hadriel | ❅ Eleven (Text)

Oh.

[It took a lot to embarrass Seel. Usually it had to do with his own pride.]

Wraeththu don't have those.

[for which he was ever grateful, even if he had to come to terms with the fact that he was an egg layer. He layed an egg. It was still kind of creepy.]

Have you tried advil? Do they have advil here? It's a pill, kills pain. Or liqueur.

(She knows her brothers would turn interesting colors if she spoke of this with them. But that might be because she is their sister and they have known her since she was a baby.)

Your race is fascinating. I would be very happy to be done with these!

(Yet she does want to be a mother one day.)

Advil? Does it have another name? Is it an herb?

I have tried wine.

[Seel meanwhile had to explain this very thing to the boys under his care after they were incepted. What their bodies meant, how they changed.]

I'm quite fond of it. They seem rather annoying.

[Seel shrugged]

Honestly, the last time I saw them I was eleven and it was my mothers medicine cabinet. I have no idea. It's not an herb, it's a drug. I'm not actually sure where it comes from. I take it they don't have Walgreens where you from?

Wine probably isn't strong enough. Try whiskey or brandy.

The first time I had mine, I thought I had been stabbed.

(Of course it had also accompanied a dream of an awful event where she had almost been stabbed (amongst other horrible fates).)

No. I come from a...Medieval?...world. That is the name others used when referring to Westeros in Ruby City. Any trouble we had or anytime we needed healing, we saw the Maester. He would prescribe salves and potions to help.

Are they sweet?

They're that painful? Is it like giving birth?

[Because that had been painful. And it was really one of the only like things he had to equate to what she had been feeling.]

Oh. Try the clinic. Ask them for advil. At the very least they might know another name for it. Maybe the gods can provide some.

And. No. Not really. There are other sweet ones you can try, the idea is to get a strong alcohol percentage. Wine isn't strong enough. Get something that will knock you on your ass.

For me, yes. I do not think they approach that level. I heard my mother's screams when my siblings were born.

(She had even helped, then, bringing her mother towels and blankets. She had been one of the first to hold her little siblings too, doing her big sister duty and welcoming them.)

Lady Rey suggested I go there too. I did not wish to bother them with what is supposed to be natural.

(And it just isn't talked about openly in Westeros.)

I understand. I will try to find a stronger liquor.

You should have heard my screams.

And just because something's natural doesn't mean you have to live with it. Breaking a bone is natural too, we don't just let you suffer because you did something stupid.

At the very least, the alcohol should take the edge off.

You have given birth? Did it happen here? I cannot imagine that going easily!

(Seel, she feels for you.)

When you put it that way, it does sound silly to hide it.

I am willing to try almost anything.

I have. It was back home, decades ago. It was painful and horrible and can't believe that something so wonderful can come from that. I nearly gave birth on the staircase.

[Feel for him. He enjoys it.]

It is silly. I'm glad you see it that way.

[Said by someone who tried to hide the fact they were in labor and thus almost gave birth on the staircase. What a hypocrite.]

How awful! Were you and the baby uninjured? I admit that one day I want to be a mother too, but giving birth frightens me.

(So much can go wrong and she is the sort that would blame herself.)

Being in pain makes it difficult to think clearly.

(Trying to be too tough is a defensive strategy. But it's not particularly healthy.)

Yes, I suppose it does. That's a good way of thinking of it.

[And it helped him save face. Always a good thing.]

The pearl was fine-- we don't give birth to our young...live. It's an...egg of sorts. It's kept warm for a week or two until it hatches. As for pearl birth? It was one of the most traumatic fifteen minutes of my life. I bled like a stuck pig.

[Probably because it was fifteen minutes of roller coaster labor. Imagine living hours of labor in such a small time. No wonder he tore.]

I'm told my pearl birth was unusual. It usually takes longer. I think it's just karma that makes it take longer for others.

The pearl must be large to hold a baby. (At least infants have a large head and a smaller body. Giving birth to a pearl would be like pushing out a really, really big head.) You must have been ripped. That happens with live births too and the bleeding can be deadly.

(Seel is lucky to be alive in her mind.)

Or your pearl was better prepared than the others? (She realizes that's a bit silly, but there really is no telling why some babies come quickly and others take forever.)

I think Azriel's pearl was a little smaller than my head. It got bigger in the weeks that I kept it warm. I can't imagine pushing out something that large.

[It was still creepy, for someone who at times thought of himself as a modified male, who still used male pronouns, but wasn't. He knew second generation like Swift didn't think anything of it, as far as he was concerned, he was gender neutral. In contrast, Seel at times still thought like a human.]

I had enough people tending me, is giving birth always so.

[the text paused, Seel trying to come up with the right words.]

Messy? Exhausting? Gawking? It was hard to give birth with my vanity intact.

[It recovered quickly, however. Seel found himself liking Sansa, never really having had a human female who had gone through similar things to talk too. It would have made so many things easier for their species. But they had to discover what it was to be half female when most of them were dead. Because that was the price of taking the world from humanity.]

I honestly don't know if Azriel's pearl was better or not. I don't know much about it or my body.

More likely one of the reasons I was put in position of Consort was because I was...efficient.

[Ag, that made him sound like such a damn broodmare, didn't it? While he didn't resent his life, and quite enjoyed it actually, he resented being put in that position against his will.

You want children?

It's no wonder you were in such agony! The head is the hardest part for women to push through, but in your case, the size and shape was at least doubled.

(Anyone would be shocked to give birth to something so large. But Sansa could see a positive side to a baby being so protected. Infants are so fragile and many die in her world, but within the pearl, they could grow a little more before they were exposed to the open air.)

Do you feel used? (Ah now that is a feeling she understands.) If I hadn't escaped my first betrothed and my husbands, I would have been pregnant at a young age. That can be dangerous.

(Oh she understands that feeling. She would love to be married and in a relationship like the one her mother and father had shared. Then having children wouldn't be a chore!)

I do. I've thought about having a large family.

It is? I had no idea. I actually don't know much about my body. I used to think we evolved from humans, were better. But the more I learn, the less sure I am of that.

Would you be able to tell me more? There are very few women where I'm from. I've met two of them.

[It was quite efficient, Seel had to give her that. Allowing more growth to happen, protected, and he certainly enjoyed not having to breastfeed. Human infants were so fail and required so much protecting. Still, he had found it hard at times to view his child not as a human baby.]

At first, yes. I threw a fit, I smashed a giant vase. I hope it was expensive. I thought I was doing my life's work. Turns out I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing so I could be blackmailed and ordered into marriage.

I love Swift I do. I love my life. I do not like being conned however.

Why is it dangerous to be pregnant so young?

How large a family do you want?

I can tell you how human women give birth, but I don't know how that applies to your race. Based on the size of the pearl you indicated, your task seems harder in one aspect. The baby can move or be facing the wrong way entirely in human births. That can be dangerous to both the infant and the mother.

(Breach births are feared by all women in her world. Sansa smiles at the next words, laughing softly before she grows solemn again.)

If I had known my first betrothed, I would have never ridden South to marry him. The same applies for the next two. I believe women should have some idea of what they are getting into. We can't expect men to protect us or to do right by us.

The body isn't done growing when the mother is young. She may have a harder time holding the baby for the entire pregnancy and giving birth to them.

I used to dream about having the same size of family I had growing up. I have three true blood brothers and one sister.

I had never thought about it that way. The baby can move and face the wrong way? There's a right way for it to come out?

[Because let's face it, Seel skipped biology, he was too busy making out with his boyfriend. It was almost too bad they were texting, Sansa couldn't hear the giant snort Seel let out.]

You don't need men to protect you. Protect yourself. You know how to use a knife or a gun?

And your betrothed, was he really that bad?

Yes. A baby should come out head first. If they are turned so that their feet come out first, that is called a breach birth. The baby can become stuck or even suffocate. Midwives will feel inside of a woman to determine how the baby lays and sometimes they are able to turn them. But not always.

(Sansa knows from her experience with her mother and some lessons from their Maester.)

I can use a sword and I can shoot arrows. Lord Maedhros taught me those skills.

The first? Yes. He was a monster.

Edited 2018-08-15 03:07 (UTC)

The baby starts breathing while still inside?

[Sorry Sansa. Seel was horrified.]

I had one of the physicans try something similarly on me, checking inside to ensure the pearl was alright. He was a moron.

[because clearly Seel knew all, right? Poor Phlaar probably told everyone about how conceited Seel was after that.]

Idiot tried to put me on bedrest. What did he know. I assume such things are common in humans?

Well if you ever get your hands on a gun, let me know. I can teach you how to use it.

Sometimes. If it is taking too long for them to be born or a chord becomes wrapped around their neck, they can suffocate.

(That is the right reaction.)

They might've been checking the shape. Can a pearl be broken?

(Guess who would have been fussing over Seel and the pearl?)

Yes. Very common. Especially near the end of a pregnancy. Bed rest is enforced unless a woman has to work for some reason.

I would appreciate the lessons. From what I remember from my last world, guns are...loud?

[No wonder humans died out. Seel tried to keep the look of horror off his face and at least managed to restrain his thoughts so he didn't say them out loud.]

Is that common? For women and babies to have such trouble in birth? My species are still learning what's possible and what isn't.

I suppose a pearl can be broken, if it's not formed correctly or if there's trauma to the hostling. I've never seen it happen but I haven't been around any besides my own birth.

[Seel would have been very sorry for running his mouth and being a nasty asshole during his hosting and birth. Hormones made him worse than usual and he had no control over his mouth. It was a miracle Swift was still with him.]

Phlaar--that's the physician Swift's family uses, was convinced that I was exhausted and needed utter quiet and rest. It was bullshit. All I needed was an infusion of energy. I was fine. Humans must be very fragile.

[Translation: Seel did too much and was so exhausted and so tired he couldn't physically stand up, his entire body was shaking and he almost went into shock, He was white as a sheet. But yeah, he was 'fine'.]

Yes, guns are significantly louder than what you are used too. But a lot more deadly.

Edited (forgot to add words so sentences make sense) 2018-08-19 02:34 (UTC)

Even when a birth goes well, it isn't easy. There is blood and pain and the mother can still die unexpectedly. But heirs are necessary for families to continue. Women have no choice but to do their best and abide by the orders they are given.

(She will never be as pliable and trusting as she once would have been. Sansa refuses to carry the child or children of just anyone.)

If you were feeling weak, that is reason to rest. Think of the child you carry in those circumstances. Would you push them to continue on when they feel fatigued?

(That isn't fine, Seel.)

I don't want to use them unless I have no choice. But I do want to be prepared for situations of that nature.

I admit I don't know much about births and have only been through it once but I don't think it's ever easy. Hara can die just as easily as Wraeththu can though, I imagine.

[He didn't respond to the other parts. Heirs. Duty. That hit harder home than he wanted it too.]

No of course I wouldn't. I'm not used to lying around though.

[He didn't like it one bit.]

Death can happen in less stressful circumstances. We are all rather weak; our bodies aren't made of armor and we need our blood to survive. Giving birth is always a messy, bloody affair.

(She feels the pressure of having an heir too. But she won't marry someone she doesn't love. Never again.)

Neither am I. Short walks wouldn't be taxing, I shouldn't think. If the weather is right, you could even swim in that state.

I never knew how it was for humans.

[If only she could hear him scoff at that.]

A short walk. I would feel like an invalid.

❅ Eleven (Text)

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