ARCHETYPES AND ANTIHEROES (birth)

The man had kept close to her since his return but he had been careful not to make himself noticed. Medusa was a private woman and though we never intently watched her he made it a habit to be without a couple meters of her location understanding her vulnerability and the ripeness of her pregnancy. As one to plan ahead Deteste had considered many scenarios. He had some medicine training and felt prepared but when the woman's cry pierced the autumn air he could help the nervous quiver that unbalanced his otherwise certain step. The flutter of his heart put out more than his body needed for the trot but other than these physical betrayals the man's thoughts were calm and his expression was ever unreadable.



Medusa. the timbre of his greeting was serious but gentle. He would pause at the mouth of the den uncertain what level of interaction the woman would desire from him during the birth and understanding that Jupiter would come to accompany her and that it was likely Medusa would prefer Jupiter to accompany her within the den. But accounting for the woman's untraditional sense of motherhood Deteste was also prepared to take up any and every duty. He would be willing to clean and guide the pups once they emerged if it were an unwanted task. He would do everything if Medusa desired to do nothing and we would do such to his best ability, without judgement against the woman, and, of course, with love for his children. Thus he lowered himself upon his belly, wedged strategically parallel but also somewhat inside the mouth of the den.