milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Any chance I can get a sprite or something clear, non-alcoholic, and bubbly?"

Coreen looked like she was sea sick. Well, morning sickness isn't just in the morning, you know.

"Sure can. Cylindrical, conical, cubic, or dodecahedronal glass? And do you want ice in that?"

Coreen smiled. "Cylindrical I think. And, yeah, some ice would be lovely..."

She hiccuped.

"Maybe some pretzels too."

A normal cylindrical glass of lemon-lime soda and dish of pretzels are served up quickly.

"Anything else you need? Hiccup remedy?"

"More like a remedy for morning sickness that doesn't involve a swift kick to the midsection or a flight of stairs."

She took the glass gratefully, and took a tiny sip.

"My mother swore by a cup of ginger tea every hour. And she had 9 of us, so I guess she'd know."

"Ginger tea, huh? Could you possibly make me up a cup? It sounds really good. I think Demeter would approve."

Demeter happened to be the bearer of her good news, and a backbone of her support system.

"Aunt Demeter didn't tell you about ginger? She coached my mother through her pregnancies. My eldest sister says the twins were just a nightmare."

While she's talking, she's heating water and slicing ginger. When it boils, the water is poured over the slices, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam.

"Let that steep a couple minutes and then drink it. You can eat the ginger too, if you like."

Coreen stopped for a second, frowned, and then her brow unfurrowed. "You wouldn't happen to have a sister named Melpomene?"

She breathed in the ginger. It smelled like it'd help.

"One of the twins. My other sisters, full sisters I mean, are Calliope, Clio, Polyhymnia, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Erato, and Thalia."

Coreen nodded. Second muse she'd met in her time here.

"I'm Coreen Fennel, by the way." She held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Coreen. And congratulations. On the baby, I mean."

Coreen smiled. "Thank you. It's a really weird ordeal, but...you know, gotta push through it." Eventually that'll even be literal, but not for a while.

"Perfectly natural. And as long as mother and baby are healthy and happy, it's all a blessing."

Coreen nodded and smiled. It wouldn't be long before Joe'd have to believe her and stop dismissing her as crazy.

"Yep, Demeter said the pregnancy was going to be 3 months instead of 9 because of his father."

"Oh? Special case?"

Coreen smiled sardoically. "Aren't they all?"

She laughed. "Yes...his father is half squirrel." Luckily, not the important half.

"Okay. Yeah, I guess the Centaur women had different gestation periods than full humans."

Divines are not to mentioned. Aunt Athena, anyone?

"She said something about like a demi-god, but I'm hoping not. He's already going to chew the posts off my bed as is."

"Do squirrels do that? I thought that was beavers. Beavers have cuter tails too."

"Joe chews on pencils because of his fangs. And...I personally really like squirrel tails. Make for a good blanket."

The lady makes a fair and valid point.

"I've never tried that, but I'm sure you're right."

She smiles, thinking about it. Her hand goes to her stomach, and rests there, lightly.

"It's worth a few chewed pencils."

Rai smiles.

"I bet."

Coreen looked over. "I'm sorry...is the tea done yet?"