[PRP] Family Banter (Foliegh and Aleda)

[Cajmera]

 

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzzzt.

Foliegh lay on his back in the warm sunlight, his eyes half-lidded and a dreamy smile on his face. He knew he was a picture of silliness, that there was no dignity at all in his upside down pose. It didn't help that he was, admittedly, on the pudgy side; he wasn't going to be setting any standards of male beauty any time soon, even if he was right side up. But he'd never allowed himself to be worried by things like aesthetics; it was too late for him, and had been too late for him since he'd hit adulthood. He was a pudgy, plain, unremarkable little stallion, but he had a good attitude and he'd never had any complaints with his life.

There were benefits in loving the simple life.

He was contemplating a nap at the moment, the soothing buzz of the bees in the surrounding flowers providing a soundtrack well-suited to sleep. He'd long since abandoned any thoughts of fear around the bees; he didn't bother them, they didn't bother him, it was all good. In his early days of coming here, he'd attracted a lot of attention from the bees; his best guess was that they were attracted to his bright coat. But time and consistency had worn them down, and now they largely left him alone. He was ok with that; it was hard to nap when there were tickly bees wandered on his nose.

Tickly...

For some reason, that word reminded him of something. Now, what was it? He yawned, trying to think of what he'd forgotten amidst the comforting buzz of the bees. They were so nice and soothing, so dependable. Just like a big family...

Family. That was it, his daughter had said she was going to come by to see him this afternoon! Aleda, otherwise known to her doting daddy as 'Tickles' since childhood, had caught up to him yesterday down by the pond and said she was going to come pester him in his meadow, that she had something she wanted to talk to him about in private.

He should probably wake up. Much as he knew Aleda would find his lackadaisical pose amusing and nothing out of the ordinary, he really ought to stir himself and see if he knew what was going on. It wasn't often that his daughter wanted a private conversation; in fact, he couldn't recall a single prior occasion where'd she'd said such a thing. Of his three children, she was the only one who lived near him, the only one he saw on his regular basis. The saw each other often, though not for very long, and that was usually enough for them. It wasn't like either of them lived a very exciting life. In fact, the only exciting thing he'd ever done was...

Foliegh shot bolt upright, his dark eyes shooting wide open. That couldn't be it, not from his little Aleda...

Could it??  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Aleda was a mare on a mission. It was evident in her face, in her expression, even in her stride; as she hiked up the hill towards the meadow where her father liked to spend his afternoons, she looked like a mare girded for battle. Her shoulders were square, her step sure, her head held high and her gaze, through half-lidded eyes was determined. She wasn't a true beauty, not by contemporary standards, but there was a certain languid charm to her stocky body and her naturally tousled mane. Indeed, the total effect was one of a mare who was in a perpetual state of half-awareness, as though she had only woken up moments before.

That languidity carried through to her attitude, but today there was obviously steel beneath her silk. But then, there was nothing spontaneous about this discussion, as she had been thinking about this for some time. It was only right that the first soul she discuss it with be her daddy; since her parents had parted ways and Aleda had got with Foliegh, the two had been extraordinarily close. Her brothers had both spent more time with their mother, Nigalya, but Aleda herself was very firmly a 'daddy's girl.' They were very alike in temperament, both being of a relaxed, easy-going bent, but for a very long time it seemed as though Foliegh were determined to relax himself right to death.

And that was the crux of the matter, Aleda thought grimly as she considered her way up the hill. They were neither of them getting any younger, after all, and while she loved the closeness she had with her father, it simply wasn't the same. Good grief, was it not the same! And lately it had been preying on her more and more, that she was getting older without anything happening in her life to mark that progression; she was the same as she had ever been.

On top of that, it was the same for her father, and he didn't even seem to care. He'd been a young stallion when he'd met her mother, and things hadn't worked out there. No biggie, that happened a lot of the time for people, she'd heard. But her father didn't seem to have any inclination to see who else was out there, to move on. Instead, he seemed perfectly fine with a life of casual ambling around his own little circle, taking afternoon naps amidst the clover and letting himself go.

For her own part, she thought her daddy was cute, in atypical way. He had a nice personality, and he was very conscientious. He was definitely a good father, and he deserved to have a mare at his side rather than just clover.

Just like she deserved a stallion, thank you very much. She might not be a leggy little thing with a mane that swept the ground, but she wasn't bad looking and she was a loyal creature. She knew she could bring a lot to a relationship, if given the chance. Or if she made a chance for herself.  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Foliegh was now fully awake. More than that, he was pacing back and forth, his head down and his shoulders hunched with anxiety. All of a sudden, he found himself awash with curiosity and uncertainty, atypical feelings for a fellow as usually placid as Foliegh. It wasn't his thing to be curious, and never had been. But now that he'd piqued his curiosity with Aleda's request, he couldn't just sit and wait; he had to try and figure out what could be so important that she wanted to discuss it with him somewhere private, where they wouldn't be interrupted.

If he had hands, he would be twisting them right about now. Obviously he wanted to be supportive, whatever she had to say. That was his role as her father. But a fellow liked to know what he was being supportive of. He liked to think his daughter wouldn't do anything foolish; after all, he'd raised her, and he was pretty confident she knew not to do anything foolish. But who knew what went on in the minds of the younger generation, he asked himself anxiously. Perhaps she was...he couldn't even bring himself to think it.

No, that couldn't be it. Not his little Aleda, she knew better. She couldn't be.

So what was it?  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Aleda had been expecting her father's interest to be piqued, at least a little bit. After all, that was why she'd asked him if she could see him, to get his attention. She knew very well that he would be there; he was never anywhere else on an afternoon, so she hardly needed to give him advance notice. No, what she had been considering when she asked to see him was whether she'd get those little gears in his mind working.

Still, she hadn't expected to see him like this. When she finally reached the top of the hill and saw Foliegh practically speedwalking around the field, her eyes widened. Either she had planted a bigger bee in his bonnet than she expected, or he had something else on his mind. Either way, color her intrigued!

And she didn't feel inclined to wait very long for her answer. "Isn't this about the time of day where you're supposed to be napping, Daddy?" She called out the question in a merry voice, her eyes dancing, and was rewarded by the sight of her father nearly tripping over his own feet from surprise. How interesting!  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Foliegh was so startled that he almost fell on his face. Surely it couldn't be so late already that Aleda was there? But a quick glance at the sun told him yes, it was actually that late. How much time had he spent pacing around if it was already time for Aleda to show up? Too long, obviously. Shaking his head, he righted himself, then trotted over to his daughter. "Aleda, it's so good to see you! And I don't mind telling you I have worked myself up into a right state about you wanting to see me in private, by appointment like this. I'm glad to see you're looking so well," He added, stepping back and surveying her critically. She didn't LOOK like she was expecting a Blessed Event, but one couldn't be too sure these days.

Still, it wasn't his way, to come out and be direct. Especially not about a topic like that! So instead of asking what was actually on his mind, he gently bumped noses with Aleda. "I'm glad to see you here, whatever the reason, and I'm glad you're going to be able to put me out of my curious state. I'm getting too old to work myself up like this," he added with a laugh.  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Aleda laughed, touching noses with her father affectionately. Her daddy had never been able to dissemble, so she'd known he wasn't going to lie about his curiousity. However, she'd wondered which direction he was going to go: either being honest and baldly stating what he was thinking, or trying to elaborately pretend he'd been thinking of something else. She hadn't been expecting this middle ground, though; explaining he was curious, but not saying what he'd been imagining.

If he wasn't going to say, it must have been very interesting imaginings, indeed!

Her eyes dancing with laughter, she stepped back and gave him a once-over. Still short, still stocky, still a bit on the pudgy side, but still with the same good natured, engaging grin. That was her daddy, through and through!

And she could be just as bald-faced as her father. "What were you getting yourself worked up about, Daddy?"  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Once again, Foliegh felt himself knocked for a loop, and he found himself feeling profoundly grateful he was naturally dark red. After all, you couldn't see a blush against a naturally crimson hide! And it just wasn't right, that a child could make her parent blush, especially not a parent who had been around the proverbial block himself!

Still, he was more than a little bit shocked at the directness of Aleda's question, paired with the impish look she graced him with. She looked so sure of herself, it was almost like she knew of his suspicions! Surely she didn't expect him to actually say what he was assuming? Unless she had no idea what he suspected...but then why did she look so gleeful at the prospect of hearing what he was thinking? And good grief, why would she want to hear if she guessed what he was suspecting? Did that mean he was RIGHT? But even if he was right, surely she should be feeling ashamed, not proud...

So many thoughts, so few words. "I...but...what?"  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Now Aleda was finding it hard-pressed to keep from laughing, Foliegh was being so adorable in his confusion. She didn't know what it was he'd been imagining, but it was apparent that whatever it was was proving to be juicy of the first order! For a moment, she debated drawing out this little scene longer, seeing if she could finally get her staid father to admit to the naughty workings of his mind, but after a moment she decided he was going to self-destruct if she didn't let him off.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Daddy. Whatever it was you were thinking seems to be a lot more interesting than what I wanted to talk to you about, so I'm sorry I can't tease it out of you. Perhaps you'll indulge me a bit later, after we've had a chance to chat." Smiling, she sauntered through the clover, deftly avoiding the bees. She'd been stung more than enough times in her youth to never want to repeat that experience, thanks much.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, Daddy?"  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Oh, thank the spirits. Foliegh couldn't suppress the relieved sigh that Aleda's words provoked, even if that very sigh was proof positive that he'd been thinking something he'd rather not repeat. To be on the safe side, he avoided making eye contact as he followed after her, settling down in the grass in his favorite lounging place. "Oh, I'm sure that nothing I was thinking could be anywhere near as interesting as what you want to talk about, Baby Girl. After all, how long has it been since we had a nice, comfortable chat like this? I can't even remember the last time," he added, as he settled down into his worn little hollow.

Of course, that was a bit of a trick statement; he couldn't recall the last time they chatted like this, because he couldn't' recall them ever having had a private, scheduled conversation before. "But now that we've hashed out the pleasantries, why don't we just move on? What is it that was so important you wanted to talk about it like this?"  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Fair enough, Aleda thought with a grin. She had done more and enough tormenting her father for now; it was time to get to the meat of the matter. So once Foliegh had situated himself in his own little hollow, she flopped down next to him in her most companionable way. "Well, it's like this, Daddy. It's been a long time since you and Mum parted ways, and in all that time, you've never been with any other mares. As far as I'm aware, you never even considered seeing any other mares, or put yourself out there to meet any. Am I wrong?"

She knew she wasn't wrong, of course. It might have been a while since she lived with her father full-time, but they were close enough that there were no secrets between them. They told each other about the mundanities of their lives; there was no way something as unique as courting would have been left out! Still, it only seemed polite to ask; they weren't joined at the hip, and it was possible her father had a secret life that didn't include her.  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Trust Aleda to cut right to the point. Foliegh was a bit startled to be asked such a personal question right off the bat; even though he had admittedly been thinking things of an equal personal nature were on the table for discussion, it was one thing to think about conversation, it was another thing entirely to actually have the conversation broached. And it was equally different to contemplate one's daughter's personal life than one's own, moreso when it came to discussion!

If Foliegh wasn't already crimson-coated, he would have been bright red from blushing. "Aleda, that's an awfully personal question, isn't it? My first thought would be to say that it's none of your business, but I know you, and you've always made my business your business." This was said with a resigned chuckle; for all her languid physicality, she had always had the busiest mind. Or the busy-bodiest mind, as the case might be! "And I also know you won't let a sleeping dog lie, so...you are correct, I haven't even considered looking for another female companion since your mother. But why would I want to?"  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Why would he want to, indeed. Aleda couldn't resist the impulse to roll her eyes at that comment, though she followed up with a teasing smile at her father. "Really, Daddy? Why would you want to find a new female companion? Well, there's companionship, shared interests, constancy, physical intimacy...I could go on, but those seem like a few of the high points. Soquili and Usdia aren't meant to be alone for their whole lives."

Foliegh started to interrupt there, but Aleda raised a hoof to cut him off. "I know we have each other, Daddy, but a father/daughter relationship is not the same as a mate relationship; if it is, then something has gone sickeningly wrong! I love you, of course, but I worry about you being alone so much. It's just not healthy," she finished with a frown. "And more to the point, it never seems to have crossed your mind; surely you enjoyed being with Mom, when you were together? I can't think that there was nothing about being part of a couple that you enjoyed. Didn't you and Mom have things in common to talk about, to do, to enjoy together? You were together until the guys and I were older foals, so I know it wasn't just...physical intimacy," she added with a sly grin.  

[Cajmera]

Foliegh
~~~

Once again, Foliegh was grateful for the dark red color of his coat, because darned if this daughter of his wasn't getting incredibly personal. Where had she learned to be so saucy when discussing such matters? Certainly not from him, and he doubted that it would have been from Nigalya. But here she was, lying in his own personal little meadow, talking to him as bold as brass about things so incredibly...well, personal! "I swear, Aleda, sometimes I wonder just where you got some of your ideas from. Yes, Nig and I enjoyed our time together for all sorts of reasons, and I was sad when she left, but that seemed a good reason not to repeat the experiment."

And that was sound logic, as far as Foleigh was concerned; he'd been comfortable with his life with Nigalya, and their children. It hadn't once occurred to him that Nigalya might want more, that she would want to travel, so see and do more. When she had told him she was leaving, he was flabbergasted, and more hurt than he'd ever thought possible. Why would he want to risk that pain again?  

[Cajmera]

Aleda
~~~

Aleda couldn't help but laugh that time, good manners or no. Honestly, her father could be so funny; on the one hand, he was her daddy, which meant he had to be at least passably familiar with the facts of life. On the other hand, he could be so incredibly puritanical when it came to the subject; she didn't have to see the blush to know it was there! Having gotten the laughter out of her system, though, it was time to switch into damage control mode. In her most placating voice, she set to work. "Now, Daddy, there's no reason for you to get huffy or embarrassed; I might be your daughter, but we're both adults here. And as an adult, I have to say I find your logic a bit, well...holey. You and Mom had a nice time together, so really, to me that seems like all the more reason to give it another go!"

She wasn't stupid or insensitive, not by any stretch of the imagination. She had been a youth when her mother left, more than old enough to be aware there were some fractures in her parents' relationship. She couldn't begrudge her mother the desire to do more with her life; Foleigh was a loveable fellow, but he was, and always would be, a bit hidebound. What Aleda wouldn't give to have a good talk with her father on THAT subject! While they were very close to one another and could usually talk about anything, on the subject of Nigalya's departure he had always remained mum. And on that one subject, Aleda had the grace not to press.

Though she still would always wonder; were the signs of discontent in Nigalya, signs that she herself had found to be increasingly obvious, equally obvious to her father? Had he any inkling of the upset swirling just below the surface? Foliegh had never shown much in the way of demonstrative emotion; Nigalya's departure had been no different. He had been the same polite, deferential, kind stallion he'd always been, even while he was wishing his former mate the best. Aleda was no expert when it came to emotional outpourings, but she DID consider herself well-informed when it came to her father. Yet there was nothing she'd been able to ascertain!

Still, something her father had just said struck a chord for Aleda; he'd said he was sad, and that that sadness was enough reason not to put himself out there again. Obviously he HAD been hurt, hurt quite badly, when her mother left. Indeed, it must have been a terrible loss he'd felt, if he was unwilling to risk experiencing it again. Poor Daddy, to have suffered so much in complete silence! "Even if the loss hurt, surely the good times made it worth repeating? There must have been a lot to matehood you enjoyed."