#jesperklausen

[thehighlandhealer]

The demon nodded, accepting her agreement. "How long will this take?" He looked at a watch on his wrist before taking a sip of his tea, testing the flavor on his pallet for a moment before taking a much larger drink.

"Klausen, if ye're expectin' me to teach ye how to have a normal conversation on a timetable ye've go' another thing comin'. Ye can't force conversation, ye get no enjoyment out o' it that way."

"Now, when was the last time ye actually had a normal conversation excludin' today?"

[thehighlandhealer]

"From what I can tell I generally make him uncomfortable and eventually grow frustrated and leave. Or something much like that." He glared at her slightly. "Are you willing to teach me or not?"

"That doesn't seem like a verra good system," said Bronwyn, taking a sip of her tea. She considered a moment, weighing the prospect of Jesper's planned presence against his sudden, unexpected one.

"Sure. I'll teach ye how to converse."

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper added tea to his cup of alcohol, allowing it to steep for a bit as he looked across the table at his jester. "I must admit, I'm not skilled in normal conversation. Perhaps this is where I fail with Paola as well." He snatched another cookie. "Do you believe it is something you could teach me?"

Bronwyn blinked in surprise. "Ye want me to teach ye how to have a normal conversation? What do ye and Poe do that ye'd need that from me? Stare at each other?"

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper nodded and remained silent for a moment as she poured, allowing close to half of the cup to be filled with whiskey before he finally raised a hand, indicating for her to stop. "And you are okay with giving the child up? I know how fond human mothers can be of offspring."

Saw that one coming, thought Bronwyn, shaking her head as she closed the bottle. Hopefully this day wouldn't end with him drinking all her alcohol again.

She sighed and sat across from him, mulling his question over. "I wouldn't have offered to be their surrogate if I thought I wouldn't be able to give up custody. I know it's goin' to be hard, verra hard, but I feel better knowin' that my baby's wanted and that he'll be verra loved and that I'll still get to see him and be part o' his life."

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper sighed, speaking with humans was so mundane. How could they enjoy such boring lives? Didn't they know what they were missing out on? "When are you... due?" He nodded towards her belly and picked up his fifth cookie.

"Mid-May. The eighteenth to be exact, but ev'ryone keeps tellin' me no' to hold my breath thinkin' he'll come when he's supposed to." Bronwyn placed a cup of tea in front of Jesper and opened the bottle of whiskey she'd gotten from a cabinet, pouring some in. "Say when."

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper arched a brow, "I will say nothing more on the subject." He had already devoured three cookies and was starting on his fourth, it seemed he'd replaced the bottles of alcohol from last time with sweets. Luckily calories and sugar didn't matter to demons. "How is life?" His attempt at small talk was poor, but it was at least an attempt.

Bronwyn squinted at Jesper, but knowing he wouldn't elaborate unless he so pleased, she turned her attention to pouring their tea and placing more cookies on the plate.

"Life is drenched in hormones and strange symptoms and I think I've eaten so much candied ginger that it's become its own food group in my universe and I can't remember the last time I was this happy."

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper couldn't hide the smile from his lips at his jester's statements. "I do appreciate your confirmation of our relationship's well-doing." He peered at her, looking to her round belly. "The child you bear belongs to a man I know." He wasn't about to give out any information on exactly how he knew the father, he knew what the result of that would be.

"Just callin' it how I see it." Bronwyn looked down at her belly before frowning at Jesper. That didn't sound particularly ominous, but... "Am I goin' to have to throw somethin' at ye? We've been gettin' along so well the past few minutes."

[thehighlandhealer]

Jesper chuckled a bit, this woman definitely knew his husband,and she was right when she said what she did about the reaper. "This is true. He still wears the ring I gave him." That had to man something, he could have just as easily gotten rid of it, sold it or simply tossed it in the trash. He snatched a cookie immediately, it seemed he had a habit of eating or drinking when he was worried or even contemplative. "Is that true?

"There, ye see?" Bronwyn took the whistling kettle off the stove and filled the teapot, then grabbed two cups. "That no one craves intimacy with someone they don't care about? Aye, it is. It's also true that no one hangs on to a ring from a marriage that doesn't mean anythin' to them. Ye and Poe are goin' to be fine."