Morning-After Haze (Finished! :O)

[carcinoGeneticist]

((Teensie time-jump!))

Seth wasn't sure he understood. There were a number of things that he didn't understand about this place, but when it came down to it... He honestly had no desire to understand them fully. This whole place reeked of something that he didn't want to look to deeply into, for fear of what he might find out.

As it was, he had a lot of things to consider, especially now. Up in the trees it was extremely quiet, and almost reminded him of the frigid silence that filled his home. It was oddly restful to the man, and he took the opportunity to try and gather his thoughts about the place. Every time his eyes fell on the brown shape that was walking steadily below him, though... He lost track of them completely.

The bat was lost, in more ways than one, and she was all the guidance he had. Of course, she was also that which was leading him farther and farther off the path of everything that he knew.

And she was beconing him to her. His heart skipped a beat as he folded heavily-furred wings in close, dropping to the ground and shifting into his mid-form before his feet even touched earth. Red eyes were lowered to meet Heilyn's gold as she spoke, trying hard to keep from betraying any of his inner turmoil. "Just fine.[/b]" he replied as they walked, nodding slightly. "Glad we're almost there, though. I'm looking forward to spending some time with you without constant danger.[/b]" he laughed softly.

And then they had arrived.

[Satra]

[Sorry long post, but it's all descriptive and shit in combination with stuff that actually need to be done. P:]

She shifted into her bipedal as well, watching him come down. He may have been a touch slow mentally, but he was very quick to catch onto physical things. She wiped a muddy hand off on her bag the touched his head just behind his ear, working her fingers through the thick ruff protecting him. Her heart skipped suddenly at his statement. He.... wants to...? Get a hold of yourself, he probably just means sex.

"It'll be soon enough," she said in a teasing tone and ruffling the blue ridge in the center of his head. As they walked they passed long, thin spires. As they passed them, a small light on top lit faintly, shot down the spire and zoom off into the distance in the direction they were headed. The corner of Heilyn's mouth twitched every time it happened. Ah, Home.

There seemed to be a wall of very thick trees, but one that was passed, the town began. There was light emanating from the lanterns everywhere, that being the only form of light in the place at the moment. It is not clear whether night has fallen or not, as not much of the sky can be seen through the thick canopy of trees and the light from below illuminating the underside of the trees. The large, sturdy trees the obstructed the view of the Palace glittering in the distance held houses up and down their length. A complicated web of wooden bridges and platforms connected houses and dry patches of land. Rope bridges connected the tree dwellers. Patios seemed to be very popular, as they were much larger than ones seen outside the Bog. Then again, they stretched out over an area where what would've been a lawn was poisonous mud water. All of the buildings that weren't up in a tree were elevated above the muck by a few feet on thick pillars of wood. Though there were lanterns everywhere, the light could only reach so far, and the entire town was still fairly dark. Everything was as clean as it could be in this muddy area. Natives milled about on their daily business, though many stopped to gap at the large brown bat with bright blue hair. Many pointed and whispered. Heilyn's fingers wrapped themselves around his arm.

"It'll be like this for a while, sorry," she muttered to him, remembering her first several weeks Outside, "Our destination is straight ahead. You have some visitors~" She was amused as she looked back at the small children trying to get close enough to Seth to touch him. Had Heilyn not been there to glare at any adults that wanted to approach, there would have definitely been more making an attempt to harass the man.

The other three bowed, Heilyn bowing back, and they separated, leaving Seth and Heilyn on their own. She kept a hold on him, in case he should feel any discomfort from being gawked at the entire way. After a very short walk they reached the Palace at the center. The Guards at the door looked at them quizzically, it took them a moment to recognize Heilyn. As soon as they did, they opened the door to let them in. There wasn't much of a welcome committee at their arrival. Several people who obviously knew Heilyn ran up and greeted her warmly and circled Seth. She shooed them away, pulling Seth forward, the crowd of friends of Heilyn following and poking at him when she wasn't telling them to get lost.

"Sorry, all of us Bog Dweller are very straight-forward. None of them are going to hide the fact that they're curious," she smirked, "We're going to the Bath to get the mud out of our fur, that shit stings after a while. Then next is the doctors where they can become familiar with your foreign blood work and such while you're healthy so they have a better idea of what to do if you get sick. Sorry, but we've got a little more work to do before we can rest" Poor man. She would request the prettiest girls to attend to him in the bath to help calm him.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Despite his earlier feelings of the place, Seth could feel a spark of awe lighting up within him as soon as they entered the town. With Heilyn at his side he felt at least some comfort, and he allowed himself to wrap one arm around her waist and pull her close to him. While he'd been in the treetops, he'd missed that comfort most of all. The Bog was a dangerous place, he could feel it... But here, in the town, life struck him as almost painfully normal. "I.. what?[/b]" he replied, expression somewhat bewildered until he turned and his eyes fell upon the group that had come close. It was just another example of the fact that life here was only as different as he chose to make it. The children who approached him were almost exactly like those that had tugged at his fur in the capital.

As such, he turned to them and grinned widely, rows of teeth sparkling in the dim lanternlight and eyes gleaming behind the mask. It seemed the appropriate move to make, as the children's eyes went wide with awe and they retreated once again. For now, at least.

He turned back to the woman, laughing softly. "I can tell... but that's fine. I've gotta be completely different from anything they've ever seen, don't I?[/b]" he could understand their fascination. If he hadn't been so nicely aquainted with Heilyn herself, he'd likely be staring gape-jawed at each of the people who passed them by.

~~~

After days of travel, the bat had enjoyed the bath that he was given hugely, but the trip to the doctors of the Bog was much less enjoyable. All the same, once it was done he walked to where Heilyn was waiting for him, a small and satisfied grin plastered on his face, fur shining now that the mud had been dislodged and brushed out. He wished he could take off the mask, but it would remain a necessity for the time. The doctor he'd seen had told him that they might attempt to make something smaller for him... But he'd have to wait for it.

"So, what's next?[/b]" he asked, tone filled with mild amusement.

[Satra]

[Sorry, I had to get this part written out x33

And... sorry, Seth, but eh.... xD]

Heilyn sat on the examination table waiting patiently for her results. This "waking up sick and puking thing" did not sit well with her on multiple levels. She perked up as the doctor walked in. He looked awfully amused.

"<Well, your 'friend' is an interesting one to be sure, but he's very healthy from what we can tell. We've meticulously recorded every detail of blood work, tissue samples, temperatures, everything. We'll know by the time you leave if our newly developed method of purifying food and drink will be safe for the foreigners. And even if it isn't perfect yet, you've picked yourself a damned hardy little guinea pig for us, Lyn dear.>" Heilyn winced.

"<You know you're not allowed to call me that anymore,>" she waved a hand at him almost dismissively. She felt bad, using him like this, but there was no other way he could stay. If anything went wrong, it was fortunate that he could just fly straight up and out to safety... though he may never see him again. she wouldn't blame him, though. "<So that's out of the way, what about me?>" a hint of worry crept into her voice. The doctor chuckled.

"<Congratulations,>" he chuckled. Heilyn's eyes narrowed.

"<..what?>"

"<Yer preggers, m'dear.>"

For the first time in her life, Heilyn fainted.

~~~

Heilyn was finally awake, and cleaned. They'd seen fit to wash her while she was unconscious. She paced nervously waiting for Seth. NononononoNO! This... CAN'T be possible! I was taking a contraceptive, how could I--? Then Seth came out and her heart sank. God, he looked so happy. He had just now gotten comfortable since arriving (those bath house attendants were damned good at their job), but if she waited any longer...

it would just be unbearable.

"We... go to my room," she smiled. However, there was nothing suggestive in the way she said is, "We need to have a talk." ...ohshit. She lead him fairly quickly past people attempting to greet her, hitting a few of them out of her way until they got to her old room. She closed the door behind them.

"The, uh, doctor discovered why I had been sick the past few mornings," she cleared her throat and took a very deep breath before looking back up at him through the emotionless mask. Not wasting any more time, she went straight on ahead, "Seth... I'm pregnant."

[carcinoGeneticist]

His grin only grew wider as she spoke, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her hips quite firmly against his own, adding his own suggestion where her voice held none. "I'll go to your room, but I can't promise that you'll get any res- eugh?[/b]" his raunchy smile froze where it was, the man feeling suddenly very small and insecure. He let his hands fall away from her, fur bristling with the sudden anxiety caused by what she'd said.

What the hell was going on? This was supposed to be his chance to relax!

All the same, he followed her, standing somewhat awkwardly in the room and watching her close the door. Her illness had worried him, and he began to wonder why finding out the cause what the cause for such anxiety... Shouldn't she be happy? What if she had something terminal? Was she dying? Oh god, she was dying, wasn't she?

The pain that shot through his chest at her actual response made him feel quite sure that he was dying.

"You're... WHAT?![/b]" he practically shouted. "B-but how?! I thought you were... you know... that thing! This is so not okay with me.[/b]"

[Satra]

She sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"I don't know. That contraceptive is very reliable..." maybe the one I had happened to be a dud? "And it doesn't make me happier than it does you, trust me."

She slid down the wall to a sitting position, fingers massaging her head. SHIT! what was she going to do?!

"I'm going back tomorrow to get more extensive care for it. I don't know how being of non-Bog heritage would affect it while I'm breathing the air here... not to mention the drinking I've done up until this point." Just because I'm immune doesn't mean it is... She took several deep breaths and was calm again.

"I'm... I can honestly say I'm sorry for all of this, Seth. If..." she could feel her chest tighten, "if you wanted to leave now, I wouldn't hold it against you. Just don't do it without warning." Him leaving was the last thing she wanted right now. She needed the support, she needed the father-- no. No, it was quite possible he was not the father...

that's right...

She swallowed and closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. There was no need for this to turn dramatic, that would only make things worse... and increase his chances of leaving...

[carcinoGeneticist]

Her words washed over him, nearly becoming lost in the flood of emotional turmoil that her words had inspired in him. Red eyes locked onto the floor, as if looking to see if the dust brought in by their own feet would give him an answer to the issues that were quickly wrapping around them. After a moment, the bat cleared his throat and dared to look at Heilyn again. He froze at the sight of her, breathing so unnatural, eyes closed... god. He took a small step towards her, then hesitated again.

"Hey, it's half my fault, right?[/b]" he remarked, trying to keep his tone light. No, Lyn, you can't break down now. I'm the emotional one. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, then broke down and pulled her into a tight and firm, almost posessive hug.

"...But seriously. I'll only leave if you want me to, and I really hope you don't.[/b]" he gave a short and almost harsh laugh as he released her, touching her face briefly before letting his hand drop once more.

[Satra]

She gave a half-amuse have exasperated scoff at his comment, the lightness of the comment bring her back to reality from impending panic. Her brow furrowed and eyes opened as a hand was placed on her shoulder. What...? Her body tensed, spine going rigid and eyes wide as she took a sharp intake of breath in surprise. Then she melted into the hug, relieved at the meaning it held.

"No, I don't want you to go," she said almost before she could stop herself. Her hands touched him, traveling up from his abdomen to his shoulders, wrapping around to his back to hold him in return. She turned her muzzle toward him to bury it in his neck as her legs curled to be closer to her body. Her heart was pounding. She held him tighter. She breathed in his smell, letting its familiarity comfort her. She gave a small, quiet laugh.

"Dad'll throw a huge hissy fit, but you're more than welcome to stay in my room with me for as long as we stay here."

[carcinoGeneticist]

"Then I won't.[/b]" he answered, hoping that he'd be able to maintain that promise... He had the feeling it wouldn't be terribly difficult in the end. She had wrapped him quite shamelessly around her finger, and he was starting to like it. That was the really terrible part. He allowed her to hold him tightly, stroking the back of her neck and very softly scratching behind her ears, well aware of the comfort it would provide her.

He drew away slightly as she spoke, a small smirk beginning to grace his mouth, and he shook his head in a mocking manner. "Tch, spoken like a true hussy... I wouldn't want to destroy your virginal appearance, would I[/b]" he said, somewhat mockingly as he glanced around the room for his bag. "Unless of course you mean... goddamn it, where the fuck did I put that - Ah, there!... in the purely professional sense, in which case I'd be happy to oblige.[/b]"

He reached into the bag, slipping out a small wooden box and looking down at it. He shrugged slightly, then thrust it at the woman, not looking in her eyes. "Got you something while I was in the capital. Figure now's a good time to give it to you.[/b]"


((Refer to Zuberi's lovely gift <3))

[Satra]

Professional? Ha! Since the beginning of Seth's employment their relationship has been nothing but a mockery to professionalism. However, with the new development Heilyn suddenly felt very alone. She didn't feel ready to be a mother. To have the lives of others so dependent on her... true the Bog depended on her for an improvement of their lives, but they could easily do without the Outside, just as they have been (as difficult as it was).

However, her mood was lightened as Seth called her a hussy and scritched her behind the ears. She chuckled and allowed her tail to wag lightly as she remained entwined with him, relaxing a little. She brought her head up, giving his neck a tiny nip. "Well, I can't drink anymore 'till the kid... or Gods forbid kids... get here. Gotta have some form of release. Dad and the rest of these idiots can go fuck themselves." that and I need you. Granted, it had been Heilyn that told Seth to behave, but now everything was different because Heilyn said so. How very charming.

The more fond she grew of the man, the more embarrassed she felt about having emotions just like everyone else. She had to smile as she watched him search for something. He was a very attractive man, and as fun as it was to watch him bend over like that, she smiled for a different reason. She blinked and sat up to reach for the box being offered to her with a flase sense of casualness. Her right ear twitched in its usual habit, but this time in curiosity. She ran a hand over the slightly uneven driftwood box before opening it.

She let out a small gasp as her eyes went wide and mouth hung open slightly as she took in the gift. The dark driftwood body, ruby red bead eyes, and the rainbow shells for wings... the little trinket was a real thing of beauty. She made to pick it up, but retracted her hand, terrified of breaking it. (How in the hell had the thing survived the trip?!) She looked up at Seth, astounded. It was honestly her favorite gift that any lover had ever gotten her. She put it aside and pounced on the man, wrapping as much of herself around him as she could and attempting to pull him into a kiss, but that damned mask was in the way. Instead she took to kissing around the mask on his neck and ears, her tail wagging madly.

[BWAHA, I totally forgot about that mask. xD

...why are my posts getting so long? >>]