[OOM] Eiattu - Royal Palace

[fighting_mad]

Dinner over with, the sky outside dark and filled with stars, Plourr is sprawled across the sofa, her feet in Rial's lap. "I don't know how the idiot ever thought it was a good idea."

She shakes her head, but here's a rare thing, amid all this misery and restlessness and rampant boredom and discomfort and fucking helpless waiting: there's a thoroughly obnoxious grin threatening.

Comments

[fighting_mad]

"He's a Rogue," she says, and she shifts her weight. "Stupid is part of the job description."

[eiattu_pride]

"I'm surprised they don't have screening processes for intelligence," he says, and then smirks at her. "Mind you, then you'd have never gotten in."

[fighting_mad]

After a noticeable pause: "I have my foot very close to somewhere you wouldn't like to be kicked, Rial Pernon."

[eiattu_pride]

"...You wouldn't." He shifts slightly away anyway.

[fighting_mad]

She smiles sweetly, though it manifests small and slightly off. "It's not like I'm using it right now, anyway."

[eiattu_pride]

"Hey," says Rial, going D:, "hey hey hey hey hey. Not nice."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr opens her mouth to respond --

and inhales sharply with a sudden frown, her hand flying to her stomach.

[eiattu_pride]

He leans forward instantly, maneuvering around her feet, and reaches for her hand. "Plourr? Are you alright?" Maybe this time, he thinks, maybe this time will be it.

Like last time. And the time before.

[fighting_mad]

And the time before.

"She's trying to kill me slowly," she says through gritted teeth, grasping his hand. "I swear."

[eiattu_pride]

"Takes after you," he says, but the smile on his face is rather anxious. "I'm sure she'll be running around beating up Weequays in no time."

Plourr gives a small shake of her head, and, after a few more seconds, relaxes. Rial's smile fades, expression worried as he holds onto her. "How long?"

[fighting_mad]

"Hours," Plourr admits.

She has the grace to look sheepish.

"They started late this morning, while you were out. I didn't want to say anything because I thought it'd turn out to be kriffing fake again." She sighs, and meets his eyes. Reluctantly: "Damn things are getting stronger."

[eiattu_pride]

There's a moment where Rial just stares at her, then slowly brings a hand up and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Um. Okay. In that case, should we go?"

[fighting_mad]

"What was the thing Wilen said?" she says, shoving hair out of her face as she looks at him. "Five minutes apart, lasting 45 seconds to a minute apiece?"

[eiattu_pride]

"Uh." He's got it written down, somewhere, but that sounds about right. "I think so, yes."

[fighting_mad]

"Then--" She hesitates, hand holding his tightly, but she says it. "Goddammit, we'd better go. Again."

[eiattu_pride]

"Okay." Okay. He can't help one, joyful smile, because this is it. His baby, his child, is going to be born.

(hopefully this time, anyway, he's had this thought before)

And then he's all business, getting up, making as though to tug her to her feet, running over last-minute details in his head. "C'mon, then, my princess. Let's get to work."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr, on the other hand, is of the opinion that this can't possibly be it, and she still has a week before she has to deal with any of this. She is fully prepared to get down to the infirmary, walk around the corridors for a while, and then be told 'oh, no, false alarm; back to bed you go' and get bundled off to the apartments again.

It's happened a few times before, after all.

"Let us get to work?" she asks a mite crankily, eyebrows up. But she swings her legs over the side of the sofa and takes his arm, and--slowly, with a great deal of assistance--heaves herself up. Almost as soon as she's standing, her hand tightens on his bicep and she rests her forehead against his shoulder, her eyes squeezed shut.

[eiattu_pride]

"I have to drag your sorry behind down there, don't I?" But his voice is softly worried and he's got an arm wrapped around her, holding on tightly, wishing he could absorb some of the pain. He's done this already. It's not getting any easier.

[fighting_mad]

Plourr grants his wish.

[eiattu_pride]

"...Ow," says Rial, "that hurt. You are a mean, mean person."

[fighting_mad]

"Rial," Plourr says, after about fifteen seconds of silence following the punch to his shoulder, "if you say anything about your pain during this whole thing, I might just kill you."

[eiattu_pride]

"Got it. Keep the mouth sealed shut." Still holding onto her tightly, "Ready to go?"

[fighting_mad]

"No." She raises her head and pushes herself upright, and looks him in the eye (hers are dark brown and wild and afraid, despite the relative calm of her voice). "But let's do it anyway."