Morning After (Jenn) - Finished

[Spiderfly]

It had been a painful night as Pravus gave birth to their children. /Theirs/ His Queen and his. . A warm sort of glowing feeling filled him from toe to nose.

He looked over to his Queen, who was wrapped firmly around him, one hand upon his furred chest. Fino had spent the whole night with him once he was cleaned up and he had slept like he hadn't in months. And for once, the sleep he did get wasn't tainted by dreams that kept him restless.

He purred gently before bringing the arm underneath Fino to stroke at his hair. "My Queen. . what. . are the children?" He had been wondering and worrying all night. He hadn't actually seen them as they were born but he knew there were two, and that Fino thought they were good enough to keep.

But he wondered, what genders were they? What breeds?

[The Jenn]

Fino's hand kept up its repetitive motion, petting the soft fur even as he let his eyes open and flick curiously towards his King. He'd been waiting so anxiously for them to be out and the man to be his again that he hadn't even spared them a thought since seeing them until just now. If he must...

"They're quite different, for all that they're both Highland Hearts," he said after a moment's consideration. "One boy and one girl, I think the doctor said. They-"

A knock on the door interrupted him and he glared at it, not particularly wanting to deal with anyone right now but the man his mind had forced him unwillingly to avoid for the past few months. Far too long. If they were knocking here, though, it was either very important or had something to do with the aforementioned children. "Yes?" he asked loud enough to be heard, sitting up but keeping his hand where it was on the feline, a possessive gesture.

The door opened and a servant peeked her head through the door. Seeing that the Queen looked mildly testy, she bowed it low before stepping in further, both arms occupied. "Your Majesty, the doctors suggested that I should bring the children to see you, as His Highness was unable to look at either of them due to the medicines."

He nodded his head and waved her to come closer, not caring to stand. She ventured cautiously into the room and placed both children, wrapped in blankets, on the bed in front of the monarchs. The kitten squirmed his way further out of his bindings as soon as the pressure was relieved, yawning and nosing around.

[Spiderfly]

The second form wiggled and poked it's head from the blanket. Bright golden eyes stared up at their fathers. Soon she wriggled out enough that her crest, now dry of afterbirth, fluffed up. Just a hint of red snaking through them.

A long forked tongue smelled the air and then suddenly, she yawned. Two glistening white fangs showing in her tiny mouth. She wavered back and forth, watching both her parents.

Pravus looked down at the small bundles and blinked rapidly. . A . . . snake he guessed. He glanced at Fino, he had known he was a snake/bird cross but hadn't really expected one for a child, for some reason. The thing, legless body gave him slight chills, and then he saw his son.

HIS son. A cat highlander with wings no less. All gold and white. Both the children had inherited his eyes. But his boy, a king, a cat. He looked down fondly at the small fuzzy boy.

"Both kings. . " He said in awe.

[The Jenn]

Fino watched them both move around, more focused on their looks and actions than their ranks. He had seen them both yesterday, after all, to make sure they were... acceptable. Pravus's comment made him blink and look down at the small feline again. Yes, there was indeed a red 'K' in miniature on that tiny tufted chest. "He was a Jack yesterday," the Queen said in surprise, leaning in to peer at him more closely. How bizarre. He'd heard of such things happening every so often, but had never seen it himself.

For all that the little feline was quite handsome for a squirming pile of newborn, his eyes were drawn back to the serpent time and again. If it wasn't for her feathered crest and the unnatural whiteness of her body, she could have been his mother in miniature. She even had the same golden eyes, whereas he'd gotten his grandmother's crimson. Snakes always looked so much more... complete upon birth, less like malformed little aliens and more like a small version of their proper adult selves. He reached out one hand tentatively, not quite sure he wanted to touch her but curious. Those little fangs, would they develop venom as she grew? He wondered, almost hoped they would.

The boy flopped around, his wings soft and leathery and awkward, and mewled a little in distress.

[Spiderfly]

Pravus watched the boy get tangled in his own wings and sneered a bit. He supposed that babies didn't have complete control of their muscles. Gently he reached forwards and wrapped him back up in his blanket but held him up to look closer. A fighter, perhaps. To raise a rank in a day as a baby so he was better matched to his sister.

He could be promising. Pravus felt a little awkward as he held the boy beneath the armpits, not quite sure on how to handle such a small, squirmy thing.

"Shh. . " He said with a small facial twitch and a quick glance to Fino again. Pravus brought the boy to his chest, perhaps he needed warmth? He was surprised to find the baby ran nearly as hot as he did and he smiled now, down at the little King. "Lior. . what do you think my Queen?" His eyes stayed upon his sons.

~~~

The small snake saw that tentative hand reach towards her but stop. She tilted her head to the side, regarding it curiously, tongue flicking from her mouth again. Her eyes raised to Fino's face and tilted more, it was a surprise she didn't fall over with a pose like that. But slowly she inched her body from the blanket.

The strong muscles beneath her scales rippled. A bonus of being born a snake perhaps, completely able to move and function from the moment of birth. She let her body rippled and curl around Pravus, clinging to the warmth with a hiss. Pravus looked down startled for a second but turned his attention back to Lior.

The little girl moved slowly towards Fino but did not touch him.

[The Jenn]

Lior settled into the blanket happily, and then nuzzled against soft fur as he felt it press against him. His paws squirmed out and began to clumsily knead against the plush white fur, nosing around for something he wasn't very likely to find, especially not on Pravus. A few small little mewling, grunting noises found their way out of his small throat.

Most definitely a snake, full serpentine despite that feathery crest. Watching her move was eerily reminiscent of a time long ago, the slow slide and hiss of scales against fabric conjuring memories he hadn't thought about in a long time. When Pravus mentioned a possible name for the boy, he looked up with a faintly bemused expression. The annoyance was gone in favor of wary curiosity and interest. "That seems... fitting for a feline. Short but elegant. Where did it come from?"

The sound had another name pinging at the back of his mind and as he reached out his hand to slide across smooth white scales, he wondered if it would be appropriate. "Going with that theme, did I ever tell you what my mother's name was? What do you think of Linda?"

[Spiderfly]

Pravus watched the small form wiggle and twist. He wasn't sure what it was the kitten was searching for and then as that wet nose started rooting through fur he realized. . Ick. His nose wrinkled and he tapped his son on the nose, redirecting his head elsewhere. He was sure the palace doctors had what they needed to feed the babies and was glad he wouldn't have to feed them himself like that.

With another quick glance Pravus surreptitiously raised a clawed finger to scratch his tiny son behind an ear and started purring. Perhaps that would calm the boy down. . after all it did calm his Queen. He smirked at his thoughts and he blinked as he realized Lior carried the same smirk upon his face. Heh.

He blushed a little "I uh. . guess I heard it somewhere. Thought it wasn't horrible. . . Seemed to work" He stopped rambling only by conscious force.

~~

Linda pressed lightly into that smooth touch before winding her way around her father's arm. Squeezing just enough to hold on, but not enough to crush. She promptly stuck her head in his hair and stayed there.

Pravus looked over with a soft look. "Sounds good."

[The Jenn]

Lior's mewling only increased at the tap on the nose, wriggling around until that rumbling purr began. It soothed him, quieting the noises and sending him into a half-lull against the pale body. He looked drowsy, which was probably quite true, and continued to nose half-heartedly at the fur nearest him. His wings were tucked securely in the blanket, as were his back legs, and he looked like a little pinkish white-gold sausage of a kitten. A sleepy, wrapped kitten.

The slithering his arm reminded Fino of his fiery demon companions but without the warmth, her own body as cool as his own, warm with life but nowhere near as warm as a normal person. His skin tingled at the sensation and he just watched her curiously as she moved closer. The little pink lightly-furred squirming thing was... fine, but he didn't really want to touch it. At least Linda - and wouldn't his uncle give him a funny look at that? - had scales to cover her properly, even if they were an extremely unusual white. He didn't have any history of such paleness in his family. If anything, his line was normally very vibrantly colored. It must have come from Pravus.

He twitched as he felt a head shove itself into his hair and stilled, suddenly uncomfortable with the nearness of these strange little things. "Very well. So... they're named. Do you feel the need to keep them in here with us, or can we give them back to the servants for a while?" His tone made it clear that he was just about Done.

[Spiderfly]

Pravus grinned as the little boy settled in but continued to try and suckle. Ah yes. . next time they'd have to make sure they were fed before holding them to avoid any, embarassing situations. He wiggled Lior's front legs into the blanket and held him firmly to try and get him to stop trying to suckle.


Linda felt a bit of tenseness beneath her scales and lifted her head slowly from the hair and moved back down her fathers arm somewhat to watch him with blinking eyes before slithering quietly off his arm and finding her way back beneath the covers. She was cold and the heat felt good against her scales. Her papa sure was warm, and her brother.

Pravus shook his head. "I'm fine with that." He said, obviously slightly uncomfortable with the babies as well. He set his son back down on the bed beside his sister and raised an eyebrow as she slithered from her blanket and around the small cat.

[Nathalia]

((Sorry to jump in, but I had to...besides X3 He'll take the kiddies away for a bit <3))

Bernard had stood outside the door for about five minutes, unsure if he should go in now or wait for the two to emerge. He stared down at his leather boots, scuffing one lightly and gnawing at his lip. He had sent the nurse away five minutes ago, promising to take the children down to the avian doctor once he had seen them.

Sighing heavily, he gave two, quick knocks, something he and Serafino had used as a signal for awhile.

He wanted to be happy about this...his nephew's first born children...how amazing...the experience should be so wonderful...but that cat.

Pravus...

Bernard set his face into a more pleasant expression and entered, smiling at his nephew and trying to ignore the other King.

"So how is everyone doing?"

He murmured, setting down two cups of tea on the nightstand and glancing toward the bed. He saw the tiny cat first, barely keeping the disappointment out of his tone. Just like it's mother...how disappointing he had-

The King stopped moving, eyes fixed firmly on the tiny body reaching out its nose for Fino's hand.

He could not tear his gaze away from the small serpent.

"Oh...my...Serafino..."