Welcome to Gaia! ::

[Scar via discord]

They were still moseying their way north, but had admittedly taken some... detours. A letter home assured Morain that his parents and siblings were still in Belrea and, with the reassurance that he wasn't risking missing them (and the money his parents had sent along with their letter), he'd sort of just... gone with the flow. If Kani wanted to get up and get moving then they did, but if she was content to explore he joined her. Here and there, they'd pause for a few days to find work to fill their pockets enough to move along, but it had been slow going and before he knew it a few weeks had passed since their date the day they got to Belrea.

Mainly they'd been hopping from small town to town, enjoying the countryside south of the capitol as they made their way north - and over time Kani had been more content to stop travel early to rest, or explore. Morain hadn't thought anything was wrong, at least not until now when he was woken to his lover's clammy face hidden against his back. "Aw, sweet thing..." He croaked, still half asleep as he carefully rolled over to face her, rubbing his hand against her back reassuringly. "Whas' wrong?"

[scar via discord]

(2/10)

Oh. Well. As a reformed party kid, Morain knew from experience that nothing woke you faster than a sudden return of your dinner. His eyes shot open and he hurried to sit up, but even then Kani was already out of bed, stumbling to the adjoining washroom. It took him a bit longer to wrestle his way free of the sheets coiled around him, but within moments Morain had joined her, gathering the mound of curls out of her face so he could hurriedly (and somewhat sloppily) tie it back into a hasty braid.

Had she drank last night? Mm... she did, sometimes, imbibe but she had been careful since that first time, finding that hangovers didn't suit her so well. What about the food? They'd shared a delicious meal of roasted root and starchy veggies with a thick, stew-like broth - but he wasn't sick so it wasn't bad at least.

Maybe it hadn't sit well with her, was all? He cooed at her softly and returned to rubbing his hand along her back, before cupping the back of her neck and cooling his touch with a bit of ice magic.

He knew how to care for his brother, or siblings, when they were sick, but this was the first time he'd been here for a partner. He usually would lighten the mood with a joke about how they were dying, but found no impulse to torture HER like that - only a growing panic, a paranoid worry that reminded him they'd been too HAPPY, and something had to come and hunt them down--

"Do you want to see a healer?" He asked, softly, keeping his voice low as one would the victim of a headache.

[Scar via discord]

(3/10)

Morain's eyes shot wide, and he nodded as he moved to stand, pausing just long enough to kiss the top of her head. It took him a moment to remember his spell, which he dismissed after a few awkward shakes of his hands. He was still half dressed, hair loose and messy from sleep as he hastily pulled on a sleep robe and his sandals.

The town they were in was a small, country one - big enough for the inn they were staying at, but small enough that they only had one, and that inn served also as one of the only eateries to the people who lived there. He was pointed towards an older woman who was eating her breakfast at a table nearby, and only gave the smallest eye roll when he stumbled up to her, nervous twisting his hands together.

Even so, she took the request more gracefully than he would have expected since he interrupted her meal, following him back to his and Kani's room. The smell of sick was still sour and heavy in the air, and Kani herself looked miserable and exhausted where she still sat on the cool wooden floor. "Come here out of the dark, child - boy, hold the bowl for her in case she needs it again." The healer instructed, snapping her fingers at him until Morain moved to obey.

[Scar via discord]

(4/10)

The woman seemed severe and matter of fact, at first, but Kani's sorry state elicited some pity in her. She sighed and moved to kneel so she was more at Kani's level, hand going to her forehead. Morain ducked down to offer up the bowl for Kani, grimacing in sympathy. But once his task was done, the woman turned to him, gesturing with her eyes towards the bowl. "Leave it outside for the staff, and go fetch an empty one. Knock before you return."

Morain shot a look to Kani, hesitant, but after a moment he mouthed 'I love you' to her, then went to do as he was bid. The moment the door closed the woman sighed, then beckoned to Kani. "Young lady, I think you know the mostly likely illness for young couples in love. I can do a test with magic to rule it out."

She waited until Kani agreed to it, then moved her hand to hover over Kani's belly, fingertips gesturing as magic felt out over Kani's form. It was an awkward length of time before she closed her hand and leaned back with a nod. "Indeed - a classic case of morning sickness for an expectant mother. Ginger, and small, frequent meals are the best I can suggest for your malady, and the recommendation you return home sooner rather than later."

[Scar via discord]

(5/10)

The healer heard a quiet knock at the door partway through her checkup but had disregarded it so she could focus on her patient in privacy. "No, you're just young. You wouldn't be the first with such worries, and you won't be the last." The healer reassured, if somewhat stiffly.

But the poor girl seemed to be in shock, so once she called for her partner the woman took pity on her and went to the door, opening it to reveal a very nervous and impatient Morain, clutching a clean bowl in one hand, and a pitcher of water in the other. "Is she okay?"

"Her condition is manageable and relatively safe. I'll be downstairs finishing my breakfast should you have concerns after you talk."

They spoke briefly, with Morain offering payment and the woman waving him off, saying vaguely that he'd 'need all the coin he could get' as she took her leave. Morain closed the door and moved to set down the containers so he could hurriedly pour Kani some water to rinse her mouth with.

"She figured it out fast, right? At least you're okay?" Morain whispered, tenderly wiping tears from her cheeks.

[Scar via discord]

(6/10)

Morain watched Kani closely, tilting his head the slightest bit at first. But when she finally broke the news his eyes widened marginally and his mouth dropped into a small, shocked 'o'. Then, in true Kani fashion, she took over the ensuing silence with worried words, her fingers trembling against his. He held on, instantly, even if he didn't quite have the brain space to compute what she was saying.

It really had been only a few weeks ago that they'd discussed kids, but that had been some... possible future, way down the road when their journey had hit a natural stopping point!

Perhaps he'd been struck dumb a bit too long, because Kani finally dropped her voice into a concerned whisper, and he had to shake himself out of his stunned silence. "W-worried? Is the vomiting bad? Do you need medicine? She said we'd need more coin but- well, we'll need a LOT of coin if it's a baby but--" Morain dropped his hands to carefully bracket her tummy, rubbing it lightly as if that might soothe her nausea. His voice broke a little at the word 'baby' and he had to swallow hard against a rush of emotions. Terror, first, then surprise and delight, then guilt and shame because - because Kani had only just started to explore, and he'd gone and ruined everything for her--

Then more guilt because thinking of a possible baby as ruining anything made his gut twist with anxiety, and he whispered a silent prayer to himself that he hoped the universe would hear, so they didn't take his thoughts seriously. "But you're okay? It's not- hurting you right now?" Pregnancy was supposed to be exciting and happy, but he couldn't get the image of her sick and crying in the dark out of his mind. Had he done that to her?

[Scar via discord]

(7/10)

Morain's expression crumpled a little, heart breaking at the mental image of Kani sick and alone. Never again, he told himself firmly, his heart stuttering at the gentle touch of her hands over his own; their baby nothing more than a flutter and a very obnoxious nausea in Kani. "My dads?" Morain asked, raising his eyebrows. "No! Never - I swear they're gonna love you!" Especially now! Besides, his parents' biggest worry for him and Siel growing up was that they might accidentally bring home someone a little more... closely related, by accident, thanks to his papa's rather impressive history.

Kani was full Matori, not a lick of wind or shifter in her, so he had nothing to worry about on that front! ... But! That wasn't a topic for right now.

First step indeed. Kani was smiling - and then Morain was too, earnestly and with growing excitement. "Is it bad if I am? I'm scared, but so excited...!" Morain asked, quietly, leaning down so he could bump their foreheads together. "But you just - you just escaped from being stuck watching out for your family- you only just started seeing the world and living your own life. I wanted to give you the world, not stop you before you even got to start."