[Voice]

[thegriffinofdeath]

[Ana has been mostly avoiding the network since her loss of the ambassadorial elections, partly out of embarrassment and partly out of relief. She wasn't sure she wanted to be in charge of anything, really. Still, dwelling on the election had made her think of home, her real position, with her people...and her family. Which was why this evening network post happened.]

[There might have been a glass or two of wine involved, too, if she was being honest.]

Hi. [She started, then hesitated, collecting her thoughts.]

I know that most all of us have left loved ones behind when we brought here. Friends, families...lovers. But...

[Another beat and a small breath.]

Is anyone else married? It's so strange. I've spent...mm. Longer than I'd like to admit with Vein. Good times and awful times but always...there.

I've been here nearly a year, now. A year without him or my daughter and...

[Where was she going with this? Another pause.]

Mm. I suppose I just need a distraction.

Tell me about your families. If anyone would like to, at least. Here or...there.

Comments

[subourbon]

[Alison shakes her head, her voice trembling a little even as she tries to look resolute.]

No, Donnie and the kids are back home. My siblings are here, and that helps a little. But...

[She shrugs a little, sure that the person on the end of the line can understand the feeling.]

[thegriffinofdeath]

Siblings!

[Ana is clearly familiar with that feeling, judging by how her voice brightens.]

I can imagine that does help. It would not...fix...the problem, but seeing my any of my brothers or sisters again would...help.

You are quite fortunate, really. In a way.

[subourbon]

[Rather than focusing on how she'd still prefer her family to be here and safe from all the insanity back home, Alison decides it's better not to dwell.]

Do you have many brothers and sisters?

[thegriffinofdeath]

Mm. I had four. My twin brother Kiril and I were the youngest. Then there was our sister, Irina, our brother, Anton, and our half-brother, Sandor.

[subourbon]

There's five of us as well. We're quintuplets.

[The lie gets easier to tell each time.]

[thegriffinofdeath]

Quin...good lord.

[She can't help but laugh at her own surprise.]

Mother could barely manage Kiril and I when we got our mind on something. Imagine having four accomplices all the time.

[subourbon]

Oh, well, we were separated at birth, so we didn't grow up together.

[That part is technically true.]

[thegriffinofdeath]

Oh.

...I'm sorry.

[subourbon]

[Alison shrugs a little.]

It's fine, we ended up finding each other anyway. That's all that really matters.

[thegriffinofdeath]

I suppose so. But some of my favorite memories are with Kiril.

It's simply a shame you did not get to have the same.

[subourbon]

It just makes us more appreciative of what we have now, I guess. Might as well try to look on the bright side!

[Maybe it was a mistake to turn the talk towards siblings. She doesn't really want to continue spouting platitudes about her quintuplets-separated-at-birth lie, so she decides to shift the conversation back.]

How old is your daughter?

[thegriffinofdeath]

I can't argue with that. I'd give anything to have my brother show up here.

[There's a beat. Such a complicated question.]

Oh, she's an adult now. Something she frequently feels the need to remind me of.

[Anastasya could be a tad overprotective. Also she does not sound old enough to have a grown child.]

[subourbon]

[Alison chuckles a little, but is internally relieved that Oscar hasn't gotten to the point yet where he no longer wants to hold her hand in public.]

I'm sure she'll learn to accept the fact that she'll always be your baby.

[thegriffinofdeath]

Maybe. [Ana does not sound convinced.]

How old are your children?

[subourbon]

Oscar's nine and Gemma is seven. They're both starting to get involved in lots of after school activities, which is keeping me on my toes!

[thegriffinofdeath]

Mm. We didn't have anything like that, back home. Zakera's...hobbies...were a little bit more intense than most kids have here.

[Anastasya clearly didn't mind.]

[subourbon]

Competitive sports?

[thegriffinofdeath]

If only. We don't really have them on Ashan.

[Why no, she didn't actually answer the question...]

[subourbon]

Oh? So what were her hobbies?

[thegriffinofdeath]

At first, research, the history of our...people.

Eventually though, magic. And she is quite talented at it.

[subourbon]

Like magic tricks? Pulling rabbits out of hats? Or magic like in Harry Potter?

[The fact that Alison isn't just assuming it's the former shows how far she's come in this weird world.]

[thegriffinofdeath]

Harry...Potter? I don't know what that is.

[subourbon]

Oh, you know, witches and wizards and casting spells!

[thegriffinofdeath]

Oh.

Mm. I suppose so. Something like that, at least.

[subourbon]

So that kind of thing is normal where you come from? It's pretty much all just fantasy for us.

[But now she can clean things by just thinking about it, so she's not exactly surprised.]