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 Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:07 am
First Clinic Visit:
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Aiodhan asked rather dubiously, narrowing one light gray eye and cocking his head to one side. His long, black-skinned tail shifted its grip on his mate's waist, the tip tapping ever so gentlt against her abdomen.
"Of course it's the right place!" Amyla replied with a rather indignant huff. She glared up at the dragon-man, waggling a pamphlet beneath his nose. "Unlike you, I can read! This is the right address, and Kimie said it was called the Farland Clinic!"" she added rather haughtily, brushing past Aiodhan to walk through the door and into the clinic, her long light-brown braid bumping against her back as she walked. Honestly... that man had quite the nerve some times.
Aiodhan instantly released his hold on her waist, wincing as he found himself at odds with the woman a=yet again. He quickly tried to worm his way back into her favor by holding the door open for her. He was rewarded with a frosty look and sighed quietly to himself as he followed the far-shorter woman A blast of cool air hit his face and ruffled his short and already disheveled brown hair. He would have grinned were it not for the apparently foul mood that his mate was in. Blast it... how did he always manage to make her mad?!
Amyla, meanwhile, was gazing about the lobby with curiousity and a bit of anticipation. It had only taken them the better part of the day to find the place, but Amyla considered it well worth the time spent. They'd tried every fertility clinic and adoption agency within reason. She was really on her last stretch of hope for having children. She'd long thought herself barren, and the time spent with Aiodhan had only proven that. Still...
While Amyla lost herself in her thoughts, Aiodhan took the opportunity to explore the lobby area. He managed to navigate the majority of it, despite his massive black leathery wings getting in the way. He cringed as he nearly swept a pile of magazines off a table with his tail. Ooops.... he thought, watching the receptionist give him a withering look. Undaunted, he ambled over to the desk. "I was wondering what sort of forms we needed to fill out... you know, to be considered for an appointment and all," he asked politely, making sure to bare each and every one of his sharp and gleaming white teeth.
The woman looked as though she'd rather pitch him out by the ear, but she handed over the forms and a clipboard, albeit with great reluctance.
He gave her another sharp-toothed smile as he accepted the forms. "Thank you!" He turned around and was surprised to see Amyla already seatedon one of the couches, arms folded across her chest. She raised one eyebrow at him and glared until he padded over to her.
Amyla nearly purred at his obedience. "Kimie said the doctor here was pretty skilled. D'you think she could do something for us?"she queried, taking the clipboard to begin filling out the usual paperwork. She was no stranger to medical forms. Thankfully, this one looked rather simple, far simpler than the ones she saw at work in the emergency room. She glanced back up at the hybrid, now feeling a bit repentant for having snapped at him. "And sorry for... before. I'm just worried that... you know... they can't help us either..."
Her mate gave her a reassuring smile and mutely accepted her apology with a kiss to the back of her hand, silently thanking whatever deities existed that her mood had swung back in his favor. "It's worth a try," he replied noncommitally as he folded his multi-jointed draconic legs beneath him to sit on the floor in front of her. Secretly, he hoped more than she that it did work. He was rather fond of children, much as he denied it. The idea of having a child of their own appealed to him in all sorts of ways, but it made him a bit nervous in others, such as Amyla's health and safety.
Fully human and relatively non-gifted as she was, Amyla was close enough to the hybrid to pick up on his thoughts. "I'm perfectly healthy, thank you," she said, raising her pale blue gaze to meet his anxious gray one. She gave one of his pointed ears a tap with her pen. "Healthy enough to keep up with you!" she added, quirking one eyebrow rather suggestively and prompting a grin from the dragon-man.
After a few moments of quiet, the only sound being the scratching of Amyla's pen on the papers, Aiodhan sighed. "How much left?" he asked, resting one hand and his chin on Amyla's knee. This was quite dull.
"Not much considering I filled out your part too," Amyla said, giving him a look of mixed adoration and exasperation. Much as he drove her batty, she couldn't think of anyone else she loved more. "It's a good thing we've filled out loads of thse before."
Aiodhan grinned, peeking over the top of the clipboard at her tiny and unusually neat writing. "Sooo... what's left?" he asked, slit-pupilled eyes scanning the form quite carefully. He saw a blank spot and tried to read the print upside-down.
"Species... we need a species for the extra DNA," Amyla said, now fresh out of ideas. "How about... a bird?" she suggested, nearly laughing aloud at the look Aiodhan gifted her with. "What?! I happen to like winged things!"
Aiodhan shuddered. "Yes, let's mix dragon and bird DNA... yeesh! My child will not have to suffer like that!" he said so vehemently that Amyla could do nothing else but burst into laughter. Giving her a vexed look, Aiodhan racked his brain for a better idea. What would not clash horribly with his draconic half? Something not winged or exotic...
"Whale?" Amyla giggled, knowing full well how ridiculous it was and not caring.
Aiodhan grimaced. Much as he loved her rare giggles, this was really quite enough. "Uh no... insect of some kind?" he suggested hopefully, ducking as she swatted at him. "Sorry... forgot you're arachnophobic among other things," he said with a completely unrepentant grin.
Oh, he hadn't forgotten; he was just being difficult. Amyla mock-glared at him before looking around the lobby for inspiration. Nothing was coming to mind, but...
"Panthera tigris," Aiodhan whispered suddenly, inspiration coming to him in the form of a fourth-grade science lesson. The long-ago memory resurfaced, and he grinned at the thought. When he came back to his senses, Amyla was giving him a bemused look.
"Panthera tigris?" she repeated, now looking rather skeptical herself. "It sounds dangerous."
"Well, it's a Bengal tiger, a predator... a white tiger. It's white with black stripes and pale sapphire eyes... just like yours," Aiodhan replied with an unusual note of tenderness in his voice, reaching a hand up to stroke her cheek. Their gazes met and held, the moment lingering on and on until the receptionist finally cleared her throat rather loudly, and both looked away rather abashedly.
"Errr... why don't we head home?" Amyla said rather lamely, quickly writing in their species choice and moving to stand. Her face was flushed scarlet, and her fingers shook ever so slightly. Damn him and his eyes! They always made her fall in love with him all over again!
Aiodhan fairly leapt to his feet and extended a hand to help her up. "My thoughts exactly," he said smoothly in her ear, grinning as she turned a deep shade of magenta. Regardless of whether or not they got that appointment, the trip had not been wasted. "What do you say to a little reading time?" he asked, taking the clipboard from her grasp and laughing as she gaped at him.
"Reading?! Is that all I'm good for? Being a reading partner?!" she demanded after a moment, watching him pass the clipboard and forms back to the receptionist. Ohhhh.... damn him! she growled silently at the smug look on his face.
Aiodhan gave the wary receptionist a grin before promptly leading the flustered Amyla towards the door. "I never said we had to read the whole time," he corrected her, laughing as the confusion on her face turned to mischief and then ducking the swat she sent in his direction. "You really sure we're going to need that appointment?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:12 am
Clinic RP w/ Kimie: Amyla Edana "Remind me again why we're here," Aiodhan muttered quietly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He followed his petite mate into the clinic, looking around with an expression bordering on disinterest.
Amyla turned around to scowl up at him, an amusing sight considering their drastic height difference. "I just want to look!" she said in exasperation, rolling her eyes and turning away again. Her frown turned into a wide grin as Aiodhan gave her braid an impertinent tug. So like a kid, he was. "D'you mind? I'm trying to stay mad at you!" she growled without a note of malice in her voice.
Aiohan's grin turned cheekily mischevious. "Oh, sorry, May," he said, completely unrepentant yet again. Amyla Edana Amyla turned away from her mate with another indignant huff andlooked around the lobby, finally noticing the other people inside. She raised an eyebrow. "I guess we're not alone," she murmured.
Aiodhan blinked. "'Course not," he said, stepping up beside her to curl his long tail about her waist. Another grin,, this one more mischevious, split his face. "So... who should we terrori- I mean, meet first?" he asked, temporarily robbed of breath as Amyla soved her elbow into his abdomen. Amyla Edana Amyla ambled to a couch and settled herself down, eyeing a stack of magazines on a nearby table. Hmmm... perhaps reading would take her mind off the fact that her mate was acting like a child again. She grinned and picked up a magazine and flipped i open, snorting aloud in amusement at the article title.
The Joys of Fatherhood
Aiodhan, meanwhile, spotted a woman reading what had formerly been an upside-down magazine. True to his antagonistic self, he padded up behind her and quietly leaned over to see what she was reading. "What're you reading about?"" he asked rather suddenly and loudly enough to get her attention. Kimie Kitty It had been a few days since Kimie had been at the clinic. With Evan on one hip and a diaper bag over her other shoulder, the kitty-girl traipsed in. "Ay-oh!" the little boy shrieked, right into his mother's ear. He waved and squirmed to be put down. Kimie winced and set him down, weaving around various chairs and people to plop down. She was exhausted, her usually flat belly already slightly rounded. Amyla Edana His attempt at being himself momentarily forgotten, Aiodhan cocked his head to one side as he heard a cheerfully familiar voice call his name. He glanced about until he spotted an exhausted-looking Kimie. "Aha... where's Evan?" he asked rhetorically, glancing around knee-height for the toddler.
Amyla looked up from her reading with a smile. "Long time, no see, Kimie," she said by way of greeting, watching Aiodhan look about for his little friend. What a softy... "How are you feeling... besides tired?" she asked, tossing the magazine back on the table. It had been rather boring anyway. Kimie Kitty "Hey, I'm glad you guys found the place," Kimie said, waving at Amyla. "And... I'm OK. Mostly tired, a little nauseous..." She made a face. Evan clung to Aiodhan's leg, grinning up at him. "Hiiii!" Kimie couldn't help but giggle. "And I see Evan found you." Amyla Edana "Hi, Evan!" Aiodhan said cheerfully, gently patting the little halfling on the head with his tailtip. "What have you been doing? I haven't seen you in awhile. Avoiding bedtime still?" he asked, chuckling lightly and giving Kimie a knowing look.
Amyla rolled her eyes. "Some big tough guy he is," she muttered to Kimie, ignoring the dark look the dragon-man sent in her direction. Her gaze softened after a moment, and she grinned. "I don't remember if I got to say it before, but congratulations. Wish you weren't feeling so nauseous, though... sounds miserable," she added with a look of sympathy. "And yes, we found it. It took us the better part of a day, and we argued the whole time." Her grin widened further. "Not that that's anything new. Thanks for helping us find it. We've got the proper papers in, and we're just waiting and hoping for now." Kimie Kitty "Bad bed. Not fun," Evan grumbled, his chin firmly set. A few seconds later, he'd gotten over his crankiness and started climbing on Aiodhan's tail. Kimie snickered. "No, really, you argued?" She grinned at the other woman. "I really hope you get chosen. I know how much you want a child." Evan, only partially aware of the situation, piped up, "'Meela get fat like mommy?" Amyla Edana "Nooo, bed isn't fun. Swimming is.. and flying. And... oh, like my tail do you?" Aiodhan asked rather suddenly, watching as Evan climbed onto his tail. He smirked and lifted the tail-- complete with toddler-- up to his own eye level.
Amyla grinned and waggled her eyebrows. "Oh, of course we argued. No day would be complete without it," she remarked. "And thanks... we're both really hoping too. But if we don't, then... well, there's always next time," she shrugged, laughing aloud at Evan's childish query. "Hopefully, Evan. Maybe soon," she replied, ignoring Aiodhan's choking laughter. Kimie Kitty "Ev no fly. Ev stomp bugs!" He stamped his foot (albeit not very hard) on the dragon-man's tail to demonstrate. "Ev big, see?" The little halfling clung to various parts of Aiodhan's anatomy to keep from falling. His mother watched the proceedings carefully, although she trusted "Ay-oh" implicitly-- even though he did look like he might choke on something. "Don't forget to breathe," Kimie reminded him, trying to keep a straight face. Evan blinked, having no clue of why the adults were laughing so hard. Amyla Edana "Yes, I can see that, Evan," Aiodhan gasped, still laughing at the thought of the ever-thin Amyla being 'fat.' "I can see you're big. Do you think you'll get as big as me some day?" he asked, trying to curl the end of his tail about the halfling's waist to steady him.
Amyla let slip a rare giggle. "If we ever do have a child with even half of Evan's energy, they'll run poor 'Ay-oh' into the ground,' she remarked, watching Evan use him as a jungle gym. Kimie Kitty "Ev will be big like Ay-oh," he nodded. "Big and stomp lots'a bugs!" He bounced happily at the thought. Kimie grinned. "This child," -she patted the small mound of her belly- "is part lemur. So expect he or she will be... energetic as well." Amyla Edana Aiodhan chuckled and folded his legs beneath him to settle on the ground, trying to figure out how to untangle Evan from his tail. "Stomping bugs, eh? I need to teach you how to wrestle. It's more fun," he said thoughtfully, watching the toddler bounce.
Amyla's eyes widened. "Part lemur? You're brave, very brave. I'd be too afraid they'd try to hang off the eaves outside... like someone else I know," she said, throwing Aiodhan a dirty look. "How will you survive the energy levels in your house?" Kimie Kitty Evan clambered down to sit on Aiodhan's lap. "What ressl?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Big thing?" "I'm not sure, exactly, although I'm sure I'll manage. Danica's a blessing, although I try not to use her as an all-purpose babysitter." Kimie glanced around the room, and waved a bit at the newcomers. Amyla Edana "Wrestling is... trying to get on top of somebody and holding them down," the dragon-man explained, idly twitching his long tail about and carefully re-folding his wings.
"Well, if you need help or a good long nap, we wouldn't mind watching Evan and the baby for you," Amyla offered, settling back into the couch. "Aiodhan would love that, and Evan would have a field day with all of the dragons we've got roaming the house and property," she added with a chuckle. She saw Kimie's gaze move and followed it, giving the newer arrivals curious looks and friendly smiles. She saw one woman glance in their direction and waved. Kimie Kitty "Ya know, I just might take you up on that some time. Maybe when I'm a bit closer to being due." Kimie smiled inwardly at the thought of Evan playing with a bunch of dragons. "I'm sure Evan would love that." Meanwhile, Evan was sitting very still, intrigued by this new "ressling" thing. Suddenly, he pounced! He clung fiercely to Aiodhan's foot. Amyla Edana "Well, any time you need, let us know," Amyla said cheerfully, grinning broadly at Evan and Aiodhan. "I'm sure they'd both get a kick out of that. Speaking of... what are they doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in her mate's direction.
Aiodhan hid a grin and quickly made as if his foot were struggling to get free. "Oh no! He's got my foot! Help meee!" he said in a rather high-pitched voice, his foot squirming about in Evan's grip. Kimie Kitty "Um.. Evan seems to be beating him up." Kimie raised a brow at the pair. "Yes yes, you're very strong." Evan giggled. "Ev big! Ev win!" He jumped up and flung himself at Kimie. "See? See?" Kimie grabbed her wriggling son before he could land on her stomach. "I did see! You're very big." She ruffled his hair, grinning at Aiodhan over his head. "I think we should let Ay-oh recover, hm?" Evan clambered down to the floor and patted Aiodhan. Amyla Edana Aiodhan let out a loud and rather dramatic moan. "Ohhh... Evan's too strong for me!" He gave Kimie and Amyla a rogueish wink and then walked on all fours to settle on the floor near his mate, resting his chin and arm on her lap.
"Yep, you won, Evan. Aiodhan needs to exercise and lift more weights to get stronger," Amyla said with a perfectly straight face, absentmindedly running her fingers through Aiodhan's messy hair.
Aiodhan gave a loud sigh. "You win, Evan. You win. I should let you wrestle with Adi next time. She'll be able to beat you," he said, feigning exhaustion rather well. Kimie Kitty Evan practically strutted in front of the dragon-man and the two women. "Ev ressl 'gen, Ev win, Ev good." He nodded emphatically. Kimie tried (and failed) not to snort. Gathering up the diaper bag, which also served as a purse, most days, she heaved herself out of her chair. "Well, you two, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. Best of luck!" Evan bounced around, holding onto Kimie's hand. "Bye bye, bye bye!" he chanted, his voice still audible even as he led the way out the door. Kimie waved her free hand, acknowledging the other occupants of the clinic, as she followed her rather hyper-active son out of the building. Amyla Edana Amyla raised a hand to wave, too far gone in a fit of giggles to speak aloud.
Aiodhan grinned. "Thanks, Kimie. See you soon, I'm hoping. And you too, Evan!" he called before nestling his head down onto Amyla's lap, sighing happily as he did.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:32 am
Amyla Well, we did it.
All of this long time of waiting, and we finally managed to procure an appointment. The Farland Clinic was just a wild-card attempt, but it worked. We did it. I nearly cried when I read the letter from the clinic. Aiodhan didn''t help. He turned emotional too for once, and he kept hugging me, kissing me, telling me how beautiful and wonderful and brilliant I was. I started bawling like a baby and didn''t stop for ages. Aiodhan comforted me the best way he can, and we all know how that ended up. We ended waiting until this morning to announce it to the family that we''d managed to land an appointment.
Karael was excited and so were all of the other who understood the implications. Adi and the Far-Far crowded gave us a blank look and promptly went back to playing. They''re too young to understand.
I''m so nervous now. I''ve been waiting for so long for this, and now it''s here. And all I''m doing is worrying; go figure! Oh, I''m going to have to get in touch with a few people to let them know, and... uh oh! I forgot to tell Kimie!!! Yikes! Aiodhan I''m not sure whether to jump for joy or faint from fright, but don''t tell Amyla that. We got the appointment, and Amyla was crying like the world was ending. I knew they were happy tears, but still... I hate it when she cries. Anyway, we ended up spending the rest of the evening alone, and Karael thankfully kept the house in order until morning. We made the announcement, and Karael gave us a reproachful sort of look for our choice of evening activities and then immediately launched into a speech about how much she''d teach our child. I laughed; I couldn''t help it. I''m a bit more nervous now, though. Amyla... carrying a baby... MY baby. I hope it goes well. Much as I want a child, I''ll be relieved when this pregnancy is all over with. Dragon and tiger and human DNA? Can she survive that? If she dies, I know I will too. I can''t live without her. She just ran through the room like a bat out of hell. I''d better go see what she''s up to before she hurts herself.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:38 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:11 pm
Clinic RP: HereAmyla Edana "So.... when exactly do we come for an appointment?" Aiodhan asked, scratching his head in bewilderment.
Amyla shrugged. "I don't know. That's what we're here to find out," she replied, waiting patiently until the dragon-man held the clinic door open for her to enter. She tossed her long braid over her shoulder as she strode in, glancing about the lobby as she did. "Hmmm... not too crowded. Must be a little late," she remarked, ignoring Aiodhan's wicked chuckle behind her. ktqueen Kate looked up when the door opened. It was the couple from last time. She waved a little bit, happy to some what regconize someone. Amyla Edana Amyla spotted the woman waving and smiled in response, heading in her direction. "Hi! Here for an appointment?" she asked, nodding as well to the other woman who was present. "You too?"
Sensing that he would be overwhelmed by the estrogen level in that area, Aiodhan made a beeline for the receptionist's desk. He could at least get a bit of reading material for the wait. Perhaps there were some pamphlets to read.... preferably not those about "The Joys of Fatherhood." He'd about died after Amyla showed him that article. Pah.... idiotic authors had nothing better to do than extoll the virtues of being a parent. ktqueen "Maybe...I'm still a little unsure," Kate smiled and stood," my name is Kate Morningstar." She offered her hand. Amyla Edana Amyla took the offered hand and shook it with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Kate. I'm Amyla Raikes, and this-" She glanced back to gesture at Aiodhan only to find him... not there. She spotted him lurking at the receptionist's desk, rooting through a bunch of brochures. "Ah... there he is. That's Aiodhan, my.... er... significant other," she said, shrugging helplessly. There really wasn't a better term to call him at the moment. "So.... not really sure about having a baby, huh?" she asked, shifting her weight to her to her other foot. ktqueen "I...lost my baby...awhile ago," she placed her hand back on her stomache," if I were to loose another... I wouldn't be able to live," she sighed," but... I want one, I need a baby to hold." Not only was it her motherlyness, it was the wolf dna inside of her making her want a baby this badly. Amyla Edana Amyla's face fell. "Oh.... I understand," she said quietly, resting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I've had three miscarraiges in the last two years. Aiodhan and I.... we... we haven't had any success so far, but we really want kids. That's why we came here. We figured it was the dragon part of his DNA causing problems. If we replace it with another animal's DNA, maybe we'll have some success this time." She smiled in a comforting fashion. "And if this isn't for you.... you can always adopt. I know a good agency, several of them in fact." ktqueen Kate smiled," thanks. I want to try. Maybe it was my wolf dna... or... the other's..." she trailed off. Derek. That was a sore spot. She smiled," There are so many choices though, and everyone seems happy here. I really hope this works" Amyla Edana Amyla grinned broadly. "Hey, if it works for us, it'll work for you. We'll just both have to cross out fingers and hope for the best!" she said cheerfully, trying to get Aiodhan to join them.
The dragon-man shook his head very fiercely, refusing to be so drowned in estrogen and girl-talk. He ws many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. ktqueen "He seems... funny," Kate smiled," I bet its fun everyday right?" She chuckled. Amyla Edana Amyla snorted. "Fun? He's impossible!! Stubborn, moody, secretive... and just generally difficult!" she replied, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "He's a complete pain in the neck, and--" She glanced down as a pair of arms encircled her waist.
Aiodhan dropped his head onto her shoulder, giving Kate a smile and then turning his head ever so slightly to look at Amyla's face. "And?" he prompted, wrapping his tail about her waist as well.
Amyla smiled affectionately at her mate and then grinned at Kate. "And I love him to death, despite all of his many flaws," she finished, rolling her eyes again at Aiodhan's smirk. "Aiodhan, meet Kate. Kate, this is Aiodhan. " ktqueen Kate giggled," thats the way boys are suppose to be of course. Hi Aiodhan, its nice to meet you," she smiled. Amyla Edana Aiodhan grinned mischeviously and nodded. "Of course.... see? She gets it!" he said pointedly to Amyla, yowling quietly as she promptly smacked the side of his head.
"You are impossible!" she declared to her mate, glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. She gave Kate a pleading look. "Don' t encourage him! His ego needs no more feeding!" she added. ktqueen Kate chuckled," well, he's not absuive, nor drunk, nor mean, that I can tell at least. Be happy," she smiled," so... have you made an appointment?" Amyla Edana "Oh, he's quite mean when he wants to be," Amyla remarked, smiling faintly as Aiodhan clasped her waist a bit tighter. "And we' re working on setting up an appointment time. We have an appointment, but we just don't know when it is. That's what we came her to do," she explained, reaching a hand up to stroke Aiodhan's disheveled hair. "Are you here as a single parent, or is there someone at home that you just didn't bring with?" she asked, ignoring Aiodhan's yawn. ktqueen "...single...Derek...didn't want children," she smiled," but I don't need him this way," she laughed. Amyla Edana "Ah," Amyla said simply, feeling Aiodhan sigh lightly against her back. She smiled. "Yeah, you don't need him here. Who needs men, anyway?" she asked teasingly, Aiodhan rewarding her with a bite to the earlobe. "Hey! No teeth!" she scolded, narrowing her eyes at Aiodhan in a mocking imitation of anger.
Aiodhan rolled his eyes. "Women..." he grumbled before releasing Amyla and heading back to the front desk to bother the receptionist into telling him when an appointment was open. ktqueen Kate smiled," I don't need Derek. He made me...loose my baby. I this way I don't need any man." She nodded to herself, ears twitching. Amyla Edana "He made you lose the baby? How?!" Amyla asked, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer. She'd seen it far too many times in the emergency room, and it pained her every time she did.
Aiodhan, bored with reading, immediately started making paper airplanes of some of the pamphlets in the lobby. No one read them anyway.... at least not that he saw. He threw a few of them at the receptionist, smirking lightly. ktqueen "Derek was...very absuive...when he found out I was pregnant...he beat me..." she sighed," I left after I lost the baby. I wish I had left earlier." Amyla Edana Amyla's face darkened. "I wish you would have left earlier too. Didn't you report him?" she asked, furious that the man had been allowed to get away with something as horrible as that. Had Kate only gone through Gaia General's emergency room.... "I hope you do get an appointment here. That's just..... urgh!" she huffed angrily, folding her arms over her chest. ktqueen "He won't bother anyone any more..." she smiled slightly," my father came back... he can no longer walk..." she sighed," I feel bad for it. But daddy is daddy." She placed a hand on her stomache," I do want a child, an appointmet." She smiled fully this time . Amyla Edana Amyla smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Got what he deserved, the stupid b*****d," she said, her smile turning to a smirk. "And dads do tend to be rather protective of their daughters. I'm lucky my dad hasn't shown up on our doorstep to strangle Aiodhan with his bare hands," she chuckled, lightly fingering her hair back away from her face. It would be a sight to see, true, but she had a feeling Aiodhan would end up injuring her father worse. And Amyla didn't really want that either. "You'll get an appointment here. It my take some time, but I bet we'll be able to help you out. In the mean time, if you ever get lonely or need someone to talk to, you can always give us a phone call or drop by. Just... umm... be careful when walking up to the front porch. We have a lot of really strange creatures roaming the grounds," she said, shrugging somewhat abashedly. "They're kind of territorial at times." ktqueen "I understand fully," Kate pointed to her ears," I get that way sometimes when I forget myself," she laughed. Amyla Edana Amyla spread her hands wide, smiling innocently. "Ahhh... the joys of being fully human," she said, her eyes fairly gleaming. Her gaze fell on her watch, though, and her eyes widened. "Uh oh... I think I need to be getting home and relieving Kari of babysitting duty. Poor girl... anyway, it was nice meeting you, Kate. I hope we can talk again soon," she said, waving her hand to get Aiodhan's attention.
The dragon-man ceased his paper airplane-making and wandered over, yawning pointedly. He was bored, thoroughly bored. And the estrogen levels in the building were killing him. ktqueen "You both have a wonderful night, day, until I meet you again," Kate smiled, and waved. Amyla Edana "Until next time!" Amyla replied with a smile, heading towards the door.
Aiodhan beat her to it and snuck out the door ahead of her, inspiring her to yell at him the entire way out of the clinic and down the street until their voices could no longer be heard.
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Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 5:01 pm
Wait... you can breathe fire?? "So... how long have you known about this and not told me?" Amyla demanded furiously as she flung the front door open and stormed inside. She kicked her shoes rather haphazardly off to the side and hung her coat and purse on the coatrack, stomping off toward the kitchen in a very foul mood.
Aiodhan was only a few paces behind her, though he took the time to close and lock the door before scampering after her on all fours. He had no idea how he'd managed to light the grill on fire without a match or how he had burned his tongue. It had just... happened. "I haven't known! I just realized it now!" he exclaimed, watching her plop herself down in a chair to eat.
She glared up at him as he sat beside her, digging in to his own meal. "Oh really?" she demanded, not believing him for an instant. He'd known about his fire-producing abilities, and he'd kept it from her. How dare he-
"He didn't know, Mum. I watched him when it happened, and he about died of shock. And you're welcome for setting the table," Karael drawled as she strolled into the room, cradling and feeding Nieva.
The infant Monocero suckled quietly at her bottle, ignoring the fight going on around her. It was no concern of hers, the large creatures' arguments. As long as she was fed, she was happy.
Amyla sighed and gave Kari an apologetic look. The Ancient child always got caught in the middle of hers and Aiodhan's fights. "Sorry, Kari, and thank you. The casserole is very good," she replied quietly, refusing to meet Aiodhan's gaze.
"I swear, May.... I didn't know!" Aiodhan said urgently, leaning closer to rest one hand over hers. He tried to meet her gaze, though she purposely avoided his. "Come on, May. You have to believe me! Please!" he pleaded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Aiodhan, you breathed fire! How could you not know?" she demanded, forgetting her food for a moment to glare at him. Something this important needed to be discussed, and he'd left it untold. She huffed quietly.
Aiodhan gestured helplessly with his other hand, trying to explain himself. Oh, how he wished his oral skillls were as good as his written ones.... "I didn't know I could do that, May! I never have before! The gas was on, and the flames from the match wouldn't take. And I just started yelling at it and...." he trailed off, still trying to explain himself with powerless hand gestures. "I don't know! It just happened!"
Amyla didn't honor him with a response, and the remainder of the meal and the following clean-up was spent in silence. As a matter of fact, the entire evening was spent in silence. None of the many inhabitants seemed willing to break the eerie quiet, Aiodhan and Amyla least of all.
It wasn't until much later that evening, when Amyla was in bed and almost asleep, that Aiodhan spoke, his hand resting ever so lightly on the bared curve of his mate's shoulder. "May.... I know you're still awake..." he whispered softly, his deep and melodic voice drifting straight to the woman's ears in the darkness. "May, I-... I'm sorry. I didn't know that I could.... that that would happen. Honestly... if I could have told you earlier, I would have, but I didn't know. It was just a freak thing. I'm sorry."
Touched by the contrition in his voice, Amyla rolled over to face him, dimly seeing the outline of his face in the darkness. Even though she couldn't pick out the finer details of his face, her heart still skipped a beat. Ye gads... he was handsome. She forgot it quite frequently, but he truly was. "I know... I know you didn't know and didn't try, but I... I just overreacted, and I'm sorry. I've been doing that a lot lately," she murmured apologetically, closing her eyes as if to block out the memories. She started as a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped their way around her and pulled her close.
"C'mere, angel," he whispered softly in her ear, nuzzling at her hair and pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you, even if you make me want to strangle you sometimes. You know that right?"
She chuckled weakly in response, snuggling close to him and burying her face against his neck. "Of course... the same goes for me, Tough Guy. I just.... I don't know. I'm scared that if you could belch out flames and not know, what other .... 'talents' could you demonstrate if provoked?" she replied, her voice sounding quite muffled.
Aiodhan fell quiet for a moment, pondering on that. What other things could he do should the situation arise? He was almost frightened at the thought. What would happen if he lost control and hurt one of the kids or the guardians or... what if he hurt her, the only person who currently was keeping him from trying to kill himself? He shuddered. "I say we pay a visit to to that hospital of yours. Some doctor there should be able to give us some advice," he replied, stroking her hair ever so gently.
Amyla shifted lightly and pulled away to look up into his face, blue eyes wide and searching. She'd been suggesting that very idea since the beginning, but she didn't think he'd actually agree to it. "Really?" she asked, eyes widening ever more as he smiled and nodded in response.
"Yep. I don't want to risk hurting any of the family.... or especially hurting you," he whispered, smiling faintly as she clung ever more tightly to him. "But let's discuss it later, shall we?"
Amyla smiled and snuggled her face into his chest, looping one arm up over his side. "Mmmhmmm... " she murmured sleepily, closing her eyes and relaxing in his arms.
"G'night, May," the dragon-man said ever so quietly, smiling when he heard the faint, even breathing that signalled sleep. She hadn't heard him, but she knew anyway. She always did.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:36 pm
Amyla Ugh.
That's about the only word I can use to properly describe my feelings at the moment. I've been feeling just... lethargic for the last week or so. I don't have as much energy, and I certainly am not in a romantic sort of mood. I expected Aiodhan to be more displeased, but he is actually quite concerned. Maybe I've been a good influence on him. He used to be so selfish, so arrogant.... so insensitive before. I don't know what I saw in him back then, but now I don't know what I'd do without him.
We had a death in the ER yesterday. A little girl was out riding her tricycle in her driveway. Her parents apparently weren't watching her, and she ended up getting out into the road. She started going down one of the hills in the road and lost control of her bike. The front tire sunk into a pothole, and she went sailing forward over the handlebars and broke her neck on impact, her skull being saved only because she was wearing a helmet. Someone passing in a car spotted her and stopped to help. By the time we got her in the ER, all of the blood from her many scrapes was long-since dried. Her bruises had already formed, and she was too much in shock to respond. We did the best we could, but she died within half an hour of arriving. It was sheer chance that one of her neighbors had recognized her as we were running her through the waiting room on the stretcher. They called her parents, and it seems the girl was only four years old. According to her parents, they hadn't seen her since about noon. She was brought into us at 4:38 PM. I can only wonder how long she lay there on the pavement. I got home yesterday evening and went straight to bed. I couldn't help but fear that that would happen to my child. Everyone says it can't happen to them, but I've seen it, and it can. She was just so young and so beautiful. It tears my heart to think of it.
Aiodhan knew something was wrong, and he actually managed to keep the house in order for all of last night and this morning. I was still crying by the time he slipped into bed. I don't think either of us slept all night between my crying and him trying to comfort me. Have I ever mentioned how unaccountably compassionate he can be? I know him better than anyone, and I was still surprised how gentle and patient he was. It makes me love him even more. Damn him.... I'm running out of things to be mad at him for!
Thankfully, today was one of my days off. I think I'll take Kari and Nieva to the park. It makes me love and appreciate them all the more now that I've seen how quickly someone's entire world can be turned upside down. Those poor parents... I know they should have been watching her more closely, but still.... to lose a child like that is just horrible. God rest her soul and bring peace to her parents'.
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:01 am
Appointment Time That wasn't so bad... Amyla thought sleepily as she settled deeper into her bed, a smile ghosting about her face as she felt a pair of familiar hands gently tucking blankets and pillows around her more snugly. Typical Aiodhan.... always overdoing things. She didn't mind, of course. While the procedure hadn't necessarily hurt, she did have a rather tender spot on her side that hurt if she moved. Aiodhan's making of a pillow-nest about her had negated that problem. She couldn't move if she wanted to, though she wouldn't have wanted to anyway.
She yawned quietly, her mind aimlessly flitting about in that fuzzy state between sleep and wakefulness. Unable to go one way or the either, she simply let her mind drift, thinking over the day's appointment. According to the doctor, the procedure had gone very well. She didn't remember all that much of it, to be honest.
She and Aiodhan had driven into the clinic early that morning for the appointment, Aiodhan behind the wheel. Amyla had been ordered not to eat or drink for eight hours ahead of time, so she was a bit cranky and definitely hungry. Upon arrival, Aiodhan had just enough time to fill out the paperwork and give her a quick kiss before she was whisked off into one of the rooms. She remembered changing to a hospital gown, lying down, receiving an IV, and then being asked to count backward from one hundred. The last number she remembered was ninety-four.
After that, everything was a blur. She remembered waking up with a pain in her side as Aiodhan insisted upon carrying her out to the car. She was wearing her own clothes then, though it only occurred to her now to ponder on how that had happened. The next bit she remembered after that was waking up in her own bed as Aiodhan fussed over her with enough pillows and blankets to cover their entire king-sized bed about five times over. Now his rearranging had slowed to minimal adjustments of the covers or a stray pillow every now and then. It struck her as rather odd that he seemed to know exactly where her back was starting to feel a bit strained or her shoulder had a bit too much room to sag backwards. Yawning again, she resolved to discuss it after her nap. No, she amended, she'd discuss it with him after her nap and after she ate every bite of food that she could lay her hands on.
***
Aiodhan breathed a sigh of relief as Amyla's body finally relaxed in its entirety, finally succumbing to the exhaustion that tried to drag her into peaceful sleep. He couldn't resist a smile at her serene features. She looked so calm when she slept, a stark contrast to her normal witty and impetuous nature when she was around him and the rest of their little family. He gave in to the temptation to brush a hand over her forehead and then bent over to press an infinitely tender kiss to the same spot, his smile growing as she sighed happily in her sleep.
He stayed there, staring down at her for awhile. He had felt so helpless when they'd taken her out of his reach for the procedure. He trusted the doctors, of course, but it still made him feel nervous when she was out of his immediate range and vulnerable. When they'd let him come in to see her, she was still asleep. He had bullied the nurse into letting him re-dress her, an easy enough task. Amyla was small enough in proportion to him that he could lift her with one arm if he so desired. He thought it funny that she looked so calm. When she was awake, she was the living proof that good things come in small packages, such as dynamite. And Amyla was nothing short of pure TNT.
The doctor had insisted upon a wheelchair to transport the still-sleeping woman out to the car, but Aiodhan had won that fight too. She had felt so light as he scooped her up out of the bed, careful not to touch her left side. He supposed that was where the needle had been, given the bandages on it. She woke up about halfway out the door and gave him a rather dazed look. He doubted she'd remember it, but she had muttered something about her side hurting and him being good not to touch it.
She didn't wake or even stir again until they got home and he was settling her into the bed, letting her rest on her right side and propping her up with pillows. He had felt, rather than saw, a gap in the pillows at her back and moved a few of the cushions to support it. He was rewarded by a faint smile from the woman he thought was asleep as he drew the covers up to her chin, settling them gently over her body.
His hand still gently caressing her forehead, Aiodhan reluctantly acknowledged that he had a household to maintain and a few reports to work on for his job. Bending down to give her just one more kiss, he tiptoed out of the room and shut the door quietly. He heard the sounds of the rest of the house preparing for lunch and increased his pace a bit to meet Kari in the kitchen.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:14 pm
Reserved for birth RP w/ Kimie and Lulu
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:37 pm
All right, I've got a lot to say and little time to say it before Amyla steals the journal away again. I guess I'll make this short and sweet, then.
Having to watch Maddie and Evan while Kimie in labor was not so bad. I liked it. Maddie is so frickin' adorable. She and Zam had a good time wreaking havoc, and Kari loved Evan. They have a common love for dragon-like things, and Kari thought he was fairly 'cool', for a boy. She has been pestering me incessantly to invite Evan back for another visit. Hooooo boy.... well, at least she would be getting some socialization time. She is a complete nerd and social disaster, and while Amyla just smacked me for writing that, it's true. Kari has had little to no socializing time with anybody but us for a good long while.
Oh, and Kimie's little boy is named Madoc. He is kinda cute for a newborn. Newborns in general are quite ugly, in my opinion, but he isn't too bad.
Enough beating around the bush for now, I think. I just left the bedroom to give Amyla some naptime and myself some quiet writing and thought time. Much as I love this chaotic household, it is rare that I get any time alone with my thoughts.
Amyla came home from the hospital exhausted on the night Kimie had Madoc. I figured she was just tired since it was late, she is pregnant, and she hadn't slept well the night before. She practically fell in bed and shook all night long. It wasn't a seizure sort of shaking. It was... just.... like shivering. I wrapped her up in every blanket within reach and held her the whole night. She slept fitfully and shook the entire time. She hasn't been quite right since. She comes home from work exhausted and nearly in tears and then shakes all night long. I'm afraid it's my fault.
Dragon and human DNA are not supposed to be mixed in creatures for obvious reasons. I'm living proof of that. Now I'm afraid that whatever we did in mixing tiger, dragon, and human DNA.... it might have made a child incredibly bad for Amyla's health, and while I want children so badly, it just isn't worth her life. I've been talking to her about it, and we'll see what happens. I think she is even more scared than me, but she would never admit it. Damn stubborn woman... I wish I could contact Mum for advice, but she thinks I'm dead. And she'd probably have a cow to know that I'm living with a woman I'm not married too. Mum was always very religious. She has been especially so since Caleb died. Dammit, I miss that kid. He should have lived, not me.
Anyway, I think I'm going to consult Amyla's medical journals to see what I can find about this shaking. I'm scared for her.
Aiodhan is looking through my medical encyclopedias again. I guess that means he is more worried than he told me. Well, I don't think there is much I can say to reassure him that I'm okay.... just very, very tired. This baby, whatever DNA it has, is starting to wear me out. Kari says it is because I'm trying to do so much in managing a house and taking care of this ever-growing family and having such a stressful job.
Speaking of my job, one of the nurses today recognized me from bringing in Kimie and lectured me severely about not taking enough time off to rest. That got about half the nurses on duty in the ER started, and we had one woman come in for an emergency c-section who ragged at me the whole time the operation was going on. Here I am delivering her baby while she's under a local anesthetic, and she is nagging at me from the other side of the partition to take more time off to relax and prepare for my baby's birth. Hmmm... should I listen? No, that would make it to easy.
In any case, I do have these next few days off to relax, and Kari and I have been toying with baby names. She and I like the exotic ones. We decided on a girl's name that we like: Kayce Dessinieva. Aiodhan heard it and reluctantly admitted it was good. He wants to name a boy, if we have one, after his little brother who died years ago of the same leukemia that caused Aiodhan's bone marrow transplant. Stephen Caleb..... not a bad name at all. Aiod thinks about him a lot. They were a lot alike when they were young. Arrogant, obstinate, and prone to liking lusty women, as Aiod put it. It is a good thing I calmed my dragon-man down. I'm too jealous a woman to share.
I'm getting tired again, so I think a nap is in order. Maybe I'll take Kari into writing a bit later...
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:27 pm
My Pants Don't Fit! It was with great reluctance that Amyla graduated from the state of 'dozing' to that of 'half-awake.' She had been lying there in a mild semi-sleep for awhile. Some part of her mind registered that she really should have been up and awake, but exhaustion and comfort overwhelmed her sense of duty for the moment. It was not until the sunlight began to filter in through the blinds and fall across her face that she began to stir. Lying in a loose fetal position and facing the window, Amyla twitched one eye open, giving the sun-lit blinds a murderous look. Well, now that she was awake, she might as well get up out of bed. Whatever had happened to sleeping in on one of her blessed days off?
She rolled rather awkwardly onto her back, groaning at the ache that roused in her lower back. While she as grateful that she did not suffer from morning sickness or a great deal of dizziness, these aches and pains were getting to be quite a drag. Her range of mobility was much more limited, and she hated having a hard time bending down. Her back simply hurt. Aiodhan had been a good sport about it thus far, helping her out around the house as best he could. He had been even more excited than her on the day the official test results came back. He had swept her up into his arms with his usual energy and had cradled her like a baby for nigh on an hour, pressing his face to hers and murmuring incoherent words of love and adoration in her ear. Amyla had been too busy weeping to notice if he was weeping as well, but if she knew her man as well as she claimed to, then she knew he was crying.
Speaking of Aiodhan....
She reached an arm over toward his side of the bed, hoping to come in contact with his warm, sleeping form. Instead, her arm fell on cold sheets. She initially felt a surge of grumpiness for him having abandoned her in bed, but the hard feelings went away when she rolled onto her side to face the quasi-empty bed. A folded note was resting on his pillow, her name scrawled across it in a familiar script. She picked it up, using one hand to shake it flat so she could read it.
Sorry to leave you in bed, May, but the kids were up and about. What did you want me to do, leave them to run the house? You looked tired, so I thought I'd let you sleep. And go easy on the sweets, would you? I had a real tough time rolling you off me this morning.
Amyla snorted, not in the least bit miffed by Aiodhan's tactlessness. Yep, that was her man all right.
She tossed the covers back and reluctantly pushed herself to a sitting position, grumbling as she felt another ache in the base of her spine. She made a mental note to barter with Aiodhan for a massage later. The dragon-man was particularly good at giving and getting them. He had gotten an infinite number of them from Amyla when he had first come into her life, when his wings had been injured after his little stunt in the storm. He had been trying to make the scores even by giving her footrubs and back massages at every opportunity but hadn't been able to catch up to her in numbers until her pregnancy. Now she got backrubs on an almost hourly basis if she wanted them. Aiodhan didn't mind. He usually got well rewarded for his efforts later.
That thought made her grin as she swung her legs off the bed and cauiously stood, holding on to her bedpost for support and tossing the note on her bedside table. She barely managed to stifle a yawn as she made her way toward the shower, shedding pajamas into the clothes hamper along the way. The shower helped to wake her up, even though the warmth made her want to stay. She eventually did get out of the warm water and dried herself off as quickly as she could, shivering in the cold. She had just wrapped herself in her towel and had emerged from the bathroom to find clothes when Kari's voice echoed from downstairs in the kitchen.
"Come on.... please? I don't want to have to learn this stuff by myself! Can't Evan learn math with me, pleeease?"
Amyla grinned and tried to listen to Aiodhan's quiet and indiscernable response, digging through her drawers to find suitable clothing. She pulled out one of her pairs of jeans, her favorite pair, of course. She hadn't worn them in ages, but today was as good a day as any since she would be helping Aiodhan with some of the outside renovations. Besides, if Kimie and the rest of the Catclaw clan did come over, she didn't want to be dressed all in sweatpants. I can at least look semi-decent... she thought as she shed her towel to get dressed.
"Okay, okay.... we'll see, but we have to talk to Kimie about that too," Aiodhan said in an attempt to pacify the irate Ancient child who stood beside him, three-fingered hands planted on her little green hips. The dragon-man sighed and turned back to writing his to-do list for the day, noting that it was much longer than he'd thought. Ah well.... it had to be done.
Kari did not look pleased but was at least satisfied for the moment and wandered off, most likely to build something with her beloved Legos. She had been getting increasingly more fond of the things and increasingly more irritable, both of which slightly bothered Aiodhan. Despite her choice to be female, Kari had shown more masculine behaviors, such as her tendency to fight and dislike for all things 'girly'. The moodiness was bothersome as well. He supposed she was entering her form of puberty. Splendid.... just what he needed. A teenager and a pregnant wife under the same roof.... what was he getting himself into?
Just as he was about to add "Fix back gutters" to his ever-growing list, a loud and desperate cry of "Aiodhan!" echoed from upstairs. The pencil and notepad flew in opposite directions, and the chair tumbled over with a loud crash as he practically launched himself out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He charged up the stairs on all fours, wings pinned tightly to his back. He fretted for the entire seven and a half seconds it took him to get up into his and Amyla's bedroom, worrying constantly about what could be wrong. Had she fallen in the shower? Had a panic attack? Had another miscarriage? Gone into early labor?
He dashed into the bedroom only to find Amyla standing almost fully dressed, gazing in shock at the zipper on her jeans. As he stood there, still shaking in fear for what might have been wrong, she repeatedly tried to zip and button the jeans. Each attempt failed miserably. Her abdomen simply did not want to be contained by the restrictive pants.
She turned her face up to him, her eyes wide. "B-b-but... they fit last time! They won't close! I can't fit into them," she cried rather pathetically, and Aiodhan sighed in relief, smiling at her frustration. She saw his smile, and her expression instantly transformed into a scowl. "What're you smirking at?! You're not the one who is now fat!" she grumbled, continuing to look surly even as her mate ambled over to put his arms around her.
Aiodhan smiled broadly and buried his face in her hair, embracing her ever so gently. One hand snuck beneath her shirt to splay over her belly, his thumb gently rubbing over her pale skin. "Hmmm... and why are you fat?" he asked, feeling her squirm lightly in his grasp.
"The baby, but.... I just didn't expect to not be fitting into my clothes this soon. It... it's just so soon!" she protested quietly.
The dragon-man felt her relax a bit in his arms, and then she nestled closer, snuggling her head into his chest above his heart. He couldn't help his smile, his excitement nearly taking his heart rate through the roof. Finally... after so many miscarriages and so many failed attempts, they had done it. He pressed his hand gently against her abdomen, running it lightly over the gentle bulge. She was pregnant, and it was real. Their baby was real. Their baby.... The thought made tears gather in his eyes.
"It's so real that it doesn't seem real..." Amyla murmured suddenly against his chest, startling him from his thoughts and tickling him with her breath.
He grinned and ruffled her hair with his free hand to cover up his own awkward realization of their situation. "Yeah, I know. I guess that means you need to go shopping for some maternity clothes, eh?" he asked, just barely dodging her swat. "Hey, now! I'm trying to be considerate!"
"Yes.... very considerate!" Amyla growled, pulling away from his embrace and stalking over to her dresser to find a new pair of pants to wear. "Ugh, and these were my favorite jeans too!"
She looked too cute, bent over with her back to him, searching through her drawers for an elastic-waisted pair of pants. He couldn't resist the temptation and snuck in for a quick pinch before promptly scampering out of the room and down the stairs, ducking the pair of socks she flung at his head. Well, at least some things about her hadn't changed....
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:23 pm
Daddy?! It was just after sunset, and the sky was still streaked in colors from the last rays of light. Aiodhan could see the painted dome from where he lay relaxing on the couch, his feet propped up on the ottoman. Kari was seated on the floor in front of the television, watching a documentary about elves that was putting him quite rapidly to sleep. Nieva had long been in bed and asleep and-
"Mmmm... what's that knocking?"
Aiodhan nearly jumped out of his skin as the voice arose from the vicinity of his lap. He looked down to see Amyla beginning to wake from her nap, her head still resting on the pillow he had laid across his thighs. He breathed out a heavy sigh and rested one hand on her head, lightly playing with her hair to cover up the fact that she had given him an awful fright. "Sleep well? And I don't hear knocking. You must be imagining it," he said gently, resting a hand on her visibly bulging abdomen. It had grown significantly as of late unless his eyes played tricks on him. They figured she was four, perhaps five, months along, but since Aiodhan didn't have a good idea of a dragon or tiger's gestation period, he had no idea if their numbers were of any significance.
Amyla gave him a sleepy look and then turned her head to look at the hypnotized Ancient in front of the TV. She grinned. "Well, she can't hear it, obviously. And.... oooh, kicking!" she grunted, placing a gentle hand on her stomach beside Aiodhan's. "Ow.... never mind. Braxton-Hicks."
Aiodhan's eyes narrowed near to slits. More false contractions? She had had some earlier that evening, which is what had led her to stretching out on her side on the couch with her head in his lap. Twice in one day, though, did not seem normal to him.
The woman must have read his mind for she raised an eyebrow at him, frowning slightly. "It's okay, Aiod. Really, it is. It's normal. I just didn't realize they would be so... uncomfortable?"
"Uh huh..." Aiodhan was not convinced in the least, but he contented himself with that explanation for now. His thumb rubbed gently over the skin of her belly, grinning as he felt a kick against his palm. "Hmmm... wonder whose kid that is?" he pondered, grinning even more at the look Amyla granted him with. "Hey, don't you dare blame that on me. You're the one who kicks in her sleep."
"Yeah, well.... you talk in your sleep!" Amyla shot back, looking as though she wanted to glare at him and failing miserably.
Aiodhan chuckled at that and bent over to kiss her forehead, feeling the minor contractions ease beneath his hand. He loved getting her riled. She was so cute when she was angry, especially with the new glow that her impending motherhood had lent to her.
She caught him staring and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked, relaxing a bit more into his lap and the couch.
He smiled and shook his head. "Nothing, May. Just-"
A loud ringing of the doorbell interrupted his train of thought and speech, and he simply sat there, staring dumbly down at Amyla's perplexed face. Why would someone be at the door now, at this late in the evening?
"Who...?" Amyla asked in utter bewilderment, moving as though to get up.
Aiodhan quickly put a stop to that and got up himself, carefully arranging the pillow for her to rest on. "No clue, but I'll get it. You rest!" he said sternly, ignoring the rebelliously suggestive look she gave him. At least her sense of humor hadn't abandoned her. He was grateful for that much as he headed for the front door, undoing the latches and opening it to see who was there to visit.
At first, he saw no one outside. Then a strange sort of giggle erupted from near his feet.
A little girl was standing on their front step, close to the door. She was batting at the end of Aiodhan's tail in a very feline matter, seemingly trying to grab and pull on it. She began to wail as soon as he removed his tail from her reach. "But, Daddy, I playing!" she whimpered, reaching upwards to try to grab it. Her awkward-looking ballet shoes did nothing to help her balance, and Aiodhan had to catch her when she overbalanced and ended up falling backwards.
That was when he realized that she had called him 'Daddy.' His eyes widened. "D-D-D-Daddy? Who's Daddy?" he asked suspiciously, already knowing what the little girl would respond with.
The little girl, dressed like a ballerina minus the cat tail that poked out from the seat of her tutu, rolled her eyes at him. "You Daddy!" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, instantly fastening her arms around his neck once she could reach. "Funny man say so."
Aiodhan started to ask who the funny man was but as interrupted by Amyla's appearance behind him in the doorway. He turned around to give her a look of utter confusion. "Amyla?"
His mate merely glowed and reached out a hand to stroke the girl's hair. "Hi there, sweetheart. How did you get here?" she asked, practically dragging Aiodhan and the girl inside.
Sighing in frustration, the dragon-man shut and locked the door with his free arm, the other arm still occupied with the clingy toddler who was now quite interested in pinching his pointed ears. "Yow! Easy on the ears!"
The little girl gave him a sad-eyed look in response. "Sowwy, Daddy.... just playin'...." She glanced at Amyla and then instantly released her hold on Aiodhan's neck, reaching out for the pregnant woman. "Mommy! Funny man say home."
Aiodhan took the opportunity to give Amyla another look of utter confusion. They had a strange girl show up on their doorstep calling him Daddy and trying to play with various parts of his draconic anatomy. And Amyla was apparently just fine with this whole situation.
Amyla responded with a smile and simply mouthed the word 'Maddie' before removing the toddler from his grasp. "Oh, I see. And did the funny man give you a name?"
The toddler seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before abruptly shaking her head and clinging to Amyla's neck. "Nuh uh!"
While mother and daughter became acquainted, Aiodhan was trying to figure out what the hell Maddie had to do with it. The little lemurling had shown up on Kimie's doorstep, calling the woman 'Mommy' and claiming to be her daughter. Now this little girl had turned up naming them as her parents, and she had an uncanny resemblance to Amyla, especially with the hair. What in bloody hell was going on? He had a sinking feeling the clinic had something to do with the toddlers' mysterious appearances. Still, it all seemed rather odd....
"Baby," the little girl announced, releasing Amyla's neck with one arm to poke gently at the woman's bulging stomach. She looked quite proud of herself, and Amyla reaffirmed the fact.
"Yes, Mommy is going to have a baby, Erin. Why don't we go meet your sister too while we're still awake? I'm sure she is going to love you," Amyla said happily, carrying the toddler towards the living room and leaving a rather bewildered Aiodhan standing in the foyer with still-smarting ears. Daddy? He now had a daughter who was apparently christened Erin while he was lost in thought. Splendid. Always room for more in this house.... he thought with a slow shake of his head, padding back towards the living room in time to hear a series of tortured yells.
"Mooooom! Make her stop pulling my tail! She's going to.... Mom! Mom! Not the tail!"
He dropped to all fours to run for the living room, giving one last heavy sigh. The temporary peace in the household was now officially shattered, and the reign of Erin had begun.
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:36 am
This is going to be a very long pregnancy. In between work, watching Erin to make sure she does not wreak havoc on the household, teaching Kari, feeding and playing with Nieva, and all of the other million things that I have to do, I never feel like I get any decent sleep. Aiod says I still shake at night. I'd believe it. I'm so exhausted. I suppose I should feel grateful for the lack of nausea, but this exhaustion thing is really starting to get to me.
Erin's arrival was something of a shock. We just heard a knocking at the door and opened it, and there she was, convinced that we were her parents. We took her to the clinic and discovered that she is mostly human with a bit of Turkish Angora DNA. That would explain the tail, I suppose. Her ballet costume is so adorable too. She now only wears it when we leave the house. I adjusted some sweatpants for her to fit around her tail, and she loves it.
Did I also mention how incredibly disturbing she can be? I think the best word to describe it is 'sadistic.' She takes great pride and pleasure in putting other people down or hurting them. She has not done anything to me, but she and Kari are like oil and water. Kari is furious we let the little girl into the house. Erin, likewise, does not like Kari for Kari does not patiently put up with her cruelty. The last time those two fought, they ended up in time-outs in two separate corners, Kari nursing a pulled tail and Erin sniffling because of the ear-boxing Kari gave her. Since then, they have been fairly good. They avoid each other, which is probably best.
Anyway, I smell something cooking, which means Aiodhan has taken it upon himself to cook dinner again. Have I ever mentioned that I love him? If not, I do. He has been so good about everything and has really stepped up to the plate to help me out. Ooooh.... smells like spaghetti and garlic bread. My stomach will hurt later, but I'm too hungry to care.
~Amyla
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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:58 pm
Saturday Morning Cartoons A rather sharp spasm across her abdomen made Amyla groan in pain, curling into a rather awkward attempt at the fetal position. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her midsection, and she felt a cold sweat breaking out on her face. Ugh.... that didn't feel fun... she couldn't help but think, trying to urge her overactive child into calming itself.
The happy thoughts didn't work, and the false contractions continued on. Amyla was severely displeased by this but endured it in relative silence, unwilling to wake up her mate yet again. She had had an awful lot of false contractions as of late. They only happened when she was resting, ironically. When she was up and about, they didn't seem to start up at all. It was not until she slowed down and sat down that her body (or to be more specific, the baby) protested.
"Not again, May! You shook all damn night, and now they start up again. How are you ever going to f-ing sleep?!"
Amyla nearly jumped from her skin as Aiodhan's voice bit out rather sharply from behind her. She turned her head just as a shadow fell over her body, blocking out the light that came through the curtains. She couldn't see his face all too well, but if the tone of his voice was any indication, he was angry...
... and worried.
"Language, Fuzz. Don't let the kids hear that," she sighed, grunting softly as one sharp contraction seized her stomach and then dissipated. When no more pains arrived, she uncurled her body and stretched luxuriously on her side, feeling hands coming to rest on her shoulder and belly as she did.
"They're not up yet, and I can't help it, damnit. You're not doing well. I know you're okay at work, but as soon as you come home, you just.... you're not well. I don't want you getting hurt, May," the dragon-man said rather severely.
Amyla felt quietly guilty. Using the nickname that he loathed probably hadn't helped his irritation, but it had slipped out. Too late to remedy that now.... "I'm fine. I'm just tired. This baby spends more time kicking and causing false contractions than it does actually growing, I think," she remarked, cautiously pushing herself into a sitting position. She raised her gaze only to find herself staring into a pair of concerned gray eyes settled in a diffident face. "What? You were the one commenting that I haven't grown any larger. Gained ten pounds, yes, but my waist hasn't increased at all. You said just a few days ago that it was bugging you."
"It is bugging me. It's got me thinking there's something wrong!" Aiodhan snapped, agitatedly running his fingers through his disheveled mop of hair.
Hurt by his waspishness, Amyla growled and tossed back the covers, rolling herself off the bed and onto her feet as carefully as she could. She shuffled her way to the bathroom and took her time in her morning wake-up ritual, not bothering to get dressed or stray anywhere near the shower. It was a Saturday morning and one of her few days off. She was planning to enjoy the morning in relative idleness. She did note the dark circles beneath her eyes as she washed her face, though, and she felt a twinge of guilt yet again. Aiodhan was only right to be concerned, but.... damn him, he was getting far too protective! He didn't know when to leave it be.
She sighed and made her way back to bed to rest for a little while longer, emerging from the bathroom to see her spot in bed already taken over by an exhausted-looking Kari and a hyperactive Erin who was trying to braid Kari's tail hairs. The woman smiled. "Taking over my bed now, are you?" she asked mildly, watching Kari's look of long-suffering patience. The pregnancy was taking its toll on the little green child as well. As the oldest child in the house, she had to be the responsible one, and that included watching Erin from time to time. Amyla pitied her. She'd have to make it up to Kari at some point.
"Mommy's spot nice and warm!" Erin declared, trying to curl up in what had been Amyla's spot on the bed. The little toddler, dressed in pink pajamas with her fluffy cat tail emerging from the seat of her pants, looked very comfortable and seemed to have no intention of moving. The girl had slid into the family even more comfortably after the Halloween festival. She was not the most moral child ever. Just the day before, Amyla had caught her pulling wings off flies for sport. That had been ended quite rapidly. Amyla pitied the flies too...
"Mommy can sit over here next to Daddy and Nieva," Aiodhan interjected, scooting over to give Amyla a bit more room on the edge of the bed. He gave her a look that clearly said, 'We'll talk later.' His face had gone from angry to worried in a matter of minutes, and that alone concerned Amyla. Aiodhan was not one for demonstrating emotions.
"Ca-toons! Ca-toons!" Erin declared suddenly, interrupting Amyla's thought processes as she snatched the remote from the bedside table and used it to turn on the bedroom's small television. The first show on just had to be "The Littlest Elf," much to the entire family's chagrin. The song on the show was quite irritating, and the show itself was.... questionable. It was a children's show, for sure, but.... well, it just bothered Amyla.
Amyla simply ignored the irritating song and settled into bed next to Aiodhan, relaxing against his warm side. She watched him hold Nieva, entranced by how gentle he was with her.
"May, I know you're a doctor and all, but you need to see an OB/GYN. You're exhausted, you shake, you can't sleep, and those damn- I mean, darned contractions keep getting worse!" Aiodhan murmured urgently in her ear, his breath tickling the side of her face.
Amyla had the good grace to look touched by his concern, though it really worried her more than anything else. She didn't know that she shook when she slept, but if Aiodhan was this upset.... well.... She sighed and pressed her lips to his bare shoulder, reaching a hand out to caress Nieva's sleepy little face. "I know, Aiod. I know. I thought I could deal with it on my own, and I was wrong. I just don't trust another doctor," she murmured, smiling as he kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose.
"May, you tried dealing with it on your own, and it didn't work. We need to get you-- both of us, actually-- some help... soon. We need to get you healthy again because you aren't sleeping or functioning or anything well," Aiodhan said, setting Nieva on his lap to crawl around and putting one arm around his mate. He dragged her in close and pressed his lips to hers.
"I know, I know. I'll make a phone call as soon as I get my lazy butt out of bed," Amyla grudgingly agreed, watching Erin watch the littlest elf dance around and giggle onscreen. Does she ever get sick of that giggle?! Probably not.... she thought, feeling a hand settle on her side. She looked up and saw Aiodhan watching her with a pensive look on his face.
"You know.... they say classical music is good for babies. Maybe our child is just feeling deprived of their rightful music," he suggested, his seriousness making Amyla giggle just a bit.
"Okay.... maybe. You wanna experiment with that later?" Amyla asked, sighing happily as the hand on her side moved to rub the tension from her back. Oh, but he was good at finding the sore spots....
"Of course." He smiled at her, cuddling her closer to him. Then his smile turned mischevious, and he glanced down at her still-thoughtful face. "'Later' does mean after cartoons and breakfast, right?" he asked, earning himself a well-deserved smack upside the head.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:22 pm
Mum finally let me write in her journal. I'm glad for it too. She doesn't include nearly half the stuff that goes on in this house.
Anyway, Mum went to the doctor this morning. I was babysitting Erin and Nieva the whole time. Nieva was pretty good. She just played with her stuffed strawberry the whole time. Erin tried to chase Rudy around the backyard, but he outran her. Now she's sleeping, and I'm glad. I get time with my Legos before she wakes up and starts tearing them down again.
Mum said that the doctor said everything is okay. She just needs to sleep more and work less. So... now she's only working forty hours a week. That's good. I like it when she's home more. She can be cranky, but her being at home means that I get more school time. I like that part.
Dad is a little less worried now that the doctor (the something-ician, I can't remember the real name) said that Mum just needed to rest a lot more. He thought there was something really, really wrong. He and Mum talked for awhile when they got home, and now he's making up a snack for her and Erin. I bet it's peanut butter on apple slices. I better get to the kitchen before Erin eats it all. I can hear them from here, and I can hear Mum's Celtic music too. She has been playing the CDs a lot lately, and apparently it is helping the baby a bit. The baby is kicking a lot more, but Mum says it doesn't feel quite as uncomfortable. That's good. I hate it when Mum's hurting.
Oh, and Mum and Dad apparently went shopping for baby stuff too. Mum went shopping for maternity clothes ages ago, but she had to get baby stuff... well, human baby stuff. They had the crib and blocks and bottles and loads of stuff from Nieva and me. But she got clothes (in green and yellow since we don't know whether it's a boy or a girl) and a mobile with shapes and colors to put above the baby's crib.
I'm going to go eat now before I miss snacktime. Then maybe Mum can start in with this multiple digit multiplication lesson that she promised.
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