I think I love you, baby

Almost forgot Cupid is pregnant lmao

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 He was tired.

 As the man traversed the plains, he could feel squirming in his stomach. It felt so weird, but he was certain he knew why...

 Satan.
 The very man he had a one-night-stand with.

 Venus may of forgotten to mention a special something, but now that his belly-fur was thinning and he was so fucking hungry and was complaining all the time, it seemed too late.
 Perhaps he'd just call for the albino sometime. Wouldn't that be fun?

 Luckily, though, the sun had set a few moments prior, and now the cool afternoon air refreshed him. If the man could just... get through this mesa.. and hopefully find some food... He'd be alright.
 Right..? He hoped his pups would be safe, though you could never be certain...

 Hopefully Satan didn't have any blood-thirsty ex-wives or anything.

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 The doe's afternoons comprised few things, since she like to do everything early in the morning, as soon as the sun broke over the distant sand dunes. So instead of doing any gathering or scouting around, she decided to go for a walk. One that had no destination nor goal. Her long legs stride through the vast land that remained undiscovered to her. Her gait was soft, yet not without faltering. Every once in and awhile, she'd get caught up in the tangle of legs that she was, most of her made up of the long limbs. She'd trip or stumble, glance around to make sure no one had seen her, and continue on. 

 Elenora had joined Greenwood almost immediately after her encounter with Célnes. Greenwood felt more natural to her. There was something about it... about her. Kore lit her world up with images of unexplained magic and intrigue. Every part of Nora hummed when she was around the vixen queen. It also meant that the doe had explored little of the world around, as much as she tried to get away. Azure eyes scanned the distances uncovered. They caught on a massive gap in the ground and resulted in her gentle voice echoing across the cannon — which she had not expected, "My goodness!" Surely, she hadn't meant to be so loud. But she'd seen nothing like this in her life! Most of her life she'd been surrounded by trees that tried their hardest to reach the top of the sky, clustered close together like a family at a reunion. 

 Nora hadn't even noticed the other individual not far off. The only thing alerted her to another life form was the scent that wafted towards her. With a few gentle sniffs in the air, her eyes followed her nose and landed on the other. The scent was a mixture, very much like hers. It was... intriguing. Was this someone else that.. was like her? A moment of nostalgia takes over, even if seemingly, this memory wasn't long ago. Tuffs of silver fur making up the wolf that deemed themself a god in a former life, and was experiencing the same thing as her, trapped in a different body. The stranger's scent also told her, that not only was there something different about their sex, but hormones as well. Were they... pregnant? With Harper's swollen belly fresh in her mind, she wondered. 

 "Are you alright?" Elenora called, seeing a tenseness in the other's body that couldn't be anything good. And if anything, Nora was a helper. She'd learned a little of herbs every day, and maybe could help with whatever the other was experiencing. 

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Elenora is so pretty i must say <3

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 A voice, a call seemingly from the heavens above, asking if he was alright. 
 Star-struck for a few moments, Cupid looked up, eyes shining with hope, but.. nope, just a man, and his face fell flat as he continued walking. No wolf could be of help to him, no, not at all. “I'm fine.”

 No, he wasn't 'fine', but Venus was in too much of a shitty mood to have any help. He'd keep pushing through, surely, though he felt his knees begin to buckle and his mouth begin to dry.
 Need... water... The cave-man part of his brain began to beg, eyes drooping tiredly. Maybe he could accept some help..
 Just a little bit, of course.

 He paused again, sage-green gaze returning to the doe-like man. “Okay, fine, please help me.”
 It was a struggle to get the word out, as if they were thorns, but eventually they came.

 And, as the words came, his shaking knees collapsed, and Cupid fell to the ground, trying to keep himself upwards on his stomach. Fuck, one of those little leeches better not have brain-damage or something..!
 Venus's eyes went wide. What if that killed one of them? The man turned his gaze towards the stranger, a pleading glint in his eye before giving a small bark. “Come!” And, a whispered-murmur; “Please, quickly...”

 He cared for these little squirming creatures, of course.

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 Here, in this place, the sun seemed to beat down harder on them. It could have just been the summer, but it seemed to have fewer places to hide than where she was from. But nonetheless, it was warmer today. When Elenora's voice rung out, echoing through the boundless valleys below, she could see a light flicker in the stranger's eyes, almost like someone saved them, but it was quickly wiped away, almost as if they had seen her and threw the notion that she could help. The doe's tail fell down behind her, letting the tip of it tickle her ankles. Even if the stranger has insisted that they were fine, they didn't look it. "Oh.. Uhm.." What did she do now? Did she turn and leave, knowing that something might happen? It wasn't like she could follow them... 

 Before she could settle on what she was going to do, the stranger called out again. It was weak, their tone as if they were about to fall to their knees. Elenora scrambled towards a slanted path that would lead her down to them. As soon as her paws hit the slope, the other collapsed to the ground. She sprung into action, not even realizing she could move this fast without tumbling over herself. "I'm coming!" Her voice was urgent, it cracks, showing how simple it was to falter in a moment of urgency. But not in the heat of this moment does she care that she might not sound as feminine as it usually did. 

 In moments, she kneeled beside Cupid's side. "I'm here, I'm here..." she tried soothing the other, assuring them that they were not alone and she would not leave. The next thing she immediately does is look into the other's eyes, noting the way they sunk in against their skin. Then glanced over their body. The skin seemed to stretch over their bones, even with a pregnant belly. "How long has it been since you've had water? Or rested?" She asked, debating in the back of her mind if she should call Greer to help her bring the stranger back to Greenwood so they could be taken care of and not left victim to the sun. 

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thank you SO MUCH HHH. cupid is also gorgeous and such a lovely character to read!!
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<3

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 There the fawn was, right beside him, leaning over the man. Their eyes met, and Cupid blinked slowly. Exhausted, tired, thirsty… Help me, his eyes begged.

 How long has it been since you’ve had water? Or rested? “Too long,” The man chuckled weakly. “Not since… the Oasis? In the desert? I… I can’t remember, really… I’ve been walking for so long, it all just..” Venus sighed for a single moment, breathless. “…Blurs together.”
 He attempted to hoist himself up, pushing his paws against the ground to properly sit up. God, his stomach. The man huffed, gaze flicking towards his belly. It was so swollen, eerily so compared to his skinny face and body. Gazing back at the doe, he nodded slowly.

 “Venus,” The man hummed, too out-of-it to realise he’d just revealed his birth name to a stranger, oops. “Or Cupid.” He blinked for a few moments, eyes widening. Venus. Nope, now he’d realised. Cupid shook his head for a second. “Sorry, no, don’t call me Venus-” Apologetically, he added; “-Sorry, I’m too tired to really… think.”

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 The heat didn't seem to let up, even in the shadows of the mesa's valleys. Elenora leaned close, blocking the sun out of the stranger's face, her eyes narrowing in on them, searching for any more clues that could help her. Since the desert? Elenora's maw pointed upwards, squinting against the sun, knowing that there was a desert not far off, but she had never been. Who knew how far the Oasis was? "Oh goodness, okay. We need to get you some water, dear." A sense of panic ran through the doe. Where was she going to find water? Then, thankfully, she remembered that the Lapis Nestle wasn't so far — and that meant that there had to be a river nearby. 

 She could feel the stranger struggle against the ground, trying to shift upwards. Immediately, Elenora moved closer and shook her head. "No, please. Don't move." She didn't know how much energy the poor thing had in them. Lest they be exerting it now. 'Venus.' They tried to introduce themself before quickly correcting themself, 'or Cupid.' The woman's face twisted for a second and then fell in complete understanding when they rushed to explain. "It's okay, Cupid, I won't call you that. You don't have to explain to me... I'm Elenora. I'm a training medic of Greenwood." She introduced herself, stepping half way over them awkwardly to shield them from the light while also letting her to gaze over their body, especially the swollen belly. Whoever they were, they were close to giving birth. It wouldn't be long. 

 Stress filled the doe's posture, tensing somewhat as her mind whirled for a solution. She could call upon @Kore perhaps. But maybe she was too far to hear the call. The lack of friends in her circle became very apparent. She needed more allies. But it was nothing she could do right now. She had to help herself. And Cupid. "Listen, Cupid. Can you walk? Lean against me? If not, I have to run and get you water. Can you stay here and wait for me?" She provides either option, with her paws shifting against the ground in a nervous manner. She has to get them water, and it had to be soon. 

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Apologies for the late reply :,/

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 "Oh goodness, okay. We need to get you some water, dear," Cupid nodded. He'd like some water right now, and the thought of drinking something made his mouth feel horribly dry... Quickly, he was lowered back to the ground by the doe – who'd then introduced themselves as Elenora, a training medic of.. Greenwood?

 The man nodded lazily, there wasn't much else he could do, and he didn't know what Greenwood was, so what else could he say? "Listen, Cupid. Can you walk? Lean against me? If not, I have to run and get you water. Can you stay here and wait for me?" His ears perked. “I – I can walk,” He mustered, trying to get up once more if she'd allow.

 The doe's paws shifted across the ground wearily, and Cupid felt his stomach turn. He shook his head for a second, screwing his eyes shut, before he looked over to Lapis Nestle. Funny, since that was the place where he'd... met... Satan. The man almost chuckled, except, it wasn't really that funny.

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 Elenora did not leave their side. Even as they unfurled his legs and stood up, wavering ever so slightly, she stayed. When they found their bearings, the woman found herself pressing her shoulder into theirs. "Don't be afraid to lean on me." She murmured to the other as she attempted a few steps with them side by side. 

 As they moved, she kept her eyes on the cliffs and keeping track of where they were going. But the silence would make the time go by slower, so she found herself asking, "Do you have any names yet?" 

 The birds overhead seemed to be scarce. Usually, they would fly over in droves, but the heat kept them at bay in their nests. The woman worked her way through the Mesa at a slow pace. Of course, the slower they went, the more dehydrated the other would get. But Nora would carry them if she had to — or do something drastic. Run as fast as she could for water. But right now, she didn't have to worry about that. She had to worry about getting them out of here alive. 

 

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don't worry abt it <3 i took awhile too!
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 Standing without speed nor agility, Cupid teetered, as if it'd only take one, small gust of wind to push him over the edge; to wither him away. But, the angel's voice sounded again, a call from up above to continue. Wait, nope, just Elenora again; "Don't be afraid to lean on me." The man nodded, taking a few steps so he could lean on the doe. She was actually quite taller than him, now that the man thought about it.

 Slowly, they begun, making their way through the mesa and towards wherever some water would be. Cupid would've thought it'd be faster to turn around and go back to the oasis, but he hadn't realised that going back would take more time; Ever the dumbass, he is. "Do you have any names yet?" Elenora said, breaking the silence as they took their jolly good time. “I . . . I don't know?” He was tired; unable to think without water. “Any suggestions?” An exasperated chuckle left his maw.

 “I am . . . So thirsty,” Venus whined, rightfully so. He was either a prick, nice enough, or complaining, and being pregnant made each behaviour come on randomly, and far too fast for the mans liking. “Are we close?” God when would these babies just get out already? The man felt useless being so heavily pregnant.

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 The main thing Elenora had to keep in mind was the constant conversation. It'd make their little trip go by faster. Cupid asked if she had any names, and she thought about it. Even though there was never a chance of her physically having kids, she always wanted them. To raise a generation out of love rather than forced obligation like her parents. Names flowed through her mind. "Hmmm, I love names that are from nature... Aurora, Briar, Sage..." With each name, her heart clenched, glancing down to Cupid's swollen belly and wondering how many he'd have, and hoping with every molecule in her that they'd be loved. 

 Cupid's voice made her anxious, not knowing how much longer they could walk without him passing out. And just as that notion passed through her mind, she could smell it in the air. How the surrounding woods greeted her like an old friend, which meant that the river was not far. "Yes... We are almost there... Cupid, stay here." She says, stopping by a tree so he had something to lean on, then taking off at the speed of lightning — or as fast as she could go without falling and tumbling down in such a serious situation. 

 Within a few minutes, the doe returned with her maw full, holding onto something round. As she got closer, it became clear it was a gourd, with still some of the fleshy inners floating in the water. But nonetheless, it was something. The best she could do on such short notice. Her maw was covered with the same goop, sitting the water down in front of him. "Drink, drink. I can fetch as much as you need." She urged the man. 

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So sorry for the delay!

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 "Hmmm, I love names that are from nature... Aurora, Briar, Sage..." Cupid smiled weakly, eyes squinting against the harsh sun as they walked. Giving nothing but a curt nod, it was clear that the man was growing weaker, but continued, nonetheless.

 His heart almost stopped as the doe said that they were almost there, thank goodness, but then— She took off after propping the man against a tree. What? He gazed around wildly; she wouldn’t just… leave him here, would she?

 But then Elenora was back, a weird… thing… in her mouth, though he could see the water that splashed around inside it, and he quickly hobbled over to the best of his ability, immediately taking gulps. He didn’t care if it tasted weird or had gross, pulpy innards inside of it, Cupid was just thankful for the water.

 Tilting his head upwards to see the angel in question, the man almost faltered. “Thank you, Elenora,” He breathed, before going back to drinking. A few mountains in the distance had caught his gaze while he drank… perhaps they’d have some ‘dens’ for him, or something…

 “Do you have any more of these?” He asked. “I’m going to need them when I continue on… I won’t be able to stay in the plains forever, unfortunately…” He really did want to stay with the doe, but it seemed unlikely that he’d… well.. be able to survive here.

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 Elenora settled herself beside the other whilst they drank, wiping her maw off with her paw. "Of course, Cupid." The doe murmured back, catching her breath from her long run. Then they asked if she had anymore and she glanced back towards where she'd gotten the water. "I think I saw a few more we could fill with water..." she trailed off before looking back at Cupid. "Why can't you stay here? Where are you heading if you don't mind me asking?" It was merely a curious question. She wouldn't try to get them to stay. Obviously they had other plans, but she wanted to know if they'd be safe wherever they were going. 

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gonna wrap this up soon! It's really far back-dated lol

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 Ah, good, the calf had seen a few more, thank goodness... "Why can't you stay here? Where are you heading if you don't mind me asking?" Cupid nodded. “Not at all,” He clicked his tongue a few times..

 “I'm just... worried about what sorts of predators could be out here, y'know? Too close to the desert for my liking... I'm worried that if I were to give birth out here, I'd either die of blood loss, or their father would find us and take them away from me... and either way, I wouldn''t be able to survive.” A joke in bad taste, though he was partly serious.

 Hopefully he could find some sort of protection in the mountains. “Even if a pack took me in while I'm in the plains, their father is... a violent man. King of Warcrest, he said. I wouldn't want to drag down a group of people for something that they didn't even do.”

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 As they explained their concerns, Elenora's face twisted from sadness to a mild amount of horror for them. It reminded her of her own past, running from it and wanting to be safe. She couldn't completely understand the situation they were in, but knew that they would be better off as far away as Cupid could get. "I see.." Her voice was hushed as she surveyed around them, making sure they hadn't been followed. She then reached a paw out and touched Cupid's, after she was sure it was just the two of them. "If you ever need a home or a friend.. just remember, Greenwood. We aren't far from here..." She murmured, her eyes sparkling with hope that they would be okay -- and reassurance that they had an ally in the plains. 

 She sorted herself, taking a deep breath and trying not to let the past wash upon her emotions now, even though her heart ached for the other. She had to get them out of here. "Come, let's fill some more of the gourds up so you and your pups can be safe." The medic ushered, offering a paw if they needed help to get up. Afterwards, they'd move along together. Elenora readied herself to send them off to a safe haven, remembering the name Warcrest.

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we can go ahead and end it here! <3
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 "I see.. "If you ever need a home or a friend.. just remember, Greenwood. We aren't far from here... Come, let's fill some more of the gourds up so you and your pups can be safe." Cupid smiled at how easily Elenora seemed to understand, and with an effortful huff, the man stood, shaking out his pelt uncomfortably. His skin felt itchy and hot. Fuck, being pregnant sucked.

 “Yeah, let's... uh, let's do that,” Cupid followed after Elenora, weary and heavy, as if a thousand suns rested on his shoulders. Almost as heavy, though, were the lives of the three pups that turned and writhed in his stomach. He'd go anywhere to keep them safe, and hopefully ward away the albino man...

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fade!

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