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 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:27 pm
It was with some relief that Hadrian had first noticed that the computers were showing energy fluctuations in a Soul; many of them had seemed dormant for a time, so he had begun to worry that something had gone wrong - but it seemed this one was about to be born. Of course, 'about to', was rather subjective - it could be anywhere from a minute to an hour.
So not wasting any time, he headed to Natalie's apartment. He hoped she was there - the birth of the Souls were always unique, and he had to admit that he still hadn't gotten tired of watching it, yet.
So, knocking on her door, he glanced down at the little 'watch' he had on; it didn't tell time, however. No, instead it was showing seemingly incomprehensible numbers that were fluctuating...it was actually a monitor of the Soul, but it would doubtlessly be confusing to anyone except him.
Didn't look like it had been born while he'd been gone, yet - so maybe they'd be lucky and get to witness it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:35 pm
There was some rummaging, bumping - maybe a few muffled curse words. Eventually, after a minute or two, Natalie opened the door, looking breathless and more than a little bit frazzled. Her hair was wild, and her clothing was put on fairly haphazardly.
"Oh, Hadrian!" she said, laughing nervously and running a hand through her hair, trying to tame it back. "What are you doing here?"
They'd barely seen each other in the last few months, so it was surprising to see him at her door. Especially since they did have working telephones.
Michael was moving around in the living room, trying to put things back in order in case their guest was going to come in. If the reader must know, he was smiling smugly the entire time.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:47 pm
At realizing that he had lost contact with Natalie so easily (considering they both lived in the compound, that was startling), Hadrian felt a pang of guilt - but then pushed it aside. He'd been busy, after all - Marc had even complained about him working too much.
Of course, Marc probably thought he should be spending all of his time with him...
"I thought you might be interested to know that your Soul has just become active. It could be born in either then next minute, or the next hour - either way, it will be here soon."
If he was a bit more observant, he might have picked up on the hair and clothes - and the fact that there was a stranger in Natalie's living room - but, as he wasn't very observant, he didn't.
Ah, if only Dacian was there...he might have had a few teasing remarks to deliver to the girl.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:51 pm
"My-" Natalie paused after the first word, eyes widening in dawning comprehension. She looked back into the apartment, then back at Hadrian. "My child?" she finally breathed.
That got Michael's attention enough that his smug grin turned into a half-smile of curiosity. He came up behind her, looping an arm around Natalie's waist. "What's this?" he asked, quirking a brow.
Natalie looked up at him, breaking out into a grin and bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "My child's about to be born!" she said, giggling. Then she turned to Hadrian. She wasn't really thinking that the last time Hadrian had seen Michael, Michael had been the manipulative b*****d taking advantage of her.
"We should get going down to the lab, then, right?" Never mind Michael's half-buttoned shirt and bare feet.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:12 pm
For a few moments, Hadrian didn't recognize Michael. As he did, he finally took note of the disarrayed state of them both - and his reaction for a few moments, was simply to blink at them. Huh.
"Alot must have happened in the past couple months."
The mage let a bit of curiousity leak into his tone, but then moved past this; it looked like things may have worked out for the two of them. It would be nice...she deserved some good luck. And things had been going relatively well for him, for that matter - only one Thorn sighting.
"Anyway, yes - I have a feeling you won't want to miss this."
He turned then, to lead them to the labs.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:23 pm
Natalie looked at Michael, then burst out laughing. She quickly got a pair of shoes on and grabbed a coat. Michael did the same, and they followed Hadrian down the stairs and out the building.
"More like in the past two weeks," Natalie confessed. "School happened the rest of the time."
Michael nodded at this, fixing up his shirt before buttoning up his coat. "Two weeks spent decorating a nursery, actually. Natalie's all ready for this new arrival."
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:28 pm
"Do you know what you want to name it, yet - male or female?"
'It' since they didn't know the gender. Unlike real births, you didn't know anything about the kid until it was born - well, except for maybe the coloring. And occasionally the features showed a bit, like with Gavin and the birdlike features of his energy....
The mage didn't waste time as he led them into the labs, occasionally glancing down at his wrist-monitor.
So far, so good. So long as it waited a little longer, they'd get to see the little one be born.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:33 pm
Michael glanced at Natalie. She was deep in thought as she followed Hadrian down the hallways, tapping her lower lip.
"Well," she said, "if it's a girl, I thought I'd name her Ophiera. Sort of like Ophelia, but not quite - I don't want her committing suicide in a river, after all.
"If it's a boy... I don't know. I didn't really think of that. I mean, I know that it could very well turn out to be a boy, but I never actually stopped to think about the possibility seriously."
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:38 pm
"Good choice."
Honestly, Hadrian missed the connection there - but he was used to that. Maybe he should try paying more attention to this world's cultural things...books, plays, that sort of thing - he missed references like that all the time.
"Ah, that reminds me of Marc...he had assumed that his child would be a boy - a feminine boy, since the Soul was pink, but a boy none-the-less. He was...a bit surprised when he found out he had a daughter."
They turned down the hall to the room where Ophiera resided.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:41 pm
Natalie laughed, interlacing her fingers with Michael's as they entered the room. "I suppose I should try and decide on a boy's name pretty quickly then, just in case. I can't call my son, 'Hey, you!' until I figure it out, after all."
She pursed her lips again, looking up at her beau. "... Nicholas, maybe? Not as exotic, but..."
But Michael was too busy looking at the bubble that was Ophiera, mesmerized and fascinated. This was going to be Natalie's child? She had explained it, to the extent that she understood, but seeing was another matter entirely.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:44 pm
Hadrian reflected that they must have good timing.
Because it was only a few moments after entering, that the orb began to fluctuate - spirals of energy twisting in and out of it, sparking with some bright light. It seemed to drift closer to the ground, growing brighter as it did so - bright enough, eventually, that one couldn't look at it at all.
And then, the light disappeared.
In it's place, sitting on the ground, was a little girl.
"...it looks like you were correct about the gender, Natalie."
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:49 pm
Natalie gasped, letting go of Michael's hand and nearly falling forward a few steps, hands over her mouth. Then she shot Hadrian a look. "Is it... is it okay for me to pick her up, do you think?"
The child was watching her with dark eyes, her head tilted slightly to one side. Her hands were clasped properly in her lap, her feet tucked under her. She was smiling, faintly, but didn't try to say anything.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:55 pm
Hadrian simply smiled and inclined his head slightly. Of course it was alright.
The mage didn't think anything of the silence of the toddler - the children never seemed able to talk when they first were born. Some of them made noises, and others were more quiet in nature...it seemed like Ophiera was a quiet one.
Though of course, he didn't realize how quiet.
He wanted to do the DNA test to see what blend she was, but he thought that the girls mother should be the first one to be...well, close to the girl.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:01 pm
Natalie quickly hurried over to the girl, but then slowed, cautiously holding out her arms. Ophiera looked at her for a moment, then slowly pushed herself forward and crawled over to her. Natalie tried to lift her up, but somehow Ophiera slipped and fell back down.
The girl didn't look happy. In fact, she made all the motions of crying - tears, balling up her little fists, even opening her mouth a little as if to wail.
But there was no sound.
Worried, Natalie lifted her up - without difficulty this time - cradling the girl against her. Ophiera clung tight, but still there was no sound. She looked between Hadrian and Michael anxiously.
"What's... what's wrong with her?" she whispered.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:08 pm
Hadrian looked as lost as Natalie, as he stared at the little girl. In the back of his mind, he was panicking - was this a side effect of the Soul being dormant for so long? Did that mean there were going to be problems with all the others, too?
"...I don't know."
He hadn't encountered any of the Souls having problems from birth, before.
Maybe there was a problem in the actual development of her throat? Or what if this silence was the result of a deeper problem?
Feeling a bit anxious, even though it seemed like Ophiera was alright asides from her not making any sound, he made a suggestion.
"I'm going to run a few diagnostic spells - see if they can tell me what's wrong."
Chewing on his lower lip as he thought, he spoke again, "You'll have to put her down for the spells, though - otherwise there will be interference since there'll be two bodies in it's range."
But she might want to wait until Ophiera was calmed down, a bit.
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