[BLESS] Fool's Errand [Foolish/Peep]

[Ruriska]

He had been born Foolish but he was no mere fool. When it came to the ladies and the potential results, he wasn't going to leave things entirely to chance. The doe had been sweet enough, worthy of the little bit of effort it would take to find one of the legendary kin who were known to bless expecting parents. After all, his part in the matter had been brief (but not too brief) and required far less effort than what sweet Sun-Made was going to have to endure.

And he certainly wasn’t going to stick around to be a parent. It just wasn’t in the plan. He was too flippant, too irresponsible. That’s what he told himself. That’s what was expected of him. Foolish the fool. He’d never make a good parent and so there wasn’t any point in trying.

But he could help them along regardless.

So he dug around for information and discovered that legendaries were either easily found at a tribe or family, or else they were horrible hermits who were impossible to find unless they chose to reveal themselves. It seemed that if one did not know about the former, the preferred method of finding one was to wander aimlessly, with enough familial angst that the MotherFather took pity and sent one of her chosen to assist.

Foolish had no such angst. So instead he asked a few more questions and found himself in a wide meadow, surrounded by more foals than he’d ever seen in his entire life. Galloping around, tumbling over things, screaming, yelling, laughing, playing dumb games. Just doing normal kid stuff. Which was rather cute, actually.

The matriarch of the tribe, the well-known Peep, was busy with a birth and Foolish wasn’t about to get upset about having to wait for that. So far lack of anything better to do: he started to play. The foals dragged him into a chasing game, across the amble grassland and through the flowers, with fluctuating rules that the bossiest two made up on the spot when it looked like they were going to lose.

Only the call to lunch ended their play, with the foals thanking him and calling their exuberant farewells as they scampered off for a well-earned meal.

He was still catching his breath when he turned to find the mare there, short of stature, adorably sweet,
already more of a mother to him than the one that had birthed him just in the way that she smiled. Like she was proud. Nobody had ever been proud of him.

“I take it you’re the esteemed Peep?” He asked with a grin. “An honour to make your acquaintance.”

Her nose wrinkled, her eyes warm. “Likewise,” she laughed. “How may I be of service?”

She already knew, he could see it in her gaze. “I take it the birth went well?” She nodded briefly. “Good, good. Well, I was hoping for something similar. Though I’m not really father material,” one of her brows shot up in disbelief, “I wanted to give my own kids a little hoof up, in lieu of my absence. And I hear you trade in blessings.”

“Well, there’s no need for a trade. I offer my services freely. Though judging by what I just saw, you wouldn’t be as bad of a father as you might think. And bad father’s very rarely seek out a blessing for their kids, whether they plan to be there or not.”

He was touched by her esteem, even if he couldn’t believe a word of it. “A morning at play doesn’t make a dad, unfortunately.” He shrugged.

“Perhaps,” she said. “But you’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“Sounds like a bit too much effort.” Flippant deflection.

She seemed to sense there was no use pressing any further and simply nodded. “Well, a gift they shall have regardless. From their father. I ask the MotherFather to grant them health and happiness, and the wisdom to know and believe in themselves always.”

Foolish laughed.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you. A parent always wants their kids to turn out better than themselves... right?” And he winked, a strange relief leaving his shoulders.