Redsand Canyon (M) The needle.

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: suggestive dialogue.

After the morning’s excitement, Towhee decided it was time to consult @Aquene about some pain relief, otherwise she was afraid her soreness might interfere with her tasks.

The healer had mentioned keeping a den near the oasis. Where was that again? Towhee wondered if this was how Ruenna felt as she shuffled slowly past the arena and the dirt pit where Germanicus conducted punishments. She slowed to a stop, peering at the boulder.

The Redhawk then dragged her eyes back to her intended destination. She wasn’t sure where to go, exactly, so she decided to raise her muzzle and call for Aquene.

Aquene had been keeping herself busy. Between meeting with Ruenna in the morning and then later enjoying Tamar’s company, she was looking for really any way to stay both busy and social. She kept her distance from Kallik simply because he did have a job to do and she did not want to interfere with his duties. Tamar had left not long ago and she was going about starting to make small bundles for future tinctures for the Matrona. Her eyes widened when she heard the call.
 
She quickly wrapped up what she was doing, making her way out of the tablinum, quickly finding the woman by the punishment grounds. “Towhee!” She greeted friendly, still walking with a limp though it had helped with some pain meds, faint lingerings of Kallik still on her pelt as well. “How can I help you?” She asked the attentive and frankly hilarious woman.

The healer came promptly, though between her limp and the various smells clinging to her pelt, Towhee completely forgot why she’d called her. Aquene appeared to be in good spirits, so perhaps she was just achy too. But the blend of scents was what really tripped up the Redhawk for a moment.

Hey, uh, why do you smell like—you’re not in heat, are you? Towhee said, aware even as she asked that it was kind of a blunt question. And was it any of her business? She wasn’t an Alpha, nor a kisisak, not here.

Aquene thought nothing amiss, not until the blunt question escaped, her eyes widening. “Uh… no, I’m not.” She clarified quickly in hopes to drop that topic, her nose wrinkling lightly at the question. “I’m just sore is all; I was sparring again yesterday.” She assumed the question came from the limp alone, not fully aware of the way his scent still lingered. She was aware of the idea that a woman might ‘walk funny’ the next day.
 
Besides, she had already spoken with Ruenna about the situation in full… including about Kallik. “Why do you ask?” She needed to know if she had already over-explained. The woman, she had come to realize, could always be relied on for an honest opinion. “And you didn’t answer my question… you called; is there something amiss? Do you need my expertise?” She reminded her of the topic at hand: Towhee, not Aquene.

She insisted she wasn’t, then explained her limp. Towhee nodded absently, sympathetically, then thrust her nose closer to Aquene’s shoulder. She didn’t doubt the woman, she was just trying to figure out where that scent was coming from.

The Redhawk drew back just in the nick of time to catch the, “Why do you ask?” You smell like it, only… not really… kinda sorta…? Towhee’s lips formed a thoughtful moue as she lapsed into thought, only for Aquene’s flapping lips to distract her.

Oh, ah, yeah. I’m pretty sore from sparring too, was wondering if you might be able to help me out, came Towhee’s response.

Aquene’s eyes widened just a bit as the other woman’s snout moved closer. She was nothing if not persistent, and Aquene could appreciate that under normal circumstances. She explained and Aquene found herself shy about admitting that there had been more than just a spar last night. She had already done a fair amount of trauma dumping in the past twenty four hours and preferred not to put herself into a situation where more might happen.
 
Thankfully, the distraction worked. “Yes, I certainly can. If you follow me, the tablinum is this way.” She explained before motioning with her head and beginning her trek. She could focus on the physical treatment of another, and it might keep her there for a moment.

Surely someone had pointed out this Tablinum to her by now, though Towhee only blinked uncomprehendingly and nodded. She fell into step slightly behind Aquene, grimacing as her muscles complained.

A thought popped into her head and she voiced it in the same moment. Is someone else in Mereo in heat? That might explain the trace scents on Aquene’s coat.

There was a frown at the question but she did not. “The Matrona saw me today for the start of hers.” She answered vaguely, not revealing that she had been giving her herbs to help with the process of conception. Perhaps that was an easy answer to her question. Hopefully it would bide the girl some time too.
 
Upon arrival, she motioned to the den and started to get to work, using moss as the base just as she had done with Kallik, she began to grind up the praire crocus (a plant she is forever thankful for surviving in the oddest places within the canyon) and yarrow which were designed to help with inflammation in the joints via a poultice. “So, who overdid you in a spar?” She asked as she worked, eager to see who had made Towhee so sore as it were.

She wondered if it might be Rue, seconds before Aquene revealed the Matrona’s condition. Well, hell yeah! Towhee exclaimed, her voice echoing off the canyon walls. A thrum of excitement ran through her and she experienced an intense urge to seek out her friend right this instant.

Instead, she distractedly followed Aquene into her den. The healer wanted to know who was responsible for overworking her. Me, she replied with an amused huff. Is Rue really in heat? she pressed, unable to help herself.

The woman’s exclamation brought a hint of amusement to her eyes. She hoped the Matrona was not mad for revealing the nature of her condition… especially to such a new wolf. Aquene was unaware of the close friendship between the lady before her and Ruenna. “I did not tell you that, however… the Matrona never explicitly told me to keep it a secret, but she also did not tell me I could tell others.” She explained once more.
 
Of course, with her heat settling in, the pack would soon know anyway. Still, Aquene felt like she was dealing with insider information, and she herself was in terrible violation of HIPPA in that moment. “Yes, she is. She is hoping to conceive with the Imperator.” She offered simply. It felt weird to call them anything other than by their formal titles which is when the nickname stuck out to her. She carefully placed the poultice over her connection points for the limbs: shoulders and hips. It would no doubt be of the most use there. “Do you know the Matrona well? I’ve never heard anyone here call her Rue before.” She felt proud for successfully avoiding any more prying questions about herself.

The Redhawk couldn’t help but respond with a snort. I won’t tell on you, she reassured, laughing openly. Rue and I have known each other for years. We ruled side by side and she helped me raise my kids, especially when their father was out of the picture. There’s literally nobody on earth who deserves to be a mother more than her. Anyone who thinks otherwise can fuckin’ fight me, she quipped with another chuckle.

Abruptly, she paid attention to what the healer was doing. Oh, for some reason, I thought you’d give me something to swallow, she admitted with interest. Towhee sniffed at the poultice, pulling a face. Although I wouldn’t want to put that in my mouth.

Aquene was grateful for the woman’s secrecy, and let her smile grow a little more as she spoke about how long they had known each other. They had even led beside each other? It gave Aquene questions of her own, but for now they were focused on Ruenna. “I am glad she has a close friend here… she’s been dealing with a lot, on top of her pain… getting the soldiers here to respect civilians, for the most part, has been… challenging for her.” Though not unsuccessful. She was fairly certain Kallik had come around, thinking she could be a good judge for him… and Arsenio appreciated at the very least her presence… it was more of the holdouts, Diesel she had not heard much from since arriving and Glaukos who Aquene still did not trust.
 
She snorted softly at the statement. “That comes after.” She added slyly before watching as she sniffed it, causing more of a chuckle from her. “The leading cause of soreness is inflammation. Your joints and muscles being overworked makes them swell, and the poultice when left on addresses the root cause of your pain: swelling… I also have things for you to swallow to help with the pain until the swelling subsides.” For the moment, she went with scrub pine needles… poppy seeds as of that moment were reserved for life threatening injuries or Ruenna’s back pain if she were to have flareups with carrying a litter or Germanicus on her back, to ensure her supplies would last until she could get more. "What about you? Any plans to become a mother again?" 

Hearing about the soldiers’ disrespect of the Plebians made Towhee’s laughter stop, her face hardening. Why was she not surprised? She had begun to get to know them better, yet their default setting seemed to involve sticks up their asses. She knew she was a bit of a hypocrite, yet it really baked her noodle that anybody out there would have the gall to look down on someone like Rue.

She remained stonily silent as Aquene continued tending to her, explaining that some oral medication came next. She nodded her understanding about what caused the pain. Towhee had experienced this sort of thing enough times in her life, though she didn’t mind that the healer liked to whistle while she worked, so to speak.

The question was a little triggering at this juncture in her life, though Towhee only said casually, I’ll never get married again, so it’s moot here. She never should’ve done it the first time. She wasn’t built for that shit, nor did she want it. I have twelve kids already, she shared. She would’ve counted fifteen, but Phox’s youngest hadn’t had the chance to fall into that role. And a few of them were deceased, though she didn’t say that. A grandson too, and more grandkids on the way.

She sniffed, shifting her weight to get a bit more comfortable. What about you?

She saw the way her laughter died, and she regretted saying anything. She was quick to assure the woman. “Not all of them… just a few, and some have come around since… Ruenna will be the first to tell you that Mereo was not originally designed to support civilians, only soldiers.” Her mind specifically drifted to Kallik in that moment. It was as she had told Towhee when they first met, he had just needed a little guidance on the roles that civilians could play. Tamar did a lovely job tidying things, and Malila was coming along as her apprentice. Her own role was quite obvious as well.
 
Everything felt better now. She pulled some of the scrub pine from the compartment she kept it, shaking some from the hide she stored them in so as to avoid drooling all over her supplies in the process of getting them to her patients. “Chew on these… it’ll help.” She explained to the woman. She saw every treatment as a way to also educate so future treatments could be done in faster times and everyone knew what was causing their aches. In her experience, it brought most ease.
 
The statement came and she hummed, and then her eyes widened. “That is… many.” She was clearly just a little shocked. She did not think she could survive hurling a dozen children out of her lady bits. She mentioned grandchildren and Aquene offered her a smile. “I am not meant to be a mother… at least not yet. I have far too many of my own issues to work through at the moment.” She brushed the question off. “I take herbs to suppress my heat… just in case I find myself succumbing to the season. It prevents pregnancy that I am not prepared for, and quite frankly one that would get me kicked out of Mereo.” She was not yet married, and that meant she was not yet allowed children, even if she did want them. “Perhaps in a season… or maybe two… when I’ll be ready, or if, is anyone’s guess.”

Aquene layered in some more context, though Towhee’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t know if there was a whole lot she could do about it, being so new to Mereo and to the dynamics here. She wondered if leading by example might help, especially if she did end up outranking all the younger Auxillia.

It didn’t bear thinking about right now. Towhee let the pine the healer passed to her brush away the thought as their conversation centered more on motherhood. It pricked at her gums a little, so she chewed carefully, looking a lot like a ruminating cow as she watched Aquene’s lips. She talked a lot, which Towhee didn’t mind, though she couldn’t remember her eyeballs aching like this ever since Wraen had died…

Not all of them came out of my personal vagoo, she shared lightly, and there’s nothing wrong with taking your time or skipping a season, though I didn’t know there were herbs for that. Maybe Towhee should consider starting a regimen herself, just in case. She didn’t want something like estrus to completely fuck up her groundwork in Mereo.

Many soldiers had not understood the role of civilians within Mereo at the start, or what place they could possibly have in a military outpost… but that changed the moment they needed fresh bedding to collapse on after a long day, or a treatment for their aching muscles after a punishment. Aquene knew the civilians were pulling their own weight, just in a different way from the soldiers. Still, there were greater things to focus on at the moment.
 
She admitted not all of them were hers biologically and she nodded with understanding and a hint of embarrassment that she had thought all twelve had come out of Towhee directly. “There are… there are tinctures to aid in conception, and as a balance, herbs that can deter it.” She confirmed. “It is a little known fact, but such practices were common in my birthpack.” She had been thankful, even if the reasoning for such practices was depressing. “It’s useful when you can still encounter someone you are getting to know.” She hummed out as she continued to work. “It can just be harder to conceive after a suppressed heat sometimes though truly it depends on the wolf… I gave the Matrona herbs just today to assist in case she should run into any issues in that department.”

Encounter? Towhee echoed, her laughter suddenly reappearing. Is that what the kids are calling it these days? She couldn’t say why but, shit, that really tickled her funny bone. She tried very hard to suppress it, though she just ended up jiggling and making stupid noises through her nose.

She decided not to voice her thought about suppressing her heat. Although Towhee feared what might happen—she hadn’t been in control of herself, historically—she reminded herself that she hadn’t had much trouble last year. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad this year. Hell, maybe it wouldn’t even happen. Usually it would’ve come and gone by now.

That thought erased her laughter again. Taking steps to prevent estrus would probably be smart, but she suddenly realized she wasn’t actually ready to do something so final. Was she really prepared to skip this year? Did she really not want any more kids? At one point, she’d been pretty convinced, but so much had changed, including her mind. And, of course, now it would be nothing short of a complication.

Trying to shove those thoughts down, Towhee murmured aloud, I really hope Rue—and Germanicus, of course—will let me get their kids to call me Aunt Towhee… That thought settled her some.

At least she got her laugh to appear again. Aquene chuckled with it knowing how silly she sounded. She didn’t know Towhee as well as she did others, but it just seemed unnatural for the woman to not be joking around. That was a great deal of the experience that Aquene had with her. “I might be a healer, and well versed in these things, but that doesn’t make it any less awkward for me to talk about. I feel so… embarrassed… sometimes when I talk about it.” She offered weakly in her defense through her own chuckles. It had been taboo, and in her birth pack they left most of the birds and the bees talk to the married women who had bore children.
 
Aquene just went out and had fun, and even in that moment, Kallik was really the only one she’d had fun with so in terms of a fun encounter as she would say… there was only one… and it had only happened the previous day. The laughter faded out of her and Aquene did not pry. Prying usually yielded prying in return and if the woman did not want to share her thoughts, Aquene would not push it. “I imagine Ruenna would at least.” At least she had gotten to the point of dropping the title when discussing the matriarch. “Germanicus is always so hard to read… though the other day I did manage to get…” She leaned in conspiratorially. “An actual smile out of him.” It was like their little secret, because she was still so shocked. “I imagine with how important you are to her, he would not deny her if she were to allow it.” She offered to try and help, even though she still knew very little over the nature of the women’s relationship.

Her orange eyes widened a bit when Aquene leaned toward her conspiratorially. It made it hard to catch what she said, though when Towhee parsed her words, she chortled. Were smiles rare with him? She thought she remembered catching some small ones during their initial meet. Maybe she should feel special about that.

She made no mention of them, instead choosing to really widen her eyes and clutch at her chest, for good measure. I bet even most of the Auxillia can’t say that, Towhee quipped.

Effectively distracted from her unhappy thoughts, Towhee pressed, Are you really? in regards to the medic’s earlier comment. Maybe I can help you with that, since you’ve helped me out, like… four different times now. She gestured at the poultices, et cetera, before offering, I can talk about banging until you’re immune from overexposure. I have plenty of experience to share…

I'm calling it the Lady Nuts Effect: the fact that I completely genderbent Aquene this entire post, didn't catch it, and then had to go back and change all the pronouns lmfaoooo

She chortled and the woman felt like she had gotten the point across. It had been the only time she had ever witnessed the Imperator smile, and it had been at her for how well she was doing in her training. It had truly been a moment of pride. She respected him and he had more than earned her loyalty. They both had, even if she had found herself skeptical at first. It had been hard not to be, after all, an almost pacifistic due to incompetence wolf in a military pack had been laughable.
 
It turned out she wasn’t as incompetent as she had been led to believe for all of those years. “I bet so too… he’s normally just as stone-faced as the rest of them… well, except Arsenio. You’ve met him, right? Such a sweet man, and his wife Tamar is adorable and so kind. She helped me set up the bedding in here.” She could truly gush about the packmates she did get along with all day.
 
She couldn’t help but smirk at her when the question came. Was it not obvious how inexperienced the healer was? “Let’s just say I’m far more experienced with the medicine and less so with the action.” The implication being that she did have some experience… “I don’t know… like I said… I don’t have a lot of experience in that area.” She admitted again, uncertain mostly of herself. She had no doubt Towhee could succeed but she’d have almost nothing to contribute to the conversation.

She nodded when asked about Arsenio, though Towhee didn’t comment. She still didn’t have the full picture with that guy. She totally agreed about Tamar, though, and tapped her tail at the mention of the woman’s name. The Plebeians here were far more welcoming than the Auxillia, that was for damn sure.

You a virgin? Towhee guessed with a good-natured snicker. Well, I’m a nasty slut and proud. I’ve lost track of how many dudes I’ve banged, to be honest. My first few heats were, shew… She waved a paw meaninglessly. It’s like my downstairs brain took over the entire time. Last year was pretty tame, though…

She’d had a mate then, and Towhee abruptly wondered if her body had somehow known that, making her heat more sedate since it didn’t need to drive her out to seek some strange. What if it returned with force this season? It was weird, being unable to decide which was more worrying: going into heat or not going into heat…

Aquene considered herself close with all of the Auxilia. It was hard not to. They all had to stick together, even if Aquene was walking with a paw in each world… at least, she liked to pretend that she did. Truthfully, the regiment of training she took up was nothing compared to what was expected of them with all of their patrols, but at least it was a start, and she had patrols of her own to do… her patrols just involved mushrooms and herbs.
 
The question came, and though Aquene was no virgin she certainly blushed like one, shaking her head shyly. “I… kind of did it last night…” She admitted, although it was very quiet, not that volume mattered too much with Towhee. Her eyes widened as she listened and the woman really just… went for it. “My heats have been nonexistent.” She admitted, knowing she had done it to herself. “I hear they’re really intense, but I have no reference to go off of. My mom always told me it was an itch that you just needed to scratch.” It was true.
 
She admitted last year was tame, and she wanted to ask if it was because of age but she did not want to imply that the woman was old… well, she did have a grandson… so maybe she was kind of old.

Her eyebrows raised. Before Towhee could ask the obvious question, Aquene mentioned again how she suppressed her heats, meaning she couldn’t relate. The Redhawk suddenly wondered if that had a negative impact on health. Could it cause a hormone imbalance or something?

But she didn’t ask that. What she did say was, I haven’t had one yet this year and I’m not entirely sure what to expect. But anyway, who did you bang? Towhee guessed it went without saying that Aquene didn’t have to worry about conceiving, so it felt appropriate to add, Congrats on the dicking! I hope it was good.

Aquene had never learned of any negative impact, and it had been such common practice to avoid when a woman did not want a litter, for the men in her home has not cared for their wants and needs. It had just been… a little healer’s secret was all. Sure, sometimes there was cramping and other side effects but they faded within a few days of the first dosing…
 
“Well, either way there aren’t many choices here.” She pointed out to the other woman. Getting dick elsewhere was strictly prohibited by the Imperator and Matrona, so it was up to… Glaukos… unless Towhee decided to swing Diesel’s way, or maybe after Malila. “Umm… itwasKallik.” She admitted shyly once more, still very in her shell despite the language being used about. Her eyes widened but she started to chuckle when she congratulated her of all things. She was not aware such a thing required celebration, apart from those involved that was.

The answer slipped out so rapidly that it was impossible for Towhee to catch it. Come again? she said, sounding her age for once. Speak up, I’m deaf! she added jokingly, though she did clarify, Say it a little slower though, for real. She stared impatiently at the woman’s mouth.