[PRP] Double down [Abandons Fear/Brother Shark]

[Beejoux]

Brother Shark yawned widely and shifted on the sandy patch of beach he was currently sprawled out on. It'd been about a week, maybe two, since his foals with Fisheye had emerged from their sacks, and though Fish was no stranger to motherhood, and this certainly wasn't Shark's first clutch, six babies were a handful, and the buck was wiped.

The sun was shining, the sand was warm and inviting, and in a rare reprieve of peace, he was trying to catch a nap before the snoozing babies woke and needed his attention again.

Even Bait was elsewhere, bothering some other poor creature.

[seru_ame]

Abandon had grown fond of the Cres- in particular, a certain buck. One who had proven uncommonly charming. Flirtation had given way to indulgence, had given way to some... peculiar circumstance. Hunger had taken hold of the massive totoma ram after a week or so, and, rather than burdening the fishers of the Cres, he had retreated to the swamp.

The hunger had not let up, and only grown, as his belly swelled slowly.

He had spoken to a wise old ewe on her way to the Cres as he was on his way out, worked out that the swell and writhing in his belly had been lambs, or maybe foals, and taken himself elsewhere to contemplate his situation.

He had contemplated too long, because, not long after he had had five little bundles of his own. Two lambs, three eggsacs. A conundrum, since he had no idea how to handle those. Somehow, he had managed not to bungle it, his lambs had grown strong, and the eggsacs had torn themselves open for the most part. If he had helped a little, none would know but he and the MotherFather.

He had ushered, then, his blind foals and the sturdy little lambs back to the Cres, carefully. His serpent helped keep them close, keep them safe. Fed on anything that would have eaten them, but foals were so, so delicate, and lambs were foolishly brave. So he lead his herd onward, until the trees thinned and he could smell the ocean.

With a grunt, he settled the young down by a patch of grass, bade the serpent lie near them, and began to seek.

He had not had to go far.

Brother Shark appeared to be resting in the sunlight. Which Abandon found himself blocking as he loomed somewhat, staring at the buck.

Had Abandon thought to even say good-bye before he'd gone out hunting? No, he didn't think he had. Words had taken a back seat to instinct. His legs stiffened and his eyes widened as he realized that fact, and cleared his throat.

[Beejoux]

The passing of a shadow over him wasn't immediately met with any sort of notice, it happened, but the sun didn't return, and then he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Brother Shark blocked his eye open, looking up at the large figure blocking out the sun. It took him a moment to focus on the totoma's familiar features, the sun shining around him was bright, but when he recognized Fear he grinned toothily up at the other buck, pleased to see him, even if he was tired.

"Hi." Abandons Fear had just disappeared one day, and Brother Shark hadn't known why, but he was glad the big buck had made his way back to the bay. "You disappeared."

[seru_ame]

That smile was the same as ever. Maybe a little more tired than before, but, just the same. The ram faltered a moment, and then smiled some, fluffy tail swishing slightly. "I did. I was hungry." Indeed, he still had some baby fat clinging to his flanks, but he was recovering muscle mass fast.

Abandon hesitated, peering down at the buck a moment more, smile fading as he pondered how, exactly, to tell the man that he had sired another clutch. Or was it a litter?

The semantics of the words eluded him. Thankfully, the internal debate was interrupted by a loud, mournful bleating, like the whole of the world were ending. Abandon lifted his head sharply, and fixated on the foal who had slunk towards the pair, and fallen, apparently, into a shuppy hole.

Lonely Cry is a wee bit dramatic.

[Beejoux]

Scaled bros arched curiously. There was a lot of fish to be had on the Cres and in the surrounding swamp, it was hard to imagine Fears wouldn't have been able to find enough to eat.

And Shark would have helped. Would have fished for him or gone on treks to trade, had he known. But he hadn't known.

He frowned as well, might have asked, but a sound not entirely unfamiliar pierced the relative quiet. Shark lifted his head sharply, looking in the direction of Fisheye's den, before realizing it wasn't coming from there. He blinked down the coast, towards the spindly little foal that was ambling towards themz their coat a familiar seeming shade of blue.

[seru_ame]

Abandon would have explained for himself, but he was more concerned with the pitious bawling of the foal in the shuppy hole. His sides swelled with a deep inhale, and he exhaled slowly.

"Excuse me, Brother Shark."

The mountainous form lumbered off towards the squirming baby, head dipping low. He gripped his neck like a cat did it's kittens, and hauled the child up and out. He laved his tongue over its face, barely opened, glowing eyes blinking as it sobbed of heartbreaks unending and Abandon blew hot air into its face to soothe it. Finally, the tiny, overly fluffy foal bleated out a hiccup, and calmed.

Abandon lifted his head, and looked back to Shark with something close to an apology etched into the grimace of his face.

[Beejoux]

Shark was staring at the distressed foal in the shuppy hole when Fears excused himself to go over and help, carefully extracting the spindly little thing who ceased crying almost immediately after a small show of comfort. The kimeti buck rolled slowly to a more upright position, looking between the babe and Fears as the totoma looked back at him, something like an apology on his face.

Another small figure appeared, emerging from.thr beach grass not far from where the foal had come from. This one a lamb, dark and light both, and she stomped right over to the now quieted foal, staring disapprovingly at him.

The pieces were starting to fall into place. Shark didn't know much about lambs or how they aged, but he'd seen enough kimeti babes to know that these babies couldn't be far in age from the ones he had with Fisheye, and hadn't that been about when Fears had disappeared from the Cres? Shark remembered wondering where the big buck was after Fisheye had told him about the upcoming babies.

"Yours?" He inquired with a knowing sort of curiosity. They had similar bone markings to the big ram. But there was also the coloring, and the timing...

Shark rolled up to his feet and walked over to them to have a better look.

[seru_ame]

Abandons Fear shifted his weight some, and then looked over towards the second form coming from the beach grass with another soft huff. He leaned, and lightly nosed at them with his nose, lipping their soft head to distract them from their disapproval. "Don't judge him, little one. He is tender," he rumbled. He lifted his head slowly, and then nodded at Brother Shark's question. "My first. They... there are five. Two lambs, and three were eggs. I didn't exactly know what to do with those- but they hatched alright." Oh. He was rambling again.

The little foal who had been crying so loudly tucked his head between his forelegs, trying not to cry again. He folded his legs up, and pushed himself upright, wibbling himself forward. He stumbled into his sister, and tried to tuck his neck around hers for comfort. Another foal had come out, more steady on her hooves. Her little horn nubs looked thicker, and her tail stubby and far fluffier. Her wide, glowing blue eyes were fixed, not on Abandon or her siblings, but Brother Shark.

[Beejoux]

The smaller buck had moved in closer, head dipping, to peer at the babes. The lamb had a presence to her, a strength that seemed comical in their tiny state, but impressive all the same. He watched on as the kimeti foal righted himself, hooking his neck over the lamb for stability. With a curious hum he dipped his nose in, scenting the babies before lifting his head again, sharing a look with Abandons Fear before the appearance for a third babe stole his attention

This one had eyes, glowing eyes, only for him, and he lowered himself to lay on his belly as she approached, ears flicked up and eyes keen. "Hello little one."

He looked to the lamb again, then the other kimeti babes, noting the wider maw, the hints of sharp teeth peaking through. "You're mine, aren't you?" It would have been quite the strange coincidence if they weren't. The same eyes, the same jaws, the same familiar blues and greens.

Shark looked back up at Abandons Fear.

[seru_ame]

Abandon's eyes dropped to the little foal leaning on his sister. They were both so... fragile. Strange. He glanced up, and looked at the third. She looked more like Brother Shark, with that wide maw of hers that had so startled him when she'd first yawned sleepily at him. His tail swished reflexively, and dropped to his knees, and then kicked out his legs slightly. No sense in standing, it felt too much like looming, when Brother Shark was settled so.

"Yes, they are," he confessed for them all softly. Grief Reef turned her head towards Shark over her brother's head, and studied him with a soft, slow exhale. She nudged Lonely down, left him adrift, and stepped towards Shark, eyes squinting up at him.

[Beejoux]

There were more eyes, glowing and not, watching from the beach grass. More cautious than the others, most of the others, but as the big totoma settled down to rest on the sand as well a little blue head popped up, watching keenly, before he started across the sand as well with the last little lamb in tow. Why wait with the snake when they could be with their brother, sisters, and dad.

Dads.

Shark looked back down at the red bodied foal as he let that sink in, wide maw pulling in a little smile. He nosed at her, almost challenging, as she stepped bravely forward.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked after a moment, tone light. He wasn't angry, but he was confused. They'd been getting on quite well, to his memory. And no, he couldn't promise exclusively, but he did care for the larger buck.

[seru_ame]

The serpent uncoiled beneath unsteady and steady hooves, huffing at the abandonment. It slithered out of the grass, and off a short distance before stretching out in the sunlight.

The little totoma-backed filly puffed up, and reared up at her father's playful challenge- only to overbalance and tumble onto her side, kicking and squirming a bit before setting in like she had meant to do just that.

Abandon, meanwhile, had pulled the little blue foal closer to himself. The dark-throated babe tucked in where his plates gave way to fur, and he nosed at the little one softly. "I... Did not know at first, that they grew. I felt ill. Nervous. So I left." A mostly-truth. "You have many, already. "

[Beejoux]

The little filly reared up, like she meant to headbutt him, but instead seemed to over balance and topple. It had him laughing softly, and as she settled he nosed against her chest with a warm little hum. She was brave, this one, and the little dark lamb as well, determined and confident. He'd never had children that were anything other than Kimeti, it was different. One of the two now approaching cautiously was very blue and green, scales gold. The other, the lamb, looked splattered with something dark, similar to Fear's red, but black.

Brother Shark looked back up at Fears as the bigger buck drew the other foal in against his side, soothing it. "I do have many," he chuckled. "Six new ones, in fact, with Fisheye." He wasn't sure if Fears remembered the matriarch of the tribe. "They're about this size, can't be more than a week apart, at most."

The blue foal with the stubby tail came closer, and Shark bumped his nose against theirs, then looked up at Fears again. "I would not want to miss knowing them, though. Or have you disappear from my life." Once upon a time, maybe, back when he was younger and took these connections for granted, but not now. Not ever again.

"I'm glad you came back, all of you."

[seru_ame]

Abandon watched Shark, quietly. Grief Reef was fine, the sand was soft. And she hopped back towards Shark a moment before simply plopping down on her side like a hound and relaxing. Everyone big was lying down, and she didn't feel like clambering on their backs. Lonely had begun to doze off, secure against Abandon's side. "That is good. They will have many siblings, then. Never too lonely," Abandon rumbled.

This time, when Shark looked at him again, he met the buck's gaze. "I am glad, too. I missed you." A brief pause, a deep inhale that shifted the frail foal at his side enough to bleat a protest, and then. "I may wander, but I will always come... home.

tag~

[Beejoux]

Shark nodded, looking a little haggered for a moment at the prospect of so many babies to keep watch of. Six was already a lot, now he had eleven. "No, never lonely. They will keep me busy, I'm sure." At least while he was on the coast. The buck still had his duties to attend to, and that often took him away for days at a time, or longer.

He looked up at Fears as the totoma refered to the bay as home and smiled, leaning in to nose in under his chin. He hadn't imagined himself as a kin that ever wanted to settle, but here he was. "I'm glad to hear that."

Glowing eyes dipped to the foal that had fussed when Fears had moved and he lowered his head to look him o er, smiling. "Do they all have names?"