Marianna could have kissed Ivo. She had half a mind to do so anyway, audience be damned. Let the Duke see that she'd managed to build a life for herself not because of what he'd done to her, but in spite of it. It wasn't the life her mother would have wanted for her, but that was his fault, not...
Marianna would later attribute the ease with which her astonishment showed on her face to the exhaustion brought on by the previous night's bout of morning sickness. She'd been expecting for some sort of control to be exerted over the Furotazzis, but not the offer of what appeared to be a...
Marianna raised an eyebrow, stilling her tongue to comment on what she expected that money would actually go to in the paws of the Ministry of Commerce. A lifetime spent among the residents of the harborside districts had demonstrated quite aptly where Imperial priorities lay. "Well, Minister...
Marianna sat gingerly, still eying the cat warily. So, this must have been what it was like when an agent from Misanthropy walked into Vito's office with an offer that he couldn't refuse. Being powerless was an unsettling sensation, one that threatened to disturb her still restless stomach. She...
Marianna clung closely to Ivo's arm as the foreign fox approached, considering his statement. They could just leave, but... No, she decided, squeezing the paw she had resting over her fiancé's wrist. This was her mother's grace, the one that he had placed her in. If he had the gall to approach...
Marianna bustled into the office, setting down her purse and taking a few deep breaths to settle her stomach. There was some smell in the barracks, maybe one of the cleaners they were using, that was triggering her nausea. She had to assume that this was a symptom of her condition, since she'd...
The invitation had been unnerving for a number of reasons. First, it had been addressed to Falun and Marianna by name, delivered to the Lilting Lily, the tavern that served as a front for their operations. A second copy was sent to the small warehouse that served as a Tazzi flophouse and the...
The grave was, as always, characteristically silent save for the low moan of the wind blowing between the stones around them. Marianna moved her paw from her stomach to rest atop Ivo's, pawfingers interlacing. "I don't know what she'd approve or disapprove of," she said softly, "but I like to...
As Ivo came up beside her, Marianna glanced over her shoulder, relief and vulnerability washing over the raw tension of her nerves. She leaned into his sidelong embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she breathed, letting her tears fall onto his coat before they could...
It was rare for Marianna to look shocked; the expression as her mouth dropped open was priceless. "You..." Tears started to gather in her eyes again, and she thumped his shoulder with her fist before she broke down. "Ivo, you tailhole, making me cry!" She kissed him through the rain of tears...
Marianna's relief was palpable as she nuzzled her partner, kissing his cheek softly. "Okay," she agreed, pulling back to smile at him. "We'll figure it out together. At least we know the bar is set very low when it comes to outdoing out own parents." Her smile turned mischievous as she added...
Marianna blinked away tears as she kissed Ivo, her shoulders sagging as she rested herself in his embrace. As they broke their kiss, she hurried to murmur a few assurances. "If you become scared or unsure, or decide you aren't ready, I won't hold it against you. Fatherhood is... It's a big...
Marianna was quiet for a moment, burying her face in Ivo's chest. "I can't believe they were rotten," she said quietly, "because I know you aren't. I see the caring, concerned, careful todd you are, and I can't believe that came all from the gang who took you in. I have to believe that part of...
Marianna knelt and set the flowers down on the grave, replacing the dessicated husks that had mostly been overtaken by grass and weeds. She carefully brushed away the detritus that had gathered on the face of the tombstone, using her claw to clean out the engraved letters.
Dr. Julia Freedom...
Marianna curled into Ivo's embrace, letting the exhaustion wash over her now that she no longer had to be upright. Her voice was quiet for a moment before she softly inquired, "Do you ever wonder about your parents? Who they were, if they loved you, if they missed you after you were gone? If...