Northstar Vale Chandelier's still flickering here.

She went over two different scripts in her head. One which she had composed by the Swiftcurrent river, and the next had come a day later after further aid from (presumably) Reiko; it wasn't until she caught sight of him that Ibis knew which one she'd choose to speak aloud. Except when his eyes lifted to meet her own, she faltered in her choice. The girl stood poised before him, one paw raised, very deer-like as she felt the warmth of his eyes upon her. A bashfulness crept across her cheeks — but Ibis couldn't back out now, she had to bite the proverbial bullet and get this over with. Whichever choice she made she would have to live with - and it would in one way or another affect the litter growing in her womb.

A thin smile plays across her face a heartbeat later. She tries to appear relaxed, but there is an underlying tension straining through her, and as she approaches where Akavir's position Ibis cannot help but feel very uncomfortable. Maybe that is a byproduct of being pregnant. Or she already feels guilty - the advice from Reiko filtering through her mind like dissonant white-noise. As she halts again she reaches for him, gingerly licking at his cheek the way she used to; her need to be close had diminished as her body began to swell, no longer resembling herself.

Akavir... We need to talk. She murmurs to him, knowing it is probably the last thing he wants to hear. Her eyes drop from his rugged face to the grassy trail he had been following, and with a sigh she plunges on: I... am pregnant. And um, we... You... The script is gone - vanished from her head. She doesn't want to lie to him, but at this point whatever comes out of her mouth will become the truth, regardless of how valid it might be. You're... going to be a dad. If — If you want.

The smile returned to her face, but it was only for show. Ibis felt the need to curl up as small as possible and stop existing, but there's no power in the universe that could make that happen. Now she just had to watch him for a reaction, and every cell in her body was screaming to her: You liar, he's going to leave you like everyone else, and you'll deserve it this time.