Fools Rush In [Xenon/Vyn/Blue]

[Kari Muffin]

(OOC: <3 the babies will pop into this thread at some point.)

Viola had sent a letter in advanced. It wasn't particularly the most elegant letter, but she hoped that Xiven would tell Pale in a tactful manner. And she hoped that Xiven wouldn't be particularly furious at her little confession. The woman was the Queen of Hearts and she had... used the King of Hearts for sex.

In hindsight it was a rather dumb idea.

She slithered down the hallway, the lump in her throat from anxiety. When she saw the woman walking down the hallway she paused. Oh Suits, was she going to get angry? She almost cringed.



Xiven looked worn out. She hadn't given the man the news all that elegantly. She simply had walked into the room smacked him upside the head and told him that Viola was very pregnant thanks to him. She had also told him about the visit, which she had almost forgotten about because of all the work that needed to be done.

Choking back an exasperated sigh she smiled at Viola. "He's in the private garden waiting for you. I figured it would be a better place to discuss these matters."

"Oh Thank you Your Majesty!" The snake said brightly. She followed the woman, trying to stay cheerful as she went.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There wasn't even a chance for the man to complain. He barely got anything at all out of his mouth before Xiven had retreated from his presence again, leaving him to ponder exactly what had happened.

Though this certainly wasn't the first time this particular bit of news had come to the King, it still didn't impact him any less. Some of the novelty had worn off, for sure, but there was still some excitement - and anxiety, yes. After all, pregnancies carried a hell of a lot of side-effects, his Queen's anger currently at the forefront of his mind. All the same, he'd worry about that once he knew what Viola was planning on doing. For that, he had to prepare to meet with her.

He sat out in the garden, absently scratching at the back of one of his hands. The damn things could not be controlled, but it was nearing the end of the rose's season. Soon, he would have at least a few months of relief until spring came and the flowers started blooming again. He had sent for tea and a few snacks, figuring it would save some awkward waiting time if they were already there when his guest arrived. He'd poured himself a cup of tea, then forgotten it, and nibbled at a sandwich while he waited.

Damn, but nerves made him feel twitchy. At the sound of footsteps, he raised his head, forcing a bright smile onto his face.

Time to get to business.

[Kari Muffin]

Viola took a deep breath of air. The scent of the roses always made her content, and perhaps a tiny bit sad. She should have been a member of the Court of Hearts to uphold tradition. But she wasn't really cut out for that sort of thing. And until she got herself a pair of hands she couldn't imagine going through the loads of paperwork. That's all the court really was.

Well. There was some espionage, sexcapades, and dangerous happenings, but she could live without those.

She slithered over to the spot where she was supposed to take a seat at. She looked up at the chair with a frown. It didn't look heavy enough to support one of her springing leaps, that was why she had weighted chairs at home.

Xiven was kind enough to pull the chair out for the snake and hold it down. She had seen Viola take down one of the chairs in the garden before when she as younger. The thing had been crumpled by her weight like a tin can.

"Oh, thank you Your Majesty!" She said as she sprung forward. After years of practice she was able to look fairly graceful (and deadly) when she took a seat. She curled up a bit and stared at the man across form her.

Xiven went to make her exist. She wasn't going to stick around for this little conversation.

Viola blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "I don't want you to be a part of my babies lives. You're a horrible influence morally, so I would like to avoid introducing you to them when they're young an impressionable. Of course since you're from a region that has some interesting.... mutations I would need a little assistance in case one or more of the children were from that region."

Xiven found herself awkwardly standing in mid step with her back to the pair. So much for getting out of the line of fire. She choked back a sigh and looked over her shoulder to the King.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The King tried to hide his mild curiosity as he watched the woman settle herself. Had he known what she'd needed, he might have attempted to assist her... But really, they didn't know a whole lot about each other, did they?

His eyes flickered up to those of his Queen and for a moment, the stoic expression he wore melted. She was probably still pissed, and with good reason. All the same, he tried to catch her gaze and give her a small smile, to assure her that he would be on his best behavior. All things considered, he was in a relatively good mood, and maybe even a little bit excited. Babies were something to be excited for, weren't they?

...

Well.

Unless that happened.

The bright look on his face fell in a second. A few emotions flickered across his face in its place: First, outward surprise. Then, anger. That smoothed over more quickly than the others, and he set his mouth into a firm (but rather hard) line. Slowly, he folded his fingers in front of himself, trying not to fidget. "Well then. If you're certain about that, there's not a damn thing I can say in response. After all, it is your life." But she still wanted his help? Unhappiness coiled tightly in his gut. Why the hell had she even come here, if just to tell him to butt out? As far as he was concerned, at this point, she could find a maskmaker on her own.

But there was more to it than his spite, much as he wished that wasn't the case.

"I can get you the name and address of a maskmaker who lives outside of the Bog. If you want something more fanciful, there's a leatherworker who I can also refer you to." He looked aside, attempting to hide the darkness in his eyes. "...what will you do if they want to meet their father, when they're of an age to wonder?"

[Kari Muffin]

Oh good. He was willing to give her recommendations without a hassle. At least he was taking this very well. She had worried for a little that he was going to have a horrible reaction. Maybe he was more professional than she had assumed. She had heard terrible rumors.

"I'll take both of those recommendations," she said brightly. She eyed the tea for a moment before the man continued. Her nose wrinkled slightly. Had he been listening to her properly?

"When they're old enough I can introduce them to you. There's no denying the fact that you dilly and dally behind and in front of Her Majesty's back. And I honestly don't want my sweet children to be uh.... so disrespectful of their mates." She gave him him a rather plain look. She was being honest, and hopefully he wouldn't take it too badly. It was the truth without sugar coating. "I suppose if you cleaned up your act there wouldn't be a problem of introducing them to you while they're still young and impressionable but... why exactly should you make a lifestyle change for me and my children when you haven't changed for your Queen?"

Xiven felt like she was caught in some horrible trap. The more she tried the slink away, the more she heard, and the more her curiosity wanted her to stay. And a rather large part of her, as well as the woman who lived in her head some of the time, wanted to laugh. It was a horrible thing to want to do, but she never really thought she'd see something like this. A woman who wanted nothing to do with him. Ha. Poetic justice.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The hairs on the back of the King's neck bristled. She was being entirely honest of course, and that wasn't what he took issue with. No, he had issues with the way she had come back into his life with such big news and then ripped his paternal privilege away from him without a care in the world. He knew he could be a damn good father, if given the opportunity. Even in the case of someone who was just supposed to be a quick lay, he could put some things aside, he was sure. But that didn't matter to him right now, not with the rest of it.

The look she gave him was met with an empty stare. All of the amusement was gone from the King's eyes. He wasn't going to make a big deal of this, but he wasn't going to clip his words, either.

"You're completely right, of course." What a funny, naive girl... He had heard as much, to be sure, but he always liked to give people a little credit of their own. Children were their own people, having a horde of his own certainly made him feel sure of that. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to spend the time he had with them fucking one of his lovers. But he didn't need to tell her that, her mind was clearly set. "And no, I'm not going to change for you. If I were to do that, it would show a marked lack of respect for my Queen, don't you agree? I had fun with you, but not that much fun."

Shaking his head, he stood, lightly resting a hand on the back of the chair he'd been sitting in a moment before. He gave Viola a small smile. "If you change your mind and decide to admit they aren't just your children, I would be more than happy to help raise them." He paused, thoughtfully. "All I ask for now is that I receive some notice of their health at birth. You won't hear from me otherwise until you're ready."

[Kari Muffin]

Viola was a bit smarter than she was given credit for. She knew full well that she had no true control over her children. However she was a Highlander (mostly) and she did have quite a bit of pride. She had every intention of being a mother who laid down the rules and would properly punish her children if they disobeyed. And yes, she would baby them, but she would discipline them as well.

She smiled, completely unphased by his comment. "Oh yes, Your Highness. That would show so much disrespect for your Queen I imagine she would be furious with you. Hopefully her rage will be slightly soothed knowing that I have no intention of bogging down the palace with more children."

She gave a bow of her head as the man stood up. She wasn't going to change her mind. She didn't want him to be father figure. If anything she would turn to Vana for help. "I'll keep that in mind, your Highness. And I will send you a message upon their birth."

Xiven hadn't made it very far. She was still with in hearing rage, and surprised to find that Viola was a bit of a viper. Maybe she would have a little chat with the woman about a few things.... She lingered at the garden entrance. Hopefully Pale wasn't too upset or surprised. It was bound to happen.

[carcinoGeneticist]

At least Viola could deal with hearing the truth. All too often, pompous-ass Highlanders seemed too willing to dish it out but not at all able to take it when it was shoveled back in their faces. "I'm certain the entire palace staff thanks you for it." He kept his tone gracious, but he was itching to get the hell out of there. Where to, he wasn't sure yet. Maybe somewhere with Xiven. Maybe he'd go play with the children that lived here, reassure himself that he was a good father.

It didn't matter, he just wanted this conversation to be over.

"Before you leave, someone will bring you those names." He offered, glancing over to the Queen's current location. If he hurried, he would probably be able to catch up with her. Viola was given one last glance, accompanied by a quiet sigh. She wouldn't get to see any more of the man's upset than that, however, as he excused himself and set off after Xiven at a light jog.

[Kari Muffin]

"Thank you," the snake hybrid said cheerfully. She smiled while the man jogged away. Well, she could at least enjoy her tea in the rose garden until someone showed up.

She had a smug expression on her face the entire time. At least the man was getting a small kick to the ego.

***
(( OOC: You know, for the sake of sanity Viola is going to be laying some eggs. I cannot picture her slithering around pregnant with kittens even though I am fully aware most vipers give birth to live young. ))

Giving birth was probably one of the most painful things Viola had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. And so help her, she had no intention of ever doing it again. Even if she had it "easy" and had laid eggs it was still a painful and difficult task.

Taking care of the eggs without appendages was also proving to be quite difficult. However, she was managing fairly well. With a little help from her friends, things were going smoothly. And today was supposedly the due date. A nurse had arrived in the early morning hours to help her prepare for everything.

And now it was a waiting game.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Inside one of the eggs, life stirred.

Long-sleeping, something awoke beneath the shell. Though utterly mammalian in design, the infant brain still understood what needed to happen. Break through the shell, emerge into life. It was a struggle against her own home, the comfort and safety of here, but it had to happen. She was ready.

From the outside, the egg twitched, started to shake. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface, and from that point, something pushed free. A single paw, slick with life-juice and studded with pinfeathers at the elbow, thrust into the crisp outside air. The hole widened, and the paw was followed a moment later by a face, mewling, blind and helpless in infancy. This was certainly new. The air burned her lungs all the way down, the first gasps becoming short and desperate. A mask, her mind supplied her. A mask would help her breathe.

All the newborn body could do was flail.