PM to join New Season, New... Who?

[Ennisa]

1st Winter 519
early morning
carried on from here
"speech"
"others"

"What the petch, Ennisa?"

Groggily, Ennisa stirred from sleep. There was a strange sound pervading her ears. She sought to block it out by jamming her fingers into her lug holes, but it didn't seem to do much good. "Mhnmhgmb..." She murmured, pushing the bleary form of Itzi sleepily. "Go 'way." It was too early for anything. Besides, she felt like shit. All she wanted to do was curl back under the covers and go back to sleep.

"Shyke Ennisa, don't do that!" The woman's voice came from far away, and it was mostly drowned out by the wailing, sniffling sound that bled into her ear. She frowned. That was strange. Itzi's voice had been thrown from further away. And the noise still hadn't stopped. She blinked a couple of times to clear her head, but her temple throbbed with a vicious headache and a bright light obscured her vision.

She went to push the bundle away again so that she could roll over and get some proper rest, when Itzi's concerned, shocked face appeared over her shoulder, and she finally realised what the strange sound was. In less than a tick, she scrambled into a seated position and looked at the wailing, glowing bundle lying on her bed.

It was a baby.

"What the..-" Ennisa's jaw probably would have hit the floor, if such a thing were possible. Even so, her shock was palpable, and Itzi's face mirrored hers. "What the actual petch have you done, Enni?!"
"Nothing!", she wailed, as she continued to stare at the baby that looked eerily like her. Wild thoughts sped through her brain, as she questioned if she had been pregnant, and who she'd slept with, and how she'd given birth without ever realising she had been pregnant, until Itzi picked up the naked child and wrapped it in the corner of the bedsheet.

"Do something!" Itzi shook Ennisa's shoulders and finally she registered the tears beading down the upset infant's face. Without knowing what the petch to do, she picked up the screaming baby and held him uncomfortably in her arms. The baby continued to cry. "What am I supposed to do?!" Panic shone on her tired face as the glowing child whimpered, and she began to jog him up and down, like she'd seen someone doing once to calm their child.

It only served to make the boy cry all the more. From nearby, one of their neighbours banged on the wall, and shouted a gruff, "Shut up" Ennisa's cheeks burned, and she gently adjusted her hold on the baby whilst Itzi looked at her with wide eyes. Both women were utterly clueless. She kept bobbing the little boy up and down, until she gradually noticed his screams were dying down.

"What's happening?" She kept her voice low, and Itzi could only shrug, half-fascinated and half-aghast at the strange appearance of a glowing baby that had not been there the night before. Ennisa's mind raced as she tried desperately to understand what was happening, but she knew she needed to quieten the baby, who's face looked so very similar to her own. Her improvised baby bouncing technique seemed to be working, and finally the little boy let out a tiny, quiet burp. He opened his black eyes as he did so, a look of such comical surprise that she couldn't help but let out a small manic giggle in response.

After the burp, the little boy sighed softly, closed his eyes, and promptly stopped glowing leaving Ennisa holding a living, breathing baby. Her baby.

What the petch?

[Ennisa]

"speech"
"others"

It was early enough that it was still dark outside as the two nonplussed women stared at each other. They were sitting on the bed with the infant still lying, apparently asleep, in Ennisa's arms. His crying had been replaced by soft, sleepy breathing. This was a relief, but that relief felt shallow considering he wasn't supposed to be there. He couldn't be there. Where had he come from?

Ennisa warily looked around the room for any sign of intrusion, but could see nothing except the curtain, which was flapping in the breeze from the open window. Although it was now supposedly winter, the warmth from autumn still lingered in Lhavit's streets, so the two women kept the window propped open for the cooling effects of the night air.

She next turned her attention to Itzi who, just like her, had fallen silent as the baby stopped his crying. Her scrambled thoughts, moments after waking, had now drifted to Itzi. Perhaps it was she who had been pregnant without knowing? Ennisa's brow clouded as she thought of Clement, Itzi's abusive ex. However, whenever she glanced at the child, this notion was swiftly knocked on the head. The likeness between the baby and herself was unmistakeable, and although Itzi was a dear friend, she was no relation. It was impossible that the baby was hers.

"What the petch is going on?", Ennisa whispered. "Shouldn't you know? I mean, this is obviously your baby, but how?" Wonder coloured Itzi's voice, as she gazed at the child. Ennisa also turned her gaze down to scrutinise the child. Her stomach twisted with a mixture of fear and apprehension, but there was a soft innocence to his face that made her smile too.

She had so many questions, but there was no-one to ask. She knew she had been dreaming. She remembered a tunnel, or perhaps a street. It had been dark, and she had been falling. There had also been a woman, someone she knew, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't remember the identity of the person in the dream. She shook her head. A baby couldn't materialise from a dream... Could he?

With a jolt, she realised she didn't know the answer. She needed to know more, but she had no idea how to go about discovering anything further. All she did know was that she was so very glad Itzi was there to help.

"Itzi, I was dreaming. I was in some kind of dark place, and there was a woman there. A pale woman. There were faces, and I was falling. I think... I think this baby is from my dream. But that's not possible, is it?" Itzi, who had grown up in Lhavit, shook her head doubtfully. "I don't know, Enni. I really don't know. What are you going to do with him? You can't keep him, can you? He's not really yours, is he?"

Ennisa bit her lip. "I can't see who else he would belong to. He just appeared here, in my bed. I mean, I'm not going crazy if I say he even looks a bit like me, right?" Itzi looked closer, at the boy's squishy nose, his few pale strands of hair, and his chubby fist curled tight. "He's yours, all right."

Ennisa's head sank. Petch. The reality was gradually beginning to sink in. She was not built for motherhood. Being a mother had never been on the cards; she would never have let that happen. Ennisa was responsible for herself, and herself only. Adding a tiny human to the mix would disrupt everything. What the petch was she going to do?

Her mind turned to abandonment. She could wrap him up and leave him somewhere for someone else to find. There would be other people in Lhavit who would care for the child, she was sure. Yet... She thought about leaving the little boy, defenceless, on the mountain. She thought about the mage-killer, and about wild creatures, and cold winds. She thought about the steep drops and slopes, rocks, landslips, and weather. What kind of monster would she be if she left an innocent child to fend for itself in all of that?

Yet the alternative was to care for him all by herself. She would have to learn how to be a mother, how to care for a child. He would need food, and bedding. Clothes, milk, and love. Ennisa didn't know how to provide any of those things. Perhaps she wouldn't be able to. Maybe she wouldn't be able to love this child, this strange newcomer to her life, in the way that a child would require. Her heart stuttered as she looked down on his pale, sleeping face. She felt nothing but an overwhelming terror, so clear that it brought a tear unbidden to her eye.

[Ennisa]

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"others"

She rubbed her face angrily. What was the point in crying? With tears suitably dashed, she gently manoeuvred the heavy lump and wrapped the blanket more properly around his little, sleeping form. Then she set him down beside her in the nook of the pillow. This left her without covers or comfort, so she changed into her day clothes and curled up awkwardly on the bed next to him. He barely moved, though occasionally he kicked his stubby little legs in the confines of the makeshift swaddling, and made little breathy noises, as if he were dreaming.

Itzi yawned quietly, and stretched. "He's asleep now, right? You'll have to get him a bed or something in the morning. But I'm going back to sleep, Enni. Will you be alright?" Ennisa smiled to reassure her friend, but in her answer could only summon a half-hearted, "Yeah." Nevertheless, the red-head nodded, and padded back to her bed roll. Within chimes, she was softly snoring, leaving Ennisa the only one awake in what felt like the whole world.

For half a bell, she lay awake, staring at her new baby. Her thoughts turned from the future that spanned, dauntingly, in front of her. Instead, she set to theorising where this little child had come from. Her mind turned to wonder as she gradually came to the conclusion that he was in some way magical. God-given, even. There could be no other reason why a glowing baby would materialise out of thin air. She smiled, despite the even greater worry of responsibility suddenly looming over her. If this baby was god-gifted, or even just magically created, then he was hers to look after. Hers to nurture. Someone or something had thought she was the best-placed individual to care for him.

After a while, even Ennisa fell asleep. Her neck was at a curious angle, and her feet and hands were cold. The sleep was not the deepest, nor the most comforting, and she awoke after a couple of bells feeling not much better than when she had fallen asleep. The morning sun had risen on the balmy day, and she hurriedly looked at the bundle lying next to her. The little boy was still there, happily sleeping, a bubble of dribble beading at the corner of his mouth. She half-smiled, half-groaned, and gingerly wiped the dribble from his cheek. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she wiped the liquid on the blanket the baby was swaddled in.

Next, she cast a look over at Itzi, but the ginger woman was fast asleep. Ennisa didn't want to disturb her. She had been through enough recently, and since that harrowing time last season, Ennisa felt their friendship had only grown into something more fragile, if only because Ennisa was afraid Itzi would break at a moment's notice. So instead of her usual exuberance, she carefully scooped the bundled baby into her wary arms, and trudged out of the door, down the staircase, and out onto the plaza.

Despite her life having been turned upside-down in an instant, Ennisa was glad to be out in the brisk, winter air. She revelled in early mornings, where the sun had barely risen and the skyline dripped with the honeysuckle clouds of dawn; and she also delighted in the going down of the sun, when velvety darkness encompassed all. These were the most captivating times of the day. Baby or no baby, she would always enjoy being awake at such a time.

[Ennisa]

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It was coming close to the end of the dawn rest, and she was seeking the Azure Market, where she would have to buy the little boy a bed to sleep in, and some clothes to wear. Luckily, it was not far from where she lived, so she soon entered the market, which was already filling with keen Lhavitians, whose fingers were well on the pulse of the new season. She wiggled her way past a gaggle of kids, and started looking for a furniture shop.

After half a bell of searching, Ennisa finally spotted a small wooden sign swinging from above a gaudily painted shop door, and she made a bee-line for the promising workshop. She pushed open the door, and stepped within the warm, musky interior. "Hello?" She called out into the empty space. Whilst waiting for a response, she looked around at the various wooden items in their various stages of completion. The smell of sawdust was almost overpowering, but the building had a light, airy feel that stopped the overall woodiness from being too over-the-top. She ran a finger along the solid leg of a half-built chair, and then almost jumped from her skin as a shrivelled old man appeared from behind a stack of small, darkly varnished side tables.

"Have you come to take my shop of me hands, dearie? Have you?" He looked at her with wide, beseeching eyes. Startled, Ennisa gawked at the man until she recovered her senses. "Aah, no. Sorry. I'm here to see if you're able to make me a cot, for this..- I mean, my baby?" She blushed, embarrassed at her blunder, but the man was lost in his own dejection.

He began wailing under his breath, a soft lamentation of sorts.
"Oh, why won't anyone relieve me? I just want to rest, please dear gods, please let the next one relieve me." He turned to her with a downturned lip so pronounced that Ennisa couldn't help but gawk some more. What a strange man. "Are you able to help me, or not?"

The man seemed to struggle with himself for a tick or two, and then smiled most unconvincingly. "And you're sure you don't want to be a carpenter? No? Alright." He sighed, melancholic. "Absolutely, dear girl. A chair, you wanted was it?" She refrained from rolling her eyes too dramatically. "No, a cot. For my baby." She carefully hoisted the sleeping bundle of blanket up as if the elderly shopkeeper needed some sort of proof. He nodded distractedly, and shambled over to a pile of papers, where a pool of blotchy ink was beginning to dry on the cracked, old desk. Ennisa raised an eyebrow, but the old man paid her no attention.

"Right-o, a cot. That'll be, hmm..." He muttered under his breath as he did some calculations. Ennisa stood by, mostly patiently, and took the time to check on the sleeping child in her arms. He was quiet. Good. "That'll be ten kina, m'dear. I'll have it for you in about three or four days. Come back on the 4th. I'll take half now." His smile was watery, full of rotten teeth, but as Ennisa couldn't see any other alternative she forked into her stash of kina and begrudgingly handed over five kina to the strange old carpenter. "If you can go any faster, that would be great. I'll see you on the 4th."

-5 ki = cot half-payment

[Ennisa]

"speech"
"others"

As she walked through the market, she found her attention constantly straying back to the boy's face. She had to admit she was terrified he would wake up. She hadn't had the usual three seasons in which to get accustomed to the idea of being a mother. Oh no, she thought sarcastically to herself, lucky lucky me. This meant she hadn't had chance to learn what she was supposed to do. Although she now knew she would do her best to look after the boy, that didn't mean the thought didn't fill her with an entirely rational fear.

Thankfully, despite the steadily busier street and the noise that accompanied that, the baby was steadfastly asleep. Ennisa wondered whether that was because of the dream she had 'found' him in. She'd woken up with the ghostly remains of a scream in her mouth; the boy had woken with a full-frontal scream already roaring. It could have been because of the same reason.

She shuffled him from one side to the other uncomfortably as she sought the Silk Palace where she had taken Aleth the Kelvic donkey to get clothed. It seemed she was destined to take partially naked males to get clothed there. Ennisa sighed, mildly exasperated. After a few more chimes of walking, she arrived at the shop. She checked the sign, and peered in through the window to make sure that the place was open - it was.

"Good morning, welcome to the Silk Palace!" A bright, chirpy voice spoke out. Ennisa, who liked to think she had good face recognition, squinted at the woman and stuttered. "Aah, it was... You're... Miss Hai, right? Shilo Hai? You might remember me. I came in last season with that naked guy." She smiled weakly.

"Ah yes. I remember." Ennisa studied her face, and smirked slightly at the change of tone in her voice. Though the event hadn't been overly dramatic, it was a memorable occasion when a basically naked man walked into your shop. Lhavit was a liberal and free environment, but it was not exactly common to see one's birthday suit flaunted quite so freely. "Have you come for something for your little one?"

Ennisa, temporarily flummoxed, looked puzzled until Shilo looked pointedly at the infant in her arms. "Yes! Yes, that's it exactly. Clothes for my little one." She smiled with relief, quickly checked the little boy's sleeping face, and stepped closer. "I would appreciate if I could get some clothes made for him, by those ginger girls if possible."

As if summoned, one of the aforementioned ginger girls appeared from the back of the shop, carrying a swathe of cloth folded into neat piles in her arms. At the sight of Ennisa and the baby, she squealed with delight and scurried up to look into her arms. Ennisa barely had chance to shield the little boy from the woman's excited eyes. "A wee little bonny boy! So adorable. What's his name?"

The red-head looked at her expectantly. Ennisa froze. Petch. She wrinkled her nose dismissively, and did her best to evade the question by throwing a question right back at the woman. "What colours are best for a boy?" At that moment, the other half of the ginger twins also came from the back of the shop, and almost immediately did exactly what her sister had just done. This time, Ennisa was prepared, and was able to pull the baby closer to her so that his sleeping face was angled close to her chest.

The first twin, who had been a little disappointed that her question had gone unanswered, looked to Mistress Hai whose business brain kicked into action. "As your baby is only young yet, actual clothes might be a bit too much. He'll need swaddling cloths though, and nappies, unless you already have those?" Ennisa looked blank, then shook her head slowly. Vaguely and half-heartedly, she hoped (and wished) that her magical baby wouldn't be the messy, too-human variety. Undoubtedly she would be proven wrong on that account.

[Ennisa]

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"Alright. Miss...?" Shilo smiled encouragingly as she waited for Ennisa to supply her name. Ennisa, whose ordinary enthusiasm for make-believe identities was decidedly lacking, merely replied a terse, "Ennisa." There was no point in devoting energy to concentrating on a trick story for the woman when she had to concentrate on this new creature in her life.

"Miss Ennisa, I'm Shilo Hai, but please call me Shilo. If you'll follow me? I'll show you to the best fabrics for the job. As we're going into Winter now, I expect you'll want a slightly warmer fabric. It is a pleasant temperature at the moment, but who knows what Winter will hold this year." She led the way, past drapes of beautiful shimmering colours, to rows and stacks of fabric on rolls, that leant against one another in pleasing symmetry and cohesiveness.

Ennisa allowed herself to be led to a section without many pops of colour. Instead, the colours ran the gamut from rich, earth brown to a light tan. She ran her hand over the surface of the folds of the material that lay exposed on a small table. It was soft and supple, and it was clearly well-made. Dubiously, she considered the price of the fabric, which didn't appear to be listed visibly. However, Mistress Hai was a good judge of character. She had learnt to appraise prospective clients well over the years. A few glances at Ennisa and her mannerisms had taught her a great deal already.

Gently, she guided her to where she wanted her to look. "The best material for a baby is going to be soft, to avoid irritation to the skin. A blanket cloth, to wrap your child, will stop him from getting too cold. I would suggest this, or perhaps this? Although I would love to suggest something more vibrant, you'll want something long-lasting I'm sure!" Shilo laughed a cheerful, tinkling laugh. It was at that moment that Ennisa's heart sank, as her new-found baby stirred his sleeping limbs.

Ennisa began to rock the boy, but in her haste and anxiety she rocked him just a little too vigorously. Oh, gods..-

"WaaAAAaaHHhh!" It was almost instantaneous. As soon as he opened his black eyes, his chubby, pale face scrunched up, he began to glow, and the wail pierced the soft confines of the blanket. Ennisa blanched. Shilo's eyebrows quivered, her mouth forming a small o of surprise. There was nothing for it but to lie through her teeth. "Ohh, don't mind him!", she said with forced cheerfulness, "His father is a mage, from... Ahnatep! My little boy just came out like this, ha ha ha!"

She bounced the baby some more, but it had little effect. What the petch do you want, little petcher? The thought was made with gritted teeth, if such a thing could be said of a thought. Shilo, who had seen some interesting things during her life, but who had never seen a glowing baby, recovered remarkably quickly. Magic was, after all, a fairly normal occurrence in Lhavit. Fairly being the operative word.

"He sounds like a hungry boy! Anyway, as I was saying... Ah yes. This fabric would be best. I can cut you two yards, that would be plenty. Does this suit you?" By now, all Ennisa could think was what they petch she was supposed to do to quieten the boy. Fashion was not something she really thought about, let alone for a baby, so she nodded her agreement. "As for nappies, again just some simple cotton would be best. Absorbent..." Her eyes drifted over to the glowing, grizzling baby whilst she distractedly pulled a ream of appropriate fabric onto the cutting table. "A yard or two of this to make nappies, yes?" It was plain. Ennisa agreed.

With the payment taken, Ennisa bundled the fabric into a messy heap and shoved it into her backpack before leaving the shop. Shilo Hai and the ginger twins watched her leaving, puzzled looks shared copiously between them, which Ennisa steadfastly ignored as she hurried back to the apartment.

Ledger:
-1.5 ki (2 sq.yd plain wool cloth (0.5x2=1x1.5=1.5))
-1.25 ki (2 sq.yd plain cotton cloth (0.5x2=1x1.25=1.25))
-0.05 ki plain thread, spool
-0.5 ki needle, sewing

[Ennisa]

4th Winter 519 AV
"speech"
"others"

The days passed in a blur. Ennisa's sleep levels took a hit. The blame fell squarely on the child's little shoulders, for which Ennisa did her best not to begrudge him. It wasn't his fault, was it? Yes, he was a mystery, but he was her mystery. She puzzled over him, worried about him, but only in the deepest, darkest confines of night-time did she allow herself a bit of annoyance towards him. In those times, when she started thinking of the future in terms of what-ifs and what-could-bes, the little sleeping boy transformed into a stubborn block, a ball and chain stopping her from travelling forwards. The sour thoughts that crossed her mind at those times were best left to the clandestine night-time.

When the 4th arrived, Ennisa knew she had to return to the workshop to collect the bed. For this, she enlisted Itzi's help. The woman had quickly grown used to the little baby, and had taken the role of aunty quite well. Ennisa knew she relied on Itzi and she was conciously trying not to over-burden her. Yet, Itzi it seemed also relied on her for the innocent happiness the three of them shared. It took her mind off what would have been with Clement.

Between them they had taken to calling the baby 'Boy'. It was not the most imaginative name, and they both knew it, but it made do for now. So it was that Ennisa carried Boy, and Itzi trailed along beside them, down to the Azure Market, to collect the bed. Shilo had provided needle and thread to neaten up the loose threads from where she had cut the cloth, but Ennisa had yet to get round to figuring sewing out, so Boy was wrapped in the warm, tan-coloured blanket. Thankfully, she had managed to get him to sleep just before they left, so he was quiet and without luminescence. Normal enough to pass through the streets without extra eyes upon them.

They walked and chatted about this and that until they reached the strange man's workshop. Ennisa stopped Itzi outside. "When I was here last, I spoke to the man inside. He's a bit... strange, let's say. Just so you know." Itzi shrugged, "Whatever," and pushed open the door with her characteristic bluntness.

"Hello? We've come to collect the cot that was ordered on the start of the seaso..- oh", Itzi broke off as she noticed. The cot was in the middle of the workshop, ready and waiting to go. Ennisa grinned. She was glad that she would no longer have to worry about the little one slipping and falling off the bed. Maybe she would even sleep better as a result. The craftsman, however, was nowhere to be seen. Ennisa walked up to the cot and gave it a tentative rock. The wood smelled freshly varnished, and it was well-finished, if plain. Boy woke up with a little hiccup, and Ennisa tensed, expecting waterworks, but he looked about the world with curious eyes. One little hand escaped from the blanket and his fingers curled around a lock of Ennisa's hair.

Softly, she leant closer to the bright-eyed baby. "This is a little bed for you, Boy. Now you won't be falling off my bed. Good, right?" She addressed this to the baby, who looked at her faithfully with his unnaturally dark eyes, and hiccuped again. Pock! Ennisa began to bump him gently, and then promptly rolled her eyes in Itzi's direction, as the red-head woman smirked at her. "What? I'm just going to be glad to dump him in there once we get home." Itzi's smirk broadened into a grin. "Uh huh. No need to be so defensive. You can baby-talk to him all you like. He is your child, after all."

Before she could respond, the shop's owner came round the corner of a stack of chairs, and exclaimed at the sight of Itzi. "Dear girl, you brought me an apprentice!" Not this again. "no, old man, I did not bring you an apprentice. She's helping me carry this back to the house. How much did I owe you again?" The old man sighed and blinked owlishly. "Another five kina. And you're sure she's not an apprentice?"

He rounded on Itzi. "Would you like my shop, sweetheart?" Itzi cast a bemused glance in Ennisa's direction. "No. No-oo, I don't think I do. Thanks for the offer..?" She hoisted the cot as best she could. "Are you ready to go, Enni?" Ennisa nodded. She slapped down the remaining kina for the cot, nodded her thanks to the shopkeeper, and exited the shop.

Ledger:
-5 ki for remainder of cot purchase. (-10 ki total)

[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request!

Ennisa

Skills

• Caretaking: 4xp
• Observation: 5xp
• Logic: 2xp
• Deduction: 2xp
• Socialization: 4xp
• Negotiation: 1xp

Lores

• Lore of the mysterious baby
• Caretaking: burping an infant
• Lore of the terrifying responsibility of motherhood
• Boy: definitely Ennisa's baby
• Caretaking: swaddling a baby
• Lore of the necessities for a new baby
• Lore of terrible techniques to sooth a baby

Awards & Retribution
+cot: -10ki
+2 sq.yd plain wool cloth: -1.5 ki
+2 sq.yd plain cotton cloth: -1.25 ki
+plain thread, spool: -0.05 ki
+needle, sewing: -0.5 ki

Notes
Oh boy, this is going to be a whirlwind plot. Good luck!