannot even show me the basic courtesy of talking to me like an adult. It's like she expects me to wave a magic wand and solve all her bloody problems! It's like she doesn't care. So yeah, I'm disappointed and I'm asking myself 'when will she run off again and dump her problems in my lap?' After all, she ran off once and only came back because a manling knocked her up and she had Netherworld troubles. I'm sick of being nice and understanding."


A lifetime of being an Ashiran Priestess had taught Eileithya the virtue of patience. You sure as hell needed if you were forced to attend a Celestial Council and be diplomatic to a college of sanctimonious bitches. So rather than interrupt she simply waited until Siobhan's rant was over. "Are you finished now? She's been immature and irresponsible. Will she grow up at last? I hope so. If not, there's only so much you can do to help before she has to face the consequences of her actions alone. Right now she's standing outside and scared. It's cruel to just leave her trapped in uncertainty. And for heaven's sake, how many drinks have you had? You've got every right to be angry with her, but it's not the fault of her unborn children. They deserve care. If not from you, then from someone else. You're better than this."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Yes, her children are innocent in this,” Tegaea said finally. “We can’t punish them for the sins of the mother. We’ve taken Natoline into our family, so we can’t cast her out. We can give her support and though not pamper her, we should not make her stress.”

She went to Siobhan and hugged her wife close. “I feel the same way as you, love. In fact, I feel even more angry at the way she has behaved. But…we have to try and make this work. We can get some good nannies in to help her, a home close to here so she is near but not interfering. Come on, let’s go in and talk to her together…Ele too. She’s made bad choices, but we need to give her one more chance…if only for the granddaughters.”

She held out her hand for Siobhan to take, and another to the Priestess.

 

[Glade]

For once she hadn’t run from that familiar heavy pressure pushing at her, like chalk running down boards to her, sitting up on window ledge watching winds grow outside, every angry word muffled as they were from where she was, seem to make her breeze stronger, not that she didn’t think she deserved anger, but that’s how her mums anger came out of her beside her window. By end of their words, force winds had picked up to really test their landscaper’s skills at planting outside, thankfully they had the best there was, and nothing was pulled up.

Her mind had been playing out what could happen next. Maybe selling up Fyor and her speeder, taking work nearby. Not having jobs since Kaeshana, what was she good at? Apart from stealing things, not much call for mind reading, Jedi sometimes got paid, right? At least her head was in the right place.

Familiar situations! In unfamiliar places. When they came around their corner, she didn’t speak or put up much resistance to their decision to kick her our or accept her, not her choice this time. Keeping her kids, she knew that much, had her head around that, and facing music, two signs of being more responsible. forcegods three of them. So up our wayward daughter stood, and not knowing what to do with her hands, put them together at her side. She’d decided too.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Siobhan glared at Eileithya, but then her features softened slightly. For her part, the Priestess gave Siobhan her patented 'please don't explode and create more drama, I already have to deal with an insane Angelii Seraph' looks. She was still unhappy about an Angelii recruit ending up in the healing house after training due to third degree frostbite. Finally Siobhan sighed and relented. Perhaps her wife's words and the hug melted the ice.


"You're right," she said at last. "I'm unhappy, but I'd like to make this work. We've got a big estate. She can get her own house slightly detached from the villa. She'll be responsible for the house upkeep though."


"I'd be willing to pop by and help with the babies. Or send one of my sisters in the faith over," Eileithya added helpfully, taking Tegs' other hand. It was very likely that the Priestess would also try to turn the young ones into good, Goddess-loving Eldorai girls. So the three ladies stepped out out of the living room and soon found young Nato. Strong, angry winds were blowing across the land outside. Hopefully they would not blossom into a tornado. "Well, Nato, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Your mothers and I have discussed things," the Priestess began a bit awkwardly.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Natoline Kerrigan"]

Tegaea moved in to speak first.
“Natoline, I know this has been traumatic for you, but we’ve talked things over. We are not going to push you out. We’re going to help you take care of the babies, but it will be help not responsibility. We’re going to construct a smaller place for you to manage, and we’ll ensure you have an allowance which covers all your basic needs, but we shall expect you to work somewhat from home. I know looking after triplets won’t be easy, but we need you to show you’re committed.”

She smiled, stepped forward and held out a hand to Nato.
“Does that sound fair?”

 

[Glade]

No tornados outside!

Laying her hands to her mums gesture, familiar contact, she shared silent moment for their choice. “No” she answered Tegs, but hands were not drifted away, unless tegs pulled from her.

“I will pay.” How, well she’d found her way, “we’ll be close but, y’know, me'own two feet.” Looking out their window and back to Sio, they’d both picked the same choice “Love you both so much, but have to support myself.” Turning down their offer of work but gratefully. Nato was calm, gentle, having a taiden moment with her voice. “If… we can build close, would mean so-much, knowing they’d be safe and always loved.”

She did have plans, but she was keeping her thoughts close to herself, mental puzzles didn’t begin to describe their daughter’s natural memory if anyone tried to read her, collected as she was, very calm and happy, so happy they’d let her daughters remain Alocri-Kerrigan, they'd be safe.

Her mind wasn’t on maids, but no doubt maids that she knew might be sneaking by to offer help, because some were good friends! Close she’d still be protected from any outside troubles, but they were right about her, she had to support herself.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Natoline was being coherent and treating the question with the seriousness it warranted. That was progress. It softened Siobhan's mood a bit. However, her daughter was still being quite naive, though it was more understandable in this case.


"Don't be stubborn. You don't have the money to pay for your own house. Certainly not one my daughter and three grandchildren deserve," Siobhan. Her tone was not sweet, but a good deal softer than before. However, it was still very firm and commanding.


"We'll pay for construction and give you an allowance. At some point you can pay it back, but that's neither here nor now. We'll find you a proper position in the family business. That way you'll support yourself." There was a pause before she spoke again. "I love you, too."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Siobhan telling someone to stop being stubborn was more than a little ironic. Still, Tegaea was not much less unyielding, so she made no comment on that. Besides, there were more important things to discuss.

“Natoline, think of it as a loan you can pay back, like Siobhan says. You do not have the resources to pay this yourself, but eventually you will be able to. Let us help you so you can help yourself and your children.”

It was time to lighten things up again.
“So, we’re going to need two more names for the babies. Any ideas?” She paused. “I mean, any ideas which are not mashups of my own and Siobhan’s name?” she added with a smirk. Tegbhan would not be accepted. Nor Siogaea.

 

[Glade]

Accepting gratefully, “love you both so-much,” she didn’t want to upset anyone or cause them concern over her fitness as mother-to-be! They might find their loan back quicker than they expected one day when checking their accounts, plots and stories for later! What was clear, was that these last few minutes had been make or break! Across their daughters face was beaming love, not trace of anything else, because there was nothing else in her to give. Winds settled down outside visibly, with just a'little confusion for animals outside as to why they were now on the otherside of the villa on their calm sunny day.

Almost pulling a-face for tegs, wanting to joke about names a'little, but holding back, being more serious, thinking her mums wanted to see seriousness from her right now. Might take a smidgen of time for their daughter and mother-to-be to learn fun and serious both had place. “Really-like family ties.” Natoline offered uncertainly, maybe her comment was obvious! “Mean loads if we, y’know name them after our families, people not here anymore?”

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Siobhan smiled slightly. "I believe we wanted to call one of them Adril, right? The others could be...Althenea and Livia," she glanced over to Tegaea, as if asking for confirmation or other suggestions.


Althenea had been the name of Siobhan's dead sister, Livia Tegaea's mother. It sounded good to the Countess! Outside the winds seemed to have calmed down. This was a relief to everyone who'd been afraid of a tornado. Hurricane Nato had settled down...for now!

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” Tegaea said happily. “Though, how will we tell them apart? We’ll need to sew little names onto their clothes or something.”
Hopefully the babies would not take the traits of the ones they’d been named for, especially Adril!

“Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’ll talk with some architects today and get something drawn up soon so we can get construction started.”

She already had in mind something grand and shining in white stone, to match the rest of the city.

 

[Glade]

Natoline’s head bobbing let her mums know she was in favor, very much! “Adril, Althenea and Livia.” She said her daughter’s names out loud for the first time, welling happiness easily seen for anyone watching her. Somehow knowing their names made her daughters more real.

“Can I help with dinner?” Their daughter wasn’t just hungry, she was absolutely starving, and apart from her mind wandering to food over and over, had done very good job of hiding how hungry she was. Eating for four!

Tegs might find Natoline over her shoulder constantly as they drew up her plans later, because Nato would be paying for their home, she really meant that! Well y'know eventually. “Should they have godmothers?” Natoline nose scrunched. Not believing in gods or silly superstitions, but definitely believing how dangerous life was outside of their often serene villa, had to do what was right for her kids, her daughters mattered more than her.

About then our young kiffar mother-to-be felt twinges along her back, realising carrying three babies was really going to test her not so-happy back. Something Sio's choice of nurse might whisper to her out of earshot.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


"Sure you can help, dear. If you follow your mother's orders! Tegs rules over the kitchen," Siobhan said with a smirk, looking towards her wife. Siobhan was not allowed to help cooking because she even burnt popcorn. She had many talents, but cooking was not one of them.


"I believe Mirien and Tempest would make good godmothers. Maybe Coryth, too. You agree, love?" she asked while Tegs led them back inside. Food sounded good because Siobhan was feeling ravenous.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

“Of course you can!” Tegaea said indulgently. It was true, Tegaea did like cooking a lot, and had once been semi-professional with it.
Now, well, she enjoyed the cooking part but left the cleaning up and chopping vegetables to the maids. What was the point of a tier VI company if you couldn’t have a bit of fun?

“I think Mirien and Tempest will do beautifully, and Coryth if she’s available,” she added, giving Siobhan a kiss as she walked in with her.

“Come along, Nato. Anything you don’t like, any allergies and things you want to stay off whilst pregnant?”