Dragoncrest Cliffs summer grasses:

The morning sun was already warm on the beach. From a hidden cavern near the edge of the water, Sobo emerged, dripping and carrying a small bundle of fur in his jaws.

Wrapped within was a driftwood stick, carefully notched by practiced teeth. The crude markings upon it were copied from Erzulie's veve. Crude was a generous word. Most of them were impossible to make out, but Sobo had done his very best and was proud of his work. He felt the lwa of women would approve of the sentiment, if nothing else.

He carried it down the beach, splashing in the surf as he went and summoned his courage. It was not that he was nervous, for once, but this gift was heartfelt even if he did not like the recipient. It would not do for him to scowl at her while giving it.

When he felt ready to swallow his negative feelings down, Sobo called for @Meerkat.

After paying her daily visit at the roja den, Meerkat drifted to the nearby respite. Humming under her breath, she meandered among the flowers, picking one here and there and arranging them in a little pile. She intended to carry the bouquet back to freshen up the little burrow she and Njord shared.

The sun warmed her shoulders when she paused to savor the sensation of her pups moving inside her. Meerkat didn’t think it was possible to feel more content, though the sound of Sobo’s voice calling her name immediately cast a shadow over her. She breathed in sharply, heart suddenly pounding as nerves twisted her stomach.

She couldn’t imagine what Sobo wanted with her, though Meerkat didn’t hesitate to heed the summons. She traveled slowly due to her expanding belly, arriving on the beach and casting her eyes around until she spotted him. She felt particularly ungainly as she made her way over to him.

Sobo? she asked, not bothering to hide the uncertain surprise in the query.

The fur package settled in the sand. The sound of waves hitting the nearby cliffs helped to settle his nerves and his discontent both. No matter how bad things felt in Sapphique for him, this place would always be his home.

He had to wait a little while for Meerkat to show up on account of her inflated abdomen. It didn't take a lot of effort for Sobo's eyes to remain fixed on hers. It wasn't jealousy that made him dread the coming of Njord's pups, exactly, but he couldn't put a word to what he really felt about it. It was easier for him to pretend it wasn't happening, and that included not acknowledging the obvious signs of it.

With a deep breath, Sobo began. I wanted ta t'ank ya... T'ank you for helping my brot'er in de sound. I heard dat ya... Dat you were dere. Man, it was hard to scrub Njord's influence from his speech. Another petty reaction to his father's inattention, that.

Dis be for you, he said, gently pushing the bundle forward for Meerkat to unwrap.

His words made her squint. She caught herself after a few seconds and schooled her expression, even as Meerkat’s inner voice whispered skeptically. Why was Sobo thanking her for that, especially now? And why was he stammering? The situation filled her with misgivings.

But she wanted to think the best of everyone. She could give Sobo the benefit of the doubt, couldn’t she? Her eyes fell to the bundle as he gently pushed it toward her. She gazed at it for a beat, then raised her eyes back to his face. Meerkat didn’t understand, especially when she recollected the way he’d looked at the recent wedding.

There’s no need to thank me, Sobo, she said slowly, I was just doing what any pack wolf would do. That said, I appreciate the gesture.

She glanced at the gift again. She supposed she was meant to unwrap it. After a brief hesitation, Meerkat stepped forward and toed open the loosely bundled fur, revealing a length of driftwood. It was notched. She gasped, mostly because the pups chose that moment to move strongly within her.

You did this? Meerkat asked, indicating the markings, wondering about their meaning and significance.

He did his level best not to fidget or give any indication that he wanted to be anywhere other than here. His thanks and gift were both sincere, but it didn't mean Sobo and Meerkat were good. Their first impressions of one another were poor beyond compare. On account of her ridiculous and indulgent wedding, he thought her rather entitled. Her unborn pups would be his half-siblings, but he could not think of them the way he did Quennell and Aminthe. He was not dying to meet them and show them the sea. He doubted very much he would ever think of Meerkat as family or even a friend and that was okay with him. She was a packmate, though, who deserved more than his eternal coldness, especially for sticking up for Loko.

Dis be a totem, he told her. Maman says dat de lwa of women be respondin' to symbols like dese. I tried to carve dem on de wood so dat she will see de owner an' favour dem. It is not de best. I am still learning. But I hope it brings ya... you de eye of de lwa of women. Erzulie be her name.

I have treated you unfairly, Meerkat, he added. For dat I am sorry. There was no indication that they were suddenly going to become best friends in his words, but he owed her that much. It wasn't truly her fault that Njord changed the second she walked into his life. He blamed her at first, but even Sobo knew his father alone was responsible for his own actions.

She listened carefully as Sobo explained. It was an extraordinarily thoughtful gift, something that had clearly taken him some time to prepare. Meerkat felt a flicker of appreciation, though it was tinged with doubt and hesitation. He had treated her so coldly for so long that, no matter how much she wanted to bridge the gap, she simply couldn’t warm to him so quickly.

If the gift was unexpected, the frank apology was even more astonishing. What had prompted this change of heart? Meerkat wondered if one of his mothers had asked him to do this, or possibly his da? Perhaps that was uncharitable, though. If he’d taken such pain to fashion this totem, maybe all this truly came from the heart. Meerkat wanted to believe.

I’m going to be honest with you, Meerkat said, this is one of the loveliest things anyone has ever given me. I’ll treasure it always. And that was true enough. It would be given a place of honor in the den, alongside the engagement conch and the sea glass she had gifted Njord. I’m honored you took the time to make it for me, Sobo, and I appreciate the apology too.

She paused, considering for a moment, before deciding to say, All I wanted was to be one big, happy family. Of course, that’s idyllic. We’re complex creatures, in a complicated situation. I realize that now. But I hope we can find common ground, Sobo. I would like to be a zanmi to you someday, if not today. Meerkat paused, contemplating that exotic word, and added, I don’t think I’ve heard of lwa, could you tell me more about them? And Erzulie?

It was a markedly different reaction from the last time Sobo had given someone a gift. While Witch and Heda both appreciated their amulets, Druid's lackluster reception of him overshadowed the whole thing. Meerkat's sincere gratitude made him shuffle in place, sheepish and unsure of how he should respond.

She continued. He felt a little indignant about it at first — there was no way they were ever going to be one big happy family, not when she came crashing into their lives with all the grace of a drunk ox and continued to act so insensitive about it all — but checked himself. It wasn't her choice to come unannounced. She probably wasn't even aware of it. Nothing else could explain how she was sooo oblivious.

There was tension in his jaw that he tried and failed to dispel. It is not your fault dat my fat'er be a t'oughtless man, he added without elaborating, glad for the change in subject to anything else. Maybe she would ask. Maybe she wouldn't. He almost hoped she would so he could unload his stewing thoughts on someone who was not his family and who could not scold him. He also hoped she wouldn't so he could avoid what felt like an inevitable defense of Njord.

De lwa be de spirits of de world, he said. Dey be many and all have deir own preferences and deir own symbols. Dey possess much knowledge. We can give offerings for wisdom an' protection. Of his siblings, Sobo was the only one with vested knowledge in these ways. Erzulie knew them, but if she actively practiced, it was in secret where he could not see. Since the dream about Blackwater, his interest had only grown tenfold. De lwa of women be known for love and beauty. She prefers lovely t'ings, like pretty stones and shells, an' de sweetness of honey. Dat is what maman says.

She naturally wanted to come to Njord’s defense, a dozen words rushing into her mouth. They jammed up against the backs of her teeth as she kept it firmly shut. Meerkat thought it was unfair to call Njord that, but as much as she liked to think of him as perfect, she knew he wasn’t. This was a matter between father and son, and only the two of them could put it to rights. If Njord had done wrong by his children, doubtless it hadn’t been intentional, but the fact remained that only he could bridge the gap.

Meerkat said nothing on the subject of her husband, but leaned in closely to catch Sobo’s every word about the lwa. It was a little bit difficult to focus at first, considering the allegation against Njord, but it proved an effective distraction. She was fascinated by the lore here. It made her think of Sialuk, and the myriad other spiritual wolves she’d met throughout her life. She didn’t subscribe to any particular beliefs herself, but she loved learning the practices of others, how they made sense of the universe through their creeds.

When Sobo finished, she smiled her thanks, absorbing what he’d said. Your maman is a wise one, among so many other wonderful things. Is there a lwa for men? Meerkat wondered, curious what offerings he might prefer if he existed.

Damballah, Sobo answered, going through what Erzulie had taught him in his mind as though by rote. There was a little knot of resistance in him that wanted to tell Meerkat he had shared enough, some little piece of him that felt this knowledge was exclusive and she was not worthy of it, but he swatted that away.

He could privately believe that, but he knew Erzulie would be disappointed in him if he attempted to keep her teachings to himself that way. No doubt, she was already disappointed in him for reacting to Njord and Meerkat so negatively.

He is de sky serpent, he said, but I do not t’ink his presence be very strong here in Sapphique. How could it be, in this place where emphasis was placed so heavily on women?

Sobo’s last few words earned a look of slight consternation from Meerkat. It only occurred to her now that men’s lack of esteem here in Sapphique might compound the issues chafing between Sobo, his da and the Redhawk. She would’ve loved to get to the root of it, though she didn’t dare attempt.

In fact, she felt a little bit like she should pardon herself and return home, lest she risk somehow fumbling this tentative truce of sorts between them. As truly curious as she was about the lwa, she would let it rest here and maybe ask him about it another time, when she’d had more time to feel out this new dynamic.

Erzulie and Damballah, Meerkat repeated, lips twitching in a faint smile as she caught Sobo’s eye. Thank you for the lesson… and the gift. I’m going to take it home now, if that’s okay. She could ask him to accompany her, yet that would likely just be very awkward for them both. She hoped he would simply be on his way, leaving her to gently grasp the driftwood and carefully shuffle home to place it in the Sveijarn-Corten burrow.

You be welcome, said Sobo, as glad for an end to their interaction as he imagined Meerkat was. He knew and acknowledged that he had unfairly conflated her with his father, and that his poor treatment of her could not continue, but it would take time for his feelings to settle. Their first meeting had not gone well in his eyes. Instead of trying to get to know him, Meerkat had asked him to help her find a gift for his father and then waxed poetic about how wonderful said father was. The father who was making him feel like he was chopped liver. A first impression like that was difficult to change.

He would try, for both their sakes, and maybe one day things would be more pleasant. Sobo couldn't say he was sad Meerkat wanted to part ways so soon, though. Like her, he knew things would only be awkward if they tried to drag things out. Baby steps. Take care, he said with a small dip of his head before returning to the sea cave, where he had a couple other small projects stashed.