Solstice Future - Montage Scene 5 - Family Discussion

[rix_scaedu]

I wrote this to kelkyag's second prompt.

“So, why ‘Rune’?”  Constantine asked that over coffee between just the three of them.  It was something that parents would normally know but because of their abnormal circumstances neither he nor Dagmar knew why their daughter had the names she did.

“Lovvey Street Orphanage used to name the unnamed babies who came in from a copy of the Limned Book,” Rune replied then drank from her coffee cup.  “When I was left there, the next unused word on the page was ‘rune’ so ‘Rune’ I became.”

“I was told,” commented Dagmar, “and my mother was told, that you were going to a foster family.  I was even told I couldn’t have you back because you were so settled with them.”

Rune and Constantine exchanged a look.  “Rune’s not so bad,” that young lady went on, “I refused to change it when you gave me the chance to, after all.  My childhood best friend’s name is a conjunction and one of the bigger boys’ name was a third person neutral pronoun.”  She drank more coffee.  “He isn’t by the way, neutral I mean.”

Her mother was diverted for a moment.  “How do you know that?”

“Observation.”  Rune shook her head.  “Don’t get me wrong, I like him but I’ve never felt sufficient desire to fight my way past the current lovely so I could paddle in those waters.”

“So,” her father sipped on his coffee, “are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

“No.”  She held the cup with both hands.  “Apparently now I’m too scary or something.  In some ways it was less complicated when I didn’t have a family.”

“You’re going to be the Sjeldnjar Ruhtig,” pointed out Constantine.  “That’s a big deal.”

“Too big a deal apparently.”  Rune looked pensive and her mother looked thoughtful.

“Anyway,” Constantine judged it an opportune moment to change the subject, “Rune, we were wondering if you would object if we, your mother and I, began to live together.”

“Why would my opinion be of any relevance?”  She looked at them both.

“Children often have views on their parents’ personal and sex lives,” pointed out Constantine while Dagmar took refuge behind her coffee cup.

“I don’t think it’s any of my business,” said Rune in a practical tone.  “I mean, obviously, I’m grateful that you had a sex life at the time I was conceived, but aside from that it’s nothing to do with me.  If you want to live together and you’ll both be happier, better and better off  together than apart, then go for it.”