The Baby Comes Out of this End (Evalynn)

[Maya Frostfawn]

Timestamp: Summer 14, 523 AV Another day another disguise... or was it another day another miza? Maya could never quite remember how the old sayings went, but in any case, she needed yet another disguise if she wanted to head out into the streets with any semblance of safety shrouding her shoulders. The problem was that she had already depleted a few of the limited uses her disguise kit had to offer and she was low on funds... in fact, they were practically non-existent, if not entirely non-existent, (she daren't check her purse). So, today was yet another day for a budget disguise... with dirt! It was easy enough to gather a jar of dirt! Er... cover a table in dirt! The stuff was practically everywhere! So, she quickly headed outside of her little flat and gathered some dirt, set it on the table, and made a few more trips to gather some more. When she felt as though she had enough to work with, she decided that she would craft a rather simple disguise, yet again, that would make her appear as though she were a miner, or someone who had just got off a day of hard labor. The latter portion of the disguise--of having worked all day, should work fairly well with the limitations of her nuit body, since those who had worked all day were typically lethargic and weak and moved differently than when they were more vibrant and full of energy. And she was well... always weak, but never lethargic. She couldn't even remember the last time she had slept. It had been years, at the very least. Maya pulled her mind back in from its wandering. She needed to concentrate; she needed a disguise. The first order of business was to take care of any skin that would be exposed by her attire--mainly her wrists and hands. This was the easiest part of the disguise to put together, in her opinion. She simply gathered a clump of dry earth from the table, and rubbed it all over her wrists and into her hands. The majority of the dry grains simply tumbled onto the floor, adding to the pile that she hadn't bothered to clean from her previous disguise attempts. After a few moments, both her hands and wrists were coated in dirt. It looked like it had been smeared into her skin, so she took another clump in her left hand, and began needling it into fingers and palm with the fingers of her right hand, trying to make the coat a little less even and more natural looking. When she was finished, even more dirt had tumbled onto the floor, and a few little marks from her nails could be seen on the skin if she looked closely enough. She smudged them over a little with the flat of her finger, wiping even more dirt away, but she felt it looked a touch better this way. When she was satisfied with her wrists and hands, she pulled her hood a little higher over her head, and then grabbed more dirt to apply to her face. She rubbed it into her cheeks, chin, forehead, and then rubbed it around her face as though she were moisturizing her dry nuit skin with it. Although she seriously doubt it would help, Maya walked over to the dirt and grime-crusted window to see if she could make out her reflection; this would allow her to help refine the earlier stages of her disguise. Unfortunately, as she had suspected, the window was so darned grimy, that she couldn't really make anything out. So, she simply returned to her table and her familiar chair, and rubbed a little more dirt into her skin for good measure. Then, she pressed the three middle fingers of each of her hands together, and gently dabbed them into her skin over in over, moving them around her face, before delicately brushing over the flesh she had just dabbed, knocking even more dirt off her skin. When she was done, she dabbed a little more dirt into her skin for good measure, and hoped everything looked natural enough for her to pass as a tired, worn-out human should her hood fall. It was time for her to head out into the world and maintain the promise she had made the day prior to Evalynn; they were going to discuss pregnancy again so the younger woman would be ready when her baby came. After grabbing her bag, Maya made her way out and into the latest of summer's warm days.

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Summer 14, 523 AV Evalynn was in quite a large amount of uncomfortable pain as the day was rolling by. At first, she woke up and it was just a nagging cramp, nothing that she had not experienced over the last week or so. But as she had been doing house chores, the pains got more uncomfortable. Sweeping the patio off, a sharp cramp that made her drop the broom. Bending over to pick up washed clothing to hang also caused a sharp pain followed by an uncomfortable pressure. These repeated occurrences was causing her to sweat buckets and occasionally lose her breath, but she needed to get house chores done. So she decided to just stay inside the house and remove her shirt, as it was clinging to her way too much. Eva worked like this for another bell or so before it grew into a gnawing pain in bursts. It would slowly get longer and come quicker, hindering Eva into doing nothing else but groan and sit on the couch. She panted heavily and tried to relax the best she could, but it eventually turned into her just being curled into a ball on the couch and feeling scared. What was she supposed to do? Was the baby okay? Was this what labor is supposed to feel like? WC: 216

[Maya Frostfawn]

No matter how it crept past the shadows, no matter how long it dared kiss her skin, it never warmed what had grown a sickly white with each passing day she had spent in this new body. This one had been stripped of all its organs before she stepped inside, but even had they remained, its inner workings would have produced no sound. There would have been no heartbeat. So now, all that marked her passing was the beating of her footsteps against the earth, the shuffling of her steps as they scraped both stone and dirt against one another. As she gradually made her way toward Eva's abode, the sun climbed higher in the sky, and the sound of distant skirmishes grew louder. Dying screams until they were snuffed out as bodies were looted. Maya scurried past these sounds until she finally arrived on Eva's doorstep where she rapped steadily upon the door. "Eva?" she called. "May I come in?" she inquired, only to hear some groaning emanating from within. That doesn't sound good, Maya thought to herself as she tried the knob and found the door unlocked, a strange occurence for Sunberth, even if you were home. Had she been alive, a sense of dread might have overcome her, and her heart rate might have quickened, but she was no longer alive and little could surprise her or illicit an emotional response now that she straddled both the world of the living and the realm of the dead. "Your door was unlocked," Maya called. "I'm going to come in," she commented, before making her way inside, her eyes drawn to the sound of the pregnant Vantha groaning on the couch. Maya quickly shut the door behind her, locked it for good measure before approaching the pregnant woman as her eyes took the time to quickly drink her in and access the current situation. Eva looked terrible and as though she were in a great deal of pain. She was drenched in sweat, an unpleasant scent that tickled Maya's nostrils. It looked like her skin might have paled a tad as well, and as though she were struggling to sit comfortably as well as what most would consider normally; she was curled up into a tight ball. "You seem unwell," Maya commented, ever so helpfully, stating the obvious. "What is ailing you?" she asked, as she tried to fluff a few of the pillows on the woman's couch in the hope that she could later use them to make herself more comfortable than she was currently. "Has the baby been kicking you a lot or is it something else?" she inquired, her cold hands working as quickly as they could. Her voice suggesting a sense of warmth her body no longer possessed and hadn't for quite some time. Word Count: 470

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

“Nah, Maya, I’m…I'm so perfectly well.” Eva groaned in pain as she tried sarcasm with Maya. She didn’t expect her to understand it and fire sarcasm back, but she didn’t know how to react to her questions. “Nothing ailing me, just the feeling of…something…trying to rip me open.” She tried to move with Maya as she was fluffing pillows, but she just clutched her stomach before her hand reached out and grasped Maya’s sleeve. “I-I think its time. I am…getting the urge to push something out…” She winced as something warm and wet suddenly pooled around her lower body. Her eyes widened and the colors started, making it impossible to figure out what her natural eye color was. She had no medical knowledge whatsoever, however, she knew something wasn't right when the contractions started. Now, she had fluid around her legs and intensifying cramping, all of this make her speculate that the baby was coming. WC: 155

[Maya Frostfawn]

"I can't imagine that's very comfortable," Maya commented, her voice level and devoid of emotion as she finished fluffing the pillows and turned to her patient's hand, which was clutching her sleeve as though for dear life. It was pale, and seemed damper than it should. A moment, and she had set her gaze on her patient's face. It was clear from the Vantha's expression that she was in pain, but the sweat that beaded her brow was also an indication of her deep sense of discomfort. Maya said nothing further as the woman's eyes changed color and she was transported hundreds upon hundreds of miles away to the one place she had truly called home. The one place that bred a people with eyes like those, eyes she had not seen in years. Had she still been alive, she might have cried, clutched the woman to her chest. But instead, she felt nothing. No sense of surprise, no stirring in what humans often referred to as the heart. Only a series of emotions passing through the woman's eyes as they shifted from one color to the next, like hers had once done. Her mother's. Her father's. His were always warmest. A moment, and she was drawn out of memory as something wet hit the floor, and she finally noticed the fluid that had gathered around Eva's lower body and begun to spill onto the floor at their feet. The water was clear as the fresh water that flowed through a bubbling brook. There wasn't a touch of red to indicate blood, or straw or even yellow, which hinted at nothing being amiss. As Maya's eyes danced over the scene, she realized that she had no idea how much fluid had spilled, but it seemed excessive to her. She also realized that she could smell nothing more than the dirt that clung to her dress and shoes, the scent of sweat, and every other bodily odor that drifted off her pained patient. She looked around the scene, grabbed a chair to prop her patient's feet up. "It looks like the time is finally upon us," Maya commented as she nudged Eva's legs to either side of the chair's seat, spreading her legs a little. "We'll have to lift your skirts to deliver this baby," she commented, as she reached to help the woman do so before grabbing a towel to wipe some of the fluid and returning to the chair. She wasn't prepared for this. She had never delivered a baby before, but had seen many baby animals birthed in her hold before. Although, that was hardly the same thing, she hoped there was some crossover that could help guide her now, even if her memory was a bit hazy. A moment and she had raised Eva's right leg and taken a seat, set the leg back down beside her. "This is going to hurt," Maya instructed. "If you want, I could get you a rag to bite down for the pain, before we begin." A pause to allow for a response. "But we'll get through this together, especially if you take the time to breath. I know it hurts and you probably feel like you're being ripped apart from the inside right now, but if you slow your breathing a little, it should help. Think of the things that make you happy... the smell of flowers, your favorite food, how nice it will be to finally hold your child when this is all over." A small smile crossed her lips. "We're going to move into position now. I'm going to put some of these pillows beneath you," she said before doing as so, one after another, "then we're just going to bring your knees up toward your chest," she said, as she helped guide the woman's limbs into the place she intended them to go. "And finally, we're going to stretch the rest of you out a bit, so you're more comfortable. We'll replace the pillows if we have to right after you're finished moving." She began to slide her chair out, shifting the woman's body alongside her own, until Eva was entirely or almost entirely on her back, her legs were pushed into her chest, and her cold hands were still firmly gripping her knees. "And now comes the hard work. We will do it together, push together. When you contract, I will push against you with all the strength I can muster, until we manage to get this baby out of you," she explained. She hoped that was right. A part of her felt like she was missing something, but she hadn't a clue, really. "Hopefully, this will all be over soon," she said, as she rubbed the woman's knees in a weak attempt at comforting her. "Now, push," she instructed, silently hoping that they both had the strength they needed to get through this together. Word Count: 819

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Eva listened to the woman talk and give instructions as many thoughts raced through her head. Will she be okay? What about her baby? She was scared, where was Moritz? Wati, was Maya going to be able to deliver this baby? She had just met her not long ago and they were just having a jolly conversation over snacks a week ago or so. From the look on the womans emotionless face, Eva once again made the assumption that Maya was just as clueless as Eva. However, she also trusted the Nuit to be able to pull her through or so help her, she was going to make her pay. She painfully chuckled at the thought as her body moved around so that Maya could work. “I'd prefer to just scream than bite something…but I also don't want to wake anymore dead from their sleep…” Eva winced in pain and heaved a strained breath as she looked at Maya, questioning if she should she do it? Should she just blindly toss out a bone? With as much of a friendly smile that she could muster, Eva did just that. “I already have one undead helping, waking the whole graveyard would be too much.” She had just winked when another contraction came and she whined. Her legs being up only intensified the feeling of pushing, and even without Maya’s instruction, she was already trying to push. She was holding back screams until Maya could return with something for her to bite on, and when she did she put it in her mouth and just let out a scream of pain so shrill that it would have broken glass if it wasn't muffled. When the Nuit woman moved into position and mentioned how bad it was going to hurt, she resisted the urge to just glare at her and instead leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. For once, the cold touch of the other woman felt nice on her hot skin and Eva closed her eyes to focus on that one stark contrast and drown out the rest. When she was told to push, she sucked in a deep breath and pushed hard. At first, she felt nothing and everything seemed sort of calm, like time had frozen on itself. Then a ringing came to her ears followed by searing pain and what she swore was the sound of something wet tearing apart. She screamed at that point before biting down and crying through the push. She turned a deep shade of red as she was holding her breath in order to push, and she knew it was doing something. Between her legs she felt a few pops give way before everything came sliding out and the pressure nearly disappeared before a sudden fainting spell tried washing over her. It was the result of her holding her breath to push, and therefore she felt extremely dizzy. Her eyes fluttered and her head bobbed before she flopped back onto the pillow. Down below she was bleeding, not a lot, but it was slightly more than the normal amount. WC: 518

[Maya Frostfawn]

"Luckily for you, they're dead and cannot wake," Maya commented. "And most in Sunberth would hardly find your screams amiss." Give how commonplace they are in a city such as this. Maya didn't wink back. Didn't act as though anything was amiss. For she had no heart to skip a beat, no breath to hitch, catch in her throat. No spit to choke on. Nothing. She was far more dead than alive and that had its merits. "I'm not sure what you mean," she commented as she watched the pregnant Vantha place the elderly towel she had retrieved for her before truly settling into her mouth. She could hear how it was struggling to muffle the pain as everything began, as she pushed against the feeble woman with her skinny, trembling arms, as she pushed back against her. And then, the pressure against her arms receded and she stopped shaking from the effort, for it was over and there was suddenly a crying baby in her arms. Its wails filling the air; the unpleasant metallic scent of blood that coated parts of its skin and that of its mother tickling her nostrils. "You have a baby girl," Maya commented as she realized she hadn't thought to grab something to cut the cord or wipe the baby down with earlier. Thus, she carefully set the baby in her mother's arms a moment, promising she'd be right back as she went around the apartment to find these things before returning. When she had, Maya awkwardly snipped the cord, tied it off, and then wiped the baby down before taking it back so she could swaddle the baby, rather sloppily, in the tiny blanket she had found. "She seems healthy, considering how much she's crying," Maya commented as she handed the baby back to its mother. The nuit silently wondered if the baby was hungry and if the Vantha felt comfortable feeding her newborn in front of her. "Have you picked out a name?" she asked. "And is there anything else you need me to do for you? Or would you prefer I leave you two to rest?" she inquired, as she took a moment to help wipe the blood that had spilled from the Vantha away from her skin and the surrounding area, before replacing her skirts so she'd be more comfortable. "I can help you sit up if you'd like. I imagine you'd be more comfortable that way, but I will not speak for you." She smiled softly as she watched mother and child together for the first time. Bonding as the baby's cries began to die down. Maya couldn't help but think the child had her mother's nose, and chubby little cheeks, which seemed to come from neither of its parents. Word Count: 462 Words

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

It took a few moments, but Eva got over her dizzy spell and lifted her head to look at her baby girl. She was crying up a storm and it made her smile as she brought the baby in close, resting it on her now exposed chest to see if it would latch. After a bit of frantic searching from the baby, it quickly found her nipple and latched on strong. Eva smiled and looked up at Maya, realizing that her mentioning the undead didn't bother her. She was thankful it didn’t, she wouldn't know what to do if the doctor got scared while she was vulnerable. “I would like to sit up, it didn’t register to me that I was still laying down.” Eva chuckled, as she had already latched the baby to feed, and used Maya’s help to carefully sit up. “As for the babe and name, we haven't picked a name yet. We were discussing names, and narrowed it down, but have not settled yet.” She leaned her head to the side and stroked the baby's head, smiling softly. “And as for being tired, I am very exhausted, but the baby needs to be fed and washed and clothed. So much to do, aha.” Eva weakly chuckled. All she wanted was to nap after handing the baby, but she knew she needed to stay up a bit longer. She sighed heavily and leaned back when the baby finished feeding, its eyes closed and a soft snore coming from it. Eva rubbed its head as she realized it was trying to sleep and looked at Maya. “I think I am just going to nap. I'll have Moritz help with the baby if you're too busy.” Her mind was too fuzzy to think and her body was so close to shutting down. And was she hungry? Thirty? She didn't know, she just wanted to sleep. WC: 316

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya smiled, gently. The warmth that it should have given off did not reach her eyes. "Do not worry, you both have all the time in the world to pick out a name." She paused as she studied the little girl who was busy taking its first drink from its mother's breast. And for a moment, she wondered if she had ever been that small, and what it felt like to give birth to a child. For she could never do that now, never have that experience. Make that memory or any others as she watched the child grow into a fine, young adult. It was something that should have stirred a sense of sadness within her, but she felt nothing. Only the curiosity that came with wondering the answer to a question. "That is the curse of the young mother, I'm afraid," the nuit commented absently, "at least their bodies are small, leaving little to wash, and at this age, they too lack the strength to truly fight you when you attempt to clothe them." A pause. "She should grow rapidly though, and become harder to care for for awhile, but it'll subside and you should get used to motherhood in time." When Eva made a comment about wanting to nap, Maya nodded in understanding. "That's a good idea. I imagine you're tired after such an experience. Do you want me to settle the baby into its crib before I leave?' she asked. "Or would you like to do that yourself?" she asked. "And remember to settle her onto her back when she goes to sleep, I've heard it's unsafe to allow an infant to sleep in any other position." A pause. "And be sure to keep her warm, especially at this time of year." Another pause as she considered what to say and do next. "I hope I'm not causing you undue stress by mentioning these things; I'm sure you'll do enough fretting on your own and prove to be a wonderful mother." She smiled, would wait to see if the Vantha needed anything before heading on her way. She had an endless stretch of hours ahead of her that she needed to fill, and many things she wished to do before she had to return to work at the Clinic as the good doctor's assistant. Word Count: 388 Words