Flawed had been spending a little more time than normal within the cave, mostly because Echo had been spending more time within the cave, and that was okay with him. He still wasn't used to being around so many others, even if he had been there for a bit of time by then. He still sometimes expected to be sent on his way, so to take these moments to just be curled up close to the doe that had welcomed him in so easily, was a soothing balm on his easily frayed nerves. At the moment, he had just barely woken up from a bit of a nap, and was gently nuzzling at the doe he was curled up to, not ready to move from this warm, cozy spot at this point in time. Nope, here was good.
----
Now was not the time to sleep, unlike what his twin and her mate clearly thought."Hey," Cave Yell quietly said. "I don't know what time you think it is, but it is very clearly not evening yet, and I've got something I think we should all pack up and do."
Echo hummed at the sound of someone talking, hoping the affirmative sound would have them get on with the shutting-up and either the cuddling or the leaving-her-alone.
"You probably don't want me wading in like I am right now. I'll get you all wet." this was responded to with another soft, idle hum.
----
Flawed groaned a little, and raised his head from where it was resting along Echo's back to look up at her brother, and huffed a little.
"Maybe not, but Echo wanted to nap, and a nap sounded like a good plan, so here we are. Napping. You should lay down and nap too, or something." he yawned a little and stretched some, knowing that going back to sleep, with an obviously anxious to be out and about Cave Yell hovering, wasn't about to happen.
----
Well, they very clearly hadn't picked up on his warnings. Their loss! "I'll take you up on that 'something'," he said, a little impishly, as he moved to step in between them, cold and sopping wet as he was. 'Cho shifted uncomfortably, making soft noises of protest, but didn't rouse herself– so Cave Yell took things to an altogether more drastic measure.
He started to shake the cold, brackish water out of his pelt.
This elicited a yelp, and a sputter.
----
Flawed yelped at the sudden water all over him and Echo and he scrambled to his feet, and lightly butted at the other buck with a sigh. "Why'd you go and do that? I was cozy." he sighed a little and looked to Echo.
"Guess that's our clue to stop lazing about though hm?" a soft note from him as he bent to nuzzle lightly at her neck, before looking back at Cave, and shaking off the water the other had so nicely shared with them. "What is this thing you think we should all do, hm?"
----
Cave Yell was quick to reward Flawed's movement by leaning in to nuzzle, and help get his fringe of mane back to rights. "Suffice it to say that Lazy here has been sleeping and eating much more regularly as of late," Cave Yell pointed out. It wasn't that Echo was eating noticeably more, or sleeping noticeably more, but rather that she did both so sporadically usually that the regularity in her schedule was implying something more.
"Which means either she knows something she hasn't told us yet, or she's mentally gearing up for some little consequences."
'Cho sighed, shaking her head and moving to paw at an ear with a hoof until the water that had landed just-so to make it feel plugged finally came loose. "I do wish you'd stop talking about me like I wasn't here, you know," she said, to which he immediately responded.
----
Flawed let Cave Yell smooth his mane back down, even as it made him sort of half paw at the ground with his hoof in shyness, but it was a good sort of shy really. These little things, did little wonders for his heart and all.
Though listening to the other buck his head swiveled back and forth between him, and the doe, and back again, their words rolling around in his head and trying to crash together to make some semblance of sense. It took a moment longer before he was spluttering a little.
"You're pregnant?" the words a surprised gasp, but he was stepping closer to her, and he nuzzled lightly at the ear she'd been fussing at, licking it lightly. "Or you think you are, anyhow?" a soft, hopeful note from him. "Not obligation... but desire to stay and do...whatever I can. If you'll let me, anyhow. I mean... you don't have to let me, or want me to...and I can go, really..."
After all, he hadn't stayed around long after everything the first time he'd been involved in something like this, it hadn't been wanted, so he was already mentally gearing up to be sent on his way, and his head dropped a little, as he exhaled some. "I'll be on my way, so I'm not taking up soon to be valuable room in here." oh how disappointed he sounded, he'd been happy here, and the idea of seeing how the little ones he and Echo would have together, was an exciting prospect but... well he wasn't really needed, was he?
----
"Hold up there, bucko." That was two voices, and two bodies, coming to block his way. "Last I checked, there wasn't a famine," Cave Yell started.
"No, things certainly seem to be blossoming in full around here," Cave Yell responded.
"I want you around." "You want him? How selfish, sister." "Fine. Do you want to say it, or shall I?" "It was your mistake, it's your job to correct it."
"We want you here." She leaned in to nose under the skittish buck's jaw. "More than you'd believe."
"Whether there's foals or not," Cave Yell added. "And speaking of foals, I'm taking you both out to speak to a stag about foaling."
A startled huff from Echo. "Wouldn't that usually be our prerogative?" she demanded. He retorted immediately.
"Do you think he would have even asked before spiriting off, had he found out before you told him? I'd be the one trekking through the MotherFather's own blessed swamp looking for him because you wanted to play it cool instead of assuring him that if anything happened that you'd be delighted to share in it with him."
A huff. "It happens when it happens. Thinking about it in advance makes the whole process so much more... ugh. I don't have to justify this to you." She leaned in a little more firmly against him. "I like you. I'm... you couldn't do much of anything to change that, and you will always be welcome here."
----
He hadn't expected to be blocked by either of them, let along both of them and it caught him by surprise. So much so, it took a few seconds to digest just what it was they were saying.
They both wanted him....and there? He ducked his head just a tiny bit even as she leaned in to nose at him, and he responded in kind by nuzzling at her ear again lightly.
Though Cave's words embarrassed him a little, and there was a soft "I wouldn't have just left...I would have asked if I could do something, anything to help before going... even doing my best to get a blessing...you know something useful for once." he trailed off lamely at this point as he lightly nosed at the bucks neck.
"Uhm...but thank you...both of you. Really I just....I never...." he'd never belonged somewhere before, so it was hard to put his feelings into proper words at this point. So, soft display of affection would have to suffice for the time being.
"I guess, lead the way?" he looked back to Echo a moment, a soft smile playing over his lips. "I'll do my best to help out with little ones though. It'll be a first for me."
----
"I trust you now that you said that– but you never really indicated that you'd say something before you left. And you've been plenty useful here– your worth isn't offset by some sort of food debt here, not when it grows like crazy everywhere." There were many benefits to living above this little brackish paradise that they did– the soil itself was fertile from the dragons' activity, the water was constantly teeming, and the parasites were very quickly converted from those who ate to those who were eaten when one had a dragon to shadow them.
He didn't respond to Flawed's thanks, not quite certain how to go about responding to such fervent, undeserved praise. He'd think on it, and respond to that later, when he had something that addressed the root of it, as well as rewarding the kind intent.
He started moving at Flawed's behest, turning his head slightly so he could watch him in the corner of one eye as he moved forward. "Don't you worry a hair on your pretty little head about helping out– it comes naturally. I mean, it's a first of sorts for her, too."
"And just what do you mean by that?" she retorted, her voice soaring back up in pitch.
Cavi chuckled. She was too easy to rile up when she was like this! "Only that this is the first time you've let someone other than that agoraphobic bird-buck get at you often enough for there to be ostensible results, and therefore the first time you'll have had a chance to have the sire acting as a father instead of just me."
The doe huffed. "It's not my fault you scare them all off– and I've never asked him." Not that she was especially certain that Anger would be the staying sort. It ached to think of, but no number of clutches would ever change that.
"Oh, so I'm the one who scares them?" the buck responded, starting to tread the water at the cliffside entrance.
She didn't respond. Cave Yell got the message much more loudly and clearly than if she'd snapped at him.
----
"I uhm...oh...I guess I never did..." he ducked his head with a sheepish note. He knew not being used to this sort of thing would only carry him so far by way of explanation for his lack of social finesse and all, but it was the unfortunate truth. He just wasn't used to proper conventions and all, including the whole saying if he'd stay, or go... or come back even. He made a note in his mind, to be sure to do just that.
He couldn't help the quiet laugh as he listened to them, shaking his head in quiet amusement, but not adding anything of his own to that! He knew better than to get between the two just then.
Instead he followed them both into the water, having grown used to the watery way in and out of the cave after a couple of times doing it.
----
Cave Yell smiled, and turned about to nudge at Flawed's haunch once they came up to land. "Hey, it's all right. It's not something that comes up too often in general company– kin generally get concerned when people start talking about exit strategies, and tend to read context into it that wasn't intended.
"Truth is, we've been tiptoeing around some things with you, because you've pretty obviously got some stresses and fears that we didn't want to step on– we like you, we want you staying with us to be as enjoyable for you as possible– but we can work on you with those, and get you armed and hopefully also comfortable with some new knowledge."
'Cho nodded her assent. Something to help distract from what may or may not be happening... that sounded like a good idea. "You'll have to forgive us if we go over some really, painfully obvious things, or other things you've picked up already, in the interest of thoroughness." He worked his way up one of the twisting paths at the cliffs, leading away from the caves and orchards and on the one path that led out of this clifftop haven and to the rest of the swamp.
"I asked him to wait at the clearing a little south of here, so we shouldn't be far now..." maybe, if the stag heard them, he'd even come to meet him! Supposing he hadn't done something tricky like shadow him all the way to the den and back.
----
Fish Bones had not shadowed the buck, but he cautiously approach when he heard them talking. Coming close enough to be seen, but not so close as to intrude on the conversation, which sounded rather personal in nature.He smiled kindly at the trio, nodding in greeting. A rather unique situation, he'd never been asked by a non-parent to do a blessing. Much less brought all this way to meet the parents. He did not mind one bit though, in fact it warmed his heart when kin did such things for those they care about.
"Good morning. Your brother has requested my services, if you'd like them?" a bit odd perhaps, but regardless of Cave Yell's wants, if either parent rejected the offer Fish Bones would respect that. And even if neither did, he wanted it understood the choice is theirs to make.
On a whim he does something he has rarely done in view of others, and changes into his foxbun form.