Dragoncrest Cliffs Cordelia

all tagged are invited! No need to wait for me to reply as Chacal, I’ll chuck in her reply at some point :) no posting order, free madness!

Suzu could not shake the feeling of being watched. 

She remained with @Lafayette and @Lucette as was @Mireille’s request, watching with faltering hope every time @Etienne listened for the sound of rattling on their feeble breaths. Her mother came around to see the children and comfort her sister. It was not the first time their children had been pulled from the ocean- the fear she’d seen in @Val’s eyes was validated, now. She could only hope that the children survived this latest near-drowning experience.

Within her own chest, her heart was restless and beat erratically. Its throbbing did not cease even when she tried to summon the courage to speak to her family, and she swallowed the words down with an audible gulp. 

A little flutter deep in her belly made her squint slightly. It was not the first time she had felt it- but she knew at once that it was not typical indigestion. 

(She ate enough seafood to know the difference between indigestion, food poisoning and gas. This was none of the above.)

Like little fish learning how to swim, the flutters awakened her instincts. 

”Maman,” she croaked tearfully; speaking for all the others in the room to hear as well- as it was not a secret she wished to keep from them. Not when she felt the little fish stir. ”I cannot ‘ave dese children.” 

A sob caught in her throat. She inhaled sharply. 

”Not ‘ere. Not where de waves will rip dem away from me.” 

She had loved the ocean- and it had brought to her many bounties, adventures, and a free-spiritedness that had made her the woman that she was. But the ocean was full of ghosts, too- memories of battles, of children being dragged out of her depths, of graves where the mounds had begun to settle and flowers to grow. 

She spoke with a burning spite for the home she had loved so much. No more would she watch as her siblings, niblings or any others paid the price that the ocean demanded.

Etienne didn't know what his sister wanted and he hadn't asked. He had watched over her as silently as he had watched over the children of his auntie. Ever steadfast, ever worried. For the most precious wolf in his entire life. And when she apoke so sadly his heart broke for her and knew that he would go where Suzu lead. And it could help them both maybe.

W'ere you be wantin' to go Suzu? Dere be wolves in de mountains. Or Rivenwood. Or you want to be makin' your own wit' dey daddy?

ooh u beat me yay! ill recycle my the first part of my post here :D <33

mireille only allowed one emotion to take its stage on her heart.
she and suzu had toted the babes back to the roja den where etienne waited.
lucette and lafayette now lay beside each other. she motioned her nephew closer to hear the breathing of his young cousins, and eventually left the den to both he and suzu to sit outside.
a tremble chased itself along her spine despite the warm air; mireille fought the delayed tears of terror and tried only to breathe, listening to the soft voice inside the den.
more than once she looked back, catching one gaze or another with implicit trust in suzu and etienne.
and when her niece spoke, the obsidian's tongue clucked in surprise; she exchanged a look with chacal and went to embrace suzu, settling near to both the young woman and the feebly slumbering young. "you know we will support anyt'in' you choose, suzu. but do not fear de sea. yes. she gives an' she takes. but she gives so much."
her gaze drifted down to the twins, jaw tightening; she bent forward to kiss them and then looked at suzu again. the saltwater was part of each child born here, and she meant her words even as her own babes lay in hopeful recovery from the brine's embrace.
"have dem here or do not, "pèl lanmè nou an, but de ocean — she is here now. she was here first. she will be here when we are gone." and the water remained independent of anything put upon it.
etienne had spoken, and now she slowly nodded at the young wolf. "suzu, i t'ink you have all de one you need in your brot'er, if rivenwood is what you choose." he moved between these worlds, but for his sister, he would settle.

if lafayette had been awake to hear suzu speak—to know that his near-death was the reason she considered turning from the sea—he would have been outraged. as it was, he dreamed.

he had no fear or hatred for those waves. they cradled him each and every slumber; the gentle beat of the tides was as crucial to his life as the drumming of his own heart. 

and the spirits were with him, now. they would protect him.

in dreams, he floated atop the water like kelp freed from the seabed, and the salt on his tongue was as sweet as any kiss.

and he would return, because without the ocean, he was no one and nothing at all.

just one post from me

She had wished, once, that Erzulie and Rosalyn would live to see many litters of grandchildren. Today, however, she begged them to wait; to give their grandchildren many years before they could see the faces of those who had gone before. She would sing to the children the songs Erzulie had taught her, and tell them of Rosalyn’s bravery…But she prayed they would not meet their grandmothers any time soon.

Her daughter was the one to break the tension, only to bring forth more. Chacal clamped her jaws shut and nodded softly; terminating a pregnancy was not something she wished for, but some part of her was quick to accept the notion, given the paternity.

But Suzu continued- and stole her mother’s breath from her when she said she would go away and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of Swordfish.

Etienne was the first to suggest what Chacal thought her daughter’s intentions might be. She felt slighted that Suzu would turn her back on the ocean, for all that it did give to them.

Mireille spoke, and Chacal nodded knowingly; words were almost impossible to find as she reckoned with bubbling contempt. If she had been able to overlook the children’s paternity before, she struggled with it now.

”Do n-n-not take dem to deir f-“
The consonant smothered the words at her lips for a moment. She drew in a breath to loosen her jaw again.
”Go to Er-r-r-est-“ Her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She nearly gagged as her breath remained blocked in her throat. When she drew in a breath, it came with a gasp.
She gave her sister a pained look.
She felt exposed; her secret out in the light, where once it had been at least partially shaded. Even with song, her voice could not be coaxed without several hesitations.
”Wssssss…zzzzzz…zzzzzzOrdfish.”

The thought of having Etienne with her gave her some hope. She hadn’t plotted a course, and had not determined if she wanted to go looking for Swordfish- he’d come to her and left her just as a dream might. She reckoned it might be just as impossible to chase him down as it was to have the same dream twice. 

She wasn’t sure she could face rejection, either. 

But with Etienne…She would not be facing every uncertainty alone. For a moment, she felt hope, smiled, and reached to touch his cheek with her nose. Her tail thumped once as she looked to Mireille. Unconditional love was something that her aunt seemed to have in spades; but her mother-

Her mother could barely speak, just as before. 

Suzu glanced to the others to see if they shared her concern. Still, her mother did not look for sympathy or pity; she couldn’t stand the thought of Suzy giving birth to a traitor’s children. 

”You would love dem less because of who deir fat’er be, ah?” She charged, though she kept her voice low. ”I will not take dem to Eresta, an’ I cannot…I will not take dem to Rivenwood,” She looked apologetically to Etienne. 

Would he ever forgive her if he knew she’d seen Anselm? Would he ever forgive Anselm if he knew what the man had offered to do? 

”I do not know where, but I will be goin’. Once de children wake up,” She said, looking down to the two who slumbered. 

She could only hope their dreams were as lovely as the one she had once had.

Etienne didn't know what his sister was planning, but he also couldn't leave her alone to raise children by herself. He thought of Anselm amd Heda with a pang. He had agreed to help them. Mostly Heda. But Suzu needed him more now. He would just need to travel between wherever they settled and Rivenwood was if they could.

Etienne touched his nose to his mother's chest and also to Suzu's cheek. He wouldn't choose between the two because they were fighting. But he'd be lying he'd say it didn't hurt.

Etienne was not privy to what his sister had almost done. What Anselm had offered to do. But had he been. There would have been some soul searching and probably a strike from his heart of hearts because that betrayal that almost was, was deep. But he was untold and thus was fine.

it was not the first time val silently cursed the power of the sea. he looked helpless on the face of sapphique’s children — children he knew with certainty by the shapes of their faces he’d fathered — and felt a gathering sickness.

he looked to suzu in surprise first, then to etienne, chacal, and mireille. reading the words unspoken in their expression.

chacal struggled to speak. val noted her stutter had returned with a pang. not even the news of suzu’s tryst with swordfish (or her wish to abscond elsewhere) contended with the troubling news that chacal’s lilting speech was suffering.

he did not begrudge suzu her autonomy — but he wished for them all that she would go to eresta where she would be gathered under the loving embrace of her sisters.

but even eresta touched the sea.

he was silent as he looked to them all — helpless as usual to make anything about this situation any better.

mireille had not known the sire of suzu's children, but after a moment's hard thought, she decided it did not matter. njord's cowardliness was on his own head, and she almost wanted to speak of the man now, to proclaim again her connection to him as if to affirm his blood did not live in her.
but that would — convolute the nuances of family line and heritage crossing here and there, and chacal's labored speech suggested she too was affected by the idea.
nudging the tanzanite's shoulder for a moment of reassurance, mireille looked at val, then suzu. "t'ose who leave do not deserve dis," and she touched the young woman's paw for a moment, gesturing to her belly where the tiny lives grew now. "we have learned over de years dat de men who leave do not come back. dey are not like women, who stay first and de longes'."
"but suzu, to go off alone an' pregnant, to places you do not be knowin' — it may place you an' your children in hardship. you are never more vulnerable den when you be wid child, an' ot'ers know it. ot'ers who may hurt you, or dem."
a pause; "you be loved, girl. if you do anytin' else, if you go, den seek de company of women wherever you land."
her jaw tensed; it was all she could say, and she lowered herself to fuss over lucette and lafayette once more.

single post unless asked to reply again. i just want this in sobeille’s threadlog if that’s ok <3

voices drew sobeille to the cluster of family outside the den. sobeille’s gaze swept each in silent question, at last probing val for explanation.

her siblings had nearly died! she recalled her own venture with the sea, how astera and suzu had been there to save her so long ago. a vein of superiority rifled her skin to recall she’d been fine, while these two lumps suffered.

sobeille inwardly asked herself an uncomfortable question then; maman was filled with worried energy, suzu was sick with future-worry, val and chacal both painted a picture of anguish — but what did she feel?

she listened as suzu denounced the sea, her gaze trailing to maman as she put into words what sobeille had always known; it was the women that were the saviors and salt of the earth — the women who held their hands to the sky and held up the moon, the sun, and all the souls that walked among them.

The caged songbird suffered exquisitely as she faced the reality that even if she had words to soothe her daughter, she would not be able to voice them. She felt flustered even though the eyes of her sister and brother were soft upon her, and ashamedly tucked her chin to her chest.

Her daughter’s accusation brought tears to her eyes; she squeezed them shut and shook her head. Her cheeks burned, and would have shown the truth had she pale skin that could blush. Her shame grew more profound to realize that the paternity of her grandchildren only mattered because of an ancient grudge.

When she felt a soft touch brush her cheek, she breathed in finally- only to realize that it was not a gesture of forgiveness from Suzu, but reassurance from Etienne. If she could have smiled at that moment, she would have. Pride and appreciation glistened for a fleeting moment in her eyes, before she looked to her sister.

She saw in Mireille the proud mother and leader that Sapphique deserved. Younger than her by a year, and yet wise enough to council a troubled young woman. How often had they leaned against one another during hard times? While she was grateful that Mireille could hoist the torch so high, she felt profound chagrin to realize that hers had begun to falter.

She should speak- but she was too frightened to make another attempt. Mireille spoke with such conviction, empathy and wisdom- it would be enough, she felt certain.

Addressing her mother in this time of silence would have been cruel. She would worry later if she had caused damage with her announcement- after all, the first time Suzu had ever heard her mother stutter so blatantly was when she realized who the sire of her children was. She couldn’t take the blame, now- not when it could be used to guilt her into staying.

She listened to her aunt, but withdrew her paw from the woman’s grasp when she began to speak in typical Sapphique rhetoric. She did not interrupt, but allowed herself to lean to one side slightly- to touch her shoulder to Etienne’s. 

One ear flicked toward him, and she gave him a brief but meaningful side-eye. 

Mireille’s warning did not fall upon deaf ears. A homebody, Suzu dreaded travelling especially when she knew she would eventually find it very uncomfortable. While naivety made her doubt that any would harm her (who would dare hurt a pregnant woman?) she did have to face just how tiring the journey would be- especially without a goal. 

But she knew her choice. 

”I will ‘ave Etienne,” She said. She knew her brother was no fighter, but that was part of what made her so confident that she would be safe. ”An’ I wish you would not speak of men dis way, in front of bot’ my brot’er- ‘oo ‘as been away, yes, but so dat ‘e could ‘elp ‘eal ot’ers- including your friend Heda!- but also you say dese t’ings in front of Val, too.” She hoped her uncle knew how valuable he was. ”My mind is unchanged; we will go when de children recover.”

Etienne was not a fighter. But it did not mean he didn't know how. And both fortunately and unfortunately he knew other ways to harm. Some of which he often carried amongst his things. He just used them mostly for healing, but with different doses....well.

He looked to Mireille and his mother and he warned between sadness and pride, but also upset. He realized his family didn't count him in their grumbling if men. But it still hurt a bit even so.

Fierce love rose in his heart for Suzu. When he thought he couldn't love her anymore she did these things and spoke her truth and his love grew. She would always be his most precious.

I will take care of 'er manman. Do not worry.

this was a sorry state of affairs. val’s solemn gaze traveled to each, measuring their reception of suzu’s news. 

val had no delusions when it came to the nature of his gender. while he’d traveled plenty when he was suzu’s age, and met his fair share of kind men, he did not fault mireille — or sapphique — for her view. there was unequivocal truth to it: world’s back was saddled by men’s sorrows — and often, women fell to the blade too.

he stayed silent, appreciating suzu’s dislike for hearing his gender castigated. he also understood mireille’s words of caution too. both could be right, it was not a situation of either or.

his only reassurance now was that etienne would be there to keep his sister safe. there was irony in thinking this, for it supported the notion women needed protection from other men, to protect them from men — what was the common denominator?

he hoped the road would be kind to them, but he knew many corners of this earth were darkened by malice. may the road never take them there, val thought to himself.

finally, he spoke — reaching first to hug suzu, then etienne — repeating the oft said mantra of sapphique. you two come back to visit in one piece, you hear? i wont be having nieces and nephews that don’t know their uncle.

how intriguing that suzu should travel abroad and somehow lose the taught notions of men among their kith. as her niece pulled paw aside and leant into etienne, mireille's annoyance flared. suzu thought herself more apt in terms of disparities between man and woman, allied with brother and uncle there.
but it was in their very presence that mireille found the point of her proof. suzu had already discovered the difference between the men who left and the men who stayed, swelling with its truth. let the young woman depart the sea; she had seen it take and lash in its briny rage.
and perhaps it was best to encourage suzu's heart to move always in honor of their men. they would be the only ones reliable as she walked headlong into the hardest portion of her life without trusted women.
her nod was loving, her eyes acceptant. but as val moved to exchange loving hugs with the young wolves, it was to her sister that mireille turned now, love and reassurance shining forth.
they must let suzu live her own way. no matter how foolish her choice of sire for her children and how foolish this choice felt. and it was for this reason that mireille bit her tongue and offered her own embrace if it was wished. the success of etienne and suzu and the children who would come was more important than any final rejoinder she wished to give.
"sapphique will see you thrive."