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 Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 6:21 am
It had been too dark to see the relief on their faces when he delivered such news. Even if he had, he wouldn't have known what for. Surely the news of his daughters second pregnancy would come as a shock, and not relief?
"Oh, her boys are amazing. I've never raised boys myself before, and I helped my daughter a little bit, but they're SO much easier than girls." He laughed, thinking about Butter Pecan and Hazelnut. What is it the 'twins' were doing right now? Probably off being complete idiots, those two fools. Vanilla Swirl wasn't the best mother, and she raised them the way she carried on her own life, so they didn't get much well...love and attention? And they didn't have a father, only a foolish mother....
"These foals are with a different stallion, though. She told me she's going to find him so he can help raise them, since the father of her boys took off." Bliss laughed again, his mind drifting off into a deep thought once more. Why did his daughter get knocked up twice by two different stallions? It appeared that she inherited her father's ability to do that, only he had no idea...
When Evelyn introduced him to the stallion, he knew. He knew that this stallion was her mate, or at least...a very 'lucky' friend of hers. No one just walked up to a stallion you knew for...one day and introduced another stallion to him. There was just so many things wrong with that.
And then she said the news that he wasn't expecting her to say. Well, better to get it out then hold it in, it only made matters worse! "Well, congrats Evelyn! That's excellent!" His voice meant it, he was truly happy for her, parenthood was...well, fun. Then he tore a glance at Kureno and smiled. "You too, I suppose. You'll like fatherhood, it's so easy when you have foals that well, uh...don't know what they want." He laughed again, and looked down at her belly. Ah, yes...he could see it now. Maybe not as obvious as Vanilla Swirl's own belly had been, but something was there.
But one thing he couldn't exactly figure out was why she came here to tell him that. It was like she was rubbing it in his face! 'Hey Bliss, I made love to you, but this stallion is going to be a father! So THERE!' But maybe she was looking for someone she knew who was already a father, so he could help them out a bit...yeah, that made sense....
"So congrats you two! Maybe my Grandchildren and your children can play one day, Evelyn? Kureno? I'd like that."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:10 pm
"That's... good..." she gave up on forming a response, her normally eloquent speech affected by the condition of her reeling mind.
Her lavender eyes, widened with shock, bore into those of the stallion across from her. She rolled his words over in her mind again and again, wave after wave of almost amused shock accompanying them. The gentle shivers that had quelled by Kureno's warm presence started up again, though these shivers were caused by emotion and not by strong winds.
Bliss thought that Kureno was the father.
Should she be flattered that Bliss thought one such as Kureno would be interested in her? Or horrified that the father of her coming children was seeking to pass the responsibility on to another? Had she and Kureno been giving off the wrong vibe, per say? Had their hesitant friendship, formed by repeated encounters and the gradual thawing of hearts, come off as something more?
"Bliss..." her voice became a scant whisper, barely discernible even over the short distance that now seperated them "... You are the father."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:25 pm
Surprise and indignance mingled with anger as he glared towards the ignorant stallion, bristling at his insinuation. Did he think that Evelyn would have sought him out simply to inform him of this if he was not involved in some way?
"I'm not the father, you imbecile." That name was one he normally reserved for Nahuel, but this 'Bliss' certainly fit the bill in that respect. He cared for Evelyn, but they had only known each other for a short time, and he wasn't the type to take something like this lightly.
His wing pressed around her more firmly as he felt her tremble, a frustrated sigh welling up in his lungs as he shifted his weight uncomfortably. He wasn't used to such drama like this- it was normally why he avoided confrontations like this like the plague... but Eve was his friend, and he was obligated to be there for her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:00 pm
He could tell by both of their reactions that something was wrong. Evelyn, for one, looked completely shocked. And Kureno on the other hand looked incredibly mad. Had he done something wrong? Perhaps guessed wrong?
The stallion stared at the two for a moment, and wondered what they could both possibly be thinking to make them react like that. Was Kureno not the father of her children, then? Someone else had to be, obviously...but who...
It was a terrible shame that Bliss lacked the ability to catch on to things like that easy. Heck, if Evelyn never said a word to him and made him guess as to who the father was, his own name wouldn't have ever come up. Vanilla Swirl was his only child...since Soqui was gone...he didn't care about anyone but his daughter...
But she did indeed, tell him who the father was. First he comprehended Kureno's words, ever so carefully. Imbecile? Well, he'd have to ask later what that meant but no doubt it was an insult. Although Kureno said he wasn't the father...so that confirmed their odd reactions.
"Oh, great!" He paused, and heard Evelyn's words. "I'm the father of what?" He asked stupidily. Still, he never would have guessed himself, so the possibility of it actually being him didn't cross him at first and he stared at her with the most confused expression until finally, it hit.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Geez..." Lavender eyes darted down to her stomach, taking in the fact that his children were growing inside of her. "Oh, Evelyn...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean...I didn't know...I..." The stallion, who on any normal occassion, was a happy and care free stallion, struggled for words. And they carried every bit of seriousness in them as well.
"Geez. First 'Nilla and now you...Evelyn, wow." He grinned, he wasn't upset or angry...or even scared. Nor worried or confused. He was happy. Perhaps maybe the situation would have been better had they known eachother better, but wow...he had more children coming? That was fantastic! "Stay with me, Evelyn...I can't promise you that I'll be a great...father, or erm...'mate'? but I do want to be there for them. I don't want Milkshake and Soqui to happen all over again..."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:23 pm
He really was simple, wasn't he? She had said it as plainly as she could, attempting to avoid confusing the stallion who had barely understood her words of greeting upon that fateful night... and yet still it gave him pause?
At least he had a good heart.
She flushed crimson at his words, never having expected him to offer that. Oh yes, she had wished to find him and tell him the news. She had wished to see his reaction, to judge from his words what had transpired, but... mate? She barely knew him!
"I... thank you for accepting the responsibilities of a father." she murmured, her voice colored by embarrassment. "That is all I... require... of you." She did not know how much more plainly she could speak. If that was not obvious enough for him...?
She cast a veiled glance at Kureno, attempting to discern the stallion's reaction. Bliss had asked her to stay with him, had said he wanted to be there for their children... he wouldn't abandon her, nor would he fly into a rage at her words. Would Kureno... leave, now that his escorting duties were finished? Was that all their friendship was to him... a duty? Had he only accompanied her because of some feeling of obligation? If he left... when would she see him again?
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:37 pm
His ire rose at the continued idiocy of the stallion before him, then diminished somewhat at his offer to Evelyn... although there was a feeling of uncertainty at the extension to his offer that he just couldn't identify. At least he was offering to do right by her... although it didn't completely pacify his anger at him for doing this to her in the first place.
Still, Evelyn seemed satisfied, so he supposed he could let it go.
The short glance she cast towards him unnerved him a bit, and he was unsure of what she was thinking in that moment. Did she wish to stay here with him, and have him leave? He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that... she was his friend, no matter what he implied to others.
"Do you wish to stay here? With... him?" the 'him' in his sentence was spoken with slight distaste, but he implied nothing else in the question other than his own uncertainty. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to leave, or have him remain at her side... he would do whatever she wished.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:51 pm
The concept of more little ones running around was still going through the stallion's head once more as the two before him took in his reaction. He didn't watch their expression, nor did he care...he had to think about what was to come...he had to make sure everything was perfect and well, he had to start now.
"What? No problem Evelyn you don't have to thank me. I am already a father, I know what to expect...kind of. Besides, the foals can truly only be raised by those who created them, no other stallion would do a better job than I." He noticed the fact that she seemed a little awkward still, and that Kureno was still angry. And while he himself seemed to continue his happy style, grinning from ear to ear. Why was it so hard for them to take in all of this? Were they scared? And was the other stallion jealous? Of him, ha!
"All you require? What?" Bliss was confused now, what was she expecting him to do? Just be there for the kids and watch them grow? To be a passer by, and then she'd take off with them once she was ready and he'd never be able to see them again? "No, you're wrong. If you expect me to only be there for them, you're wrong. I want to take care of you too, Evelyn. I want to be a father to these foals, and not an older figure like I was with 'Nilla...I don't want to mess up..." The words flowed out of him easier then he expected anything ever to, and it made him happy. Perhaps this was meant to happen, perhaps the heavens chose him to father her foals, because they wanted to give him a second chance?
The stallion had forgotten about the other ones presense until he spoke, and Bliss cast him an almost vicious glare. He didn't want that...thing anywhere near her anymore, now that it was his job to take care of her and the foals, there would be no other stallion involved! He always hated his gender, and this guy was just making the hate worse.
"Yes, she does." He stated simply, "and you can go home now, stallion. I can handle myself from here, I'm not that much of an idiot."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:14 pm
Evelyn's eyes had begun to warm, the emotional turmoil raging inside her just beginning to trickle away... when every muscle in her body tensed at the stallion's words.
She would have told Kureno yes. She would have said 'Yes, I do... if you wish to stay, your presence would be most welcome.' She would have looked at her friend with a smile upon her lips and hope shining in her eyes, wishing that she had not asked too much... wishing that being in the presence the father of her children and the first friend she had ever had was not too much to ask.
She would have smiled at Bliss too, relieved that he took this new development so seriously. She would have comforted him, saying that if anyone would have messed up, it would have been her... for he had more experience of them two, and she did not know what to expect.
She would have been happy, pleased that their search had ended so well.
She did not. And she was not. Apparently, it was too much to ask... so much so that she had not even been able to pose her question before it was shot down.
And so her gaze turned to Bliss, her lavender eyes boring into him with the intensity of molten lava. She shook, but it was not from the cold.
"You do not have the authority to answer for me. You do not have the right to dismiss Kureno as though he was some simpering colt. He may chose when and if he leaves, just as I." her voice was deathly quiet, ever fiber of her being a challenge. Her last words served as both a warning and a threat.
She would not stay with Bliss, even if he was the father of her children, if he sought to control her. If he could not accept that she could answer for herself, that her friends did not require his permission to be in her presence... she would leave.
And if she did... Let him try to make her stay.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:29 pm
A moment ago, he had been prepared to leave, willing to accept Evelyn's choice to stay with the father of her children, but the glare he received from Bliss and the hard words directed towards him brought back his fury with a vengeance. Kureno had been angry when he'd first seen this stallion, but now... he was furious. He had asked Evelyn if she preferred he leave, not him.
If there was one thing that he absolutely hated, it was being ordered what to do. Especially from those he didn't respect.
A snarl tore from his throat as he bristled and stepped forward with a threatening flare to his wings, muscles tensed in his anger. "Try ordering me what to do again, stallion, I dare you. Please, give me an excuse to tear you apart." He was itching to spill blood now, but refrained, solely because Evelyn was present, and he knew she wouldn't condone such actions.
Her own answer, while providing clarification on where she stood with such an issue, did not lessen his fury. He was glad to hear that she would not tolerate being controlled, but he wasn't sure how willing Bliss would be to hear that, and readied himself for a fight if it proved to be necessary.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:25 pm
Again, their reactions were completely unexpected and it confused the heck out of the poor stallion.
He seemed to have unknowingly angered both of them to no end, since they practically jumped on him with words and vicious glares...and in Kureno's case, a very good chance of a fight (of course, it would only be one sided since Bliss wouldn't even hurt a fly)
If he had known that Evelyn wanted him to stay, if he had known that it would hurt all three of them so much, he would have worded his sentence better. He honestly didn't want Kureno to stay because then he'd think he'd have competition all day, every day...and that Kureno would want to father the foals as well, but he could have been wrong. He just assumed that it was the right thing to say, that Evelyn would be amazed that Kureno wanted to help, that she would be angry with him, and not Bliss.
The stallion was stepping all over his life, one that he wasn't exactly invited into, and now...it seemed that the stallion was winning.
Perhaps the stallion's reaction was expected, but not Evelyn's. A soft, kind mare...and now she was stabbing daggers into his heart, with words. Was that even possible? Apparently so. Her gaze didn't hurt him as bad as what came after that. He blinked, taken back as his hooves immediately shot back a good many steps. How does one respond to something like that, when they started it on accident?
"I...I...uh....I didn't....uh..." Bliss didn't dare look at either of them, his eyes rather stuck to the ground and his head hung low. "I'm sorry...I...I'll go...if...if you want....m...me...to. And I...know....I know that....I just...just don't...want competition....Evelyn...I..." Bliss took a rather large breath, and gathered up his courage to get the rest of his thought out without staggering.
"I want to be the father of them, this stallion is young...and he's handsome. I cannot compete with someone like that. The kids...they'll, they'll want to play with someone who can keep up with them...I'm afraid they'll want someone who can soar the skies..." He quickly motioned at Kureno's wings. "And tell them stories about how it feels. I'm just me, I have nothing special to offer them...I..."
Bliss trailed off, and backed up even further at the threat that Kureno's words carried. He wanted to run, to escape a possible...well, death...but he couldn't. Those foals were his and he'd fight for them. Not literally, of course....he didn't know how to literally fight.
"I'm sorry, Evelyn. He can stay, the foals can have two fathers...if that means that I can stay...then he can too."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:49 pm
Evelyn's gaze softened considerably at the poor stallion's stammering apology. Age had not brought wisdom for this one. It had not even brought a semblance of grace.
To think, that she had once questioned the intentions of a being so pure. So... naive.
"You need not compete." Evelyn's voice had changed once more, taking on the lilting cadence that rendered it so alike the songs of the angels themselves. It held only a small trace of her former anger, and that only lended strength to her voice. "Bliss, you are their father. Any foals of mine should know what that means."
What it means to have a father. Evelyn herself did not know. She had wandered the lands alone, unloved and cared for by no one. She had been content with the semblance of warmth and affection that her studies held, but it was not long before she began to seek much the same in other Soquili. She had found friendship in Kureno. She had found... Bliss. But she could never find a father, no matter how far her journeys would have taken her.
Her foals would know there father, and love him for it. If they loved Kureno as well, what harm was there in that?
Of course... that was assuming Kureno would wish to stay.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:03 pm
Pausing to consider Bliss' stammered words and apology, Kureno couldn't help but roll his eyes and sigh exasperatedly as the tension drained from his rigid form. Apparently, he hadn't meant to start a fight, and he seemed ignorant enough that it was a believable prospect to Kureno. His glare was not as fierce or threatening when he directed it at the other stallion again, shifting his stance to withdraw his wing from Evelyn as she relaxed and stepped forward.
"You assume far too much. I have no desire to take your place as the father, and I only remain because I care for Evelyn." He ignored the pull it took to admit those words- it was a new experience, to be sure, but he would freely admit if she asked it. "If she wants me to stay, I will. If not, I will leave and let you raise your family in peace, but only if you give me your word that you will do right by her." His eyes narrowed slightly here, and his voice hardened a bit. "And thus far, you have not proved to me that that is what you intend to do."
Kureno had never thought about being a father- he had never even known his own father, and he wasn't sure if he would ever be ready for such an experience. Surprisingly, however, he did not feel all that adverse about helping Eve with her foals... as long as he wouldn't have to fight Bliss about it at every turn.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:26 pm
Ah, a refreshing reaction from the pair this time. It lightened the mood if only just a tad, and it made the smallest smile possible creep onto the dark stallion's horror struck face.
But now he felt like a complete idiot, if that feeling hadn't been there before...it was far too obvious now.
"Oh." Bliss stated simply, and didn't say anything for quite some time. His lavender eyes still glued to the ground, not daring to look up. A bright shade of red plastered on his cheeks, and he was grateful that it could hardly be noticeable on his dark coat.
If he didn't need to compete, then why did he feel this way? Why did he feel as though he had to prove himself worthy? Was it the situation that she plunged him into? It would have gone better if Kureno wasn't there, or at least, couldn't hear what they were saying to eachother.
Vanilla Swirl had told him once that no matter who entered her life, be it a best friend...a child, a mate...anyone...he'd always be the one she loved best. He was her father, the one who raised her and gave her life...the one who was given the responsibility of a child when he didn't want it...when the mother took off...and yet, he was there. Always and forever.
That memory comforted him, and he hoped that maybe these foals would feel the same. "Sorry, I just got protective a bit." He laughed an unnessary cheery laugh, and turned to Kureno. If anyone deserved his apology, it was probably him, right? He had jumped on the poor young stallion's case without fully understanding what was going on. Twice, actually.
"Hmm. I promise to at least try to take care of her. A stallion like myself cannot do anything right without messing up once, so I cannot say that I will. It's hard to be me...sometimes. But I do promise to try." Bliss smiled again, this time the smile was obvious...his happy mood was back, now that he digged himself at least halfway out of the hole.
"So I think my daughter needs to come out of the forest now...she'd like to meet her new family." He meant Evelyn and her foals only, but he made it sound as though he included Kureno. There was no possible way he'd actually ever grow to like the stallion, but for Evelyn's sake, he'd fake it for as long as he could. "Wow. I don't think she'll like it though, since she's pregnant as well. She'd say you two stole my attention away from her...silly little thing, very protective of me."
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:53 pm
"Well... she seems to have gotten that from her father." Evelyn quirked one brow, a wry smile blossoming on her face. If he was to use his tendency to be over-protective as an excuse for his rash actions, then she would not let him forget it. "I would love to meet her." ... If nothing else, to see if the spirited filly lives up to her prodigal reputation.
As she awaited the sure-fire appearance of Bliss's daughter, her mind wandered back over each stallion's words, looking for anything that held an underlying threat. She did not wish to fear a second confrontation between the two, though surely such was inevitable due to the nature of each stallion.
...I only remain because I care for Evelyn.
Those words brought a faint blush to her cheeks, one that came as unexpected as his revelation had been. She knew that he had to have cared, if only a little... after all, he had accompanied her upon a quest to find the stallion who had kindled the life now growing inside her... and he had seemed to have gradually warmed towards her throughout their many meetings... but... to hear him say it aloud?
Her eyes sparkled, lit by an inner fire that showed no signs of relenting. She looked towards Kureno, and her words were for him alone. "I want you to stay for as long as you wish to." Judging by the joy that rang in her sultry voice, she wished for that to be quite long indeed.
If they had been alone, she would have returned his words with the almost shy thanks of a Two-legged woman being presented with the entire world on a silver platter. As it was, she did not wish to cause Bliss any further discomfort. Or make Kureno regret his words.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:35 pm
He fell silent as they discussed the other stallion's daughter, shifting his weight uncomfortably as he heard Bliss include him- perhaps only out of obligation to do so- and directed his glare towards the distant hillsides rather than the lavender eyes that were so similar to Evelyn's. He could tell that the other stallion didn't like him- that was fine, because the feeling was mutual. He wasn't entirely sure he could tolerate being in his presence for an extended period of time... but if it would make Evelyn happy, he supposed he would try.
The joyful, sparkling eyes she turned towards him confused him for a moment, until he realized what exactly had brought on this reaction. Although he rarely said such things aloud- if ever- he suspected that she already knew that he cared for her... but perhaps not. Either way, it was out in the open now, and he decided a reminder of it couldn't hurt anything, even if it took a bit of effort. A ghost of a smile flitted across his normally stoic features- only there for a moment before it was gone again, but it was a significant gesture for him. "I will stay for as long as it makes you happy."
He bent his head in a gesture that showed he intended to honor that as a promise, meeting her eyes again briefly before turning his attention back to Bliss. He tried not to let his distaste show as he thought of meeting his daughter- if she was anything like her father, he didn't know if he wanted to meet her at all. Nonetheless, he kept his mouth shut, and his stare completely neutral as he met Bliss' gaze.
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