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 Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 3:29 pm
The first few weeks with the baby were a challenge. Kyn, as much as she might wish, was not getting as much sleep as she would like and woke to every sound, every coo, even every period without sound. She sent Tony to feed the baby when she could not drag herself out of bed but in that he really was her hero, taking up for her when she could not on her own and helping her in every way. He was amazing and Sarah was getting bigger and more beautiful every day.
She had Harmony babysitting tonight with Evalia, away from the house. The emerald haired woman was determined not to let the romance flag now that they had a newborn and complications in their life that did not support taking time together and being happy and married. They were still in their first year of marriage, after all, and she meant to make this work.
She tucked her surprise in a box with a bow, expecting her husband home any moment. The little pup was only a month or two old and was tuckered out, laying in the box on her little blanket. She laid the box on the table for him to take the lid from to unwrap his, and Dogby's, surprise.
She sat down on the couch next to a bottle of sparkling cider. It would have been champagne but, no, doctor's orders.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 4:25 pm
Tony was always up for the challenge. As tired as he was, he knew she was worse off. The baby preferred her company, or maybe Tony just lacked that magical motherly ability to lull a baby back to sleep with relative ease. But even if it did take him more time, he was happy to tend to the baby when Kyndall needed to rest.
He was working on his schedule, between work (less hours), patrol and being at home. There was only so much he could do, but he did it to the best of his ability, anyway.
Unlocking the door and coming into the house, he sighed as he put his cane and briefcase down. He sighed and moved into the kitchen to get himself a cold drink. It was already getting too hot for his tastes. It was hard to dress like a librarian in the summer.
It wasn't until he entered the living room that he saw her waiting for him, and he smiled dumbly at her, as he always did. Looking at her was like seeing her for the first time, every time. He moved to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, darling," he said tenderly. He sat down and then saw the box on the table.
"What's this?" he asked suspiciously, though he already looked pleased. He didn't know what was in it, but he was happy that she'd gotten him a gift, at the very least. She was too nice to him, sometimes.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 4:43 pm
She poured him a tall fluted glass of chilled sparkling cider and handed it to him with a kiss. When she had the energy she was happy to dote on him as best she could because in her eyes he deserved everything she could give him and then some. Kyn laughed when he noticed the rather large box in front of him and knew it to be his.
"This, my darling, is a night for us. Nate is out. Harmony is babysitting Sarah with Evalia down the street and we are alone, my husband, for the first time in quite a long while. I plan to make good use of the time."
A devious grin flashed against her lips but she had to behave in any naughty sense of her words or thoughts. Doctor's orders, again, taking the fun out of life. Not that she was all that much in the mood. She just missed spending time with her husband without baby cries, bad attitudes, and random outbursts interrupting their time together. The A/C was blessedly working. Her pregnancy proved that and though their electric bill didn't thank them the house was much cooler than the grilling blacktop outside.
"That," she indicated the box, "is a surprise for you. The only way to find out is to open it up."
The box was easy to open, the lid wasn't even secured on. The pup came with the name Gizmo and that name glittered on her collar with their contact info on the back. She was mostly a ball of fluff right now but soon she'd grow into a nice playmate for Dogby and Sarah alike. She seemed to recognize that her daddy was home and whined in the box, shuffling around in the dark. She scratched at the cardboard walls to be let out. She wanted attention.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:26 pm
Tony smiled and took the drink, thinking it was better than the water he had gotten from the kitchen, anyway. Though it was certainly not his usual choice. He was staying away from alcohol for now, though, for the benefit of his family and his ability to be coherent at all times.
He nodded at her answer, smiling, though for a moment his eyes flickered. It was near imperceptible, but he would have to tell her what he had discovered about his son. Than Nathan was a Senshi. The Eternal Senshi of Danger, no less.
But he didn't feel like blowing her mind at the moment.
Instead, he moved to kiss her properly now, smiling as he lingered close, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He ran his finger lightly over the smooth curve of her cheek, then took a breath and drew himself away by force of will, looking at the present. It was moving, so he imagined he could guess what was inside. He moved to the box and took off the lid, blinking at what he saw inside. A little puppy, he could see that, and it looked just as Dogby had when he first got her.
"Gizmo?" he laughed, picking the little thing up. Dogby was sitting by his feet, mostly unnoticed, staring up at the new arrival with large, doe eyes. She had no idea what to think of it. First a new little human and now a new little dog? What was she going to do with all these new friends?
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 6:29 pm
Kyn gave a happy sound as he kissed her, leaning into it and feeling a warm glow start in her belly. It always happened whenever he kissed her and had not happened for anyone else, ever. Sher certainly didn't want him to stop or let her go but he had to. The box was demanding it to be so. The emerald haired woman looked down to their little pup and laughed to see her wide eyes.
"Come here, you!"
Kyn chuckled and scooped Dogby up, petting her and scritching her head. She held her up to where Gizmo was, dazed in her daddy's hands. She let the two get acquainted since they would not be playmates. "This is your little sister, Dogby." She explained. It didn't seem fair everyone else had a little sister but her.
Then she set the corgi down and felt a bit tired, taking her seat again on the couch.
"It'll be good for her, Tony. We'll be preoccupied with Sarah, a lot, and with the yard it'll be nice for Dogby to have someone to play with, someone else her size. Do you like her?"
Harmony would go to pieces for the new puppy and secretly Kyn wanted a dog of her very own. She loved Dogby but she was definitely daddy's girl. His wife simply wanted to even the playing field. It didn't seem fair that he got Sarah, Dogby, and Gizmo. Normally she'd have Nathan but he didn't seem like a mama's boy type, or really a family type for that matter. And with Harmony going to school it would just be them. Given that Gizzy was already sniffing her dad and giving his hands wet puppy kisses that probably wasn't going to be what would happen but Kyndall maintained hope.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 6:47 pm
"She's a lovely little dog," he said, looking at the puppy and cuddling her. He couldn't help it. He was so happy to have another dog, his soft heart just turning into a puddle of soppy goofiness. He couldn't help himself, he had fallen in love with his dog and now he had another one. They had another, he corrected himself. He would love her just as much as he did Dogby, though.
She was going to be spoiled rotten here.
"Little Gizmo. That's very cute. That was a very nice idea, Kyn, I think Dogby will be a lot happier. She's really gentle with the baby but I think it would be better for her to have a friend to keep her attention." He knew Dogby could get a little rambunctious, and the puppy would be able to keep up with her a lot sooner than their baby would be able to.
He chuckled and watched as Dogby leaned toward the new puppy and sniffed her, whining excitedly and wiggling. She was not shy of other dogs, at least, and all she saw was an opportunity for fun and friends.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:22 pm
"I think you're right. Sarah will need to be a year, at least, before she can play with Dogby and even then she won't know the concept of being gentle."
Not that their pup ever even so much as bared her teeth at anyone. Kyn didn't think she actually knew how to be aggressive. But her attention was pulled away how adorable he looked and by how much she adored him for being every bit the gentle hearted man she knew and loved.
"I love you."
She smiled up at him and was happy for their night and that his gift went over so well. Gizmo seemed happy with the situation and fell asleep in dad's arms. Kyndall chuckled and resigned herself to being second best to any little girl in their lives. She took the blanket out of the box and set it on the floor, depositing the pup near Dogby at their feet. It was nice and all but their night was not over yet.
"Come sit with me, darling."
She reached up for him and pulled him over where she was, curling against him immediately. Her fingertips drew lazy curlicues over his chest, a dreamy smile on her lips. It felt very good, intimate, and made her believe all of her plans were worth it.
"Are you alright? How was your day?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:04 pm
Tony watched as Dogby curled up next to Gizmo, sniffing at her cautiously but settling down and just watching the little puppy as she slept. It was a very curious little thing, and Dogby wasn't sure if she was supposed to play with it or not. She got told off when she tried to play with the other new friend they'd brought home.
Tony sat down with Kyndall, putting his arm around her as she curled against him. It was a familiar position, and she fit against him perfectly.
"Oh, it was a day, you know," he said distantly. It was not today that he had on his mind. It was the night he found out his son was a sailor senshi, living under his nose without him even knowing, even suspecting, that he was part of the war Kyndall and himself, Tony, fought so hard for. The fact that a man of Nathan's character could... Tony was not sure how to process it.
All he had heard went against what he saw, and it all seemed so very strange.
"I have something I should tell you. It's about... about Nathan." He cleared his throat, wishing the cider was just a bit stronger. "Well. It's about... a man named Sailor Chaonis. That... that is... Nathan is a senshi."
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:43 pm
Kyndall nodded her understanding and purred against him. All was right with the world. The sun, the moon, the stars in the sky seemed perfectly aligned and were giving them a wonderful night.
Then the bomb dropped.
"Nate's a...he's...?" Mrs. Darrow pulled in a very deep breath and let it out again slowly. "A senshi?"
She looked at her husband in alarm, almost wondering if she'd dreamt the words. They couldn't be true, could they? He was right under their noses. Independent, true, and plenty of attitude but a senshi? How was it even possible not to know about that when she and Tony were both involved? He was still out patrolling every night, or nearly so. Was it just hit and miss?
Shalott had met Chaonis once upon a time. The more she thought about it the more it made sense and that sent a stab of ice into her belly.
"I met Chaonis once. He helped me with a spider youma. He was so reckless, God! Tony, you have to talk to him! He'll be killed! How can we even protect him out there in that fight?"
This realization made Kyndall very terrified for her daughter. What if Harmony was as well and they didn't know it?
"Oh my God!" She put a hand to her mouth and looked worried. Suddenly she was hoping for something stronger than apple cider, too. "You have to stop him, Tony. This is insane! How did we not even suspect?"
But suddenly a lot of things made a whole hell of a lot more sense.
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:02 pm
Tony took a breath, looking at Kyndall as she pulled back to look at him. She had met Chaonis before? In truth, so had Tony, once upon a time, but he had not realized they were one and the same, and he had been too badly injured at the time to really notice anything.
"I don't know what to do. He doesn't know who I am. I don't know if I'm ready to tell him. I don't... I need to see him, what he's doing, what kind of a man he is. The senshi I spoke with, she told me he was a good senshi. I have a really hard time understanding that, and... believing it. And that makes me feel bad."
"I don't know how long he's been doing this. Longer than me, maybe. Who knows? He's always been this way, this angry and tense, aloof. I never noticed a difference in him, and I thought the injuries... I thought they were from fights..."
He sighed, and shook his head.
"The magic must have protected him, like it does for us. We're not immune to it. Glamour, I mean. In any case, I can't bring it up to him without... without knowing more."
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:28 pm
"Tony, the senshi I met was reckless and cavalier with his own life. He jumped on top of the youma and laughed, laughed, with the danger. It wasn't that long before I found out I was pregnant."
But a lot could change in nearly a year; it had for them. She had to give Nate the benefit of the doubt for now, though she wasn't sure if that was wise. Their son didn't really seem to want to show himself to be responsible or careful in any facet of his life. Harmony could attest to that if she were there and privvy, having patched him up in the same way Kyn patched up her husband more than a year ago when they were just friends.
She knew without asking that this was his task. No matter how much she wanted to step in and talk to Nathan herself because she was worried for him she had to leave it to Tony. It nearly killed her to think that, wondering how she'd behave looking at him now knowing how much he was doing. He'd mentioned something about them not understanding the pressure he was under to her once. She nearly laughed. He'd be surprised, as she said at the time. They were all in the same boat, all high up in this war and caught inextricably.
"What are you doing to do, Tony? Follow him?"
Kyn was heartsick by all this. To her surprise she realized how much she grew to love her stepson and how very little of that emotion was returned.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:08 am
"Maybe."
He sighed and watched the two sleeping dogs, Dogby having settled down next to Gizmo and fallen to sleep almost immediately. They looked like they were best friends already, and that was one less worry off his shoulders. The dogs would be able to keep themselves entertained and happy.
And they would be good for the baby, in time.
"I might have to follow him. Or maybe talk to him, as Camelot. See if I can learn what he does, how he conducts himself now. He's been at this a long time, I've heard, and he probably knows more about the war than we do. Combined, maybe. But I don't know how much he cares about it."
That was the biggest concern. His son could only stay safe if he was smart about the war, but Nathan had a problem with being smart about anything. He was a reckless kid, and that probably would not change from civilian to senshi.
Tony kissed Kyndall on the head and hugged her to him, wanting to push the conversation to the side for now.
"That is about all we can do, for now... until I've figured more out, until I know he's ready to know who we are."
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:34 am
Kyndall was heartsick to hear it. All of the worry that seemed to be placed solely on his shoulders since she gave up her garland now returned full force for her stepson. The worry shone in her violet eyes and worry lines creased her brow. She could understand that his concern was probably far greater than hers - that was his flesh and blood on the line.
Still, trailing after him as Camelot didn't seem like the right option, just the only one he really had right now that was feasible. She sighed but didn't say anything, opting to simply cuddle in his arms while she turned things over. Her mind could not let go of the worry that she might be in this position someday over her own daughter. She couldn't shake the idea, though she tried.
"Darling, I wish I knew what to say. I can't imagine how worried you must be." She frowned again, feeling helpless. "I wish that boy knew the value of family..."
Kyn kissed his cheek and closed her eyes, trying to show him she was there for him every step of the way.
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Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 2:59 pm
"I appreciate your concern, my love. We'll just have to see how things go... I'll try not to worry about it too much." He smiled and cuddled her, letting the conversation slip away because he did not want to make her fret, and ruin the comfortable air they had been aiming for.
Dogby and Gizmo had the right idea, cuddled together and sleeping.
"Let's just... try to relax, hm? It's all so much to take in at once, as it often is in this stupid war." He sighed. It was not something anyone got used to, after all. There was no predicting just what trouble would pop up, or what enemy would need to be faced. Or what sort of thing that enemy might be.
For Camelot, his enemy was his own secrets, and he had to find a way to tell Chaonis who he was, without pushing him farther away. He was not going to risk running the younger Darrow off, after all, and that was a very real danger with something like this. Nate already didn't like him. Chances were good that Chaonis would not like Camelot.
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