My Friend of Misery [Lucca] - [FIN!]

[Callypso]

Apprehensive was not an adequate word for what Iso felt as she waited for a response from Aberforth. She absent-mindedly chewed the inside of her lip and almost stopped herself from continuing once she realized what she had been doing. Displaying nervous habits was unusual for her, but there was something comforting about keeping herself calm in such an odd way. She supposed it was just another manifestation of her sobriety and yet another interesting method of self-expression.

It seemed unfair to put Aberforth through all of this at once, but Iso knew no other way and the goat seemed to want to resolve the complications as quickly as she. They were both struggling to come to terms with the situation and, as far as she was concerned, it was better to bring everything up at once. Neither of them wanted any more surprises. His cooperation was most welcomed and though it might be an awkward meeting between the two very different Cards, she was sure if anyone could diffuse a potentially disagreeable situation it would be Polina. That or she might just bully the Club into agreement.

To her relief, the goat agreed to her offer. Iso desperately wanted to return home and shut herself in her room for a while, which coincided nicely with her next task. Perhaps after Aberforth and Polina had spent a little time together the two would-be-parents could conclude business for the day and return to whatever semblances of “normal” lives they had left. Until they began preparations for renovating the house and Aberforth began moving his belongings, the ferret was determined to enjoy as much quiet time alone as possible.

Today would be agreeable, I should think. I expect Polina to be home at this house, should you like to go now. We can depart whenever you like.

If they left shortly, they would arrive at the house well into the lunch hour. If Iso was any judge, Polina would be in the midst of preparing something for the two of them. Perhaps a discussion over food would ease any tensions amongst the group. She hoped.

[Lucca]

What sort of normal life had Aberforth ever had? But then, a little voice in his head reminded him, if that were the case, then why was this shaking him up so badly? The Goat had no answers to these questions, yet he knew these and many more like them would plague his waking hours. Maybe he could actually sleep, after meeting this Polina person. Perhaps the dream would leave him peace now that he was no longer going to be alone, for better or worse. Heh, he should be so lucky...

Going now? Well, at least there was one thing he didn't have to put off. He could appreciate that, but it certainly wasn't really the answer he'd expected. He didn't understand the new Iso Price. Or maybe he jus didn't understand anyone very well once they were done playing at society. Family was something different...above that. One of the very few things the cynical Goat still held somewhat sacred. "So it shall be," he intoned formally, and stood, moving to put away their dishes. It also gave him a moment of preparation.

After he was done with his, he echoed his way back out to the doctor and nodded to her. Time to do this.

[Callypso]

It was with tired reluctance that Iso nodded and began to remove herself from the couch. She had been half hoping that the goat would want to schedule the meeting for another time, though she was sure that postponing the event wouldn’t have eased matters. Not that she didn't want the two to meet, on the contrary, she was simply feeling drained from their interaction. Besides, it would most likely be an uncomfortable journey, considering neither Card was much for small talk.

The ferret waited near the door until Aberforth was ready for departure and made their way down the flights of stairs toward ground level. Iso had refused to use the dumbwaiter, preferring to occupy herself by minding her feet. Walking was becoming more burdensome but electing easier routes such as carriages or otherwise would only encourage sloth. She also wasn’t used to being treated as an invalid, which was what other Cards were wont to now that her distend belly was clearly visible. It was preposterous. She was expecting, not crippled, though there were some days that she almost wanted to rescind the latter statement. At least she hadn’t yet begun to waddle.

As expected, the journey was mostly quiet, with a few questions or comments issuing from either one of them. Surprisingly, the walk wasn’t as uncomfortable as had been expected. Iso was appreciative of her new sobriety; it was like seeing the city for the first time. As observant as the doctor had believed herself to be, she was now noticing places and people outside her sphere of interest. It was though blinders had been removed, freeing herself to take in everything around her. She had been surprised to find how much she had been missing.

Eventually the pair found themselves in front of the familiar slanted building. Iso repressed a sigh and gestured for Aberforth to follow. She wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes upon finding the front door unlocked; she would really have to address that with Polina. The Outer Bazaar wasn’t the best of neighborhoods, though one would have to be mental to try and mug or rob her Great-Aunt. In Corvistowne, the badger had never bothered with keys nor locks. Anyone dumb enough to steal from Polina Price deserved what came to them. And Polina always tracked down a culprit. Then again, no one had placed an uninvited claw, feather or scale in Polina’s home for a very long time.

Aunt Polina? We have a guest!

Shuffling from within the house could be heard as a large badger face peeked around a corner further down the hall. The Morganberry/Corvie mix bustled down the hallway with apparent joy and loud, but firm exclamations to seat themselves in the dining room, as lunch would soon be ready. The only visible evidence of the woman's Morganberry heritage manifested itself in the reddish-orange of her lightning-like markings and sunset coloring around her face, belly and paws on an otherwise typically dark Corvie pelt. Her other Morganberry aspects were revealed in the way she proudly carried herself and, if one weren’t careful, the way her temper flared if trifled with.

Shortly after the badger had corralled the goat and ferret toward seats in the dining area, Polina returned from the kitchen with a tray laden with a full tea service and soup and sandwiches for all three. Within moments Polina had served everyone and she seated herself across from the two, cradling a tea cup in her paws and eyeing Aberforth behind half-moon spectacles.

So, you must be Aberforth…

[Lucca]

Aberforth felt his nerves were somehow more on edge than ever as he walked down the street with Iso. He avoided meeting anyone's eyes, and his ears twitched at just about every abnormal sound. Also, though he wasn't aware of it, he was walking in almost a guardian position to Iso, as if subconsciously desiring to protect his unborn children. He, too, winced at the fact that the door was left unlocked.

That was something that would change once the kids were born. The door didn't have nearly enough locks on it in the first place for the Goat's taste, but the fact that even the basic ones weren't engaged...he wanted to stop and check, but he was interrupted by the sound of shuffling. Pink eyes examined the supposed Aunt Polina. Part Morganberry. Well, it could be worse, he reminded himself. Region was no true indicator of how likely a fellow Card is to betray you.

Aberforth followed into the other room, though he tried to avoid letting the Badger touch him at all. He looked over the meal with a bit of suspiciousness in his gaze, and though he took the food right away, he did not start eating yet. At the question, the Goat looked up. "Yes." He met her eyes then, his own gaze as cold as ever.

[Callypso]

The ferret was determined not display her nervousness though she couldn’t help but keep glancing between her Aunt and Aberforth. Her eyes were wider than usual and though she tried to focus on the tea at hand, the cup kept missing her muzzle and she was forced to mop up several times. She gave up on the tea and busied herself with shuffling her sandwich around on the plate. Iso was disturbed to note how anxious she was, having not engaged in this sort of behavior before, nor could she recall this exact fluttering in her stomach. Certainly waiting in front of the goat’s door early this morning had been extremely difficult, but this was different. And she hadn’t a notion how to treat the situation.

Polina, on the other hand, had no trouble, whatsoever, snacking daintily at her lunch nor sipping her tea with the utmost elegance. Unlike Iso, the badger had never had an issue with emotional display, though she seemed to be a closed book at the moment. The ferret had no idea what her aunt was thinking.

The badger’s eyes twinkled behind her half-moon glasses though her eyebrow shot upward at the goat’s simple admission of his identity. Her niece certainly knew how to pick them… The goat stared back at her, cold, distant and even a little defiant. Well, she’d just have to break that bad habit, now wouldn’t she? There wasn’t time for these silly standoffs. Her niece was coming along nicely in her pregnancy, and whether the Tulgey liked it or not, she was going to be there to help once the litter arrived. This quiet hermit business would have to end. For both the parents.

Young man, I’m sorry to say but a “yes” is simply not going to cut it. I’m sure Miss Prissy-pants over here trussed up the situation as best she could, but the fact of the matter is you’ve knocked up my niece. It’s a testament to your character that you’re here at all, all things considered, but I suggest we drop the guarded crap and get on with it, eh?

Iso promptly choked on her sandwich.

[Lucca]

Aberforth watched Polina over his own untouched meal, face still expressionless, though his pink eyes narrowed slightly as she opened her mouth and...well. Wow. That wasn't what the Goat expected from her at all. He might have expected some sort of grueling question and answer session, or perhaps a warm coaxing, but that? It was the farthest thing from Iso's almost business-like approach to the subject. He merely stared back, with a level gaze.

He debated not saying anything at all. After all, what was she going to do? Kick him out? Of course, the disturbing part of all this was, he thought that might actually upset him. Still, he didn't think it was fair for her to talk to him like that. His and Dr. Price's children, their responsibility.

But in the end, he thought blunt honestly might do the trick. Better than silence, anyway. "If you watched your parents both die right in front of you due to the rampant carelessness of someone you felt was a friend, you might be a bit 'guarded' too," Aberforth commented with about as much emotion as one normally reserved for talking about the weather. Perhaps a bit less. Inwardly, of course, mentioning the event brought up a surge of emotions he didn't know rightly how to deal with. That, at least, he suspected he was going to have to fix. If he still hadn't accepted the circumstances of his own parents' death, how could he hope to be a decent parent himself?

[Callypso]

Iso spent several seconds trying to dislodge the sandwich piece from her throat before she could look properly disgusted with her aunt. Of all the things, all, that was the last thing she had expected her aunt to say! Her eyes widened as she attempted to subtly grab her aunt’s attention with a slight shake of her head. She was terrified that everything she had worked for up until this moment had just been thrown away by her careless relative.

She had been about to attempt change of subject when, to her surprise, Aberforth uttered what was probably the longest phrase she’d ever heard him speak at one time. The ferret was shocked into silence. He had told her that his parents were deceased, but she hadn’t known the circumstances. It seemed her aunt had known exactly the right button to push. She sat back in her seat and stared. This conversation was completely beyond her at the moment.

Polina, on the other hand, maintained her genial expression. The badger sipped at her tea again while the goat explained himself. Well, well. That seemed to have been the trick, and, judging by her niece’s bewildered expression, the disclosure from Aberforth had been entirely unexpected. Good. She nodded thoughtfully.

Be that as it may, that’s neither here nor there. I’m sorry for the loss of your parents, but you’re hardly the only person to have ever been betrayed before. This situation, she waved her paw in a vague, inclusive gesture, isn’t going to go very well if you act like I’m bound to stab you in the back. We’re family now, Aberforth, and you’re going to have to trust me. You’re never going to be able to protect yourself 100% of the time; the fact that you two are expecting a litter is proof enough of that. While I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you, my niece or the wee ones, I can promise I’ll do my damndest not to.

The badger leaned forward and looked Aberforth straight in the eye.

Now, what can I do to make this easier for you?

[Lucca]

Aberforth frowned, the surge of emotions he was trying to...do something with interfering with his ability to properly let everything slide off his back. Just his luck this inappropriately boisterous woman was trying to...what? What was she trying to do? Get him to trust her? After saying such stupid things? Ha! His ears flattened and his non-expression leveled into a rather icy glare. He refused to back down or look away, even as she moved closer and part of him wanted to shrink back.

"Make what easier?" he snorted, his accent getting heavier with the attempt to hold in his emotions. How could he seriously trust this woman? She was saying the 'right' things, sure, but they could be every one of them lies. Not to mention, he wasn't fooled in the least that she actually cared about him. She just cared about her niece and soon-to-be grand-niece or nephew, and she expected him to just fall in line and magically become the perfect parent. But she should keep her nose to herself, because he'd already discussed this with Dr. Price and he'd told her he knew nothing about parenting and doubted he'd be any good at it.

[Callypso]

Polina watched as the pink eyes across from her grew even icier and more distant. Huh, she hadn’t thought he could give her a colder shoulder than he had from the moment he had stepped into the house. The badger wasn’t necessarily trying to brow-beat the goat into accepting her, rather she was just trying to encourage him to just let go. Aberforth had every right to be angry with her, and she’d have been happy to have him yell or scream, anything really. They had been starting to make some progress, but here he was, sinking back into himself. She sighed. Well, that was going to do no one any good, now was it?

That. Right there. Stop it.

Iso shrank in her seat as her aunt verbally battered the poor Tulgey. A sickening, sinking feeling was forming in the pit of her stomach. This meeting wasn’t going well at all and she could lose everything. Hadn’t she just broached the subject to him this morning? It seemed a little unfair that her aunt was being so hard on him. She reached a paw over to the badger.

Polina, please.

The Corvie/Morganberry mix never took her eyes away as she gently removed the ferret’s paw from her own.

No, Iaso. This needs to happen. I’d rather it be right here, right now, first meeting rather than months later when there’s a litter to tend to. The badger shifted a bit in her seat before addressing the goat.

Whatever reservations you have, I need to know now. If we can’t communicate we’re not only going to do a disservice to ourselves, but to the little ones once they arrive. I made a commitment to Iso, and in so doing, to you and the litter. But I can’t hold up on my end of the bargain if you shut down every time someone so much as looks at you, eh? So tell me, how do I earn your trust? How do I get you to open up and tell me what you need?

She straightened up and sat back in her seat. Because you know, dear, if you can't do this with me, how do you expect to be able to do this with anyone else? It doesn't end here with just me, so think about that.

[Lucca]

Aberforth didn't know how to react. Never in all the long years of pushing everyone away had ANYONE actually pushed back. And if they did it was out of anger. No one had ever actually tried to...reach out to him. His 'charming' demeanor repelled most everyone, and that was the way Aberforth liked it. He was used to being alone. This was just...finding out he was a future parent, and then deciding to move in and help raise these children, and now Polina's pushing...it was all too much. He had no idea how to deal with any of it.

His ears flipped back and he glared coldly at her. "What I need is to be left in peace," he snarled out, words still tainted with the accent that he'd thought had faded a bit after a while of living in the city among Common-speaking folks. What would it take for him to trust her? Ha. "I haven't trusted anyone in over twenty years," he said flatly. "Except for Dr. Price, and you can see what came of that." He shook his head and finally broke eye contact, glaring into his tea. Figures things were just going too well. Figures this wasn't already enough of a tough situation. He knew what Polina wanted. Why was she bothering with this farce? What he needed? She didn't give a Lowlander's ass what he needed. Maybe she just liked having power over other Cards.