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

[Callypso]

Polina sighed in mild exasperation. He was a difficult nut to crack, this Aberforth. Of course, now he was reverting to anger, but she supposed that was a better response than just shutting down. It wasn’t the ideal emotion to be working with, but at least he was letting his guard down, in a way. Even a bit of the Tulgey accent was slipping through, so the badger could only assume that she was getting to him. Not that she took pleasure in winding him up, it was simply necessary to the process. They all needed to be able to communicate and Iso certainly wasn’t the one to encourage the behavior. She had evaded the subject of Aberforth time and again and was being a Nervous Nelly now he was in the house. Someone had to take charge of things, and it wasn’t going to be either of them!

Well, being left alone is clearly not an option. I’m sure you’ll want to have some time to yourself to mull everything over, but that’s a bit different, eh? As I understand it, you’re not to move in immediately, so you’ll have that time to yourself. But peace? Well, you won’t have it. Not if you expected to end your days in solitude. Far be it from me to judge someone’s else’s lifestyle, but that’s hardly the reality now, is it?

Iso flattened her ears in a strange duplication of Aberforth’s actions with an additional flush of color. Not only had Polina’s words struck a chord with her, she was hurt that Aberforth seemed to consider her pregnancy as a betrayal. She turned her head away in shock and shame. So, that was how he really felt…

The badger raised an eyebrow at the goat, noting Iso’s discomfort. Considering the circumstances, she was a little surprised to see that the comment had effected her niece at all...

Twenty years? So you’re essentially telling me that you’ve shut yourself away from other Cards for twenty years because of the death of your parents? Had it occurred to you that, had your parents not met an unfortunate end, that you might have been betrayed by someone else? That betrayal is an essential part of existence? And I think that’s a little unfair to the lady, here, eh? There are certainly worse things that could have happened in twenty years besides expecting children. Not to mention all the joy and happiness that you’ve deliberately excluded yourself from, eh?

[Lucca]

Aberforth frowned, realizing that nothing of what he'd just said was being taken the way he meant it. This was why he never bothered communicating with others...well, one of the reasons,. When it came down to it, he didn't know or understand his own emotions to express them properly. It was so much easier to ignore them entirely, and his frustration with Polina was that she was making that pretty damn impossible.

He just shook his head, eyes flashing angrily...and noticed Iso looked upset for some reason. Well...he hadn't meant to upset her...he tried to think back over what he'd said, but he had no idea until Polina spit his own words back out at him. Oh...oh no...the Goat felt a little sick. Ignoring the Badger completely, he looked over at the Ferret, ears pinned back against his head fully. "Dr. Price..." He swallowed. "Iaso..." The name didn't come easily from his mouth, and it hurt something in him to use such familiarity. It was like admitting he cared. He did, he realized. For the first time in twenty years, he actually cared about someone else's feelings.

"Iaso, that wasn't...I didn't really mean that." Betrayal was a part of life, yes, he realized that fully. It was just a part he never wanted to experience. Did Polina think of -that-? That none of the so-called 'joy' and 'happiness' of relationships was worth the inevitable heartache and pain to him? But this...despite his best efforts, -this-....meant something. He had a stake in it.

[Callypso]

Polina resumed sipping her tea and merely peered over her spectacles at the young man. Suits, she was getting too old for this nonsense. Why couldn’t Cards just say what they mean and have it over with? Aberforth had yet to reply, but he seemed stuck on another point. Her eyes glanced toward her niece, who was looking rather flustered, then toward the goat who had just realized the impact of his words. Time to go. The badger glanced back toward her cup then stood up, making to grab the tea tray.

I think I’ll brew us another pot of tea, eh? Nothing like tea to warm the spirit!

With that, the badger gracefully removed herself and the tea tray and padded quickly toward the kitchen, leaving the two Cards to themselves.

Iso had opened and shut her mouth a few times to protest her aunt’s departure, but the badger had left so swiftly that she had barely the words in mind when she found herself alone with Aberforth. Her face was still warm with embarrassment and hurt, and her eyes had formed a glossy sheen. She desperately wanted nothing more right then to be able to quash the feeling that was bubbling up inside her, but it seemed she had lost the knack to easily stifle her emotions since becoming sober.

Aberforth’s words rang out in the now uncomfortably quiet dining area, and she tried to put on an interested face, which promptly crumbled when he referred to her by her first name. The tears welled quickly and spilled over her cheeks. Suits, all the crying she seemed to be doing these days – it was enough to drive a Corvie insane! She hastily grabbed one of the cloth napkins Polina had set out and dabbed at her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. She was surprised at how much the simple words had stung, and it somehow made her predicament infinitely worse. Betrayed. He thought she had betrayed him.

I’m sorry, Aberforth. I didn’t… I didn’t want this, you know. As a doctor I’ve been trained not to have illicit affairs with our patients, it’s against our code of ethics, but… well… that night, and everything was so strange – and, and here we are. I didn’t anticipate any of this, I promise you. And Polina does mean well, you know...

She sniffled and wiped her nose, embarrassed by the scene she was causing, though it was only the two of them at the moment.

You… you don’t have to be here if it’s simply out of obligation. I want our children to have equally-accessible parents, but if… if that’s not something you’re really interested in…

She crumbled again, the tears flowing more freely than they had before, though she didn’t wail or any such nonsense. Iso simply sat there, staring at the table in front of her, tears soaking the fur on her face, unsure of what to say or do.

[Lucca]

Aberforth barely noticed Poline leaving. Normally he might have been glad the pushy Badger was leaving him alone, but...something was wrong, here. He'd said something and it had been taken the wrong way. At least, he could only assume that was what had happened. He fully expected Iso to yell at him or tell him...

Instead...she started...crying. Oh...oh dear. The Goat froze, pink eyes wide. He was way past the point where he knew how to react to any of this, and well into territory that was just...completely alien. Crying. How was one ever supposed to react to that? He didn't want Iso to cry. It hurt him somehow, like something was trying to choke him and twist in his throat. Awkwardly, he stumbled to his hooves and walked over to her chair.

And then...he stopped. He cleared his throat, hoping he could somehow manufacture the right words to stop this...to make up for what he had said and what she thought he'd meant. He shook his head, beard wagging. "Iaso..." The name still sounded weird, and it had made her start crying before, but he felt it was somehow better than going back to the more distant form of address. "Please...please don't cry. I...I am interested in...in our child." He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Why did this have to be so difficult for him?

Well, because he'd made it that difficult for himself in the first place, he supposed. Hum. He'd just never expected to actually be in this situation. And he never expected to...care about someone else.

[Callypso]

Iso continued dabbing at her eyes, feeling foolish and yet unable to rationalize her feelings away. It was horrible, being vulnerable like this, and everything seemed to be a bit too much to handle. She had thought that, after her initial talk with Aberforth this morning everything might be okay. Now, though, she just felt miserable, as though the world were falling down around her paws.

She started a bit, realizing that the goat had slid out of his seat to sidle awkwardly beside her. Clutching at the tear-soaked napkin in her paws, she looked to find the goat shaking his head as though trying to clear the air. His words surprised her, but not in an entirely unpleasant way. Though the phrase had been short and simple, somehow those few words had made all the difference. Her breathing slowed down and she felt herself flushing a little, feeling even sillier sitting there and blubbering.

I’m sorry, Aberforth. Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. The ferret dabbed at her eyes again, feeling a bit flustered. I’m sure it’s the excess of hormones affecting my mood, but I thought… it sounded as though you had thought… that I had betrayed you as well. Her eyes welled up again and she quickly wiped the moisture away as though it were an inconvenience.

Iso paused a moment to compose herself, still pondering why it mattered so much what the goat thought of her. She wasn’t used to giving consideration to others’ opinion of her. Surely a portion of that could be attributed to that fact that he was the father, but… it meant more to her than that, and she didn’t understand why.

I am really sorry to put you through this… I just… I don’t want to do this by myself… She daintily blew her nose and looked apologetically at Aberforth. And I truly am sorry about Polina, I really am. I didn’t expect her to say those things – she really is a wonderful woman. She just wants to help, in her way...

[Lucca]

Aberforth felt like he should go closer to Iso, but the thought of physically touching another...getting that close to someone...was still terrifying. So he just stood there awkwardly, head down and ears back. Pink eyes widened as Iso confessed why she was so upset. She thought he'd meant...? He shook his head quickly.

"Iaso, stop, it's...no, I don't think you betrayed me. If anything...if anything I betrayed myself," he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush. He didn't feel like he was really making any sense. This was almost as bad as the night the infamous deed had happened, except that the reason he wasn't in full control was nothing so simple as mind-altering drugs. No, he was simply overwhelmed by emotions he had no idea how to deal with.

He knew he just shouldn't say anything else, if his words were having such an upsetting effect, but it was like once he started opening up he couldn't stop. Too many years of suppressing or ignoring his own feelings left him a total mess, out of his league as soon as he stepped up to the plate. "I'm not going to make you do this by yourself," he promised, hoping the words sounded more assuring to her than they did to him. "Polina is just..." He frowned. "I've just never met anyone like that." Or maybe he had, but they hadn't cared enough to direct their...whatever all that had been...onto him.

[Callypso]

She continued to haphazardly mop at her face, feeling more ridiculous as each moment passed. Everything felt absurdly overwhelming and here, of all Cards, was Aberforth trying to console her. Had she not been so upset she might have laughed. The situation was positively ludicrous.

Surprisingly enough, however, the Tulgey’s attempt at soothing words actually calmed her. For whatever reason, she had needed absolute confirmation that this situation wasn’t her fault and that, despite the circumstances, he would stand by her side. Of course, their ability to cope would alter at the arrival of their offspring, but now she felt assured. They would definitely struggle – the two were hardly prepared let alone adept at handling their own personal affairs – but at least they would struggle together. Having the knowledge that you could depend on someone other than yourself was somehow refreshing and bewildering at the same time.

She snuffled noisily into the napkin and subconsciously placed a paw at the edge of the table, as though desiring closeness but unsure or uncomfortable with proceeding with the action. A small smile curled her lips at Aberforth’s assessment of her Great-Aunt and gave a dry chuckle in spite of herself.

Yes. Polina is of her own mind. She… she wants to help. I think you’ll find she’s rather handy about the house, even if she’s a bit nosy.

The ferret cleared her throat and returned to a serious expression, focusing her eyes on the goat’s pink ones.

Thank you, Aberforth. I’m glad you’re here.

[Lucca]

Aberforth felt his frown deepen, as odd emotions continued to dance their way brazenly through his head like tiny snowflakes. He shivered. Personally, it didn't really impress him to hear that Polina was 'handy around the house'. Even without a Biped form, Aberforth had always managed daily tasks and housekeeping just fine. So that in and of itself was certainly not a reason for him to like or trust her. In fact, all it meant was that she'd probably use that as an excuse to go through his personal belongings, and that...that he was not okay with. His ears pinned back and he looked briefly down at the floor. Polished tile...a tiny bit cracked...it might need replacing too...

Then, Iso spoke again and the Goat's head jolted up so fast he nearly got whiplash. What had she just said? He blinked. "I...good," he muttered, at a loss for what else to say. He met her eyes, his own not as emotionless as usual, but swimming with several difficult, vulnerable emotions Aberforth himself couldn't name. He broke the look after a moment, unable to keep it up for long, and scuffed a hoof awkwardly over the crack in the floor. "So...what...now?"

[Callypso]

((Sorry, I was bad and neglected my other threads during the contest...))

Iso finished mopping her eyes and cleared her throat with as much dignity as she could muster. This crying and feeling sorry for oneself business was exhausting and non-productive in the least. Despite this very objective observation, her body seemed inclined to produce more tears and insisted on feeling tense and shaky. It was utter nonsense. Forcing herself to breathe carefully and collect herself, she turned to meet the goat’s eyes.

He returned her gaze, and for a moment, the ferret was mostly sure they were of they same mind. Even if it was for just a moment, her eyes overbright, his a mixture of emotions she would probably never know. It was enough for her, and when he looked down at the ground and nervously pawed at the ground, she felt her confidence slowly returning. They were both afraid, yet they were both still here together. Nosy aunt or not, they would suffer through this.

She perked up a bit at his question, glad for something to occupy her mind. Organization, lists, deadlines; these she associated with familiar territory. Purely administrative, at least, that was the general idea.

I’ve drafted a few lists of items for our consideration, the house renovations being our primary goal. I suppose we should schedule an appointment with that McDuck fellow you mentioned earlier today. I should like to have some hired contractors before the next week is out... Would you mind accompanying me to that appointment? Your prior experience should help prevent any unnecessary expenditures or up-selling.

Tension was slowly easing its way from her shoulders. Perhaps if they could focus on these duties, remain occupied, it would help as their minds sorted through their emotional upheaval. At least, she hoped. She froze, realizing in her excitement to take care of these tasks that she had completely dominated the conversation.

That is, I believe the house is of utmost importance. Would you prefer to proceed otherwise?

Polina’s muffled voice rang out from the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of clinking of dishware.

My dear, you should schedule an appointment with that Dr. Zenon down the way, eh? She’s a bit stiff, if you know what I mean, but she’s very talented.

Iso’s eyes went dull for a moment, out of exasperation before she turned back to the Tulgey for his input.

[Lucca]

Aberforth felt something in him relax as Iso turned the conversation quickly back to business. This, at least, didn't stir up any complicated emotions. He nodded, pink eyes once again calm and emotionless. "Yes," he said, because he certainly wouldn't trust anyone to work on the house without seeing them first, and judging the quality of their work ethic. And as for McDuck...he could deal with him, however much part of him would buck at the meeting. At least it should stay relatively formal and on safe ground.

He blinked when asked the question. Tilted his head in thought. Flicked his ears as Polina spoke. "Your aunt has a point," he said, and if there was any sort of begrudging in him to admit such a thing, he didn't show it. "Your health is of the primary importance, Doc--Iaso." It was going to take a lot of remember they were supposed to be closer now, even though they were discussing other things. He fixed the Ferret with his steady gaze. He didn't want any harm to come to the children while they were still in womb, and he knew that could certainly happen if they weren't careful. Luckily, Aberforth was always careful.