[B] First times (Below Your Broken Wings x Sun-Cursed)

[HuniPi]

Below Your Broken Wings was nervous and excited. She'd consulted with her mother and father about what to do now that she was expecting and they both assured her that if she sought for the MotherFather's blessing, she would receive it.

They weren't any more specific than that, which left Wings rather lost. She supposed it was because seeking a stag or mare for a blessing was deeply personal, which was even worse for the kimeti doe. She wasn't exactly all too certain of herself and in herself but she had to move past that. For her future children. Her search would last all day and well past sunset, eventually reaching a cluster of mangroves. Perhaps she ought to rest a bit here.

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed had finally reached full-waking that evening when she felt... the pull. It wasn't the Ache or any strange, inexplicable sense of foreboding. Whatever this was, it was anxious yes but there was an underlying sense of hope to it. After reassuring Ember that she would return before the morning, Sun-Cursed shifted into her sugar glider form, granting her easier travel through the branches of the mangroves.

She leaped from one branch to another, letting the call guide her to where she was needed. It wasn't long before she spotted the kimeti doe resting among the roots of the mangrove. The tug was coming from her! Her tiny halo brightened even more in delight as she started to glide towards her.

[HuniPi]

Wings was taking this time to catch her breath and consider her options and choices when she spied a tiny glowing sphere heading her way. She thought it was at first a cluster of fireflies, or perhaps a will-o-wisp but as it got closer, she realized it was a sugar glider with a halo above its head. This gave her pause. She heard how some familiars had glowing marks though these cases were very rare. She didn't want to lose this chance to see one of them for herself. She stayed still so as not to spook it away.

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed was nervous and excited as she glided closer and closer. This would be her first blessing and she hoped she could make good on delivering what this mother-to-be needed of her. Still in her smaller form, she landed atop a mangrove root nearby despite being small enough and light enough to land on the doe. She gingerly clambered along the length of wood to get a better vantage point of the kimeti and waited expectantly for the request.

But instead, to the mare's confusion, the kimeti doe remained stock-still and held her tongue.

This, this was how it went, didn't it? Maybe she needed to be closer? Or perhaps it wasn't obvious that she was a mare? Yes, that might be the more likely case. She hopped forward and smoothly shifted back into her kin-form, and greeted "Good evening."

[HuniPi]

Wings kept her stillness, thinking sugar gliders were skittish and nervous little things. She was very glad that it didn't seem to notice her presence, because rather than glide off into the treetops it actually approached her. The doe tried to keep herself from smiling but the frozen expression on her face was naturally occurring when what landed in front of Wings was not the little gliding mammal but... a Mare?

She stared at the acha for what felt like an eternity, barely registering how things seemed unusually bright for the evening, before finally finding her voice long enough to ask "Did the MotherFather send you?"

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed was starting to feel nervous about the silence and how gob-smacked the doe was. The tugging was not something she normally felt and there was just that certainty she had come to the right kin. Did that mean the doe wasn't even aware of her condition? Or was it more that the kimeti had never encountered a mare or stag before? She was considering being more direct about her presence (at this point in her life, mind-games, dancing around subjects, or beating around the bush left too sour a taste in her mouth) but thankfully the doe finally asked her something.

The mare smiled, her halo glowing brighter in its intensity, and nodded "Yes, in a way. You called for their Blessing. I heard you and am here for you." She tried to be cheerful and hopeful and excited, though she couldn't help but think the way she phrased things made it seem more ominous than it was.

[HuniPi]

Hearing the word Blessing, Below Your Broken Wings felt her heart beat faster in delight. She hadn't known how to find a Legendary or what one was supposed to do. Her mother (as much as she loved the kiokote) often spoke in too figurative a manner than Wings would like when she asked for advice but she was grateful that the mare seemed to know what was needed.

With a nod, Wings continued "Thank you. I-it's my first, well, everything! Blessing, clutch, encounter with a mare, everything. I'm. I'm nervous and don't know what to do or ask or say..." she was rambling. And upon realizing this, she closed her mouth.

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed let the doe speak as much as she needed until the silence returned. There was no judgment in her gaze as she listened and considered how she was going to proceed. She hadn't gotten a blessing for her clutch with Wayward and she knew with absolute certainty he wouldn't have sought out for one. Ember, however, did and she recalled how calmer and more confident he was after his encounter. The anxiety and nervousness never truly left him (she still blamed herself for causing so much of it) but it was less intense since then.

She could sense this doe had far more questions and fears left unspoken, and while she couldn't read any further into the doe's thoughts, Sun-Cursed would do her best to offer calm. "Fear and worry are normal feelings. It is impossible to be fully rid of them and it is no failing on your part just because you feel that way." She gently said, "First times are always the scariest but they can also lead to the most wonderful of experiences. Your children will be safe and loved. They will be able to learn at their own pace and experience things with the knowledge that they are cared for. And they will have the freedom to be who they are."

[HuniPi]

Below Your Broken Wings let the mare's words wash over her. Normally she would feel silly or embarrassed for the things she felt, though she never truly voiced her concerns to others, but this time she was comforted. It wasn't that she was given permission but the validation, that reassurance was something she didn't realize she wanted and yearned for all this time. "Th-thank you. I, I'm sorry I didn't bring an offering or anything of the sort. How do I repay you for your blessing?"

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed shook her head, smiling warmly as her halo brightened just the tiniest bit more. "Payment is not necessary. Just keep yourself safe and healthy. Have a good rest of your evening." She turned and leaped back towards the den she shared with Ember, shifting mid-jump into a sugar glider to scamper back on the wind.