Sanguine Cove till the sirens sound i'm safe

@Kip - late morning, May 4th, 2021

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

She was getting closer to that time. She predicted that it would be any day before the contractions started to roll through her. She was tired all the time and she felt so useless. She knew that it was just tiring to carry these children… but realistically she also knew she couldn’t expect much of herself. She was laying out in the sun, enjoying the warmth on her back as she slept rather awkwardly, more on her side than on her stomach. At least Kip was further behind her, so she would not be fresh from her own delivery while also rushing to act as healer for the other woman should she need it.

It was all surreal. She wagered she would not have many pups given how her belly had swelled. She had seen how her mother had grown with three, and she was much smaller. Still, she knew that was not the only indicator. She had been much calmer since her latest conversation with Aleister, and she felt more at ease about her place within the pack… she was important, and she was worthy to be there just like everyone else was. He had been true to his promise, and he had been there for her though she tried not to call on it too much.

It was a nice day, and Spring had settled in, which she also appreciated in her lazy morning.

God, she felt so heavy. Not as much as Aquene, thankfully, but she seemed to be ballooning out quite quickly, which led her to believe that she held more than one pup in her. She hadn't had a real conversation with the other woman, just yet, but she figured it was about time for that to change. She wanted to get to know the younger wolf, as awkward as the whole situation was.

It was pure luck that she came across her that day, and Kip relaxed a little at the sight of the other pregnant wolf. She approached her slowly, ears flicking a bit, nervous for what might come of their talk.

"Hey," she greeted, lowering her head down a bit and offering the younger female a small smile. "Aquene, right?" Of course, she knew the name, but a real introduction would be nice.

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Aquene might have been avoiding the other woman. She knew she shouldn’t, because when the time came, come hell or high water, chances were Aquene was going to be outside that den with someone watching her own brood because she was the pack’s healer. It was her job and her responsibility to help ease the other woman’s pain and help her through the process… and yet, Aquene felt guilty. She felt like she had intruded on something not meant for her when she had bred with Aleister so she simply avoided the topic all together. Still, it appeared she couldn’t avoid it any longer.

Her eyes dragged open as she lifted her head drowsily to smile at the other woman, soft but nervous in her expression. “H-Hi.” She stuttered softly, finding herself uncertain of how exactly she was supposed to behave around the other woman. “Yes… I’m Aquene… most fall me A or Ene though but really any name is fine.” She was rambling… what a great first impression. “Kip, right?” She asked shyly because she knew the name even if they had never been introduced or really talked much either.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, presuming that the woman had likely come to her with some kind of healing question because that was just the impression that she had generally worked under at all times.

Mavis' gaze softened a bit at the other woman's response. She was so young - she wouldn't be surprised if this was the first time the poor girl had even been in heat at all. And to result in pups, with a man who had coupled with multiple women this spring... well, it just seemed unfair. For the both of them.

"Kip, or Mavis," she responded, a small smile on her own maw. "I don't really care which one - take your pick." She sat down with a slight wince, taking a deep breath to relax herself.

Her brow arched at the question and she tilted her head to the side. "Same as you, probably," she said with a light laugh, eyes crinkled in amusement. "I've been sick a lot, which I thought would get better over time." But it hadn't. She'd been throwing up pretty much daily for weeks now, but it didn't seem to be affecting too much other than her maybe being a little skinnier.

She sought out eye contact with the girl, ears angled forward. "I felt like we should probably get to know one another a bit," she said softly. "I've been avoiding you, a little. I'm sorry about that - it's not because I'm mad or anything; I just... well, I thought you might not like me too much. Which was bad of me to assume - you seem very nice, and... I dunno. It's just a weird situation." She laughed again, this time awkwardly. Now she was the one who was rambling. "I just... wanted to be clear that I don't have hard feelings toward you, and I hoped you didn't toward me, either."

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Kip and Mavis. It wasn’t often that there was someone with two equally viable names, and it caught her intrigue. Still, she stored the information away for later. She let out a light but somewhat uneasy laugh. She didn’t know where she stood with this woman… “I have some herbs in the den that might be able to help with that.” She offered with a soft smile. She knew she had relied heavily on them throughout her pregnancy because of her fierce desire to stay active and useful. She’d had so many assurances from so many that she was going to be taken care of, but it did little to reassure her truly.

She saw the other woman trying to catch her eye and finally brought it in her to look up, listening as she admitted… well, she admitted that she had been avoiding to her too. Admittedly, she let out a soft sigh of relief at that news. “I… I just…” She really didn’t know how to articulate her thoughts and feelings. “I feel guilty…” She admitted softly as she rested her head on her paws. “I didn’t mean for this to happen… and I don’t have feelings I just… I thought you might be mad so I’ve been avoiding you too.” She admitted quietly.

“I… I didn’t know he was taken by anyone or anything.” She had assumed that they were mates. She was certainly more age appropriate for him than Aquene herself had been, that was for sure. “I don’t have any hard feelings… I just feel… awkward and out of place, like… a charity case or something.” Even as so many others had assured her she wasn’t, it was difficult to battle that anxiety.

Kip had also wanted to remain useful, but the nausea that racked her body coupled with the fact that her short legs were not particularly willing to accommodate her swollen stomach made things quite difficult. "It's safe to eat them?" she asked, frowning down at her flanks. The puppies were causing her so many issues, but she didn't wanna hurt them. She'd been trying to eat well during the entirety of the pregnancy.

She watched the younger woman as she spoke, brows drawn up in confusion and concern. Mad? Well... Mavis was generally mad, but she wasn't at Aquene. Sometimes she thought she might be upset with Aleister, but even that was less angry and more... longing. Sad. But it had not occurred to her that the younger woman thought they were together.

"He's not taken," she said calmly, a small smile forming on her maw. "I mean, well... we met, years ago, and I think I've just had feelings for him ever since. We ran into each other again the night he met you, I believe. I smelled you on him and thought the same thing you did - that he had a mate." She snorted softly. "I feel pretty out of place, too. This isn't exactly... ideal." Like, at all, actually. "But I doubt anyone actually thinks of us as charity cases. And Aleister isn't taken - even if sometimes I wish he was." By herself, specifically. "So don't worry about me so much, okay? I'm definitely not mad or anything."

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Aquene smiled softly at her question and nodded. “It is. I’ve been taking them myself. I’m a healer, and I was trained by the very best, I promise.” She offered kindly in turn, understanding the anxiety because she had plenty of her own when it came to the pregnancy she was going through and how her actions would directly affect her own children. “My den isn’t too far from here. I can get some for you. Pineapple weed for the nausea and wintergreen helps settle the stomach, most of the time sniffing works but sometimes the peppermint taste helps more.” She explained more fully in case the woman was still hesitant.

What shocked her was that she said he wasn’t taken. Her brow knitted in confusion and she tilted her head to the side. “Oh… I… I just thought… you and him… he and you…” She trailed off before the other woman started to explain… she had thought that she was her mate? Oh no, that could not be at all. “I’m… maybe a little too young to have a mate… and puppies… which I am but I… it’s complicated.” She was rambling again… still, she didn’t know how to feel.

They weren’t charity cases… and Aleister wasn’t taken… and she wasn’t mad at her. She smiled softly and shook her head. “I’ll always worry. You’re pregnant, and I’m a healer so it’s my nature to worry.” She explained with a friendly smile. “I just… promise not to worry you’re mad.”