Chaos was sleeping peacefully for once. Sometimes it seemed he was more of a handful than all three of her older children had been at this age. He'd been a fitful sleeper from the start, and with the odd shape of his mouth he still had a lot of trouble nursing, so it seemed like he was always nursing and he was more prone to colic with the amount of air he gulped in while doing so. It was a surprise to her that he'd survived until now, though he still was not thriving in the same way her older children had, growing much more slowly. But his eyes and ears were open now and his little squeaks were beginning to form real sounds, imitations of her own words. He was starting to make his determined, bobble-headed way around the den already, he was developing a distinct and unique personality and as adorable as he was she really, really needed a break from him right now. She didn't know if Valentine had told the pack of Chaos' birth, if Integra had, as she herself had made no effort to interact with her packmates since the birth a couple weeks before, and it wasn't like wolves hadn't disappeared for weeks at a time on their own adventures. She had been tired and feeling ill more often than not. Moody, she hadn't wanted visitors and had kept herself hidden away, quiet whenever anyone seemed likely to approach. Outwardly to Valen and their kids when they came by she had maintained a cheerful attitude, an insistence that he was going to be ok despite the disfigurement of his mouth, and that Valentine had nothing to worry about with her and with Chaos, so that Valen could concentrate on his other children and his job as alpha, but inwardly, and in private moments... Chaos' oddities were a constant black cloud over her, a constant worry that she would wake and he'd be gone, that unique child that she'd grown to love so desperately snuffed out in the middle of the night, and coupled with the lack of sleep from a fretful infant it did not make for very happy feelings. Even today feeling restless with the need to be out of the den, she could not make herself go far. She'd caught a hare within sight of the den and immediately returned to curl up outside the entrance, the untouched hare beside her as she laid her head on her paws and stared out over the rolling hills. Blinking, eyes unfocused and half asleep despite her seeming to be watching the horizon. ""

Ashmedai had been searching for Cascade, but wasn't doing a great job at finding her. His mentor and good friend (and crush?) had hidden away, but he didn't know why. He bet it had to do with Rhythm. With a small pout, Ash pushed on, treading through the lands. A scent hit his nose, carried by the air. Was that... Cascade? Why did she smell different? Worried, Ashmedai drew closer, his voice hushed, "Cas...? Caaaas?" He pushed through the brush. His stance was low and wary, his ears drawn back and his tail low, "Cas, where ya been? I was worried, but I mean I was kinda gone too, but you weren't at your usual den and so I was worried and... does this have to do with Rhythm?" he rambled quietly. She seemed... different. Distant maybe, "You know, uh, you smell kinda odd... are you, you know, feelin' okay?" He edged a little closer, but not too close, still very put-off by the strange scent that loomed around her, though concern was clear on his face.

A hushed voice called out to her, dragging her awareness from that half-doze into full wakefulness. She blinked, blinked again, and slipped the mask into place. She turned her head to take in the site of Ashmedai, a cheerful grin pasted on well enough. There was no reason to enmesh Valen's son into this constant cloud of worry. Let him be Ash. "Hey Ash," she returned brightly. "Sorry I had you worried, I've been a little busy." Blink. Wait, what would Rhythm have to do with her disappearing? Well, he had been pretty upset when he found out about Valentine's newest pups and in a youthful fashion he had maybe projected that onto her as well as a possible reason for hiding. "No, Rhythm didn't have anything to do with it," she told him with a forced chuckle. "Have you been to see her pups yet? I'm sure your dad would bring you if you didn't want to intrude at a bad time." She turned her head distractedly back toward her den, wondering... for a moment... if Valentine had told Ashmedai himself about Chaos. The pup hadn't exactly been expected, after all, and with Rhythm to care for she'd hardly blame him for hot tracking down each individual member to brag about Chaos when he had two other less... odd children to dote on. Ugh she was being so... bitchy, what the hell was wrong with her? She didn't mean to be. She didn't want to be. There was no reason to be. She didn't need anyone, and she certainly didn't need to be grousing and whining about people paying attention to Rhythm's pups. There was no reason for her to feel this way. She hadn't felt like this after her first litter. She was just tired, and stressed. It would pass. She just needed to keep the mask up, keep playing the game so that she wouldn't be the cause of more stress. She was supposed to be Valentine's friend, she was supposed to take stress away from him... not give him and everyone else more by being such a child. She gave herself a mental shake, like shaking water from her fur, and smiled crookedly at Ash. "You probably smell the pup," she added testingly, teasingly. ""

OOC notes: Sorry Rhythm and Kat, you know how Ash is...

Cascade had been busy? With what, Ashmedai wondered. She clarified that Rhythm didn't have anything to do with her disappearing, "Good." the boy muttered under his breath, his ears slinking lower. His ears were brought immediately back up when she asked if he had seen the pups. His maw hung open as she mentioned that his dad would show him if he didn't want to intrude. Intrude? Rhythm was the one intruding! Indignantly, Ashmedai's fur ruffled, "No I haven't gone and seen them! I don't wanna see them!" His body went rigid. Why would he want to see the pups? He had no reason to want to see the pups!

Cascade seemed to zone out and Ashmedai would grow concerned again. Even if she was here and laughing, this wasn't the Cascade Ash knew. The strong, bold, laughing woman who taught him to hunt early in life. The woman who shined like a raven in the sunlight. The woman who's eye's lit up with humor, even if she didn't say anything. The same woman who challenged for Et Uxor without so much as a bat of an ear! This wasn't her. Something was wrong.

Before Ashmedai could voice his concerns, Cascade tossed another statement at him.

"You probably smell the pup."

Ashmedai's eyebrow crooked. Pup? His nose twitched. Was that the other smell? Where would a pup- "Cas-" Ash suddenly whispered, "Are you watching her pup? Was there only one? Did she run back to Abaven?" No, that wasn't right, why would she say his dad would take him to see the pups, then have one pup here, "Wait- did you take one? Could she not handle it? How many did she have?" Ashmedai's face scrunched as he tried to think of what Cascade had meant by the pup. What pup? Until he figured it out, his mind kept churning, seeking reasons to blame whatever it was on Rhythm, murmuring awful accusations without concern.

Cascade blinked at the sudden vehemence in the youth's voice as he denied any interest in going to see his half-siblings, again at his sudden flood of questions concerning the pup (was it Rhythm's? had Rhythm run away? had she stolen it? That last one amused her more than she'd admit) and she sighed internally. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it before. Jealousy, insecurity... Vana had it in spades, and it certainly didn't take anything as big as a new litter of siblings to set her off. She didn't want to be mothering Esti's kid along with her own... She kept her own annoyance sharply tamped down, knowing it was mostly the exhaustion talking. She was Ash's mentor, and she was the Et Uxor, so tired or not this was her responsibility too.

"Ash," she started gently, "Do you remember how Angelus treated you when you were young? He'd gotten used to his litter being Valen's only kids, but when you were born that changed, and you were the newest, shiniest, and youngest of all Valen's kids. You got attention, and your father spent a great deal of his free time with you because that's what babies need. But that didn't bother him. He still loved you, and played with you. You were still his brother. Now you're in the same position he was, and you get to make a decision. Regardless of who their mother is... those pups are your siblings, just as much as Angelus and Seraphim and Evangeline."

A half-smile quirked her muzzle. "And Chaos."

She jerked her head over her shoulder to the den behind her, where the sleeping pup was still quiet. "Your newest younger brother, Chaos. He's sleeping just now but you can see him later when he wakes up if you want. And no," she added with a chuckle, "I didn't steal him. He's my son."