- ooc; birth of sidhari cubs -

a sharp pain woke her from slumber.

it had to be around three in the morning, the time of the dead. when spirits were much more active and open to communication. none of that mattered. she shifted against @Walthari, urging herself to go back to sleep, when another spasm of pain caused the young woman to gasp.

"my love" her voice controlled as she turns to look at him, pawing the man hopefully awake "Walthari!" she gasped audibly, panic entering her voice as she curls up "Walthari, they are coming." Sidonie groans softly, laying on her side. trying to refuse curling up again. she had to be straight, lay as rigid as possible. refuse the pain. block it out. do anything to avoid it unless required to confront it.

if her beloved awoke, she directs him to the bundle of herbs in the niche of the den. hot burning caused her body to strain; before long, the first child would enter the world.

sidonie huntington

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Sleep did not come easy. Deep sleep, was almost unheard of even since he learned of the pregnancy. Anxiety rarely gave him a moment to rest unhindered. So when she called for him, his eyes were open- quickly, sucking in a breath and quickly trying to take stock of what was going on.

It was time.

His heartbeat quickened, and any grogginess from his former sleep was out the window. He was wide awake, sober and wide-eyed at the panic in her voice that leeched into him.

"I'm here, I'm here." He said quickly as he moved toward her, voice cracking but doing its damndest to be soothing despite, but he couldn't fight the worry that begged him to ask the obvious. "Is this normal? Is this okay?" He couldn't feel what she was feeling. What amount of pain was normal and not? The panic in her voice frightened him though it could simply be because of the onset of the pain itself, the quickness of it. Maybe their children would come into the world quickly.

When directed to the herbs he immediately reached for them, fumbling them a bit before getting a firm hold and bringing them close. She tried to control her breathing, so did he.

"What do you need me to do love? You tell me."

"he speaks"

walthari

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"it is normal" she tries to control her breathing, coming out quickly and in waves. the pain she felt was normal - Nadia must have felt it too. any other woman felt it too. she pants softly, laying on her side. there is no time to call for Elijah or any other medic; and she feels this is private anyway. Sidonie would not wake the whole of Obsidian just because she was giving birth. "please stay here. just stay here..."

she sucked in a breath as she felt one of the children enter the world. a low moan escaped her, but she remained as still as possible. only when the cub was fully out did she direct herself. turning, she nips at the excess and brings the child to her stomach to nurse. there is silent awe and amazement at the little one, staring at him. "a boy" she says in a whisper to @Walthari, seeing the patches of black and white on him. the cub let out a soft squeal and began to suckle.

but she was not done. another spasm of pain shot through her system. she grit her teeth against it, a paw grasping to try and hold her beloved's. "I-I think there are three..." she pants. but she does not complain. she does not moan and groan about the hurt. as the second child slips into reality, she notices the brown-black-white patches "a girl" she says wearily, though pride shone through. once again, she cleans off the cub and brings it to her chest.

the last one is easier, she thinks. he slips from her, but the largest of the group. "a boy" she murmurs, doing the same as before. he is as black as night. Sidonie feels her head crash back to the padded ground, a soft huff escaping her. her eyes close but she is finished. they are beautiful, perfect - she could not ask for more. "meet your children, love" she whispers, moving her body a bit so he could take a closer look at them. the product of their love.

sidonie huntington

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Please stay here. Just stay here.

"I'm not going anywhere." He breathed, positioning himself to half curl around her. Not too close to suffocate her, he knew she needed room- but she could lay her head on his arms or against his shoulder, squeeze his paws, bite him if she needed to honestly. He wouldn't wince. Anything to try and be there, to do what he could when all he really could do was watch and encourage her.

And silently, mouth a prayer.

But it wasn't long at all, until he could see the first child emerging into the world. He sucked in a breath along with her, craning his neck to try and see past her as she turned to clean it. His heart stirred with curiosity and fear.

Breathe... Breathe... He willed in his mind, only releasing his breath as he heard the telltale squeak he had wanted to hear. And it was then the emotions began to swell.

A boy. She had said. A son. As she brought him to her stomach he could now see him clearer. Covered in black and white splotches, and very very tiny compared to himself now. Half of Walthari's body leaned over her to look at him with awe. And with a rush of absolute and unhindered love that caused tears to begin sliding down his cheeks almost without him noticing. He let out a chuckle rattled by emotions, gently and cautiously bending his head down to touch their son's forehead.

"Hello little one."

He was a father. Oh God, he was a father. This was no longer future tense, this was now the reality.

But it wasn't over. Pain overtook his love again and he settled back down to allow her to lay against him. She squeezed his paw with hers, and before long another child slid into this world. A girl this time. A boy and a girl, he couldn't be more elated! And once again he spilled over her to look at them, count toes and ears. They seemed normal. They seemed healthy. Their little girl was colored like Sidonie, with black and white splotches too. A beautiful mix of themselves.

Thank God. Bless God.

He settled back down again and briefly lay his neck over hers, nuzzling under the line of her jaw lovingly. "You're doing great Sid. So great." She was powerful, strong, she was doing so well in his eyes. He had done this to her but his guilt was lost in happiness, and pride- for her. For them.

Finally, the last of their children was birthed. Another boy, so covered in his dark splotches that he looked like a lump of black against the rabbit pelts he was born onto. Two sons and one daughter.

He loved them, immediately. There had been a worry in his heart- for he knew both he and Sidonie's stories as children. He had feared the worst fear he could think of though it was foolish, that he would not feel it. But he did, he overwhelmingly felt the joy, love, and protectiveness of a father. He would do anything for them.

It made him wonder why he and Sidonie had been unloved. Before now he could surmise and assume and make all the excuses he could think of to explain their ill fate, but now... He could no longer understand how a parent could leave their children, or look at them with hate. He couldn't, he wouldn't, they were beautiful and they were theirs. He loved them, with everything in him.

Sidonie moved her body so he could look closer at them, so he could see all three of them. "They're beautiful Sid." He breathed, his voice still strained by all he felt, he then turned to once again press his head against hers.

"I love you. I love our family. So much."

"he speaks"

walthari

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"I love our family."

it had been an ordeal, yet another she had overcome. with Walthari at her side, she felt like she could conquer even a mountain. maybe even the gods themselves. "they are beautiful" she murmurs against him, resting her head on his larger paws. one vision kept on the wiggling newborns out of the corner of her eye. a proud, soft and tired smile crossed her lips. "I love them already." t'was odd to think she would care about something so much in the first few seconds.

but she loved Walthari. she would love anything half of him. "we should name them" she says to her husband. two boys and a little girl. what to call them? she was drawn to the firstborn, the boy with black and white. "@Rorschach" Sidonie utters, a reminder of her surname - Huntington. a medical term, a psychological term. the loss of a brain's function slowly, and Rorschach... the mind's different views on the brain's handling of images. she touches the boy with her tail tip.

he lets out a soft mewl. Sidonie looks up at @Walthari, encouraging him with love in her eyes.

sidonie huntington

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Rorschach.

A strange name, but he liked it for its uniqueness, and its shadowy connotation. It made sense for his mottled son. Although he could already see himself calling his boy Rory, for short.

When she turned to him, he was taken and maybe even a bit flustered by the sudden responsibility of naming one of their children. He had thought about this though, he couldn't help himself. But what if they didn't like it when they got older? Well... They could change it then. But he wanted to try, to gift them with a name meaningful and blessed even if they chose to take another.

And as he looked at his only daughter, her brown pelt dotted in such a way it almost reminded him of a wild dog. The thought made him smile, but no- he'd not name her after a canine. Instead, he thought of something else.

"Mercy..." He said lovingly, leaning over her stomach to gently touch the top of her forehead. His little Mercy, a reflection of God's mercy on himself. Even though everything he had done, he was still gifted with these three blessings... It was a fitting name to him.

That left their other son, their last born- the darkest of shadows. He remembered something then, from a dream he had of that strange deity Xuchilbara. Hadn't he said something about a blessing? A shadow-touch? As he thought about it, the pieces began to fall into place that perhaps this is what the (angel?) had meant. He was special no doubt, but each of his children were in their own way.

"Our son that's dark as midnight... Like the stone spires on the black beach, or the dark night we met... What should we name him?"

@Sidonie

"he speaks"

walthari

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with @Sidonie's time fast approaching, he is restless. wanting to make sure that his friend is okay and will be okay, wanting to make sure that she will make it through helathy and whole. it's this reason that he's prowling around the tunnels, his sleep fitful and limited. it's this reason that he catches the unmistakable scent of blood and birth, and without haste, hurries to her den. by the time he arrives the process has ended and there doesn't seem to be any trouble — there is only soft voices from within. he chuffs quietly but makes no other movements to enter or intrude; he'd happily leave if she's fine and wants him to go, but he's here for her — and her beautiful little family.

"@Mercy."

she repeats, giving a tired nod. approval shone in her eyes. aware of @Elijah having come to the mouth of the den, she ignores him politely in favor of @Walthari's last inquiry. the blackened child, who may need a more forgiving name due to his uniqueness. she knew of albino children, but had no experience with melanistic ones. Nadia would, so she would ask her.

"@Anselme."

God was both cruel and kind. this throwback to her husband's belief stemmed in that. God's helmet. both cruel and kind. a heavy burden to bear but also a blessing in disguise. her tail tip flickered across the boy's dark coat, as if protecting him from the world. he was a blessing, their little biological mutation. born of love, and would be loved forever. it was then that she calls across softly.

"Elijah, you may come in" she says. no doubt Walthari was aware of him as well.

sidonie huntington

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"Anselme... I like that as well." He echoed, though the appearance of another reminded him that there was a world outside their den and their little blessed family. Almost jarringly he was pulled from it, and it was an immediate fight to keep a low growl from rising into his throat simply on instinct. Though he didn't make a sound, it was clear his body tensed upon a figure entering. Where emotions and anxieties ran high, the veil between his inner volatility thinned.

But it was Elijah, someone Sidonie knew well. A friend whom she valued. Not only that but a medic, one that he had only a short while ago said he would run for if anything went wrong. Being a new father was filled with many a strange and new feelings thus far... But he allowed his streak of protectiveness to ebb back into logic where it rightfully belonged.

"Good morning, Elijah." He said quietly albeit weary from the extremely happy but emotionally draining ordeal, letting himself ease and sink back into his wife and children that he was so lovingly curled around. He had no intentions of leaving his spot by their side, but he would move slightly to allow them to be looked at. Now more at ease with the thought of the pale male observing them, he now watched with a mix of anticipation, anxiety, and pride. He sensed nothing wrong with his children and neither did Sidonie, he hoped Elijah wouldn't sense something they hadn't.

@Elijah @Sidonie

"he speaks"

walthari

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The scent of birth was a little more familiar to Magnus now; this time it was not his own offspring, but that of his Gentry @Sidonie. Naturally he would come to offer his silent support, and his congratulations along with it. Once it was all over the High Sovereign would approach from the ether, nearing slowly and moving within earshot. @Elijah was present, of course, as well as Sidonie's lover Walthari. A decent enough man, but one he did not know particularly well yet; the newest to his ranks. The King offered a chuff of greeting to those within the den, poking his head in but not approaching any further. He could see one, two, three little bundles nestled amongst their mother's underbelly. Congratulations, he offered simply.