From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 14:34:01

*as brightly as she can* Hey, you. *gets up off the couch and walks over to hug you*

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 14:40:21

*gives you an odd look* Ew? Don't damage the merchandise, sweetie.

So what's kicking around here? *finds some booze and starts mixing himself a drink* You want?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 14:47:18

*decides that you've clearly regressed after hearing the news of the pregnancy*

Merchandise? Eru, Túrin, you might want to think about crawling back out of your own ass before the baby arrives.

You want?

Funny.

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 14:55:03

Baby? What baby? *listens* Oh. That baby. Sweet Me, that thing is loud.

*kicks back on the couch with his drink* *amusedly* Like one drink is going to fuck it up more. *eyeroll* We can always get you a new one, kill-joy.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 15:00:38

*looks at you, puzzled* Túrin. Have you been taking drugs again?

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 15:04:49

*seriously* No, Beleg. I haven't. I promise.

Have you been taking nagging lessons? Because you're going all First Age on me and it's kind of a pain in the ass. No offense.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 15:48:15

*stares at you* First Age? No, Túrin, to go First Age, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be quite so -- quite so infuriating. What has gotten into you??

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 15:52:58

What has gotten into you??

That's an excellent question. But I think a better question might be, "Why have I been wasting my time and power on all this mortal shit?" I'm sort of ridiculously above it, don't you think?

*leafs through your thoughts haphazardly* You don't think so?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 15:58:22

*mentally swats at your intrusion* Get out of there.

*raises her chin and looks at you* *stiffly* Wasting your time on mortal shit? You -- you --

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 16:24:15

*backs off* Not too much going on upstairs, huh? *generously* Well, you are only mortal.

Wasting your time on mortal shit?

That's what I said. *peers at you as though you are an exceptionally animated bug* Are you hard of hearing now, too?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 16:28:47

*stares at you with the utmost horror* *echoes you faintly* Only mortal? If -- if you felt like that, Túrin, why the Mandos -- oh. Oh. It was -- you were -- did you mean any of it?

*takes a deep breath and attempts to ignore the pricking of tears behind her eyes*

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 16:35:17

did you mean any of it?

*considers* I was pretty deluded, wasn't it? I mean that's really the only possible explanation. You're still a fair shot and all. Might be useful when I invade Hithlum. When Thingol invades Hithlum.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 16:42:36

*is rooted to the spot for a few moments, as her heart pounds furiously in her chest*

*suddenly feels very, very nauseated* I have to go, I have to--

	From: gorthol	Date: 08/20/2007 16:44:42

*sips his drink and gives you a condescending little wave*

'Bye now!

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 16:49:10

*turns and flees, without taking any of her belongings with her*

*makes it down onto the street before throwing up*

*wraps her arms around her midriff and staggers blindly down the street*

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 17:02:26

*is limping down the street on crutches, having decided to take a break after being driven completely stir-crazy by the horrors of temporary desk duty*

*gapes at you* Cúthalion? You all right there? *can see that you're clearly not all right*

Great question, stupid.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 17:06:48

*looks up at you, furiously blinking back tears* Ye-N-no. Not so much.

*chokes back a sob*

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 17:12:30

*goes to pat your shoulder companionably and drops one crutch in the street with a clatter* Shhhite. *wobbles on her good leg until she can right herself*

Serious shit calls for serious tea. C'mon. *points down the street* I'm buying.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 17:15:41

*wipes at her face with her fingers*

*manages a very wobbly smile* Tea would be good.

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 17:17:44

*manages to lead you café-ward without (a) falling and breaking her neck; (b) causing any traffic accidents*

*sits you down* 'Kay. How bad are we talkin' here?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 17:21:11

*bites her lip* Well. When I say that being shot in the shoulder was the least traumatic thing that happened to me this week--?

*fiddles with her napkin* I-- I'm pregnant and and and Túrin -- Túrin doesn't seem to want anything to do with -- with me anymore. *swallows thickly as tears start to run freely down her face again*

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 17:30:36

He--?

*was sort of hoping you were upset about the whole impending-nuclear-war thing* *could probably come up with something cheery for that*

*confusedly* Are you--? But I thought you guys were really happy 'n' all. You're pregnant?!

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 17:54:03

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 18:03:17

*frowns* Guys can be kinda sucky like that. Like this one friend of mine? Put her boyfriend through medical school and then the fucker eloped with his anatomy prof.

*thinks anecdotes like this probably aren't helping much* *sympathetically* What are you gonna do next? Anything I can help out with?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 18:26:58

*simply* I don't know.

All my stuff is at Túrin's but I'm not going back there. I-- I guess I'll go back to the barracks. Take it from there.

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 18:34:02

*tries to imagine a pregnant woman living at the barracks*

Ugh. Nah, you don't wanna do that. *has a brilliant idea* Why don't you stay at mine for a while? It's a bit small but it's just me 'n' Haldar, at least. And Haldar's harmless.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 18:39:16

Oh, oh, I couldn't possibly impose? I mean, I'm not looking for -- Are you sure?

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 18:42:28

*handwaves* Pshh. Yeah, no, it'll be cool. You'll like my brother, too. He's hardly like a regular guy most of the time.

*firmly* You'll come through this just fine. Got it? Boss?

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 18:55:42

*half-smiles* Does he know you say this about him?

*wraps her hands around her tea when it arrives* Yeah. I'll be okay. Guess I just need to wrap my head around it all.

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 19:02:08

*grins* Yep. I'm not much of a girl myself so it evens out a bit.

*nods* You've got better things to think about. Men are chumps. They shoot you and don't visit you or just plain don't visit you or... *sheepishly* Well you know what I'm gettin' at anyway.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 19:12:51

Yeah. You know? I think you're better off. Men sometimes shoot you and then visit you and make you -- and make you -- *trails off*

*takes a deep breath and attempts to compose herself* I'm sorry. I should try not to talk about him. It really -- it really doesn't help.

	From: haladwen	Date: 08/20/2007 19:16:45

*sips her tea* Say no more.

*contemplatively* Hey, I've got another half-hour for lunch. We could go to the range and shoot stuff? Shooting stuff always makes me feel a little better.

	From: belthronding	Date: 08/20/2007 19:23:42

Actually? That sounds like it would be pretty cathartic. And if it takes more than a half-hour, I'll explain it to your boss.