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 Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:43 pm
Nervous seemed to be an understatement for Rune, though, to his credit, he hid it well. It was never good for a diplomat to look nervous and even less appropriate for a prince to do so. Even if they weren't in their own Age, Rune was very determined to keep his appearances up. Besides, if he got rusty while living here what would happen when he finally went home? Nothing good, that was for sure.
Luca had made the call not too long ago and the day of their appointment was here. It was Luca being beside him and holding his hand that was Rune's saving grace. Second thoughts? Perhaps so, but anyone who had gone through what Rune had gone through would have them too as they faced perhaps going through it again. Not that he let Luca in on any of these thoughts or he would have been dragged back into that monster of a car (which wasn't very big at all, truth be told) and taken home once again.
Home was definitely not where Rune wanted to be at the moment. Taking a deep breath, Rune tugged gently on Luca's hand and made his way through the doors of Double Trouble and toward the desk. Now came the moment of truth! Could he speak?
"I..."
Well, that was intelligent. I. Very good, Rune. The sprite took another breath, "We're here to see Dr. Ronchas for our appointment. Rune and Luca Duhan."
This tone was a bit more authoritative, more noble. Hadn't lost his touch yet!
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:53 pm
Followed the sprite like a guard dog as violet and blue eye took in what details he could of the office and it's staff as that oh so familiar medical smell reached his nose, hand coming to cover it as he gave just a gentle cough before allowing rune to lead him, that or he could just stand still and be dragged for lord knows the sprite had a vice grip on his hand as usual when he was nervous. When they got to the desk however his back woudl be lent against the corner, wings shifting to fold along his spine as his head turned from right to left, then right again, hair thankfully restrained within that black bow.
"This place is rather nice, I have no doubt's they will take care of you here" the angel said with an approving nod though his head woudl tilt to the nervous speech Rune gave to the desk clerk, lips pressing together in a thin lined smile before the sprite woudl be taken into his arms, rough fingers weaving into the red locks that topped his head. "Relax, take a deep breath and calm, I'm here to make sure no one beast you up alright? I promise I won't let them do anything risky to you." With that he woudl place his chin atop rune's head due to his size and wait. Watching with idle interest.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:10 pm
"Oh, the Duhan appointment," came a male voice from behind the two as the receptionist ignored the odd couple. "Just come this way please, the office is right over here," continued the young brunette man adressing them. He beckoned them towards a door behind the receptionist's desk and slightly to the right. For being in plain sight, it seemed oddly unnoticable.
The young man, who was obviously medical staff of some sort with the ever recognizable stethescope, lab coat, and green scrubs, opened the door and walked into the office, leaving it open for them to follow suit. Once they were comfortably iside and had some privacy, that's when the "real" appointment would start.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:16 pm
Luca's words did relax the sprite, as they nearly always did, and he simply gave a smile to his angel, surprise obvious on the man's face as the new male seemed to come up from absolutely nowhere.
"Oh...Right. All right. Come on, Luca..." His hand grip tightened and he hurried toward the doctor, "Dr. Ronchas?" he asked, assuming it was him as that was the name associated with the place. Once inside, he looked around for a place to sit - where WAS he supposed to sit? The table? Right, that seemed...Well, he'd never been in a modern doctor's office so he just kind of stood there a bit dumbly.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:22 pm
Followed the sprite into the back room with his usual pace, head turning back to arch a brow at the receptionist who continued to concentrate on the paper work in front of her as Luca woudl proceed to make a very childish and rude face at the girl while her back was turned before he woudl turn back to the room and enter as if he had done absolutely nothing. Though as Rune woudl stand there dumbly he woudl find himself picked up 'bridal style' by the angel and seated upon the table, Luca choosing to claim the closest chair to it as he sat himself back, wings shifting so as to not get pinched behind his back. For now he woudl observe and let the doctor say hsi part as curious as he was.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:35 pm
Flashing a nervous but friendly smile, the doctor shook his head, "No, I'm Doctor Noah Bowen. Dr Ronchas is the head of the clinic, but I'm the other doctor who works here. We have several nurses as well."
He turned from them for a moment as he headed to the opposite side of the room, unlocked a file cabinet, and pulled out a manila folder and some official-looking papers. Resting them on his clipboard, he walked back to the couple.
"Alright. I'm assuming you know the basics about this clinic or you wouldn't be in this room right now. I'll take any questions or concerns you have, then we can head onto paperwork if you still want to go ahead with the procedure, and finally we'll get down to business." Noah brisk voice methodically listed off, much more sure of himself than it would've been even only a week before. The nervous young man was learning to deal with people much better these days.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:40 pm
"It's nice to meet yo---" he squeaked as he was picked up by his husband and placed on the table, blushing deeply and giving him a look that purely said he could have TOLD him instead of carrying him over there. Silly Angel. "You. Yes, we know the basics, but we do have a few concerns..." This was something that Rune could not and would not talk about, though, mouth pressing in a straight line.
It would be left up to Luca to explain about Alexandria and ask about what they could do to make sure that didn't happen again. Rune lightly bopped his foot up against him to let him know, head turning to look up at the ceiling. He'd listen, though, and that meant a lot.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:50 pm
Luca's eye's would meet the florescent light on the ceiling as he listened to the speech between both Rune and the doctor with them whist trying to remember everything the good doctor had told him over the phone about the clinic and male to male pregnancies. Head tilted back the Angeleth woudl be almost silent, half expecting rune to take over most the conversation while he had his chance to sit back and listen.
When Rune's foot came to prod him in the leg his head would lift upwards, bangs of black and ocean blue sliding to fall between his eyes and feather over them as mismatched gaze traveled between both the doctor and his husband before he would lean forward the rest of the way, sitting up the best he could without discomfort, or looking as noble as rune, as wings pulled outward at their tips, idly falling into a half flare. "I was curious as to our options as a male n' male couple, ya see last time Rune and I tried to have children it didn' work out so well. So I was wonderin' exactly...." He thought a moment "How that test tube child worked out? Ah do believe that may be our best option."
Sliding his hand over to place it upon Rune's the angel woudl be patient in his posture and expression, egar to hear the doctors words about the details of such a procedure, though lifting a finger to politely showed he had one more question to ask he would cough, clearing his throat. "What exactly...will you need from us in order to make the child?" Free hand woudl come the scratch the back of the Dark Angeleth's head nervously as eyes flickered between both Rune and the Doctor. He really had no idea how any of this worked, blame the angel for not having much medical knowledge under his belt
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:33 am
Noah seemed to have the best luck when it came to patients. As nervous as he always was around people, at the clinic all the couples who had come in to see him had been extremely pleasant so far. The Duhans were no different, save for the fact they were also the first homosexual couple he had dealt with.
He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for Rune to go on speaking, but when Luca continued speaking for him after the not-so-subtle nudge Noah' suspicion of underlying issues that these concerns might stem from was confirmed.
Noah started to answer, stopping as Luca interrupted as politely as he could. He remained awkwardly silent for a moment, just to make sure there were no more questions before speaking up again "The test tube option. Yes. So far it's been successful everytime, which is pretty incredible if you have any prior knowledge of ertility clinics. As for the actual process, it's fairly simple. We create an empty artificial egg and insert one parent's DNA into it, to which it adapts. Then we take DNA from the other parent and fertilize it."
He shifted the clipboard in his arms as he continued, "To be honest, test tube children are probably a better choice, as harsh as it sounds to call them that. Creating an artificial womb is obviously very invasive, and I wouldn't reccomend the procedure."
Noah was fairly sure he probably shouldn't be discouraging one of their practices, but the whole thing seemed like a great big liability lawsuit waiting to happen.
"So if that's all, then we'll get started on the paperwork. It's primarily health and contact information, and we don't share it with anywhere else. It stays private, locked in the file cabinet located right in this office." He motioned towards the cabinet sitting in the corner that he had fetched the manila folder in his hand from earlier. Noah paused awkwardly again, waiting for an answer. Sure, his people skills weren't the best, but he really was an excellent doctor to say the least.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:06 pm
Rune was quiet the entire time that his husband spoke and listened carefully to the doctor's words. He knew nothing of what he spoke, not quite understanding the concept of a test tube child nor understanding anything about fertility clinics at all. However, after the man in front of them spoke, Rune's arms crossed over his chest, head tilting to the side in thought.
"My race does not need artificial anything," he murmured softly, "We're equipped with what is needed to carry children, male or female. It would not be invasive. The...issue is not that I cannot carry naturally, I can. The issue is..." There seemed to be a small flash of anger over the Sprite's face, "That I'm too weak." Then, he went silent again, fingers drumming down along his thighs. It was difficult for the Sprite to accept certain things and he'd yet to come to terms with this upset either.
After a moment, though, he seemed to calm down, "These...tubes. They're small, aren't they? How does a baby get what it needs?" he looked rather confused at that, "And is there a chance of failure? I want all the facts before we do this. Would we be able to take the children home as they grow or would we have to leave them here?" His head turned to his husband. There was no way in hell he'd let anyone take care of their unborn children outside of them. He wanted them close, even if they couldn't be as close as they should. He'd be firm on that fact.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:57 pm
Luca would have kept his eyes trained upon the doctors as he listened to the explanation of the 'test tube' process, mismatched eyes giving a flicker to Rune as the Angel closely monitored the young sprites reactions. Rising only when he saw that Rune began to get upset, arm coming down to drape over his shoulder as those taloned claws of his free hand came to lift the sprites chin.
"Hey, just because of what happened dosen't mean we shouldn't try, I'm sure Dr. Noah knows what hes doing when he says this test tube may be our best option. Though I've read up on it in my study a bit before we came here, we don't have the technology needed to keep our children alive while their growing. We will have to wait until they are born. It will be just the same as if they were inside of you, and I'm sure they will take only the best care of them."
Placing a kiss to Runes cheek he would give a soft nuzzle to the side of the Sprites shoulder, lips closing only in another soft kiss. "I remember talking with Dr. Ronchas on the phone. He promised me that any way we choose to do things it woudl be successful, I'm sure other couples have taken this route as well and though they will keep the children to grow them, I'm sure that they will be in good hands. They will get to come home with us once their born...I'm sure of that."
Luca would then lower himself to kneel, just low enough so his head could tilt to lay across the Sprites knee as locks of ocean blue and black woudl spill across the cloth covered thigh. Nod given to prove that the Doctor had his consent to begin the paperwork, he just hoped that Rune would trust him enough to agree as well.
Surely this, was better then risking his husband or not having children at all.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:00 pm
Noah couldn't help but get more and more uncomfortable as Rune spoke. He was sorry that the couple had previous issues with getting pregnant, really, but he had no idea how to respond to the sprite when he told him it was due to his own weakness. A brief bombardment of questions only flustered him more, but Noah was lucky enough that Luca stepped in to lacate his partner. The tall man seemed to have a better grasp of the procedure, or at least trusted the doctor more. For that he was thankful.
"There's no need to be angry with yourself. Many people can't bear children. This is a way that will ensure the safety of yourself, as well as your children," Noah contemplated giving Rune some sort of comfotaing pat, but instead decidedly continued, "As for the test tubes, as the fetuses grow, they are moved to larger containers which will more acurately simulate a womb. As with any fertility clinic, ther is always a chance of failure. What this clinic offers is a drastically lower chance, to the point where we have never had an unsuccessful outcome." Noah was grateful that he was a poor liar, as an added effect was people could always tell when he was being completely earnest.
"And your partner is correct -we have had other prospective parents choose this route, and because of it they now have healthy children," Noah hesitated for a moment, then offered, "If you would like to visit the clinic to check up on your children as they grow, you may feel free to. I can't promise Dr. Ronchas will be ecstatic about it, but if you ask for me I'll make sure you get to see them."
Truthfully, he wasn't sure if this was allowed, though Noah saw no reason why it wouldn't be. They had a right to their children, even if they'd be in the care of the clinic for that time period.
Clearing his throat lightly, he handed each man some papers and a pen to fill them out. They were welcome to continue asking questions (or new ones the forms might bring up, but it was all very straight forward health and contact information; Allergies, residence, all the basics) but as soon as they finished with the paperwork the better. The sprite may've been hesitant, but the angel's nod and obvious conviction had convinced Noah that they were deffinately going through with it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:16 pm
Rune lifted his head to allow his eyes to meet Luca's, listening to his words, finding himself more and more reluctant. He did not want to leave his children in the hands of anyone else, nor did he trust anyone else. Being the prince and in the middle of a war, a new place or not, his paranoia had to be worse than Luca's in this respect. He would not place the lives of his only chance at children with strangers.
He was about to say as much when Luca's lips were felt against his shoulder and cheek and he sighed, absently slipping one of his hands down to stroke through the dark colored hair that spilled about his thighs as his husband made his home there for the time being.
"I want to take them home before they are born and watch them myself. If they are moved to a container that simulates a womb, then I should be able to take it home with me so long as I have instructions and tools are given so I can do it as well. There are reasons I cannot discuss due to security of various things that I wish to do so. If that's fine, then the paperwork can be started."
This was going to take what little money they had saved up, and he'd definitely need to find a job afterward...Or something. He would take no risks with his children.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:09 pm
Luca remained as he was. save for the soft purr like noises that fluttered up from the Dark angel's throat as those slender fingers found his hair. He could tell that the doctor was nervous, or at least thought he would be in such a position as Rune continued on about their children and while he knew the sprite to not give up until he got his way, he took the pen and paper and began filling out the forms.
Trying his best not to use his chicken scratch the pen tip formed simple legible letters, eyes lifting to cast their gaze between both his husband and the doctor as the conversation caught his interest once more. "I would like that as well, ifin' it's possible. I think tha' woudl allow both me n' Rune to bond better with our twins." Rune had a point, after living here for a year he had come to learn that things were no different from home. Few could be trusted.
Fingers adjusted the cuff links on his coat as the fiddled with the thoughts within his own head, thinking and plotting on how they would indeed be able to care for the twins if they were in such a contraption. Even more, where would they put it? His Study perhaps..
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:33 pm
Well he certainly was determined, and Noah found it jointly admirable and perplexing. If he was going to agree with this (and he knew he was, but his logical side was trying to stop him in vain) he was going to keep it quiet. Maybe Ronchas would agree to it, but he'd rather set it all up himself and see how it went just in case Ronchas decided to shoot the notion down.
These people deserved to have children, and just like any other parents deserved to see them grow.
He nodded slowly. Quietly, even though Noah knew the room was quite soundproof to those outside of it, he spoke up, "I'm not sure how Dr. Ronchas would feel about this. There's nothing illegal about it, but the clinic does belong to him. There should be no reason that you wouldn't be able to care for them, as the artificial womb will do most of it anyway. You'd really just be making sure everything ran smoothly. Fine. You can do it, but if anything even seems the slightest bit off, call me immediately. Understood?"
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