Pull the Ripcord

Dalila gave a little shake of her head when Aliana mentioned how the herbs might not taste good since they were dried and gave a soft chuckle, replying, "A small price to pay as long as they work." She took the silphium from Aliana as she handed over the dried herbs, but her smile faded and her ears flicked back at the clouded woman's words. Spared what they weren't. She didn't know the full scope of how long Aliana had been with Chimera before she stumbled upon them, but if it was any significant amount of time then she could put two and two together to understand that this wasn't a fate that Ali could escape. She knew she was probably already pushing her luck considering they were nearly a full day since the first time Chimera had her. She looked at the herbs she held with a heavy dose of guilt, but she knew she'd just make Ali feel worse if she refused it and made it so they both ended up in the same condition. Taking the bitter, dry herbs, she chewed them slightly and swallowed them back before she brought her gaze back to Aliana's.

They still didn't know each other all that well despite the positions they had just been in not all that long ago, but she felt an even stronger kinship to Ali than she had even when they had both been slaves. She felt terrible knowing that this wasn't something that Ali wanted and it was most likely inevitable what was to come. She tried to give Ali a small, encouraging smile, resting a paw over hers. "Siren and I will be there for you. We'll help you though it." That much at least she could promised. In the same way she and Ali had saved Siren and her pups, Dalila and Siren would do the same for Aliana if that's what it came to. "I... I wish there was more I could do," she confessed, her ears pinned back. "Whatever you need though this, I'll help you. If you need to move into the wing with Siren and I so we can assist you through the pregnancy please do." She remembered how difficult things had become for Siren toward the end and it had occupied all of her time to make sure Siren was cared for.

One of the mysterious fireflies floated between them and she blinked with surprise, leaning back slightly to focus her blue gaze on the the little insect for the brief moment it was there, watching it dance away for a moment. It was enough to disrupt her thoughts and when she looked back to Aliana she felt that same little skip in her chest from how the glow of the otherworldly garden around them played off of the cool tones of Aliana's fur. "I don't know if this is any consolation or not... I'm sure it's not, but... I did enjoy everything we did together," she said shyly, the boldness she had the night before softened now that she had a clearer mind. She gave Ali an uncertain smile and glanced down toward her paws for a moment, her face hot with a flush. "If you ever wanted to do something like that again... Just the two of us... I'd like that."

"Dalila"