Mommy Issues

[Philomel]

That was ... Unexpected.

Philomel looked down at her belly, her grey eyes focusing on the enlargening bump. Her chestnut brows rose as she swept back the braided mane of her purple and brown hair, surprised, but also calm.

A boy. Interesting. She had been imagining a rosy-cheeked girl just like Celandine had been, and still was. Lifting her hand to her shoulder she scratched Veridian under his chin and the fox leant properly into her touch. A soft purr came from his throat as she thought, and considered.

"I'm a different person to her," Philomel said softly to her companion. "She hasn't lived my life, been through what I have, seen what I've seen and had to do the things, make the decisions I've had to make. It was better for Celandine to not grow up in my violent world, where I was still establishing a safe haven for all."

She twisted her head to look at her beloved. "Right?"

Veridian smiled a fanged grin at her, enjoying the petting, but he gave no wisdom more than that. The faun, confused and struggling huffed and shook her head.

"I'm a terrible mother. I had Celandine to establish a legacy for myself, for selfish reasons. I'll willingly accept that. But this ..." She sounded astonished, "boy is ... Well he was never planned. Expected. I don't know how to ... Where to start." And she kept gazing down at him.

[Flamebird]

Felicity stood, disturbed by her memories. Her own mother's words swirled in her mind as she stared at Philomel. Tears fell. Tears of agony, tears of betrayal, tears of anger.

Felicity's tears slipped down her cheeks and off her jaw. They pounded against the ground as Felicity shook. She... she could not take this anymore. Philomel. Philomel was just like Roswitha, the woman who gave birth to Felicity, but never acted as a mother.

Felicity gritted her teeth, hissing.

"Philomel!" Felicity took a step forward, screaming, "How could you! How could you be so stuck up and selfish to abandon the most helpless of people! Your own son!"

"Felicity," Philomel tried to speak, "Listen-"

"--No!" Felicity barked, venom sharpening her voice, "You listen to me! Me! The girl born from two warring races, through rape! The abomination hybrid who was nothing but a pest! The neanderthal brute!"

Felicity took another step forward, hands shaking, "I was raised by my uncle! My mother wanted nothing to do with me! She hated me and disowned me! She struck me! I was three!"

Felicity closed the distance, screaming into Philomel's face as tears gushed out. "It hurts! It hurts so much! What had I done to deserve that! I never asked to be born under such circumstances! Every day I wish I was a normal human she could have loved! I never asked to be conceived like that! It wasn't my fault! But I was punished!"

Felicity grabbed Philomel's shoulders, shaking her. Her breath brushed against her face as she cried out, "I wasn't to blame! But I was punished! Why! My mother struck me when I tried to hug her! Why! She called me a parasite! She called me a creature! An it! Why! All I wanted was a mom, but she cursed my existence! Why!"

Felicity squeezed the faun's arms, "And here you are! Doing the same thing to your son! Why! You say he was unplanned! You say you can't make room for him! Why! Are you so selfish! His entire life he will wonder what he did wrong and what was wrong with him! Why! Tell me, Philomel! Why! Try to justify this! Try to justify abandoning your helpless, innocent child and leaving him to shame and inadequacy! Try! But there is no good reason! How could you do this to us! How dare you! Why! You disgusting, putrid-! You-you!-"

Felicity kept on screaming, demanding. Crying, asking. She was not only speaking to Philomel, but to Roswitha from years ago. Why? How could they do this to her and the boy growing inside the faun's stomach? How dare they? Why...