[PRP] An apple for your thoughts? (Haya and Ayanna)

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Haya came back from his encounter with Vis with a spring in his step and his tail wrapped around several apples. After talking with Vis everything seemed much less unreal and intimidating. Sure, foals were coming. Sure, he had no experience with fathers or fathering of any sort... still, it'd be fun. Hopefully.

At least it was something to look forward to. He still didn't know Ayanna terribly well even now. Having a father who didn't really know your mother very well was better than having no father at all but Haya couldn't help but think that his foals would like to see them liking and understanding each other. That was a good plan, but... getting to know a potentially hormonal mare was no small task for Haya, especially one that he was responsible for getting hormonal. That's why he had decided to bring her back the apples, as an offering that might hopefully lead the way for something else.

Coming nearer to where they had been staying, Haya steeled himself and walked on. This time he was determined. He was going to connect with Ayanna.  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

Ayanna, who had deviated away from her herd as soon as she started showing the faintest sign of being pregnant, was resting carefully under a tree in the area that she and Haya had picked out to reside in until the foals came.

Although it was a bit boring to be here, at least by herself, but at least she was away from the more annoying of her herdmates. But other than the boredom, it was a nice place to be, especially if one was going to raise a family, much like she was.

Looking around, the fluttercorn wondered where Haya could be. The faintest idea of him avoiding her floated through her mind and she wouldn't blame him if he was. She knew she was being rather difficult to talk to, especially now that her hormones were going up and down every couple of minutes or so. The littlest thing can make her go off, but she hoped that as the pregnancy goes on, she returned to her normal self.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Their glade came into sight and Haya slowed his pace to a walk. He hoped that Ayanna would be in a good mood but was going to make the attempt either way. As he caught sight of the fluttercorn he raised his tail so that the apples were visible.

"Look at what I found!" He held out the first of the apples with a smile. "Thought you might want some of them. I got to eat them by the trees so you can have all the ones I brought back. You're probably... er... well, everyone likes apples, right?" What he was going to say was that she was probably hungry but didn't want to bring her attention to her bulging belly. If he wanted to make cheerful conversation that was a topic he thought it would be better to steer away from.  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

Finally seeing Haya arriving in the distance, Ayanna slowly struggled to get up onto her feet. With a snort, she managed to get up and start walking to him.

She looked to the basket of apples and smiled softly. "Why thank you Haya, that was sweet of you to think of me like that." She said softly, leaning her head down to sniff at the apples. She knew what he was going to say, but didn't let it phase her considering that since getting pregnant, she has become more hungry lately.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Relief coursed through him. She was in a good mood and liked the apples. That was already a good start. His smile grew more relaxed and genuine, the tip of his tail waving in time with his thoughts.

"I got this friend, Vis. I found him along with the apples and he's going to be a dad soon too." Haya still had to marvel at that. Both of them becoming fathers together, especially since Vis had been an adult already when Haya himself was only a colt. "I think it'd be fun to let our foals all hang out together or something. Get them.. what's that word? Socialized!"  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

Taking one of the apples and munching on it, listening to him as he spoke of meeting his old friend. Finishing the bite she had taken, she looked up to the smiling stallion, smiling in return. "That sounds like an odd coincidence that he's expecting as well... but, since he's such a good friend, I think that's a marvelous idea. Of course, I'll have to meet him and his mate... one day."  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

"Yeah, one day..." echoed Haya. The best time to meet them would probably be after the foals were born but then who would watch them while they left? He chewed on his lip thoughtfully. There had to be a solution somewhere.

"Maybe I can ask Vis to come over sometime when he isn't taking care of his mate... I mean, if he's not busy. I don't know when his mate's expecting."  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

Her tail gave a happy flick as she took a few more bites out of the apple she had taken from Haya. She looked up, chewing thoughtfully on the bites to see him contemplating on something. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to bother him about it.

"Why don't you take things slow? He's obviously going to be busy, first with taking care of his mate, then taking care of the foals when they came." She told him, before adding sternly, "the same goes for you as well."  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Haya smiled a little sheepishly at that remark. Was he being over-excited? He knew he had been while out with Vis but thinking about it had stirred him up again. He shook out his mane and tried to give off an air of calmness. Take things slow. He could do that. Even if there were all sorts of things to do and plan and think about and-

"Yeah, that's good," he said quickly before he could follow that train of thought any longer. "I guess we can just take things as they come."  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

"Right... and right now you have three foals that are going to come soon that need tending to." She told him with a small snort. She then moved her head to her rounded belly, nudging it softly as if shifting the foals on the inside, though it didn't really last for long. After that was done, she let out a short pant before waddling her way back to the shade of the tree. It has been becoming harder for her to stand for long periods of time, it being obvious as to why.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Haya followed her, blinking slightly at her remark. "Well, they won't be that hard to take care of, right?" He smiled as he remembered his own haphazard childhood. "They'll have both of us to look after them and probably more than one so they can hang out with each other. And then Vis has his if they get bored of family and need to wander off or something..." Even if they did take a lot of effort, it'd be a fun sort of effort that Haya wouldn't mind expending on behalf of his foals.  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

Once under the tree, she let out a heavy breath and leaned against the trunk of it. Ayanna looked to him when he mentioned that it wouldn't be too hard taking care of the upcoming foals. With a snort, she shook her head. "Just because they'll have both of us doesn't mean they'll be easier to take care of and because of the fact that there will probably be more than one means there'll be more foals to run about and need to keep an eye on." She explained to him, trying not to let her hormones get the best of her.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Haya couldn't help but disagree with Ayanna but wasn't sure if he should say it for risk of ruining her mood. As a foal he had liked to be away from his mom for periods of time. So, if at least one of the foals was always off having their own adventure then they'd only have two around at once which was one for each of them. That really didn't sound that tough to wrangle to him...

"I guess so," he said without much conviction. He wouldn't argue about it but that didn't mean he'd agree, either.  

[[X]Natty-Chan[X]]

She could already tell that he wasn't getting where she was coming from, but didn't say anything as she rolled her eyes. She just wasn't in the mood to tell him otherwise, or even raise an arguement. The fluttercorn just let out an exhausted whinny as she lowered herself onto her front legs. It has become increasingly difficult to lie fully down on her distended belly, especially now that the foals were moving around. Her tail flicked for a moment before she finally managed to comfortingly lie down, letting out a small sigh. "I truly can't wait for them to be out."

That brought up a thought. "When they are out... where are we going to get the baskets from? You know, considering we're both away from our teepees and two-leggers."  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

That was... a good point. Haya had always known about baskets but never really thought about them carefully. He always had assumed that when the time came that somehow the baskets would be already there and prepared. In retrospect, that was a pretty silly assumption.

"Maaaaaaaaybe," he chewed on one strand of his long mane thoughtfully. "Maybe I can go find a two-legger and bring them over?"