Lead me through Thorns and I’ll come out Victorious

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Having been eagerly awaiting the return of her beloved father for some time, Rea was overjoyed to spot his distinct patchwork pelt from her vantage point that overlooked the lowlands. The girl abandoned her guardian's watch post and, with her tail swinging excitedly, she scrambled to her paws to make her way swiftly down the mountainside, eager to meet him half-way. Less than graceful in her movements, Rea stumbled here and there. On the fourth trip, when she slumped dangerously close to a cliff edge, she figured it'd be in her best interest to pay better attention to her footing.

When at last the High King was closer and within her sights, the young Boesch yipped cheerfully as she veered toward him. She invited herself into his personal space, her chin and elbows raw from rough tumbling, but she was not aware of the most recent little wounds she'd collected. “Hi!” Rea chirped as she reached to butt her crown to her daddy's throat, then squirmed against his chest to pepper his nearest cheek with enthusiastic kisses; she'd missed him! “Where've ya been? What'd you find?” At the corner of a seaglass eye, she became aware of another, so she arched her neck to get a better look, “who's this?”


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She was curious thing, eyes bright on the stranger as they roved over her unfamiliar physique. Almost immediately did she notice the rounding of her flanks that reminded her of her own mother's only recently. Her tufted ears pricked and she blinked toward the stranger's face, confusion clear on own features to hear her announce herself as... "best man"? Rea twitched her nose and smoothed a whisker with her tongue, gawking a little longer before glancing up at her father once more to seek his guidance.

Wasn't it impossible for boys to have babies? Her experience with gravid wolves was lacking, having only her mother's pregnancy to think on, but hadn't someone told her that only girls could carry cubs?

The High King continued, announcing that Cupid had, in fact, travelled a long way to rear his young. Rea was rendered unusually quiet by her uncertainty on the matter and she glanced between the duo, before settling with wordless suspicion on the guest her daddy had returned home with.


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I am so behind on threads so sorry for the long wait

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 The little puppy was left silence, it seemed, after he'd said best man. Huh? Oh, right. Yes, Cupid had almost forgotten that he looked like a woman, oops.
 Should probably remember that next time he decided to have babies.

 “Right, yeah, probably should o' said that at the start, sorry,” Oopsies.
 “Yeah, I'm a man. Intersex,” The last part of his sentence was quickly rushed, a slight side-glance sent towards Rea. It wasn't a very common thing, so he wasn't sure how Hiero would react.

 Venus didn't need to be asked questions about it daily, either, so he only murmured the word in front of – partially introduced by the King himself – Rea.

 "Cupid has come a long way to find a safe place to raise his young," Cupid was surprised at how quickly Hiero had caught on, and he blinked the king a look of gratitude before turning back to Rea. “It was really nothing.” He smiled.
 It's not like he couldn't, though. He'd feel much safer out of the desert, away from @Satan. He didn't really seem like a 'I'll help you raise these little demons' sorta guy.

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She didn't understand, and looked to the High King for guidance, but he didn't seem to know the answers to her unspoken questions. Rea blinked, struck dumb - as though everything she'd ever learned through her whole life was a great big lie. She wasn't stupid: male and female produced puppies. Male wolves didn't have the equipment to whelp a litter, so... what the heck?

Intersex, apparently, was the answer, and her father noted that perhaps they could all learn something from this newcomer when they were better settled. The mottled youth shifted her soft green eyes then and arched a brow, letting her gaze linger (probably a little rudely) on Cupid's swollen flanks and obviously feminine frame. She was tempted to ask what, exactly, it was that made her (him!) "intersex", but strongly suspected that her father wouldn't appreciate such an intrusive question.

“Dad,” she leaned in closer to the High King, lifting her muzzle to poke her snout toward his ear so she could ask in a hushed tone to keep their newest acquaintance from hearing, “does Mother know?” Because she wasn't so sure that Queen @Ira would approve of a stranger giving birth on her mountain without her permission.


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 "Perhaps when you're well rested, you can teach us a bit about what that means,"

 Well, that was a first.

 No one had ever expressed curiosity towards something Cupid had learn to just... not bring up. The man his eyes widen for a moment, astonished, until he quickly blinked the surprise away and continued the journey. It was.. a difficult climb, to say the least, but the man continued through gritted teeth and a will to have his babies safely.
 “Don't worry about it,” He murmured as he climbed, lifting himself higher with each word. “I've gone through worse, trust me.” Memories of being chased out of homes, being deemed as 'cursed' and 'improper', Venus felt himself shiver. "We are traditional, but not cruel," Hiero stated.

 The man laughed; “You'd be the first, then.” It was a grim truth, and he turned his gaze to Rea, who seemed to be staring at his swollen stomach. “Odd, I know,” Then, she whispered to her father.

 Cupid shifted his weight uncomfortably as he climbed. It felt like everyone was looking at him...

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Things were awkward for Cupid, clearly, but Rea failed to acknowledge that. She blinked up at her father as he dismissed her concerns with a very patronising pat on the head, which brought a frown to the patchwork youngster's muzzle. The High King probably missed The Look she gave him as he glanced ahead at their company, then began to lead the way to whatever destination he'd chosen to deposit Vanderfell's newest resident. She pursued, taking up the rear to maintain pace and get a better chance to suspiciously eyeball the newcomer from behind.

He offered a brief explanation as to how he planned to deal with things, but the mottled youth maintained her silence as she trailed along at her father's flank. Hieronymous was a gentle soul for the most part, laid-back and accepting of difference. Ira, on the other paw, was significantly sharper and set in her ways.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. 


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 He'd continued onwards, trying to ignore the High King and his daughter and he flicked his tail absentmindedly. It was awkward, yeah, but at least someone was offering him a home, whether he'd have to work for it or not.
 Sending a small gaze towards Hiero and Rea, his ears perked as they spoke to one another, trying to listen in; "It's rude to whisper in the company of others, Rea,"

 Cupid batted his lashes, closing his eyes for a second before looking back at the path ahead of them. "Your mother and I are equal partners and leaders, I will speak with her myself after Cupid gets comfortable." The man almost smiled a Hiero's words, but he quickly continued, reaching a plateau where he assumed he'd be resting.

 Then, he turned back to the king once more, dipping his head. “Thank you,” Cupid begun. “For letting me stay and welcoming with hospitality. It..” A pause– don'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcry– “It really means a lot to me. Thank you, again.”

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I'd be happy to fade here :)

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