Modesty had returned to Daager Isle (grudgingly), but it gave her an opportunity that she wouldn't have had on the Archipelago to send a message. Hunting had never been her favourite activity, but that didn't mean she couldn't if the mood struck her. Her latest catch was still screaming and thrashing in her jaws from where she carried it by the scruff like a wayward pup, belly bulging with more mouths that would take food from her children, if they were allowed to live. She intended to make a point, in more ways than one as she dropped the coyote on the cracked concrete and held it in place with a paw across it's throat, in full view of the elevated seat by the cage Jael had built. She even angled herself so there would be no mistaking that this was a show for her.

She had sharpened her metal claws in preparation for the raid, and while it seemed a shame to dull them or get them dirty before the main event, it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up. With a swift swipe, she parted the belly of the coyote to a chorus of screaming, (oops, maybe she'd gone a bit deep) then she reached into the now gaping, still thrashing cavity to fish out the roiling series of bumps that were almost pups. She would have to move fast of the damn thing would die before she could make her point... Another slice, more careful this time, to remove the first of several and shove in in the mouth of the one that would have birthed it. The coyote couldn't swallow, with the paw pressed so firmly across her throat, and while there would be some joy in watching the bitch choke, all her thrashing was doing was trying to dislodge her last meal.

Modesty took her other paw to press on the chin of the coyote until the satisfying crunch and squeak of of a dying infant echoed across the empty space and all the fight left her thrashing victim, and she finally let go as a wave of unexpected euphoria washed over her. The Fallen woman's shoulders slumped, and a slightly manic smile crossed her face, punctuated with a deep belly chuckle... but oh wait, there were more, and they were close enough to birthing that they still wriggled, working their way towards the hole that had been cut for their sibling. Well, maybe her older children could teach the younger how to play coyote ball. Maybe Jael could watch that too?

As the body before her relaxed, and voided itself, more organs spilled from the open cavity and across the hardened ground. Interesting. Her head canted as she considered the pattern it made. “Do you put much stock in reading entrails?” She finally asked, her tone almost friendly, eyes turning towards the elevated seat overlooking the not-pool.

“Speech.”

Jael had been spending a lot of time out here lately. Well, same amount as usual, though her project was nearing an end. She was worried that there were still snakes, lingering and wanting after her decoy birds. The coop had to be perfectly secure before she even began to consider the logistics of getting chickens. After all, why go through all the trouble of getting them out here, if they were just going to end up eaten? They weren't for eating. No, they were for carefully maintaining, and in turn they would have eggs and improved soil. Rabbits would be easier, and they could come later. She'd start with the hardest things. The grossest pool. The hardest setup, or at least, the hardest setup that could be done in the shortest amount of time. Don't ask what's cooking in her head.

And cook she did. Sitting carefully up on her perch, she had lots of time to think. Lots of time to begin working away at things to trade, as well. The snake carcass was still yielding Jael with more to do, more to fidget with. From each of the snake's ribs, a carefully sharpened, curved needle. The sort wildly sought after by healers, as the curved nature lent itself beautifully to closing wounds and causing as little additional damage as possible. It was tedious work, but then, so was predator watch. She likes tedious. The girl's mind ran wild as she worked, as she watched, as she waited. Focused very carefully and intentionally on thoughts of the pool, of the stock, and not of the vicious wound that she'd closed with a needle just like the one she made now. The precise stitches of a crafter, but not the knowledge of a healer. He hadn't died. That was enough.

Modesty appeared, the first time Jael had seen her since the incident, shattering the peaceful day around her. Swinging from her jaws... Jael's stomach churned. A pregnant coyote, hell, the thing was probably bigger than the wolfdog. It was still alive, but it wouldn't be for long. The message hung between them, and Jael curled up more tightly on her perch. Licking her lips, head tucked low. Fairly certain she was going to be sick right here, right now.

Carnage spreading out before her, it's all she can do to focus on her breathing. Looking on in horror. Something told her Modesty would react poorly if she'd squeezed her eyes shut, though she longed to. It still wouldn't save her from the sounds. Perhaps they were worst of all. The squelching, the cries of the pups, the manic chuckle that crackled through the space between them. The gagging and retching... and the fear. Truth be told, the cold grip of that fear on Jael's stomach, on her ribcage, it's Modesty's hand. Was it all the lady of the house wanted?

Trying not to allow her voice to tremble as she replied, Jael spoke. "I've never been able to put stock in much of anything." Trying not to sound scared. It wasn't working. This isn't like with her last dumb run-in, the parts of Modesty that she can see and the parts Jael can only guess about don't paint the picture of a bully. They paint the picture of a woman scorned. A woman Jael herself has scorned. Fuck.

   

Modesty sees the way she watches, makes herself small, the grimaced lip licking and the low held head. It stokes embers she didn't realise were ever lit somewhere deep in her chest, but was it enough? Would it ever be? Maybe enough for now.

Jael did her best to keep the quaver out of her voice, but Modesty was glad she didn't succeed. She gave the other woman a smile, delighted that she had given her an answer at all. She even let her tail wave slowly before she looked back at the entrails. “I never had much of a talent for it myself, but my brother? Oh he's just the best at this sort of thing...” She circled the mess she had made assessing it from different angles. “I asked him to give Gilgamesh something to make his dick fall off. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.” There was an amused chuckle laced through her words, like she was sharing girl talk with a best friend, but when paired with the sight that was laid out before them, well it all just seemed a little disjointed. Disconnected. Like she was grasping at straws.

Another circle, a frown, until finally Modesty let out a disappointed sigh. She really couldn't make heads nor tails of it, maybe Pont would be up for a visit? After all, it would be a terrible waste to let any sort of omen wash away in the rain. “Oh, but I hear there are some Gods that like sacrifices, convinces them to bless new projects, maybe they'll bless this one?” Would sacrifices make her happy, when she was a God too? Her tail picked up its tempo and she offers Jael a hopeful smile. She was excited to see in person all the progress she had made. “Any more problems with snakes?”

“Speech.”

She can't help it. The wide eyes, the ears pressed to her head. Licking her lips. Wagging her tail... just please, please she's begging Modesty, with everything other than her voice. Trying not to visibly shake. Trying not to be physically sick. That coyote was bigger than Jael. It certainly weighed more. Though it probably hadn't put up much of a fight, not at such an advanced stage of pregnancy, Jael can see just how outmatched she was. Her heart pounding in her chest, unsure quite how to handle the crushing weight of the scene before her. Licking her lips. Head low. Ears drooping.

Modesty has family here. That's a larger implication. She has family to run to. She has connections. Jael is alone, and she relies on Gil entirely. She relies on Modesty entirely, to an extent. The dog knows that Modesty is (in some ways) responsible for her. Her sides ache. Empathy in her heart... Jael would be acting this way in Modesty's position. Maybe. She would feel like acting this way, though she lacked the guts. Jael swallowed hard.

Breath hitching. An audible whimper, though she fights desperately to hold it back. The things she said about Gil-- were they true? Surely there couldn't be any sort of medication like that, but Jael isn't a healer. Fuck, she's not a priest ever. She's barely a believer in anything. Why does the way Modesty looks at her chill her to the bone? Her tone of voice too. It's eerie.

Chest aching, heart pounding, blood rushing in her ears. Jael wants Modesty to understand. Jael was sorry. Fuck, she's so sorry, she's sorry to have put Modesty in this position. The talk of gods and sacrifices. There are things she doesn't understand, things that the little wolfdog has never dreamed of. She comes from a place where there are things older than the hills, scarier than the fiercest predators. They are not gods, but monsters. Real and walking among them. No gods would lurk in a place like that. If they existed, they'd left Jael's people well alone long ago.

Right, the lady had asked her a question. "N-no more. no." Jael shook her head emphatically, her voice cracking. Afraid of what might come next from the unhinged wife of the man she'd come to b e far too fond of.

What had she done?

   

Jael was clearly terrified, rightly so, and that was enough for now. Whether or not she even heard what Modesty was saying was hard to gauge as she continued to tremble and lick her lips. It was starting to wear on Modesty's nerves. She was trying to be nice here, and the way dark lips tightened and pulled back to reveal the tips of her canines under her lips were an obvious tell, despite her attempts at pleasantries.

Subconsciously, quills visibly rose over Modesty's shoulders with her hackles as her muscles tensed. Her tail rose in natural response. She could feel the tension in every muscle as they followed the steps to this new dance. Yeah, she got it, she was scary... Was she going to have to grab the girl by the face as some sort of reassurance? Perhaps a firm muzzle grab to show she wasn't going to rip off her whole head off (yet) was warranted? Not that she much felt like scaling the structure the girl was perched on.

The seconds seemed to stretch out in a pregnant pause, but finally, an answer came, and she visibly relaxed, her shoulders giving a happy half-shake punctuated with the clattering of quills. Modesty smiled, pleased to hear there hadn't been any more snake incidents. It was good news for Jael's plans, and good news for her kids. “Why not come down? You've done a great job cleaning this up.” She wandered closer to the edge of the pool, ignoring the mess she had made to look down on the bird that were contained within. “How does this work? Won't they just fly away when you try to go in?”

“Speech.”

Trying to come back down to herself, Jael mulls over the words. They sink in and settle, taking root beneath the surface. The very thought of sacrifice leaves her knees feeling week. Trying to fight past the nausea of the whole thing.

Modesty have a little half shake, and Jael mirrors it. One of her own. Grasping at straws in her own way, trying to self-soothe. Something about her was deeply unnerving, but Jael can't quite figure out what. Though the calm she spread over them was enough to lull Jael into some semblance of security, false as it could have been. She's easily plied with praise, however unfortunate that may be. Carefully climbing down from the lifeguard stand, Jael could at least... she could at least be polite. She could explain herself to the lady of the house, at least... when it came to this.

Maybe not so much the other thing, though Jael wouldn't even try unprovoked.

Right, trying to keep her eyes off the carnage at the edge of the pool, Jael moved to what would have been the shallow end. "Here, I can show you." Her voice echoed off the concrete walls, eerie. This would be the space for rabbits, later. Jael had constructed two large platforms to connect the shallow and deep end, their purpose twofold-- they made for two large, but passable steps and they'd be great for any plants that needed to be grown in partial sun. Jael waited for Modesty on the upper platform, wondering if she'd consider climbing down.

"There's a double door, so nothing lives in this first bit." Jael explained, gesturing to the first gate with her muzzle. "The idea is, both doors are never open at the same time. So you always have the space to turn around and shoo the birds back in." She's looking to Modesty for approval, hopeful this time. Though the gore behind her hadn't faded from her mind, and neither had the fear... why do both feelings exist at once? What the fuck.

   

Perhaps she should let herself be impulsive more often, because the release she felt was like dropping under the waves on a sweltering day, the instantaneous relief... Maybe it was just a rush of endorphins from needing to run to catch the fucking thing...

Regardless, she smiled warmly when Jael descended from her perch and followed closely as the smaller woman made her way to the gate she had constructed. Seeing it up close, the structure made more sense, and with space left on the platform, Modesty stepped down to join the mottled canine, her tail waving relaxed behind her. She gave the girl another impressed grin, rocking her weight from side to side gently just to make sure that the platform didn't sway under her weight. “You have a real talent for this, we don't have enough wolves in this pack with the drive to make improvements unless you're looking over their shoulder.” She dropped her voice to compensate for the echo down here crowded in by the concrete walls, mindful that the girl was already flighty. She of course was aware that she was solely at fault for that predicament, but why live in the past, the point had been made, and she leaned over to momentarily rest her chin on the top of Jael's head, trying to get a view of the enclosure from her height (and hey, it might have been a subtle dominance move too but who was counting).

She pulled back into her own space easily before continuing their discussion, “So birds, and then what? Sakana mentioned an abandoned beehive over in the Plains, one of the Armada healers must have left it behind when they moved. I think he said the body of the nest was wedged up between some rocks... Do you think we could make use of them too?” The boy had made a case for wax and honey for healing, and she knew some of the other packs used it in brewing, but was it really worth the effort of relocating them when the plains were just a short swim away?

“Speech.”

As Modesty stepped down onto the platform, Jael was glad that it held every bit as well as she'd hoped. As Modesty's praised washed over her? Even more. Her tail wagging at her haunches, not quite relaxing but... well, she's happy. She's done something right. The confidential tone... going from the carnage of moments before to speaking to her like a friend. Like a confidant. Jael was going to take Modesty's good graces where she could get them. After such a big transgression... could Jael make her happy? This... seemed to bring about some sort of approval. Though Jael was tentative, she's also grateful.

"I just want to be helpful," her voice was quiet, the same confidential tone. As Modesty's muzzle crossed over her own, Jael stiffened. Her heart pounding in her chest once more, her tail dropping by degrees. Worried, and yet... no she didn't need to worry. Not right this moment. She could allow herself to warm to the contact, the closeness as well.

Was that fucked up?

As quickly as Modesty was there, she's withdrawn. Jael can catch her breath, focusing on the bees. Without missing a beat, the girl nods. "I can't make any promises, but I can do my best. Once we get rabbits, we'll have easy compost for crops. Between compost and bees, if there are any..." Jael lowered her voice, shifting even closer to the woman. So close their shoulders near brushed, though she'd be careful, this close. "Any plants we'd want to grow in a more closed environment. Cannabis is easy, but something like poppies.... it would take some tinkering, but having our own pollinators would give us a huge advantage." Jael can't help but be excited, staying close to Modesty's side as she chatters away about the project.

"The other pools, the ones that are a bit less gross... did you have plans for them?" With this one nearing end stages, after all, she could always start on the next thing. That, and as Jael daydreamed and planned, she didn't want to cross any standing plans from the lady of the house.

It seemed the like a light filled the little dog when she asked about her projects, and Modesty gave herself a moment to take it all in. It was unfortunate that her husband had feelings for Jael, because it meant maybe one day Modesty would have to make good on her threats, but for now, all was peaceful. For now. She might have liked her a great deal otherwise.

Cannabis and poppies would keep Sakana happy, as would the bees. She spoke of rabbits, and Modesty thought to her own antlered companion and wondered if he might like more of his own sort around, “When you say rabbits, do you mean big fluffy Flemish giants like my antlered one, or half crazed desert prophets that have seen too much?” She questioned genuinely with half a smile. “I have no plans for the other pools, I'd only thought to try and fill them in, so some drunk doesn't trip and break their neck, but it seemed like a waste, too.”

She stepped down off the platform and moved towards where the birds were kept. “So chickens to start, how do you feel about ducks? And what about something to clear out the underbrush to give a bit of clearance from the buildings, maybe goats?” Valhalla had goats, or so Deluge had mentioned, unruly though they were, she'd be a lot less sad about losing a goat to a jaguar than one of her children.

“Speech.”

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Though the question was genuine, Jael catches the smile too. A little giggle in her throat, a little twitch to her tail. "Somewhere in between. They're shaped like they should be cute, but they look... she made a little wishy-washy motion with her muzzle, tipping one way and then the other. A little giggle. While delivered as a joke, Jael could assure Modesty that she was quite serious.

With no plans in Modesty's mind, the wolfdog gave a little nod. A little swish of her tail. Still a touch nervous, but Jael would always be eager to please. "I think ducks fulfill a lot of the same purposes chickens do, and they need more maintenance. They produce down, which is a nice insulator, but I don't think it gets so cold that we'd need it." She'd weighed the options while cleaning out the pool, and was pretty sure she liked the decision. Still, her opal gaze was anxious, head hanging a bit lower as she followed after Modesty. Unsure how the woman would feel about the pushback, but Jael's feedback was genuine. "Goats are good, we'll only need a couple and even after things are clear on this island, we can move them to do any clearing that needs done on the other islands." Looking to Modesty for approval, sheepish. Always sheepish.

J A E L

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Modesty snickered at Jael's response regarding the rabbits, sure Flemish giants might have more meat on their bones (if anyone knew she really mostly kept her rabbit around as emergency rations, they'd probably be mortified. She was nothing if not practical in that regard), she could see the advantage to your standard snowshoe sized bunny, especially with these limitations on space.

Her response regarding the ducks was met with a nod too, “They are very messy, and then you'd need room for them to swim, I can see that being suboptimal.” As to the advantages of goats, well she was sure there was someone they could raid for some if they couldn't trade or round up what was left where Valhalla once stood. “They'd make good predator bait too, if we wanted to get into fur and trinket trading, which would then make any children a less appealing target I would hope.” She didn't have a problem sharing her own thoughts with the other woman. They were packmates after all. “This is very good work. I do hope you don't plan on leaving any time soon.” Her smile was genuine, but so was the threat still laid out on the poolside above.

“Speech.”