She had been sleeping in the sun outside when she was jolted awake by the first shock of a cramp in her stomach. She had become a blimp in her time of pregnancy, the size of her litter was questioned silently. Either they were massive like their father or there were many. Her eyes came open at the discomfort of it all. The tear marked woman lifted herself and moved. Her form moving towards where Ultyr had chosen as his quarters. She had taken the pelts she'd been afforded and made herself a "nest" of pelts as a bed in a dark corner. She'd spent almost a whole day rearranging it until it was comfortable for her.

After about a moment of walking another wave of pain made her wince. A wetness came down her thights with it which made her gasp with a breath. Shit. Her ears pressed flat. She may not of been a mother before but she knew that sign. Her water had broken, she needed to go to her bed. A tweeting from the rafters told her the chickadee that had been following her was on the case.

A flutter of wings and he was flying to find Ultyr or Ganymede. She wasn't sure she was comfortable with Atreyu as she had learned the pink woman's name to be. The Morningstar family may of known her but she didn't know them.... she moved again to the room as the pain subsided for the moment.

She made it and carefully climbed into the nest she had put together, it would likely ruin her bed and cause a smell by the time the pups were able to leave but she wasn't sure she was allowed to ask anyone for more. She curled up until she was comfortable. Though the sounds of tweeting were on the air as the alarm was raised by the chickadee so she knew it wouldn't be long and someone would be there. She just needed to focus on breathing. Though another contraction set in smand she clenched her teeth from it and tears came to her eyes.

"Hear"

coded by NachoMumma

They wanted to keep him close. Fine. If only until these brats were whelped... Hmmm... That's not the thoughts that would help him gain their trust... He was cantankerous since their arrival. Since her due date was so close. He hated it when Lailah was out of his sight, he hated it when Gany was too. He wanted to see them at all times. Anxious that the Morningstars were attempting to take away what was his. Those whelps were his. They couldn't take them away. He'll take Azriel's pretty dangly earring if anyone touches Lailah's whelps. Rip both his ears off. FUCK those thoughts weren't helping EITHER.

He watched as Lailah enjoyed her time on the beach. His eyes were already on her as she winced. It wasn't the first time, she'd had some phantom contractions. But when the next wince came more suddenly his ears perked. His eyes watched her make her way slowly to their room. He was standing just outside their room where he could watch her from the balcony. The little chirpy bird came fluttering and singing out an alarm.

"I knowIknow! Go get Ganymede." He growled sourly at the bird. Fuck, the bird didn't deserve that either. He was just... was he worried? Since learning that Lailah could die from delivering... He fell further and further away from the concept of how gods did not regret. He watched her walk into the room and slowly followed after her. Watching as her hind legs were suddenly awash in fluid. Where was Gany? Was she okay? What the fuck was that? He stood frozen in the middle of the room, lost for a moment, suddenly chilled as the idea of losing her hit him like a freight train.

As soon as she snuggled into the bed he quickly loped into the nest, and settled in behind her.

"Breathe, breathe... Lailah I'm here." He murmured softly into her pained ear, a tender kiss on her cheek that licked the tear away. His eyes landed on Ganymede as soon as he came in and his chest heaved with a sigh of relief.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Black ears flicked back on her head as she heard the frantic chirping of a songbird nearby, her head turning sharply away from the window she had been staring absently out of. Holographic eyes followed the sound from down the hall and Atreyu was quick to register who's bird was making such noise. Lailah! The dire woman was on her feet, grabbing her satchel, and down the hall faster than one could blink; a blurred vision of pink, red, black and white. Graceful as ever, Atreyu's left paw hit something wet on the already slick floor, making her slip a little and miss a step. Recovering herself just before she hit the door that led to Lailah, Ganymede and - gag - Ultyr's room, Atreyu cleared her throat to announce herself before entering the room. She tried very hard not to think of what she had just slipped in, maybe it was actual water and not what she was imagining.

Upon coming into the room, Atreyu looks over the empty bed to spy a makeshift nest on the floor, her brow furrowed with confusion. There was no time to think about it now, but she would address it later. Why hadn't the earthen demon insisted she be on the bed? There were always more coverings and mattresses in other rooms, Lailah needed to be comfortable in this situation - she was going to be here for a while. Shaking her head disapprovingly, Atreyu kept her thoughts to herself and moved to see both Lailah and Ultyr in the nest. It would have been a touching scene if Atreyu knew demons could feel, instead, Atreyu wanted to wrench Ultyr's hulking mass away from Lailah and hurl him off the balcony. That would only distress Lailah further though, so Atreyu thought it best not to act on the impulse. "We didn't get the best start, but I am here to help...When did the contractions begin?" She asked the tiny farmgirl, a soft warmth in those holographic eyes.

Looking Lailah over, Atreyu began to unpack her satchel and pulled out various herbs to kill any pain that would certainly come, she also laid out a suture kit and some medical gauze she had found on the resort. Tearing open the packaging, she set out the woven cotton and inspected it, ensuring it would be intact and undamaged - lest they have to resort to using the bedding to stop any bleeding that would surely happen. Despite her personal beliefs on the union before her, she wanted to ensure a safe delivery for both mother and pups. Picking some of the herbs up and meshing them together in a pot with a pestle, Atreyu mixed in a bit of fresh water and held it out for Lailah. "Drink this, it will help ease the pain of your contractions. You will still feel the pressure though." Internally, she prayed to Mainyu for safe delivery of these pups, closing those trademark eyes briefly before continuing her work.

Aided in a fully completed birth thread - 1/3
"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo

Ganymede hadn't been far away, having already come back from his trip to the mainland in his search for herbs that would be used to assist Lailah in her delivery, when the frantic chirping made him look up at Lailah's dear chickadee. Ears pressing forward in concern, he moved quickly on long limbs towards the room that they had taken as their own to see what was going on. And he was suddenly glad that he had made the trip so early so he could be back at a decent time even if his own coat was drying with sea salt now.

Ultyr was already there, of course this was something he expected with Lailah so close to her delivery date, but so was Atreyu and something about that ruffled his coat in ways he didn't want to address yet. Didn't want to address the jealousy of Atreyu arriving to care for their Lai before he could. Instead he focused on crossing the room as quickly as his legs would allow and pressed his muzzle to the top of her head reassuringly. She would be ok, they would make sure of it. After a moment he turned his attention back to Atreyu and what she was doing, eyeing the tea.

"I have parsley to help with her contractions, went off the island to fetch wild yam and raspberry leaves which will help along the birth as well. Passion flower was easier to find here and will also do good mixed into that drink." He kept his voice calm and even, bottling down the anxiety that gnawed at his ribs like a trapped animal wanting to over take him. Moving he dug around in his satchel to pull out the needed glass jars and uncorked them so they could be taken from. As he did his best to keep focused on helping Lailah the best he could. Once the jars were down he moved to settle beside Lai on the other side of Atreyu, ready to help.

"speech"

"other’s speech"

coded by NachoMumma