Paradise Falls Mariposas

For @Chan firstly, but other observers welcome - bear in mind that no one else will be allowed near the den.

in the moment we're lost and found

 

The last few weeks of her pregnancy had been especially tough for the aging wolfess, fatigue and nausea both returning in force, keeping her mostly den-bound. Her anxiety had only grown the further along she got, her waking hours spent worrying about every little thing that might affect her unborn pups, while her sleep was plagued by nightmares of flashing teeth and pale orange eyes. Neither serving to alleviate her growing physical discomfort.

 

She hadn’t even been able to visit Finley, having to hear about her ordeal through Chan – not exactly soothing her own fears. Perhaps that was why, when she first felt the pains, in the early hours of the morning, she didn’t acknowledge them, trying instead to go about as normal. Shuffling the short distance down to the water for a drink, even forcing herself to eat, just like every other morning that week. She spent the day trying to distract herself, though she couldn’t do much other than openly ignore the increasing strength of the cramps seizing her body over and over.

 

By sunset, she finally had to admit the truth, sending out a short, sharp howl to let her partner know the time had come. Whatever might await them, she wanted him at her side. Breathing heavily now, she squeezed herself back into the narrow den, trying to find a comfortable position, readying herself for the labour ahead. Still, it would be far into the night before it began in earnest.

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As he had done the year prior, Chan had managed what he could to ensure that @Finley had made it completely through her pregnancy and then his presence was heavily centered around Flair. It would have been solely, but there was one other who still had a gravitational pull on him and thus continued to have his time even as the days closed in. After losing Auburn, he couldn't allow Marigold to think she was being forgotten even for a single moment. They were walking together then, not far at all from his partner's chosen den when the expecting wolf called out to him.

His heart began to hammer and thought fled him while his muscles moved readily into rapid action. Turning on his heels he sprinted back toward Flair, yipping and yowling loudly the entire way. Selfishly, he wished to set the pack on edge, for them to know that not only was it time, but that they needed them to be ready for anything. Chan could not lose more children in any way that might have been prevented.

When he reached the maw of her chosen birthing place, he lowered to the ground and curled up around it, fur bristled and mismatched eyes darting around, on high alert. It wasn't like him, to be so paranoid, but he couldn't, and didn't want, to help it. He'd rather be embarrassed of his behavior later than allow more death into their lives. When he felt safe, he lowered his face into the hole, peaking in at the murky shadows where Flair lie.

"I'm here for you."

If she wanted him down there with her, he would oblige. If she wanted her space, he would continue to be a sentinel, a physical barrier between her and the rest of the world. Either way, anyone or anything would literally have to get through Chan to get to Flair or their (hopefully) coming children.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2023, 04:20 AM by Chan.)

Mar had been angry when she'd first come to the Falls and found her father responsible for a pregnancy. She'd been even more irate about it when she'd learned he'd made such a choice after finding out about herself and her brother, as though he hadn't already been gifted children, like he wasn't finishing what he started before moving on from it.

Auburn, though?

He'd been so thrilled. With the thought of their father maybe being happy and at peace, of being a big sibling, of seeing who and what his nieces and nephews would become. He would never be able to enjoy any of it now, and so rather than continue leading with bitterness, Marigold had made a choice. She would appreciate this novel step of life for Aub instead, and do her best to be for them in a way that would make him proud.

This meant working on forgiving Chan, too. It was easier, seeing how genuine his grief was for Auburn, feeling assured that the brother she loved really had been valued in the way he'd deserved to be. Still, there were knots that remained stubborn, and painful. How quickly he turned and left her behind tugged at them, but she swallowed that feeling back and focused on the reality of the situation instead, of how pivotal a moment she knew this was for the older wolf. With a deep breath, she steadied her emotions and ran after.

The racket he made persuaded her into sending out her own howl, these notes more of a matter-of-fact announcement that Flair's labor had begun. She felt they were perfectly safe here, but her father's anxieties were palpable and it put her on edge all the same. While he took up post right upon the den, Mar killed two birds with one stone by investigating their surroundings, a distraction from whatever was happening underground while still focusing on keeping guard for all the things Chan so feared.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2023, 04:19 AM by Chan.)

Finley's only post. Please skip her going forward.

Atara was now two weeks old, and though that had lost the other two she was strong and healthy, and growing larger every day. The cub was now babbling and moving around quite a bit, and just a day or two ago her eyes had open for the first time. Finley was still not able to leave the den other than to relieve herself and get a quick drink of water, but she had been eagerly awaiting any news of Flair and her litter.

When the short call bounced across the territory calling for Chan, the tawny woman poked her head out of her own den. An anxious look adorned her features, wishing she could be there for the woman she had slowly come to see as a friend, and who she respected very much as her leader. Lifting her muzzle to the sky the Lennox woman sang out a song of encouragement, the only thing she could offer now, before ducking back into her den.

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2023, 05:52 PM by Sephrina.)

He’d have been there anyways, after what had happened last year. For Flair, his friend and co-lead, and of course for Chan, who’d been.. well, perhaps the closest thing to a mentor Jet had ever had. Seeing how the losses had hurt two of his friends had already hurt, but having a personal level of experience now, of how it felt to lose children meant he wouldn’t have even fathomed being anywhere else.

Jethro felt comfortable enough leaving Finley to tend to their daughter for a time to venture towards the sounds, keeping both an eye and ear out for anything along the way. With a short call to Chan and Marigold, he took to patrolling an area opposite Chan’s older daughter. Far enough away to give them all privacy, but close enough to be present if needed.

--skippable unless directly addressed!

After it all, we'll remember tonight

She could no longer stave off the fear, feeling it grip her heart with sabre-teeth, squeezing it tight. The terror consumed her, drowning out all her senses until even the pain was just a dull backdrop to the all-consuming anxiety that she had held at bay for so long.

She did not hear the raucous her call had stirred, not even when it was right on the step of her little den – it was a good thing that everyone kept guard, because she would have been utterly helpless if danger did come knocking in this, the eleventh hour. Only when Chan was right outside the den, did his voice finally get through to her, drawing her out of the panic with a gasp. Golden eyes blinked away the darkness, squinting up at her partner as another contraction shook her body.

“Get down here!” She hissed, unable to muster more than the simple command. All she knew was that she wouldn’t be able to calm herself down without feeling him next to her, steadying her. This was gonna be a long night for the both of them.

Marigold and Jethro were both nearby just as swiftly, helping for Chan to feel more assured. He didn't hesitate to obey, slithering through that thin path and curling against Flair's back. He shifted, ensuring that he was in position still to protect her should anything else try to enter the den, and then laid his head down tentatively across her russet shoulders.

Chan closed his eyes, and began to recite in his mind things he might need to recall to help. Drilling each situation that popped into his mind of what could go wrong, and what he would need to do to react, to fix it. He already felt fatigued, but adrenaline kept him alert.

Nuzzling closer, he murmured, "I love you."

Because as scared as he was of losing more children, he was even more terrified that this time Flair would be taken. Chan already knew that without his closest friend, he was damned. At the end of all of this, he just wanted her to be okay.

If these wings could fly

 

Taking one deep breath after another, she tried to clear her mind of any thought, focusing only on the physical task at hand. Feeling Chan’s warmth settle against her back helped immensely, his embrace grounding her more than any words could have. She pressed back into him, grinding her teeth against another contraction.

This won’t be like last time! It WON’T! She repeated to herself over and over until the pain subsided, slowly letting out the breath she’d been holding. The words whispered in her ear send a warmth spreading through her, reminding her why she was doing this, and further helped calming her down – he deserved this; they both did. Her answer was a soft hum, head turning to touch her nose to his, together they would make it through this part too.

-------

The contractions slowly grew stronger as the night wore on, zapping her energy with no sense of real progress. It would have been aggravating, if she wasn’t still so scared of the next step, and what might come of it. But, as the birds were just starting to welcome the morning, she finally felt movement and started pushing in earnest. Bracing herself against Chan’s iron support, she closed her eyes and faced the fear head on; This is it!

After months of fretting and a long night of labour, the birth itself was surprisingly fast. Within what felt like moments, a tiny, tawny pup entered the world and Flair instantly curled around to poke at the little body, tongue lapping, almost desperately at her newborn. But she felt warmth under her nose, and soon enough, the little one was wiggling and mewling quietly. With a heavy sigh of relief, the mother gently guided her pup to suckle, before turning her head to meet her friend’s eyes; “We have a daughter.”

While nowhere near the toll being taken on Flair, Chan was still exhausted, physically and mentally on edge for hours with minimal stimulation nor the ability to move. No part of him was willing to leave her even for a moment, both for fear of missing a crucial moment and insistence on being there for her emotionally. There was no taking a break for her, and so there wouldn't be for him.

She had tensed again, but then her whole body shifted and moved, and Chan lifted his head and blinked the bleariness from his worn eyes. Just as he was grasping that it had really, finally happened, Flair spoke it aloud.

He leaned against his partner's back, peering over her at the child nursing. It was only then that he realized just how deeply he had believed that something awful would befall their litter's birth again, mismatched gaze searching fruitlessly for flaw and hazard. He gingerly touched his nose to her sleek back, warm and real, squirming as she fed.

Tears began to flow, and he buried his face between his best friend's shoulder blades.

For the rest of our lives

 

She would have been more than happy for it to be over then, with one healthy child at one side and Chan notably relaxing against the other. This was everything she’d wanted, a content sigh falling from her lips as she closed her eyes.

But nature was not satisfied yet, another contraction shaking her and making her wince. She was already exhausted after a long night of labour, all she wanted to do was sleep, yet her instincts took over, knowing what had to be done. Tensing her muscles, she tried her best not to disturb their firstborn, as she brought the second into the world.

It took a bit more work than with his sister, but soon enough their son was taking his first breaths. Once again, Flair rushed to inspect the pup, but this time there was no doubt, as he immediately let out a series of bubbling whines, announcing his arrival. Crooning softly, the mother guided him to rest next to his sister, where his voice was silenced by his first meal. Only when she was certain all was well, did she raise her head again, voice strained with emotion as she announced: “And a son.”

Now she too felt the tears well up in her eyes, her heart aching blissfully as she watched their children, unable to look away. This was it, now all their hardship of the past year had culminated in a true moment of joy; Our family!

(This post was last modified: Aug 31, 2023, 12:49 AM by Flair.)