[BLESS] A Flippant Fool [Flippant/Peep]

[Ruriska]

Flippant was... well, he was flippant. He lived up to his name, he flittered and floated from one group to the next, making friends and then wandering off for someone or something better. He’d had an especially great time at the winter market, batted his eyes at some devilishly dark kin and then, when that had gone nowhere and the market was done, it was time to move on.

Then he’d met the doe. Very different from his usual crushes, she was soft and sweet, kind but also full of passion. She had goals, dreams. He’d found her entertaining, listened to her, nodded along and encouraged her to pursue them. He wouldn’t be there when she accomplished them but he knew that one day they might cross paths again and he would be pleased with what she’d made of her life.

Yes, he was flippant.

But there was one thing he couldn’t be flippant about.

He wasn’t particularly keen on being a father but when one dabbled with the opposite (and sometimes the same) gender, these things happened. He’d gotten unlucky. Or lucky, depending on your point of view. His was very much a case of ‘oh no’.

But he wasn’t going to just shrug this one off.

Not entirely.

So he went to his father. Foolish. Who had been in a similar situation once upon a time and been a better father than any of them could have expected. Meaning he had been only half as absent as planned and gave surprisingly good advice.

So when his father immediately told him to visit The Mothers Club, Flippant had done so.

Which was how he’d found himself in his current predicament - surrounded by snotty nosed little foals, being peppered by questions. Flippant grimaced and shuddered as one of them licked the booger off another’s nose. Ugh. Then he flinched when another decided to headbutt his back leg. A little Totoma testing out their skills.

None of them shut up for a second: ‘Who are you? Where are you from? What’s your favourite food?’

Oh, how exhausting!

How did anyone do this all day?

He was nearly at his limit, ready to run for the hills when the matriarch arrived, easily shooing away the giggling youngsters with a smile and then faced him with the warmth of a thousand hugs. Just a sweet Acha, older, wrinkles around her eyes. But, oh, she was nice. Foolish hadn’t been kidding. She had the most calming presence of anyone he’d ever met.

“It’s so lovely to meet you,” she said. “How is your father?”

Flippant blinked.

“You remember him?”

“Of course, I remember everyone who comes to me for a blessing. And you look a lot like him.” Her nose wrinkled with obvious happiness. “May I ask your name?”

“Flippant. A pleasure to meet you, Peep.” He gave her a flamboyant little bow, to which she laughed merrily. “And my father is very well, thank you. He told me you are the one to thank for his children even knowing his name. And while I don’t plan to be transformed into a good father figure, I would like to make the same deal.”

“A gift, then. To put your mind at ease?” She eyed him knowingly.

“That sounds about right.”

“Then I ask the MotherFather to continue her blessing from one generation to the next, for health and self-knowledge, so they may discover the true joy of life.”

Flippant arched a brow. “And what is the true joy in life?”

Peep laughed. “Whatever makes them happy.”

That sounded alright. They couldn't complain about that.