Hope Falls

“That would be nice… Avani and I do anyway, but I’d love to include you in the conversations when you’re around.” Indira grinned brightly.

---

Isolde nodded, moving to sit herself up. “I’m… I’m ready to leave here…”

---

“You are his father… you are not the only one in his life unfortunately. Others and their words have gotten to him.”

---

“It’s easy for you to say when you’re fucking normal! Get out!” Ira hissed then, standing up. “And you better not go fucking running to mother either. Out!”

"Normal? I'm not fucking normal." Eden scoffed, voice level as she remained where she was sat. Nor rising to the outburst.  "You think I am normal?"

---

"Others... I feel like I have sheltered him for the mist part. Who could have said these things?"

---

"Even with my accent? Are you sure? Do you want him picking that up?"

---

"You're sure?" Aodhän frowned; not moving. "I'm not."

“I’m sure he’ll end up sounding a little strange to us both… an amalgamation of us both.”

---

“You - you’re not?”

---

“Please just leave now Eden.”

---

“The staff, your lords. The people.”

"Please don't push me away," Eden pleaded quietly. "I'm just trying to tell you I love you, for who you are. Just tying yo tell you that you aren't broken. Please stop hating me for loving you."

---

"You have heard our staff and the Lords? I'll tell them, we'll call a meeting."

---

"No. I know you, Sol. You're not okay."

---

"'He'll sound perfect then, yes."

“I don’t hate you. But you have such a rose tinted view of the world. You think if I just stand up and proclaim I’m not broken! I’m amazing! that I’ll suddenly have a rainbow shoot out of my arse and the world will be right?! It’s easy giving advice and soft words when it is not you afflicted. So if that’s all you are going to offer me, your simpering it’s okay then get out!”

---

“No. They are smarter than to say it in front of me. But it doesn’t mean they haven’t said it in front of him, Conan.” Liara sighed softly. “He has heard it somewhere.”

---

“Of course he will, with us as parents he cannot be anything but.” Indira grinned as she topped them both up.

---

“I am okay enough to not be shut in here anymore, Aodhän.”

"Rose tinted?! If you knew a - a fraction of what o have seen of what could happen to this world, of what will " Eden swallowed shook her head. "I am trying to comfort you, Ira! That is all!"

---

"I can't control other people..."

---

"Yoi have not been shut in, you came yourself and the door isn't blocked."

---

"Agreed." Kael threw his head back with the laugh.

Indira softened at his laugh, watching him for a few moments before downing the rest of her drink and getting to her feet. “Mildly tipsy and happy, this is how I should leave you mm? I have cheered you up and done what I came here to do.”

---

“Now I feel as if you are trying to argue with me…” Isolde sighed softly.

---

“I know you can’t. Which is why I said we should spend time together with him. We can control ourselves.”

---

“But you never stop! You do not know the meaning of stop or no or go! You just keep pushing and then you cry and wail don’t hate me when I lose my temper! I would not lose my temper if you learned the meaning of words Eden!”

"Be silent, do not give your opinon unless asked, nod along." Eden mumbled, caving in on herself - hands moving away as she shuffled backwards. Gaze flitting down to the floor.

---

"What would you want to do?"

---

"You usd the argumentative words, not me."

---

"'Why? Why are you going?"

“I almost forgot your favourite hobby is self pity, you take after mother. How dare I ask you to stop saying things that make me feel uncomfortable? How dare I ask you to leave my room when you don’t stop. How disgusting of me right? How wronged you are.” Ira sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. “You gave your opinion a dozen times over and I told you I didn’t want to talk anymore and you kept pushing and pushing.”

---

“I was going to return back to my rooms. You wish for me to stay? You’re not expecting Daphne at all?”

---

“No I didn’t Aodhän. I promised you I would tell you if I wasn’t okay, and said I was ready to leave here.”

---

“We could try eating meals together, the four of us? Where our schedule allows of course.”

"I don't understand how loving you unconditionally os a problem? I don't understand how I am the villain for not agreeing you are a monster."

---

"I am just trying to paint, nothing else. People keep going and disappearing. I don't know." Kael mumbled, attention returning to the canvas.

---

"We tried that when they were younger,"

“It is not you loving me. It is you continuing to push and prod when I have said no. You have no sense of boundaries Eden. It’s not fair for you to expect me to keep going when I have asked you several times to stop. I said something I didn’t mean to say, and I said I no longer wanted to talk about it and you just won’t let it go like a dog with a rat.”

---

“I didn’t want to overstay my welcome in case she returned and found it inappropriate, that is all.” Indira frowned at his reaction. “I’ll leave you be.”

---

“Cassius seems more receptive to it now. If he hadn’t softened a little he wouldn’t have allowed me to hug him.”

((I feel like everyone’s just locking horns now and I’m too tired for this so I’m off to sleep lol night))

"Mm, I just don't want you to be disappointed if it were a one off, Liara." Conan answered gently, reaching forward to take her hand. "My children often pull their affection away, very quickly,"

---

"Daphne knows we are friends, that you are the mother of my child. She won't mind you being here, you should stay."

---

Eden swallowed, just nodding subtly. Getting to her feet and walking towards the door.

“I know they’re fickle but, we are a family, and we will be more so when we all share the same person, our child will link us all together. It’s best we start trying now to make sure it all goes well.”

---

“Then I’ll stay.” Indira concluded with little persuading, sitting back down next to him with a grin.

---

"Would you like to paint? I can get a fresh canvas. Ir doesn't have to be good, or of anything. I've just been swatching."

---

"Mm." Conan hummed his agreement. "Now that Dagmar is... holding off on even telling the children feels like a must. What we are going to do about Dagmar though I don't know."

“We both know I have the skills of a two year old when it comes to painting - my skills lie in the kanna drawings on skin rather than paper. I’m more than happy to get nibbles and watch you work your magic though.”

---

“We have a few months, maybe four or five at the most before I can no longer conceal anything. We can work something out…”

Kael shook his head, turning the canvas over to the blank side and pushing the paints between them. "We need to come up with symbols, for Bodhi and Idris. Something that can be tattooed."

---

"I am going to have to call a meeting with The Guardian's. We were assured Dagmar would be on grunt work, not that she would be... tortured. I am going to have to get some answers before the children do something wreckless."

“A symbol… I wouldn’t even know where to start. The first thing that comes to mind is entwining their initials but that’s basic, too basic…”

---

“Do you think they’ll even deign to answer your request?”

"I wouldn't rest at night if I didn't try," Conan reached his hand to interlock his fingers with hers, silently seeking thr comfort that camd with the touch. "I can't picture it, what they are putting her through."

“Dagmar is one of the strongest people you know mm? I’m sure they will not break her, and she’ll be back here with you soon.”

"The stories I have heard, what I know about those places." Conan tightened his grip on her hand, trying to hide the tremble in his own. "Will you help me demand answers from The Guardian's?"

---

"It is a good base," Kael whispered. "Having somewhere to start is the first foundation."

“Then let’s start with that.” Indira nodded, hesitating before taking a brush and beginning to paint as she’d described.

---

“Of course I will.” Liara assured, taking his hand and kissing it gently.

"We need something that represents each culture, too. So, yhe symbol we have for the ancestors, and the land comes from the old language. It... like this." Kael hummed, taking his own paint brush and using the green to snake the symbol around both of the initials. "What do you think can represents your culture?"

---

"You dealt with them well, last time. They listened to you, you knew how to balance it all."

“I fear I angered them that time, but I’ll be with you. We will see what we can do, hopefully we can arrange better conditions for her.”

---

“We have Gods, but the mother of them all this - “ Indira concentrated as she took her own brush with a reddish colour to add her own symbol in. “Is carved into the walls of her temples at home.”

Kael nodded, cocking his head as he inspected the symbol. Placing the brush to the side and using his thumb to gently smear the lines, interwining them as he whisoered; "Next there should be something to represent me and you.. something that... holds it all together."

---

"If we come up with a script, follow it this time?" He joked quietly.

“Mm, I shall try, I do enjoy improv.”

---

“Now that… that is difficult, even after all this time.” Indira chuckled, leaning into him as she studied what they’d come up with so far.