“I suppose it does.” Tevos responds with a quiet sigh. “ - I just meant that it does not feel like you are an adult, considering how little I know you…It’s a shame.”
She smiles, rubbing the back of her neck for a moment. “Well, I’m gonna be around a lot for the next while so … Maybe you can get a chance to get to know me better? I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you, Mom.”
“I would like that as well,” Tevos replies, a smile making its way to her lips. “That would mean a lot, actually.” Pleasant familial interaction was a skill that Tevos still needed heavy practice in…but she’s trying.
“That is a beautiful name, Liselle,” Tevos replies, smiling gently. “I mean to say that I have only recently gotten to know you and that you were still a child, but that now you are a full-grown woman. …Hard to believe, is all….”
“Time flies, huh?" She smiles a little, and then steps closer to her mother. She chuckles. "I’ve been full-grown for a long time now, Mom. But I guess it’s only now that I’m actually acting like it.”
“I suppose it does.” Tevos responds with a quiet sigh. “ - I just meant that it does not feel like you are an adult, considering how little I know you…It’s a shame.”
“…Expecting? … Expecting a child? So soon?”
"Yeah, a daughter. Her name’s gonna be Hira." She pauses. "I’m only about three weeks along right now … What do you mean by ‘so soon’?”
“That is a beautiful name, Liselle,” Tevos replies, smiling gently. “I mean to say that I have only recently gotten to know you and that you were still a child, but that now you are a full-grown woman. …Hard to believe, is all….”
“Liselle? What is it?”
“Nothing, uh, bad, it’s just something I figured I should tell you sooner rather than later. Anyway, my … partner and I … we’re expecting.”
“…Expecting? … Expecting a child? So soon?”
“Perhaps I could fit you for a commando uniform? Act as if you are my niece?” She cannot help but smile at her daughter’s antics, shaking her head.
“I think it would be safer for me to pretend to be your niece.” She pauses, thinking. “I could always just take my old name again. Y’know, ‘Liselle Rani’. I’d only come up as dead if they arrested me or something, and I’m not gonna give them a reason to.”
“Yes, that is probably the safest idea.” Tevos replies, a small nod of her head accompanying her words. “And I am glad to hear you say that, what with your father’s reputation and all.”
“…It happened again? Did you happen to catch the name of the officer(s) who escorted you out? I will certainly have a word with their superiors.”
"No, and it’s almost always different people. Do I have a sign on my back that says ‘I’m dangerous, please harass me’ or something?” She actually tries to look at her back, turning in a tight circle as she does. “Seriously, that’s what it feels like. I’d tell them why I’m there but, y’know … I can’t do that.”
“Perhaps I could fit you for a commando uniform? Act as if you are my niece?” She cannot help but smile at her daughter’s antics, shaking her head.
Mother’s Day
“I would love to,” Tevos smiles, “Gives me a wonderful excuse to disregard my work and other responsibilities until later on tonight, or—goddess forbid—tomorrow morning.”
She sounds almost childish: excited by the thought of rebelling, even just a little. She never really had time to relax, even as a teenager. She was being prepared for her future job as a councilor.
“Do you have any ideas as to where?” Tevos asks, because they could always do it right here….
Liselle snickers quietly at her mother’s near excitement at the thought of putting off work. She’s never had that sort of experience herself outside of school, but that’s long behind her now. But she’s glad to see her mother happy; she doesn’t get to see her smile often.
“Apollo’s isn’t usually too busy this time of day,” she says. “Not really fine dining, but I figured it should be low key, y’know? But, uhm, if you’re worried about people being nosy, we could also just stay here. I don’t mind either way.”
“People are always nosy,” Tevos dismisses with a sigh, “It comes with the job. Fera has told me that she has to filter at least thirty personal questions daily…most of which pertaining to my breasts."
"It’s up to you, I don’t mind either way.” Tevos replies, standing straight, despite her back touching the edge of her desk. She could easily lean, or slouch, but she’d never do that. …At least in the presence of someone else.
“Don’t be sorry,” Tevos whispers, clearly surprised by her daughter’s touch. “I love you too, Liselle,” she says, beginning to curl around her daughter protectively.
She feels Liselle’s tense muscles begin to relax, and is grateful for it. She was worried - still is, but is relieved when she doesn’t seem to be as panicked as she had. “…Do you need anything?” She asks, almost hesitant. She really doesn’t want to let go.
Having her mother so close is calming. Her scent, the warmth of her touch, even just the sound of her breathing is relaxing to Liselle. There’s still a bit of tension in some of her muscles, mostly her arms, but they’re slowly becoming lax, almost loose.
“I’ll … I’ll be fine,” she murmurs. Another way of saying “no”, but she doesn’t want to say it outright. It might make her sound angry or upset, and she doesn’t want that. She just wants to stay in her mother’s arms right now. “Just a few more minutes.” She doesn’t want to let go either, but she’ll need to eventually.
Tevos doesn’t mind, curling herself instinctively around her daughter. “I’ve got you, Liselle,” the mother quietly says, “I’ve got you.” She kisses her daughter’s head an innumerable amount of times, her grip strong.
“You tell me if you need anything. You hear me? Anything.” The councilor breathes, doing her best to sound reassuring. She’s shaking like a leaf, terrified, but she’s trying to do right by her child.
[ Just once.]
Mother’s Day
Tevos smiles warmly, turning to retrieve a vase from her kitchen. She listens to her child all the way to the other room and back.
“Well, I suppose you get your luck from your father.” She responds warmly, cheerfully setting her arrangement of flowers on the corner of her desk. “No, flowers are perfect.” She interrupts, turning to face Liselle again. “It’s not like I need more dresses, or…anything else for that matter.” She grimaces sheepishly, “Flowers are perfect.”
Her expression sours when her daughter laughs, “Just as I know not about you, either. Perhaps we should take a day to ourselves, soon? What do you think Liselle?”
“Ha, good to know I inherited more than her aggression,” Liselle jokes, folding her arms across her chest. She follows Tevos to her desk, listening to her talk for a few moments. She’s glad that her little gift of flowers is good enough for her mother, and that she’s made her happy.
The change in expression, however, wipes her grin right off her face. At first, she thinks she’s said something wrong, but quickly perks up at Tevos’ suggestion. She nods.
“That’d be great actually,” she practically chirps. “I actually wanted to see if you had time to have supper with me or something tonight. You know, another Mother’s Day sorta thing.”
“I would love to,” Tevos smiles, “Gives me a wonderful excuse to disregard my work and other responsibilities until later on tonight, or—goddess forbid—tomorrow morning.”
She sounds almost childish: excited by the thought of rebelling, even just a little. She never really had time to relax, even as a teenager. She was being prepared for her future job as a councilor.
“Do you have any ideas as to where?” Tevos asks, because they could always do it right here….
Back From the Dead
Tevos smiles at her daughter, then up at the ceiling. “Well, we can start to do it more often…if…if you’re interested.” The mother replies nervously, rubbing her daughter’s back.
“It is quite nice, isn’t it?” She smiles, her lips finding Liselle’s forehead. She closes her eyes and rests her cheek against the top of the matron’s head, content as is.
Liselle makes a noise that can only be described as a purr. She feels more relaxed now than she has in months, and she can feel herself slipping into a pleasant haze of sleep. But she does her best to stay awake for now, even though her tired mind is trying to get her to shut down.
“I would like that,” she mumbles sleepily. Her hand finds one of Tevos’ after a few moments of clumsy searching, and she threads their fingers together. She lets her eyes go down, a little enthralled by the way her lavender skin is contrasted against her mother’s dark blue skin. She’s never understood how she inherited Aria’s colouring rather than her mother’s—her genetics were what made up most of her, after all.
She sighs, content. She knows if she falls asleep now, her dreams will be peaceful for once. She’ll be well-rested, and she hopes the same would happen for her mother. “Mrr, ‘m gonna fall ‘sleep,” she says, her voice becoming a little more slurred as she gets closer and closer to simply passing out.
Squeezing her daughter’s hand gently in return, Tevos allows her eyes to close.
Though, the allowance is soon disregarded as the councilor has not settled down enough to close her eyes. She remains staring at the ceiling.
The mother cannot help but laugh quietly at her daughter’s slurred words, a free hand rubbing circles on Liselle’s back and shoulders.
“Go to sleep, then, Liselle.” Tevos mumbles softly, “I will soon follow.”