[ORP] Firestorm Manor

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Rosalie
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Rosalie »

"Noted," Rosalie answered in response to the comment about the well-fed horses. She certainly did not want to step in horse dung. That would be a horrible way to start her visit. "I think I shall skip the walk," she decided aloud. "Thank you, Iris. I'm sure I'll see you soon." And then she was gone.

A second later, the young woman stepped through the shadows into the stables. Here the air was heavy with the smell of hay mixed with manure and the odor of live beasts. Rosalie's nose pinched up slightly but she made no outward comment as she glanced down to make sure she didn't step in anything particularly foul.
"Hello?" She called out in the hopes of attracting her attention. "Nikola?" She took several more steps down the line of stalls until she saw the blonde hair of Nikola standing next to a man she didn't recall meeting on her previous visits. "Nikola!" She smiled brightly and took a few steps nearer the Countess. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion. I saw Iris at the door but sensed you were out here."
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Nikola
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Nikola »

Nikola felt a presence before she heard the voice, her lips curving into a bright smile as she recognized it. “Rosalie!” she exclaimed and rose to greet the daughter of her best friend. Rosalie had become a friend in her own right as well and she approached the younger woman arms outstretched to embrace her, but she never made contact, her eyes falling to the basket in which something living was moving. “What’s this?” she asked, surprised, and peered closer, her eyes widening as she gasped. “Rosalie!” she breathed as she turned to look into Rosalie’s eyes. “Are these yours?” she asked, hesitantly. She had not known the girl was pregnant, only that she had been off traveling on her own. Nor had she heard of her return, but she was obviously back and with not one, but two babes in a basket!

She itched to pick up one of the babes and reached toward them, glancing up at Rosalie.
“May I?” she asked before she dared to touch one of them.
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Rosalie
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Rosalie »

A mild look of surprise crossed Rosalie's face as Nikola quickly abandoned the incoming hug, but the look just as quickly faded as she saw what had captured the woman's attention instead. She gently pulled on the blanket covering the teeny babes so that Nikki could get a better look.

The dark-haired woman looked down at the matching tufts of brown hair on the twins. Much like her, their hair was such a dark shade of brown that many would call it black. It was only in sunlight that the brownish hue became prominent.
"Aye, they are mine," she answered Nikola's question.

She imagined Nikki probably still thought of her as a girl, much like many others. It probably hadn't occurred to her before this moment that Rosalie might be partaking in activities that could result in pregnancy and babies. Not to mention she had hidden herself away for the entirety of her pregnancy. It was not entirely intentional, but she had begun her journey around the continent and during her travels she found herself with child. She just didn't return home straight away, instead continuing her exploration until she found herself needing to come home. Rosalie was independent, but not so independent that she would attempt to give birth without any guidance or help.

The new mother then watched as her friend reached for the infant closest to her.
"You may," she said with a nod of her head, "That is Silas, and beside him is his sister Liliana."
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Nikola
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Nikola »

With Rosalie’s permission granted, Nikola reached down and tenderly lifted the nearest babe into her arms. “Hello, Silas,” she greeted him with a warm smile, cradling him in her arms and touching his tiny face with her finger. He was so soft, his skin so smooth, and she felt a maternal stirring inside her that she quickly shoved back down. His little mouth opened as his eyes tried to focus on her face and she gently caressed his lower lip. “He’s so beautiful, Rosalie!” she exclaimed, keeping her voice calm, and soothing so as not to alarm the little one. She looked down at Liliana and smiled brightly. “She’s just as beautiful, of course,” she grinned at Rosalie then turned back to the babe in her arms whose tiny hand had grabbed onto her finger and guided it awkwardly to his mouth to suckle. She chuckled and let him suckle. “He has quite the strong grip for one so young,” she commented, referring to his suckling as well as how firmly he held her finger. “He’ll be a strong one for sure,” she predicted and then turned at a cry from Ben.

”It’s starting to crack!” he exclaimed and she hesitated, not sure whether Rosalie would want to subject the babes to the hatching. Quickly she explained. “Ben has been incubating a hippogriff egg and turns out it is viable. It’s starting to hatch now! Want to come see?” She was still holding little Silas in her arms, but waited for Rosalie’s response before daring to rush back to the stall to witness the little hatchling’s first foray into the wide world.
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Rosalie
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Rosalie »

Nikola looked like she was liable to swoon at the sight of the little babies. "Thank you," she smiled as her friend’s eyes remained trained on her infant. Rosalie supposed she could take credit for their appearance, her own features were mimicked in miniature on their tiny faces.

When another voice proclaimed something was cracking, Rosalie turned in that direction curiously. She was about to ask what was cracking when Nikola beat her to the punch. A hippogriff, how intriguing.
"Absolutely," she said in answer to the question of whether she wanted to see the hatching. She turned and began to walk in the direction of the man’s voice without waiting for a further invitation. She'd never seen a hippogriff in person so this was an opportunity she wasn't going to miss.
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Nikola
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Re: [ORP] Firestorm Manor

Post by Nikola »

When Rosalie headed toward the stall still carrying the basket containing Liliana, Nikola strode behind her, Silas in her arms. She knew that the first creature the little hatchling would bond with would be the person it saw first. She knew how much time and attention Ben had spent on nursing the egg to this point, and as soon as she saw the excitement on his face, she knew what she had to do. He had arranged the straw so that the egg has a little space to roll around without being in any danger. She could feel the anticipation rolling off him in waves and she knew her decision was the right one, even if she felt a little disappointed. It mattered little, though. She had so much, and he deserved something special. She knelt beside Ben, Silas still in her arms and sat the child up, showing him the little egg. "See that, Silas?" she asked the babe who just looked at her, his head lolling to one side. She supported his head a little better and looked down at the egg whose shell was definitely cracking. She could see a tiny beak pecking away from inside the shell as the egg wobbled this way and that. As it rolled toward Ben, Nikola smiled, watching the excitement on Ben's face before a movement brought her gaze back to the egg. Toward the bottom of the shell, a nearly straight line across the shell appeared and she could see wet, dark feathers within the egg as the little hatchling moved around. After what seemed hours, but was probably only a few minutes, the little hatching's head plopped out of the egg and rested on the straw as it got used to breathing and moving around. Little bird legs followed the head and then the feathers transformed into fur as two hooves came next and at last it was free of the egg, feathers and fur wet from its time inside the egg, tail looking a little scraggly. The small creature wobbled around before it manage to get up on its legs. The front pair of legs looked to be the same length as the rear set, but instead of hooves, the front were bird legs with talons that reminded Nikola of an eagle.

Silas' little arms waved around excitedly and he cooed as he watched the tiny creature stumble for several steps before falling in front of Ben. The young man looked up at Nikola, his eyes wide but Nikola just smiled.
"I think he's chosen his parent," she told him. "You made this possible. It's only right. Maybe you can get one of the other eggs to hatch and we can raise them together. Go on, Ben. Feed him what he needs," she encouraged and turned her eyes back to the little hatchling as Ben opened the pouch at his waist and took out several rabbits' feet and placed them around the little hatching. The first one was in easy reach, but the others he carefully placed so that the little creature would need to get back on his legs to move around in order to get to them.
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