Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the month of predicted delivery grew nearer, the Fedele household grew progressively fuller: books on child rearing, baby clothes, recipe collections — accompanied with a wide spread of food in Lithian’s attempts to teach himself to cook in the remaining weeks — and wood. Casseth began construction on the twins’ crib shortly after the subject was discussed, and for many afternoons, the sounds of his work on that joined the mesh of yelps and curses and off-key singing from kitchen as Lithian gave the culinary arts his best efforts. When the crib finished in its basic construction, they tackled the process of painting it together.

It was on such an evening, in the living room with all windows and doors open — late afternoon light spilling in over the floorboards — that they were now, Lithian barefoot and crouched atop the dropcloth they’d set beneath it as they worked and Casseth beside him. He found his gaze flitting towards his mate periodically as he painted, the corner of his lips edging up each time and all of him warm. A subtle, permanent giddiness in his chest at the thought of what they were doing.

“Shall we take them to school here, do you think?” Lithian asked. “Would it be safe…? Or…perhaps we should school them ourselves?”

“Mm…” Lithian nodded. “We should do that. I’m not sure I’d want to leave them alone so long…particularly not if it would be rough on them. But we could start with them schooled here and as they grow, if it seemed safe and if they expressed an interest in it…we could allow them to attend then, perhaps. I do think they should have exposure to other children, if possible. No…offense to your friend…” He eyed Casseth furtively, “…but I would rather not isolate them entirely. I suppose it will depend, though, on if they are safe here.”

Lithian frowned, pausing mid-stroke at the thought. While he didn’t like the idea of retreating — into the mountains, across the sea, or up a cave somewhere — he did understand, with special gravity now that the prospect of having children of his own was incumbent, the relevant fear for their safety. If their children did look obviously hybrid, which was entirely possible, then it would make it all the more dangerous for them. After thinking briefly back to the island he and Casseth had located and wondering how long it would take to get there — how, if at all, to transport infants and everything else they would need — he dismissed the thought. He didn’t want to leave this house. He loved this house. And, if at all possible, he wanted to stay until their girls were at least old enough to ride them in dragon form on their own.

Wandering as his mind did, though, his thoughts turned to yet another topic of contemplation which had flit forward and back over the past several days. With a dry hand, he tucked some loose hair behind his ear, looking to Cas again and weighing his words before speaking up.

“There is…another part of their education I wanted to discuss with you,” he said. “I…know you did not learn a faith from your father or practice one now, but…I would like to share my faith with our daughters when they are old enough to begin learning.”

Lithian shook his head, relaxing a little at Casseth’s at least facially neutral response. “No, I wouldn’t ‘force’ it on them. I just…it is something important to me, and I would want to share it with them, not as something they would have to follow when they grew old enough to make their own choices, but…an option. I’ll have them know, of course, that there are many faiths in this world and mine is only one, but…it is one open to them, and I would teach it until they no longer wanted to learn of it.”

Lithian’s faith in Abronaxus and the preachings he grew up with had not been unwavering in his heart. Far from it. Time had tested his concept of the gods, his culture, and the dovaa people on the whole and their role in all of it. But after the test of time and hardship, he found that it was something he continued to turn to. Viewing his faith earnestly, he knew it had evolved over the course of his experience. Arguably quite dramatically. No longer was his trust in a higher being that drew distinct boundary lines between each and every of the races and cut out souls ‘tainted’ by a mix of other lineages.

To him, Abronaxus was a peacekeeper, and a great shelter for those unwelcome elsewhere. Though he knew many firm believers in the dovaa god would scoff at his amended view, he felt with conviction that Abronaxus would not turn away his children in spirit simply because they shared part of the blood of his sisters. The fact that Casseth was not interested in hearing any of it had been made well aware to him many years past, and Lithian never pressed. But still, he kept his faith close: prayed every morning and every night, observed traditional dovaa holy days and rituals from home and in private, and thanked Abronaxus for each blessing bestowed upon him, Casseth, and all those close to him.

His gaze flit towards Cas, his smile soft. “Did you know that once upon a time I thought all I wanted to do with my life when I grew was to be a priest and share my faith? I would finally have a two person audience, though…you would always be welcome to listen in, too, if you wanted to see to it that I wasn’t pouring into their minds something you didn’t approve of…”

Lithian opened his mouth, but then shut it as Casseth leaned in—

—and then flushed, huffing, and smiling and retaliating almost as soon as Casseth began laughing. “You—mmmm…” He shifted forward, touching his newly ‘painted’ nose to Casseth’s and spreading the color. “Filthy vagabond…unfair play…” He dipped his lips, catching Casseth’s in a loose, teasing kiss as his eyes fell shut. “You’ll make a mess of everything and we’ll never get done.”

“Mmm…” After allowing himself to be pushed back, Lithian shivered, hips notching up into Casseth’s press and head tilting back and to the side to open himself to his mate’s advances. “Very—” He swallowed, “—filthy, filthy…” He reached, moving to accommodate Casseth’s hands in removing his own top before pulling at the cloth of Cas’ and rocking into his weight atop him. “And I love…” He skimmed his fingers up and under, trailing and tracing Casseth’s skin — muscle, scales, scars and all, “…every inch.”

Practiced as they were, it did not take long to get Casseth out of his top, and Lithian may or may not have had his hands in a wholly undignified position, inarguably inappropriate for painting when someone — or, more accurately, a pair of someones — joined them in the living room.

“Ah, great as it is to see you lovebirds haven’t changed a bit…” Takhi’s voice came from near to the doorway, “…I don’t think our babys’ daddy appreciates the view as much as I do. Should we come back later?”

Upon hearing they were no longer alone, Lithian made a startled yip of sound half-buried against his mate’s lips, and then scrambled back to cover himself. He moved quickly as Casseth did, making the most of the ‘shield’ of his lover’s wings to make himself presentable though his cheeks still flushed with heat.

“We—ah, we were paint—er, painting…it’s—the crib, and…” He glanced up at Casseth’s words and then standing himself with an abashed nod. “Yes, thank you…” As his gaze turned to Takhi, he pushed a smile onto his lips, still recovering, but pleased to see her even with the timing. “Our apologies. We forgot you were visiting this evening. How are you feeling?”

“Positively invigorated,” Takhi answered. “And sore all over.”

And so, the evening went.

Drannath was coaxed back into the house to ‘meet the parents’ of his birth children, having only had met them once earlier, and after setting away their painting materials for the moment, Lithian went through his routine check-ups on Takhi and their discussions continued. All went smoothly — until it came to discussion of how, precisely, they intended to handle the delivery and days immediately preceding. They were seated around the dining table, though purely for purposes of discussion, not eating, Lithian and Casseth together and Takhi across from them looking far too large for her chair with Drannath looming at her back, having declined a seat.

“It is just…” Lithian’s gaze shifted to his mate and then over towards Takhi, “…our house is designed not to be so easily accessible. It’s a healthy ways in off of town, down the shore, and the rocks you have to cross to get here, I…would be concerned, if it were an emergency and your labor came on quickl—”

Takhi shook her head, grunting. “Be fine. I’m healthy. I know my way around. An’ like hells I’m gonna be completely’ cooped up ‘fore then. They’ll come when they come, but ‘til that point…” She shook her head. “I’m a big enough girl to put a roof over my own head, thanks.”

Lithian’s brow pinched, and he curbed the urge to reach up and rub at a horn. “It wouldn’t be a burden, you know…we do have plenty of room and it wouldn’t be the first time we housed—”

“I’m not a dependant.”

“Takhi—”

“Said it,” she said. “That’s it. No offenses to you and yours, but I’m pregnant, not dyin’, and I have taken care of myself and can take care of myself. ‘M not gonna stick penned up with you two like an invalid on my deathbed in my last weeks o’ term.”

Lithian opened his mouth, but before he got a word in, Takhi’s voice was cutting in above him.

“Difficult?” Her voice raised a touch. “I’m being ‘difficult?’ I’ll be in town,” she said. “I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m just not going to be your live-in patient. I ‘appreciate’ the offer much as the next lass, but I’ve got a bed of my own, a life of my own, and things o’ my own to sort out. I can’t get places from here so easy. It’s a pain in the arse to get over the rocks, an’ if I was stayin’ here I’d be travellin’ out over them every day just t’ get into town.”

“That,” Lithian said quietly, “…is part of our point.” He kept his tone as gentle and neutral as he could. “We picked this location to be difficult to get to, and what if something goes wrong? What if it’s the middle of the night? Or you’re in pain? When this all happens, you’ll be in labor—”

“I think I figured that much out, thanks—”

“ —it won’t be easy to travel. Particularly if it’s dark or the waves are coming in rough. At high tide, there isn’t even any dry land in the thinnest stretches of the way here, all the rock is partly covered in water—”

“Part of why I don’t want t’ have to deal with that every day.”

“We could get you anything you needed—”

Takhi shook her head, standing. Or, rather, moving to stand, struggling, grunting, shifting her chair, huffing, and bracing herself before managing to push upright. Drannath, like a living rock statue, moved as she did, his hand going out immediately and bracing her weight where she leaned into it without a word. “I don’t need favors. I don’t need to be waited on. I don’t need to be baby sat…”

Lithian winced. “Please, that’s not what I meant. Only that we’re your friends and we’re willing to help—”

“I don’t need it.” Takhi glanced over to them, moving from Lith to Cas. “I’ll let y’ know when they figure it’s high time to join the world of the air-breathers, a’right?”

“Offering me a place?” Takhi rebutted. “Are y’sure that’s what you’re doin’? ‘Cause it felt to me like you’ve been done that, an’ I politely refused. An’ now you’re goin’ a touch further. Sounds a hell of a lot t’ me like you’re demanding—”

Lithian shook his head hastily. “Takhi, we don’t—”

“Not you, blue horns, your mate. No ‘we’ on that one. He’s demanding—”

“Please,” Lithian blurted softly, “I really don’t think there’s any need to get this upset over—”

“I’ll decide where there’s need for me t’ be gettin’ upset, a’right? An’ I’m not upset…” Takhi huffed, frowning and shifting her weight again, supported and balanced off as she moved by Drannath’s shape at her back. “We’re all havin’ a nice, peaceable, adult like conversation…”

Lithian’s voice dropped to a mumble beneath his breath. “Adult ‘like’, but couldn’t quite make it to adult…”

Takhi’s eyes narrowed. “And what was that again now?”

Lithian shook his head.

The ‘conversation’ continued for some time more, going up and down in volume until Lithian offered that they at least break to eat and leave the matter for further discussion, potentially, at a later date. Takhi, apparently hungry enough to ‘eat a kargoth or ten’ consented to those terms easily enough, and a meal was had. In the aftermath, at her admittance of exhaustion, Lithian offered room at least for the night, and after some less heated discussion, arrangements were made for that.

The following morning, despite Lithian and Casseth’s renewed offer of an extended welcome, Takhi stuck to the previous evening’s position and insisted on returning home, which she did. She continued to visit, however, each time in Drannath’s company now, multiple times over the course of the following week.

Then, without warning to either Lithian or Casseth or explanation given of why, five days without word passed without a single showing.