Reflection, Gossip, and Liquor

"Alright. If you really want to tell me, you can. I won't force you. But food...Food sounds really good."

Smiling at her once more, he looked down at the menu. "I'm gonna assume Makalov's a damn good cook. If that's the case..It's making this really tough to decide. What would you recommend?"

"You'd be right. He was legendary back home, even if legendary meant "loved by the 50 or so people in yown." If I had to pick one, I'd probably-"

"I'd personally recommend the Ribeye myself. We just got the meat fresh today so it's the best it'll ever be."

June jumped a little as she noticed Makalov leaning against a chair with a sheepish grin on his face, completely unaware of his existence beforehand.

I don't know how and when that man got so crafty

She gave him a coy look before saying"...straight from the horses mouth, I suppose. That actually sounds amazing, I think I'll have that as well."

"2 Ribeye's coming right up!" The smile he had could probably be felt all throughout the bar as he took the menus and hurried back.

Alright, deep breaths, time to lay it all bare. You can do this, embrace the part of you you're comfortable with.

"Soma, it has been an absolutely crazy day. I think it's safe to say we're both exhausted, both physically and mentally. This entire night, I've been fighting with my mind with all these excuses about I should do this, or shouldn't do that, and I've just been so silly about the whole thing."

She looked him directly in the eyes. "Soma, I think I'm in love with you. But I don't want to act on it until I KNOW I'm in love with you. Right now there's so many things going through my head that I can barely think straight. Elation, Closure, Exhaustion, and maybe even a little Depression. Oh, and also alcohol. I think making a decision that big right now would be a bad decision no matter how you look at it."

She took the one hand he had on the table with both of hers. "Give me a little time to give it a thought with a clear head. If I feel like it's just the excitement and the booze talking, then I'll support you as a good friend and help you any way I can. But if what I'm feeling now hasn't changed..."

She pulled him close, enough that she could feel her breath on his face, with a hand on his cheek. "...I might just have to make a claim for you before someone else does~ Judging from your earlier reaction, I think you wouldn't particularly mind, either~"

She let him go so that he could process all this. All blush had vanished from her face as she was fully in control of her emotions, and her body language as well, displaying a side of her that hadn't truly been seen in some time. The act had garnered the attention of some onlookers, who quickly went back to their business to avoid being noticed.

Soma felt his face go red at her declaration. She was...in love with him? Was this because he trusted her? Helped her? Several parts of his mind went into overdrive. One was telling him to see where things went with Reisen. One said that Mina would be teasing him. Yet another decided to simply play it by ear.

And another voice decided to yell 'LEMME SMASH' in Soma's mind, before a familiar Dark Lord grabbed that voice and chokeslammed it into the ground repeatedly. His mind, and soul, was a bit crazy at this point.

"I..I, uh..W-Wow. Uh...T-Thank you. M-Might I ask why you think you're in love with me? I'm just some normal guy. With the power to absorb souls, sure. But still.

As for time..Take as much as you need."

I'm not sure if he's just a little dense or he's playing coy or hard to get. Either way, it's adorable.

"You're not giving yourself enough credit, honestly. And doubting how attractive you are is MY job. I won't say that what you did for me and your willingness to put your trust in me didn't help a little, but this isn't just a sense of obligation or simply paying you back for it. You're a kind person whose willing to put his life on the line for the benefit of others. That's attractive in its own right. As I mentioned, it could just be the alcohol speaking for me.

Liar, you had one drink and it wasn't even strong enough to feel it. You just don't want to admit to yourself that you might be in love with this person you just met and barely know.

"Part of me feels that I don't really know enough about you to really form that opinion and mean it. I'd love to learn and find out though, and it doesn't have to be as part of a relationship for that."

"Just asking for your past without knowing mine, however is just rude. Let me tell you the full story at least. After all, you were directly responsible for ending it."

"I..see. Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that." A smile formed on his face as he sat back, preparing to hear her story. He took another sip of his beverage, shuddering from the warmth that now sat within his stomach.

"All I said was what I thought was true. You're really not giving yourself enough credit. Also, if that drink's more your speed, perhaps you're more a wine person."

"Now, where should we start? I suppose right at th-"

She was cut off by two plates being slid in front of them with the most amazing piece of meat they'd ever seen on top.

oh my god it looks divine

It was a perfect shade of medium brown with a color that could only be gotten from a red wine reduction. Sprinkled with Dill Seed and an orange zest, topped with a dollop of Maître d’hôtel Butter right in the center.

Blinking for a few seconds, trying to bring herself back to reality, she looked up at Soma and said "...you know, I was going to start but I got...distracted. Do you mind if we eat first?"

"...I-I'm sorry, were you saying something? I was distracted by the food." Tucking his napkin into his shirt like so many shows had shown(That, and for some reason, Dracula's soul was annoying him to do so. Why the old man was chatting with him, he had no idea), he grabbed his utensils. "Itadakimasu!"

I'll take that as a yes, then. Tucking his napkin too, such a gentleman.

With not a word wasted, she dived into the piece of perfect steak in front of her with her knife and fork. The first bite told her all.

oh my god it's even better than heaven

The happy moan and the blissful expression that came from June was all Makalov needed to see for his approval.

Some time passed as the two finished the absolutely masterful steak. Both parties looking extremely satisfied by the meal.

is it wrong that I sort of felt some sort of carnal pleasure from a steak

"Okay...getting back on track. I suppose we should start from the beginning, back before all this became even an issue. Before I came here. Before the loss. Before everything..."

Soma felt himself fall backwards, patting his now content stomach as he grabbed a random toothpick and began to pick at his teeth. "I'd let Dracula loose if that meant I could eat this kind of steak every day."

At her words, he perked up. "Sure. If you want. Don't wanna have you tell a story you're not comfortable sharing."

"I'm honestly more comfortable right now telling it than I ever have been before. Truth be told, every time I tried before I was always reduced to a blubbering mess. Right now though? I'm willing to give it a shot..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been over a decade since I thought about it, at least intentionally. I grew up and was raised in a very different land from this one. It was a small village, surrounded on all sides by large, nearly impassable mountains.

There was no more than 50 people living there, counting myself. My parents wanted me to be a Priest. A PRIEST! It apparently ran in the family. Can you believe that? I told them outright "I can't help people as a Priest like I could as something else. I'm getting my doctorate and that's final!"

They hated me for it. But they learned to deal with it as I did a lot of good around the place for it. Everyone pitched in where they could, and the place was mostly peaceful.

In addition, the surrounding mountains were rather famous, but not for the reasons you'd expect. Two clans of monsters lived on each side, a Black Tengu clan and a White Tengu clan. They were always competing with one another, whether it was in duels, games, bartering, you name it. Both of them were very peaceful though, and friendly to us to boot. We traded with them and they provided us with materials beyond the mountain range. It was possible to get over it by foot or carriage, but it was usually considered not worth it at the time.

Occasionally, we'd have travelers coming for one reason or another. Maybe to meet the tengu, maybe passing through, or occasionally just to see what's sitting in the middle of these incredibly tall mountains. Life was peaceful. And good. And our peace was shattered by one person coming into our little slice of heaven.

"I'M GONNA BE THE STRONGEST SWORDSMAN IN THE WORLD!"

That idiot is Mora. At one point he became my husband. But right now, he was just an idiot.

Soma simply sat there, watching and listening in rapt attention. "Ooooo....."

This blue haired, loud little idiot was Mora. Yet another traveler that had decided to join us in this little village, and had come for a distinct purpose. To become stronger. There was one, slight problem to his plan:

He was absolutely terrible with a sword.

He had come hearing that the Tengu were these mythical, incredible opponents that anyone who lived to tell the tale would become stronger as a result. And he had trouble beating the youngest saplings who knew what a duel was.

"What are you even doing here? You're terrible at this, go home."

"I can't do that! My entire family is made up of master swordsman, all with a single, powerful style developed over the generations! If I don't surpass them and pass what I learn on to the next generation, then I'm not doing my part!"

"If the same style is what your family has been using for generations, then what exactly would you be passing on?"

"S-shut up! You'll see! I'll be the strongest swordsman yet!"

We saw each other a lot. Namely because he found new and inventive ways to injure himself against the easiest of foes. I swear, it wasn't a day if this guy didn't stumble in with some injury.

"Doc? I might need your help with something again."

"Mora, I swear to god, what did you break this ti-JESUS CHRIST"

"Oh come on, Doc, it's not that bad."

"MORA, YOUR ARM IS DISLOCATED"

"I barely feel it! Plus, I almost won that time!"

"Just...just stop talking and get inside..."

Our visits let me get to know him better. I started tolerating him. To an extent. I at the very least understood his reasoning. His family was some sort of superstar lineage that went back over a thousand years. A lot to live up to, to be sure.

Eventually the injuries started getting serious and I felt like I had to intervene. Somehow. I knew he wouldn't listen to me, hardheaded fool that he was, but I had to try.

"Mora, just listen to me. You're not making any progress like this. If anything, you're just getting new injuries day after day. As a doctor, I have to advise you to stop this."

"I can't, Do-June. You know that. My family did all these great things as swordmasters. Warriors, Entertainers, Protectors, War Heroes. You name it, it's probably on my family tree somewhere. And it's all using this one style, refined over generations. If I keep at it, I know I'll get it even-"

"No, Mora, you don't really get it. All these injuries add up. Unless you suddenly start getting better, these things will have serious consequences to you. There'll be a point where you won't even be able to hold a sword anymore."

"Then...what do I do?"

"Have you considered making your own style?"

"What? But my family-"

"Yes, yes, I know, family heritage and all that. But it's clearly not working for you, and I can't think of any other reason. Your physically fit, your reflexes are incredible, and your hand eye coordination is spot on. The style you use is all about taking hits, being a bruiser, and shrugging it off, like some kind of tank with a sword. Simply put, you're not built for this. Is the rest of your family big, hulking behemoths of men?"

"...the family lineage is filled with testosterone, I'll give you that."

"Then the answer is right in front of you. Maybe you need to change your tactics."

"I...I dunno. Maybe? It feels weird to even think about, but...I can try, at least."

"At least try it. For your sake."

And you want to know the craziest part of all that? He actually listened to me. Probably for the first time since I had known him.

"That's good. If he had continued, I don't think there'd be much working for him." That was putting it mildly, but he didn't want to insult her husband. He seemed like he was a cool person, but something told him it wasn't going to end well...

Day by day, I could find him practicing on his own. Seems something got through to him, as he took a break from running at whatever Tengu horribly outmatched him in every way. Many times throughout the day, I'd find him truly learning how to use that sword of his. Measuring the weight, feeling the impact, understanding the movement.

On top of that, he started taking a more active role in helping around town. There wouldn't be a day where I wouldn't see him carrying something for someone, cutting down crops, bringing in farm animals or the like. As far as I could tell, he was starting to see the bigger picture.

After what felt like a month or so of this pattern, Mora said that he was going to challenge the tengu once again, and that he wanted me personally to come watch. I was against the violence but I came because I was worried about his condition. It's true that he hadn't truly injured himself in some time, but those old wounds must have been strained an incredible amount through his regiment. I came to watch just in case he truly injured himself and needed treatment right then and there. He...wasn't fond of the act.

"What, do you think I'm going to lose?!?"

"No, it's not like that! I'm worried about you. You haven't had time to let your initial wounds heal. And I know you've been pushing yourself hard lately. I just...don't want you to explode from the strain, and if it happens, I want to be ready for it. That has nothing to do with how hard you've been training."

"Oh...you were worried about me?"

"Of course I'm worried about you, you idiot! I don't want you to break out here just because you pushed yourself too hard. I think you'd at least want to lose to the opponent instead of yourself."

"I...you're right. Thanks, June. Even after everything, you're still looking out for me. Sorry to make you have to do that."

A sharp blush crossed my face at that remark. I remember it like it was yesterday. "O-of course I'm looking out for you. I'm a doctor, it's my job. Now get out there and prove me wrong, already."

His opponent was a fledgling. Barely a few years old, but about as large as an adult and with the musculature of one too. Many Tengu trained in a katana but this one was too young for that. That said, he'd beaten him once before. I remember this one, 3 broken ribs. A particularly rough one.

The fight started, but I could already see a change in Mora's movement. He wasn't simply taking hits anymore and going for massive swings, he was dodging at incredible speeds, delivering small hits when he could. Most importantly, he was keeping his sword sheathed when not going for those attacks, giving him free movement. A blindingly fast blow to the tengu's wrist caused a bright red stream of blood, and a scream of pain.

"Alright, alright, you win, I yield! Jeez, man!"

"Okay boys, fight's over, let me take a look at that."

I ran over to bandage the young tengu, as a quick fix and a show of courtesy.

"I...I did it. June, did you see that?!? I finally won one! I'm actually improving! You were right all along! I'm one step...closer...t..o.."

Instantly he passed out, face first into the ground.

"Mora?!? I told you this would happen! Goddamn idiot! Someone give me a hand in getting him back to town."

Turns out all that practice with open wounds will do that to you. Gee, if only someone had told him beforehand. To my surprise, it was the tengu he fought that was the first to assist him. They've always valued strength of character as much of strength of force, I suppose. Without a word, he took the passed out swordsman slung over his back and flew in the direction of town as I followed behind.

Through sheer force of will, I convinced Mora to take a break from fighting to let his wounds actually heal this time. He needed it after that display, even if he was adamantly against it.

"If I'm not out there training, I'm going to get rusty. I can't afford to sit in this bed for that long!"

"And if you don't sit here in this bed and go back out there, you could easily have a repeat of what just happened, but worse. What if your sword arm gave out in a fight? Or worse, what if it stopped working altogether because you snapped a muscle or tendon? What then?"

"I...oh god. Could that happen?"

"Of course it could. Now rest. The tengu will be waiting for you when you get better. Apparently you impressed them quite a bit with your progress. I believe you've made some fans."

I pointed to the window to see a growing crowd of young Tengu fledglings looking in, staring at the battered swordsman.

"Your sword skills aren't going anywhere. Please, rest. I...don't want to see you break for real out there. I was really scared that we lost you when that happened."

"...I'm sorry I worried you. Alright, I'll listen to you, this time.

It took about 2 months for him to fully recover at a level that I felt comfortable letting him leave. He made quite a few tengu friends in that time. Even the one he defeated came by often to check on him and have chats. It felt like...his first real step towards what he wanted in life. Or at least, what he thought he wanted.

"Huh...Tengu. Guess monsters have been existing for a while, though that makes sense considering Dracula's been around. Though I don't know if I could really qualify a Tengu as a monster. Maybe not human, but not a monster....

So...I assume you two became a thing shortly after?"

"Now now, let's not jump ahead, shall we? And most pureblooded monsters have been around long before Humans entered the picture. The first Tengu chief on that mountain apparently set up the two tribes over a thousand years ago. But getting back to the story..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After he recovered, he found a pretty large following of young tengu fledglings following him wherever he went. It was an especially strange occurrence, since it was rare to see them in town at all, much less attached to any one person. It seems that was the first time a human had triumphed over a tengu in armed combat in many years, and they saw him as some sort of idol figure because of it. Especially since the one he defeated was some sort of big shot among the young ones.

"Hey. You were...pretty cool out there. Do you think, maybe, if it's not too much trouble...you could teach me those things you did?"

The look on his face was one of pure joy at the thought of it. It seemed as though the idea of fighting the tengu evaporated from his mind. He spent a large majority of his days playing with the children, and teaching some of the older ones about how to use a sword using his own, improvised sword style. They really loved him, it seemed.

"I always wanted to learn how to use a sword to help people. It's what so much of my family did with theirs, no matter how it was done. But...I'm at the point where I don't want to hurt them for it. I felt awful when I won that fight. Maybe..maybe I should think about doing this another wa-"

"You'd better not be thinking of leaving just because you got cold feet. The town loves you. The tengu love you. Relations between both of them have never been better. And they love to fight. This is normal."

"But what if I really hurt one of them by accident? What if...what if I kill one because I got careless? These kinds of things keep me up at night, it's why I turn down fights now."

Something about his compassion was impressive. He'd grown so much since I first met him. From someone determined to live up a legacy, to someone trying to find his own purpose in life. Someone who went looking for fights he couldn't win to turning down fights he knows that he could, all because he's worried about their safety.

"Well, if it bothers you so much, maybe you sho-"

The thought was cut off by the ringing of a bell. An alarm bell. Something was going down. We both looked at each other in understanding and ran outside to see what the commotion was. What we were met with was...horrific.

The dead body of a young tengu. Plucked clean of feathers and left to rot.

I covered my mouth in shock. Many of the others were in similar sorts.

"Who would do something like this?!? The Tengu would never harm another human!"

"Poachers, that's who." Makalov spoke up in the center of the crowd. "Notice how it was picked clean of resources. This was deliberate. Which means they may be among the mountains trying to line their pockets with whatever they can find."

"Will the Tengu be upset about this? This is a massive deal..."

"Of COURSE the Tengu are going to be furious! Hell, I'd be furious too!"

"Do you think they'll blame us?"

"But what can we do about this? None of us could even beat a tengu, much less something that could BEAT a tengu."

The townspeople were getting nervous. Mora stepped forward. "I will go. The Tengu like me. I'll assure them that none of us were involved and I'll join the hunt for them. They're likely taking up arms already."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure? This won't be like fighting another Tengu or a swordsman. These people are out to kill you. It'll be very different and you haven't been trained to kill."

"I don't care if I'm prepared or not. I'm not going to sit back and watch as my friends are harvested by these invaders who think they can walk in and own the place. One way or another, I'm protecting them, no matter what happens to me."

Something in me changed at that statement. Was it respect? Worry? Maybe a little fear at what could happen out there. But mostly, helplessness. I'm not a fighter. I can't help out there, and I can only treat those who are already injured.

"Just...just be careful out there, alright? If you come back in more than one piece, I'll never forgive you." A kiss on the cheek, for good luck. He took the opportunity to pull me into a larger one, and at first I was going to resist, but it felt...nice. And part of me wanted it to happen anyway. I guess even back then, I had problems with the whole leading thing.

"I promise. I'll come back, to you, and this time, you won't need to treat me afterwards. After I get back, lets go on a date, alright?"

"Y...yeah. That sounds nice. Just be sure to actually be here for that, alright?"

With that, he went back to the place he was staying at to pack his bags and make his way up the mountain trail to talk directly with them. We didn't hear from him for about a month. I was so worried and nervous the whole time. But then, exactly one month on the dot, we saw him come back. Striding into town, with what was a poachers mark in his hand, with a large group of Tengu warriors.

"So, how about that date?" He said it with the cheekiest grin on his face.

I couldn't help but cry a little as I ran into his arms. The exchange was likely embarrassing but I didn't care. I was so happy. We went on that date, too. It wasn't any more than two months afterward that we were wed. It was one of my happiest times. Me and my idiot. My wonderful, amazing idiot.

Soma sat there, dabbing underneath his eyes with a napkin. That was just so adorably romantic in a strange, heartwarming way. "I almost wish I could have been there to watch the wedding."

"It was an emotional moment for everyone. Half the church was filled with Tengu, actually. Apparently he made quite a few friends while he was up...there...when did that get there?" She just noticed the plates of chocolate lava cake sitting in front of them.

Huh, Makalov looking out for me yet again. That man deserves a hug. And a massive tip. I should ask when he became a bartender ninja though.

She took a small bite out of it just to taste and instantly shivered from the incredible taste.

sweet god it's like every sweet flavor in the world all at once

"Lord I needed that. I think it's time for a quick break, how about you, Soma?"

Soma looked at her, before nodding slightly. "A break sounds nice. I'm down for seeing how good this cake is." With that, he began to dig into his plate with gusto.

The noises coming from June with each bite could almost be interpreted as sexual. There was a noticeable blush on her face during the whole thing.

so good

I swear if I'm having reaction to this piece of cake I've been going about this the wrong way for a very long time

Setting down the fork, she took a moment to compose herself.

"Sorry about that, I haven't felt that good in a while. I think I needed that small break."

Especially considering you know what's next.

"Anyway, where was I..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the wedding, Mora made it a point to help me with my own work. He said he wanted to pitch in however he could. Even if he knew absolutely nothing about medical practice. Or utensils. Or bedside manner. But damn if he didn't try. He spent less and less time with the tengu, wanting to play a more active role in my life. Sometimes I felt like he was sacrificing a part of his life that he enjoyed for my sake, and I told him as much, but he was adamant about helping me with my own work. I won't deny that a part of me was happy that he stayed with me, though. It felt nice to be appreciated.

Relationships are difficult, sometimes. We fought about things, we took some time to cool off and realize we were being stupid about the whole thing, and then...we made love. This happened often. I guess you could call it a recurring incident.

He was fighting less and less as the days went on, and I didn't want to see him unhappy, even if it was nice to have him around. Eventually, I finally confronted him about it.

"Dear, it's okay if you want to go do what you love. I'll understand. You came here originally to be a great swordsman to take up your family's name, right? You're not going to get any better just sitting in here, helping me with paperwork."

"I CAME here to do that, yes. But...I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. About my family, my goals, the people living here, you. It's been a crazy few years. The swordsmanship is a part of me, and I enjoy it to be sure, but I don't want it to be what defines me. I didn't have much of a purpose besides "taking up the family mantle" before coming here, and even then I didn't feel like it was something I chose by choice, but for necessity."

"So what does that mean for you, then? What do you want to do if you're going to not care about that anymore?"

"Isn't that obvious? I'm not an only child, there's plenty of heirs that aren't me. I'm leaving them behind, and I'm not going to let my family's past shackle me anymore. I'm going to make my own decisions in life and live it how I want to!"

"I'm happy for you. But do you really want to spend your life being my assistant?"

"No, I want to spend my entire life making you happy. No matter how that can be achieved."

My face must have been bright red at the time. "W-well, you'd make me happy by...doing w-what makes you happy."

He took me in his arms with a familiar look in his eyes. "YOU, make me happy."

I truly loved everything about him. I couldn't have been happier. The night we shared that night was particularly...passionate. Nothing else mattered between us, but each other. Even if we sometimes didn't see eye to eye, we always understood each other.

That following night, I woke to find Mora was out of bed early, with a note by the bed.

"I decided to take your advice. I went to practice with the tengu for a little bit. I'll see you when I get back. Love, Mora."

I'm glad to see he was actually paying attention to me every now and then still. I could help but shake the feeling that something felt different about today, but I ignored it and went about my morning. It was a strange feeling, different from other times we made love. I feel like I should know what this is but for some reason it wasn't hitting m-

oh

oh my god

I think I spend that whole day sitting at the table, staring at the coffee in my hands, just trying to process this until Mora came home.

"June! I'm home, they were so happy to see me an-June, what's wrong?"

I looked at him with possibly the warmest smile I'd ever had.

"Mora, I'm...I'm pregnant."

He wanted to voice his concern at her practically having an orgasm over cake, but he decided against it. At the continuation of her story, he smiled. "I feel I should congratulate you. And yet, something tells me it didn't go well, if our meeting was any indication."

Alright. Brace yourself. You know what's coming next. This is what you were dreading to tell. Keep yourself together.

She decided to not respond to that question as she continued with her story.

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In truth, we had always wanted a child. To really tie everything together. And I couldn't deny that part of me wanted to be a mother. When I told Mora the news, his face must have shifted between at least 5 different emotions in quick succession, before settling on pure joy. He wrapped me in a massive hug, lifting me off the ground and spinning me through the air as we were caught up in the excitement.

"June, we're gonna be parents! I can't believe it!

We both were in tears at this point. He let me go and opened the door and shouted "EVERYONE, I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" for the entire town to hear.

Things got extremely busy after that. I wanted to take a vacation from my work, but I couldn't afford to leave the town without a doctor. Mora was determined to keep me from doing so and focus on relaxing, though, so I eventually settled on only coming in for the serious cases. Luckily, there wasn't many through the duration.

Apparently the tengu heard about it as well, and there was at least 5 with us at all times, asking cute little questions about how babies are born and if they could help somehow. A few of the older ones came down often to assist with whatever they could, saying that the chiefs heard and wanted to pitch in for the sake of the human that helped them take care of the poacher problem from a while ago. Both clans sent representatives and they constantly got into arguments with each other, but they were both willing to look past those things for the sake of supporting us. A truly rare occurrence, to be sure.

The 9 months of pregnancy seemed to pass incredibly fast, and before we knew it, the day was getting close. It felt strange, to be sitting in one of my own medical beds, but being the only doctor in town, it's not like I had a choice.

The two tengu chiefs themselves had come down for the act. It was rare to see one of them, let alone both in the same room. You could cut the tension between them with a knife, and everyone was worried they'd get into yet another fight right then and there.

"Good to see you, old man. Still holding up well?" spoke Kivalis, the black tengu tribe's. Well toned, Kivalis was slim, had dark raven hair and was never seen without a suit and tie, his dark wings spreading out behind him through the suit.

"As well as I can, young pup. I couldn't afford to miss this." responded Morel, the white tengu tribe's chief. A truly massive man, his white hair and wings were a giveaway. He always had dark shades that completely covered his eyes and was always carrying his incredibly large pipe, which stretched longer than he was tall. He had stowed it behind him for the time being.

The room was packed full of both people and tengu, excited to see the act. So far, things were calm. Mora was right beside me, holding my hand and trying to help any way he could. I had help from some of the older villagers, who had apparently delivered more than a few children in their time.

I had told myself time and time again how unpleasant it was going to be, had read about it again and again, got the formula into my brain. But nothing could prepare me for the actual event.

oh

oh god

oh jeez

"It's time."

The room suddenly went quiet for a moment. Mora was holding together as best as he could, but one look at him showed his inner thoughts were a typhoon as I held on tighter to his hand.

"Alright, everyone clear out! The woman needs her space!" came the shout of one of the women helping me through the process.

She looked at Mora and said "That means you too. It's okay, she's in good hands."

He looked down at me for reassurance. "It's okay. I'll be fine. You've done so much just being here. Go."

Reluctantly, he let go and walked out with the rest of the crowd. After he left, the few left looked at me and said "Alright, deep breaths, you can do this..."

Soma, I think I'll save you a detailed description of the magic of child birth, but I will say that it is excruciatingly painful. Apparently my shouts could be heard throughout the village that day. But in the end, it was all worth it. One precious, small little child in my arms. The women let the crowd back in to see the new baby, but kept the majority at an arms distance to give me some room to breathe. Mora was allowed by my side, and he was wide eyed at our new child.

"It's a girl, Mora. She's...so warm."

She smiled and giggle at seeing Mora's face and grabbed his hand.

"She...she likes me!"

Kivalis spoke up "Well, we'll have to pick a name for her. She'll need something smart, something that'll get her through life..."

Morel butted in "Nah, she'll need something tough, shows her proud heritage."

The glare that Kivalis had could be felt by the entire room. "You wanna settle this outside, old man?"

Morel glared back. "I think that's a fantastic idea, young pu-"

"Enough. Both of you." I had to butt in to stop this before it got out of hand. "We had a feeling this would happen, so we planned out names ahead of time. Isn't that right, Mora?"

They looked disappointed, but understood.

"That's right, if it was going to be a girl, then we decided that her name would be..."

"Ryuna," we both said together.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbeknownst to June, tears had started falling down her cheeks as she told the story. Lost in her own memories, she didn't even realize them as she continued.

"....."

Standing up, Soma walked over to sit down next to June, placing an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "That's a beautiful name, June."

Snapping out of her own memories for a moment, she noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"O-oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't even realize."

She took a moment to wipe the tears away and compose herself.

"U-usually, whenever I tell this story, I always start to crack right around the wedding. S-so I'm getting better, I think!"

She sniffed a little as she knew what was coming next. She dreaded it. Even though she thinks about it all the time.

"If you don't want to continue, then don't. I don't want you hurting yourself." He began to rub her back slowly, trying to comfort her. This was....kind of a difficult situation for him.