Easy As One-Two-Three|Malagard, Khelek

[Kender Bard]

I am never, never, never doing this again, Locket thought faintly as she gazed up at the ceiling.

"He's on his way," Filly told her as she fussed over the princess to make her comfortable. Locket grimaced and turned her head.

"Is that... a book?"

Filly shrugged helplessly. "Contrary to what you may have been told, most of this is not going to be very exciting. That happens at the end. I'm going to just concern myself with keeping you comfortable as best as I can." She rolled up a cloth and laid it over her forehead. "There."

"There? There? Do something about the pain, woman!" Locket cried.

"I've done the best I can," Filly sighed. ~I don't suppose you'll be helping?~ Filly asked Schuldig. She highly doubted it, and had already arranged the bassinets. ~All I need is another pair of hands to hold things. And nothing is going to go wrong. I can feel it. Healer instinct. This will be fine.~

[Darastrix]

~Define hold "things,"~ Schuldig said, his mental voice expressing both wariness and worry. Healer's instinct was bullshit in a lot of cases. There was no way to know just how well everything would be until it was over.

Nagi teleported outside the room and, after a few false starts and a quick round of pacing, knocked softly at the door.

[Kender Bard]

"Come in," Filly called out. ~Towels and things and then the babies. I just need a helper. You don't have to, though. Healer work is messy and midwifery is even worse. I've got things settled here to handle it on my own. Honestly, though, Schuldig...~ Her mental voice turned wry. ~Have a little faith, would you?~

"Nagi," Locket murmured, turning her head towards the door.

"Can you still use your power at all?" Filly asked suddenly.

Locket frowned and clenched her left hand to stir up a breeze. She felt the barest of breezes for a moment and then it was gone. "No. It's not like it's not there but every time I try to grasp the power it just sort of slides away."

"Good," Filly remarked with relief. The last thing she needed was for Locket to still be in command of her Wind powers when things got painful. Everything seen to, she settled into a chair and grabbed her book. Locket cast her a sour look and Filly couldn't help but grin a little.

Divine birth, probably painless to boot. Bitch. Locket thought uncharitably.

As an afterthought, Filly added to Schuldig, ~Though I would very much appreciate it if you would help keep Nagi calm, if you think you can. Even from afar.~

[Darastrix]

Nagi peeked into the room cautiously, as though afraid of what might be going on at the moment. Which, frankly, he was. He wasn’t at all sure how quickly things might go. But if Filly was sitting there with a book, he thought he could be reasonably sure that it wasn’t going to be fast.

He shut the door behind him and made his way to Locket’s side. “Is everything okay?” he asked, looking between his wife and Filly.

There was a pause, and then Schuldig teleported into the room. He leaned against a wall, arms crossed, and raised a brow at Filly. “I’ll hold towels and things, but I draw the line at squalling newborns.”

He looked over at Locket. “Having fun yet?” He fully expected to be glared at, but he figured if he just acted like the ass he was, the kids would figure things were okay.

[Kender Bard]

"Perfectly fine," Filly replied. "Take a seat, Nagi. It will be some time before the interesting part starts."

Locket's hand tightened on her sheets then as she looked at Schuldig, half-glaring. "Buckets," she answered tartly. "Pity you're no empath. I'd be happy to sh-share." But after another moment, she relaxed and smiled faintly at Schuldig.

Filly brushed her mind against his. ~I appreciate the help.~ She and Locket shared a long look, a quick telepathic conversation. Filly gave a slight nod. "Nagi, just so you are aware, you do not have to stay for everything if you don't want to. I can let you know when Locket's done if you'd rather leave for that part."

Locket glanced at Nagi with a small smile. "Trust me, I'd leave if I could," she joked.

[Darastrix]

"Wrong discipline," Schuldig told Locket. "Empaths do emotion, and I dabble in that often enough. You want to share your 'fun,' you'll need a sensory Mind." Actually, he could probably manage to tap in to that with little trouble, but why the hell would he want to?

"I don't know whether I'll want to leave," Nagi murmured as he took a chair and placed it next to the bed. He looked over at Schuldig. "Do you think Farf could help with the pain?"

"Do you reaaaaaally want him around for this?" Schuldig asked. "I mean, he can control himself now, but I don't think he could sustain anything for all that long."

[Kender Bard]

"Minds are confusing," Locket told Schuldig by conclusion. She couldn't figure out how they split up their disciplines. But it gave her something to think about at least.

"Schuldig's right," Filly said. "You'll just have to bear it, Locket. I've done the best I could for now."

"Okay," Locket sighed. She focused on getting comfortable and let her eyes close. The least she could do was rest when she could. "Wake me when it's time."

Filly just laughed.

---

By night, the excitement was finally over.

Never again, Locket thought dazedly. It had been... about as bad as she had guessed it would be, but liberal use of healing water was helping her to feel better already. It took the edge off things, at least.

"Almost ready," Filly remarked softly as she moved from one basket to the next. Each one had a colored ribbon on it, presumably to help remember which child was which, but Locket hadn't seen who went into which basket.

Locket scooted up on her pillows a bit more as Filly came over and handed her a whimpering newborn.

"Your firstborn," Filly explained. "A son. An Ice."

"Hello," Locket cooed to the baby, shifting him a little awkwardly so Nagi could see too. "Hm, what to call you...?"

[Darastrix]

~I still can’t believe you’d actually want to go through all that shit,~ Schuldig muttered to Filly. He’d handled the messy parts just fine—it took a good deal more than that to turn his stomach—but as for the part involving one of his friends in more than just a little pain for hours on end…. If he were ever to play assistant midwife (midhusband?) again, he’d rather stick to strangers.

Nagi was in full agreement with Locket’s silent thought. That had been more than enough for him. He’d managed to stay in the room by keeping focused on Locket’s face and holding her hand (with his own wrapped safely in a field of telekinetic force when needed), but he had no desire to do this again. Thank the Forces it was over.

“What do you think of ‘Gaius?’” Nagi murmured as he looked at their son. He could still scarcely believe that he was a father now.

[Kender Bard]

Filly glanced at him with a small smile. ~It's all worth it for this. For the children. I'd go through twice as much if it meant I could be the one to cradle a new life and call it my own.~ She bent and picked up the second baby, bending her head over it and murmuring sweetly. ~Even Locket is happy and she didn't think she would be.~

Indeed, Locket was beginning to grin more and more as she cuddled her new son. "Gaius," she murmured. "Gaius. Yes. I do like that!" She kissed the baby softly on the forehead. "You're Gaius now."

Filly turned and offered the second one to Nagi. "Your daughter," she announced. "A Wind-Mind."

"Winged?" Locket asked.

Filly shook her head.

[Darastrix]

Schuldig just shook his head. ~I'm starting to think women have a special sort of insanity.~

Nagi took his daughter very carefully, looking a bit relieved that Filly hadn't said she was winged. "I'm a little glad for that," he admitted. "I don't know if I could handle having one who was going to end up learning how to fly."

[Kender Bard]

Filly flashed Schuldig a grin. ~Of course.~

"Oh she'll fly," Locket remarked with a wide grin. "Just the old fashioned way." She leaned towards him and the baby girl. "There's my Trinket..."

Filly raised a brow as she went and picked up the third child. "Trinket?"

"Yes," Locket said with a challenging look.

~She's your daughter, name her what you want~ Filly replied. She grinned as she cradled the third and moved back to Locket's side. "Trade you." Locket nodded and Filly maneuvered the babies carefully, holding Gaius and leaving the second son in Locket's arms.

"That one takes after his father," Filly announced with a grin. "A double Mind."

[Darastrix]

Nagi smiled at that. With three different elements between them, he hadn't really expected any of their children to have two of the same sign. He didn't really care what signs they had, but he was still pleased that one of them shared both of his. "I wonder what specialty he'll take to," he murmured.

Schuldig snorted quietly. "Fuck Malagard," he said. "This place is New Glaciamens."

[Kender Bard]

Filly laughed at that and carried Gaius over towards him. "You might want to consider saying that loudly in Sensatia," she teased, and leaned over to kiss him. She was in a very good mood now. ~You might steal some more Minds to move here.~

"Maybe he can be a super-strong telekinetic, like you," Locket mused.

She bent her head down and nuzzled her second son. "He's got one sign on his forehead," she announced and tapped it lightly with her finger. She felt a surge of pride--old blood, noble blood. Even if Khelek didn't adhere to the Anarlinan belief, she was pleased to see the placement.

To her immense delight, the baby smiled up at her, a goofy open-mouthed smile. Her heart melted. "Do you like the name Nathaniel?" she asked Nagi.

[Darastrix]

Schuldig kissed her, and put his arms behind his back to avoid having Gaius pushed into them. ~I'm more interested in stealing the amenities from Sensatia than a particular element.~


Nagi smiled and nodded. "It's a nice name." And if Nathaniel ended up being as shy as he was (he hoped not; being shy did one few real favours), he'd at least have a nice, normal name.

[Kender Bard]

Filly pouted--she didn't get to make Schu hold the baby like she'd hoped. Turning, she carried Gaius back to his bassinet and lay him inside, then moved all three closer to the beds. Locket twisted around and put Nathaniel in one, disregarding the ribbons. She knew their signs now and could tell them apart by that.

"You rest," Filly told Locket. "And stay resting for a while longer yet."

"Couldn't drag me out of bed with wild horses right now," Locket agreed, settling down to close her eyes.

"What about wild rumors?" Filly asked. Locket made a sound of longing.

Filly grinned and glanced at Nagi. "Is there anything you'd like us to do for you now, new father?"