Autumn had slowly ticked on into Winter as days flowed through. All trees were bare, mind a few Winter trees and plants. The ground was a bed of dry, crunchy, colorful leaves where ever one stepped... Termina- much like any other place, was beautiful at this time. The Swamp Jungle was a big attraction for tourists during this time of year when Fall begins and ends, because it's the most abundant in wildlife and plantlife- the changes alone are the attraction. The strangest thing to humans are deku scrubs. Where as they flower in Spring, their leaves change hues or even color in Fall. Very rarely, some may even flower in Fall probably depending on their genes.
The end of Fall was usually a melancholic time for most deku folk however. Not a lot happened in Winter, and days are usually spent holed away in their homes, with the occasional travelers or merchants who wander about year-round. Jace himself had spent his life a wanderer, and never really did hole away in a home or shelter during Winter. But even he felt tired and more down to match the weather. Not so much that his mood is ruined, but still. But no deku had it hard in Winter like Iris did. It was depressing for her in more ways than just mood, but physical health. Now she DID hole away a lot more than others did. And for now, her reasons have become more extreme than before.
It had been a week and a half since Iris woke and found herself... Pregnant, so to speak. With Iris' issues, Jace and her were overjoyed and in awe. It was entering Winter, and Iris had a bloom nestled tightly on the side of her head, as if she was kissed by Spring itself. It took a week for them both to realize though that Winter wasn't the best time to become an expecting mother, especially when the cold is Iris' worst enemy. She hardly left the house for anything, given how quickly the cold has sprang. For this reason, Jace was usually the one to make important runs through the deku village to grab things... Even so, he was always quick to hurry back. So in short, they didn't leave much together- if at all.
Just a few days prior, Iris began to show signs of sickness or weariness. It wasn't uncommon for Iris' condition to change with the weather, so they weren't sure what to make of it this time around. Regardless, concern was a little higher for obvious reasons. After a lot of persuasion, Jace talked his incredibly moody, reluctant, and pregnant wife to leave with him to Clocktown today to see Dr. Sky again. Safe to say, mother nature was kind enough to let up the cold a bit on this day and yesterday. Still didn't keep Iris from being slightly testy and on-and-off with her moods.
"I'm surprised you guys came all the way out here to Clocktown." said the Watararian, Dr. Sky. "Is everything okay?"
Iris sat quietly on a chair in the room, Jace sitting next to her. He answered "Believe me, she didn't want to come." he chuckled lightly. "Anyway... We're not... sure? For the last few days, she's been getting quickly ill and weary. It's normal for her to be the first to be tired with the weather changing like it is, but she usually wouldn't get sick till much later... And that's only if she doesn't keep warm."
Iris finally added in "I haven't been incredibly cold, though." she corrected.
Sky looked at them for a moment, before he smiled. This smile confused Iris, but Jace had a feeling. The humanoid bird was glad that there was no bad news. "You two MUST be new at this. No doubt now." he chuckled lightly. Iris gave a slight glare, as expected. He continued, dismissing her look as if it didn't happen "What kind of sickness is this, exactly? You look fine to me other than your bud's looking a bit pale. Developed any weird habits over the week?"
Her glare vanished and she sat up straight. "Weird habits...? Well... Since I've been getting tired faster, I've been craving lots more water- or soups if I get the chance for it." Sky mentioning her bud being pale made her reach up and rub the closed flower concernedly.
"You've also been biting my head off a lot. BUT... That's kinda normal in our relationship." Jace snickered "So not sure what to make of that, other than it's been more frequent-"- this earned him an unamused look from Iris.
"Oh, waahh..." she responded.
"Well, when you're not flipping the angry switch off and going straight to another mood." he added right away.
Sky was snickering at their conversation with each other. The two were definitely more spritely now than they were the first time they ever visited him. Iris decided to change the subject quickly to answer Sky's other question "As for how I've been feeling sick... I just feel... Bleh. My stomach's very picky about what I'm eating lately. Only liquids have been good with me for the most part. My tastes have changed and I sometimes feel like I wanna barf." she was pretty straight to the point. "Deku don't normally barf, so the feeling's unnatural."
"I have a feeling I know that it's her flower, but I just wanted to be sure. With Winter here, we wanted to be sure..." Jace added in.
"Haha, no need to worry then. You know how often dekus come here for those reasons?" he paused, then continued "A deku's stomach acid is so strong, that it dissolves anything that is eaten quite quickly. And their tolerance for what they ingest is strong, never quite needing a reason for regurgitation unless the body feels that what has been ingested is dangerous or hazardous in some form or way. This hazard-detection becomes much more enhanced when still with bud. If you do as you said, 'barf', it's not because you're sick. You're body feels that it's not healthy for you in your current state, and refuses what you've ingested. It is best to drink only water or liquids to keep from this- and it's also healthier since, naturally, water is what deku are supposed to be living off of on a daily basis. I can't promise that you'll never have morning sickness, which is cause of many things." he stood, allowing his legs to stretch "Your mood swings and off feelings of illness is also simply because your body is changing. Your whole system changes to provide for your seed, and can throw things out of whack."
"... I thought only humans got all that morning sickness crap?" Iris leaned back on her chair. Jace knew all this happened, but he never actually witnessed these things before in a pregnant deku. Iris grew up alone, and never was taught these things... For her to be uneducated on it wasn't surprising.
"Well, being pregnant is never just a walk in the park, doesn't matter what you are. Humans have very different bodies, yes. But human, zoran, deku- if you carry young at all, it makes sense that the body has to change to help nourish the baby... Or egg, or seed. Luckily for you, you wont be carrying it for some many months. A month, give or take, then the earth will do the rest. But it's because of how little time you have your seed that your body changes hit pretty prominently after conception. So to cut this visit short since nothing is wrong- you're fine. Only thing I can suggest is stay near home, stay warm, and stay hydrated. Especially that- that's why your bud's looking pale. That flower is sapping energy and nutrients from you like a leech. It's best you double what you used to drink if you want to not be tired all the time. It can actually be very dangerous for you to not drink enough water while pregnant- and I don't mean just dangerous for the seed. So keep that in mind. Remember, that isn't just a seed, that's a baby. It needs a LOT to be able to survive those months underground when it's planted."
"Oh..." she rubbed her flower again. "Alright, that all makes sense. Guess that should've been common sense to me, haha..."
Jace just sighed in relief "I had a feeling it was the norm. But, with Winter being so close, I couldn't tell if she was just having a REALLY bad Winter reaction or what. Sorry we came and troubled you for something so stupid."
"It's always good seeing you two. Besides, I like to know you're doing okay... I mean, you shouldn't be pregnant at all, given your abnormalities. Just goes to show how real miracles are. Be proud of it, and take care."
A genuine smile appeared in Iris' eyes vaguely, and she answered sincerely "Thank you." before hopping off the chair. Jace followed soon after... As Iris left the room, Sky stopped Jace by tapping his shoulder lightly. The blond deku stopped and turned with a silent "Huh?"
"Keep a close eye on her. The next few days are to be quite cold and rough. As a watarara, I can sense it. After all, my kind migrates. You can definitely trust my instincts. Just figured I'd give you a heads up so you'll be prepared."
"Oh, thank you!" Jace added. "I thought I sensed a change coming in the weather..."
Sky nodded "Hearing how badly she takes Winter, I do fear for her safety. But it seems she's a strong girl. Regardless, just be around when you can... And survive those moods."
"Haha, I will. Believe me, those aren't even her worst."
Jace left, finding Iris eagerly waiting by the door with her layers and layers of clothing already on... It was a silly sight, but you definitely couldn't say she wasn't prepared... Personally, Jace felt her layers of clothing was over-the-top, even for her. Today wasn't even really that cold- so much Jace only needed one jacket. Jace threw his jacket on, and they left...
Keeping Sky's useful weather report in mind, Jace was soon to let Iris know that their prediction of the weather was correct. She wasn't happy to hear it, but was glad at the same time. It was because of this that Iris tried to drag the day on as much as possible. She went places with Jace instead of going straight home. And when they did get home, she sat outside with him on the hammock. Aside from going and seeing Auran and the royal family at the beginning of the week, this would be the longest Iris has been out lately. She was a Hyrule scrub though... Staying inside home during Winter just seemed natural- not to Jace, though.
As the day carried on and got dark, the cold winds picked up, forcing the two back inside their deep underground home. Jace secured the skylight's shut tight, and was the last one in. Today was a day that could be counted as a good day with lots of good news. And even as they settled down and went to bed, things had worked for the better... Even if Iris was a grump from time-to-time. After digging and digging through storage, Jace found some extra blankets and threw them over Iris. He made it a habit to go to sleep only after she did in Winter. She was quick to get cold while sleeping, so just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to need something. He eventually drifted to sleep bundled in a single blanket with his arm around her.
~~~~
It had indeed woken to be a very cold morning. It was a taste of what Winter had in store. As he cracked his eyes open, Jace grumpily pulled a few extra covers over himself, regretting only sleeping with one on him... After warming up slightly, he turned back over to Iris, who looked to be sleeping like a log.
"Lucky, she's all warm and bundled in those blankets." he snickered lightly to himself. He closed his eyes momentarily to try and go back to sleep. Sleep certainly wasn't looking for him again though. His leaves bristled as he tensed to the cold when he finally sat up- the covers falling off his chest. He reached his arms up and stretched, before rubbing his arm and blinking a few times. "Guess I better get up..."
There was a small shift in the bed as Jace reached over for Iris- "Babe, time to get up..." he touched her face, and quickly retracted his hand back to himself as if he'd been burned. It was quite the opposite, however... Felt like he touched a block of ice. After a dazed stare, he reached back over and shook her lightly. "Iris...? Iris...?" He paused to find she didn't move. "Iris!" he finally called, terrified, shaking her slightly harder. He stopped when she cracked an eye open at him, but didn't say anything. Now looking closely, her leaves looked a little discolored. Her eyes were slightly dim as well, which struck him as a really bad sign.
"Iris, are you okay!?"
She trembled a breathless something which he didn't understand. After realizing that whatever she said didn't make sense, she repeated after waking a little. "I-It's so c-c-old, Jace... I-I can't get up."
"Oh gods..." he placed his hand to her cheek "Just don't try to get up... I'll be right back..." last thing he needed was for her to try and stand and hurt herself because she couldn't support herself. He flew out of bed and into the den...
What he was about to do would make him the most insane deku in the Southern Swamp. However, this dangerous task has been something he's done for years now. There was a blanket over the wall which stayed there most of the year every year. When he pulled the blanket down, it revealed a hole in the wall, which went up to the surface. It was fenced securely. Jace leaned into the hole, yelling "Skits! Take that cover off."
Outside, the bird's head popped up out of his nest, hearing the command loud and clear. Though, the little bird usually never had to do it until far, far later into Winter... He flew down and untied a plastic cover from some hooks on the ground, revealing layers of metal screening in the hole.
"Alright, let's see if I can do this..." Jace muttered.
Time passes, Iris shivering violently in bed still. She couldn't go back to sleep, and felt miserable. After laying there a few moments more, she started to smell smoke. She sighed at this, wishing he didn't have to do what he just did. It wasn't long before Jace walked into the room and to Iris' bedside.
"C'mon, I need to get you in the den..." he said quietly. Iris just groaned, and shakily turned to lay on her back. Jace moved the vine canopy out of his way and gently wrapped one of the blankets around Iris before lifting her. She trembled against him, making him hurry to leave their room. He carried her through the hall and into the den, placing her in a chair, and slowly laid her back against it.
When she opened her eyes, she was practically staring at a mirror of her own eyes- or what they usually looked like. Except, this fire was a real fire... He'd moved the chair to a safe distance from the fire. Close enough for Iris to be warm, yet far enough for her to feel safe. He came back, placing a long metal grate over the fire, placing a kettle filled with water on it. At the first chance he had, he moved away and sat on the ground a little next to Iris.
"Do you know how stupid you are?" Iris' trembling voice shook coldly.
Jace just gave a small "Heh," before adding sarcastically in a light-hearted manner "You're welcome." she always felt obligated to point out his dumbest ideas. This was one she pointed out every year.
"Is it stupid to help my wife?"
"It's stupid that your skin is wood and that you just built a fire. What w-would you d-do if you were going u-up in flames? I-I certainly couldn't have helped." Iris remarked angrily.
"You'd be freezing to death in one room, while I burn to death in another." he chuckled with his blunt answer, knowing he'd never actually let that happen. Iris didn't find it funny in the slightest, however. "You know you married an idiot who'll do anything, this shouldn't surprise you every year." he scoffed.
She just glared at the fire, not even bothering to answer him. He stared at it's flames as he waited for the water to heat up "I like the look of flames anyway... It's fascinating. Even more so that it has such an uncanny resemblance to your eyes. Every flame is the embodiment of a restless never-sleeping soul."
Iris rolled her dim-lit eyes at his comment, still shivering madly. He turned to her soon enough to see her gesture. Any other guy would've probably felt downhearted by her attitude, since it gave off the vibe that she wasn't appreciative. He knew her well enough to know that her deepest concerns were sometimes best shown in how much of a hard time she gave him when he did do stupid things for her. For this reason, he never commented on her words or actions.
After leaving to get a cup, he came back and poured warm water into the cup and handed it to Iris. It was now that he finally did speak "It's not like I never started a fire before. I was doing this long before I even met you during my traveling days. Sometimes out there in the world, you have to do risky things for survival- gamble a little with the dangers. I think you know that I'm not afraid of doing that, which is why I do it. You can sit and pout like a baby all you want, but it wont change that I tend to gamble a little for worthy reasons."
"I know..." she answered- less pouty now. "I still tend to forget I'm not in Hyrule anymore with the o-overly-cautious dekus of Lost Woods. Back home, none of them would have dared touch a fire, not even with a ten-foot pole."
"That makes me wonder... How did you survive the Winters in Hyrule? Skits could not have kept you safe, and you lived by yourself. No offense, but you kinda need someone to take care of you..."
Iris sighed "I never stayed in the woods in Winter, I always hung around Castle Town. I'd stay out on the streets with some of the town hobos whenever they built fires, or I'd break my way into houses and stay where no one would find me. Most of the time, I was found out the next day or so and was kicked out. I did try to explain my issue, but the humans didn't care. Didn't help that I gave myself a bad rep as a kid, plus people are just racist. Gotta remember, dekus were just animals that belonged in the forest. Treating us badly was fair game... For those reasons, Winter always felt a year long."
"Hm..." Jace sat back, disheartened whenever he heard the differences between Hyrule and Termina.
Iris took a sip of her water, and sighed as the warmth filled her throat and went down to her stomach. "Humans in Hyrule are stupid though. Especially hunters, will do anything to make a quick rupee... Let me tell you, those deku nuts they sold in shops? Let's just say they weren't obtained by killing babas or from deku merchants selling them to the shops... Majority of the time anyway. We were monsters and nothing else."
Given Iris' problems and trauma with hunters, Jace was quick to casually change the subject. "At least you stayed well... You managed to take care of yourself, that's what matters. Usually you don't get cold like this until half way into Winter though when the weather starts getting horrible..." he looked at the bud in her leaves "Sky was right when he said that thing saps energy from you like a leech. That must be the cause."
Iris nodded lightly "And I feel a little... Bleh, at the moment." she stared at her glowing eyes' reflection in her water- which the glow was coming back to "I think water is all I can stomach right now..."
"That's probably for the best." her husband commented softly. "Better for you anyway. Don't want you throwing up again- that's the last thing you need..."
Iris shuttered at the memory of the feeling. It was just an unnatural feeling all together. She'd never seen mother dekus do it before, so maybe it was a sign that Iris didn't have the healthiest diet... Which Jace liked to subtly point out lately. Regardless of the fact that she didn't like people on her back about things, she took into consideration his words. She made a vague whirlpool in her cup with her finger boredly, before giving a small "Thank you." to Jace.
"Hm?" he twitched a leaf as he looked at her.
"For taking care of me. I know I don't speak much of it, but I do appreciate it."
The blond leaved deku just smiled, and replied with a sincere "I know you do. Don't worry about it. You're pregnant and stubborn. It's an odd combination- there's sure to be a 'tude."
This made her glance at him, before scoffing. "What I find so funny, was that males in Hyrule avoided me like the plague. They knew I had issues. What use is a deku with leaf problems? Personally, It should've been common sense to me that I was reproductively inable- not that I would've cared back then, because I thought finding a mate was stupid anyway since I hated pretty much everyone- they were senseless babas." she laughed at that lightly. "Tribes or loners in Lost Woods were pretty shallow. Pretty changing Fall leaves and beautiful large Spring flowers were the best sign of someone being an appropriate mate. I had the attractive Spring flowers, but my leaf-change system was busted, which was the red-flag that I was a no-go. And really, with the way our numbers declined often, it was no wonder that it was such a fuss finding mates. I was dead weight- required too much attention. If I couldn't give what was expected and take care of myself, then beh." she threw her arm out at the beh part. "Termina is really evolved with the deku society. Though, there still are those shallow people, but it's still more of a community here. It's quite nice... To feel like I'm looked at like more than a pretty-flowered broken tool."
"Well, yeah... What the society is like in Hyrule sounds like... I don't know, sounds like deku culture in the olden days of Termina. Pretty barbaric if you ask me..." he frowned as he watched the fire dance "I still try to picture how the transition from that to now affected you. Sounds overwhelming."
"It was. That's why I was so scared when I came to Termina. Everyone's acceptance all seemed kinda unnatural to me... And personally, you just seemed like a creep with how you just was all 'Oh hi beautiful, I love you, let me travel with you-'. You were cute, sure, but I didn't really feel comfortable enough to give you a chance just because you called me beautiful. Didn't say toot about whether you actually liked me or not, just showed that you thought I was attractive. There's a difference." she cut her eyes at him, and he laughed.
"I swear, I had no intention of being creepy. I was... A little outspoken, I'll admit though." Jace chuckled lightly. He's never been afraid to speak his mind, and always have.
She chuckled with him on that. Iris then took a few drinks of her water till it was gone. She then sighed, and started to warm up and feel her energy coming back after all this time. Jace could also see it in the way she was positioning her leaves and in her body-language, since she looked a little more awake. A deku's smile found it's way to him and he then looked at the fire.
"Can I have another?" Iris asked, breaking the silence. With a turn of his head and a flick of a leaf, he nodded right away. He took her cup and refilled it, before carefully handing it back to her.
"... I remember all those adventures we used to go on..." Iris commented. "We've been to places no deku has ever been."
Jace looked excited at remembering all the places "For sure. Maybe one day, we can do all that again...? It sure would be nice to make a trip again that wasn't just for Clock Town. Termina's so huge, there's so many places to see. I'll bet, our child will have a wanderer's heart like we do. We could all travel as a family, see the world. Maybe even go beyond that..."
Iris had to admit, she had that same heart. She loved traveling, though usually preferred the routes with less danger, while Jace was up for pretty much anything! But even in Hyrule, Iris could never stay in one place, and craved knowing Hyrule more personally than other deku cared to know. She found herself reaching up to feel the closed flower, wondering just what it'd bring. Would they be a wild flower like Iris? Or crave danger and excitement like Jace? That last thought worried her a little and she glanced at her husband, before smirking at herself for being worried in the first place... She just loved thinking of what they'll be, but tried not to set expectations. Whatever they ended up being, her and Jace would love them either way.
"I can guarantee that whatever comes of this, will be an adventure in itself, traveling or not." Iris finally responded. Jace agreed, and stood. After taking a few sips of her water, she finally felt strong enough to sit up and lean forward. Seemed days dragged on for the last week. She had a feeling this Winter would be even longer than usual, given how it's started for her. With a brush of her hand to the blanket, she lightly removed it off herself. At this moment, Jace was getting himself some water, then turned to her.
"The color's coming back in your eyes and leaves." Jace commented relievedly "You scared me this morning."
"I know..." she moved her legs down off the chair and prepared to stand "I scared myself, to be honest."
A gentle sigh escaped Jace as he walked over to her, noticing her fixing to stand. She was a little shaky in the legs, which Jace took it upon himself to reach for her free hand and help her up. She allowed his help, and stood with a slight wobble. After a few moments though, she straightened up and didn't require Jace holding her still.
"Ugh... As much as I don't want to, best get this day started..." Iris groaned.
Looking at the time on the wall, the blond-haired deku snickered "Not that we have much to do. I know you wont want to go anywhere, and it's not like we have chores and work to do. Why not just sit back and relax today? Maybe we could find something to do together?"
"Shouldn't we be working on the baby's room?" Iris questioned with a raised brow.
He had to admit, it had to be done... However, he just wasn't up for it... And he knew Iris wasn't. He waved his hand and went "Eh..." before replying cooly "We got time. One or two days of slacking off wont hurt."
"If you say so..." she paused and finished her water, then sat it down on the tiny table next to the chair. "So then, Mr. Leavance... What can we do today?" she crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.
He smiled and stretched, answering "I think we should be thinking of names... We haven't done that yet..."