Two Women, Two Books (OTA)

[st_hotflashes]

It was a nice day out and the sun was shining bright.

Liz Parker took up residence in one of the lounge chairs by the pool, clad in jean shorts and a t-shirt, and was currently writing in her journal. She had a lot of thoughts about what she had learned with her readings with Emma. Several days after the initial news, Liz was no longer prone to crying if she dwelled too long on the subject of Max and Tess and Tess' pregnancy. Still, she hadn't quite gotten around to telling Kitty or Poitr or anyone else she might usually confide in. Only Peter knew.

I can't believe out of everyone at the Inn, the first person to know about my heartbreak with another guy is my boyfriend.

Meanwhile, a pregnant red Tiefling sat on the edge of the pool in a above-the-knee blue maternity dress. Her legs swished around idly in the water as she held up the What to Expect When You're Expecting. She was particularly looking for any sort of information on twins because, apparently, that was what she was having - they did run in the family, after all.

Comments

Pike & Zahra

[st_ealthless]

To celebrate finding an adorable green swimsuit in the shop that actually fit her, Pike decided to take the day off of her various jobs around the inn and made her way to the pool.

"Well hello!" Drink in her hand and a big floppy hat on her head, she settled onto the side of the pool next to Zahra, "How are you on this lovely day?"

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_hotflashes]

"Pike." She smiled at the approaching Gnome and it widened as she sat down. "I'm well. The sun is warm and I'm contemplating swimming at some point. You look well."

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_ealthless]

"Swimming sounds like a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and the exercise will only make things easier as your pregnancy progresses," she eyed the book Zahra had been reading and wondered what sort of advice it held.

"Thank you. I feel well, though I don't have anything too exciting going on. Same stuff, different day."

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_affofthemoon]

Zahra placed the book down so she could talk to Pike more one-on-one. "Do you miss the ever-changing challenges of being part of Vox Machina back home?

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_ealthless]

"This place has its own set of challenges, they just aren't as life threatening most of the time. They're the interpersonal, what-are-these-weird-feelings kind of problems." She leaned back onto her elbows, "But really, I was only adventuring a little bit of the time. Not like the others."

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_affofthemoon]

Zahra understood a bit of that. Not with Kash, obviously, but Curnen and her would probably forever be at odds.

"How are you and Scanlan doing?" Since at least that interpersonal issue was pretty obvious.

Re: Pike & Zahra

[st_ealthless]

"I have no idea," she laughed, "When I first saw him here, I kissed him without even thinking. It was total reflex. Then I slapped him. Then a few months passed and he was sweet, and kind, and sorry and I forgave him." The words came pouring out in a way they hadn't since that day on the beach with Jag. "Then, we were talking at the wedding, and I kinda asked him on date. Again, without even thinking first. The words just flew out of my mouth."

Liz & Corbie

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Corbie often came out to the pool area to read herself, and she probably would have set herself up in a chair and ignored both women already there in most cases. There was plenty of space for all of them to leave each other alone. But something about Liz's expression as she was writing made her stop. She didn't look like she was untangling a thorny problem. She looked like...

"Everything okay? You look like somebody just told you your dog died."

Re: Liz & Corbie

[st_hotflashes]

She looked up, not hearing Corbie's approach. "Oh .." Liz hadn't realized her expression was giving anything away. She supposed to was hard to write about this stuff without it actually floating to the surface.

"I just, um, I got some bad news and I'm trying to write it down." She paused. "I guess that sounds kind of stupid, huh? To write down bad memories." And yet somehow she couldn't not do it.

Re: Liz & Corbie

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Corbie shrugged at that. It wasn't her business to tell anybody how to process their feelings if it wasn't hurting anybody. "Only in the sense that I usually find it more helpful to talk than write, but whatever works for you."

Re: Liz & Corbie

[st_hotflashes]

She paused. The sting of what happened had only dulled a little. When she thought about Max and Tess, her heart felt like it was aching.

Liz lowered her gaze to the words on her page, her expression sobering a bit. "I found out my boyfriend back home got another girl pregnant." Max wasn't technically her boyfriend anymore, not how she left things, but it was hard to think of him as an ex.

She forced the words out. "Ex boyfriend."

Re: Liz & Corbie

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Emotions were not logical things. That was the beauty and the setback of them. Corbie understood that something like that could be confusing, but... "And you found another boy," she pointed out as gently as she could.

Re: Liz & Corbie

[st_hotflashes]

She pressed her lips together. She felt another pang when thinking of Peter because of the impermanence that was felt there. Especially since Peter was so open about how they weren't going to be together forever.

"Peter's really great." And though her smile was genuine, it was small. "But it doesn't change the fact that back home...

Liz forced her smile wider. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't worry about things back home."

Kash & Zahra

[st_ingofthehundred]

After his shift in the clinic, Kash came out to join Zahra at the pool. He'd found a pair of swimming shorts that were a plain dark blue and had a pocket where he could put his symbol, in case healing was needed. Thank fuck, they were neither short nor so tight they made a sling for his cock. It would be hard enough hiding the inevitable arousal with Z glowing and pregnant with his babies.

Babies. Plural. Twins. Kash shook his head as he swam up to her and ran his hands up her legs. "How's the most gorgeous mama-to-be?"

Re: Kash & Zahra

[st_affofthemoon]

Zahra smiled warmly to Kash as he approached, his hands sending several distracting signals up her leg. "Always better when you're around, darling." Which was true as well as flirtatious.

"The look suits you." She up nodded to him, meaning the swim suit.

Re: Kash & Zahra

[st_ingofthehundred]

"Pretty sure the less clothes I have on, the better the look suits me these days." His smile said he was teasing, but the pure power of her desire while pregnant had taken a little getting comfortable with.

"I'm just glad it's not one of those 'banana hammocks'."

Re: Kash & Zahra

[st_affofthemoon]

Amusement mixed with confusion spread across Zahra's expression. "Banana hammock?" She tried to figure out what that meant, but was failing. She knew what a banana and a hammock. Then, as she thought about it more, she realized what it must be. She smiled. "I think you'd look spectacular in it, my love." She waggled her eyes a little. "I've got what they call a 'bikini' under this dress."

Re: Kash & Zahra

[st_ingofthehundred]

"Not even for you, baby," Kash said feelingly. The way everyone splashed around in next to nothing (notwithstanding his own adventures in 'skinny-dipping') was still hard to get used to. And frankly, the less most of the world knew about his junk the happier he was.

"But if your coconuts enjoy hammocks, I'm happy to enjoy the view."

Re: Kash & Zahra

[st_affofthemoon]

"And here I thought Scanlan was the only one good at metaphors." Zahra was amused. She leaned forward, which was only a little difficult with her belly, and kissed him on the forehead. "How have you settled in, with the news of it all?"

Liz & Kitty

[st_alksthroughwalls]

Kitty'd had a late night at the bar, so when she sat down beside Liz at the pool, she had both coffee and water. "It's been awhile since I've seen you writing so much so fast."

Re: Liz & Kitty

[st_hotflashes]

A slight pang of guilt rushed over her as Kitty spoke. She hadn't told Kitty. She hadn't told anyone except Peter and now she thought that was a mistake too.

"I'm... trying to process a lot of things." Writing things down helped to center her.

Liz paused.

"Max slept with Tess, or he will, and she'll get pregnant." Somehow it was easier to come out just now.

Re: Liz & Kitty

[st_alksthroughwalls]

"You know you don't have to explain yourself to me, right?" Kitty asked from over the rim of the coffee she was drinking. "I asked because I care, but I'm not entitled to explanations. If it helps to talk, then go ahead, but you don't owe me."

Besides, some of the stuff that Liz was dealing with, honestly, no one could help with. Not really. She just had to live it and sort it and cry if she felt like it.

"But since you did tell me--" Kitty glanced over to where Kash was being the most attentive father-to-be in the history of human-Tiefling relations or something (like she would know). "I'm guessing that's not a comfortable thought for you."

Re: Liz & Kitty

[st_hotflashes]

She knew she didn't owe Kitty anything, but she wanted to talk to someone and Kitty was good at listening. She also knew most of the issues in her life anyways.

Liz's gaze followed Kitty and she was quiet for a moment before her gaze returned to her book. "...Peter's very adamant that we're going to one day go back home to our own worlds." Which was hard enough to think about and say out loud, but Peter said it enough now that Liz knew where he stood on the subject. "And he keeps talking about how he wants me to be happy.... and even though I know what I know about me and Max.... I still sort of thought - I thought we'd somehow get back together back home, in the end."

Re: Liz & Kitty

[st_alksthroughwalls]

"You and Max, you mean." She wanted to be clear on this, because while the problem 'one true love and happy endings' was the same regardless of the person Liz was pinning her hopes on, the possibilities and ramifications were entirely different.

Re: Liz & Kitty

[st_hotflashes]

She looked at her hands. "I want it to be Peter." She'd pretty much do anything for that to happen. "But Peter keeps telling me I need to be happy back home without him, so..." So naturally she thought of Max.