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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 27, 2007 17:41:26 GMT -5
It wasn't easy getting down through the gate on the Rue Scribe side in a long skirt with a swaddled baby in one arm, especially not when one was still rather sore... down there from giving birth in the first place.
The baby fussed softly. Megan made a soft shushing noise and boosted her up a little.
"Today's a very special day," she whispered. "You're going to meet your daddy. And if he doesn't like you, I will kick him in a delicate region to destroy his chances of ever making you a brother or sister."
As she climbed into the boat, Megan slid off her cloak, bundled it into a cushion, and lay Pina on top of it.
"There you go, sweet girl, all snuggled in."
When they reached the other side of the lake, Megan carefully lifted her daughter and cradled her for a moment before digging for her key that opened the secret door to Erik's house. Her house now, actually. Their house. Shared.
She smiled weakly and called, "Erik, I'm here. Come meet your daughter."
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Post by Erik on Aug 27, 2007 17:53:20 GMT -5
((I have no idea when this happens. Just... uh... he's had Julian. But she doesn't know about him.))
"Erik is a little busy right now!" *he called from the bedroom, but then decided that he'd better go see what she wanted before she came in and saw... whatever the hell was going on in here.*
"What is it?"
*He stared at the lumpy thing in Megan's arms and a cold wash of dread filled him. Not another one. This was getting ridiculous.*
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 27, 2007 17:54:37 GMT -5
"Her name's Proserpina. Like the goddess. I call her Pina."
When he didn't move, she held the child out to him.
"Don't you want to hold your daughter?"
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Post by Erik on Aug 27, 2007 18:16:14 GMT -5
*Erik stared at her for a moment.*
"Proserpina? Do you want her to be an outcast all her life?"
*He did not move towards Megan or the baby. He didn't want to know. But as Megan held her out, a corner of the blanket fell away to reveal...*
"No!" *he shouted, helpless rage filling him.* "I won't let it be!"
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 27, 2007 18:17:12 GMT -5
The baby fussed, and Megan pulled her back toward her.
"Erik, I'm sorry-"
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Post by Erik on Aug 27, 2007 18:26:48 GMT -5
*Erik picked up the nearest implement--an end table--and flung it against he wall.*
"How dare you?" *he shouted.* "How dare you allow a child to live this way?"
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 27, 2007 18:29:45 GMT -5
Pina burst into tears now, and Megan struggled to calm her and keep her out of the way.
"You would have had me kill her? Erik, she's fat and healthy, the only thing that's off is her-"
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Post by Erik on Aug 28, 2007 13:02:17 GMT -5
"Only? Only? What's the first thing people know about you, Megan? The first thing anyone sees, and the last thing they forget? Your face. What do you know, you ignorant child? Erik has lived like this, and he does not recommend it."
*He sent a lamp crashing to the ground. It felt good. Almost as good as ill-advised sex with a friendly stranger. Or strange friend.*
"Erik told you!" *he shouted, but the phrase ended as a moan. He couldn't bear to think of this creature's life as it would be. Megan was blind not to see it. No life was worth the pain of his childhood.* "He told you no good would come of it! And now I expect you'll want to keep it, like a bitch licking her stillborn pup."
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 28, 2007 17:38:40 GMT -5
"For the record, the thing that people seem to reemember most about me is that I walk funny. But that's not important now, what matters is that this is your daughter."
She looked at the baby's tragic little face and sighed.
"It's not as bad as it was for you, I think. Look at those pudgy little cheekers! You can't claim credit for those; I was all cheeks as a baby. And she has lovely hair, nice long lashes... When she gets older, I can teach her how to apply a false nose."
Megan kissed the baby's forehead and dissolved into a kind of highly literate baby talk.
"Proserpina, this is your daddy."
She turned the bundle of baby toward him and moved the child's fist in a kind of wave whilst providing "Hello, Daddy! It's nice to meet you!" in a voice that was clearly meant to come from Pina herself.
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Post by Erik on Aug 28, 2007 17:56:30 GMT -5
*Erik just stared at them. The baby was hideous, yet she behaved towards it as if it were any other child. Well, with an insane mother, who used it as some kind of grotesque puppet.*
"You... love her," *he said.* "How is it possible?"
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 28, 2007 17:58:44 GMT -5
"She's my baby," Megan replied simply.
Proserpina yawned and stretched her chubby little limbs. Megan made a soft noise and bundled her back into the blanket, murmuring "Somebody's sleepy, huh?"
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Post by Erik on Aug 28, 2007 18:20:54 GMT -5
*He shook his head.*
"No... it's impossible. One cannot love something so... so weak. So malformed. I refuse to accept it."
*It meant this girl, this Megan, was worth ten of his own mother, if not more. It meant he hadn't had to live the life he had. And that was more than he could bear.*
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 28, 2007 20:49:46 GMT -5
"Do you want to hold her?" Megan offered. "She's a little fussy when she's tired, but if you rock her back and forth, she'll be fine."
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Post by Erik on Aug 28, 2007 20:50:50 GMT -5
*Erik stared at her in horror.*
"Hold her?" *he repeated.* "Are you daft? I'm hardly the type of... That is, I couldn't possibly... Oh, hang it all, what do I know about babies?"
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Post by Lady Norrington on Aug 28, 2007 20:51:35 GMT -5
"Just cradle your arms like I'm doing right now..."
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