[phone calls (Rinoa & Rydia) / Action for Dali folks!] - forward dated to the 29th!

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[She's jittery with excitement and nerves when she makes these two phone calls. As soon as Rinoa and Rydia pick up, she gets right to the heart of the matter:]

It's time!

[Later on, she returns to Raine's side to see what she can do. She's worried. She can't help feeling that this is a repeat of what happened last time. She's worried it'll turn out that way. But she won't let Raine see that. Trying to protect Slai, she'll do her best to help Raine while keeping the child occupied. It's the least she can do right now.]


[ooc: I think this would go faster party style tagging? But that's up for debate, still. Anyway, I'll get a couple of subthreads up and then we can all have at and whenever it gets done, it gets done!]

Comments

Phone Calls - Rydia and Rinoa

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[She figures Squall will be close to Rinoa when she calls.

Also, she knows Rydia wanted to be involved and pay a visit during the event.]

Phone Call

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[It takes a moment for this to register.]

Oh my god - you mean-?

Phone Call

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[There's a lot of worry and excitement all wrapped up in that one word.]

You and Squall wanted to know when it was her time, so I thought I'd call you. I figured Squall would be nearby.

Phone Call

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

We'll be right there!

Phone Call

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I hate to call you out of the party, but... I thought you'd want to be here.

Phone Call

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

...hello? Oh! Ellone!

Is Raine--?

Phone Call

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Yes! We think she's starting!

[So much emotion buried in so few words.]

Phone Call

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Thank you for telling me, Ellone! I promised I wouldn't miss this.

I'll be in Dali as soon as possible.

Phone Call

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

It's the least I can do. You said you wanted to know, so... I'm letting you know.

Don't strain yourself if it takes a while. I know we're not that far from Alexandria, but I don't want to cause an uproar on the roads.

Before

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[idk, small talk action where everyone congregates and before other things?]

Have a houseguest that has no idea where to put himself amidst all the lovely women!

[for-ephramad.livejournal.com]

[Along the halls comes a rather lanky, rather pale man -- attired as always in a dignified, yet tattered frac of ancient silks and burnished gold-- thin enough to be a wraith. He stoops to pass a doorway as per somewhat unbelievable height -- yet he does not look imposing. In fact the admiral looks somewhat sheepish. He spies Ellone and makes his way towards her - lowering his head once in the most formal of gestures.]

...I understand Raine's term is almost complete.
Furthermore, I shall understand if it is better I leave during this time. I have no will to impose. Raine.. She has been kind to me. So I do not wish to make matters difficult with my presence when she shall require space.

Have a Selphie coming out of her room?

[boomchucka.livejournal.com]

[Selphie heard Ellone's announcement and comes racing down the stairs before stopping at the foot of them. There's a mix of fear and excitement in her eyes about what's going to happen next.

She's perfect for babysitting little kids if you want to keep Slai and a Selphie out of the way.]

Sis?

♥!

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[At the sounds of voices, Ellone ducks out of Raine's room just long enough to see who it is, bringing little Slai with her. The girl doesn't need to see. Just in case.]

Selphie! [She smiles at her friend before addressing the other.]

Yes. I think it's going to happen today. I called Rinoa and Rydia already. Hopefully, they can make it soon, too. Don't worry about it. We could use the company right now.

[If he's any good at reading expressions or emotional auras, there's a good deal of worry she can't hide.]

[for-ephramad.livejournal.com]

[Excellent at it, actually. Undeath is sweet like that - everything is an aura. He can percept things that the living can't, but things the living can do tend to go un-noticed. He glances at the girl... and the younger girl. Something's wrong. But he's not enough of a fool to mention it in front of the younger of the pair. His eyes drift to the door she emerged from.]

...There is no word from her husband yet?

[So sorry, he assumed the guy simply ran for it. He has no idea about going back to worlds you come from.]

If there is anything you require for her comfort, but cannot leave her to get, inform me. It is the least I can do for her.

The big action

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Where things start to fall apart and what happens afterward.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[This labor's been going on two days now and Raine's rapidly becoming exhausted. At first the midwife shooed everyone out to wait but with the birthing process going far longer than it should, she's started to invite people in to visit... and help with healing. The mother-to-be is still alert, but weariness is starting to make it hard for her to do much of anything but nod at people and wince at contractions.]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Elle's beyond worried by now. She's nearly sick with dread. She's been trying to keep Raine company, offering Cures whenever she needed to keep Raine comfortable, but every so often, she has to leave just to get outside the room where she can let out her tension without letting Raine see.

She's curled up against the wall just outside the room right now, trying not to let her worry dissolve her into a fit of tears. She's probably failing, but at least she's not sobbing loudly.]

[for-ephramad.livejournal.com]

[He sees what you're doing there. And mid-stride to get more towels, a rather fancy elvaan strolls by. It doesn't concern him that not a month before he was preparing a warship for well.. warfare. Or controlling a crew and now he's reduced to this. Doesn't concern him at all. Raine does, however. And by extension- Ellone is part of that though truthfully, before today he can't even say he'd paid that much attention to her. He kneels, beside her -- dumping the things to the side.]

...There there.

[What would Ovjang say? Yes, that was it. As naive as it sounds, it is truth. And it always stopped Aphmau from erupting when the waterworks started.]

It is difficult, yet crying will solve nothing. She will come through this. Do you understand?

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

I know. I-I just... [She wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She has to be strong for them all.]

This has happened once before.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Two days. Rinoa's been fretting so much it's almost making her ill. She wishes that she could cast white magic. As it is, all she can do is make sure that the house is stocked up with potions - and run out to buy ethers from the local store whenever their white mages exhaust themselves.

Rinoa isn't stupid, but one subject she doesn't know very much about happens to be babies. Which is why she finds herself asking anyone who will listen:]

Is it supposed to go on this long?

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

[Rydia, likewise, isn't very handy with white magic, nor is she intimately familiar with the delivery process and what to expect. Glancing to Rinoa, she sighs.]

...I can't be sure, but I didn't think so.

[She paces, frowning.]

There must be more that we can do.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Ellone appreciates everything they've been doing for Raine, especially when Elle's had to take a little time off worry duty to take Slai for a little play time, either to relieve Selphie or join her. Elle's holding her arms around herself now, though. She's scared and it's starting to show.]

No. [Another deep breath to try to steady herself.] I wish I knew. But you've both been doing so much already. I hate to ask more of you.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

[Squall would be the first to admit he's not sure about all the details of childbirth, but it does seem to be taking an awfully long time.]

I don't know.

[for-ephramad.livejournal.com]

[It has been days since since Ellone made her announcement about the birth. And it has been days since he held his conversation with her. Luzaf has been typically very... male in the matter and not ventured into Raine's chambers- Instead electing to wait outside, assist with resupplying the mages and generally worrying- but he can tell by their exhausted faces that they themselves are starting to give.

Quietness is what he wanted; so he enters the room quietly, just at the break of dusk. Save for a few mages tired glances and some slight whisperings among them, the room is silent.

"Raine..."

He starts, before stopping himself, and he merely takes a few footsteps to where she lies-- kneeling beside her at her bed. She doesn't look good. Not at all. It becomes more profound to him, as if it was not clear before-- that she doesn't deserve this.

"I come to help you. Only with your consent of course. Give me your hand."

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Raine is miserable and in pain, the labor is building but showing no signs of surcease... and she's reaching the brink of exhaustion. She remembers this feeling all too well. She experienced it just before she woke up here in this world. Realization is slowly coming to her: she will die again.]

Please, my children...

[She reaches out her hand to Luzaf as he asks but she's intent that the kids aren't left utterly alone again.]