After All These Years

EmiRose

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Thiul was sitting in her office and lightly chewing on the tip of her pencil, looking over some of her patients' most recent medical reports. Shiro had been showing improvement, and now that she had assigned them the new hormone medication Shiro's growth spurt should pass at a normal rate with no feat of complications. Though Thiul still demanded they come in once a week until Thiul says otherwise. And then there was Hal's medical report.
Thiul leaned forward in her chair and leaned her elbows on the table, reading the status on the potency of his venom. It was still evolving to be even more toxic, and though it wasn't anything Thiul couldn't handle she was afraid. Hal was only 15, he was still growing. And who knew how strong the poison would become. Thiul was worried sick she wouldn't be able to help him and he would...
Thiul slammed her hands on her table. No. She wouldn't let those thoughts in, she wouldn't let it happen. She would never let anything bad happen to Hal, or at least anything bad that was avoidable. Hal was her solace, her halcyon. She would protect him.
Thiul rolled her chair over to her cabinet and slipped the files back in their slot in one of the drawers. Then she checked her equipment by the window, her next appointment was in two hours but Thiul wanted to be sure. The patient was elderly, which was in some sense rare on this island, and Thiul did not want to take any risks.
Thiul rolled back to her table and fished herself a candy from the big har she had on top of it. It was getting empty, Thiul would stop by a store at some point and buy some more stock. She glanced at the clock, she would be able to stop by the house without wasting too mich energy if she rested at the community center for a few minutes. Thiul was about to get up but looked at the picture of her and Hal, they were having a hand wrestling match and both of them were grinning at each other. If Thiul remembered right Quie had taken the picture. And next to that picture was another one, of all Thiul's siblings, Hal, Vivra and Ohri and their mother. They were all smiling, except their mother of course. She nearly never smiled. That thought made Thiul huff amused.
Suddenly a knock sounded from the door, and Thiul set herself back in her chair.
"Come in, the door is open."
Thiul said in a professional sounding tone, it worked in adressing both co-workers and patients. Thiul prayed the one on the door wasn't the latter.

@Boop
 

Boop

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After finding out Thiul was on the island, Odette's head had been a mess. Not only had she never expected to run into someone she infrequently here, but it was Thiul - the woman she'd had her first time with. Odette would have been nervous about talking to her anyways, especially with the amount of other Rukt'ins that seemed to live here as well. But according to Liun's offhand comments, Thiul had a half basilisk son who was old enough to be Odette's, and basilisks were rare.

So rare that it had never occurred to her to use protection. She'd always been a risk taker. And as far as she knew basilisks hatched from eggs - a normal human couldn't have had a child with her. But Thiul was a dragon, and apparently dragons worked differently. Odette had always been able to smell that the other woman want human, she just didn't know what that meant.

But the basilisk didn't run from a challenge, not even one that made her feel so out of control. So she sought out the woman at her office. After a couple days working herself up to it. And now she was there knocking at the door and entering when Thiul answered.

Odette couldn't speak for a moment. Talking like this left her so much more flustered than doing dangerous things. She fiddled with her cane a bit and smoothed her skirt unnecessarily, barely meeting the other woman's eyes. "It has been a while... I... merde... I did find out you were here when I arrived. We should talk, yes?"

((Translation: merde = shit))
 

EmiRose

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Thiul didn't recognize the person that entered her office. She was wearing hospital employee's attire so perhaps she was a new co-worker. Maybe she was making rounds, greeting all her new colleagues. Thiul stood up, observing the person from head to toe. Somehow she seemed...familiar.
Then the woman spoke, and Thiul became slightly confused. Did they knwow each other? Thiul didn't remember meeting this person after entering the island and she had excellent memory. During college days? No, she would remember that too.
Thiul stepped away from her desk and circled it, getting a bit closer to the woman.
"You are mistaken, I do-"
Thiul stopped dead on her tracks when she caught the woman's scent. Thiul knew that scent, she remembered it though she couldn't remember anything else of the person she had had sex with during her graduation party. Thiul had the expression of confusion, shock, slight irritation and surprise on her face as she observed the woman in a whole new light.
Wait, woman? Thiul had so many questions and her mind was raging. She had never expected to see this person again. And here she was, standing in front of the man, woman, who was...Hal's other biological parent.
This was going to be a mess.
Thiul forced her mind calm, wiped her face of any unnecessary emotion and it took all her willpower to deliver her next words with a calm voice.
"So this is what you look like...Yes, I think we do need to talk. Have a seat."
Thiul gestured towards the hospital bed, and she herself sat back into her own chair, back as straight as it could get.
 

Boop

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Odette could smell the confused emotions more than see them. It was no more than she had expected. Considering the woman had not appeared to be a woman the last time Thiul had seen her, the dragon was actually very calm. It was concerning to the basilisk, but she didn't think anything more dangerous than talking would happen.

Still she did her best not to call attention to her injured leg as she walked over to the hospital bed, limping slightly despite her best efforts. Then she sat, again smoothing out her skirt to avoid meeting Thiul's gaze right away.

"I did not know... I should have more been careful. You are a dragon, yes?" It danced around the subject, but she didn't really know how to talk. And though Thiul probably had a lot of questions about everything, Odette would rather not rehash the pain of transition. The child, well she knew she would have to talk about- him? But serious conversations were not her strong suit either. Apologizing felt like it would be a cop out, and possibly an insult.
 

EmiRose

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Thiul's mind and emotions were raging, but not enough to miss the woman limp ever so slightly when she walked over to the hospital bed. Thiul frowned and observed her legs, it was visible the woman was trying to not call attention to the injury. So Thiul left it be. She was sitting down now anyway, so the inspection of the injury could wait. They had more important things to discuss.

Thiul was not one to dance around anything, and thus when the woman, Ancients, Thiul didn't even know her name, started talking Thiul simply nodded.
"There was no way for you, or me, to know, and what is done is done and I regret none of it. Yes, I am a dragon, and yes, I gave birth to a child. And yes, he is yours."
Saying those words out loud made Thiul's chest tighten, and she took a breath. She had always thought of herself as Hal's only protector and parent. It felt like the balance had been swayed by this woman appearing. Which was, naturally, ridiculous. But Thiul couldn't help what her emotions conjured up.
"But you seem to know about him already. His name is Halcyon."
Her halcyon, her peace. Thiul usually wasn't soppy. Nay, almost never. But Hal's name had been a rare exception. And Thiul was glad he had made it.
"I must admit, that I do not remember anything aside from your scent about the night we spent together. What do I call you?"
 

Boop

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"I am glad you do no regret it." That much was true. She'd never been unwanted as a child, and she wouldn't have wanted that for a child, even one she had up until her arrival here been unaware of.

She didn't know how to bring up the other question about this boy that weighed on her. There was a reason basilisks were so rare, and why she'd not considered pregnancy a possibility. "He... your son... if I did know, I would no have run. Your cousin did mention him to be half basilisk... Our blood. It do be a danger." Odette had never met Hal, but she didn't want to be the cause of pain.

She shuffled her feet, blushing a little gold at the memory of that night. It had been her first time, and she hadn't had the confidence to do it again. This body was hard to get over. "A- Odette. My name is Odette... I was, I did not try to lie. It never did be, I never did try to, to. It is my issue that I did run." She was getting flustered trying to explain why she had only had a one night stand, and her English was failing her in frustration.
 

EmiRose

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Thiul simply nodded as an answer to Odette, she wasn't about to start explaining why she loved a child that so many other people would've regretted having. But right from the moment Thiul found out she was pregnant the regret had stayed in the background. Naturally there had been some. But Thiul was merciless against regret, she didn't allow it. Not anymore.

Thiul frowned a bit when the woman mentioned, that basilisk blood is dangerous. So she was aware of the dangers. Well, naturally she was. Thiul decided, that when she was in a better mental state she and this woman had to discuss things further. She could offer valuable insight to Hal's condition.
"I'm well aware of the dangers of your blood, but that can be discussed later."

Her name was Odette. Knowing that, giving a name to this person, the other half of Hal, was somehow relieving and frightening at the same time. Odette was here to stay. Thiul didn't acknowledge the blush on Odette's cheeks.
"If you wish to speak french go ahead. I speak it fluently."
Thiul wasn't sure what Odette wanted to explain. Her true gender? True, that was on Thiul's mind, but as to why Odette had hid it was none of Thiul's business. As Odette had said, it was her problem.

"Don't keep blaming yourself for what has already been done. The facts are, that you have a son, and that you have the possibility to be involved in his life. I will not demand you to pay child support of any kind, or take responsibility. I have raised him alone these past 15 years, and I can do so for the rest of his life."
 

Boop

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Odette nodded slowly, "Yes, later." The child was a teen now and had obviously survived this long. It was just as obvious that Thiul loved her son, so perhaps the wariness of other reptiles to basilisks hadn't passed on. Odette had been raised by chickens, having to figure out things mostly on her own with some passed down family notes. Perhaps Hal had had an advantage being raised by dragons.

It was a relief when Thiul said she could speak French - she was a lot more fluent in that. It didn't make the conversation any less awkward, but at least she wasn't worried about being misunderstood because of language issues.

"Thank you. I don't speak English very much. I wasn't trying to make excuses. I just wanted you to know that you're -" Odette cut herself off, worried that she would sound too much like flirting. Then she started again, "I would not have abandoned you that, that night, if I was not.. ashamed of myself. It was nothing you did. If.. you ever worried about that."

Thiul didn't seem the type of woman to lose confidence because of a one night stand, but Odette had felt some guilt about it, even before she'd found out about the resulting pregnancy. Perhaps it was just her Catholic upbringing. Either way she wouldn't talk about that again.

"I will give you what you ask for.. your son. I realize there's responsibility on my part. But I just wandered into your life accidentally. I do not have any claim on him. You did raise him, by yourself, and I would not want to come between that. I don't have that right." She took a breath. Honestly, it was still a little shocking having it confirmed. A child that was partially hers, a teenager she'd never met.

"But if it's okay with you... And with him. I would like to meet him. I never knew..." She trailed off again with an awkward shrug. This wasn't something she could take control of, and it was nerve-wracking.
 

EmiRose

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Thiul, in fact, had not worried about that. She hadn't had the chance to, since she didn't remember much anything aside from Odette's scent. But even if Thiul had remembered every last detail down to Odette's foot size she wouldn't have worried about it. It had been a consensual encounter, that much Thiul knew since she was not one to be forced to do anything, and she wouldn't have tied herself down to the human society. Thiul had had a mission back then, to provide their community with medical knowledge. To smaller extent she was still on that mission.
"I can't change the fact that you were ashamed, but know that I do not blame myself, or you for that matter, for any of this. Besides, out of the two of us I was the one more drunk."

Odette understood, that at the end of the day if Thiul denied it she wouldn't be able to see Hal. Thiul wouldn't do that, but it was good that Odette understood that. Thiul's first priority was Hal, and his happiness. And if Odette could ensure that he could live his life happier Thiul welcomed Odette's presence.
"It's true, you do not have a claim on him. But neither do I. Hal alone is capable of deciding, if he wants to meet you. I don't have the right to hide your existence from him. Hal is an intelligent young man, fully capable of doing rational choices. One trait he did not inherit from me. And if he, after I tell him about you, wants to meet you then he will."
 

Boop

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Odette nodded at Thiul's response. It was a relief the other woman had not been hurt by Odette's carelessness. She hadn't exactly kept the shame in her head, but seeing the dragon again had brought those feelings back. And she did feel bad, both about what had happened and about only having an anonymous one night stand with a beautiful woman who clearly deserved better. She hadn't even been drunk herself, not that that was any excuse. She wasn't going to bring any of this up again, though. Thiul could ask any questions later - this conversation was not about Odette's insecurities.

Still speaking French, Odette replied. "Yes, of course... I do not intend to force myself on either of you. It sounds like he was raised well, you raised him well." She paused then, once again smoothing out her skirt. A nervous habit. There wasn't much more to say, or she couldn't think of it. "Is he - what is he like?"