Cricket probably wasn't as dense as she presented herself. It wasn't that she was calculating or conniving, she just knew that it was easier to get by when you weren't seen as a threat... which made her current situation... problematic. Her stomach flipped and turned. Her sides were beginning to bulge and she was so, so hungry all the time! But the thought of red meat had bile burning the back of her throat. No. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she'd find it in the rivers and streams that cut through what was becoming one of her favourite places close to home.

Fresh fish...

But first... she had an itch to scratch. Maybe she could cover her ass a bit longer and convince everyone else it was just worms?

"speech"

Ghoul is no idiot. He understands what has come over Cricket. It’s not worms as she’s so stubbornly convinced. She’s pregnant and that worries him. He hadn’t grown up believing he would be a worried wolf, but now that he looked at her, he was. His heart constricts, his dreams are plagued. What if she doesn’t survive? An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness (or possibly possessiveness) manifests in him. Cricket doesn’t leave his sight, ever.

Not even as she wanders to the Willows in search of fish. He hangs back, watching her. A craving to satiate her belly full of pups that were going to be his responsibility. Letting out a sigh, he moves to the nearby river. Its slow moving waters warm under the summer sun. Glimmering just beneath the surface, he spots a few fish. They’re easy catches and it only takes him a few minutes of patience to snag them from the water.

Bringing them over to Cricket, he drops them before her. “Do you want more?” Ghoul asks, his ruby gaze lingering on her and only her.

Do you want more? It's a loaded question, even if it wasn't meant that way, and she dives into the offered food ravenously, shaking her head between bites. There wasn't a lot to her, and this was a lot of food. She would be fine. "You're all I need," She answered honestly, with a wide grin and a wave of her tail, only momentarily pausing and tilting her head before adding. "and Mac, it wouldn't be the same without Mac." The gurgling noise her stomach made wasn't from the food or the new lives that were taking root there. She pulled a face.

"There's just not enough room for us all here is there?" She laid down with the last fish clutched possessively between her paws, adjusting her belly so the bulge was even more evident. It was time to be vulnerable, for just a minute. She could trust Ghoul, he'd always done right by her. "I'm not as silly as I act, sometimes, its safer to not be perceived as a threat, but these kids... They're just that. I'm not worried about Medusa, but your sister..." There was a strange tension there, and Cricket didn't care for the history. She needed, more than anything in this moment to feel safe. "Should we even stay?"

"speech"

Ghoul is content to watch Cricket eat her fill. He knew he had brought more fish than she could dream to eat, but with his own pups growing in her belly, he felt… responsible. She needed to be healthy, full, and safe. Her safety was more important of all.

Sliding his front paws through the dewy grass until he was laying on his belly, he smirks and lifts a brow as she shows him a wide smile full of blood and matter from the fishy meal. Ghoul can’t hide the look of admiration in his eyes as he looks at Cricket and her protruding belly. She was all he needed as well, but confessing his feelings was… difficult. He would rather show her than use his words.

“Mac is essential, yes,” there was no doubt about that either. Just as possessive as he was over Cricket, he was the same over his brother. No harm would ever come to the two, ever. But as his mind rolls back over Cricket and just how adorable she looked with her pudgy green belly, she was saying words that he hadn’t confided in her yet. Was she possibly on the same page?

Ghoul nods softly, thinking carefully. Cricket had a point. His sister couldn’t really be trusted and it appeared Medusa was more preoccupied with reproducing than leading these days. A snort leaves him before he leans forward to press his nose to her forehead. “I’ll never let anything bad happen to them,” he responds quietly before pulling away. “I’m not sure leaving is the safest move yet, but perhaps I can make a change of ranks happen,” another lift of his brow, a small tug of his lips. “What do you think about me being in charge of everyone?” Ghoul asks, slightly nervous because it was a thought he hadn’t had in awhile, but had a dream of his when he was younger.

What do you think about me being in charge over everyone? The words lit an anxious fire in her belly, her throat constricting with anxiety. Her shoulders tensed and her limbs tucked underneath herself ready to spring if an angry hoard came racing from the undergrowth, ears swiveling and nose twitching to see if anyone else might have heard them! But it seemed they were completely alone, and the sound of running water this close to the stream would obscure this discussion unless someone was within sight.

She shuffled closer to Ghoul, her last fish abandoned as she angled her body so her belly rested against his, her chin reaching over his hip so she could keep an eye out for prying ears behind him, and he would be able to do the same for her. A nervous shudder passed through her body and the babies started to protest the sudden tension, kicking against Ghoul's belly in turn. They'd be survivors, given half a chance. She dropped her shoulders, unhinged her jaws and smoothed the worry from her forehead. The babies continued to fight for leg room. "I think you need to be certain that is what you want." She replied in hushed tones, for all intents and purposes making it look like they were just whispering sweet nothings to each other. "I think you'd make a great leader, and I'll support you if that's what you choose. But be careful. We need you."

"speech"

Ghoul did not expect the shuddering reaction from Cricket. Was she truly that worried over the others within Insomnia? His brow scrunches for a moment as he watches her wiggle and readjust until her plump belly was resting against his. Once his face is smoothed, he lowers his head upon her hips and lets his tongue groom out the flecks of mud that dot her vibrant green fur. Listening to her words carefully, Ghoul regards this information with a gentle sigh. “I think we need a change of pace,” he speaks in a low tone, only for her to hear. “I have to keep you, these pups, and Mac safe. If I have final say over things, I would feel more comfortable. More capable of protecting you. Perhaps Veigar would want to stay. Maybe I can get my uncle to form an alliance. He has ties to extended family. We would be more than safe with him on our side,” Ghoul doesn’t like the idea, but he knows it would be the safest option. “I doubt I would lose against her anyway. She’s had so many pups recently that I doubt her strength has been rebuilt,” he lets out a snort as his eyes move over to Cricket’s face to see what she thinks.

Cricket relaxes into Ghoul as he explains his reasoning. It all makes perfect sense to her, but she has also never had a mind for politics. It all felt... icky. The timing made sense, you didn't go after opponents when they were at their peak, but it also made her sad. She liked Medusa, a lot. She was fun and looked after them. But she had also caught snippets of history in her time among the pack too. Medusa had taken the pack from Ghoul's mum. Maybe, it was just putting things back to rights if he returned the favour?

She had always been more flee than fight though.

"The timing is right, you have the connections." She nervously dragged her teeth through the fur over his hip, only breaking to nod her agreement. It made sense. It would be for the good of them all, as long as he won.

"But what do we do if it all falls down?" It never hurt to have a plan B.

"speech"

He secretly enjoys the way her teeth rake over his fur and skin. A low rumble in his chest in the only indication that he doesn’t want her to stop. Her question though leaves him thinking for a moment. His chin resting upon her, the dull throb of puppy paws digging through her belly and kicking against his, it’s all comforting. The closeness of Cricket, he’s grown accustomed to it, practically needs it now to relax. Something he had never imagined would ever happen to him.

“Plan B,” Ghoul muses, a sigh leaving him that ruffles the fur along Cricket’s back. “We could go live with my uncle, Chimera. He wouldn’t say no to family. Or we could seek asylum in the Armada or Valta until we get back on our paws. I’m sure my brothers would be open to starting a band if you wanted to travel,” his thoughts roll over the ideas, but if he were being honest, staying in one place where they would be safest was honestly his preference. But she wasn’t wrong. A Plan B was necessary.

“If you could live anywhere other than where we currently are, where would you go?” Ghoul asks, a slight raise of his brow to show his genuine curiosity and wish for her opinion.

As he laid out the other options available to them, she visibly relaxed. "A pack would be better, at least until the babies get their feet underneath them." It was a whole extra layer of consideration that she never thought she would have to deal with. His next question, well that one needed a bit more thought.

"I haven't gone far from here, I really like the willows, but I'll be happiest wherever you are." She wasn't trying to be romantic or simpering, she honestly didn't know enough of the area to decide what might be the best fit for them. "What about you? Do you think anywhere is better than here?"

"speech"

Ghoul considers what Cricket says and let out a thoughtful sigh. His tongue reaches out to lick at her fur a few times in hopes it will help settle her nerves. "I do enjoy the willows, there is safety in being able to hide there," he pauses then, resting his chin gently over his side as he snuggles in closer to her. In a way, he enjoys the way the pups inside her belly kick at his own. Not that he could ever understand what she was going through currently, it still was nice to feel somewhat close to the pups that would one day breathe the same air as them. "There is some available land close to Ashen that would be good too. Medusa said that a pack by the name of Valhalla fell and their lands are open now," he pauses, ruby gaze turning to her bright green eyes. "The moor down there has plenty of underground caverns that would provide ample safety," Ghoul adds on, a brow rising to see what she would think of the choices they had.

A moor would be a lot of open ground, even if it did have caves beneath and she chuckled at the thought of their children popping out of the ground like prairie dogs. It seemed fitting. Family would offer safety too, as long as they weren't like hers... that was. "If it was good enough to support a pack wouldn't they still be there?" She questioned, though really, not everyone was cut out for leadership either so she let it slide. "It sounds pretty wonderful to me, but again, don't get yourself killed in the process." She was sure that lives had been lost over less than a change of the guard.

"speech"