exeunt space plant

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth (and Jacob) return home to Aurum, and promptly from there to Isle Esme, after the party has concluded, and Elspeth starts looking for Felicity. (And incidentally assessing the house and island for damages.)

Comments

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I told her she could send an email later and it didn't matter where, that Jane would collect it, but she never did."

[inhispockets]

Felicity shrugs. "Why would she?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I didn't particularly expect her to, but she's not the awful parent for that cluster, so it was possible."

[inhispockets]

"Is there anybody where it's their mom?" he wonders.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Not so far. Dads, stepdads, magical creators."

[inhispockets]

He thinks about that. He doesn't really conclude anything, but he thinks about it.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"And Ansharil didn't have any parental figures at all, but he's sufficiently attached to Aianon that Aianon's history approximately counts for them both. I suppose Aianon's mother was also fairly horrible," Elspeth reflects, "but not in a way that stood out from the general population of demons."

[inhispockets]

He laughs.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"They married Sarion," Elspeth adds. "Aianon and Ansharil did, at the party - technically she'd already had a ceremony with the latter, but wanted to do it over again with both of them, and didn't think an elven ceremony would readily accommodate a demon, even if it could be stretched to fit a dragon who'd turned himself into an elf."

[inhispockets]

...Felicity giggles.

"I can't even imagine one of me getting married," he says.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Oh, several of you are. Beast and Rose are married, so are Micaiah and Angela, and now Ansharil and Aianon with Sarion. And they all hug each other's children at the parties. At this one there were a few who hadn't been at the last."

[inhispockets]

"Yeah?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Mm-hm. Micaiah has four angel daughters. Damaris, Keziah, Ariel, and Peninnah. Beast has a set of three, with larger age gaps but the same templates as the first of those - Yseult, Céleste, and Hyacinthe. And Kas has one girl, Helen, who is the same template as Yseult and Damaris. They call themselves Dominiques because Yseult donated her first name after starting to go by her middle name. Keziah and Céleste call themselves Griffins. And then there's the Joker, who has a son and a daughter with a local vampire called Nathan. Kerron and Aedyt."

[inhispockets]

"So many kids," he says. "It's weird."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Kerron was an accident, Damaris was a sort of indeliberate but accepted consequence of angels not believing in birth control, and Helen was conceived on purpose but her being a Dominique was unintentional. But yes, a bunch of you are parents. Why is that weird?"

[inhispockets]

"Because... why," he says and/or asks.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Because they wanted to. And their partners were up for it too, except in Helen's case, Amariah was very upset with Kas about that."

[inhispockets]

"What for?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Amariah missed the first thirteen years of Helen's life, isn't actually subjectively old enough to have a thirteen-year-old daughter, and feels like she's been robbed of her firstborn."

[inhispockets]

Felicity shrugs.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Do you want to meet any of your niblingoids?" inquires Elspeth.

[inhispockets]

He does not know that word. Well. He didn't until a second ago.

"...maybe?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Kerron in particular might make sense to have visit. He has a witch-ingot ability that lets him detect goals and intentions and the like, so if you decided to be obnoxious to him he could leave, first, if he wasn't in the mood."

[inhispockets]

Felicity snorts.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Let me know if you'd like him invited over."