Private Little Expectations

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Does she look…bigger to you?"

Cora frowned. First at Lula, then to Shan.

"She's been doing well on her diet - as well as she can, I suppose - but lately she's been begging for food more often. And she only seems to be gaining weight."

The racyon in question was currently sat in her lap, grooming a paw, entirely unconcerned with her weight. Lula had always been on the rotund side, so it was hard to guess whether she'd grown or not. A few weeks after the Courtship Festival on Ukatis, there was a definite change in her behavior…and circumference.

Veterinarians were harder to come by in the temple rather than Jedi healers, and Cora and Shan were already friends. Hence why she's taken Lula to him for a quick checkup. If anything was off, he'd probably be able to see it, and from there they could acquire a more specialized consult if necessary.

"Would you mind checking her out, Shan?"

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"...You haven't been feeding her more, right?"

Shan felt bad asking that question but he knew how...caring, yes that's the word he'll use, that Cora could be over the Raycon as he crouched himself down to get a good look over the creature as he rubbed his chin. He didn't have much experience dealing with animals in a medical position. Hm...He couldn't used the Force for anything, mostly since well...Beast Trick wouldn't help her.

"Hm...She seems to be healthy at least. Maybe a bit less energetic than she was last time I saw her but..."

He closed his eyes for a moment, holding his hand out towards Lula for a moment. Focusing on trying to feel something through the Force. Feeling the small waves of the Force radiating from the Raycon...and then he blinked for a moment as he felt something else...Looking over towards Cora, and giving his fellow Jedi, an awkward chuckle.

"Erh...By any chance...did Lula eat anything alive?"

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"I haven't, no."

Cora frowned. Had Makko Vyres been sneaking Lula treats behind her back? She'd have to interrogate him later.

"Maybe she had a little more than usual at the festival…"

While Cora played diplomat, Lula had sauntered off into the crowd. Little did Cora know, that Lula had gotten more than a meal during that party.

When Shan Pavond held his hand out to Lula, she sniffed at the Mirialian's fingers in response. Cora arched both brows.

"Alive? No, she doesn't hunt."

The original Lula had been a wild racyon that hung around the Ascania estate, and was subsequently adopted by Cora and her brothers. Unlike her namesake, Lula the Second was accustomed to a live of luxury and far less active.

"Unless…"

Cora's brow furrowed.

"…she…she didn't eat Sewer Rat, did she??"

The last time she had talked with Shan, Lula seemed very intent on making Rat her next snack.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"No. No. I recognise Sewer Rat's presence. Somewhat. Kinda. Well..."
Sensing things through the Force wasn't something he was fully confident in. But right now he couldn't worry about that. He was in a proper clinical mindset right now. Cora wanted his help. Scanning over Lula for a few moments, as he was trying to pin point the source of the Force presence. Frowning in thought as the cogs in his head were starting to turn. She hadn't ate something alive...and Cora hadn't been overfeeding Lula again yet she was still hungry...

"...Well. This is...a potential theory of mine. You'll need an actual vet to confirm it but...erh...there's only two other reasons why Lula might be eating so much still. A parasite, which is doubtful since she's still gaining weight or...erh...well...she's pregnant."

I mean, depending on how you asked, having a parasite and being pregnant might as well have been the same thing.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora visibly deflated, at least partially, in relief to hear that Lula hadn't snacked on Sewer Rat behind her back. That would've surprised her - Rat was too fast for the lazy racyon to catch.

She listened closely as Shan Pavond relayed his two theories. The first, a parasite. The second…

Cora blinked. Then, she blanched. Pale skin went a ghostly white. For a few moments, she simply stared at Shan with impossibly wide eyes.

"That's not possible." She insisted on a harsh breath. "Lula is- she would never-"

Lula shifted on her lap, rolling over and displaying her prominent belly. With caution, Cora put a hand gently to her stomach and concentrated. Her fingers weren't pressing against as much flab as before, but something a little more firm.

Then came the tiny, flickering presences within.

“Oh,” she gasped "You little harlot."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Well. I suppose you're going to have a few more Lulas and...Lukas running around soon."

Shan chuckled at Cora's response to the news, shaking his head afterwards. Maybe he should tell Colette about the news. She'd love to see little Raycons running about...and probably would want one to make sure it didn't get overfed. Okay. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell Colette about that. Shan wasn't sure if he could afford having a raycon running around the place.

"I can't really help much from this point on. Erh...They don't teach this kind of stuff in books or on the holovids. I mean, they probably have specialised ones for that stuff but...I haven't went off to learn any of it."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Lulas and...Lukas. Oh god, he was right. It wouldn't be just one or two kits, right? She recalled a conversation with Sylvania, one of Ukatis' premier racyon breeders, about how she'd delivered a litter of thirteen – bigger than the usual seven or eight, she'd said.

"Oh, Shan. I'm not ready to be a...grandmother? Aunt? Both of those sound weird."

Cora slid her arms beneath Lula's two front paws and drew them upward so that the racyon was standing in her lap, belly protruding. The blonde squinted, but Lula seemed fairy docile and unimpressed by whatever was happening.

"Do you realize what you've done, young lady? With child before marriage – you've ruined your prospects. Oh, how the people will talk."

It was a line ripped straight from Upton Manor, but Cora put a little more heart into it. No longer content with being held, Lula wriggled from her grasp and leaped to the ground. She landed with a solid thunk, as she always did.

Cora shook her head and looked back to Shan Pavond . "Now I feel bad for limiting her food intake. I didn't realize that she was eating for...I feel like it could be between two and twenty." She eyed Lula's belly. Hopefully not twenty. "In any event, thank you for taking a look at her, Shan. I bet you didn't expect one of your Knightly duties to be examining a pregnant racyon?"