Someone New (open to L'Evienne party)

[Nell du'Galle]

TS: Towards the end of Cycle 4, Melora, Spring, XIV

The cycle was passing with that alarming speed that accompanies all vacations. Each brightening had been savoured and filled with walks on the beaches, meanderings through the town, pracendas lingered over and starry skies enjoyed. But time continued onwards even though one might wish each brightening to last for twice the length of candlemarks. This particular evening had been spent at the Marquis and Spider, the pracenda extending onwards with the slow finishing of another bottle of wine before stronger drinks were served to lull the party into a sense of well-being as they watched some of the locals dance with seductive grace to the strains of teasing violins.

Nell toyed with the glass in hand, swirling the amber liquid of the brandy around, as she gazed with envious delight at the couples on the clearing used for the dancing. They moved with such ease, following a rhythm that moved from slow to fast, anticipating their partner's next step as though they were able to read their minds ... or their bodies. Cheeks pressed together and then the woman dipped, before she curled herself around the man once more, legs intertwining and then such steps that Nell could only sigh in admiration. It was a dance of seduction and as one man lifted his partner to sweep her about in a high circle, Nell put down her glass and joined in the gentle applause that rippled through the remaining patrons.

She longed to be able to perform such a dance, but such intricate steps would require eras of practice, and besides ... the young woman rested one hand on her swollen belly and picked up the glass once more. It would not be long now, Nell told herself. Soon she would be able to dance once more, and ride and run and so many other things that had recently become difficult because of her pregnant state. With two children borne before, she knew the signs. The time was coming, and whether her serene acceptance of what was to happen in the next candlemarks was down to a fair quantity of alcohol, or just experience, she was content to sit and let the evening play itself out without raising the alarm. It was a short step to their rooms in the Inn and the nursemaids were at hand to help. No panic or anxiety this time around.

She smiled, one thumb moving over her belly in gentle circles. I know, you want to join us she thought.


OOC: Open to whoever may be with Nell and Milo for this pracenda. Warning! Birth thread imminent. However permission has been granted to write that part quickly, so this is really just establishing who's around for the occasion

[Milo L'Evienne]

Over the course of the evening, the surrounding atmosphere, the freely flowing wine and brandy, the lazy pace of the island in general, the graceful interactions of the dancers, all had had lulled Milo into an almost hypnotic state that left him near to imagining that if he allowed himself to, he’d slide right out of his chair and onto the floor like a puddle for the not at all unpleasant nature of it. Chances are he’d had too much wine given it wasn’t unheard of, but he’d have been more compelled to believe that the time away from Prime and better still the demands of duty, too brief as it was, added the location and moreover the longed for time alone with his family were the genuine culprits when all was said and done.

Nonetheless, as good as draped in his chair as much as sitting in it, his expression had given way to a contented and lazy smile, while a tumbler of brandy was cradled in one hand, and his other arm wrapped casually around Nell’s shoulder. It was impossible to wholly forget his official position in the scheme of things, or Nell’s either for a brief period of time, even were the Rosemen and Wizards not visibly scattered around them and keeping watch albeit in plain clothing. But all in all he couldn’t imagine coming any closer to absolute forgetfulness. And given the state of things currently, he could at the least manage avoiding thoughts of it entirely. Let the Rosemen pick up the gauntlet there for a while, and that they would.

He’d more important things on his mind anyway, thoughts of how they might spend their last brightenings on the Island, how he might manage on his part to make them all the more memorable for his family, and thoughts drifting with regularity to a long anticipated event that seemed all the more imminent given Nell’s visible state could hardly be ignored. And despite her many protests to the contrary, he found her as beautiful as ever. Catching sight of her gesture and following it with his gaze, he smiled and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. ”Do you think he, or she, is enjoying the music? Lulled to sleep, or joining in the dancing?” he asked with smile turning to a grin before kissing her once behind her ear and straightening again.

[Nell du'Galle]

”Very much awake and attentive,” Nell whispered back, casting a soft look at her husband. This was what life was about, Nell thought as she leaned her head on Milo’s shoulder and relaxed into the chair. Their two children were slumbering above in the guest rooms, lulled by the music and the heavy air of the darkening. This was all that mattered. Family, children, a husband whom she adored and a place they could call home. At the moment responsibilities to others could go to Aeternia while they were cocooned in this other world. She was content.

Her lazy smile became a little fixed though as a wave of pain came on as the contractions built. It didn’t last for long though, and the slight tension in her shoulders faded with the pain. There was no anxiety though, no closet reorganising this time, no pacing or fretting, although the changes in her body were coming at shorter intervals. It wouldn’t do, Nell thought, to have her waters break while down in the tavern part of the inn. She was loathed to move though, as she was so comfortable. But, it was time. “Milo,” Nell whispered, turning her head to his ear. “Don’t panic, my love, but the baby’s on the way. I’m going to pop upstairs and let the nursemaids know. Would you give me a hand up?”

[Milo L'Evienne]

There was nothing like hearing the words ’Milo. Don’t panic, my love, but the baby’s on the way.’ to sober a man up right quick and have him do just that. Sobered up was a bit of a misnomer probably but at the least he was snapped out of the languid state he’d been enjoying over the past few candlemarks, those further spent without a care in the world. Sat up straight, Milo’s eyes widened, reminiscent of a deer in a hunter’s mark while making sure he’d heard her right and when he concluded he had, he shot up out of his chair just as quick while sending it scraping backwards a foot or so in the process. Both snapped out of a former lethargy but head not cleared as much as could be just yet, he weaved a bit on unsteady legs before putting himself to rights after a few adjustments. ”Now?” he said a bit louder than intended and nonsensical or not he repeated it quieter a second time.

”Now?” he asked while Rosemen spared each other glances come of having come full alert in response to Milo’s sudden movement. They’d been watching after all, and had seen nothing at all to justify such unexpected activity, and still didn't in fact. Barrett knew though, experience had him knowing if not from this pair, from his own daughter’s time before them and so he made his way to the table quickly to lend what aid he could, once telling Knights to quietly prepare themselves for a jaunt back upstairs.

”Now, alright love,” Milo whispered then, having composed himself if only for the moment given time to absorb it added Barrett’s calmer influence. ”Barrett, go upstairs ahead of us and let the nursemaids know we’re on our way will you?” he said while supporting Nell as she rose. For now he’d regained a manageable level of having collected himself despite his formerly traitorous knees, though chances were as his head cleared all the more, the greater the challenge to maintain such calm.

[Nikki L'Evienne]

Nikki thought that she should spend some time this darkening with Milo and Nell. It was the last darkening together on vacation and so Nikki decided to pop downstairs and see them. It had been a whirlwind for the young L'Evienne, with a romance like none she'd ever had before (no criminals, for a start, she considered with a grin to herself) but this was all because of Milo and Nell so down the stairs she went and walked in on a strange picture.

There was Milo, looking not unlike a deer caught in the path of a runaway carriage and Nell, just standing up and looking.. serene.

"Hi folks, thought I'd just pop down and share a bit of time with you if thats alright.... what's happening?"

She looked at Milo, looked at Nell and then at Barret and a quiet curse left the younger L'Evienne's lips that, thankfully, was quiet enough only to be hearable by one Barrett who had undoubtedly, Nikki thought, heard worse.

"Baby coming is it? Ok.. don't panic. It's alright... lets not panic. Nellie... do you need to sit down? Stand up? Lie down?? just.. let not panic alright?"

Panic seemed to be something that was certainly happening to young Nikki. She looked at Milo as though the world was ending and her wide eyes showed her fear "Do I need to get towels?" she asked....

... she thought that was what people did in these circumstances.

[J'lyara]

“Now, now Lord Gravelle, don't you think you've had enough of the wine for the darkening?” Her voice was light and teasing, as she bent to speak close to his pointed ear and efficiently slid the mug of hot elven tea laced with honey in front of him while removing the glass that had been refilled so many times with his favorite aged Marsala that the tall Elf was starting to be a problem. Even the violins couldn't seem to drown him out and other girls waiting tables had begun to complain such that J'lyara thought she'd better give it a try herself.

She'd chosen to return to work after taking several brightenings off to spend some time with Nell and Milo here and there, and she'd remembered even more over the course of their being here but there was so much still missing. It was odd somehow, returning to waiting tables, knowing that she was a Lady and had no need to work as hard as the girls did who kept the customers of this particular Cafe happy and always coming back through the doors.

Try as they might to keep the impending birth quiet, it hadn't exactly worked. It was while she was dealing with the drunken Lord Gravelle that she noticed Nell and Milo rise from their table. And if it wasn't for the certain alertness of Milo's face and then Nikki's as she arrived also, she might have thought they were simply returning to their private suites for some alone time.

She thought Nell and Milo had done well merging in with the common folk but there certainly weren't many who were oblivious to their presence in the city and it would likely be food for fodder for a long time to come, that this person had eaten pracenda within a few feet of the Regent and his wife or yet another person had had the good fortune of having her blanket nearly stepped on while at the beach by the Regent's sister. The little stories would likely continue and be told over and over after the Royal family had gone back home to Prime. It was a special time for the Port of Chelseanna, and J'lyara knew that just from the small amount of time she'd been an islander. The baby being born here would be cause for celebration and J'lyara couldn't contain her excitement as she hurried to the back to wash her hands and find her boss, snatching the apron from her small waist and thowing haphazardly it onto a hook jutting out from the wall.

With a whispered, hurried plea to her boss, J'lyara was released from the service of her current tables and walked briskly over to the Imperial Family, amidst a sea of people just beginning to realize what was happening and trying to figure out what to do for mother and child.

After Nell and Milo had given her the details she'd so deseparately needed about her life, she'd insisted that she'd be remaining right here on the island until she could sort out of the host of jumbled thoughts and images in her mind. But one thing was certain, she'd recovered much of the closeness that there had been between the couple and herself and even some of the memories. Her eyes were affectionate and supportive as she moved to stand near her friend, amazed at how calm she seemed.

Lifting her gaze to Milo anxiously, she nodded her head in the direction of a lift toward the back that she'd seen used by the staff to transport supplies between the floors. “It'll be faster to get her back upstairs if we go this way. Oh do hurry, I don't think it'll be long before this little one makes a debut into the world!” She could tell by Nell's stance that she wasn't long for staying on her feet. It was most certainly time and J'lyara thought if her dear friend tried to walk up any stairs the baby might pop right out then and there, likely her own inexperience with the birthing of babies adding to that thought.