It was a free day for Temar on the rotation. He wasn't sure yet if he was going to go out and do something, or just stay in. Maybe Whimsy would keep him company? He wasn't sure how things were going with her. When she'd asked about him being a sire for her whelps, it was exciting but also pretty nerve-wracking. Would she want the rest of the feelings that went with this? Want him? Or did she just want a family? And... what did he want? He knew he was halfway to losing his head already. When he thought about her being a happy coparent with him one day and then maybe going off to some other colony to live with some new beau the next, it made him sick to his stomach. Was that... what love was? He wanted to be around her, and thought about her a lot. But was it more of a crush? It felt too big to get wrong. They'd known each other most of their lives at this point. What would happen if... whatever was happening, ended with them being on bad terms?

He was broken from his reverie by Whimsy herself, perhaps conveniently, perhaps ironically. She popped her head into his room with a cheeky, cheerful grin.

"Hey are you coming to breakfast or what?" she asked

"Uh, yeah, yeah! Just trying to decide what to do with my day off. Got lost in thought." Temar admitted.

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Would you like to go to the city with me? It would help me out to have someone else around today, somebody I trust. Couldn't be better!"

"What's up?" he asked, intrigued. But she shook her head and giggled.

"Nah, I'll tell you on the way. C'mon, let's go eat and get on a transport!"

Whimsy kept her secret all the way to the city. Temar was anxious, wondering what could be going on. Was this one of her thief things? Was it dangerous? Was it about... them? She wasn't taking him to the city to, uh... no surely not. He focused on trying to stay calm and not get lost in wild imaginings. Once they arrived in the city, she led him through some back alleys until she felt like they were alone.

"I'm sorry for the subterfuge," she began. "I just didn't want Mama to hear us back home, and on the transport I'd rather not let the wrong ears hear what's up either. See the thing is... it has to do with my mentor from the thieves guild, and she's cagey about people hearing about her, even in abstract terms."

Temar nodded. "Your secret is safe with me" he said.

Whimsy smiled warmly. "I knew it would be. I was telling her about the mishaps lately, how I feel like I'm not quite on my game. She told me about something. A procedure. It can increase my dexterity. But it's experimental and it's not legal everywhere. I wanted you to come because, afterward, I gotta drink a special medicinal tea so I don't experience side effects and can heal from it, and I wanted someone with me... I wanted, you, with me."

Temar looked into her eyes, which were wide with apprehension. He took a deep breath, and then nodded.

"I understand. I'm here."

She didn't say anything, but for just a moment it seemed as though she might tear up, and she squeezed his front paws tightly in her own. She led him deeper into the heart of the underground, and he kept watch while she made a brief and very quiet transaction. Whimsy tucked her small package into her pouch and the two of them headed to the outskirts of the city.

There was a traveler's waystation there called The Port. It was somewhere you went on the way to somewhere else. There were places to sit, a wall of sleep pods in the back for travelers to rent, cleaning and water facilities, and vending machines that doled out various kinds of mediocre refreshment. It was open at all hours as all the available facilities were automated and only needed periodic maintenance. Things were kept clean and in good working order, but it was rather minimalist and clearly well used. There was a certain coziness to the shabby, utilitarian nature of the place. Somewhere at the meeting point of nostalgia and a dive. People came here to be quiet and tired, and not be disturbed. It was perfect.

While Whimsy found a secluded corner to down the shady "brain zapper," Temar tensely made the vital tea. They took a seat together by the portal-style windows which may have been where the place got its name, and she took the drink with unsteady claws. She seemed woozy but coherent. They could rest here until she was well enough to make the trip home.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. "And don't say nothing, you know I can tell."

Temar scratched at his neck, trying to find the words. "It's just... I'm torn about this."

"This?"

"Whimsy, I... care about you, you know? And the thing is, one of the things that make you who you are is your daring, and I would never want to stifle that. But... I don't want anything to happen to you, you know? How do I tell you I love it that you're a risk taker, and then ask you not to take too many risks? What if something happens and you get hurt again... while you're carrying our whelps, you know?"

She gave a slight smile as she huddled over her cup, taking another sip, seeming to draw comfort from the steam. "I think I know what you mean. This IS about taking less risks. Or at least, about mitigating the risks. I didn't come to the decision lightly. I wanted to make sure I had the skills to do what I need to do. Does this mean... you've thought about what I said?"

Temar let out a breath. "Yeah, only pretty much all the time since that day," he told her wryly. "I just needed time to sort out my feelings. I wanted to know my heart. And ... I do now. I realized today that what was bothering me most was the thought that this might end with me losing you in some way or another. I don't want that ever. I ... I will give you the family you want, but, I can only do it if you ... if you want the whole family. If you want... me, too."

Whimsy let out a soft, long sigh. It was as though something had been lifted from her. "Yes," she answered. "I want that."