"That's not a bad thing," Aura said, smiling just a little. "I would rather our son look like him, to be honest."

"Oh?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow, a silent invitation for her to continue. She was curious about how Aura's mind worked, after all, to have caught her son's attention so.

Aura shrugged just slightly.

"It's obvious who the more attractive one of us is," she said. "I would rather our son look like him than me."

Hotaru snorted quietly. "I see," she murmured. She wasn't going to argue that point. "But you seem to have taken to mothering well, from what I hear."

"I love my son," Aura replied simply. She gave a slightly bashful smile. "Though it helps that I already had some practice, having looked after other children for so long beforehand."

"Ah yes. I suppose that is how you met Sesshomaru." Hotaru didn't offer her a seat quite yet, but she was kind of starting to understand why Sesshomaru had picked this one.

"No, actually," Aura replied, smiling just a bit. "He had been hired to do a job for me and things just kind of went from there."

Hotaru blinked at that. "Ah, you were one of his clients." Because of course she knew of Sesshomaru's pet projects. "And how was working with him?"

"It was... interesting," Aura replied, choosing her words. "Sometimes frustrating."

"Only sometimes?" Hotaru murmured. "Either he went soft on you, or you're not easily annoyed."

"It was more frustrating at the beginning," Aura admitted. "When the biggest changes were happening. It got easier after that."

Hotaru nodded. "I see. I imagine, then, that at first you weren't... thrilled." She hid a faint smile behind her tea cup.

"Not in particular," Aura agreed. One hand absently went to her belly as the pup shifted around some. "Neither was my housemate. I lived with a kitsune at the time."

"A kitsune?" Hotaru blinked. "That is an unusual arrangement."

"It worked out well enough, until Sesshoumaru and Hisoka showed up," Aura said, cracking a bit of a wry smile.

"I imagine so. You were already used to some of our mannerisms, then." Hotaru tilted her head to the side, rather curious.

"Some," Aura said, nodding. "Not as many as I probably should have been, but it all worked out."

"So I can see." Hotaru was quiet for a moment. "Come. I believe I desire a bath." She stood and swept from the room, a few handmaidens in attendance.

Aura blinked at the sudden change in topic, but followed along behind her. The door that the Western Lady went through led to a large hot spring, and Aura couldn't help but grin at that. A hot spring sounded wonderful.

Hotaru slipped into a hot spring and motioned for Aura to join her wordlessly. The servants bustled around getting towels and things for the two of them.

Aura got undressed and got into the water as well, easing into it slowly. The heat felt wonderful, but the sudden change in temperature seemed to bother the pup, and it was starting to kick her. She sighed once she was fully in the pool.

"The little one should settle down," Hotaru said, eyeing Aura. "The heat soothes pups."

"In a little bit, I think," Aura replied closing her eyes. Her breath hitched at a particularly hard kick. "The pup just needs some time to get used to it."

"Yes, that's normal," Hotaru agreed. "Especially if it is an active pup."

"I'm grateful that this pregnancy is turning out to be easier than my first," Aura said, eyes still closed. She relaxed more as the pup finally settled down. "I love Katsuro, but he was not kind to me while I carried him."