[B] Truespeak x Roses in Bloom

[Owlsomniac]

[imgright]http://www.matope-swamp.com/images/blue ... uncert.png[/imgright]
Truespeak is going to be a father, and if he has anything to say about it - he's going to be a good father.

Though, seeing as he's never had children before, he isn't entirely sure where to start. Plus, he's lost. He'd gone out to find some dandelions for the mother to be, and in his picking and wandering, he'd somewhat lost track of where he'd ended up. Oops.

He sighs, looking around him in consternation, the dandelions he'd picked beginning to wilt a little in the heat of the day.

A sound to his left catches his attention. It could just be a foxbun in the brush, but it might also be a kin - someone who knows the area and can help him get back home, and to the doe carrying his children - who is also waiting for her dinner.

"Er... hello? Is someone there?"

[Moonstone Dazzle]

The swan, not necessarily able to speak, startled with a ‘honk’. She had felt the acha nearby, had gone to offer him comfort… and realized, oh dear. She wasn’t in any position to return his call! Letting her avian form go, Roses in Bloom stepped out of the brush, offering the buck a smile.

“Sorry about that! I sometimes forget that as a bird, I’m not able to answer. But nothing to fret about, it’s just little old me,” she laughed gently, approaching him.

“Dandelions? For your love?”

[Owlsomniac]

The acha blinks as the swan, startled from her -- whatever she'd been doing -- suddenly transforms into a doe right before his eyes. He blinks again, as if to ensure he's not just seeing things, but no, she seems real enough.

"Er, well, that's okay... I think?" He's never seen anyone do anything like that before. Though, he's heard some stories...

"Oh -- yes. Well, sort of. I mean, I'm going to be a father and well, the doe who is, who um--" he pauses, flustered, his tail waving suddenly in nervous anxiety. "That is, I thought she might be hungry, and dandelions can be such a sweet treat, you know? And I want to make sure she isn't hungry, so that the children might grow up strong and healthy. That's the right thing to do, right?"

But he was meant to ask her something else, too. In his flustered state, he'd nearly forgotten. "Oh! Could you -- I mean, if you're familiar with this area... I seem to be a bit, uhm lost. I think I came from the East, but now the sun is beginning to set and, well..."

[Moonstone Dazzle]

“Convenient for traveling, or for tracking prey. I don’t think I’m much suited to be a hawk, so I’m not the best hunter… my love, though! Oh, you ought to see her. If we take hound and swan, I can keep an eye on things while she hunts…” it would be very easy to get lost in the story. Roses sighed to herself, a wistful look as she dreamt of home, there in front of the buck. It took her a moment, daydreaming, to remember she had been in the middle of something and to look embarrassed.

“Oh! Sorry, terribly silly of me. You were speaking to your own love. The dandelions, I think they’re a lovely gift,” she agreed, nodding. It wasn’t quite enough to sustain a mother for more than a snack, but… the things were starting to wilt, and the poor dear just looked tired enough as it was. Roses in Bloom turned her head to the sun as it set, thinking.

“Yes, I… think I can help you. Let’s get on this way, shall we?” With a flick of her tail, Rose bobbed her head, motioning for the buck to follow, and started walking.

[Owlsomniac]

Truespeak warms at the mare's reassurance that the dandelions will likely be acceptable. He hopes so!

It takes some time (he'd wandered further than he thought!) but eventually, the landscape begins to appear familiar, and then he spots a large cypress that couldn't be mistaken for anything else but the one that grows near his own home. Along the way, he'd picked more dandelions and other edibles, including some sprigs of berries he hadn't noticed on his first foray.

"Oh -- we're nearly there!" It's a good thing, too, as the first stars are already beginning to peek out overhead, the sun little more than a faint, red, burn in the distance. Small summer fireflies have begun to waken, dancing around them with the gentle motions of the breeze and their own whimsy.

He spots the den ahead and sighs in relief.

"Hey, thank you so much for helping me! I don't know how long it would have taken me to find my own way back. Maybe I won't wander so far next time..." he laughs softly, careful not to drop the things he'd brought. "I'll just try harder next time. I only want what's best for my children and their mother, you know? But I'm so nervous! I've never been a father before."

[Moonstone Dazzle]

While it was nice to have the wings of a bird to cover great distances, there was something to be said for the feeling of her hooves on a gentle pathway. A nice, peaceful walk with no urgency, nowhere fast to be. Sure, the dandelions were not as lively as they had once been, but the sweetness of the gift would show through. Earnesty and kindness, only slightly waylaid by the buck’s sense of direction. She would be thrilled to have such sweetness directed unto her.

“Happy to do so,” Roses responded, bowing her head. Beyond the call to offer her blessing, she liked to help. Lend her assistance, however limited it might be. She was not the most capable creature, but she certainly liked to try.

“I think, your thinking about your efforts just proves how hard you’re trying. And I think that’ll show, in your little ones to come.” Or that was what she thought, anyway. Not that he’d asked, but oh well.

“I hope your children are just as sweet and thoughtful as you are.”