M - Love's ugly, smooth and delicate.

WARNING: This thread contains material exceeding the general board rating of PG-13. It may contain very strong language, drug usage, graphic violence, or graphic sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.

but not without affection

Word Count → 600+ :: OOC Thackery Village, Maelyx's home/shop, around noon. EDIT: Added M tag for Avi's foul mouth.

Things were getting harder now and any possible doubt about her condition had fled her mind days ago. She knew the timing, she recognized why she needed to do what she did that night, and she knew it was the work of both primal forces and the divine. There were pups inside her belly, she knew it by the tightness in her belly, the very slight swelling low in what was once a very lean and muscular midsection, and in the way the heat that had barely begun seemed to end right after her night with Lux instead of drawing on for several tiresome days.

The witch stood in the middle of her home and makeshift store in Thackery Village, naked save for the sandy fur that covered her frame, covering the secrets of her sex, and staring at her image in a mostly-whole body length mirror. Her breasts were already getting larger, swelling in preparation to feed any number of pups, that mysterious number she would only know after all this time was done. A hand dropped to her lower abdomen, feeling the tiny lump there, probably not noticeable to anybody but herself yet.

She had to consider the father and his state… his state of mind and his state of soul. Could any of the evils that troubled him have found their way into her pups through their father's blood? Would they be possessed, sick in the mind and haunted by demons and if they were, was she powerful enough to heal their spirits? She had mated with the dark giant while bathed in moonlight, the light of the full moon even, under the watchful eyes of the Goddess, and it was her duty as a witch to trust the Goddess and the power she entrusted in her to believe these pups would be okay. Yet, it was against her religion to believe the Gods simply took care of everything for them, as some religions believed. She was here upon her own volition and free will, and whatever happened with the puppies, it would be up to her to take care of. Not the gods alone.

Maelyx sighed and her strong stance wavered, slumped a little bit. It was time to decide what to do about this pregnancy before it was too late to choose. Gliding over to her dresser, she pulled out one of her more plain dresses and slipped it over her head quickly. Aside from her enlarged chest, not much else of her plight showed under the simple white dress. Then she went to another chest and proffered a bowl full of sand, coal chips, a bag of herbal incense, and another empty, dark clay bowl. She set all of these items in the center of the room, and pushed any remaining furniture out of the way. The coals were set in the bowl of sand and lit, and when they were warm enough she sprinkled the incense on top and soon the room was filled with a sweet herbal scent, and tendrils of rising smoke. She lit a candle, then poured water into the other bowl, then sat on her heels on the floor.

Holding the bowl of water in her hands and breathing deep the scent of the incense, she soon entered a trance like state, gazing into the water and waiting for the images to take shape....

First, there was the monster… the inky blackness of his fur and the terrifying mien he possessed, and the glow of one yellow eye. He was imposing, threatening, teeth bared. But beneath that, the witch could see the simple, troubled soul within. She looked at upon that soul with calmness, and the vision of the monster became that of just a wolf, calm and placid as the waters she gazed into...

Avinalora

"The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell"

Optime | Day | June | Maelyx’s home How tf did i post dis on mobile

Word Count: 439

A figure walked through the Thackary. She was a tiny thing, small for even a jackal. She had long legs for her stature and she would have seemed to be a runner, if only. She was also scrawny and skinny. She had long ears that stood tall on her head. She also had a long bushy tail that almost touched the ground if she held it straight down. It was held in a peculiar fashion: it started out being held somewhat erect, though at a point it dipped down limply.

Her fur was a canvas of a bright silver hue, making her look like a piece of snow in the spring. The hue was unnatural for the normally tawny and black jackal that she looked to be. She did bear the typical jackal saddle that was a more silvery grey hue with black hairs scattered through it. Her tail had a white tip to it. She had a single greeen eye.

She wore a lot of clothes despite it being spring. A grey and white raglan was worn under a black leather jacket. She also wore a pair of jeans. Two necklaces graced her neck. The first was a wooden pendant that was carved into the shape of a crescent moon. The other was another crescent moon, but carved out of copper. An arrow and a small gem graced it. Four scars scratched down an empty eye socket.

Avinalora was in a good mood, it seemed. There wasn't her typical bitch face gracing her face today. And there was an almost invisible spring in her step. She was happy, happier than normal. Karma wasn't missing it's target and Fate wasn't being a dick. The vixen didn't need as many double doses of her medicine, though she did keep it aroubd.

The fox lady walked towards Maelyx's home. She was just visiting the woman, though she wouldn't mind if any other options were given. She might talk to the woman about another trip, maybe hunting or herb gathering. The winter wraith hummed as she padded towards the Tuyul's door.

As soon as she walked in the door, shit went sideways as the ghostly jackal scented the air. The Nocturne lady's smell was different, and she recognized it, though she'd never smelled it on the woman. The scent of pregnancy. The fox-tailed female followed the alien aroma to its source, finding the witch.

The exotic enchantress was wearing a white dress. The moon-washed medic couldn't see a bump, though she did notice that her bust seemed fuller. Nothing could escape the Empusa’s nose.

”Maelyx?” The monochrome fox asked. ”Who's the father?”

Image | Background | Table by Andi

but not without affection

Word Count → 300+

An ear flicked at the sounds suddenly coming at her which so jarringly tore her from her meditative state. The feeling was more than unpleasant as the visions she was in the midst of reading were suddenly and violently ripped from her sight and her astral form was towed back into her physical body. As if that wasn’t unpleasant enough, the sudden sense in the physical world and stimuli of her senses made her jerk with a violent start. Her head jerked and even though the vision she saw before her was that of her dearest friend, Avi, the silvery jackal-healer, she still couldn’t help but give her a glare, the iciness of her gaze went deeper than just the shade of her blue eyes this time.

Then again, that could be a result of the very hormones that tipped her friend’s experienced nose off, too.

She turned away from Avinalora, not out of shame or any intent other than simply trying to get her bearings and to wait for the unpleasant reaction to surprise to subside. The witch’s eyes closed, and it almost seemed as though she was starting to ignore Avi, simply write her off, but that wasn’t her intent. Instead, she simply breathed in the incense, and set her scrying bowl on the floor in front of her.

Lux, the single, simple syllable finally rolled off her tongue, and when she turned her gaze back to her Snow Princess her gaze held none of the irritation it had the first time. He doesn’t know it yet. I needed to be sure, first.

Her eyes on Avi were cool, calm. And why shouldn’t they be? She had done nothing wrong. Even though she didn’t expect Avi to take this particularly well, she still knew she had done nothing wrong.

She stood, and instead of gliding over to Avinalora like she would do most days, she moved away from her, but whether this was a conscious act or just mere coincidence would remain to be seen. Rifling through one of her several crates, she took out a vial of water – rose water to be precise – and dabbed it onto her fingers and then to her throat and wrists.

Avinalora

"The fear of falling apart"

Optime | Day | June | Maelyx’s home OOC here

Word Count: 292

Avinalora seemed to have interrupted some sort of ritual, noticing how Maelyx had been over a bowl. She didn't know really anything about witchery or magic, and had some doubts about it. But, she did believe in gods. The woman looked a bit pissed, though the vixen didn't hold that against her. She'd be pretty mad if someone disturbed her while she was reading or something.

The Nocturne lady turned away from the winter wraith. Was she going to puke or something? Was it shame? She didn't understand it, having barely an idea of the arts the witch dabbled in. A concerned look graced her face, forgetting about the pregnancy and instead worried about her friend. "Are you okay?" The desert doctor asked, trying to look for something that the jackal could throw up in if morning sickness was already happening.

And then the jackal witch named the father. Lux. If it had been someone else, maybe another pack-mate, a loner, or someone from another pack, the ghostly jackal would have been fine. There was the nagging feeling inside of her. Those doubts she had about keeping the relationship at a friendship level and moving up. But, Lux was the father. That was his third strike against the pale pixie.

"Lux!?" The silver waif exclaimed, though not very loudly or screaming. The blue-eyed woman said that she need ed to be sure, first. The jackal mutt took that as there was another person that the Tuyul slept with that could have been the father. Jealousy did start to take hold, but she'd rather have any other person than the not-so-friendly giant of Anathema be the father. "Oh please tell me there was another alternative to that monster." The monochrome fox said exasperatedly.

Image | Background | Table by Andi

but not without affection

Word Count → 200+

Maelyx nodded when her friend asked if she was alright, and placed the rosewater back in the chest where it had come from. She turned and faced Avinalora now, but what she saw and what her friend did next perplexed her. Maelyx took a few steps towards Avi now, her dress swishing airily at her feet.

Avi, what, she asked in surprise, though the shock was not at the thought of Avi suggesting she had taken more than one lover. It was simply why she would be indicating that, seemingly strongly hoping for that to be true. The chance of Maelyx taking more lovers was definitely a possibility that could have happened, it was probably only by chance that it didn’t.

What is wrong? it was funny, because she thought the bigger problem for Avi would be that she was pregnant at all. Well, she was taking this quite well. Maybe she wouldn’t be jealous and angry, after all. Good, she shouldn’t be. They were friends to one another, not mates.

If only life were really so black and white.

Working through her puzzlement, she collected herself. No, Avi. Just Lux. Then she crossed her arms, realizing what the healer had called him. Monster. Well, she didn’t know what had transpired between the two of them, but she did know that… And where do you get off calling Lux a monster? It’s talk like that that his demons feed on. There is still a soul inside that body.

OOC Here

Word Count → 220

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Avinalora didn't actually figure what she was implicating until Maelyx's reaction. She didn't know if she had just offended the woman or it was just surprise. She desperately hoped for the latter. There was a bit of jealousy in the jackal mutt's mind, though she'd probably deal with it later. And then the witch asked what was wrong. The vixen remembered the Tree-Wolf she'd known before. The sarcastic exchanges, the clinic, the herbal remedies. And then the BFG of Anathema changed to something else. Lux wasn't good news, that was all she knew.

And then the exotic enchantress defended the monster, saying that he had demons. The ghostly jackal didn't believe in that. But, it would account for a lot of the shit he pulled. "Well demons totally explain him attacking Evangeline, scaring the shit out of Mystery, and the little confrontation between him and I." The fox-tailed female said with a sarcastic drawl. he didn't talk as loudly, hoping to keep some of that as blackmail material.

"He and I were on good terms, but he changed for the worse." The moon-washed medic said and then thought. The man was dangerous and he could strike out at any time. "What if he hurts you or the kids?!" The monochrome fox exclaimed, her voice a bit more worried that pissed.

but not without affection

Word Count → 200+

Maelyx tilted her head back, raising her brows and looking down at Avi for a moment before taking a few long strides and stepping up in front of her. The witch raised one creamy tan hand to her friend’s left cheek. They explain whatever is going on with Lux about as much as they do with your friend who did this to you. Yet you still protect that friend by not telling me who they are. All I know is it was somebody here. Was this, with the gentlest of touches, her fingers lightly brushed the scars beneath Avi’s eye. Lux’s doing?

She cocked her head, eyes locking with Avi’s for a moment before she let her hand drop. Maelyx took a step back and crossed her arms. Now she almost scowled. You sound like you think I planned this. Like I purposefully waltzed on up to him and decided to quicken with his pups and not give a damn if he hurts them.

Who did that? She pointed at Avi’s face again. Are you going to tell me? Because what if they are a danger to the pups? What if you are?

She turned her back on Avi and walked back over to the spot where she had been sitting when the healer entered the home. I don’t need somebody coming in here and spatting at me every thought that I’m well experienced enough to come up with on my own! Just leave if that is all you’re going to do right now. Get out and leave me in peace. She waved a dismissive hand in Avi’s direction, then picked up the bowl again and stared into the water, though she knew there was no possible way she could enter into meditation again. Not after this.

Avinalora

"The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell"

Optime | Day | June | Maelyx’s home This video helped me write the last paragraph Borrowed some of Blaine's proposal and Klaine's wedding vows from Glee

Word Count: 503

The atmosphere in the room changed as Maelyx came over and pointed out the scars on Avinalora's face was from someone that she protected, yet called Lux a monster. Nyx wasn't a monster, she had been through a lot and at the time, she was grief-stricken and scared. It was the vixen's actions that got her these scars, not her friend. And then the witch suggested that the man that the jackal was mad at did it.

"No, or I'd probably have half of my face ripped off." The winter wraith replied, her arms crossing over her chest. "And I'd probably bring it up already if it did happen." She added. She was an opportunistic fighter, with both claws and words. If the man had attacked her, she would already throw it into the argument. But, the desert doctor was the only one to blame.

And then the Nocturne lady's stance changed as she crossed her arms and scowled, saying that the ghostly jackal implied she decided this without any concern for her pups. But, the woman didn't know the deeds that the wolf-dog had done. She didn't know he was dangerous. "You didn't know him; people hide their demons." The fox-tailed female said.

And then the jackal witch demanded to know who dealt the blow that left the scars on the fox lady's face, saying that they would be a danger to the pups. "The person who did this is a mother, she lost a pup, and was attacked." She replied, still not naming the attacker. It was a small town and there was no telling the Tuyul knew the snowy sub-leader.

And then the foreign female implied that the pale pixie was a danger to the pups. That made her ears flick lower. She was still pissed, but she was a bit afraid. "No, I would never!" The silver she-jackal said, her voice almost pleading. She was afraid for many reasons she couldn't explain. All she knew was that she was afraid.

And then the exotic enchantress told the moon-washed medic to leave. And then all the anger in her body disappeared as the woman turned away from her. Her ears went down and her tail hung limp. Someone was abandoning her, again. But, she had never fought to keep them there. She tried to accept their wishes, though this time she just couldn't. The blue-eyed jackal changed her life, and herself. The green-eyed jackal didn't know how to make her stay, but at least she could say something more meaningful than goodbye.

"Maelyx, you changed my life, made me a better person, and pulled me from a downward spiral. And it took me some time to recognize that I am in love with you; My heart knew something that my mind didn't know yet, that I love you. I never thought I'd never find real love, but I found you." The monochrome fox confessed, looking into the woman's eyes. She at least wanted the woman to know how she felt. And then her head hung low as she started to turn away.

Image | Background | Table by Andi

but not without affection

Word Count → 400+

Her ears merely flicked each time Avinalora answered one of her questions, like she wasn't really listening to the answers. And mostly, she wasn't. She heard the words but they did nothing to change the fact of what was going on; Maelyx was with child and Avinalora – her closest friend – was attacking her over it. Surprisingly, Avina's first concern was not that Maelyx had slept with another, but it was the choice of whom she had taken into her bed that upset her so. Or was that just a ruse?

Still. Maelyx was pregnant, and her best friend in all the world, her first friend she made after fleeing her home in Africa, was angry with her and verbally attacking her. Whether or not that was truly Avi's intent, that was what Maelyx felt. So she kept her eyes trained on the water bowl, but her head tilted when the woman's voice seemed to calm and become more serious.

By the time Maelyx lifted her icy gaze, the medic's back was to her as she began to retreat, just as she was told. But there was no chance in hell the witch was letting her go now.

There was a clattering sound as the scrying bowl dropped unceremoniously from her hands, spilling onto the floor and splashing the incense embers. A sizzling hiss broke the silence, and so did the sound of Maelyx leaping to her feet and crossing the room over to Avi.

She practically threw herself in front of the Herbalist, throwing her arms out wide to block the doorway and staring down into her pale visage with eyes that burned, despite their cool color.

Avi, she started to say, then stopped. The time was measured with the pounding of her heart, and then finally she broke the overwhelming stillness in the room.

Taking one step so she was so close to Avi that they touched at hip, stomach, and breast, she touched her under the chin to tilt her face upward, then took her in a long and passionate kiss. Her arms slipped around her small friend, one hand entwining fingers in the woman's hair as the other held her upper back. She barely stopped to breathe when she slipped her hands to Avi's cheeks, holding her head in her hands gently and kissing her again, still with as much vigor and passion though for a briefer time.

I have been waiting to hear those words since the day I met you in the walnut orchard, she said, though it was not much of a confession because she had made her feelings clear long ago. I would never do anything to hurt you, and I would never do anything to push you into a relationship that you're not ready for. So, I need to know... Is it true? Is everything you just said true, or are they just the idle words carried by the fear of rejection?

Avinalora

"I knew from the start, I found a home for my heart"

Optime | Day | June | Maelyx’s home -*Thousand Years continues to play*

Word Count: 257

Avinalora almost jumped three feet in the air when she heard something clatter. She thought it was Maelyx abandoning her. The sizzling made her ears prick, but they were still low as she slumped. The vixen barely heard the footsteps and was shocked by the sudden movement in front of her face, the tall shape of the woman blocking the door. The desert doctor stared up at the woman for a second, unsure of what to do.

And then the Anatheman witch pulled the ghostly jackal's face up, and then they kissed. The woman's hand ghosted around her body and the Empusa kissed back which as much passion as she could. She was much smaller though, but she managed to cup her hand around the woman's cheek. The kiss was briefer than usual, though that meant twice the passion. The winter wraith pulled away just as the blue-eyed jackal did.

A small smile graced the pale pixie's face as the exotic enchantress said that she'd been waiting for those words since they first met. She never knew things would get this far, though the Tuyul did. She then said that she didn't want to push the fox-tailed female into a relationship, though now with pups and her feelings finally out, she wanted something more. The moon-washed medic wanted something permanent.

"You aren't." The monochrome fox said with a smile. "I want something a bit more permanent." She added, "Maelyx Nocturne, would you do me the honor of becoming my mate?" She asked, holding the Nocturne lady's hand.

Image | Background | Table by Andi