((Language warning, Recluse is not doing okay!))

To say she was hurting was an understatement. Though it manifested as a deep seething feeling. Recluse was confused. She hated her father, she loathed him so much for continuing to prove to her that he didn't care, that he was so desperate to get rid of her that he'd continue to replace her. And yet she respected her aunt, and if these kids were going to be anything like her other cousins she'd like them, maybe even love them even... but she also couldn't forgive them for what they represented. Recluse was more lost than she'd ever been, the girl was proudly independent, she was proud to say fuck you to the whole world. To be able to handle whatever life threw at her and yet she was... so lost. She needed guidance, and yet she didn't know who to turn to. Certainly not her father... So she went to the only other wolf she could think of. She swam to the island, searching out her aunt's den, feeling the knots in her stomach twisting... would her aunt even tolerate the confused ramblings of her lover's now bastard child? That thought hurt all the more, she was the fucking bastard now... Her father's other children had always been that to her but even she knew that her new siblings would always be the pure Kleins the kingdom needed, she was a motherless, fucking bastard. Neither a goddess as her bitch of an mother had told them, nor the heirs to the Klein legacy as her father had promised... She was nothing... speech think action

-set after pregnancy is common knowledge-

Deathbelle relaxed within the confines of the palace that evening, her body taking to the pregnancy slower than last time. Already she felt like she was much more energetic this time. She was also fostering a feeling that this litter would be much smaller than her first. Pregnancy suited the Empress, and she was thankful that her symptoms were negligible, she was much more comfortable. She tried not to bring too much meaning to it, her last pregnancy she had gotten huge. Her symptoms were difficult to deal with and she didn’t want to acknowledge that the pregnancy had foretold her troubles with her first brood. With the ease of this pregnancy she didn’t want to hope that these pups would be easier on her.

That didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy her relaxation time. Deadra kept the den clean and as Belle returned to her throne of plushed furs the tiny girl was quick to bring forth soaps and water to wash her Empress’s paws. Belle smiled contentedly when the slave girl spoke, ”Mistress, there’s someone at the door.” So engulfed in the relaxing massage she only barely registered Recluse’s subtle scent.

What Hannibal’s previous children thought about the new litter was one thing that frequently crossed her mind along with the reaction of her own offspring. She couldn’t guess how the young Klein would react. ”Recluse?” She asked warmly, inviting the yearling in.

Recluse was not left to wait long, her aunt emerging from her den and inviting her inside. She faltered for a moment, a forpaw dragging across the ground. Then she swallowed the lump in her throat and gently pushed into the den. She settled herself away from the pile of pelts, not wanting to presume, especially while her aunt was pregant. She sat in silence for a moment, suddenly very unsure what to even say. Finally Recluse spoke and when she did her voice was uncertain for the first time in a while. "I've been thinking... and uh- I guess I'm just at a loss as to how to feel about..." She jestured towards her aunt's belly. It suddenly struck her that it was probably proper etiquette to ask how she was doing... and while she had little care for decorum she did respect her aunt enough to not want to seem disrespectful. Probably too late for that. speech think action

Deathbelle made herself comfortable again as Recluse settled off to the side. She seemed uncomfortable but Deathbelle didn’t press her. She should have known she was welcome to anywhere in the home of the Empress. The girl was quiet for a long moment but as she finally spoke Belle uttered a soft sigh and let her eyes rest on her swollen belly. At least this confrontation was much less explosive.

”And you have every right,” Deathbelle offered softly, not dismissing in a moment the reservations that all of their previous children would have. ”I appreciate you not exploding, like my own have.” Toxicity and Calamity had the biggest grief with her, and while she didn’t blame them she wouldn’t be sorry for her decision either. This was about her happiness. ”How do you think you should feel?” She asked quietly, silently offering the girl a place beside her.