^^ μυστικός φύλακας's Aura ^^

— Erin —

I'd never attended a baby shower of my own volition before. Never really got the whole point of it. Bachelorette party, yes, celebrating finding your life partner and all that, even if I don't agree with the concept of monogamous marriage, I understand the concept that others are excited about it, I guess. But a Baby Shower?

Either way, I knew there was no getting around it, so I contacted Terran's mother, just sending her a sonogram of my womb, -which seemed evidence enough, as she popped through the portal I'd sent it through like a cork out of a bottle,- then I sent the same picture to Zatanna, Kaldur, Superboy, Megann, Canary, and Kyra, as they were basically my only friends, here, and encouraged them to invite others as they saw fit.

I sent the same to Vera, but I knew she was busy, so I didn't really expect an answer right away. On the back of the pictures I just put a date for tomorrow evening, a quick sentence or two about bringing friends, and a temporary Zeta-Tube password that would bring them to the island. (On a bit of a saucy kick, I also sent one to the League of Assassins, addressed to Lady Shiva.)

Then I sat down at the table and began brewing some tea, to calm myself down.

Sofia crashed into me, nearly making me spill the boiling water, and hugged me tightly, just cuddling, and squealing hypersonically. I imagine every dog on the west coast could hear her.

Terran sat in my lap, hugging the other side, though he looked confused and concerned. "Alright, might I get some clarification... I thought pregnancies lasted for a really long time, even for humans?" He asked.

"They do. The baby has my accelerated healing gift, which also means they grow quickly. Sofia's will grow at the proper human rate, I believe, accelerated by the Moray time-table, and be born in seven months or so. Mine will be a New Years baby, it seems." I hummed, and finished making the tea around him, stretching my arms to do so.

I blinked when my arms literally stretched, and smiled slowly. "And Moray Shapeshifting... Hmm... I wonder if I can grow a-"

"So!!! Do I get context to this?!?" Aileen waved the wet photo at me from the other side of the table.

"Yes. Your son is incredibly potent in the sack, -I meant every word of that double entendre, and I'm proud of it,- and my abilities include super-fast regeneration, meaning the baby is growing very quickly. Also the baby shower is tomorrow night, but you can share in a glass of champagne whilst I am still allowed to drink alcohol." I nodded and four flutes appeared, as Helix poured them halfway.

She blinked at them, and hummed. "Is this a human custom?"

"A Texan one, for sure." I shrugged, and raised the little glass, moving Terran into the space between Sofia and me, giving them both a glass, while Aileen took hers, sniffing it curiously. "To Luck, and the Mystery Baby." I smiled, and we toasted, though Aileen was a few seconds late, still computing.

Then I set aside the flute and picked up my cup of tea. "Now! You should go collect your family, and they can stay here until tomorrow, so you don't miss the celebration. It'll be a little party, just a few friends, I hope. Another tradition, when a pregnancy is confirmed." I explained, and sipped the tea, before spitting it out, and growling at it. "Great, now tea tastes like crap." I muttered.

She laughed softly. "Yes, I understand that, at least. It only lasts for the first two trimesters, most of the time."

"Hmph. Well, I'm off to see Kyra, then, and get some tea that actually helps calm my nerves a bit." I nodded and kissed Terran and Sofia, then stepped through a portal again, into the shop.

A few of the Leaguers were still there, including Zatanna and Kaldur, who were both holding the pictures I'd sent, but I just waved a bit and sat at the counter.

Kyra raised an eyebrow at me, and hummed, nodding seriously. "You need a new Tea, then? I've got you, baby girl." She set a deep purple liquid in front of me, which smelled strongly of lavender, and I sipped it experimentally, finding it pleasant.

"Ah, thanks... is this on my wall of teas? I'll need a few thousand more cups of it, just to make it through the next few months..." I sighed.

She nodded and set a small bag of purplish tea leaves next to me. "That is on your wall, yes. Not much demand for it, as most people don't like to drink near-pure lavender tea, but I had a hunch about it."

I smiled. "A hunch, she says. Either way, I'll see you tomorrow night, Hmm? I imagine Kaldur is bringing Selene, so you should bring Anne. She's likely going to be the only level head there who has actually had children before."

She snorted. "My mother? A 'Level Head' when it comes to babies? Are you fucking serious?!?" She laughed outright, and sobered when her mother popped her head out of the kitchen, glaring at her. "Ahem, Yes, I'll bring her."

"Wonderful! Au revoir!" I nodded, and stood, taking the mug with me.

"Ah Ah Ah! No, you're not stealing another mug, you sit down and finish your tea, missy!" She shook her head firmly.

I blinked. "Another mug? When have I ever stolen a mug?"

Helix, who I'd been ignoring until now, snorted loudly, then ducked and sipped his coffee, not looking at us.

"What's that supposed to mean?!?" I snapped at him.

He waved a hand, and suddenly mugs began to appear on the counter, dropping through shadow portals, and I recognized almost all of the mugs in my entire mug cabinet; all nearly identical to the one in my hand, except for a few clearly taken from Megann's cabinets, which made Zatanna laugh. Nearly ninety mugs crowded the bar when he was finished.

I cleared my throat slowly. "Well... I was not aware that that was... Huh. Okay... so that explains the 'Miscellaneous Expenses' on my paychecks from the university..."

Kyra laughed, and shook her head, stacking the mugs from her cafe into the dishwasher. "It's adorable, is what it is. For all that big brain of yours, even you can forget the little things, like taking mugs from places you visit."

I grinned through the embarrassed blush building on my cheeks. "Yeah... Sorry... but hey, they're back! Tadah!" She laughed again, and I sat down, finishing my tea and allowing it to calm my heartbeat, while the smooth white noise of the cafe calmed my mind.

A warm feeling started in my stomach, and at first I figured it was the tea, but then it spread throughout my body, and it was soothing, though paradoxically alarming, as I wasn't sure what was causing it.

Anne, who had exited the kitchen to check on the cafe, placed a hand on my shoulder. "Erin, darling, are you alright? You look very flushed..." she pressed a hand to my forehead, and I blinked, looking at my body from the other side of her.

I could see in the reflection of the mirror what I looked like, my astral form, but I could also see my own aura, a hazy form of a Black Dragon with emerald green eyes, lounging while protectively wrapped around a smaller creature, a Tiger kitten with bengal stripes, -some made of branches and vines instead of basic stripes, some forking like river deltas,- plus a pair of luminescent, flaming blue eyes, staring straight at my astral form. In the center, where the cat's stripes faded white, they took the shape of a person with a mantle of golden flames around them.

The cat blinked, and suddenly I was back in my own body, staring blankly at the mirror. I shook my head, rubbing my eyes, and took a deep breath. "Okay... weird shit, weird magic shit, Anne, why does the baby in my stomach already have an Aura, and why can it look at me?"

She raised an eyebrow slowly, and hummed. "Why can it look at you?"

"It just pulled my astral form out, and I was looking at us. Your aura looks like an eagle or something, with white and red wings. Kinda matches, ya cutie." I patted her hair gently, smiling, then frowned at my hand, confused by the impulse.

She laughed and kissed my cheek. "Ahh, that. Yes, that's just their magic flexing against yours. Two astral forms can't really be in the same body at the same time, so the bigger theirs gets, the more often you'll go for those little trips, or they will. That's why magic babies are always a little more mature than normal babies; they've already been around the block, mentally at least. And as for the maternal urges, those are just hormones. Trust me, everything is fine, darling." She nodded firmly.

I hummed. "Alright, I guess... so it's a boy, I guess? The form was male, it looked like... maybe. Or maybe it was just ambiguous because it's a baby and it'll develop later on?" I sighed, and set my mug down, prompting Kyra to refill it.

"Seems legit." Helix nodded, still sitting next to me.

I blinked, looking at him. "You don't have an aura. Why not?"

He smirked. "Did you forget that I'm essentially a Motherbox, Boss? Computers, even computers with souls, like me, don't have auras. Auras are caused by the interaction of your psychic energy with the material planes. My psychic energy is on a different wavelength entirely, and therefore doesn't cause an aura."

I hummed and squinted at him, shifting my magical vision through all the different types of vision I could summon, and grinned victoriously when I saw his psychic energy, then froze in awe.

He was sitting amongst a violently spinning storm of knowledge and tasks, casually reading and making notes, connected to distant sources, siphoning information from as many as he could, then relaying and interpreting, doing the work of a million people, all at once. But his central aura was no different from his normal form, except a bit taller and more statuesque.

He glanced over at me, noticing the spike in my heart rate, -I could see my vitals, displayed in his sight constantly, and he checked them every few seconds,- and raised an eyebrow. "You Alright, Boss?"

"You have an aura... but I had to dig deep to find it... and holy fucking shit it's awesome!!!" I laughed, hugging him tightly.

He raised an eyebrow, and then mentally linked to me, seeing what I'd seen. "Ah, that is interesting. I look a little taller, no? Adonis-like, I'd say." He smirked, and let the hug happen, knowing he couldn't really escape.

Anne rubbed my back gently. "Alright, well, you have fun, I'll see you tomorrow, I've got customers to cook for... a good few, it seems... odd." She hummed curiously, and reentered the kitchen.

Kyra smiled. "You lovebirds need a room?"

"What? Ew." I frowned at her, not releasing him. "He's basically my child, Kyra. Technically Sofia's and my creation, but you get the point."

She nodded. "No, Sorry, I was not actually aware of that. That is a little gross, I apologize."

"Mm, But him and Zatanna..." I smirked, and he blushed, making Kyra laugh and pinch his cheeks.

"You laugh now, just wait until your 401k mysteriously disappears." He muttered darkly at her.

She smirked, unconvinced, and waved to Zatanna. "So, Zee, howsabout you take your little friend here for a walk, eh? Seems he needs to escape for a bit, if that blush says anything."

"Don't mind if I do, actually." Zatanna chuckled and extricated him from my arms, -a daunting task no doubt, as I glared at her thunderously the whole time,- then walked out with him.

I sighed, and nodded to Kyra, handing her her mug back. "Well, good luck with the dinner rush, darling, I should get back to Terran and Sofia." I waved and stepped through my portal again, sitting at my tea table and brewing a pot of the lavender tea.

I looked out at Terran and Sophia, swimming in the lagoon and playing, while Aileen sat on the boulder in the center, watching like a hawk. A smile made its way across my lips, and I rested my chin on my hand. "Well, I suppose that which burns grows anew..."

The barrier shivered, and let Canary in, without much more than a thought from me. She sat near me, and we sat in silence for a bit, as had become practice. She was quite insightful, and I appreciated her counsel, at times, so she was one of the few who knew everything, besides Aileen.

"So, Lavender Tea, Hmm?" She asked, after a few minutes.

"Seems to work." I nodded, pouring myself some more.

She raised an eyebrow. "How many cups is that?"

"... seven, in the past fifteen minutes." I confessed.

She nodded. "That's a lot of tea."

"It's a lot of stress." I countered gently, and sighed. "It really isn't that different than making them in the lab, but the accompanying responsibility... I know Terran and Sofia will be great parents, and Vera loves children, but me? I love other people's kids, when I'm not raising them, I'm not responsible for their lives or social etiquette, or mental preparedness for the harsh realities of the world... and I'm pessimistic, so I don't want to ruin the kid's dreams by telling them that it's all useless and hope is a fool's dilemma, but I also don't want them to be some star-gazing idiot who can't grasp the reality that some people just aren't good people, and some things can't happen!" I let myself babble, because I knew she would do what she did best, and dissect what I was really worried about, from what I'd said.

She nodded for a moment, and took a sip of her own tea, -an English blend, not my lavender,- before speaking. "So what I heard there was that you're afraid of raising the child wrongly, not having the child itself. You have seen so many people whose children have grown into idiots and dreamers, because they were given everything they wanted and all the encouragement they could desire, and you've also seen the assholes and degenerates whose parents never loved them, and never gave them what they needed, be it love, encouragement, or attention. You're unsure of the difference between readying your child for cruel realities, and destroying their dreams, the action in itself a cruelty, and allowing them to develop their imagination and creativity in a safe environment that will prevent them from being destroyed emotionally. You are unsure as to how to achieve a healthy balance of Drive and Pessimism, in your future child, while also allowing the child to grow into their own, unique person."

I nodded. "Right. This is why I like talking to you. You rework what I say, but somehow it ends up feeling much wiser."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Wisdom, no, just logic, Erin... but I'm here to tell you that there is no perfect equation to child-rearing. I know that's not what you want to hear, of course; everything has an equation, after all, everything has a trend in a direction that can be mapped... so here it is: you already know the variables; Love and Affection cause positive changes in a Psyche, while Neglect and Abuse cause negative changes. You have to decide on what ratio you want, yourself, and stick to it."

I sighed. "I suppose if the Behavioral 'sciences' have taught us anything, it's that humans don't respond well to being test subjects, if they know they're being tested... so what you're saying, in essence, is that if I treat the child like a chemical reaction,-"

"That is not what I said!" She interrupted, a rare thing for her, and shook her head at me. "Treat it like a human being that needs guidance. That's all. You've apprenticed with people before, haven't you? You understand how to properly give praise for good work, to provide proper punishment for failures, and so on. It's the same basic principal." She said firmly.

"Hmm... Fine, I suppose the experimentation will be kept to a minimum... though, I'm sure having three and a half parents will make the job much easier. More sleep, for sure." I nodded.

She chuckled. "That's true, but why is Vera only a Half?"

"She travels nearly constantly, for her job, and I wouldn't dream of asking her to abandon that, she loves her work." I waved dismissively at the thought.

"I see... I suppose when the baby is old enough, they can travel a bit with her, if she likes." Canary nodded, but I could feel her gaze on me as she wordlessly asked for more information.

I shifted uncomfortably, looking at my tea. "I'm not sure how Vera will feel about raising someone else's child, is all." I muttered.

She smiled. "Someone else's? Erin, whoever raises a child is its parents, without a doubt. I know Vera well enough from your descriptions of her; well enough to say that she isn't the type to reject children just because she didn't give birth to them."

"Indeed... perish the thought, my love." Vera hugged me from behind, and I sighed contentedly as her arms encircled me.

I turned and kissed her sweetly, laying my head on her chest. "I missed you." I murmured against her skin.

She chuckled, the bassy echo in her chest Familiar and comforting. "As I have felt your absence as well, my beautiful! Now, I must ask, do I get to help Name our mishka? Or have you already decided?"

"I think fate decided... Mystikos, the Mystery. μυστικός φύλακας. Heir to the φύλακας legacy, the little that remains." I smiled and pet my stomach, feeling the muscles inside tightening a little, protectively, around the growth in my womb. "Of course, that's if it's a boy, we still have to think of girl names, and you can definitely help with that!" I chuckled.

"Oh, how about Изумрудный? Or Изум? For Emerald?" I raised an eyebrow slowly, and she grinned. "I am teasing, of course, how about-"