[PRP] Of Our Discontent (Half Truth, Roses, etc.)

[Scaramouche Fandango]

She’d caught the scent a good while back; old and ingrained, like the smell of ashes years after a fire burned out. It never really went away- once you lived in a place for long enough, it would always carry some trace of you, no matter how faint. It was a stirring scent in that it worked up all kinds of feelings in her. They were weird feelings- she’d been having a lot of those lately. First there were the obelisk feelings… she didn’t much want to think about those. But then there were the other feelings, the ones that weren’t dreadful. The ones that caused a warming in her chest and a swelling in her throat- like when she looked at Changes learning something new, or when she thought about her. Which was strange and new and she just didn’t like it one little bit. It had been ages since their chance meeting, and yet for some reason- some utterly stupid reason- she couldn’t get Roses out of her head. She’d tried a lot. One night stands, physical exertion, hallucinogenic mushrooms, tangling with strange artifacts, responsible motherhood- but still that doe’s laughter echoed in the back of her mind. So here she was, seeking her out, hoping for… well, something. At the very least she wanted to introduce her kid, who was currently conked out and draped over her back. He wasn’t heavy, really, but she did find herself walking slowly as to not wake him.

The little fellow- bless his heart- hadn’t complained much at all. She’d carried him when he was tired, and they’d rested a lot- but it had been a lot of fun, really. They’d played their poem game and practiced his hunting skills; he’d caught nearly all of their dinner the night before and they’d both just been so proud of him. This was a fun adventure for him, she hoped. Even if they didn’t find her, it would still have been a good time. She found herself really liking spending time with her kid. Was this normal? Who knew. She didn’t care, really. If she’d learned one thing from all this advice-seeking, there was no such thing as normal when it came to raising a family. It worked for them, and so that was that.

That was one thing she hadn’t managed to ruin. It was a surprise, really- she’d gone to visit the mothers’ club, thinking that swagger alone would win them over. She was awesome, so why wouldn’t she be an awesome mother? But then she actually was granted this child, this tiny, fragile little being, and suddenly her bravado had collapsed. He was so delicate and so trusting- she was so afraid she’d do something wrong. But the other foot hadn’t yet fallen.

Yet. She was still terrified that everything could just come tumbling down, all she’d worked for- all the changes she’d seen in herself come undone. Perhaps that was it- perhaps that was why she was here. Was Roses the model she was trying to emulate? Had she inadvertently put the other doe up on a pedestal- or was she trying to prove herself to her? And if so, why? What was so indescribably important about Roses in Bloom that Half Truth actually felt a need to impress her beyond the physical? Or- or was this about something else and Roses was a convenient façade? Perhaps that was what it was. She didn’t know, but it was too late to turn back now- she was here, wandering at the edge of someone else’s territory, hoping beyond hope that this wasn’t a mistake.
 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

Having gone on her merry adventure to see the world and meet new kin, Roses in Bloom was content to rest for a while. Moreso than that, she now had five more additions to her family- additions who seemed to have inherited her sense of belonging to a home than their father's inclination to wander. She did not, by any means, forsake any of her children for their inclinations- what was in their hearts was in their hearts, and no doting or suffocating could change that. It was just... pleasant, to have a family so close to her, to share the joys of life with.

And sharing the joys of life was just what this day had brought. The older doe was curled up, eyes closed and a smile upon her lips as she listened to Merry and Kisses. This clutch was different from the last, in so many ways- rather than their father's wandering, they seemed to have inherited his penchant for poetics. Today was a demonstration of such- the youngest, blue doe was sitting before her, singing, whilst her son sat nearby and provided harmony.

Twins, she hadn't expected. That was a rather jarring experience for Rose, who had grown so used to treating every child like their own being. By Any Other Name and On Kisses Dream were a challenge for her to understand, but a fun challenge nonetheless. It was Kisses, then, who was the first to stop mid-song, and turn his attention away from their group.

"...I believe we have company to this little performance," he intoned, the mirth falling from his face. When the doe appeared, his brow furrowed in thought. A green doe... great horns...

"Tis her! The doe Mother's been mooning over!" Merry as the Day is Long chimed in, beaming as she shot up to stand. Looking to her brother, she giggled to herself, and immediately whirled to face their mother. "You see! Always a pessimist, mother dearest, yet mine eyes don't deceive! Your maiden has returned to you!"

Thank the motherfather her dark fur held her flush, or Roses in Bloom would've been red from nose to tail. Rising to her hooves as well, though not nearly so quick as her daughter, she took a step forward, smiling in a manner similar to a giddy foal.

"Half Truth. I... I hadn't expected to find you in our little corner of the world," she greeted, trying desperately to ignore the delighted laughter of her children behind her. Her ears flickered at the sound of additional footsteps, and she looked to the stranger in Half Truth's company.

"...And I do believe I'm not the only one with strangers at their heels! Who's this little one?"  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

There were so many things she wanted to say, so many things she should say- and yet all she could muster was a lopsided grin as her stomach belly-flopped into a goopy puddle. She hardly noticed the others- the blue doe calling Rose "Mother" and the exact duplicate parading about in the form of a buck- there really was a sort of fog in her vision matching the fog in her brain. What was she supposed to say? Oh, you know, we just hiked out here chasing a pipe dream. This is a surprise for both of us! I certainly didn't track you down because of feelings! This is- The words whirled in her head as several impulses seized and relinquished in strobing sequence. In an eternal moment, she almost settled on "Hi,"... but no, that... that would never do. "Sometimes... sometimes life's surprising like that," she said with a nervous chuckle, hoping against hope that she didn't spit out something really stupid like "I've been dreaming of you fairly constantly" or "you have ruined promiscuity for me thank you very much." Neither of these would be good- but oh, saved by the kid.

"This is Changes. He's my son!" she said, beaming as the foal peered up at Roses. "Changes, this is Roses in Bloo-"

"I know who she is! She's that lady you bite your tongue about every time we talk about flowers!" The acha was eager, ears up and twitching- he'd heard the singing and found it to be lovely. That was what he wanted to know more about. "You didn't tell me she had kids too!"  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Your son?" Roses gawked, perhaps more than was polite or necessary. It was just that... Half Truth had very much seemed the type to live her own life and not settle down with the burden of children. But here was this little fellow, who seemed very much not his mother's kin. She blinked a bit owlishly, but found herself smiling nonetheless at the newcomer. When Changes mentioned the flowers, she could not help but laugh, soft and light and so relieved to see Half Truth again.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Changes. You're an Acha, aren't you?" She asked, noting how he didn't quite look like a kimeti. Her second acha! What a fun stretch of time this had been. She nodded to the little one, and sat down once more, to be on an even speaking level with him.

"I do have children- a great deal more than your mother, though. These two..." she paused, and turned to smile at the aforementioned children, who of course dissolved into even more laughter, "are Merry as the Day is Long, and On Kisses Dream. Kisses has a twin sister, By Any Other Name... goodness knows they look like me, but they're awfully wild. There's also The Lady Doth Protest, A Midsummer's Madness... they're my newest, and who you're more likely to meet. There's three others, but they're just as prone to wandering as their father is."

"The lady is just as lovely as your wistful sighs had lead us to believe!" Merry called, then immediately burst into laughter. Roses in Bloom nonetheless held her smile, though her eye gave the slightest hint of a twitch.

"Are you taking good care of Half Truth, Changes? I imagine she's quite the hoof-full for you."  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Half Truth realized what they must look like- either the kid took after some mystery Acha buck, or she'd acquired him through other means. And she DID NOT WANT Roses thinking she'd gotten knocked up by some mystery buck. She wanted to make it very clear that there was no buck in the picture, that there hadn't been a buck in the picture, and there was never going to be a buck in the picture. "Yeah, he's my son- it's kind of a weird story. I had these- this is going to sound ridiculous, but I had these dreams and realized that I was incredibly lonely and through an exceptionally strange chain of events I ended up at the Mothers' Club because I wasn't really sure what I wanted other than "some kind of family." Do you know them? They seem like your kinda folks, all happiness and sunshine and babies. They take little guys who don't have anyone and try to match them up with other kin who maybe just want to take someone in or can't have kids or something. I told the head gal in charge what was up and she, uh, she introduced us. I dunno who gave laid the egg or who sired him, but as far as he's concerned, I'm his mom. It's worked out pretty well for us- we joke a lot and play games and go on adventures- like we're doing now!" She tripped over her words, attempting to explain their pidgin family. It was a strange bond, cobbled together out of uncertainty and isolation, but damned if it didn't work.

"That's a lot of kids," Changes said solemnly, thinking it over. He looked over her shoulder at the laughing doe- she seemed pretty fun. He knew what wistful meant, and he knew what sighs were and why they might be wistful- you didn't play the poem game as much as he did without knowing. Returning his eye to Roses in Bloom, he cocked his head to one side. "Do you think my mom's pretty or something? Is that why she's saying that?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

Half Truth froze, mortified. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. "CHANGES YOU CAN'T JUS- I mean, heh, out of the mouths of babes and all..." she stammered, desperately wishing for a sinkhole to open beneath her feet and swallow them both.  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"I think turning your loneliness towards helping a child is a lovely thing to do," Roses agreed, smiling up at Half Truth. Truly, she had not anticipated such a strong character to feel loneliness... but perhaps everyone had their moments of weakness where they sought another's company. It was almost comforting, in a sick way, that someone as strong as Half Truth had desire to seek the company of others.

"It is a lot of kids, isn't it?" Roses replied, laughter in her tone and mirth in her eyes. What an inquisitive little fellow! It made her heart happy to see that the young acha was so eager to talk with her, and so observational of the world around him. Truly, she hoped he wouldn't lose that curiosity and wonder as he grew.

...And then he asked Rose's opinion of Half Truth. This time, the older doe DID go scarlet- no amount of dark fur could hide the overwhelming flush that took her form. Still, she did not look away. Despite her embarrassment, she could at least be honest with Changes.

"...I do find your mom to be very lovely, yes," she laughed breathily, not looking up to gauge Half Truth's reaction. "I met her after a very hard time in my life, and she was a kind soul with a good heart to think fondly on. So, yes. For all their mockery, I am quite taken with her."

At last, Rose looked up- but to look at her two children behind her.

"Now, you two. Since you've been SO overwhelmingly kind in this engagement," she tsk'd, pleased when her children at least had the decency to look embarrassed, "would you show young Changes around our home, so I might have a private word with Half Truth?"

She turned back to Changes, as well as to Half Truth.

"If that's alright by the two of you, anyway."  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Changes looked back at his mother to see if he could go; the look on her face, that sort of frozen crocodile smile- that, yes, that meant that not only could he go but in fact he should go. Besides, he wanted to ask about the singing. He bet he could get them to teach him- that was one thing his mom didn't do much of. But before he ran off, he curtly nodded his head. "I think she's pretty. And you. You're both pretty." He leaned up towards the doe, attempting to whisper in her ear. "She agrees with me. About you." Before his mom could strangle him, he bolted off towards the kimeti, eager to see and explore.


Half Truth's ears were just scarlet, she knew. Under her thick green pelage, her face was just burning.

She thinks I'm pretty.

This was not usually a revelation. Half Truth knew she was hot stuff- she tried very hard to maintain that image. Even with a kid around she still paid attention to good grooming and posture and her physique. She liked having her ego stroked and basking in compliments- but this was different somehow. This mattered. Why? Why did it matter?

She nodded, dimly aware she was losing her buffer. She supposed very much that they did need to have a private conversation- she at least probably needed to be chewed out for just showing up like this. But she certainly had a lot on her mind and she wanted- probably needed, if she was being honest with herself- a sounding board she could trust. This she knew she could find in Rose.

"Kids. They're just a bundle of fun, aren't they?" She laughed nervously. What had she done?

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

When the young acha leaned up to whisper in her ear, Rose bent down to make his discussion with her easier. Clearly, he sought some semblance of privacy, and much as this was a strange discourse, she would not disrespect Changes wishes. He elaborated that his mother found her pretty, and oh, wasn't that something? This time, Rose could not help but laugh in embarrassment, turning her face away from the group.

"And the young one seeks to use truth and form to spread the wonders of love! Oh, truly, you shall fare well among us." Merry as the Day is Long added, pleased that the young buck was so keen to FINALLY get their mother out of her fit of wistful sighs. Too long she had spent longing, desirous of this doe... and the young one understood!

"Away we shall go, Changes! Truly, thou art a clever mind." With that, she sprung away, certain the boy would trail after.

"...They really are something," Rose agreed, still unable to bring herself to meet her friend's eye. While she appreciated her own children's penchant for romance, being meddled with was not a feeling the old doe was fond of. Particularly in a matter so serious. Tumultuous thoughts rolled in her mind, and Rose wondered... how best to say it?

"...Well. I... I suppose there's a lot to be said," she began nervously, looking down to her hooves. "I- You've been on my mind a great deal lately. I cannot say for certain if my feelings are more than fleeting, but... I believe it something I'd like to explore, if you feel the same. Perhaps get to know one another better? Spend some time... talking. Maybe stay here, at least for a bit, to see how we get on?"

Again, she laughed nervously.

"But I'm rather odd in courting, I suppose! So I suppose it's really what you think, now."  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"Oh thank the motherfather. I've been having these dreams- weird, weird dreams. And you've been in them- and then the thing with this kid and then- and then the strangest thing, I mean the most peculiar damn thing happened. There was this obelisk, and I hated it, but after it... I don't even know what it did, I had these memories come flooding back- memories of what it was to be truly happy and see the magic in the world for what it is- and... there was something inside me, nagging that I should come and find you. I was so afraid you'd say we had to leave, and then we'd have to do the dance- but somebody saw to that," she babbled, nearly exploding with joy. She reached out, gently, touching Rose's cheek and withdrawing- almost as if she was probing to see just how real she was. "Rose, you're the only doe who's every stayed in my heart. I've had flirtations, dalliances, what you might call them- but something about you is different, and I suspect I'd regret it the entire rest of my life if I didn't figure out what these feelings are. But- I- I can't stay. I'd love to. But I can't."

A pause, a desperate pause as she realized that she couldn't stop now, she couldn't watch Rose's face fall as she said no. "I mean- I, uh- we left our pets at home. My caiman, my wasp, my son's cave worm. We can stay for a couple of days, but we can't leave them for too long."
 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Why- why would I ever make you leave?" Rose balked, unable to keep back the shocked laughter. Had Half Truth truly met so many kin who would turn her away? For all of her own securities, the old doe would not show any other living being such unkindness- particularly after the kind souls she had met on her own travels.

"I mean... beyond that I find it impossible to turn away any soul, why would I ever get rid of you? Particularly with how glad I am to see you?" And motherfather, was she ever. It was a relief beyond relief to find that Half Truth had been thinking of her, as well. Her balk of laughter turned into its typical soft smile, and Roses in Bloom sighed fodnly.

"Aside from that, I am... glad to hear the Obelisk treated you well. I had terrible nightmares from it- a strange thing, isn't it?" She questioned, turning to gaze off in the direction it had been. Rose was elated to have seen Last Night once more, yes, but... the experience overall had not been an enjoyable one. Truly, that was what made her most thankful to be home with her children.

At the mention they could not stay, Rose's face indeed fell- as did the flutter of joy within her heart. Before she could even open her mouth to question why, however, Half Truth was babbling out an explanation, and oh. Thank the Motherfather it wasn't anything serious!

"You have a caiman? I ought to have known," She replied instead, her smile brightening. "I have one myself, though goodness knows where Moss wandered off too... he's an awful nanny," Rose laughed. She forced herself to be a bit more serious, and continued.

"Stay for a day, then... go fetch them again, maybe? All of you- pets included- could stay with us for a while."