While she wasn't exactly sure what pregnancy meant, she knew it was probably an illness. One that lasted a long time, based on what she overheard when the adults spoke. However, that wasn't the concerning part to her eavesdroppings. Aunt Fern had it! The girl hadn't really interacted with her aunt much, but she knew who the woman was and didn't want anything to befall her by any means. Talyssa felt helpless when it came to an ailing member of her family- and helpless wasn't something that she was handling well.

After a moment of wondering to herself 'what could I do to help?' The fawn-spotted fae brought herself to her feet, and marched herself back to the foyer, up the stairs, down the hall, and to the threshold of Uncle Rudy and Aunt Fern's room- just a couple doors down from the room she shared with her siblings and parents. Lyssie hesitated a moment, before lightly raking her nails down the door frame to announce her presence. She wanted to avoid just barging in uninvited because that would be rude. But it was also a very difficult task containing her curiosity and concern. "Aunt Fern?" She called softly, peeking through the partially ajar door. "Are you okay?" Talyssa asked, hoping she wasn't feeling too sick. "Can I help you with anything?" She quickly added, not waiting for an answer to her first question before launching another.

With her pregnancy getting close to be finished, Fern has taken to staying in her room and nesting in a pile of furs in front of the fireplace that warms the room. The gray woman is there now, eyes closed as she drifts in a twilight state, not really awake but not quite asleep either, when a scraping of nails and soft voice pulls her back to reality. Eyes slowly blink open as she moves her head to see who is at the door, offering a warm smile to young pup that questions if she is okay.

Lifting a leg, she waves a paw to beckon the girl in as she says, “Come in! You are such a sweetheart for asking. Let’s see.” Blue eyes roam over the pup and a smile grows on her pale lips as she says, “Okay, deer spots, white and gold coat you must be…” Fern’s eyes sparkle with mirth as she draws out the moment, eyebrows lifting as she says, “You must be Talyssa.” One eyebrow arches in silent question if she got it fight, while she pats the furs next to her, offering a space for the girl to sit.

Moving slightly to adjust her swollen abdomen, the pregnant woman says, “I am fine sweetie. Just a little uncomfortable but nothing bad. You know, I really could use some help with tiding up but first, I need to know; what are you doing inside on such a nice day?” A warm, welcoming smile is on her lips as Fern enjoys the distraction from the discomfort that is her belly.


"Fern Carpathius"

Once she had received the invitation that she had been looking for, she checked any hesitance at the door and crossed the threshold to her aunt's room. Fern was piled up in some furs near the fireplace, which seemed really cozy. But now was not the time for a nap- not for Talyssa anyways. She had come with a purpose, and that purpose lead her right to her aunt's bedside. A gentle expectance painted in that pale gaze of hers, but as the compliment caught her attention, she beamed. As the monochromatic woman went on to describe her, and place a name to her face, Talyssa nodded furiously. "Mmhmm!" Her voice merely a sound of confirmation behind her tight-lipped grin.

When Fern gestured for the girl to join her on the furs, she didn't require further convincing. Talyssa was all too eager. And as she settled in, she listened intently to what her aunt had to say. When the older woman admitted to being uncomfortable, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But her feelings through her empathy were short-lived. At the mention of being able to use help tidying up, her tail thumped against the furs. "Yes! Anything you'd like!" She interjected. Her excitement was bubbling over the rim, and she could hardly contain it any longer.

As her final question finally registered, she didn't have to spend hardly any time at all sorting out the answer. "Well, Daddy said that with everything that's been going on, it would be a good time to do some cleanup." She started. Maybe if Fern had been in her room all day, she wouldn't have heard. Perhaps she wouldn't have even been told at all due to how she was feeling. "And he wanted everyone to help." Her emphasis referred to herself and her siblings, of course not those who weren't feeling well- which brought her to her next point. "Since you're sick, I wanted to come help you!" She finished cheerfully. But before she would allow a lull to form, she quickly added her request for further instruction. "So what do you want me to do?!"

The sweet cream and caramel pup confirms that she is Talyssa and a huge smile spreads across the woman’s pale lips. They talk and the pup reinforces that she is here to help since Fern is sick. Blinking in confusion, the woman looks to the pup and mentally slaps herself for not realizing that the Taly does not know what being pregnant means. With a gentle chuckle, the gray woman reaches down to offer a soft, thankful nuzzle against the pup’s cheek if she wants it and says, “You are so sweet Talyssa. Well, let’s see what you can do!”

Casting her eyes around, blue gaze lands on the basket where the gray wolf’s stoat companion sleeps and Fern points a paw to it. “See that? My little stoat friend sleeps in there but she is out helping Rudy gather things. What do you say we make it all nice for her?” she asks while looking back to the pup, a soft, warm smile on her lips. Once Taly agrees, Fern says, “Okay, so first thing that needs to be done is take out the fur inside the basket. It is going to be full of stoat fur! Take that out onto our balcony and give it a good shake to get rid of the fur. Sound good?”

The woman gives the instructions while pointing to the open doors that lead out onto the walled off balcony. Looking to Talyssa, Fern adds, “Don’t go too far out and please stay where I can see you. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.” The words are gentle and kind but worry laces them as Fern thinks that, if something happened, she can’t really get out to help very quickly. Anxious eyes watch as the pup begins to work.


"Fern Carpathius"

It seemed to take her Aunt a moment to remember that she was, in fact, sick. But once the recognition struck, Talyssa beamed with the compliment that she was offered. Her tail drummed against the furs she rested as Fern thought of something she could use assistance with. After a few moments of thought and scanning the room, it didn't take long for her to spark an idea.

With the shift of movement, Talyssa followed Fern's gesture towards the cozy-looking basket situated off to the side of the room. "I bet she'll love that!" Lys agreed. She rose to her paws to quickly go inspect the basket as her Aunt finished her instructions. When she was told to take the fur lining out to shake the excess hair out of it, her attention quickly shifted toward the open balcony doors. "I promise I won't." She vowed to her relative.

But without a moment's hesitation, Talyssa quickly grasped the edge of the fur in her teeth and pressed it to the opposite side so she could grab it as well. She was able to fold it so the majority of the loose stoat's fur wouldn't go flying across the room before she could get outside. ,Lys carefully lifted it up out of the basket and carried it towards the balcony. Once outside, she dropped the outside edge and began to rapidly shake it in all directions- giving it her best attempt to agitate it clean. Clumps of stoat fur floated in the air around her, a good portion of it getting carried away on the breeze. But of course, there was some that lingered nearby.

Once she was satisfied, she laid the fur flat on the ground. She flashed her pale blue gaze towards her aunt where she rested, with an inquiring grin. "How is that?" She asked curiously, wondering if she had accomplished the task or not.

Light blue eyes watch the small pup move to Puff’s basket and quickly gathers the fur that the stoat sleeps on. A gentle smile rests on pale lips as she watches Taly trot out to the balcony and work, the woman’s thoughts momentarily turning to the pups growing in her own belly. She ponders, yet again, what they will be like. Will they be talk after her and Rudyard? Will the couple they good parents?

The gray woman’s train of thought is stalled as the sweet young Carpathian girl asks how she did. Gaze roams over the fur from where Fern lays as the prospect of heaving herself to her paws is a little too daunting at the moment. However, she can tell that it is already a great deal better than it had been and she offers the pup a warm smile as she praises, “Great job! Now Puff won’t sneeze every time she tries to sleep. Ready for the next step?”

A chuckle bubbles out and once, Taly confirms she is, the gray woman inclines her head back toward the basket once more, saying, “Okay, under that fur there should be a small pillow. It gets all crinkly from her tossing around in her sleep. Would you mind squishing around until the feathers aren’t all bunched up on one side? You can leave the fur outside for the moment, it won’t blow away.” A wink is tossed to the pup and Fern shifts slightly on her furs as the pups’ squirm inside her.


"Fern Carpathius"

With the confirmation that she had successfully completed her first objective, her tail began to gently sway behind her out of pride. It left her eager and waiting to continue on with whatever was left that needed to be done. At the prompt of the next step her ears flicked with an accompanied twinkle of interest to her pale blue eyes. "Yes!" Talyssa quickly answered with a vigorous nod to match the enthusiasm of her tone. "What's up next?"

Her attention was unwavering as her aunt went on to describe Puff's pillow. She hadn't paid much attention as to what had been in the bottom of the basket once she had removed the fur. But now that she was aware of the missed observation, she was curious to investigate for herself. Just as she began to gravitate back towards the familiar's housing, she was reminded of the fur that she had just shaken out- already forgotten in the few seconds of moving on to her next task. Her stride faltered as she prepared to make an about-turn. However, Fern assured her that it was fine where it was for the moment. Offering her a determined nod of confirmation, Talyssa continued to fulfill her assignment.

Leaning into the basket, she discovered the pillow exactly where her aunt had said it would be. And she was right. The pillow was pretty flattened and disheveled. Talyssa grabbed it gently by the layer of fabric that bundled the feathers together and gave it a bit of a shake- tilting her muzzle toward the ceiling in a popping motion to try and fluff the contents. Once content, she nestled it back into place- kneading any of the remaining clumps out with her paws as she tried to make it as even as possible.

Once she was satisfied with her result, she returned her glance to Fern. "Okay! Now what?" She asked gleefully, wondering if it was time to put the fur back yet or not.