[PRP] Gentle Souls (Adrienne + River)

[Meeki]

"Sounds like it's something you need to think about," he commented curiously. He was sure that parenthood should only take place when the partners were ready for it but he did find himself wondering if every living creature had that need or drive for a family at some point. At lot of things he believed he was not ready for were also things he had not given a lot of thought to. Perhaps thinking about things brought them in a new perspective. Perhaps in the future, he would be willing to take leaps that he wasn't quite comfortable with now. Was this what everyone went through?

He compliment struck him off guard. "A wonderful father? I don't know about that. I mean.. the kittens and all, surely it would have similarities but foals are so much.. bigger.. and active.." Ok, maybe they weren't any more active than kittens but they certainly were bigger and it just seemed like foreign territory to him. "I wouldn't know where to begin. What if I tried to feed them fish because of habit?," he teased. He supposed it wouldn't be any harder than the kittens but the idea of him as a father was flustering, albeit in a good way.

"Thank you," he finally commented. "If that day comes, I hope that I would be a good father. I am equally sure that you would be a wonderful mother if that day ever came for you." It was a genuine comment. The mare had a kindness and maturity about her, he was sure she would be a good mother one day.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'It seems to be all I can think about,' she replied with a little crinkle of her nose. Adrienne giggled;
'Maybe it's the time of year? Spring is all about new life after all.'

It was probably just that - warming sun, awakening urges. Standing next to a fine stallion didn't really help either, and she grinned inwardly at that thought, shifting her legs so that one of her forelegs was bent, the hoof resting lightly on the ground.

'I don't think that would matter, what matters is being there for children, I might not have had a family but I know myself and my siblings were born from love and to loving parents. You obviously care alot about the kittens, and you're prepared for when they leave. I think you're a father already, even if you don't.'
Adrienne did chuckle at his little joke.
'If you fathered children on a mare that lived in the water then that might be okay?'

She felt her nose colouring at his return compliment.
'Well thank you. I think I might be one of those that blunder along getting things right by chance, but there we go.' she said in a slightly self-deprecating manner.
She gave a glance around, funny how she'd starting watching the kittens as well. Maybe it was just their age and vulnerability that made her do so, after all there were things out here that could take down creatures her size. She turned her attention back to River before speaking again;
'Did you have a particular destination today? I never asked before if you were heading anywhere.'  

[Meeki]

Though she was probably teasing, she did have a point. Spring was very much about new life, or the rejuvenation of things. It was a big part of why it was his favorite season. He loved everything from new born birds breaking out of their eggs and leaves and flowers blooming. It was really beautiful and every living creature seemed to be so full of life and activity.

The compliment about already being a father warmed his heart a great deal. He certainly loved the kittens as if they were his own and they did call him 'Papa' River so there was a good chance that they thought of him as a father figure as well as a friend. Still, kittens were a lot different than foals. He had only ever had one experience with a foal and that was with Eponine. A smile came over him as he remembered playing with her in the woods, pretending to be the great elder tree and helping her gather nuts for the squirrels.

The only problem was, could he be stern enough as a parent? Tough enough? There was times when a parent must be hard on their offspring and he wasn't sure if he would be able to do that at all, let alone well.

He broke out with laughter at the comment with a water mare. He had heard tell of such creatures existing but had never seen one. Also, he was terrified of water. He could fish in the shallows just fine, but going deeper within, that was another story entirely. Though he felt he and the river had come to terms, he hadn't been able to bring himself too deeply in.

"There's nothing wrong with mistakes. No one can get everything right with the first attempt. They'd never have the opportunity to learn anything if they did. That's one of the most fun aspects to living, I think. Being able to fail and learn from it. Learn from experiences. Actually, no, we aren't heading anywhere. They just wanted to go out and explore and I thought this was as good of a place as any. What about you?" He turned his attention back to the kittens who were now rolling amongst the flowers.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

She wondered what was going through River's mind as he seemed to fall silent. Had she said something wrong at all? She didn't see what she could have said..but then he smiled, and she felt relief.

Adrienne nodded at his words;
'True, but if you mess up your kids that's kind of a big mistake. You don't really get a chance to re have them. I suppose you can learn for the next lot.' she said, her face dead-pan and then she laughed.

'Me? Not really. I'd planned on heading down to the Lake if I hadn't met anyone, but I did.' she smiled at the stallion.
'I hadn't seen anyone other than my mother for a while, and there is generally a few Soquili in that area.'
She followed his gaze and chuckled.
'They are very cute, I can see why you look after them.'  

[Meeki]

Could one really mess up one's own kids? He was genuinely curious at that statement. He was always of the impression that love was all that mattered. Each offspring is going to have their own unique personality that will eventually shine through and want to do their own thing. If they chose something that was less than perfect, or behaved in a way less than perfect, did it really become the fault of the parents? Perhaps if such were the case, it was better if he avoided starting a family. It seemed like too much responsibility to bear at this point. Perhaps he was too laid back in his beliefs to be a proper father.

He loved the kittens but knew they wouldn't be a permanent situation. The same could be said of foals. They would all grow up someday. You could try to raise them with specific beliefs but it seemed wrong to him somehow. It should come naturally. That was how life worked, at least to his knowing. Of course, he hadn't grown up with a real set of parents so it wasn't like he had much to compare it to.

The kittens seemed happy enough. Really happy, actually. They saw him as both a father figure and a friend. That's what he liked. Would it be so wrong to wish the same out of his own foals one day? A smile came over him as Patches began to chase after a butterfly. They really were cute. "Thank you, Adrienne. I am rather fond of the Lake myself, would you care if we joined you?"

The Lake. Beautiful and peaceful. Still and tranquil unlike the emotional river that could be calm at one point and angry just around the bend. The Lake was safe and would be a fine place to visit today, if the mare didn't mind.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

She supposed that it was possible to mess up your kids if you were very..she didn't know, twisted or so absorbed in your own problems that you let them grow up without any sort of positive influence. Adrienne had no real clue though, and never would until she had her own family. She hazarded a guess that she wouldn't do so very badly because her own upbringing had been full of love.

She followed his gaze, seeing what he was, the kitten chasing the butterfly. She seemed to remember doing that as a filly and chuckling said;
'I did that when I was little. I used to think they were tiny playful spirits. I do still sometimes.'

She smiled at his question and gave a nod.
'Sure thing. It is lovely there isn't it? I like watching the waterbirds skimming the Lake surface, I wonder what it's like to have wings, but it's always a fleeting fancy. I think that if I was always in the sky, I'd miss what the earth has to offer.'

She shook, stretching her legs a little, standing in a relaxed but ready pose for when he had corralled the kittens so that they could move off together.  

[Meeki]

River turned back to the mare and studied her for a moment. Butterflies were one of the things he felt a kinship to. Why, they even flocked to him as if they felt it as well. It was rather nice that she thought similarly about them. Saw something special in them as well. "I've always loved butterflies," he admitted. It wasn't something he told often as it was one of those things that would cause one to question his manhood.

He had a fondness for life, no matter how little and he believed that other creatures sensed it about him. On most days, the butterflies would come out and rest in his hair. Sometimes, they'd even work together to tease his hair by lifting some strands up and twisting them about other strands. It had an almost magical feel to it and he was sure it would appear comical to most others.

He believed that most soqs took other life for granted. He believed that ever life had intelligence, had purpose, had a spirit. The bees and ants had a community like no other. The birds and beavers could build wonderful nests and dams. All life, no matter how big or how small was special. They all thought, they all communicated.. they all lived, and he loved every minute of it.

"I agree with you there. While I think it would be wonderful to look down on the world, the detail would be missed. I think I prefer the view I already have." He turned to the kittens and called, "Patches, Tiger, we are going to head over to the Lake." It didn't take much for the kittens to turn and run towards the two soquili. Though they loved this clearing, they loved looking at the fish swim in the Lake even more!

Giving the mare a wink, he started forward, heading towards the Lake with the two kittens marching happily behind.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'They are pretty as well aren't they? So fragile, yet so..vibrant.'
She didn't especially connect the fact that River liking butterflies might be something that others might construe as making him appear 'less manly'. Her own father loved to dance after all, and it had been one of the things that made her mother love him.

'Well, you do have a slightly higher view than I do,' she chuckled, looking up at the stallion.
It was kind of amusing that he was so gentle, given his size. She supposed that might work to your advantage. She smiled in return of his wink, and joined him at his side as they moved towards the Lake. She sort of hoped that there wouldn't be any other Soquilis there, she'd enjoyed talking to River so far, and would prefer to carry on doing so without anyone else around.

'They won't wander into the water will they?' she wasn't a great expert on kittens, but she knew there was an area where the water was shallow enough for smaller creatures to paddle into.
'Do they like water?'  

[Meeki]

He nodded in agreement. Though the butterflies were indeed quite fragile, they seemed to have a hidden strength to them all the same and they were quite beautiful. Despite their size they didn't spend their time hiding from all the things bigger than them. They flew about and made themselves known.

"My view is not that much higher," he teased back though he knew that he towered over her by quite a few inches. He grew silent and walked with her to the lake. It was a beautiful day for it, he found himself wondering why he hadn't thought of it himself.

"Oh, they hate the water," he laughed, answering her question, "they'll venture close enough to watch the insects dart around and no doubt, they'll try to spot a fish. They loathe the water a great deal but if they do fall in, they can swim back. They'll be fine." It was strange how much he and the kittens had in common though he had a phobia for water for different reasons entirely. He had no problem getting in a lake though. "I'll most likely have to catch a fish for their lunch. That's always interesting." He wondered what she would think of that. It was a barbaric ritual in some ways since he had to stomp a fish with his hoof but his kittens did have to eat.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'But I can see snow on your ears!' she quipped back, hoping that the way she was teasing him wasn't going too far, given their short acquaintance. River seemed to be taking it in good humour so far though.

'Really? I like the water, especially on a very warm day, can be refreshing. But I only tend to swim in the Lake, and in the clearer parts. I don't think I'd want to tread into a hidden sinkhole or something under the water.'

Adrienned wrinkled her nose at the thought of catching fish. It wasn't the thought of River actually having to kill them for the kittens, she wasn't so dense about feline creatures that she didn't realise that they had different food needs from Soquili's, it was just the smell of them. As a filly she'd stumbled across a fish that had obviously been discarded by something or other, it was slightly rotten and she still remembered how stinky it was.

'Do they smell when they are freshly, umm, deceased?' she asked as they neared the expanse of water.
 

[Meeki]

"Are you sure that's snow and not a random attack from a bird that passed by? Better watch out, they could get you next!" He couldn't help but make a face in disgust at the idea of having bird droppings upon his head. He also made a note to compliment every bird he say from this moment on.

The only thing he didn't like about lakes were the water moccasins though they also inhabited the river areas as well, he spent more time here at the lake. He always had to keep an eye on them though the kittens were a bit bigger than when they were last here. They were growing quite fast. Perhaps they wouldn't be as enticing to the snakes now. Still, he'd keep an eye out, just in case.

"Oh, well, they have a distinct scent to them, as do most living creatures but I wouldn't say it was a bad smell. At least not when there's just one of them. I'm sure if you had a pile of fish sitting nearby it might smell pretty bad. The kittens are so small though that all it takes is one good sized fish. Whatever they don't eat, I'll bury afterwards so that you won't have to smell it." He always buried the carcass though. It just didn't seem right to leave it out and about in the open.

They were nearing the lake now and it was every bit as beautiful as he remembered. A swim didn't sound like a half bad idea, as long as he didn't venture in too deeply. Perhaps it was silly for him to have a fear of water. Sometimes it felt like he wasn't meant to survive that day, long ago. That the water, especially the river, hadn't forgotten and would try again.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'Y'know, if it is bird doings, I really don't want to check.' Adrienne quipped back. She giggled, trying not to make a face. She really didn't want to think about bird..poop.

'Well, it was a really rotten one that I found one time, I don't know whatever dropped it, but the smell certainly left an impression on me. And I appreciate that, no one needs to see my 'ergh it really smells so bad it makes me feel ill' face!'

Adrienne felt her tail swish, the buzz of a fly near her causing it to flick. That was the one thing about being by the Lake when the weather was nice. There did tend to be a few more buzzing things around here. Butterflies she liked, but flies were just a nuisance.
She let out a long breath, exhaling in pleasure.

'I'm glad to be back here.' she said, strolling down towards the waters edge, peering over and at her reflection.