The bamboo hut was hastily constructed on the very edge of the maze, and she supposed it would eventually be pulled down and relocated further in, it would be a good size for storing her medicinal herbs when the time was right. Right now though, it would do. She had helped to steady spars in place while Otis deftly scrambled about lashing lengths of bamboo together. It was dry, which was more than she could say for the weather, and it was warm. The maze itself had been too claustrophobic in her current state, and what she really wanted was to be close to running water this close to her due date. As if on cue, a ripple of pain passed down her flanks and she took a deep breath. It was so much worse than she ever anticipated and all those times she had told others it wasn’t so bad and to toughen up and just push was coming back to bite her in the ass. She had Otis to hiss and grumble at her instead. The first to be born was a white faced daughter, sunset shades speckling her deep chocolate base. She already had a name picked out after some cobbled together language lessons on her way down. “Himawari,” she whispered as she tucked the newborn child close to her chest. There was no denying her mother’s genetic influence in the next to be born, and she rolled her eyes, already foreseeing a miniature version of her brother Odin running around, ruining plans and causing chaos. ”Burūberu,” she tucked him up against his sister, hoping her oldest daughter would have the wherewithal to keep her siblings in line. The next to come was closer to her own new colouring, with rhubarb flecks smattered through her coat. Well at least there would be two girls to keep the boys in line, and three tended to be about where her family stopped, but she didn’t feel any relief yet and worry painted her face as something tiny and pink made it’s way into the world. Her heart leapt into her throat as Otis snatched up the tiny body and began to vigorously rub its form with a scrap of hide. A tooth flashed at the opossum in warning, a low growl issued forth until a tiny cough could be heard and her companion rapidly pressed the tiny body between the much larger bodies that had been sharing the womb with her. Sedna nosed the child with worry, but a high pitched growl of indignation set her heart at ease. Another girl. “Fuji,” she settled on with a smile, grateful she had an extra name to fall back on in her exhaustion. But still more came, first a coal coated child that could very well might be the spitting image of her mother if the light was a little better in here. She couldn’t keep the relief out of her chuckle when it was revealed to be yet another boy. She looked to Raijin with exasperation and awe as another contraction rippled down her side. The flecks of barely there orange settled it for her. “Tachibana.” She barely managed to manoeuvre the boy to his siblings when the next wave overtook her. The last child was another earthen coated child, and with his little flecks of white and in her delirium she laughed, the relief of her organs finally shifting back into place and the ability to draw in a full breath of air overwhelming her as tears pricked the corner of her eyes and she looked on her youngest. Another boy. “He looks like a little Potato.” Her laugh was tinged with a hint of hysteria as she nudged the small brown boy back amongst his siblings and collapsed down on the ground breathless. There were six of them. SIX! She was never going to sleep again. ”We’re really gonna need a bigger home.” She was still laughing, breathless. It was over with, and for the first time in what felt like an age, she thought she might even be able to keep food down. Sedna Archer-Lyall #1 possum mom (and regular mom too)

The time between Sedna telling him she was pregnant and the birth of their children had gone by in the blink of an eye. He knew the woman probably didn’t see it that way, considering her moaning and groaning over the kiddos pushing against her bladder and other internal organs, but when her contractions had started it had been like a slap in the face. He knew that the Archer-Lyall knew what she was doing and her scrappy little companion was hard at work aiding her, but he felt a lot like a useless lump sitting to the side while she went through it all alone. But, as soon as the first pup was born, Raijin could feel nothing but awe. His golden gaze stared, wide-eyed, at the white masked girl who whimpered and cried with her whole tiny chest. He followed her with rapt attention as she was cleaned and settled at her mother’s swollen teats, her mouth hungrily searching for sustenance before latching on with an impressive strength. He felt his heart immediately turn into jelly, a bright grin lighting up his entire face. Her name was in his native tongue, and as Sedna dubbed her, he whispered “Himawari,” with reverent breath. His daughter, his first child, had entered the world.

Not long after, they were blessed with a dark coated son, a look that he knew would have meaning behind it crossing his partner’s face as she named him before he settled at her stomach next to his sister and he swore he fell in love all over again with their newest pup. Another girl followed close behind, and his grin faltered when a look of worry settled over Sedna’s face. She went into another set of contractions, which he knew was out of character for her family, and it had been odd in Iga as well to have large broods of more than three, but since arriving in Boreas he had decided something was in the water, because every litter he witnessed seem to have 5 or more. Then, an absolutely tiny, pink body slid from her mother’s womb and he had to do a double take to make sure it was actually a pup. It made no noise like it’s siblings, it didn’t even seem to breath, and his chest became stricken. He cast a panicked glance to Sedna as her companion frantically rubbed and beat their child’s chest, a whine beginning to come from his throat before, finally, a cough escaped the little one’s lungs. He gave a relieved chuckle when the little girl gave an annoyed growl to her mother as she dug into the milk she certainly seemed to need more than her siblings. All seemed fine as another contraction rippled along Sedna’s stomach.

Two more boys entered the world before everything seemed to subside, a coal-coated boy and one the color of earth and dashed with pale markings. He chuckled at her remark of him looking like a potato, and with a squint he had to agree. “I suppose we didn’t come up with enough names…so Potato it is. Tate for short,” he suggested, finally moving from his corner in the room out of the way to settle in behind her. As his bulk pressed up against her, he offered a kiss to her sweaty, plum colored temple. “I’ll start finding a spot in the maze tomorrow and cutting down some more bamboo for the build. They’ll be running around sooner than we expect I imagine, better get started as soon as possible,” he replied, his large head peeking over her side to gaze at their pups one more. He was a father, and he didn’t think he’d ever been happier in his entire life.

"Genji Raijin"