Many things in life don't turn out as one would expect. It could arguable be the story of Diana and Lysine's lives. Both of them felt that they weren't born the right sex. It would be years before they correct that mistake thanks to Animalia's Project Hermaphroditus. After their conversion into hermaphrodite lions, they ended up becoming mates. The two of them were eager to have cubs, though despite how often Lysine mated with Diana, Diana didn't get pregnant. But when Diana suggested switching positions, Lysine was the one who ended up pregnant. It wasn't quite what they had intended, but at least they'll be parents now. Though there was at least one unexpected surprise for them.
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Diana paced around the waiting room for a while. Shi was going to be a father any moment. Diana had wanted to embrace hir inner woman after hir conversion. Shi couldn't figure why shi didn't get pregnant. It couldn't be shi was infertile, Lysine was definitely proof of that right now. Maybe hir mating season clock was off. Should they try again? How soon after these cubs? How many would there be?
Diana's worrying was halted when shi was told shi could see hir mate now. Lysine looked rather tired as shi laid on the hospital bed, a cub in each arm. "Oh, Lysine, they're so beautiful," said Diana happily.
"Yes, but there's something you ought to know," said Lysine.
"Was there a complication?" asked Diana with worry.
"No, but our cubs aren't like us," said Lysine, "They're both single-sexed, a boy and a girl."
"Oh..." said Diana pausing in surprise, "I thought herms could have herm children."
"Apparently, some of the other herm couples have had single-sexed kids too," said Lysine, "I guess I was expecting the odds to favor herm kids more."
"Well, they're still ours," said Diana, "And maybe the next litter will have more like us."
"You're really that eager to be a mother?" asked Lysine with a raised eyebrow.
"You know how important is to me," said Diana.
"Well, you can do your share of nursing," said Lysine, "Well, after I've had these milksacks drained. If all this milk pressure is this painful for lions, how do the cows deal with it?"
"I'm pretty sure they have milking machines," said Diana conversationally.
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With the pandemic keeping everyone indoors, Diana and Lysine had a lot of time to devote to Ash and Bay. Animalian lion cubs were pretty rambunctious. They were certainly a lot more adept at crawling than human babies. They also tended to nip and claw a bit. Suffice to say, Diana and Lysine often ended the day rather exhausted.
"I hope they're not as much of a handful when they're older," said Diana as they both lay in bed.
"Speaking of them being older, there's one thing that sorta worries me," said Lysine.
"What's that?" asked Diana.
"What if they're like us?" asked Lysine. Diana gave hir a confused look. "Transgender," added Lysine.
"I hadn't really considered that," said Diana, "But wouldn't they be instinctively drawn to the opposite sex anyways?"
"You know that's a different thing," said Lysine.
"Ok, but there's not much that can be done for them," said Diana, "They're already Animalians."
"True, but I think they only count as single-dose ones," said Lysine, "A dose with the hermaphrodite gene might be enough to change them, right?"
"Well, even if it did, it would also mean they would grow up instantly," said Diana.
"Oh, right," said Lysine, "I don't want them skipping over their childhood, but I don't want them growing up thinking they're in the wrong bodies either."
"This is all assuming that they're transgender," said Diana, "I'm pretty they don't think themselves as being the wrong sex right now. I mean, how old were you when you realized it?"
"Ok, that's a good point," admitted Lysine, "I might be projecting a bit."
"Look, we'll keep an eye on them. If either of them seems like they don't feel right being a boy or girl, we'll let them get a second dose," said Diana.
"But not until they're old enough," said Lysine.
"Start of high school at the earliest," said Diana.
"But suppose one is and the other isn't?" asked Lysine.
"They both get a double-dose, though they don't have to both go herm," said Diana.
Lysine sighed and asked, "You think all parents have to deal with this kind of thing?"
"I think we can safely say we're a unique case," said Diana.