#caregiver thalias

[welcome-to-the-holonet]

I want to know which characters you think have orchestra or choir energy instead of band energy

First of all bold of you to assume you can’t be both (speaking as a choir and band kid who had two years of orchestra (I didn’t like orchestra tho))

Here’s some of the choir and orchestra line up for the marching band au:

Choir kids: Luke Skywalker (he’s in color guard tho, Rose Tico (could also see her as clarinet tho), Samakro, Thalias, Padme Amidala, Lando Calrissian (like Luke he does color guard)

Orchestra kids: Thrawn (he’s in band but also plays violin), Arhinda Pryce (viola), Thrass (Cello), Del Meeko (Bass), Gideon Hask (Violin)

That’s all I can think of rn

[queen-of-weird-girlboy-nation]

A Jason Grace Analysis 

While my Jason fics relies on mainly interpretation and headcanons, this one’s mostly going on the limited list of Jason’s life from the books. YOU’RE ALLOWED TO DISAGREE WITH ME,JUST DO IT RESPECTFULLY IN THE COMMENTS. be nice pls.

Spoiler alert 🚨 (for PJO, HOO and TOA)

Jason Grace is a character who was, in a way, screwed over by Rick during his writing of Heroes of Olympus and eiDzgventually Trials of Apollo. His story was very sad, but never explored to its fullest potential and in some cases didn’t make sense. He’s a character who is seen as ‘boring’ by the fandom, which , in a way, makes sense. Uncle Rick didn’t do him justice, so I’m here for a Jason Grace analysis.

Firstly, Jason’s incredibly depressing life. Because I do not know what vendetta that Rick had against my boy, but I would argue his story is the most tragic of everyone in the books. Yes. Even Nico. 

Jason’s mother was an unhinged alcoholic who was obsessed with fame. For the first 2 years of his life, he was basically looked after by his sister, who was also a young child. As hard as Thalia tried, she probably wasn’t the best caregiver on account of her age. His mother was unstable, which has got to leave some scars, even if you’re a young kid, because you still know what’s going on to some extent. And Jupiter seemed to leave the family to their own devices after a while, not even staying for a kid. So Jason has been basically abandoned, keep track of how often that happens. 

Then Jason was abandoned again, this time by his mother, left as a sacrifice for Hera. And he wasn’t sacrificed just anywhere, he was left at the Wolf House, where Lupa tested him to see if he was ‘pup or food’. So Jason, at two years old, was tested by a Wolf Goddess, a ruthless one at that, who threatened to kill him if he didn’t live up to expectations. Just a great environment for a toddler to live in. And while the time he spends in the Wolf House is unspecified, the general consensus is that it was for a year or two. This is more of a headcanon, but the implications of ‘pup or food’ could show that he stayed with her longer than the average Roman demigod. In SoN, it’s shown that most demigods do their Wolf House training for like, a week. And the training sounds harsh when Percy, age 16 does it. So imagine a 2 year old, going through that, constantly. Then he is off to New Rome. 

In HoO, it’s pointed out that Jason has 12 lines of his forearm for his years of service in New Rome. 12 lines representing 12 years of service.

Jason has been serving 12 years of military service since he was around 3. So that means that this literal infant is just… in the military. How does that work? Was baby Jason just running around in little armour? Was he doing the same drills as other kids when he was much, much younger? Also the fact that in Camp Jupiter, you train for 10 years, then go to live in New Rome. But Jason has been serving for longer than that, with 2 extra years. It seemed like he wasn’t going to retire anytime soon in the books, so that also adds some mystique to his character that was never explored.

Then we move into the other things at Camp Jupiter, which is that Jason was treated like a statue or a star, instead of a person. Hazel says that he is ‘more legend than boy’ which is so sad! This kid, this 15 year old is seen by those around him as a hero, a legend to look up to. Did Jason have any other friends? While Reyna seems to be close, Reyna had a crush on him, and while he didn’t know that, it must have made the friendship a bit… different. Jason isn’t specified to have any other friends in the books, probably because everyone was to in awe of his status as a Son of Jupiter. And while Jason may care about the rules, in Roman terms he was a very radical person. He was just trying to live a calm life, to not be known only as the Son of Jupiter. He joins the least respected cohort. He tries to take less important quests. But it doesn’t work, because he does get assigned big quests and while he is in the 5th cohort, people still treat him like a legendary hero instead of just a guy. And while the phrase ‘victim of nepotism’ is quite controversial, I think that Jason actually fits that bill.

Then we come to SoN. You know that tweet that’s like: hey we’re calling off the search party. we found a different guy out there we like more. That’s what Camp Jupiter did to Jason. Again, he was abandoned, this time by his own Camp. Like I know 8 months is a while, but oh my gosh, do we have to elect a new praetor? There’s also a contradiction. Percy is a Greek demigod, which isn’t a thing the Roman’s really like. Yet after a couple weeks at Camp, he’s already a PRAETOR? While Jason was put down for being ‘unrecognisable as a Roman’, they elected a very Greek person as a praetor? He was immediately accepted into the highest position of power? Also the fact that Jason wasn’t looked for. At all. While CHB was scrambling to find their boy (as they should), no one in CJ cared? Like, aren’t they the ones with the giant searching eagles? It seemed like everyone forgot about him, with him being missing not being a huge thing for most people (except Hazel and Reyna to my memory, fill me in if anyone else gave two frogs) and that’s gotta sting. The knowledge that your entire camp not only replaced you, but didn’t bother to look. 

Jason also had amnesia and never regained huge chunks of his memory. That must be horrible, to have parts of your life gone, to not remember much. While Percy got everything back, Jason got so much less!

Jason goes on the quest, then comes back. He goes to CHB, goes to school. He starts having a normal life. And he gets broken up with, making him genuinely sad. And while I know that Piper had no ill intentions whatsoever when she broke up with him, that also could count as an abandonment. Because they don’t really keep in touch in the book, they seem to go their separate ways. So kinda half of an abandonment, even though both parties weren’t in blame.

Finally we have his death. While Thalia got turned into a tree by Zeus, a slightly caring act for a god, Jason died. This could be because Jupiter is crueller than Zeus or it could be because of the cycle of patricide, with Jupiter killing his father, who did the same to his father. Maybe it’s because of his paranoia. Maybe it’s because Jason called Jupiter unwise, but it still counts as an abandonment. The god saved Thalia (she could be seen as non threatening, not a killer. Not someone who could carry on the tradition of son killing father) and abandoned Jason, left him to die the ‘heroes death’. 

Jason’s life has been one big struggle and rejection. 4.5 times, he was abandoned, left somewhere by someone. Left to die in the end. He was a child soldier, meaning that he was a kid that never got to be a kid, just a tool for the gods, for years and years. And he struggled with making friends, making new rules, trying to push the camp into the future. Seen as unroman, even Reyna says it. That’s an awful life, one that Rick Riordan never explored and one that’s contradicted at times.

Jason was a character that Rick dropped the ball on so hard.

Because, while his life is incredibly difficult, it has so much potential for storytelling, that Rick  dashes on the rocks, leaving the fandom with a character who people acknowledge as weak and boring.

So, in the fandom, Jason is regarded as having no personality, or being a knock off Percy. So, Jason not really having a huge personality, as a kid who trained as a soldier from a young age, makes sense. He was spending half his childhood trying to survive so trying to figure out what MBTI type he was may have fallen low on his list of priorities. Then he got amnesia, and sent on the Seven quest. So Jason not having time to develop a sense of personality makes sense, buts here’s the catch. It’s never explored. Rick never, ever explains why that might be happening, which could make for a compelling story arc. Rick never expands on the child soldier thing at all, which sucks because instead of Jason having an identity crisis about Greek and Roman camps, he could be really weird since he’s a child soldier. (I’m aware that they’re all child soldiers, but I refer to Jason as child soldier since he was just a baby when he started)

And the seeds were there. For example, the scene with Jason being wary about Nico and not wanting to rescue him, that could have been Jason being taught that practicality is key. That some people are expendable. He could have learnt that from the ARMY THAT HE GREW UP IN. That could have been a plot point, that Jason struggles with taking breaks or knowing that’s he’s appreciated, that his childhood was abusive and not normal, that life isn’t a constant battle for survival. That could have been his arc! All of the pieces were right there! Rick, dude, you’re a great author, but you fumbled so hard on this one!

And also the fact that… unpopular opinion time….

Jason wasn’t stronger than Percy, but he should have been.

Jason has been in the army since he was a toddler, and I know that Percy’s really powerful, but come on! Jason being this really nice, really powerful kid with super strong powers and no social skills could have slayed. Maybe this is the inner Jason stan in me, but I personally think that Jason should have been stronger than Percy, simply because it makes more sense. Jason has been training for ages and ages, he single handedly fought a Titan at younger than Percy (around 14 or 15) so it seemed like his powers were muted by Rick. This could probably be because the PJO fandom is like a toxic TikTok boy mom when it comes to Percy (I can be like this too), making him centre stage and getting annoyed when he isn’t. Percy is meant to be the strongest, which isn’t bad, in some situations it just doesn’t fit. Or maybe Percy’s just wildly OP.

This is not to say that in the book Jason was weak, but people treat him like that.

And Jason’s really sad life is never explored! He should have been struggling with 1500 mental illnesses at once because that constant abandonment? The stress of everyone’s expectations? Trying not to die at like 4? He’s neither the eldest nor a girl, but he’s got so much eldest daughter syndrome and is burnt out gifted kid syndrome personified. And it’s hardly touched on! 

There’s also the fact that’s a really small nitpick, but, the fact that Jason only has 1 single lip scar? That shows that Rick wasn’t paying attention to his own character. Jason trained with the Wolf Goddess then was in the army, he should be covered in them.

In conclusion, Jason’s very sad and tragic story was hardly utilised and the very interesting parts of his character were not used in a way they could be. But don’t worry Jason. While Rick Riordan may have flopped you, you are one of my favourite characters.

Peace ��️

[stpeachery]

Low quality Thrawn memes p.2

P.1

1. Thrawn trying to justify the BS he’s been conducting while part of the empire to Ar’alani. (it’s not convincing her)

2. Wutroow clowning Samakro for being demoted to Mid-Captain after Thrawn was reinstated as Senior Captain of the Springhawk. Ft. Ziinda being witness to a 2nd degree murder attempt.

3. Che’ri showing her gratitude to her father figure, Thrawn, on his personal ship.

4. Thrawn and Che’ri are just happy to be there while Ar’alani ponders how she’s going to get wine out of her white uniform.

5. A nice family portrait of the Senior Captain, Skywalker, and Caregiver of the Springhawk. (Thrawn was exiled a week ago and they needed an updated photo)

6. Thalias after she, quite literally, pulled a charric on Thurfian.

7. Ar’alani being the best Admiral and helping the skywalkers finish their last boss battle.

8. Ar’alani telling Zistalmu to stfu while he’s aboard her ship. (Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising. Chapter 14, pg. 255)

[unhelpfulfemme]

Thalias from the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy is how you do a female character with "traditionally feminine" virtues correctly.

The culture of the Ascendancy involves using young girls - the only Force sensitives their race has, since they all lose their Force sensitivity when they enter puberty - as ship navigators necessary to navigating the chaotic part of space that they live in. These girls are taken from their families at a young age and raised by a series of caregivers, and just like a bunch of plenty of carers IRL a lot of them are dogshit at their job. As someone who's worked similar jobs and watched other people work similar jobs, Timothy Zahn is BRILLIANT at portraying all of this - it gives me feelings like I can't describe. If you've ever seen a mean preschool teacher harranguing their charges or a shitty foster parent who doesn't treat their foster kids as individuals or anyone of the sort, you will feel this in your bones. Zahn goes hard on the "children are people" themes in this trilogy and I love love love this - it really means a lot to me to see a man known for his military and engineering competence porn stuff put so much thought and care into portraying caregiving as the important and complicated task that it is without coming off as sexist or patronizing towards it.

Anyway, Thalias is one such navigator, but even though most of them want nothing to do with the whole trauma-inducing system once they grow out of it, Thalias ends up returning as a caregiver and puts so much effort, compassion and logical thought into it that it makes me cry tears of joy. She draws on her own experiences but is quick to course correct when she realizes that Che'ri's experiences are different from her own (Thalias loved to read as a kid and still finds it comforting, Che'ri hates reading), she treats Che'ri with empathy and gives her as much autonomy and independence as she is allowed to. She uses a scientific method to figure out how the navigator powers work and adjust Che'ri's work routine accordingly - something no one has ever thought to do. She advocates for Che'ri with the rest of the ship's crew. She's amazing, and Zahn also makes sure to show how HARD it can be at times rather than just make her a perfect mind reader who always knows what her charge is thinking and what to say or do.

She's also kinda flawed - she seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Thrawn because he was once nice to her when she was a miserable kid in the throes of the shitty navigator system, and it comes off as kind of weird or cringe at times, and that's a GOOD thing in my book because it makes her character more 3D.

ALSO, the really nice part of it is that these books are filled to the brim with cool female characters that all feel really really different from each other, so Thalias being the nurturing, diplomatic type doesn't feel like Zahn sending some kind of message - the other prominent character is Ar'alani, a clever military woman who's a natural leader, excellent at handling her subordinates and recognizing their talents, excellent at handling politics even though she hates it, excellent at improvising on the fly, and also a kind and loyal friend. A lot of the other soldier or officer types are also women, and Zahn's other works also have a shitton of varied and cool women, so you feel safe in the knowledge that anything Thalias says or does is indicative of Thalias as an individual and not some vague idea of what women are like that the author has.

I also love how her character provides a contrast to all the "necessary evil" and "people are assets"-type thinking that a lot of the Ascendancy's more military types endorse (which make up a large percentage of the main cast, since this is mil scifi after all) - her conversation with Samakro about this is just chef's kiss to me. I feel like it's cool that we get this kind of POV because to me it serves as confirmation that Zahn knows what he's doing here - he's not being a stupid edgelord fanboy in love with the concept of doing shitty things for the greater good, he's just keenly observing how different people approach life and how all of these sorts of thinking are very useful in certain situations and deeply stupid in others. And the topic is treated with zero smugness - I've read things where similar arguments are used as a way of showing how wise and perfect one of the characters is and how stupid the other one is (coughvorkosigansagacough), but here everyone is treated with respect and empathy and consideration.

THALIAS SUPREMACY!!!

[xiema]

Me: claim that I don't plan everything down to the smallest detail of a story and don't take the canon too seriously.

Also Me:

• 61 bby: Vurika is born

• 59 bby: Vurawn is born, vurika(2)

• 58 bby: vurika(5) is taken, Vurawn(3)

• 39 bby Thalias(13) meets Thrawn(20)

• 29 bby: Cheri is born

• 23 bby: Van'ya is born

• 19 bby: ezra, luke and leia born, rise of the empire, thrawn(40) joins empire, eli(20?), Thalias(33) becoms Che'ris(9) caregiver, Che'ri later becomes 10

• 8 bby: Un'hee is born

• 5 bby: Ezra (14) joins ghost crew, Ezra later becoms 15

6 month Timeskip between Rebels season 2 and 3

• 5/4 bby: Ezra(15) and Thrawn(54) meet for the first time

• 2 bby: Eli(37?) leaves the empire

• 1 bby: Ezra(18) defeet thrawn(58) un'hee(7) is rescured, Ronan(38?) joins the Asandancy, Van'ya(22)

Battle of yavin

My takes on Thalias' and Thrawn's age are due to mentions of Thalias that her time as navigator was 2 decates ago. Eli's and Ronans ages are only guesses and not canon, both could be older or younger, but i think they are pretty close in age.

Yes I mostly ignore Thrawns age because I don't imagen him this old, and I simply don't care.

[thesummerstorms]

Still got the Annabeth BatFam thing stuck in my head. Mutuals blacklist "Annabeth Wayne" if you like, but here else can I be silly if not Tumblr?

Anyway. Most fics have this version of Annabeth running away shortly after Jason Todd dies. Dick Grayson may or may not have even made it back to Earth yet. Bruce is quite literally unraveling.

So Annabeth runs away. And she runs into Thalia and Luke. And like, right from the get go Luke, in his POV, is describing himself as the "father" and "older brother" combo of this "family". Like, as soon as he and Thalia acquire Annabeth he sorts himself into that role.

And don't get me wrong, I feel like Annabeth definitely bonded with Thalia. Because Thalia has been the primary caregiver for a little kid before (Jason Grace) and Annabeth is probably only a few months out from the death of Jason Todd.

But the thing is, Annabeth is extra primed to accept an older brother. She's had two at this point, both out of her reach, and in my head it makes sense if she found them much easier to connect to that famously-bad-at-expressing-emotion Bruce Wayne. And Luke is perfectly big brother shaped and promising *he* won't leave her.

And it's only a few weeks until Thalia dies. Just like Jason Todd. It's just Annabeth and Luke left. Even when most of the campers leave for the school year, they don't have anywhere else to go. Years pass that way.

And then she's twelve. She's twelve, and Luke betrays them all to Kronos and tries to kill Percy. The only brother she has left runs away from her.

She's thirteen. Luke poisons Thalia's tree.

She's still fourteen, by a handful of months, he begs for her to save him, and he traps her beneath the sky.

She's turning fifteen and she watches him be consumed. The thing that wakes in his body is their greatest enemy.

And this whole time, Annabeth desperately wants him back, despite everything. Because when one brother left and the other died, he was supposed to be the one who stayed. The one who loves her.

(and he does, still. She isn't wrong about that. In little, flinching moments, he still loves her. Just not enough to stop him using her.)

But no one is left to listen to her. Her only friends are angry with her when she tries to explain it. They get mad that she would give him grace after everything he's done. They don't and can't see past their hurt, the lives he's destroyed, to understand why Annabeth clings the way she does.

(If she's selfish to wish they could, so be it. She's alone no matter what.

She's only just turned sixteen when he does. He dies to save the world. He dies by suicide, as a result of his choices. He dies on her blade. He kills himself because she made him promise.

Less than a year passed before she's thrown to war again, desperate to find Percy, then to avert Gaia, to escape Tartarus without going insane.

No one really talks about Luke at camp, even when she startles sometimes seeing Jason Grace's scar from the corner of her eye.

And somehow, after all of this, she ends up back in Gotham face to face with the first brother who left her behind and the first brother who died.

None of it is Dick Grayson or Jason Todd's fault. They were just kids, and they didnt actually betray her, unlike Luke. But the lesson is burned deep into her nightmares and insecurities.

You can't tell me that's not a shit show of a reunion.

Yes, she still loves them. But what does that matter, when she loved Luke to the end too?

[50-beetles]

The various outfits of Patriarch Mitth’ali’astov and what I imagine Caregiver Thalias’s uniform would look like

[cams-cozy-corner]

6, 7 and 12 for Annabeth for that ask game please!! :3

6. Plushies or blankies?

She is such a plushie kid. She has her secret teddy bear of course, and then there was a line in a short story about how she’s REALLY good at claw machines and always walks away with a ton of stuffed animals (she definitely keeps most of them. She doesn’t really name her plushies but they’re all special <3

7. Do they have a caregiver?

Multiple!! First Grover because being her protecter is his job and he will defend that title with his life. Then Thalia after she comes back. Just seeing Thalia almost always makes her feel small again because of what they went through together when she was younger. Eventually Percy because she trusts him more than anyone, how can she not let him help her? Also Piper because of that one scene they have in BoO. Annabeth isn’t good with big feelings, but Piper is.

She’s also definitely a flip (as are most of them to me). I have a fic with CG annabeth and little Thalia that I’m close to finishing!)

12. Nicknames?

She likes simple nicknames like baby or sweetheart. Also princess in a silly joking way. For what she calls other people, Grover is just Grover, Thalia is Sissy, Percy is just Percy (maybe dada?) and Piper is Mama :)

[absolxguardian]

@haltraveler

Thought I'd share my personal theory (and I'm calling it a theory, there's textual evidence) about why sky-walkers loose their powers, and its basically that the Ascendancy makes an existing problem worse.

Its already heavily suggested that when anyone begins puberty their connection to the Force becomes tenuous, because of the self-doubt that people start to feel at that age. That's why toddlers are able to levitate objects without training (TCW stolen younglings arc). While Osha struggles to use the Force again after leaving the Order. Because they don't feel self-doubt and don't know that they shouldn't be able to do such things. The Force is heavily influenced by one's preexisting ideas. That's why Yoda tells Luke in ESB the reason why he can't levitate his X-wing is because he thinks he can't. The Padawan novel is a good example of this kind of crisis of faith (in one's own self).

Another example of the Force starting to cause problems when someone begins puberty is Karr Nuq Sin in Force Collector developing psychometry at 13, which without training caused seizures and migraines. Now this seems like the opposite of it becoming harder to connect to the Force when one becomes a teenager, but I think this still works as an example. Karr's problem is that he's unknowingly letting the Force consume him, and I think its the same increased self-doubt and critical thinking. Before he developed to that point neurologically he could simply rid along with the Force completely subconsciously. And of course there's Vernestra, who looses her sky-walker powers like any Chiss, despite not being involved with the Ascendancy at all. She only retained the powers she consciously worked to keep.

Force usage coming naturally to the very young works with Yoda's whole "truely wonderful the mind of a child is". Whether he means it with the Force or the true in our world lack of preconceived motions, it establishes a theme in Star Wars that children are more connected to the world how it really is.

Now what about the Ascendancy? The aforementioned thing about the Force being influenced by one's own beliefs means that the sky-walkers are under a self fulfilling prophecy. They're told they'll loose their powers when they get older, so the difficulties with connecting to the Force that comes with puberty is multiplied. And since they have no source of training, no faith or scientific knowledge, their connection to the Force goes dormant.

The no training thing also ties into the theme of the Ascendancy trilogy about the importance of autistic children having autistic adults in their life- Che'ri and her relationship with Thalias (allegorical autism with force sensitivity) and Thrawn (regular autism). There is no tradition of Force using adults to pass down this training.

As a side thing, sky-walkers needing their memories wiped because of the trauma related to family separation is an accurate depiction of what happens in real world humans when you take toddlers from their primary caregivers. In Outbound Flight Timothy Zahn used this fact to write the villain attempting to recruit toddlers into the Jedi Order, with normal Order policy being to only take infants and recruit younglings as young as possible. Now TCW contraindicated it, with Lucas unknowingly attempting to write the Jedi as better by having them give parents more time to decide and recruiting babies more than literal newborns. The only Watsonian explanation for this, without saying humans irl and humans in Star Wars have different neurologies, is that the Jedi are (conciously or not) projecting a field of belonging into the Force which gets rid of the psychological problems of separation (admittedly there's basically no research on what happens when a kid is taken from one loving and properly equipped home to another so its hard to tell irl whats purely the result of separation). So again, its the lack of adult Force users which is the cause of the Ascendancy's problems.

Species specific Force abilities that Force sensitive people of other species might still have a natural tendency for has a precedent in Legends- with psychometry for the Kiffar and Force Sight for the Miraluka. With Vernestra having a natural talent for hyperspace navigation, that seems to be the case.

As for them being almost all female- I have no idea (and you get the issue if the "mostly" thing is because the Force knows if you're trans and so "male" sky-walkers are trans female eggs, or if its biological and all sky-walkers are afab- just some of them have transitioned). If the Ascendancy is really bad at this, it could be a "male presenting autism" thing, and the Ascendancy is mistakenly missing 50% of potential sky-walkers, but I find the headcanon that the Chiss are actually extremely good at development evaluations of children- both medically and socially. Its the only way they'd be able to find any sky-walkers without access to the techniques the Jedi use.

[hydr0phius]

Ok, I finished Chaos Rising last night and here are the highlights (except cracky) that I've tried to keep in chronological order (ish).

Thrawn: *does something*

Samakro behind him: *swearing under his breath because the thing he's doing is fucking NUTS*

...

Samakro: Nobody is allowed to be mean about Thrawn.

Samakro: *thinks mean thoughts about Thrawn*

Samakro: nO. This is Bad. I am no better than the others-

...

Thurfian and Zistalmu: We're coming in

Ba'kif, Ar'alani, and Thrawn (internally): FUCK OFF

...

(From one of the memories chapters. It's very Barbie and Ken lmao)

Ziara (Cadet version of Ar'alani), looking at the gallery: I thought we were doing something different tonight.

Thrawn: ???Like what?????

Ziara: Ohhhh this wasn't a date date, was it?

Thrawn: *thinking hard*

Thrawn: OH.

Ziara: Do you see why I might have thought so when you pitched this to me as a night of mystery and excitement?

Thrawn: Yes.

Thrawn: What did you think we were going to do?

Ziara: ...

Thrawn: oh :)

Ziara: Doesn't matter. Tell me about the forks :3

Thrawn: *vibrating with excitement because she's going to let him tell her about ART* OKAY

***

Ilparg: *complaining*

Ar'alani: Shut up

Ilparg, outraged: Excuse me?!

Ar'alani: This is my ship and it goes where I say it goes if I think that the data at the place we're going to is worth collecting. Now, be quiet.

...

Ilparg (about Che'ri): This sky-walker-

The entire Vigilant bridge crew: *side eyeing Ilparg because anything more would be insubordination*

Thalias, sick of this mf being mean to her little bestie: SQUARE UP-

***

Ar'alani and the Vigilant's bridge crew: *doing their jobs and getting the ship out of trouble*

Ilparg: *screaming*

...

Ilparg: *dramatic exit from the bridge*

Wutroow once he's gone: *copies his last dramatic gesture toward the viewport* And that's how it's done.

Thrawn: *intrigued brow raise*

...

Nikardun Dreadnaught: *appears*

Everyone on the bridge: oh no.

...

Ar'alani: ok we can go now.

Thrawn: wait, I have one more experiment.

Ar'alani: fine.

Thrawn, over comms with the Lioaoi: It's me, Senior Captain Thrawn, Ilparg's diplomatic supervisor. We regret that we can't speak with you right now but will maintain contact later on. We'll be leaving now.

Ilparg: MY WHAT-

The fighters: *spring forward*

Ar'alani: Oh, they don't like you, do they?

Thrawn, aware they're both about to be sarcastic (for once): Can't imagine why.

Ar'alani: Couldn't be that ship you captured the other week.

Thrawn: Nah.

...

Ar'alani: Ok I need you to think of someone to look after Che'ri while you and Thrawn go undercover.

Thalias: I choose you.

Ar'alani: Oh. Okay.

...

Che'ri, distraught: THALIAS AND I ARGUED BEFORE SHE LEFT AND NOW SHE'S GONNA DIE

Ar'alani, internally: FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK-

Ar'alani: Che'ri, she's going to be fine. This isn't a sad film-

Che'ri: HOW DO YOU KNOW?!!

Ar'alani: She's with Thrawn! Thrawn will keep her safe!

Che'ri: Oh ok.

Ar'alani: yEah. Right. Bath and dinner for you now, I think.

...

Thalias: He's on board.

Thrawn, unbothered: Right-o.

Thalias: RIGHT-O?! The guy trying to kill us is nearby and all you're going to say is RIGHT-O?!!!

Thrawn: We'll be fine.

...

Zistalmu: You can't run a ship and look after a child.

Ar'alani: Watch m-

Ba'kif, cutting in: We'd be happy to have your wife aboard as Che'ri's caregiver until Thalias is back!

Ar'alani: Yes. Absolutely -_-

(I think Ar'alani could have managed it tbh).

...

Zistalmu's wife: While I'm aboard, I'd like everyone to call me Nana.

Ar'alani, internally: Do you think that you might have only lasted two years as a caregiver because you insisted on stupid shit like this?

...

Ar'alani: Sky-walker Che'ri, are you ready?

Nana: She is.

Ar'alani: I asked Che'ri. Not you.

Che'ri: I'm ready! <3

...

Zistalmu: *opens his mouth*

Ar'alani: Shut it.

...

Thrawn: We're going on a trip. Hopefully.

Thalias: What do you mean hopefully?

Thrawn: I have a meeting with Ba'kif now.

Thalias: Oh. ok.

Thalias: Wait lmao-

...

Thrawn: I'm so glad you didn't bring up the extra pressure of me having to think about what this would do to your career.

Ba'kif: That's because you need to focus on getting out of your insane quest alive and leave MY career to ME.

Thrawn: k, love you bye.

...

Thurfian: Get in loser, we're going to my office.

Thalias once they're there: Get back in loser, I'm not telling you shit about Thrawn. I'm gonna go take the Trials.

Thurfian: Bold move.

...

Thrawn: Do you still want to come with me? It's going to take ages if I go alone and the Ascendancy doesn't have that time.

Che'ri, internally: Adults do this all the time where they allude to vague threats and consequences that may befall us if I don't do what they ask. *peers at Thrawn* This guy's got no clue how to play the game RIP. He's just being straightforward.

Che'ri: Sure...

Thrawn: You have a question.

Che'ri: Yeah, am I allowed some graph markers?

Thrawn: Don't worry. I had two new packs and a couple of binders loaded with our essentials. You may draw to your heart's content.

Che'ri: NICE.

...

Thalias: *hiking as part of her last trial*

Thooraki, the Mitth Patriarch, appearing from nowhere: Yo, I'm not supposed to even be up here but let's talk about the future of the Mitth family and the Ascendancy if we don't keep an eye on and guide Thrawn, hmm?

Thalias: sure man.

Thooraki: You passed btw.

Thalias: eyyyyyy

...

Thurfian:

Thalias: Suck that.

Thurfian, bitchily: Get in Trial Born, we're going back to Defence Force HQ.

...

Thrawn: You dream of falling because you cannot fly. Your art suggests that you might wish to learn how. I can teach you now, if you'd like

Che'ri: *slightly pissed with Thalias for sharing her SKETCHBOOK* Okay.

(THALIAS WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT kdfhskdhflshfld. THE SKETCHBOOK IS FORBIDDEN TO OUTSIDERS UNLESS THE ARTIST SAYS OTHERWISE).

...

Anakin: *tells them his name*

Thrawn, hitting the mute button and looking back at Che'ri: Interesting.

Che'ri: He might just suck at Meese Caulf.

...

Thrawn muting their mic every so often to ask Che'ri's opinion and her being like, "I'm nine and a half what could I possibly say that's of value to this conversation?" and Thrawn being like, "I won't know until you tell me. Everyone usually has something," and just generally treating her like a person instead of a 'stupid child' and helping her form the confidence she needs to go through the rest of her Sky-walker career/life in general.

...

Che'ri: General Skywalker's got a ten minute head start. I'll never catch him.

Thrawn: Yes you will. You're better than him.

Che'ri, competitive streak engaged: HELL YEAH I AM

Thrawn: Hunt him down, girlie. You've got this!

Che'ri: OKAY!

(Che'ri beat him by a few minutes xkfksdj)

...

Anakin, after several back and forths: That's what I said. Mitth'raw'narodeo.

Thrawn: No. Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

Che'ri: *wheezing in the background*

...

Thalias: How was your trip?

Che'ri: Thrawn taught me how to fly the ship and we did some cool stuff on Mokivj

Thrawn: :D

Thalias, in shock: Oh, that's nice

Ar'alani: Thrawn. She's nine and a half.

Thrawn: She also did very well and I am very proud of her.

Che'ri: :D

...

Thrawn: *tells Ar'alani his new plan at getting info on Yiv/taking him down*

Ar'alani: That's illegal in three different directions.

Ar'alani: I'm calling Ba'kif. You get everything ready.

Thrawn: I knew you'd agree.

...

(At the witness table in the Convocate Hall during the Syndicure's emergency meeting probably)

Ba'kif: Welcome to the chaos.

Ja'fosk: This is more than chaos. You lot owe me a drink after this.

Ar'alani: This is hopefully the worst thing we'll have to do in our careers.

Ba'kif: Wishful thinking, Admiral.

Thrawn: Definitely.

...

Thurfian: *hears about the current Yiv situation*

Thurfian: OH SO NOW HE'S [Thrawn] ALLOWED TO COMMIT TREASON?

***

(In the fighter on the way to the Vaks)

Che'ri, flying the fighter Thrawn stole the other month: You trust Thrawn, you just don't trust yourself. I trust you, though. We'll be okay.

Thalias: oKAy <3

...

Qilori: *being a snake*

Thrawn: I know what you've done. I could have you ejected from the Pathfinder's Guild.

Qilori: oh shit.

...

Ar'alani: Springhawk, keep that third dreadnaught busy.

Samakro, eyeing it up: Holy fuck.

Kharill: At least she's not expecting us to destroy it.

Samakro: Yeah, but look at the fucking size of it!

(It was giving this)

...

(Word for word)

Yiv: You and all the Chiss will DIE

Thrawn: Then come and take me.

...

Thrawn crashing into Yiv's viewport, sealing off the breach, and then swooping in to save Thalias and Che'ri. That was very good. yep. I'm so normal about that scene and the undoubtedly gentle (we all know how Thrawn's voice sounds) "Are you alright?"

...

Yiv: *about to attack*

Thrawn: *squirting him with Tava gas like one would squirt a cat with water.*

...

(The last memories chapter)

Thrawn: I don't get it. I don't get how I missed that!

Ar'alani: It was politics.

Thrawn: But it's all just a different form of tactics and warfare! I should be able to read it!

Ar'alani: I know, but it's not as straightforward as war.

Thrawn: I need to master it. I need to learn it.

Ar'alani with the gut feeling that he might never achieve that & willing to have his back on this: That would be helpful.

(Their friendship is very dear to me oh my gods).

[itty-bitty-bird-nest]

Pjo agere headcanons? :0

-crayon

smiles.

hiii I think that Annabeth Chase and Bianca di Angelo are regressors!!! Percy and Grover are regressors post-chalice of the gods, because I think a bit of the Hebe stuff lingers. Also because I can hit percy with the agere beam.

Thalia is a caregiver, and specifically a big sister caregiver to Annabeth!! She takes care of Annabeth whenever she calls, and will absolutely drop her hunter duties in a heartbeat for her. (taking care of her reminds her of the old days, and also of taking care of Jason)

Annabeth's favorite comfort items are her Teddy Bear (canon) and Thalia's old leather jacket, which Thalia gave her before she was turned into a tree.

Annabeth is really good with her younger siblings, and super close with them!!

I don't have many regressor hcs for Bianca yet, but I do think that she wouldn't let Nico see her regressed.

[graaaaceeliz]

Bestiiieeee I'm so happy you're reading Thrawn. I need all your opinions stat!

Okaokaokay

Ar'alani and Thrawn would overthrow the Empire/end the clone wars I know this because if she'd gone with Thrawn and met the anakin-padme mess she'd have clocked on sight the political mess and just pointed Thrawn at the armies boom done h

ALSO! THRAWN WOULD NOTICE PALPS WAS SIDEOUS. I don't know if that comes up in the Thrawn trilogy I don't remember well but ! Canon to me

Thalias is just so cool also I saw a post saying that her weirdnesses about thrawn/being Mithh make her so much deeper and rounder and I totally agree. She's such a good caregiver/momish for Che'ri, too, and I really think she'd balance Ar'alani and Thrawn so perfectly.

Hmmm what else

Karyn's passengers and PASSENGERS bit and all round vader hate make me laugh every time I think about her and that's a lot

I know people be like "Good day Leiutenant Vanto is no way to greet your bestie/friend/whatever" but that's soooo Thrawn to me. Like. Ar'alani is his bestie????? She doesn't understand all his thoughts but she gets him so well that they're so unstoppable. Even Thurfian knows it. Everyone sees it

I've just started Greater Good and when Thrass got mentioned I literally leaned out of my chair and went ??????????!!!!!!!!!! Because I'm excited to meet him I've seen so many references to him

[vibratingskull]

"You still bored?

I challenge thee to write something regarding Thrawn and Purring! Is it accendently discovered by Eli at the academy? The post coital truly satisfied lover to hear it first? Comforting Che'ri from a nightmare or storm? You decide!" -@khapikat222

It is refreshing to write something that is not xreader sometimes

Che'ri & Thrawn & Thalias

The shock makes the ship terribly tremble, pushing Che’ri out of her trance in a gasp, her little body thrown forward. She pants, nails buried in the leather of her command chair, cold sweat rolling down her neck. Thalias holds her shoulder, reassuring her by her presence.

-Are you okay?

-I… I think? Che’ri answers, her lower lips trembling.

-How is Skywalker Che’ri? Commandant Thrawn calls behind them.

- Fine, she’s just a bit shocked, Thalias reports.

Commandant Thrawn exchanges some words that she can’t understand with Sa’ma’kro and turns back to them.

-It is time for her to sleep. Please, escort her back to her room.

-Of course, sir.

She feels Thalias hands in her back and under her arm, helping her to get out of the chair and walk to her room. The end of the trance was really brutal and Che’ri feels like… her body and mind didn’t connect back well. She feels a bit out of sync with herself, so much that Thalias has to support her during their walk to their quarters. As they exit the bridge, Che’ri feels the inquisitive gaze of the Commandant Thrawn on her neck, but she’s too tired to investigate, right now she just wants to drink some juice and sleep…

______________________________________________________________________

She turns and rolls over in her bed, but nothing works. She sighs, burying her face in her pillow. The weird shock doesn’t pass, it feels like her internal organs are vibrating under her skin, preventing her from sleeping. Even worse, it makes her feel dizzy and nauseous. She knows her organism well enough to know she won’t puke so she doesn’t want to disturb Thalias reading in the living room, but she would like for the shipsick sensations to subside and let her in peace.

At some point she can’t take it anymore and get out of her bed.

-Thalias? I don’t feel well… She says with a little voice.

Thalias jumps off the couch to her feet and runs to her. 

-You’re not feeling well? You want to throw up? She puts her hand on Che’ri’s forehead, you don’t have a fever, you don’t tremble. I will take your temperature.

She helps her to the couch and goes for the thermometer when someone knocks at the door. Thalias hurries at the door while Che’ri squeezes her plushie in her arms, while trying to get rid of her splitted vision by aggressively blinking.

-Commandant! I was just about to take Che’ri’s temperature, I’m afraid we might have to take her to the medbay, indicates Thalias stepping away to let Thrawn enter.

-You are not feeling alright ? He immediately kneels next to the couch, holding one of her hands.

-I feel weird… Che’ri laments

He puts his hand on her forehead too, concentrating to feel any variance of temperature.

- You do not seem to have a fever, but we are never too much careful, he indicates Thalias to retrieve the thermometer. What are your symptoms?

-I don’t really know, I feel like I’m dizzy but I know I won’t throw up. I feel like my brain is fried and all my body is pulsing. I feel like my body and mind are loosely tied up…

He holds his chin, his eyebrows like he is intensely concentrating.

-Did it appear when you came back to us on the bridge? He investigates.

-Yes… I immediately felt wrong.

-Why didn't you say a thing? Thalias asks, a bit irritated but more worried, back with the thermometer.

-I thought it would pass after some time, I didn’t want to worry you, Che’ri curls back on herself.

-Oh Che’ri, I’m your caregiver. I am here for that, she sits down next to her and massages her shoulders.

- I think I know what you have, Thawn announces.

-Really? Is it grave? Thalias asks.

-Not for her health but it can diminish her faculties to guide us, he sats next to Che’ri who’s now between the two adults. You have “decentered” yourself.

Che’ri and Thalias exchange a gaze, frowning, before looking back at Thrawn.

-I’ve “decentered”... myself?

-What does that mean? I’ve never heard of that, Thalias indicates.

-I read about it in our archives, it mostly happens to skywalkers using the third sight but it can happen to anyone who did not “come back” fully from a trance of the second sight, Thrawn explains.

-What’s the third sight? Che’ri asks after a moment of silence.

Thrawn and Thalias look at each other, wondering if they should tell the little girl.

-It is another capacity of the skywalkers, some of you develop it and some will never be able to perform it, he murmurs to emphasize the secrecy of that information.

-Oh…

-But how do we “center” her again? Thalias inquires.

-We need to commune, together, as one being.

And then there was silence.

-Excuse me, what? Thalias demands, raising an eyebrow.

-We should start by sharing happy memories and what brings us joy, everything should unfold naturally, Thrawn theorizes, skywalker Che’ri what do you enjoy in life?

Che’ri is a bit taken aback by the question, what does she enjoy in life? In other circumstances she would have said her family and friends, her studies and hobbies but she is a skywalker, her life is way more down-to-earth.

-I… enjoy when I did a good job and others are pleased by my performance? She tries.

- Well you did guide us through the chaos to our desired destination in record time, so your performance was impeccable, he nods.

Che’ri squeezes her plushie lightly, a thin smile on her round cheeks, pleased by the compliment.

-What else?

-I love juices box.

They both look up to Thalias.

-Not sugar at this hour! She exclaims.

-Exceptional situations require exceptional solutions, we can make one exception for this time Thrawn mediate.

-Alright, but only one! She brings back a satra juice box.

Che’ri sipps happily on the straw, feeling a bit better already.

-Your turn, caregiver Thalias.

She opens and closes her mouth, caught off guard.

-Hum, since I joined the Mitth family I learned to make homemade marmalade.

-Really ? Che’ri asks interested.

-Yes, really, she smiles, I will make you taste it someday.

-And you, commandant? Che’ri interrogates.

-Me? He seems to look in the void for a second, gathering his memories. My brother and I used to go to art galleries every week-end back when I was at the Academy.

Che’ri pouts.

- I would like to know how it feels to have a brother…

-It is a bit like that. He circles her shoulders with his arm and presses her against his chest, her ear against his heart. Having a sibling is listening to another heartbeat, and synchronizing with it.

Che’ri sipps as she listens to the steady beat. It is so soothing. And his body is so warm. She let her face rest on his chest, squeezing her plushie. His hand comes to caress her hair delicately, putting one strand behind her ear. Thalias looks at them smiling, caressing the back of the little girl. Slowly, ever so slightly, a purr comes rumbling from Che'ri's throat, a tenuous sound barely hearable but unmistakably here. 

-What else ? Che'ri asks yawning

-My parents used to bring me illustrated books that I would devour for hours on end. I would read them past my bedtime, hiding under the covers with a flashlight, he confesses. 

It makes the two girls giggle. It is so agreeable, so relaxing, Che'ri's purring intensifies like a little kitten. She feels Thalias take Thrawn's hand and presses herself against her back, resting her chin on her head. Soon enough, Thalias starts purring too, louder than Che'ri but in perfect synchrony.

-What else, Che'ri ? 

-I love my plushie, it is the only thing I could buy for myself. 

She buries her nose in the fur of the plushie, inhaling the reassuring and familiar scent. Slowly, the dizziness dissipates. 

-Caregiver Thalias ? 

-I sing very well, and I like to perform for a small crowd. Her delivery slows down as her purring gets deeper and ends in a yawn too. 

Then Che'ri feels her head vibrating and she realizes it is Thrawn's chest rumbling. A deep, guttural sound coming from the depths of his rib cage and throat that works its way up his vocal cords. It cradles the young girl that listen to this pleasant sound, surrounded by warmth and security. They remain like that, in a pile like cats, holding hands and caressing hair with just the soothing sound that came to break the silence. They purr in unisson, like one, in tune with each other. The purr resonates in the room like an engine, like a pleased big feline. 

Is it how it feels, Che'ri wonders, having a family ? 

She snuggles against Thrawn's chest, squeezing her plushie and soon falls into a deep sleep, all signs of dizziness disappeared. 

Thrawn gently shakes Thalias, who blinks like she was about to go to sleep. 

-It worked. Let us put her to bed, he murmurs. 

He scoops the little girl in his arms and carries her in bed. He pulls the blanket on her, and takes the time to observe the relaxed face of Che'ri, peacefully sleeping. He feels himself purring again at this immaculate sight, a child sleeping soundly, fully trusting she is in security with him. He finds it recomforting but can't pinpoint about what. He feels Thalias's hand on his shoulder, inviting him to exit the bedroom with a smile. 

He looks back one last time to this peaceful display, and stands up, ready to carry on his duties. 

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton

[autismmydearwatson]

For all he lacks as a writer I think Tim Zahn has a track record of writing women really well. Our star pupils:

Admiral Ar'alani: a star original of Zahns, a badass military leader, ruthless, intellectual, loyal to her country only, but just so good and kind, she even goes through a mini arc of overcoming racism. She is cool enough to stand on her own as a character but also functions as a valuable influence on thrawn himself. The only bitch in the Ascendancy who is allowed to serve cunt in white. Once prompted another military force to send out a medical unit so the opponent would kill them #war crimes. Returned in Treason to tell thrawn how disappointed she was. Also a trans lesbian what who said that

Thalias: a Zahn original. someone once said that she was an example of "traditional feminine values done correctly" and I'm inclined to agree. Wanted to babysit a child soldier while having no experience being a caregiver. In love with thrawn until she spent a day in a box with him and decided to be his sword and shield instead. Compassionate and also VERY manipulative and opportunistic and able to turn a situation to her advantage. Pulled a gun on the Patriarch??? Savage in her loyalty???? Your honor I'm a sucker for a dog motif character.

Padmé: I think the reason Zahn could write Padmé but not Anakin/Vader is because in order to write Padmé you have to know how to write Thrawn to some degree. Both thrawn and padmé are opportunistic, cunning, analytical, and they both have an infectious desire to solve problems that's eating them whole. Padmé has all of this and more in Alliances, added with a little bit of sick yearning for her husband. Flawless.

Karyn Faro: another Zahn original, oh faro the woman you are. Her boss lets her talk shit to his face. She once commanded the chimaera in a battle while thrawn was on the opposing ship. Assumed that Darth Vader was just sleeping behind his mask. Zahn had to have Thrawn promote her because he knew that she couldn't die in the Purgill Event of Season Four.

Arihnda Pryce: Arihnda. Arihnda. Arihnda. Manipulative gaslight gatekeep failgirl. Class traitor. Clawed her way to high society and kicked down her friends and family all the way up. Colonized her own world. Hates her boss but too scared of him to admit. Singlehandedly brought down the entire TIE Defender project. She sucks <3🙏

[roguemonsterfucker]

“Are you all right?”

Al’iastov stopped short, rubbing away the tears that had kept her from seeing the other person’s approach. A young man in a black uniform stood facing her a few steps away. There weren’t any insignia pins on his collar, which marked him as a cadet, and his shoulder patch had a sunrise on it. That was one of the Nine Families, she knew, but she couldn’t remember which one. “I’m fine,” she said. One of her other caregivers had told her once that she should never complain about how she was feeling. “Who are you?”

“Cadet Mitth’raw’nuru,” he said. “Journeying to the Taharim Academy. Who are you?”

“Al’iastov.” She winced, remembering too late that her identity was supposed to be kept a secret from everyone except the highest-ranking officers. “I’m the captain’s daughter,” she added, repeating the lie she was always supposed to give if anyone outside the bridge crew asked.

Thrawn’s eyebrow rose, just a bit, and Al’iastov’s sinking heart sank a little deeper. He didn’t believe her. Not only was her life over, but she was probably in trouble now, too. “I mean—”

“It’s all right,” Thrawn said. “What’s wrong, Al’iastov? Can I help?”

Al’iastov sighed. She wasn’t supposed to complain. But for once she didn’t really care what she was supposed to do. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m…just worried. About…I don’t know. About what I’m going to do.”

“I understand,” Thrawn said.

Al’iastov caught her breath. Had he figured out what she was? Her brief moment of uncaring rebellion vanished, leaving her once again fully aware that she was going to be in trouble. “You do?” she asked carefully.

“Of course,” Thrawn said. “All of us feel uncertainty as we travel through life. I don’t know specifically what concerns you, but I assure you that all the cadets aboard this ship are also facing changes in their futures.”

She felt a bit of relief. So he didn’t know she was a sky-walker. “But you all know where you’re going,” she said. “You’re a cadet, and you’re going to be in the Defense Force. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“You’re a ship captain’s daughter,” Thrawn said. “That will surely open many opportunities. But just because I know I’m going to the academy doesn’t mean there aren’t a great many unknowns. And uncertainty can be the most frightening of mental states.”

And then, to Al’iastov’s surprise, Thrawn got down on one knee in front of her, putting his face a little lower than hers. Grown-ups almost never did that. Even most of Al’iastov’s other caregivers had usually stood straight up looking down at her. “But while all of us face a variety of paths, we all have the power to choose among them,” he continued. “You have that power as well, the power to choose which of those paths is the right one for you.”

[perfectpaperbluebirds]

Sick of It

Prompt from @chestcongestion  "The siblings and their partners had just purchased their property and were trying to get moved in, only for JB, Theo, and Padma to start coming down with something while the property didn't have proper heating.“

Sick ones (as requested): Theo (primarily), kinda JB and Padma

Caregivers: Audra (primarily), kinda everyone. 

Inspiration: This post about drunk sneezes and this post about being happy-drunk. 

This takes place just before the Tenbusch family builds their homestead, so later-ish in the timeline, about 5 years before what I'd consider "present day". Thalia and Padma, age 25 here, are not even in their "official" relationship quite yet. (They have been FWB on and off since college.) Theo and Audra are 30, getting settled in their professor roles and looking to get tenure, and JB and Thad will soon be starting their own consulting firm. This is a fun and exciting period, but also a very stressful one for everyone. They try to make the best of it as always. 

CW: Drinking, being drunk, and hangover descriptions. Emeto-adjacent, but doesn't actually happen. 

"Ready?" Audra whispered to Theo as they approached the door of the restaurant, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Ready as I'm gonna be," he laughed, wrapping his arm tighter around her for a quick hug. "I've heard they're determined to get me drunk, so my glass is never leaving my hand." 

"Good idea. I'll help you guard it. I refuse to let you be hungover tomorrow. That would ruin everything." The pair paused at the threshold, looking back toward the others.

~~~

"Ready?" Thad asked JB as the taller man unfolded himself from the passenger side of the car. "I'm sure you're dreading this. But I really appreciate you coming."

JB rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I'm an introvert, not a vampire, Thad. I'm not afraid of bars and groups of people. Honestly, I'm somewhat looking forward to this. We haven't gone out for drinks in forever. And I'd never miss your brother's birthday party."

"Birthday party part one," Thad reminded him, locking the car.

"Oh trust me, there's no way I could forget," JB sighed, checking to make sure the ladies were right behind them.

~~~

"Ready?" Thalia asked Padma, squeezing her hand as her eyes danced with excitement.

"I hope so," Padma said serenely, though Thalia thought she saw a flicker of anxiety deep in her eyes. "I am sure we will have fun. It will be a great weekend."

"Especially because you're here," Thalia murmured, bumping her shoulder against Padma's."I still can't believe you agreed to all of this."

"I'm so glad you invited me! I am happy to be here for your brother's birthday with your family. It is all very special for me." 

"Oh it'll be special all right," Thalia laughed. "Just wait and see."

~~~

The six converged in the entryway, removing their coats and giving each other a final once-over. They made a fine set, dressed as they were in all shades of the rainbow: Thalia in a slinky red cocktail dress, Padma in a flattering little black dress, Thad in a classic olive jacket and khakis, JB looking sharp in a camel suede sport coat and a cream turtleneck, Audra in stunning emerald, and Theo in a navy suit with a pink shirt.

"Thanks for coming along, gang," Theo said. "It'll be nice to have some familiar faces around. Stuff like this is so not in my wheelhouse." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. 

"We know, Theo–" Thad laughed.

"It's not in most of our wheelhouses," JB interjected. 

 "--But you only turn thirty once, little brother," Thad continued, "and we're going to make sure you make the most of it."

"So I've been told," said Theo. 

"Stop stalling and let's go," Thalia called. "While the night's still young."

"Okay," Theo sighed. "Here we go." Squaring his shoulders, he pushed open the restaurant door.

"Happy Birthday, Theo!!" called a chorus of voices. Directly to the left inside the door was a banquet room that had been rented out for the occasion, and inside were dozens of Theo's fellow professors, not only from his department but also from several others. 

"Thank you… thank you all very much," Theo laughed, leading the way in with his family trailing behind. Theo began making introductions, shaking hands, and accepting well wishes immediately. His birthday weekend had officially begun.

~~~

Drinks flowed and time flew by. The bar restaurant served amazing food, the servers never let a glass go empty, and everyone enjoyed the company. There were seats for all the attendees at the huge table that occupied the room, with the Tenbusch family situated at the head. However, no one really stayed seated and there was much milling about the room. Theo, one of the youngest professors at the university, was very much a favorite, and no one let him have a moment's peace, calling him here and there to take part in every conversation in the room. 

It wasn't until just before the cake was served that he got to sit down for a breather. He flopped down into Thad's empty chair beside JB, immediately removing his jacket and rolling up his shirtsleeves. Thalia's empty chair was on his other side, with Padma in the chair beside that. The rest of the family was elsewhere. His attire adjusted, Theo had barely taken a swallow of his drink when the chair beside him was suddenly occupied, but not by Thalia. 

"Loogk at this, I found a seat by the guest of honor! Habby birthday, young mban!"

Theo turned with some trepidation, but summoned a warm smile. "Duane. Glad you could make it. I heard you were out sick yesterday."

"Oh, God, yes, and today, too. Caught sumb godawful bug and was hagcking ubp a lu'g. Cand't lecture whed you cand't breathe. But I'm doi'g bedder than I was. And I would ndever mbiss your party!"

Before Theo could reply, a group of servers arrived with much ado, singing loudly and carrying a huge birthday cake, topped with lit sparklers. The party goers joined in the happy birthday chorus as the cake was placed in front of the young professor, and he smiled and flushed appropriately. He made a good show of trying to blow out the candles as everyone laughed before the servers took pity on him and dunked them in a bowl of water, then took the cake away to be cut. 

They had hardly cleared the door when from beside Theo a staggered, gasping breath was heard: 

“hEHH-! hH’EHHSSHH’ooo! ESSHHH’ooo! ITZSSHH’uhhh-!”

It was the wettest, most spraying sneezing fit Theo had ever heard, and his stomach plummeted. He was quite sure he'd felt some spray mist his cheek, and he scrubbed it against his shoulder awkwardly. JB and Padma also moved, Padma to swipe at her arm and JB to wipe his hand on his pants, both shifting away from the sick man in their midst.

"... Bless you!" Theo said, ever the gentleman. "That was… big."

"God, sorry! Thadt jusdt came oudt of nowhere. I thingk it was the smoke from those ca'dles. Yeesh, ndow I ndeed to go find a tissue. Excuse mbe…." The older man darted away in embarrassment, but the damage was done. Theo, Padma, and JB exchanged looks, unable to believe that had really just happened. 

Thalia breezed in at that moment, flopping into her seat just as Theo had done, then knocked back her drink as she flipped the hair away from her forehead. 

"Whew, it is WARM in here! I think I need something frozen to drink next. But why are y'all sitting over here being antisocial?"

"We're waiting for them to cut the cake," Theo said. "Gimme a break, Lee, this is the first time I've sat down all night." 

"I guess I'll allow it. What's your excuse?" she asked, craning her neck to look at JB. 

"I guess I don't have one," he laughed. "You and Thad haven't been by to socialize me in a while."

"I see, blame it on me. Well that just means you get to be our bodyguard when we go get more drinks and listen to the band, then. C'mon, both of you."

She gently took Padma's arm and gave JB a pointed look. He stood willingly enough and let himself be led to the bar, giving Theo a smile and a shrug. Theo watched them go with a smile of his own, overwhelmed with fondness for his people. 

He felt a kiss on the top of his head a moment later, then Audra slid into JB's vacant chair. 

"I'm glad to see you smiling," she said. "You must be enjoying yourself."

"I certainly am. I appreciate everyone going to all the effort to do this. They're being very kind."

Audra raised an eyebrow. "That sounds to me like polite BS. Are you having fun or not?"

Theo shrugged. "This isn't personally my idea of fun, as you know. But I'm not having a bad time. It's enjoyable enough."

"But you can't wait to get home to the peace and quiet," Audra finished for him.

"I won't deny that," he laughed, but the laugh slowly faded into a frown. "Though it's nice to be too warm instead of too cold for a while."

"Tell me about it," she sighed. Then she gave him a look, swatting his arm. "But hey, no pouting allowed on your birthday weekend. I can see you're already getting worked up about it. Don't let our cold house ruin your night when we're not even there right now."

Theo's frown deepened for a brief moment, then faded. "You're right. As usual. No point in thinking about it. No negativity tonight." 

They shared a small smile just as the servers returned, bearing slices of cake on little plates. Theo and Audra were served first, and each took a forkful right away, tapping them together in a little "cheers" before happily digging in.

~~~

The Tenbusch siblings were new landowners as of the prior Thanksgiving weekend, almost exactly three months ago. Thad and Theo were the primary cosigners, but they had big plans for the land, and the plans involved all three siblings and their partners. Their new property was mostly undeveloped forest, and that was the way they intended to leave it. However, they had no desire to “rough it”, either. As soon as the frost broke, construction would start on their big, beautiful house. Their dream home. The plans were drawn, the loans were approved, the contractors were hired, and the land was cleared. They were all but chomping at the bit for spring, the true start of their new lives. 

Of course, this had not been a cheap endeavor, and Theo regularly had nightmares about how much debt they were holding. It had taken all of their cumulative resources and then some to afford the down payment plus the construction loan, and with the monthly payments there was no extra money for a lease in the professors' budget. Luckily, even before their dream home was built, the property was able to house them. Other than forest, the property held one important feature: a massive, old, Victorian home.

The huge structure had been the primary residence of the previous owner of the property, and he had (somewhat) modernized it. The big appliances were all at least ten years old, the roof and siding needed updating, and the insulation was lacking, at best. However, the plumbing and electricity were solid and the bones of the house were perfect. Per several inspectors, there was no reason why people couldn't continue to live there after it had been cleaned out and sanitized, so that’s exactly what the professors decided (were forced, really) to do. 

There was one huge drawback to the old house, though, that Theo had complained about all winter long: it didn't have central heat, and was instead heated via a coal stove in the center of the house. The coal stove was a decent, modern unit, but it was nowhere near big enough to heat the house adequately, especially coupled with the poor insulation. The three important rooms on the main floor (dining room, kitchen, and living room) and some of the second floor bedrooms stayed at a livable temperature for the most part, but the rest of the house had to be kept at least twenty degrees cooler. To save on coal, even the main rooms were kept five to ten degrees cooler than Theo would have preferred, and he was sick of all of it. 

He complained every time he had to fill the stove. He complained every time he crawled into bed between cold sheets. He complained every time he had to go to the unheated parts of the house. He complained about having to wear an extra layer all the time. Audra was fed up with him and told him as much time and again. They had more than one fight about the situation, which always ended in Theo crawling back to her, sheepishly apologizing. He knew he was being an ass. He was really an easygoing person overall, but being cold was one thing he didn't tolerate well, and he had been cold since October. He did his best to keep his attitude in check these days, but the situation was wearing him down. 

His birthday weekend was a welcome distraction. His wife and siblings planned to go all-out, hosting a big house party in "the Lodge" as they'd taken to calling the Victorian, inviting all their college friends and local friends and any family in the area. It was going to be an all-night murder mystery party, and the booze would be flowing liberally. Best of all, Thad, JB, and Thalia, plus Thalia's guest, were coming to stay at the Lodge with them for the weekend. With the other siblings still finishing out leases in other parts of the country, the big house felt bigger and lonelier when it was just Theo and Audra rattling around inside. A house full of company, even for a few days, would be wonderful. 

For that reason, pulling up to the Lodge after the office party ended late that Friday night didn't depress Theo like it usually did, because two more cars pulled up behind him, and he was soon surrounded by the people he loved most in the world. The moon was bright and the snow was deep and crisp. They hadn't gotten any fresh snow in a few days, so everything was cleared and plowed, but the heavy, white carpet over everything made the air fresh and still. They had all been in and out of the house throughout the day, dropping off bags as flights arrived and changing into their evening wear. Rooms were already chosen and tours had already been given, so all that was left to do was settle in and relax. Their breath gathered around them in a cloud as they made their way inside as one, the faint smell of alcohol lingering. No one was drunk, but they were all buzzed and warm, and all was right with the world. 

Once inside the door they all scattered, hanging up coats and kicking off uncomfortable shoes. Theo ran upstairs to change immediately. Once he was in casual clothes, he began to tend to the stove, shaking it down and filling it with more coal, being sure not to grumble. The others changed into various forms of pajamas as well. Since it wasn't long until midnight, it was proposed to make a round of hot chocolate before bed so they could toast to Theo at 12:00 when his official birthday began. There was a flurry of activity as this plan was executed, but enough mugs were located, everyone was gathered together, and the drinks poured with only minimal spillage just as the mantle clock began to chime the hour. 

"Happy birthday, Theo!" they all chorused. 

"Thanks, you guys," Theo grinned. "It's been a great birthday already."

"Here's hoping he best is yet to come," Audra said, wrapping her arm around his waist and giving him a squeeze. "For your birthday weekend and for your life."

"We're wishing you nothing but health and success and happiness. Your future is bright," JB said in his quiet, earnest way. 

"To plenty more nights you'll never forget and mornings you wish you could forget," Thalia teased. 

"The thirties are way better than the twenties, I can tell you that from experience. So enjoy, little brother. May you always savor good wine, good company, and good memories," Thad said, lifting his mug. "To Theo."

"To Theo!" everyone repeated, tapping their mugs together. 

"To Theo," Padma said clearly. All eyes turned to her at the unexpected interjection. "I have only just met you today, but I can already see you are a good and kind person with a bright spirit. I am so glad to be here for your birthday."

Teary-eyed, Theo swiped away moisture from behind his glasses, but his smile never wavered. "Thank you all. I really am surrounded by the best people. I'm so thankful for all of you."

Thalia interrupted the round of smiles that followed in her usual, brusque way. "Okay, okay, no more mushy stuff, or else Theo will really get going. So… what are we doing next?"

"Theo's birthday. Theo's choice," said Thad. 

Everyone looked at the man of the hour expectantly. 

Theo rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Well… I don't want to be boring but… I was planning to head to bed after I finished my drink. I'm beat. And tomorrow is going to be another long day."

“You are looking a little peaky,” Audra agreed, kissing the top of his head. “You probably should go to bed. I know today was a lot of people-ing for you. And there will be even more tomorrow.” 

“Exactly,” Theo sighed. “Sorry, guys.”

Once more, Padma spoke up before anyone else: "I am also very tired. It has been a long day of traveling for me. I think I would go to bed, also."

“We’ll call it for tonight, then,” Thad said. “We’ll have plenty more shenanigans tomorrow.” 

The cocoa party broke up shortly thereafter, and everyone started to go their separate ways for their evening routines. Before turning in, Theo checked the stove one last time to ensure it would go through the night. For once, he smiled to himself as he made sure the old house would stay warm, because for the first time since they had moved in, the Lodge was warm in other ways. For the first time, it felt like a home. 

~~~

The house was a flurry of activity beginning surprisingly early the next day, considering the previous late night. Audra, Thad, and Thalia had been working overtime planning Theo’s birthday bash, and they each had a lengthy to-do list for the day. However, they made sure the guest of honor had a wonderful breakfast waiting when he awoke, and the family enjoyed a delicious meal of pecan butterscotch pancakes and bacon before scattering to their assigned tasks. 

At first Theo, JB, and Padma tried to make themselves useful, but their partners quickly exhausted the list of easy tasks they could help with, so the three of them found themselves aimlessly wandering around the house before noon. Exasperated, the party planners shooed them away. 

“Find something to do or somewhere to go,” Audra said, helping Thad organize the props for the story. “We’ve got it under control here. Just be back a few hours before it starts so you can get ready.”

JB and Theo looked at each other, at a loss. Then Theo’s eyes lit up. “Hey, have you checked out all the trails around here yet for the sleds? Audra and I have found a lot of fun ones recently! If we can get them groomed, they’ll be amazing.”

JB grinned. “Nope, not yet. I wasn’t even here when you showed Thad the ones you knew about a few months ago, so I’d love to see them.”

“Awesome, let's do that. Some fresh air sounds great.”

“Perfect, yes, go play outside for a few hours and leave us in peace,” Thad laughed. 

Padma and Thalia were in the next room getting started on the decorating during this conversation. Theo saw Padma was listening closely, and a wistful look crossed her face once the snowmobiling plan was set. Smiling, he approached her. 

“Padma, would you like to join us to go snowmobiling?”

Her eyes lit up in a flash. “Oh, could I? I would like that very much! I have never gone, but it sounds like so much fun.”

“Of course you can come. Do you have warm enough clothes?”

“If not, you can borrow mine,” Thalia interjected. “I came prepared for anything.”

“As usual,” Theo laughed. “Perfect. We’ll meet out back in fifteen minutes, okay?”

“Oh, yay! I can’t wait!” Padma said, her eyes shining in anticipation. 

~~~

There were currently four working snowmobiles on the property, two of which were much better than the others, though Theo made sure they all ran reliably. It was in the plan to attain at least six nice ones eventually, but it was part of an extensive list of things that were needed in the next few years, and the priority on the sleds was low. Nevertheless, once the trio had gathered outside, garbed in thick clothes and helmets, the gentlemen offered Padma her pick of the sleds, but she quietly declined to drive her own, asking if it would be possible to ride with someone else instead, this being her first ride. 

“You can ride with me, Padma,” JB said. 

“No, you’re riding with me,” Theo said. “First, because I know the trails better, second, because she wouldn’t be able to see over you, and third, because I would guess you weigh more than the two of us put together,” Theo laughed. 

“That’s a bit of a low blow, calling me fat, even if it is your birthday,” JB said mildly, though his eyes twinkled. 

“That wasn’t a fat jab, you’re just excessively tall, so I’m sure you have a lot of bone mass,” Theo said. “Also, you could probably bench press me if you wanted to, and muscle is even heavier.” 

“You’re right, I could,” JB agreed. “I was trying to be polite. But you make a good argument. You two lead, and I’ll follow.”

“Is that okay with you, Padma?” Theo asked, turning to her deferentially. “Riding behind me, I mean?”

“Yes, that is fine,” she said sweetly. “Whatever you think is best.”

“Awesome. Then let’s get going!”

The trio spent a pleasant afternoon zooming over the Tenbusch property, exploring trails and potential trails. Part of their long-term plan for their acreage was to renovate the Lodge and turn it into a B&B for snowmobilers and other winter sports enthusiasts who wanted to explore some private land. For that reason, establishing trails that could be groomed and maintained was practical as well as fun, though this side business likely wouldn’t materialize for several years. 

Thalia had thoughtfully packed them a sack lunch of sandwiches and hot drinks, so at the extreme end of the property, almost directly opposite from the Lodge, they found a clearing with some handy logs to serve as seats and got off the sleds for a bit of rest and food. The gentlemen spent the time getting to know Padma a bit, having just been introduced to her the previous day. They had heard her name a few times from their sister, and knew the pair had been close during their later university years, but after graduation Padma had moved away and it seemed their contact had lapsed. However, Thalia had started mentioning her again within the last six months or so, and it was very telling to the brothers that this tiny, quiet woman had flown halfway across the country to spend a weekend at a family party. They could tell Thalia adored Padma, and the affection seemed to go both ways. Strong-willed, independent, flighty Thalia needed to find someone to settle down with and start a life with sooner or later, and Padma was the first person whom Thalia had brought home to meet them in years, so the siblings' hopes were high, especially since Padma seemed so lovely. 

She was a willing conversationalist, answering and asking questions easily, and words flowed the entire time. (As did noses. The cold air and hot drinks wreaked havoc on their sinuses, and every other word seemed punctuated by a sniffle from someone.) Quiet but self-assured and exuding an undeniable aura of peace, the brothers were charmed by Padma immediately. By the end of their mini lunch break, the three felt like old friends, bonding in a way that only introverts can. 

It was too windy and loud to talk while riding, but Theo and Padma found they could communicate easily with gestures and taps, and by the end of their tour, Padma was pointing out trails from afar that the other two missed. In this way, they stumbled on several charming little spots that they could sense would be breathtaking in the green seasons. JB carried a surveyor map of the property and marked the things they found as they went along. In all, they had a most delightful time, and all three were smiling later that day when, back at the Lodge, they disembarked from the sleds and removed their helmets. 

“Thanks for tagging along, you guys! That was wonderful,” Theo said. “A perfect way to spend an afternoon.”

“It was our pleasure,” JB said. “I had a great time, too.”

“Oh yes!” Padma said. “Thank you for letting me join! I hope we can do it again another time.”

After they shared one last smile all around, Theo turned, helmet under his arm, and began to head toward the house. However, before he reached the door he stopped to cough, long and harsh, his breath billowing up into the cold air. As soon as he could somewhat breathe, he turned to the other two apologetically, face red and eyes streaming from more than just the temperature. 

“Sorry, too much dry air,” he gasped, still wheezing slightly. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

JB and Padma nodded, but glanced at each other in concern as soon as his back was turned. A cough as thick and chesty as the one they’d just heard wasn’t caused by dry air alone. 

~~~

The Lodge was still topsy-turvy from the party preparations upon their return, so the snowmobilers made themselves scarce right away, going up to their rooms to shower off the gasoline smell and change into their party clothes. In the end, with nothing much else to do, all three ended up taking naps as well, the fresh air having had its way with them. They were all awakened by their significant others not long before the guests were due to start arriving, and the snowmobilers found themselves very groggy and disoriented. JB complained of a headache upon waking, and took another quick, cool shower to try to wake up, which did little to help. Padma was even quieter than usual, saying her throat was dry and sore from the wind when pressed. Theo’s cough had worsened as he slept, and his voice was already going, much to his chagrin. On top of that, all three were still congested and drippy, not to mention tired. However, the party couldn’t go on without the main family group, especially Theo, so they pulled themselves together as best they could, plastered on smiles, and prepared to greet the guests. 

There was no snow predicted in the weekend forecast, which is exactly what the party planners had hoped for. Travel was safe, so every single person that had been invited showed up, eager for any excuse to break the dull monotony of an endless Midwest winter. They all arrived over the course of an hour or so, bringing booze and food and gifts and props, not to mention overnight bags. It was understood that the party was going to last most of the night, and there was an open invitation for the guests to stay the night at the Lodge if they wished. The family had gotten the whole house warmed up over the course of the day, building fires in every fireplace and opening all the furnace vents for the first time all winter, so there was plenty of sleeping room for guests who wished to drink without having to worry about driving home or to a hotel. The house quickly got very warm and very loud, and the under-the-weather snowmobilers were at first overwhelmed. Theo was in the toughest position, because much like the night before, he was expected to greet every guest and talk and laugh and act the host. Two nights in a row of this would have been difficult regardless, but all of it on top of a burgeoning cold was something he never would have wished for. 

The cold they were brewing seemed to be a nasty one, too. Within a few hours Theo went from sniffly and drippy to thickly congested and sneezing heavily. JB and Padma fared a bit better and didn’t worsen at the rapid rate he did, but both were sick enough in their own right, forced to keep tissues pressed to their nose or near at hand the whole night. Padma was found swallowing a hearty dose of cough syrup at one point for a wickedly sore throat and persistent dry cough, and JB was alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen through the whole event for a headache that never eased up. Theo had these on top of his nasty coughing and sneezing, and in short he was a sickly, pathetic mess in no time. 

Yet somehow, miraculously, or perhaps by sheer force of will, they all had a delightful time despite their obvious illness. The food was delicious, the company was excellent, the booze was strong, and the house was warm. Was everything perfect? Of course not. (A few examples: Early in the evening, a try of full shot glasses was dropped, and most of them shattered. The story book for the murder mystery was misplaced for an hour or so, and Audra was convinced people were passing it around to see “whodunnit”, since there was a lot of conspiratorial whispering later when it turned up. The lack of door locks in the old house caused a guest on a quest for the restroom to accidentally barge in on a nearly-naked couple as they changed into their costumes for the event. The intruder was beyond embarrassed; the couple took it in stride and teased him endlessly for the rest of the night.) Yet no one minded. If anything, the mishaps only added to the fun, familiar atmosphere and made it a night no one would ever forget. Looking back later, Theo privately wondered if the house itself didn’t add its own bit of magic to the evening. After all, this house was built and designed to house guests and parties. Perhaps being full and warm again made the house feel just as alive as its inhabitants. There was no other good explanation for the undeniable delight that permeated the celebration. 

Whatever the contributing factors, though, Theo couldn’t have imagined a better 30th birthday. Once he resigned himself to his fate, he firmly decided to make the best of it. After all, having been born in February, in the heart of cold and flu season, it wasn’t the first time he was sick on his birthday, and it wouldn’t be the last. The food, friends, and fun were here, so here was where he wanted to be. In order to ease the discomfort of his disgusting cold, he set out to get comfortably drunk instead, which he found to be the perfect remedy, and from there proceeded to thoroughly enjoy his evening. 

He was never able to remember much of that night, as everything faded to a warm, bright haze of congestion and intoxication (Even without the drinking, the cold would have made his memory and focus weak at best), but he did remember being happy and feeling loved. He tried to rein in the ticklish explosions of his sneezy cold, but they got worse, not better. Yet no one seemed to mind, even when he sneezed directly on them or next to them. His reflexes were shot from the start, so he was rarely able to get a tissue or even his arm to his nose in time to catch the blasts, but people just laughed over his slurred apologies and patted him on the back fondly and handed him a belated tissue to clean up the mess. There was always someone nearby to hand him a glass before he realized he was thirsty. (Sometimes it was full of water. Usually it was full of liquor.) Every time he sneezed he was blessed by at least a dozen people. Soon it became a joke, and people would cheer as he blew his nose before knocking back a shot, because eventually even shots started making him sneeze. By the end of the night they were laughing every time he sneezed, and he was laughing right along with them. 

Yet all good things must come to an end, and little by little the guests trickled out as the night grew later. When ⅔ of them had gone (or gone to find a place to sleep), Audra took Theo to bed. He was hardly conscious, sitting in a congested stupor next to the stove, so he let himself be led easily. She helped him undress and made sure he had all the supplies he might need. He was aware of none of this, though, and was snoring away before she left the room.

~~~

The celebratory atmosphere from the night before had all but vanished as the household began to wake the next morning. The sobering light of day tends to have that effect, unfortunately, even for the guest of honor. When Theo opened his crusted eyes late the next morning, he wasn’t sure at first what had awakened him, because the house was very quiet, or at least his bedroom was. Audra was nowhere in sight. Then the events of the previous evening (or his foggy memory of them) came crashing down, and he realized how truly unwell he was. His cold had not improved in the slightest– in fact it had likely worsened– and now he was hungover to boot. Not a big drinker, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hungover, and he remembered now why he avoided this state at all costs. Absolutely everything hurt, from his head, to his eyes, to his throat, to his stomach, and so on down. Judging by how dry his mouth and eyes were, he was desperately dehydrated, but the rolling in his stomach made him leery of swallowing anything. His nose and ears were stopped shut, his chest felt thick and tight, and his throat felt like sandpaper after breathing through his mouth all night. In short, he was in the roughest shape he’d been in quite a while, and that was saying something. 

He was also freezing. He half imagined he could see his breath in the air due to how cold this room felt. Everything in him wanted to roll over and go back to sleep for the rest of the day, and he probably would have, except that his bladder was screaming to be emptied. This, he realized, was what had actually awakened him. Wishing not for the first time since moving into the Lodge that chamber pots were still in fashion, he clumsily untangled himself from the sweaty blankets (How was he so sweaty and still shivering so hard?), struggled into his robe and slippers as the room slowly spun, and staggered out the door and down the hall to the bathroom. 

The bathroom was unoccupied, which was a mercy because he honestly wasn’t sure if he would have been able to hold it long once he was standing. After the most urgent need was met, and since he was already in the bathroom, he attempted some of his morning grooming routine, hoping it would help him feel somewhat human. He wiped the sticky sweat off of his neck and chest, brushed his teeth, wet down his hair and combed it, and took a hearty dose of cold medicine, praying to whatever gods were listening that it would stay down, though the nausea was staying at a manageable level for now. But, to improve his chances, he also took some of Audra’s anti-nausea medicine washed down with a few swallows of the Gatorade someone (also probably Audra) had left by his bed. 

Now Theo had a decision to make. He knew he would be forgiven if he chose to go back to bed; he would hardly need to make a case for his illness. One needed only to look at him to see it. Yet there was a prideful, stubborn streak that ran deep in the Tenbusch family, and Theo hated the idea of being the person who was too hungover after his birthday party to get out of bed, shocking cold notwithstanding. It was his duty as the host and guest of honor to see his guests off, and by golly he was going to see it through. Also, he knew he wouldn’t feel much better lying in bed versus sitting up, miserable as he was all around. And lastly, the lower level would be warmer than up here. It had to be, because he was still convinced he could see his breath up here. 

Steeling himself, and clutching tight to the railing, a very sick Theo made his way down the main staircase, through the living room, and into the dining room, where the coal stove was housed. Now that he was more awake, he realized the house wasn’t as quiet as he’d thought while in the bedroom. There were quite a few people milling around in various states of wakefulness and health. Theo was certainly not the only one feeling the effects after a night of drinking, and his was not the only pale, sweaty, slightly green face to be seen. He tried to politely nod to everyone he passed, knowing his voice would be all but gone and not wanting to use it until he absolutely had to. He made his shaky, determined way to his favorite chair by the coal stove, and was happy to find the furnace full of fuel and roaring with heat. He eased himself down with a husky cough, wrapping a nearby blanket around himself. 

Audra appeared at his side moments later, her eyes full of surprise and concern. 

“What are you doing up, honey?” she whispered. She pressed her hand to his forehead. “You’ve been running a fever since last night. You were as good as dead when I tried to wake you this morning. I assumed you would be in bed all day.”

“We have guests. I didn’t wandt to be rude by ndot sayi’g goodbye,” he rasped. “I already toogk lots of mbedicine, and I’ll go bagck to bed once everyone is gone.” 

“That’s really not necessary, love. I can handle it,” she murmured, worry creasing her brow. 

“I know you can, budt I wandt to helbp,” he insisted. “Id was mby pardy.”

Audra shook her head. “Alright. If you’re sure, crazy.”

“I’mb sure,” he said. “Budt can you gedt mbe sumb ginger tea?”

“Absolutely,” she said, going to the kitchen right away. 

Accompanied by his tea, Theo held court in the dining room for the next several hours as their guests began to head out in twos and threes and fours. Everyone made sure to pass along to Theo their wishes for a good year ahead and hopes for his good health. He smiled and nodded at each one (in between trying not to sneeze on anyone), but (much like Bilbo Baggins at Lake Town) in deference to his awful sore throat, he limited his responses to “Thangk you very mbuch.”

By the time noon rolled around, the house had been emptied of everyone but the main family group.  Once they were alone, the six sat in the dining room in silence for a while, nursing mugs of coffee or tea, along with their various ailments. Thad and Thalia were hungover, JB and Padma were sick, Audra was exhausted, and Theo was all of the above. Yet it seemed no one was quite ready for the true end of the party to come, and no one wanted to be the first to announce they were going back to bed, though it was at the front of everyone's mind. 

"Thank goodness we all have tomorrow off," Thad finally said. "I think we'll all need it. I've never seen a sorrier bunch. Bless you, love," he added as JB stifled a sneeze into his elbow.

"Amen," said Theo, though it sounded more like 'abend'. "Whadt a weegkend."

"You can say that again," Thalia groaned. "It was a great party. Everyone kept saying it was unforgettable. But the most unforgettable part was that they're all going to get sick. You sneezed SO MUCH, Theo. You literally sneezed all over everyone and everything, so many times. And JB and Padma weren't much better, no offense. You all made quite the group, let me tell you." 

Theo reddened. "Did I? I was hopi'g I'd imbagined thadt pardt."

Everyone shook their heads. 

 "You were a mess, love," Audra said, smiling fondly. "But you were a happy, adorable mess, so no one minded. I haven't seen you so happy in a long time." 

"I do reme'ber thadt," Theo nodded. "Bei'g habby. Bei'g warmb."

"If that's what you remember, then I call the weekend a success. We'll blame the house for the sneezing. You've been cold all winter and finally got sick because of it. The timing was just unfortunate."

Theo shook his head. "We can blame Duane for the cold." He glanced at JB and Padma who nodded vehemently, to the confused looks of the rest. "We'll explain later. Budt because of the house, we could hosdt this pardy, and for thadt I'mb grateful. Id was everythi'g I could have hoped for." 

"So your feud against the old place is over then, eh?" teased Thad. 

Theo shrugged. "For ndow. Budt you're in charge of taki'g care of the stove until you leave. As mby birthday presendt."

His older brother laughed. "You've got a deal. The faucet you've got for a nose right now would probably put it out anyway. 

Theo scrubbed at his dripping nose self-consciously. "Exactly." 

JB slowly stood and stretched, wiping his own red nose with a cough. "I don't know about the rest of you, but the only thi'g I'mb hoping for is a few more hours of sleeb."

"Or days," Audra agreed, also standing. 

With much scraping of chairs, everyone stood, murmuring their agreement. In the shuffle, no one noticed Padma dart to Theo's side to give him a quick hug around the waist. 

"Habby birthday again, Theo," she said. "Resdt well. I hope you feel bedder sood." 

He smiled at her, his tired, red eyes and cold-damp nose matching hers. "Thangk you, Padma. You feel bedder, too. Gedt sumb good rest." 

As she pulled away, Thalia was right behind her with a hug of her own for her brother. "Since I'm doomed to catch this from one of you, I guess I can give you another birthday hug. Feel better, Theo, for all our sakes."

Not one to miss a trend, Thad, too, had a one-armed hug for Theo. "Get well soon. I don't want you to spend the rest of our visit in bed."

"I'll do mby besdt," Theo laughed, moving on to hug JB, making sure he was included in the ritual. "Feel bedder, brother. You loogk exhausted. I hope you sleeb well." 

"Same to you," JB replied, willingly reciprocating the hug. 

At last Theo shuffled to Audra's side, leaning against her heavily. She kissed his shoulder and began to lead him toward the stairs, with the rest close behind. 

"Thangk you for a wo'derful birthday weegkend," the professor croaked to his wife. "You did an amazi'g job. I'mb sorry I spoiled id by geddi'g sigck."

"You didn't spoil anything. You were wonderful, too. You're probably pretty sick of people by now, though, huh?... No pun intended. Well, maybe a little intended."

Theo laughed outright at that, though it was cut short by a cough. "Surprisi'gly, ndo. Tired, yes. Sigck in a different way, obviously. Budt I'mb surrounded by people who wandt to spend time with mbe even when I'mb contagious. Who could ask for anythi'g mbore than thadt?"