By now she was simply counting down the days until her third litter was due to be born. This pregnancy had luckily been easier and less symptom heavy than her pregnancy with Fia had been so she had been able to continue her duties further into her pregnancy than she had last time even though it appeared that they would be welcoming two pups this time instead of one. She knew it was too much to hope for to think that she might have a second set of twins, but the thought crossed her mind none of the less. She had already been given three wonderful children that she was confident could carry on the Mendacium legacy after her—as long as these two were happy and healthy she wasn't too concerned about anything else.

Today she had kept fairly close to their family cave instead of doing her usual patrols, instead delegating those to Avacyn, Saracyn, and Deimos as she steadily began to feel that familiar restlessness that she now knew was just a precursor to when these pups might be making an appearance. She made the short trip along the mountain path to visit Ikigai to have her do a brief exam to check on the pups and to request that she be the one to help her give birth. It was going to be strange to not have Irilyth at her side, but given the recent strife between her lover and her husband she knew it would likely be better to keep them separated for the time being. She had no doubt that Ikigai would be just as capable and she would feel better about not having the additional stress of worrying about Alastor and Irilyth while she was in labor.

As she was walking back to the den with a noticeable waddle in her step, Manea spotted Fiametta outside of the cave as well and she smiled as she came over to join her daughter. Their cave had been so quiet as of late now that Ava and Sara had branched out on their own so she was always glad for Fia's company. She knew that quiet wouldn't last long with new pups on the way, but considering she was used to seeing her eldest children day in and day out for the last two years their home now felt empty without them. She pressed a light kiss to Fia's cheek once she reached her and asked, "What are you up to, my little flame?"

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Fia had been lazing around the den for a few hours, she always did better during the night But honestly real sleep had come scarcely for her. Whether that was because she was looking for something to get into or had something exciting on her mind didn't really matter. She was one of few emotions at least externally so maybe no one really knew what was on her mind. A lot, usually.

She finally got the energy to get up, not that she was struggling much but waking up did take a moment with her. And she took a seat outside the family den before deciding what she would be doing today. She had more training now in age, but they had enough fighters to go around and run patrols. She'd probably pick up solo ones in the next couple seasons.

Her mother came shortly after to greet her, putting a small smile on her face from the affections, none she had ever felt deprived of. Coming down to the thought of new siblings which didn't faze her much though it was a whole new experience in it's own. She supposed she'd take it step by step, she didn't think she'd know how she felt about that and them until the time came. "I was just getting ready to head out. Nothing particularly in mind though." She did have a short moment where she just looked at her mother, maybe like she was holding something in the back of her mind. Ava and Sara moving out had given her that same idea, and with a new baby on the way she supposed her mother couldn't miss her that much. She wasn't going to come right out and say it, there was still some time before her birthday after all. And maybe the pups would be here by then. She was typically one to ask or take what she wanted, but this was a little harder to cut clear for some reason.

"Fiametta"

Manea smiled gently and nodded as Fia mentioned that she was about to head out, but that she didn't have anything particular in mind for her day. Perhaps one of the things she was the most proud of when it came to the life she had built here for her family was the fact that they were able to do whatever they wanted most days and had plenty of time and freedom to pursue whatever they were interested in. It wasn't like when she was young when there was no steady home to come back to or consistent store of food to pull from. Almost every day her time was taken up with hunting for the family or fighting off whatever predator was trying to encroach on their space. There was some of that here on occasion, but they were all able to put more time toward things they actually enjoyed, like Avacyn and her interest in crafting, and that made every bit of effort she had put toward Elysium worth it.

She did notice that there was something in Fia's expression that gave away that there was perhaps more that she wasn't saying. Manea's head tipped slightly to the side, giving her daughter a curious glance. She never forced her children to share everything with her, but she did try to make sure that they at least knew her ear was always open to them whenever there was anything they needed or wanted. "Is there anything you want to talk about before you head out?" she asked, leaving the floor open for anything Fia might want to talk about. She wouldn't press her, but she would at least take the first step if that helped get the conversation going.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

As Manea caught on to just that subtle bit of uncomfortablness that she showed her eyes did flick away if only for a second, but Fia was strong and confident so looking back at her mother took no effort.

She didn't waste much time before responding, but she didn't jump either. Just that hint of the hesitation coming out. "Well actually..." She dragged just for a second, "With Ava and Sara getting their own dens I kind of liked the idea of having my own too." The thought of another brother or sister too may have driven her away a little. Not that she was going to outright hate them or anything. But she kind of wanted that independence too. It wasn't like she was going outside or leaving Elysium, so she'd still be safe and close to home obviously. She had always been relatively mature or at least reserved so maybe that made sense for what she wanted.

"Fiametta"

When Fia finally told her what was on her mind, the surprise was very much evident on her face as a small, disappointed frown tugged at her lips before she could stop it. She could understand the thought process of her younger daughter wanting to follow the example of her older siblings, but she had only just turned a year old. She had always been very encouraging of Fia's more independent, mature nature, but she worried that perhaps she had encouraged it too much. "Ava and Sara are also two years old. They're adults now." she reminded her, sitting back on her haunches as she tried to at least consider her daughter's request instead of denying it outright. She always wanted her children to be happy and to have what they wanted, but she also needed to make sure they were doing things for the right reasons. "You have your own space in our cave. Why do you want to fully move out now?" At the very least she could hear Fia out, but she was certainly reluctant.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Disappointing her mother was the one thing on earth that she had never wanted to do. And this was a deeper kind of infliction than just doing something wrong. Before Manea even responded, Fia could feel that bit of tension building in her mother, and it almost made her feel like she shouldn't have asked at all. The emotions were really unlike anything she had experienced before because Fia often took and asked for what she wanted. This was not the case right now.

"I feel like I've always been kind of mature..." It wasn't a valid argument, she knew that. It was probably the only time she had ever really avoided looking at her mother. Not necessarily out of anger or anxiousness, but just running through a thought process, maybe showing that she was trying to find the right reasons to get her own den just like her siblings. "Never mind." Her voice was gentle, not mad or resenting what her mother wanted. She supposed her life wouldn't be much different depending on living here for the next year, or in a den near her brother and sister.

She paused for just another few seconds, again showing her mother she had been holding something back without really noticing. She hadn't brought it up with her before, and it wasn't something that pestered her on a daily basis. Maybe didn't really bother her at all these days. "Do you think Dad's going to leave the den again?" A bit of a conflicted gaze looked up at her mother, strong, a little unbothered. But it was evident that she had noticed when this was going on. How could she not? It was very clear that Alastor put his family above everything, especially for his kids. But that shift in her parent's relationship had affected her in some way.

"Fiametta"

Manea's ears flicked and a soft sigh escaped her as Fia only cited that she had been fairly mature and then dismissed the question entirely while avoiding her gaze. She was always such a pushover for her children. For anyone else she dealt with she was always far more firm and could easily fill this role of Matriarch that she inherited, but her children would be the death of her. It was why she had allowed so much and pulled so many strings to allow Avacyn and Saracyn to live the way they wished despite the fact that she had every right by their laws to put a stop to it. She wanted them all to be happy and to have what they wanted. Was it really all that much for Fia to want to live at least a bit more separated from her parents?

Before she could reply again though, Fia looked back to her after a brief pause in their conversation, asking instead whether she thought her father was going to leave the den again. Manea blinked with surprise at the question, her ears flicking back against her head again with a mix of guilt and shame. She had tried to hide as much as she could from her family, but Alastor's absence had of course been obvious and she hated that her children had to play witness to that. At least that question came now and not in the midst of it all so now she could at least answer that question with confidence. A reassuring smile tugged at her lips and she lifted her paw to gently stroke over the top of Fia's head and along her cheek affectionately. "He's not going anywhere, my darling," she replied confidently. "I'm... sorry we ever made you doubt that." She sighed softly as she lowered her paw, adding, "Your father and I sometimes have differing opinions or things that we want from life, but those things are very small in comparison to how much we love each other and how much we love you and your siblings. We just needed to work some things out, but we're in a much better place now."

She certainly wasn't willing to go into the details of what had brought them to blows, but she didn't want Fia to worry about her parents or their relationship when there was nothing to really worry about—at least not any more. Perhaps she was just slightly eager to move away from that topic, but Manea was quick to bring back up her daughter's original desire. She considered it for just a moment before she said, "If moving out on your own is what you really want, then I'll allow it. I know you are a capable young woman, I just worry about you and I hate to see you and your siblings grow up so fast." She smiled a bit before she added, "However, I do have some stipulations. I want you to pick somewhere close by to our cave so I can check in on you and I'd like for you to come eat dinner with us at night, okay? When you're two you can move to a further out part of the island or onto the mainland, but until then I want you somewhere on this part of the mountain range. Is that a deal?"

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

She wouldn't need much else than that, the reassurance. Maybe she didn't really need it at all. She wouldn't ponder and dwell on the doings of why Alastor had been absent from the den that brief period of time. Everything seemed better now and she was typically not a young girl to poke her nose where it didn't belong, at least between her parents and siblings. Things would work out she supposed, that's the way life had been for her.

Her attention perked a little as Manea went back on giving Fia her own den. A tilt in her head with just the faintest of smiles which was typical for her. "That's fair." She hadn't imagined it any other way really. She didn't want to jump off the deep end and live a whole mile away, she just liked the idea of having that own space to call her own. Something fitting for the way she felt maturity wise. "I wanted to stay by Avacyn and Saracyn." She commented, but wouldn't poke the bear too much. She'd be grateful for what her mother gave as much as her mother did show care and love for her. She knew that. She went to lean her shoulder and head into her mother, not fully understanding what a child leaving the den to her would truly feel like, but understanding it wasn't easy for her. "I didn't plan on skipping out on any dinners." She reassured her in a bit of a joking tone, and surely she'd see just about the same amount of her even with the change like this, especially with new siblings on the way.

"Fiametta"