they [ s p u n ] a web for me.
#1
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(548)

ooc; song is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHg-PhseKOQ trouble - coldplay.

The talk with Alma had helped to raise her spirits, and the coyote woman was eager to leave Inferni for a week or so to help her mind be at ease and to erase some of the stress that was evident on her face. She had not seen a hair of Angel since the meeting, and there was no doubt in her mind that the dark Catalan male was avoiding her, and it stung regardless of what her ginger-haired friend had said. Sadness washed over her frame and she decided to get up and go outside, these last few days she had stayed in her bedroom and cuddled with her cats. To be honest, she had listened intently for movement in Angel’s room but had heard nothing thus far so it was obvious he was somewhere else entirely and had no mind to seek her out. With a growl she moved her slightly swollen body away from her mattress and combed her hair before leaving her room, slamming her door for effect and gazing down the hallway to Angel’s room. Just to make herself feel better she stuck her tongue out to his closed door and marched down the hallway and down the stairs.


Emma looked out the window to appraise the day outside and it seemed nature felt like matching her mood for once, for it was rainy and dreary outside. A sad little frown was plastered onto her normally sunny features and she opened the front door, a little sigh exiting her delicate maw. The day smelt of fresh rain and fragrant flowers, and she was glad for the honeysuckle that bordered the mansion. Slowly she walked down the stairs and towards the gardens, examining the flowers as she went. Most were well-cared for, and she had this to boast about. She was the clan’s medic and the regular flora was just important as the medical varieties, and she enjoyed working in the gardens and greenhouse. However she did not stay in the gardens for long, rain started to drizzle from the dark, overcast skies and she made her way to the greenhouse. Her step was soft and gentle, the picture of someone feeling very weak and mixed up emotionally.


The woman clasped her hands together, wringing them as she entered the temporary shelter. Nervously she looked around, rolling her shoulders and picking up the watering can to get to work. It had been previously filled and she set herself about watering the dry looking troughs, singing to the plants as she went along. The lonely hybrid began humming a pianist melody, attempting to soothe her troubled mind. The humming slowly turned into words, with the rain quietly drumming against the plexi glass aiding in her song. “ Oh no, I see. A spider web, it’s tangled up with me, and I lost my head. The thought of all the stupid things I said, oh no - what’s this? A spider web, and I’m caught in the middle.. Oh I turned to run, the thought of all the stupid things I’ve done… “ The blond coywolf began, her voice soft and melodic.

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#2
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This post is a whole lot of rambling. +618


There was not much reason for Vesper to visit the mansion. About the only occasion she could remember spending time in D’Neville was the night spent with Helotes, sleeping off the vodka they’d shared and making sure he didn’t turn into the monster he feared he’d become. The memory made her frown, but she shook her head and moved onward through the drizzling rain. Her purpose today didn’t involve fraternal exchanges of alcohol but a much subtler duty, checking on the greenhouse plants to sate her curiosity and the hunger of the ravens.

Stark had made it clear that she needed to work with the winged scouts as much as the ones with paws, and so Ves had spent a lot of her time in Hollow’s Ruins learning about them. She knew the names of those who had names, how to speak a few basic phrases in their croaking tongue, and their different quirks—including favorite foods. The omnivorous birds mostly ate what they could get at, but some preferred certain types of meat (such as Stark and his godforsaken squirrel obsession). A couple liked berries, which had her wanting to investigate the greenhouse in the first place. And, even if there were no treats for the ravens there, the Centurion supposed she might as well learn more about the different herbs used by the clan. The woman who had once spat upon the notion of adapting to luperci lifestyle found herself willing, and even eager, to increase her knowledge.

The greenhouse was around the corner of the stables, and the odor of horses made her nose twitch and her ears fall back. She was surprised to recognize the scents of Helotes’ mare and her offspring and to discover the scents were distinct from Myrika’s miniature herd. Apparently, she knew more than she thought.

Blinking rain from her eyes, the coyote headed toward the building at last, eager to escape the drizzle and get it over with so she could return to her cave with Stark. As she approached, the sound of singing reached her good ear, which she strained as she sidled a bit closer. Her mind flickered back to her mother’s croon as she lulled her daughters to sleep on stormy nights, and strange warmth spread through her chest and throat before she cast the emotion aside.

“Emmanuelle?” Vesper asked, recognizing the slim tawny shape of the woman through the rain-splattered plexi-glass. Or perhaps not as slim as she used to be; something about the other’s slender and agile build had changed, some muscle or fat gained as a result of the war and its aftermath. Her scent offered no clues; the aroma of lavender and honeysuckle, cannabis and catnip, was too heavy for her to detect the telltale change.

Guilt played at the edges of the subleader’s heart for a moment. The memory of first welcoming the girl into the clan rose unbidden, and she knew she had been distant from the young blonde. She wondered if that was what had prompted her change in rank, or if it had just been her dream to nurture plants and do other gentle tasks. Inferni was not for everyone, and Ves wondered if the clan’s image would finally change—allowing for the picture of a beautiful young woman watering flowers and singing a sad song.

“That was pretty,” the blue-eyed hybrid managed at last, realizing that she might have interrupted the other’s privacy and needing to make amends somehow. She failed at sounding wholly complimentary, however, and she smirked. “Gloomy as all hell, but pretty. What’s up?” She hadn’t been very good at consoling and advising her clan, but the times were changing, and so could she.


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#3
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(1021)

The scents of the plants were so strong that she did not smell Vesper entering the greenhouse, the pitter patter of rain blocking out the noise. She kept moving from trough to trough, watering the dry plants and singing. “ So I twist and turn.. Here I am in love in a bubble.. “ Came her soft words, finally trailing off as she sensed a pair of eyes on her back. Emma glanced back, not expecting to see another and was startled. A pair of cornflower blue eyes gazed at her, and once she was done clutching her heart she offered a small smile to her Centurion. Vesper spoke, pointing out the gloominess of the song and Emma’s smile disappeared as she looked at the floor. “ I suppose that is because it how I am feeling right now. “ She replied, her voice quiet. The hybrid almost forgot her compliment and nodded her head in thanks, knowing that was just the way Vesper spoke. “ Thank you. “


Suddenly she was afraid. Vesper hadn’t really let on that she knew about the pregnancy, and what if she was angry with the girl? The prospect of upsetting one of her leaders terrified the slight girl, but she knew she had to confess. Nothing could be truly hidden from those who deserved to know the truth, no matter how scared admitting what had happened scared her. “ Ves.. “ She began, looking away before turning to face her sub-leader fully. At first she held the watering can in front of her stomach but then let it fall to her side, held in one hand while she cradled her stomach. Though she was scared, already she was feeling the fierce protection of her unborn children. “ I am pregnant… “ Her words were forced and almost a whisper and as soon as she said them she seemed to shrink in on herself, making herself look smaller. Her ears laid flat against her sandy locks and she stared at the floor, not even daring to catch the gaze of Vesper.


It was moments like these where she could really sense the age of others around her and how young and naïve she was. It was sad really, if she had the foresight and maturity of some of those around her she would have made sure Angel had really wanted her before getting herself into a situation like this, but in the heat of the moment none of that had crossed her mind. She didn’t even really understand what heat was for, but now she knew. The woman could still feel his muzzle buried in her hair, his fingers caressing her cheek. Something welled up in her heart and almost made her choke, it was a good feeling but terrible all the same because she knew he didn’t return it. Emma had not a clue on what he wanted or what he thought of her, she just knew his reaction at the meeting had been bad and now she equated herself as bad. It was her fault, her mistake and now he didn’t want her, at least in her mind. Despite all of this and her setbacks, it would not reflect in the raising of her children and she would give everything she had to them, even if he would not. It had been the same with her parents, had it not? Though with this thought she was silently horrified, as her mother had gone crazy and ultimately chased all of her children away in the absence of her father.


Her eyes were still downcast in shame as she spoke again, moving them from the floor to the rain-splattered window pane. All she wanted was to be anywhere but here, and not the greenhouse. Inferni, in general. The trading trip she would take with Alma would help so much, surely Angel would see the light if she separated herself right? If it became too much of a problem she might have to leave Inferni, though she loved the clan almost as fiercely as she loved what was growing inside of her. As soon as the thought entered her mind it exited, there was no way she could leave Alma or any other clan sisters and brothers. Though she hadn’t seen much of her leaders she was determined to improve their relationship and prove herself worthy of higher ranks, even though she was pregnant. It was not a curse in so many ways as it was a blessing. A soft sigh exited her maw as her gaze hesitantly floated up to look Vesper in the eye, and it was then that she had the courage to say her next tidbit of information. “ Angel is the father, and I am pretty sure he doesn’t want them or me. “ She said, her muzzle turning into a tight frown as she withered again.


For the upteenth time that day she was flooded with hormonal emotions, sadness, hopelessness, anger. Each one left as quickly as it appeared and all were obvious on her face and she was left feeling exhausted, despite only speaking a few words to her Centurion. The one prominent emotion, sadness, stained all over her features and her body language. She had allowed herself to sob in the blueberry bushes of Bass River when Alma had happened upon her, but she refused to show that kind of weakness in front of Vesper. The scarred hybrid was in no way consoling and Emma highly doubted that she would be coddled and sympathized by her so she stood up straighter and tried to regain her composure, even though there was something very serious unfolding within Inferni. The only thing she had any real talent in was healing and it had shown with her helping Zana give birth to her children, all very beautiful and healthy.


It might have been different if she had someone to lean on and help her who had experience, but right now she was a single mother in the midst of the war clan. More then anything, Emmanuelle felt very much alone.

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#4
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+650


The blonde girl turned, startled by her approach, and then smiled. It was a fleeting thing, bright but quickly dying, and her admission of feeling gloomy was enough to wipe the smirk off the subleader’s face as well. The mangled skin of her missing ear twitched back in uncertainty, and she started to drop her blue eyes before reminding herself that it wasn’t what she should do. As much as she wanted to run away in situations like this, reminded of her sister and others, she knew she had to stand and face her comrades’ sorrows.

Once, Vesper might have taken the slender young woman in her arms and provided a much more tactile and intimate comfort. It was easier than sharing empty words. However, it was also extremely inappropriate in a multitude of ways, even before her current courtship was involved. And so all she could do was look at the Sepsarii helplessly, cursing the frosty emotional barrier that had fused to become a part of her soul.

And then, all of a sudden, Emmanuelle turned toward her and rested a paw on her belly—a universally recognizable sign. The shortened name and the tentative words made Ves frown, and then the words were out, Emma shrinking back and looking away.

Disbelief struck the coywolf immediately. I’m not the father! she thought almost desperately, and then the ridiculousness of her silent words overtook her confusion.

She shook her head quickly, her brows knitting together in a frown. The other’s confession was surely meant for someone besides the female Centurion. It was useful to know if one of the Infernians was carrying a future generation, but she had never expected for someone to blatantly report such a thing. She had no idea what was expected of her, what protocol to follow, what the hell she should even be thinking as the tawny woman gazed shamefully at the floor.

A number of concerns welled up in her, and Vesper managed a nod that the girl might be able to catch out of the corner of her eye. Obviously Emma was confiding in her because she trusted her, although she couldn’t help but think that Myrika was so much better at this; it was part of why she felt for the Aquila as she did. Just as Ves had the fighting ability and harshness Myri did not, the scholar possessed an innate gentleness and the grace to soothe the beast.

Mismatched eyes met light blue ones, and Emmanuelle admitted that the father was Ángel. It was a startling revelation, only because Vesper had missed any signs that would lead to that. It had to have been a one-night-stand of some sort, especially if Ángel apparently didn’t feel anything for the young mother or her litter.

“Oh, Emma.” The scarred coyote’s expression softened sadly. It was hard to believe, but Vesper was still quite young—not even three years old, only hardened by the life of a loner and the fights she’d seen. Emmanuelle was even younger than her, and being tossed into a war wouldn’t prepare her for the messy conflict of lust and love. Even Ves had been shaken by such feelings, betrayed by Juniper and Blind in a way, although the threat of pregnancy had been nonexistent with her partners. It was just another layer of complication that made her grateful for her own situation.

“What happened?” she prompted, and her voice uncertainly fell into a cadence of comfort. It was still tinged with awkwardness, but she could fake it until she made it, she guessed. She took a couple of uncertain steps closer and rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I don’t think I can force Ángel to do anything if he’s stubborn,” she said, trying to recall what she knew about the Catalan, “but the clan will take care of your pups. You will not be alone.”


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#5
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(1017) :B you can ignore the last two paragraphs.

Her gaze was steady with the cornflower blues of her superior and her ears perked slightly as she spoke, then pressed themselves against her head. Even she wasn’t sure why she was confiding in Vesper, she wouldn’t bore the mottled coyote with what she was feeling and why, it just felt good to get it out to someone who may be able to help her. She didn’t expect her to force Angel into helping her, she just needed confirmation that she would be okay in the end. The future was dark and cloudy, and for once the sun wasn’t visible to the usually bright coy wolf. It was a strange, uncertain feeling and it did not lend any feelings of comfort to the younger woman. This may have been a part of growing up, but she was largely unaware of what to do and how to do it. Any pointers would be appreciated, but maybe it would be easier to find Zana or someone else in the clan that had pups before. Idly she wondered if Kaena would be of any assistance, but Emma did not wish to bother or disturb the woman with matters such as these.


“ Uhm.. “ She began, uncertain on how Vesper would react to her foolish actions. “ Well, we’ve been together a few times. Just speaking and such, but he seemed to have some sort of interest in me, or so I thought.. I came into heat and I think that was what might have influenced a lot of it. It was my first one, so.. Well, I didn’t know what to expect. Nobody has explained any of that kind of stuff to me, I left my mother when I was quite young. “ Emma said, gaze softening. The inexperience was evident in her words and tone. Would Vesper understand the girls predicament? Alma had been angry, very angry when she had heard about how old Angel was and she was pretty sure Alma though he had taken advantage of her. Maybe he had, but Emma had been the leader in all of it.. Well most of it, and Angel hadn’t pushed her away and stopped her. Maybe Alma was right. The flaxen haired beauty sighed heavily, her heart a dead weight in her chest. If this was how things were supposed to work, well, she didn’t like it one bit.


“ I don’t have any family around. I consider Inferni to be my family, and I appreciate that.. I also hope you are right.. “ She breathed, trying to smile a little. “ However.. If it was alright with you, me and Alma were going to go away for a week or so. Just to visit some other packs and maybe trade a few of our belongings for things useful for the clan. Did you know that you can make the blueberries by bass river into dye? “ She tried to string some humor into the tone of her words but the laugh that followed just sounded hollow and the girl frowned again, tail twitching behind her. It was best that she left the mansion soon, her room to close to Angels. Maternal nesting instincts had already started to kick in and mentally she went over what she would need to do when she came back. All of her furs and things would need to be put into a small den, where she would be alone. If Angel would have no part in her litter, then she wouldn’t force it upon him. He wouldn’t even know where she was, not that she expected him to look.


Her own fur was still stained in a few small placed with the blueberry she had conjured up and she looked at her fingers absently as she waited on the others words, scratching at the dyed fur. The rain had hardened by this point, making loud drop noises as it hit the plexi glass of the greenhouse. If any of the plants inside had been outside, rain as hard as this might have damaged the more fragile ones. It was warm in here though, and whatever parts of her that had been dampened in the downpour that was outside were now dry, thankfully. It would not do well to get sick when she was carrying puppies. Emma wondered just what her offspring would look like, would the take after her or their father? She smiled to herself as she imagined small coyotes running around setting things on fire and bugging everyone with legs. Her bi-colored eyes flicked to Vespers as she considered how they would react to the scarred woman. It did not seem like her centurion was the puppy type, how would she feel with little pups hanging off her legs, begging her to teach them how to fight.


With or without Angel, Emma would be a good mother. She could only try, right? Alma definitely would, but if the rest of the clan helped out in their own little ways then she might be alright. Maybe they would even be able to play with Zana and Helotes pups when they were old enough to not get injured by playing rough, as she doubted that any offspring of those two would have anything in their veins besides fire. It was a nice thought, one that brought a little comfort to her. However, she was drawn out of her thoughts as the very potent scents of the greenhouse brought her back down to earth and she pulled the watering can closer to her. Most of the plants still remained dry and she needed to fill up the can, though that meant venturing out in the cold looking rain. This did not appeal to her and slowly her gaze drifted out to the plants, checking which ones were ready to be harvested and dried. Inferni’s stock was slowly getting smaller and it was up to the medic of the clan to keep them in check. Maybe when her and Alma went trading they would bring back new plant varieties to add to the greenhouse.

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#6
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IGNORED. /jk And my posts get normal-sized again. xD +383


The story that Emmanuelle spun drew pity from the mottled coywolf, but it was not a kind sort of pity. She was far-enough removed from the usual pitfalls of crushes and unrequited love to frown upon it. Perhaps if Emma had fallen for another woman, she might have been more sympathetic, as per her bias. What do you think the point of heat is, sweetheart? Vesper wondered, regarding the other’s striped face through half-lidded eyes. She didn’t speak the thought aloud, though, just kept her half-frowning silence. It was cruel enough as it is not to offer empty words of encouragement and reassurance to the newly-pregnant girl, but Ves didn’t like to lie to people unnecessarily, and she didn’t want something like this to happen again.

Her expression became a little bit more open when Emma said she considered Inferni her family. “You’ll be taken care of,” she reasserted. She knew that, even if most of the clan didn’t spare the young woman a second look, there would be softer coyotes to lend her aid. Emma had to have friends here, and Kaena at least had the experience in motherhood to give her advice on that if not thoughtless comfort.

“Sounds messy,” Vesper answered, her gaze dropping to the blueberry stains on the other’s fur. “But that sounds okay, if you’ll be careful and safe. Especially because you have more lives than your own to take care of now.” She was reminded of Alma’s encounter with the blonde dog woman, and there were plenty of other dangers in the wilderness. She knew that most of Inferni could handle it by this point, though; the war had strengthened and prepared them for that sort of danger if nothing else.

The slender coywolf’s movement with the watering can drew Vesper’s attention back to the plants and her purpose here. She came to stand beside the other, mindful of her belly even if Emma wasn’t really showing and wouldn’t be destroyed with an accidental bump, and scrutinized the plants with a frown. “What is this one for?” she asked, her fingers lightly brushing the dark leaves of one such plant. Her eyes lifted to the flowerpots hanging from the pipe, close to but shielded from the downpour. “Know of anything a raven might like to eat?”


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