Ankyra Sound A friend said he knew where some easy money was

@Rosalyn hi hello

What was Raleska to do with all of this turmoil?

First, her mother was deposed. Then, Rosalyn ascended. Then, Firefly flung aside. And then, Vaati, the underdog and unknown contender -- risen to top. Where was Rusalka -- who was Rusalka?

The girl had tended to her irate mother the best a doting daughter could do, but Caiaphas, neither being doting herself, nor kind, often dismissed her advances. The others were busy. Illidan was preoccupied with patrols, and Svalinn more somber than ever.

So, Raleska turned to the one other face in her life she knew she could trust: Rosalyn.

Meekly, the girl sought out the russet she-wolf, though girl she was no longer. It had been her birthday (as well as Illidan's) several days before (and her mother hadn't even bothered to mention it). She had so many questions -- so many unanswered -- and hoped that Rosalyn might be the one to confide in.

If Rusalka was a mess, then Rosalyn was a disaster.  She'd holed up (status with Erzulie tbd), needing to turn inward for a while in the wake of an exhausting few weeks.  As she did, she tried not to dwell on the wrongness she felt, but her mind frequently turned to it against her wishes anyway.  Be it stress, one of the blows during the fight, or simply her age... she'd not felt movement for good stretch of time.  

Perhaps it was nothing.  She wasn't due for weeks, and sometimes they were quiet, yes?  Still, it was as if a heaviness sat on her that she couldn't shake... some kind of unease, maybe a mother's sense finally coming into being.  Too little too late now.

Despite her isolation, she needed to stretch every once in a while.  When Raleska found her, the pirate was drinking heavily from the stream in the edge of the wood.  Her ears pricked, but she didn't say anything immediately.  Of everyone, Raleska's company was the most welcome.  She wouldn't turn her away.

Raleska had her work out for her finding Rosalyn - for a heavily pregnant woman, she seemed quite active -- and more than once, Raleska lost her trail. When she at last saw the pirate, the she-wolf was bending down to drink. If it wasn't apparent she was pregnant before, it was obvious now. Raleska, still somewhat unused to seeing a wolf packing new life-forms, still found the way pregnancy shaped the body and altered its scent fascinating.

Not wanting to be disruptive, Raleska made herself known with a soft whoof, her tail wagging. "Hey," she ventured, her expression mixed between happy to see Rosalyn and a little concerned, given her present state.

She managed a smile as she finished, but her return Hey was a bit drier than usual.  Between the discomfort of her pregnancy, the weight on her mind, and her status with her wife, she hadn't been sleeping well.

One fight down, one to go, she joked then, in an attempt to not be a complete waste of company.  She was honestly glad that Raleksa had found her.  It had been lonely lately, though she would not admit that to anyone.

This one at least I'm looking forward to.  She was ready for them to be out, to have her body and her health back.

Raleska knew Rosalyn's joke was an attempt at humor, but somehow it seemed drier. She cast the pirate a worried glance, concerned that Rosalyn could seem so dispirited. There was so much to celebrate in Raleska's eyes: the end of their war, Drageda's downfall, the incoming bounty of pups..

Her gaze flickered guiltily to Rosalyn's side and a brief questioning glance stole across her features. Not wanting to be nonresponsive to the joke, but not knowing how to answer it cleverly, Raleska attempted to at least keep her response light. "Do you have names for them yet?"

Names.  She shook her head.  Not until they are here, she answered.  It wasn't an unreasonable thought, but her mind trailed to that darker place.  Not until she knew if they would even survive.

Any ideas when that comes? She asked, turning aside from that line of thinking again. She couldn't promise she'd use them... Erzulie would have a say, and she had an idea or two of her own.  But she thought the girl might appreciate giving an insight or two.

Raleska's gaze fell to the ground as Rosalyn shook her head. No names had been selected -- why? She couldn't help but briefly try to study the woman's face - was she perhaps protecting herself from what might come?

Raleska didn't know anything about childbirth, other than she had been told it was a dangerous and painful affair. She bit her lower lip, fretting for the pain that might befall Rosalyn. She didn't want anything bad to happen, not to Rosalyn or Erzulie. They were her friends and protectors, and even mentors -- what would she do without them?

"I dunno. Soon, hopefully?" She tried to discretely look at Rosalyn's flank - it was mindblowing how.... well, large (but she'd never say that) the wolf's sides had gotten. "Do you feel them moving in you? Does it hurt?"

She misunderstood Rosalyn's question, which made her smile a bit, but she didn't correct it.  A part of her agreed and hoped it would come soon, but another dreaded the moment.  The second was growing more prevalent by the day.

No.  And yes.  She steeled herself on those answers.  Of course Rosalyn had considered lying but then Raleska might want to feel, and aside from a few ghostly and very brief sensations that she doubted after, there'd been nothing.  I think it does, sometimes, but I wouldn't know.  This is my first time.  

As troubling as all of this had been, there was nothing she could do right now but wait and rest as much as she could, for she found strenuous activity could bring out the pain.  I never thought I would want to have them, but Erzulie sold me on the idea.  Do you have any want for any, someday?  Raleska was young and had a while before she needed to worry, but she likely wasn't so young to not have an opinion yet.

Raleska glanced from Rosalyn's side, unaware she had completely misunderstood (lmao oops dumb author) Rosalyn's initial question. Her expression was slightly dubious still -- it seemed such a strange concept to her, the notion of growing life inside  of you. Why couldn't you just plant them outside, like seeds, and carefully tend to them that way? Why did they have to bud and flower inside of a wolf, where they probably caused jeopardy to the parent in the process?

The entire thing seemed like a very poorly planned enterprise to Raleska, but she dared not utter that to Rosalyn. Rosalyn was her friend, and probably excited for puppies - Raleska did not want to hurt her, so she steeled her answer much the same way Rosalyn had guarded hers. "Maybe someday.. After I see what's out there, and stuff. I don't know. It just seems scary." Raleska's voice gradually dropped as she spoke, until her final statement was but a hushed whisper. "Are you scared?"

Raleska did not seem sold, which was a perfectly sound logic in Rosalyn's mind.  Especially now, considering how heavily her own opinion was leaning on regret rather than joy around the whole thing.  Her moods had been a constant flux between the two, but the second would dominate these last few weeks until the time came.

Shitless, she answered, with a wry chuckle.  But everyone says it is worth it, so I suppose I'll trust them.  Or find out for myself soon, at the very least.  She gave the girl an approving look.  Some don't wait, but I always imagine they regret it, in a way.  Once you have them there's no turning back.  Not if you are worth anything as a wolf.  Be it mother or father.  They'd grow and leave, but from what she'd seen, there was never another carefree moment quite like before parenthood.

Rosalyn's admission was followed by a wry chuckle. Raleska's features briefly brightened as she shared a quick grin in response. It didn't radiate the room or anything, but it was a quiet gesture between two friends -- or, a mentor and her "mentee". Raleska felt encouraged enough, despite the darkness that only just lingered behind Rosalyn's words. She was too young to understand that adults did not have their shit together, despite what it seemed -- and that wrestling with burning doubt and fleeting bouts of joy was just another cornerstone of being an adult.

Raleska's gaze lifted as Rosalyn mentioned once you had them, they were yours for keeps. That was a sentiment her entire family felt.. but she had been a much-anticipated child. "You'll be a good mom." Raleska couldn't help but blurt, smiling hopefully at her mentor. "Cause you'll love them, and you're worth a lot as a wolf."

Love them or resent them? She feared the latter heavily, but perhaps Raleska was right.  She'd done the pirate the favor of showing her a glimpse of what it might be like, having adult children, and it would not be terrible.  Pups terrified her because they were an unknown.  

Her words were the complete opposite of Firefly's, and both were correct she imagined.  She didn't deserve these children with how she'd treated them these past weeks, but she could maybe still be a good mother.  Provided she survived the having them.

Thank you.  She'd needed to hear that.  Likely now was when she should return with something equal to it, but such things she was only recently comfortable sharing even with Erzulie.  Words like that for some reason tended to die on her tongue.  The best she could do would be this; Perhaps, when they are here, you could help to mentor them?  I could think of no better for a teacher.

Raleska's sentiment had been heartfelt, and she expected no reciprocation: her gaze slid to Rosalyn approvingly, adoringly even. She was certain the pirate would make a good mother, the same way she knew when a storm was coming or the tide was low. It was simply something intrinsic; she had been mentored by Rosalyn, and therefore had been exposed to a maternal side of her that Rosalyn might even had been aware of up until that point.

Her tail wagged as Rosalyn mentioned her being a mentor; me? Raleska's gaze said, bewildered and euphoric at once. She nodded her head almost too excitedly, hardly able to stop the puff of her thin chest. "Of course!! That would be awesome. I'll teach them all the good places to visit, like the pools and the flats and the mossy parts of the forest where it's so soft you could nap in it forever."

It had crossed Rosalyn's mind to consider Raleska a daughter, but it hadn't gone so far as to make her realize this proved she had a mother's instincts.  So she continued to worry, definitely completely unaware of what the perceptive younger girl had seen.

Perfect.  They should only learn from the best.  She agreed, her smile growing genuine as she found something in this to look forward to.  Should her children live, they would at least have no shortage of willing and fierce tutors.  Should they live.

For the moment, perhaps you could show me? She could use a nap, and while she'd resolved things with her wife, she found right now she needed space and quiet.  She hadn't found the words to express her fears yet and that weighed on her, even if she knew the support was there.

i love these two so much ;-; <3

Raleska tried her best to keep her composure, and for a sullen girl, her version of excited was a far cry from excessive, but she could tell she was breaking her normal demeanor; keeping herself in check as best she could (and barely managing), Raleska nodded as Rosalyn first complimented her, and then mentioned being shown the mossy carpeting perfect for sleeping.

Admittedly, Raleska hadn't gotten over her wariness of the giant forest, but she was much less scared of it now than she had been when they had first made Ankyra Sound her home. Giving Rosalyn what she hoped was an encouraging smile, the girl rose to her feet and announced "Follow me!" She kept her pace slow for the gravid woman, making for the immense forest that often was so tranquil it seemed a spell was held over it.

last from me!! Feel free to archive and we should have another sometime!!!

Rosalyn followed slowly, grateful that Raleska seemed to keep her pace.  The pains were returning with an ache that would soon worsen, and she was looking forward to a soft place to lay and rest a while.

When she arrived she'd sink gratefully into it and invite Raleska to stay and talk more of inconsequential things.  If the girl left her, however, she would use the time to catch some much-needed sleep, perhaps a little less broken than usual.