Broken Antler Fen She always has trouble falling asleep

As reluctant as Maia was to leave @Eljay momentarily, she knew she needed to give the news to at least one wolf in particular; @Wraen.  She was giddy with it, actually... she couldn't believe how much had happened in the last day.  She felt like an entirely different wolf (and looked like one, too).  Well... she looked like herself and not some sad sack moping about and unable to handle her own feelings.

She checked the usual haunts... starting at the middle of the territory and working her way out.  She smiled as she passed the dragon dens, then felt another happy little jump in her chest as she imagined one day the potential pups that might run through these woods.  Hers.  It was so hard to believe, but... she'd known, more and more with each month, that this was what she wanted.

Reference to yesterday's "Canada in a nutshell" fun fact. :D

Maybe tracking a moose and being chased by it afterwards had not been the brightest of ideas Wraen had had, but every now and then even the wise and old needed to do something reckless to feel alive.... in order to feel very dead the next day. Because her "home run" had involved slipping and falling in a muddy ditch, some swimming and frantic scrambling up a very steep bank before she could safely stop, take a breather, exhale "Well, that was something!" and idly wonder "Maybe I should do that again sometime..."

Needless to say that, once tomorrow dawned along with the sun, she was useless for any kind of physical activity, let alone sleeping in the corner, while her body made necessary repairs in order for her to function normally again. The most she did was to drag herself over to Arthur's seat and bask in the spring sunlight. That's, where Maia found her. Atop the big rock, sound asleep and oblivious to the world around her.

Love it!! :D

Uhh, Wraen?!  Hey Wraen??!  Maia called, stepping into the clearing.  She was about to call out again, but bit it back when she realized that her sister was in fact fast asleep on top of a boulder.  Ohhhh whoops.  Probably the damage had already been done, but she zipped her lip until she knew for certain because she wasn't sure this was worth, like, waking her up over.  

Hey, at least this time it was good news?  There was definitely a good deal more cheer about Maia today than there had been the past week - not that this was hard, considering she might as well have been doused in a perpetual cartoon raincloud.

It had been a week, since Maia had talked with Wraen and, though the older sister wondered daily, how her sibling was doing, she was glad that her little Madam Drama and Queen of Crazy had gone out to deal with the relationship troubles on her own. Face tear-stained, running nose, sniffling, feeling like crap, hardly a dream princess of anyone she had charged in to the battle front bravely and from what could be gathered had returned home victorious. The old Raven had not been entirely oblivious to the fact that Elljay was here too, but she had not wished to disturb the lovebirds and let them come to her.

She cracked open one eye, when she heard Maia calling her, and responded with a wagging tail and a comfy lateral-position stretch. "Oy, sister," she said, when the other was within earshot. "So? Good stuff?" 

Oh good, she didn't seem mad.  Or, well... she probably wouldn't ever really seem mad about something like that, but she didn't seem tired or overly bothered, which was better too!  She hated waking anyone up who was actually getting sleep they needed, even for good news.

Wraen!!  Ohmygosh you cannot even imagine.  Actually she probably could, given the grin Maia was wearing.  I think we worked things out!  Mostly.  And I kinda also got excited and asked Eljay if we could make 'us' official.  This last part she delivered a little sheepishly, knowing that wasn't the typical way these things happened.  Wraen had never seemed like a stickler for tradition but Maia definitely always intended to be proposed to on one knee, so to speak.  Reality was so different from anything you could imagine in a story, though!  No one ever really went into how hard the waiting actually was.

"You proposed to him? How sweet! Mom would be proud," Wraen lifted herself to lie on her belly and looked at Maia fondly. She was happy that things had worked out for her sibling, even if it had been the first hurdle to overcome among many and there was still a very,very, very long way ahead of her. It also made her realize that her sister had accomplished something in her life that Wraen had never been able to. Moved up a notch in the "to-do-list" ladder set out for all women in the world. A little sad in a way. 

"And he did not freak out this time?" she asked, just to be sure, not that she needed more proof. Had it been so, they would be having a whole different conversation and then Wraen would be annoyed. And then she would have a stern word with Eljay. Some hole-punching and rattling would be included. Good thing the man in question did not have to witness the wrath.

Wait, she'd forgotten! Mom proposed to dad too, didn't she?  That made Maia feel even better about the choice and, suddenly, a little closer to her mom.  Apparently she'd been just as impatient, though she bet dad was slower.  It was hard to imagine him ever spouting his feelings like Eljay did, but maybe he had with mom?  For a moment she felt a touch of sad too, that she'd never get to talk about this with Osprey.  But it was hardly enough to make the smile leave her face.

He didn't!  I mean, he really did seem happy.  But I think it's still hard, and I want to be sure he's gonna, like, actually be happy here.  Stuff happened and it was a really quick change.  Maia responded, shifting a bit.  She was thrilled as well, but there was a touch of trepidation to it because she could see that, despite the happiness, he was struggling with the decision he'd made.  A part of me wants to see if he wants to go back? Just for a visit, y'know?  But I don't want to seem pushy, and he was really upset with them.  He might need more time.

Understandably too.  She imagined how she'd feel if Ibis told her she couldn't have the family she wanted... or Wraen.  It wasn't a personal decision at all but to Maia's mind it absolutely was; she had the privilege of never having to make the hard choices like that.

"Well, I think that it's best to give him time and let him make this decision, when he's ready," Wraen told, thinking about Arcturus and how he had postponed a reconcilliation meeting with his family again, again and again, until that family was swept away suddenly and there was no one left to make amends with, save for eternal regrets that it had not been done sooner. She did not feel that she could have pushed her friend harder, he was a stubborn sort and did things on his own terms. But then - look, where it had taken him now?

"But you can keep him company in the meanwhile - explore the lands, hunt together, bond, make a home, plan a family..." a lot of stuff, in fact. "Honest work is the best remedy for a broken or mourning heart and it helps put several things in order," she smiled at her encouragingly. "I am glad that you two are happy though," she said.

Yeah, maybe. Maia wondered about that, though. For the most part she trusted Eljay to make his own decisions, but this was something she felt she might have to stick her nose into. She didn't know if he'd do anything he thought would upset her, and what if he thought asking to go back would? I mean... it kind of would, if it was to stay, but she still wanted to know. And she definitely wouldn't at all be upset if he wanted to visit, so maybe she should say that. But then that might be pressuring and.... oh wow. She was spinning again!

That's definitely a good plan, Maia replied, kicking herself out of her internal processing and nodding to Wraen gratefully. She definitely planned on showing him the best of it and helping him to meet everyone here. Make a family. Maia blushed when she caught up and realized what that entailed.

We talked about it and we do both want kids, she confessed, looking down and feeling her smile get a little bigger in spite of her sudden nerves. So I guess this means, maybe... this year... Oh oh wow. She was nervous. Have you ever? I mean, I know you can't. Sorry, she looked at Wraen, not wanting to touch on that but still really wanting to ask. But have you ever, y'know... tried? They'd talked about this before, she thought, but she couldn't remember. It was a super awkward subject maybe, but Wraen was possibly the only wolf she could ever talk about it with like this.

"Well, Maia, to put it poetically: these are waters unknown to your older and wiser sibling that you will have to swim on your own," Wraen replied, smiling cryptically and giving enough time for the actual meaning of her words to sink in. When she had been younger, the lack of experience in that very field had bothered her a bit, especially, since it seemed that everyone else were doing it and knew, what was all the fuss about. She had only stories to imagine, what was it like. But from what she had accidentally eye-witnessed out there - it did not seem to be much fun. For the male part of the equation - maybe - for the girl it meant standind still and waiting for it to be over as soon as possible. Then the being stuck part for an awkwardly long amount of time? What if someone attacked you out of nowhere? How did you defend yourself? To sum it up, at the ripe age of five Wraen no longer felt that she had missed out on something extraordinary. And it was also nothing she wished to explore closer. 

"I can't give you any valuable input - so, perhaps, Ibis would be a better mentor about the whole process, because she has had first-hand experience and all," she told. "And Eljay's been in the business once - he succeeded to have two offspring, I am sure... he remembers how," because that would be very awkward and embarrassing to forget, when the moment was right. Especially with two fragile self-esteems at stake. But she kept that sarcastic joke to herself and would have a good laugh about it later, when she was on her own.

Oh wow. Maia couldn't imagine going to Ibis and asking about that, no matter how many kids she had. It didn't mean much how much older she felt either... Maia was still her aunt and that was weird, right? Talking to your aunt about all that?

And Eljay, oh boy. Yeah, I guess that's kind of why.... it's dumb. She felt her face heating up. It's just, what if I don't do it right? Like, wow. This really is stupid to worry about, but he knows and I don't and... augh. Nevermind. She shook her head, laughing. Even saying it out loud sounded dumb. There was no way in a million years he'd ever hold that over her, and that wasn't even what really made her nervous, right?

"To put it plainly, Maia, there is very little you can do wrong and there is very little variation in, how it is done. You just need to stand on steady legs and hope that the guy won't miss the mark," Wraen told her and shrugged. There was no big deal in it. For a moment there she thought about suggesting Towhee as a likely candidate to discuss it. Given that she was their cousin, roughly same age as Maia, and had a knack of sharing juicy experiences, it would be less awkward than asking Ibis. But then - Eljay had not left on the best of terms and Maia would probably not be welcomed very warmly at present.

"Don't think too much about it. When it happens, it happens and for the most part all have succeeded," she told her, but knew that she had not calmed her sibling down one bit. Better change the subject. "Though - word of advice - don't ask Eljay for all the details. Healer he may be, but that kind of inquiry might baffle him very muchly. On the other hand... he might just be the man for the job. After all Wildfire was his first and only and it happened to him also later in life than the most," why not that? Wasn't it so that the modern couples had to talk with each other. A lot. Communication was the key and all that.

I think that's part of it, that he has and I haven't. Maia said, a little embarrassed. Wraen was right though, she was probably stressing over nothing. That... helps, though. It did, kind of! Enough for her to let the subject drop, at least, though she was still of course going to worry about it. Maybe she'd just wait until the time came and see what happened. There was at least one thing she could be sure of, and that was that Eljay knew plenty about having kids. So if there was anything to be done about that, she had the expert to help.

I can't believe that we might.... like, actually have kids though. Maia couldn't help smiling at that thought, even with her nerves. I haven't talked to him about it, but I've been trying to think of names. What do you think of 'Sage'? Or 'Wrenly'? She asked the second one only half-jokingly because she was actually kinda considering it as a nickname.

"I am not very superstitious, but I think that you should not name people after close relatives and friends - dead or alive," Wraen replied to Maia's inquiry. It did not seem that unlikely to her that her favourite sibling was going to be a mom this year. She was almost four - period of growing up had come to a close. "Every name once worn by a person you know comes with a story - with all the goods and bads - and to put such a weight on a brand new soul, I think is neither fair, nor necessary," she said.

"So - I say that with all your creative juices circulating inside your head, you can come up with something truly unique and extraordinary," she told and almost asked, what Eljay's take was on it, but remembered that Maia had not yet asked him this.

That was probably a good point. She'd thought it might be fun to scatter a few references to different wolves in the names, but maybe it would be more fun to come up with something entirely new? Yeah, I guess. I don't think it means anything, not really, but maybe that's a good reason to go with something new. She thought about it for a moment, then let it go.

I'll see what he thinks, I guess. It's weird that whatever we think up, someone is going to have to live with for, like, ever. It was a lot of pressure! We could be really mean, she added with a small laugh, but I don't think Eljay would go for that.

This reminds me that I once knew a guy, whose surname was "Simister" and people usually could not get it right on the first go and kept asking "Sinister?" And he was a good sport about it and said: "Well, no, but that would be way cooler!

"Depends on, what you mean by "mean"?" Wraen replied. "It can go another way round too, you know. Name a kid Prudence Sweetpea Serendipity Diamond and her character might give a very bad vibe to her name!" she said. "There are in some cultures a tradition to name your kid after the first thing you see, when you step out of your den after birth. Guarantees originality and, if by any chance, it is a pile of crap that catches your eye, then you can always shift your gaze sideways and choose something less offending."

Haha! I'd love a name like that XD <3

That's exactly what I mean by 'mean'! Maia responded, laughing at the suggested name.  Could you imagine!  They'd probably kill her for a ridiculous name like that!  I wonder how mom and dad chose our names?  She thought she remembered hers had been from some story or another... but maybe that was an idea!  If she could find some of her favorite story names, that would be pretty cool.  I like that, though.  If we can't come up with anything, we could always wait.  I'm sure eventually we'd have to call them something.  And maybe the first thing to come across our minds would stick.  Hey you would only work for so long, but when they were tiny, who'd know the difference?

Wraen had a hilarious answer to that question, but she figured that Towhee's way of telling, where her imagination originated from, was perhaps not meant for the pretty and innocent ears of Maia. And, even though she was nearly 5 and could be as rude as she wanted, in the back of her mind she was convinced that ghost Mom and Dad would not approve her utilizing her foul-mouth now. Gross jokes were better saved for a more appropriate moment.

"Well... "Hey, you!" and "NOOO!" are just as good names as any. Or you can name all your kids the same and have a problem solved, when it comes to calling them," she said. "I think that there was an ancient thing that boys of the family got name of their own, whereas all girls were named the same. Like Maia 1, Maia 2, Maia 3 and so on."

Reference to Ancient Roman naming traditions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQMgLxVxsrw

Ohh!! I like that! Naming them all after me. She laughed at the idea, and then had another thought that made her laugh even harder. Oh, oh no. She tried to control it, and managed enough at least to get it out to Wraen before she burst out in another fit of giggles. What..... what about Eljay Jr? And then Eljay Jr Jr, Jr Jr Jr...

She had to stop there when she was laughing too much at her own joke to finish, but it was enough. It was just too funny, imagining a bunch of exponential Juniors, all of whom inexplicably (in her mind) looked identical to their dad. Ohmygosh they'd hate her, that would be so confusing so fast.

"If they are anything like you personality-wise, then I am definitely of an opinion that there can never be too many Maia's in this world," Wraen told her fondly, but the rest of her sister's joke did not catch on. Her face changed from that of amused to serious and for a moment there she did not say anything at all. It had been years now, since Elfie had disappeared without a trace and Eljay seemed to have come to terms with the fact that his son most likely was dead, but she doubted that he was fine enough to challenge the fate by naming a new kid after the deceased one. 

"I don't think that Eljay Jr. or any subsequent Juniors is such a good idea," she told Maia carefully. "It may stir up painful memories," and, though it was impossible to build a life without taking anything from the past with you, some stones were better left unmoved.

Maia didn't understand the reference, but she didn't ask for an explanation for it. Instead she just brushed past the implication completely. She might have heard Elfie's real name a long while back, but if she had, it was lost on her in this instance. Instead she assumed that maybe Wraen was referencing his recently dead parents? And maybe Elwood was too painful a name right now. Which was maybe kinda a little fair?

Anyway. I'll think about it. But I can use any help you might have. She smiled. I'm gonna go check out the lake for 'important border stuff' and all. Wanna come? Secret - actually it's getting hot and I kinda wanna float around a little. she added the second part fake-conspiratorially, hope that Wraen had nothing better to do clearly showing in her eager expression.

"Thank you for the offer, but - no - I will rather stay here and resume my nap," Wraen politely declined Maia's suggestion to have a walk around the territory. She was still stiff and tired from all that had happened a day prior and she did not think that she was going to leave her throne even tomorrow. 'cept for bathroom breaks and some small hunting, if such opportunities arised. 

"Have fun and see you around!" she told her.

Okay. See you around! Maia wondered if she shouldn't stick around and hang out with her sister, but she'd already said she was going, and she didn't want her to think she was putting herself out or anything. She didn't let the disappointment catch her until after she was already out of sight, and just like every time Wraen turned down a trip or anything lately, worry started to leak in. She was just tired... maybe tomorrow they could do something instead.