Mithar Keep & Frescot House IV: Magic babble lies within

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

"Just listen to me, Cessie. Back to the house." She doesn't have time to explain. It's not so much to ask, though, so the two will head there to start with at least.

When they get back out front of the keep, Cessie will likely note something strange. The tree arch that Sakura grew is indeed a portal, just like she expected. What Cessie was wrong about is where it goes. Through it she can see the front of Sakura's own house, when the Keep is clearly behind it otherwise.

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

The sorceress glances at it, trying to figure out how it would work. "Do you know if it's a one-way portal?" She asks Sakura while slowly leading her towards it.

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

"Shouldn't be. Hurry. Adir's home, he can drive." When they get to the portal, Sakura considers shouting, but the crying baby in her arms disuades her. "Leave me by the truck and get him." She suggests.

[Murkus]

((Just gonna go ahead and skip the 'Cessie knocking' post))

[A Visit!]

Once they've made it through the portal, the peaceful front of the Frescot home is waiting for them. Adir is nowhere in sight, at least not in that moment, but as Cessie's about halfway up their front walk the front door swings open.

Adir appears, one hand around the knob and the other curled around Gwydion's feet. The rest of the baby is situated comfortably in the crook of his arm, but he jostles the little guy some when he sees what's going on. Or rather, he sees what's outside. He has no idea what's going on. "Cessie? How did you two get here? What is that?" His eyes lock onto the portal. He thought he'd heard a sound like... creaking? Cracking? Hard to describe something growing in fast-forward. But his keen ears pick up many things.

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

"Adir, Sakura's water broke. She needs to get to the hospital. I'll explain on the way there, just get your truck." Cessie explains briefly as she looks up at Adir.

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

Adir's mouth only hangs open stupidly for a second or two longer than it should. He's getting better, really. He animates after only the briefest moment of being struck dumb, smiling a little worriedly. "Cessie, that's impossible." Of course, Cessie's expression no doubt tells otherwise. To that, he answers, "I-it hasn't even been six months!" He snatches the keys off a hook by the door and hops down past Cessie, his disbelief not delaying his feet. The truck is parked in the yard, so presumably Sakura was left there.

"Sakura!" He shouts, before he's gotten within a hundred feet. He manages to keep himself from running that distance in an instant, lest he toss poor Gwydion around too much. Once close enough, he starts, "Sakura what..." His eyes find the little rose-baby. Slowly, he asks, "Hon? Who's baby is that?"

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

Cessie expression only suggests worry. "As I said, I'll explain on the way there, just hurry Adir." She says with some urgency before following Adir back to Sakura.

[Gullara]

If Adir was expecting that Sakura was having a very premature birth, she sure doesn't look it. Her belly is full and round, like it's been the full duration of her pregnancy. In addition to that, she looks utterly exhausted, and no better for the beginning stages of labour.

"That's a lot harder question to answer than you think." Sakura says hesitantly. A part of her is still trying toexplain this to herself, let alone try to fill Adir in. "I can explain while we drive." She looks at Gwydion. "What about the other kids? We can't leave them, can we?"

[Murkus]

Adir, if you like to think you're a soldier, then act, don't ask. He gathers up his rampant mind and tucks it away somewhere close, for later. This was important. This was exciting, even. The day had come, and a lot sooner than he'd anticipated. What else can he do but... grin. The baby in his arms wriggles blissfully and kicks his right foot, looking up at his father with watery, distant eyes.

"I had... I have the pixies looking after them. I trust them. I think. But if you want I'll get them ready to move as quick as I can," That, he leaves up to Sakura, but in the mean time... The stag opens up the truck door for her, but there's a little bit of a step. He may have to give Gwydion to Cessie so he can help his wife climb inside.

Adir is... yes, he's sure about the pixies. He knows Sakura feels antsy just watching the whole flock of them pick one of the kids up, but such little folk helped his own mother more than once.

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

Sakura hesitates, but then nods. The fairies have been looking after the kids enough with her around for her to trust them with this. "Okay, but tell them that we're going and we'll be back later." She decides. While Adir goes to do that, she can focus on the baby in her arms. "And bring a bottle!" She calls after him.

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

Cessie accepts the little fey runt without a word to help the pair. "Anything I can do Sakura?" She asks once Adir disappears to get a bottle, once again being reminded why she had a lot of servants (most of them elementals, but still).

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

To avoid their prying, Adir decides he'll leave it at just that - they're going, they'll be back, be careful with Cern and make sure Laela gets her nap. He takes off toward the house at a loping run, now that Cessie's got Gwydion. "Got it!" He shouts back. Perhaps they could leave the quiet baby here, too, but he's already concerned Laela might be getting too mobile for them to handle. Two was enough.

Adir hurries through the house, letting a bottle of formula warm up while he goes to pack a few other baby-things in a black duffel. The stag lets Laela and the pixies know what's happening, then kisses the little fey girl and Cernunnos goodbye. He'll come back to check on them, he decides, once Sakura's out've the woods.

He'll reappear quickly, unless Sakura and Cessie have any important words to exchange while he's gone. "Get in, Cessie! Let's go!"

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

And so they start the drive to the hospital. Sakura is handling things rather well. She has had a bit of practice after all. The dryad feeds the rose baby; thankfully he likes milk just fine. "So..." The dryad says. She pauses to take some slow, steady breathes. Could there be a worse time to need to explain this? "I don't know how to explain all this, but we were experimenting with some stuff from those fey apples." The dryad winces. "And... well now I'm in labour and I sort of grew this little guy..."

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

"It's all my fault Adir." Cessie says with a small sigh as she gets into the car. "I should have realized that the aether extracted would have enhanced her strongest kami, which during her pregnancy should be her fertility. Usually the effects don't linger however, so that she would go into labor is new to me." She rambles, not even daring to suggest that she hopes that the baby will be alright despite all this. She knew that aether should be unable to harmfully change someone, including the baby's growth but in a situation like this she couldn't help but to still worry.

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

Adir looks like he's about to hack up a flock of butterflies, but he's otherwise in pretty good shape to drive. He brings the truck around slowly, trying with adorable desperation not to jostle his lady/baby combo cargo, and thankfully he succeeds. Thus they're off, down the dirt scrabble that leads to the main road through the forest, then on to Inside.

Sakura's explanation does not make things very much clearer at all. Before the stag can cut in, Cessie picks up where his wife left off. "What... what?" Adir almost blurts 'what the hell', but... well, some of Sakura's baby books (that he's been maybe sorta skimming when he can't sleep) say not to swear even around the littlest developing minds. 'Hell' being a curse is a little more debatable than some other words, but still, they're all part've the same habit.

"You two are terrible at this, you know," Adir says, fast. "Sakura, if they're just gonna start popping off've you or something, we're gonna need a lot more than an expansion on the house." He shoots her a sidelong glance that's... mirthful. Amazingly. "And Cessie, I don't know what aether or kami means, thus... I say again, what?" The stag's eyes dart, then decide to settle on the road. "What did you let my wife take, Cessie?"

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

"And aether extract from the apples at your wedding." Cessie admits without hesitating, meeting Adir's gaze. "I've tested it before on a number of people, myself included and it isn't dangerous." Though technically she had never taken the full dose of it. "In layman's terms it fills people with 'magical' energy and changes their appearance in accordance with what they symbolize." Or so she recently had started to learn. "To simplify, it makes them more fey. I had no idea it would accelerate her pregnancy to this point, but I shouldn't have let her try it in the first place. Even if I too were pregnant while I used a lesser version of it." The sorceress glances at Sakura. "Still, she and the baby should be okay."

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

Sakura is... surprised to see Adir taking this so well. She's not sure she is taking it that well. "Uh, yeah. I was trying to help Cessie experiment with it." In hindsight it was probably a bad idea. The dryad grimaces noticeably before continuing. "So you're okay, Adir?"

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

"Other than the fact that Cessie just said you and our kid should be okay?" Adir asks, putting a vicious emphasis on the word 'should'. Oh, that did upset him. They should be fine. Should be. He grips the wheel just a bit more tightly than is necessary. "Yeah, I'm peachy keen, hon. Y'know. Long as Cessie's, oh, fifty-sixty percent sure nothing's wrong, I mean, what is there to worry about?" Adir chokes back a laugh that would've been rather worrying.

As they're swinging onto a straight stretch of road, Adir takes a second to glance over at the pair of them. The plant baby Sakura's got is the very last thing on his mind. He doesn't even know what to make of it. A real kid? Some sort of oddly shaped seed? A mobile plant? Looks could be deceiving with wild magic.

Yet this is all least concern. Adir swallows the cruel sort of anger that had been mounting in his voice, and goes on to say, "So this stuff isn't dangerous. And yet, somehow, it puts my wife into labor three months early. Even more disturbing than the fact that you've used it on yourself, while pregnant, you clearly have no idea what it actually does, dangerous or not." The stag sucks in a breath as if to go on and just... slowly lets it out again. "I don't even know what to say to you, Cessie."

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

Cessie keeps meeting Adir's gaze as he talks to her. Looking away might look like she was unsure or ashamed, which wouldn't work if she had to convince him of her conviction in what she was telling him. "It's important to not confuse aether with a drug Adir, it doesn't effect the body in the same way. By definition aether can't harm the body as it's effecting the kami of the person rather than his or her bloodstream or anything like that. Think of it as... if you have a glass of water and put a drug in it, you have added another substance to it. Aether is more like pouring more water into the glass until it overflows. It can't really effect what's already there, it simply supercharges it." Cessie attempts to explain. "The exact effect is of course hard to guess but I've never seen aether being harmful to anyone, unless you count getting into trouble with other because of it. Like right now."

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

"Adir, don't talk to her like that. It's my fault. I'm the one that insisted on helping her. She kept asking if I was sure I wanted to." Sakura says, rising to Cessie's defense. "Besides, if Cessie thought it was dangerous at all, she woulda told me. Everything feels normal. Just... early is all." She's not sure she can pass off not being alarmed about all this, though.

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

Adir opens his mouth to blurt something sharp and stupid at Cessie when Sakura finally gets her piece. The stag shuts his trap, bringing his eyes over to look at Sakura again. His ears are on a panicky swivel.

"Well that was a very... foolish thing to do," Adir huffs haltingly, putting his lips together tight for a moment. It is very hard to be mad at the two of them. He supposes part of him's just upset because he's a little anxious. Finally, when he gets a chance - at a stop sign, mayhap - he looks at Sakura concernedly for a second or two. Gentle voice. There you go, dummy. "I mean, are you sure you oughta be putting strange stuff in your body when our kid is in there too? Harmless or... whatever." Adir restrains himself before he shoots Mrs. Mithar a look he'd probably regret.

This is a little person they're talking about, for God's sake. Shouldn't they make every effort to avoid introducing strange substances? That's Adir's thinking on the matter, at any rate. 'The exact effects are hard to guess'. Well gee. Let's gulp it all down. Adir swallows and keeps his eyes on the road again.

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

Cessie says nothing to Adir, not even meeting his gaze this time. Instead she just focuses on Sakura. "The children will be fine." She tells her. "The aether shouldn't have done anything to your child."

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

Sakura pauses awkwardly. In hindsight it was incredibly dumb. "I'm sorry Ad-" She grimaces. The contractions are definitely getting closer together. "Adir. It's going to be okay, honey." She shifts the rose baby to one side and rubs Adir's arm. Speaking of the baby, he starts to whimper again. Sakura is not in any state to be dealing with this right now, but she gives him the bottle again anyway.

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

Ah. A touch of comfort. The stag looks a little better. "Hey, I'm... not the one who needs taking care of right now. Don't be sorry," Adir shoots Sakura a smile full of all his love. His fear, hopes and worries hide in there somewhere too, but they pale in comparison.

Adir puts them on the highway to Inside and accelerates up the ramp, slipping out into traffic. "Cessie's right. They'll be perfect. Just like Cern, and Gwyd there, and Laela." He's gotta believe that, doesn't he? "Are you doing okay?" His eyes turn downward, while he's on a straightaway and he's got a couple seconds to glance. He's looking at the baby. Those eyes hold more questions, but he won't ask them. "Is he? Okay?" He would lean over for more scrutinizing look if he weren't, y'know, driving. "Is it a he?"

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

((Adir probably knows that their about to be born baby is a girl by now, because I can't see them deliberately avoiding finding out. ))

Sakura smiles right back at Adir. "Yeah, he is." That's as obvious as it is on any baby. "Oh, what was I thinking? I should have remembered a blanket. I don't want him getting chilled." She looks around for something that might work. Maybe Adir brought the Baby Bag^TM? Or perhaps there's another option?

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

I dunno if it's Sakura's patented Baby Bag^TM but Adir stuffed what he thought they might need into a black duffel bag of his before they set out. It's probably either on the floor at Cessie's feet or between Adir and Sakura.

"There should be something in my bag," Adir suggests. A wooly little blanket decorated with soft-yellow moons and stars can be found inside. He smiles. Sakura didn't answer his first question, but she seems to be all collected n' whatnot. Hopefully they make it to the hospital quick enough. He steps on it a little faster, concentrating more closely on the road now. "You're gonna have to run it by me again, Sakura. You made him?"

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

"Is there anything I can help with?" Cessie inquires from the back.

[Gullara]

[A Visit!]

"Sure, Cessie. Grab me a blanket out of the bag." Sakura will take it once it's offered and wrap the baby up in it. Much better.

"Um, I honestly don't know." Sakura looks down at the now peaceful child. He looks like he'll be nodding off soon. "I just felt that I could and then I just... did. I wasn't really thinking about it, it just came to m- ahh..." Sakura grits her teeth and grunts in pain. Okay, that one hurt.

[Murkus]

[A Visit!]

"Does this... I mean... he's a real kid, right?" Adir asks hesitantly. He sure looks like a real kid. Now what'd this mean? They were getting two babies for the price of one? Bah. Adir glances at Sakura worriedly. So unused to seeing her in pain. At least, the physical kind. He wishes he were better prepared for this. "Hey, we're, uh, not far now. Just need to get through the city."

[Shadowcaller]

[A Visit!]

Cessie does so! She feels rather panicked when Sakura starts to grunt in pain however. "Just take deep calm breaths Sakura, you have done this twice before." She tells the dryad with a small smile