I won't lie. I'm overprotective of my daughter. Of course I'm sure I'm driving her nuts, following her around, sometimes in the shadows sometimes in the open. I don't mean to be a helicopter dad, but it's hard not to be. She's my only child and fuck yeah I want to look after her. My princess, though she doesn't seem to be growing up to be one. But that's okay, I'm not going to tell her how to be or what to be. I just want to make sure she looks after herself and stays safe. That's not too much to ask, right? I've followed her to the Deep Forest, but lost track of her once I got here.

Damaris walks next to me, not entirely approving of my hovering and therefore not bothering to assist me in tracking my only child. 'Pity me she's my only child!' She shakes her head and nips at my heels. 'Vitani need space.' I grumble and stop walking, looking around as if she might suddenly pop out of the darkness of the trees and into my view. Of course that's not how it works, and she doesn't. 'Stop strangling her.' I look down at the still-young hellhound. 'You mean 'suffocating'?' Amusement colors my thoughts, I'm sure the canine didn't mean to accuse me of killing my child. She looks up at me, green eyes filled with confusion. 'That's what I said.' I chuckle, and as I do so I feel the tension fall from my muscles, so that maybe I'm not quite as torn up about not knowing what Vitani is up to.

My body goes rigid again as I hear a shout ring through the forest, bouncing off the trees. Damaris looks out, and we stare out in front of us, trying to see ahead what made all the noise. Damaris sneaks ahead, weaving through the trees to find the source. She stops, hiding and crouching close to the ground as she sees someone we are both familiar with. 'It's that filly.' I know which one she's talking about, and I bustle through the trees, intending to confront the filly. But when I find her, I see she is staring into a den.

"Hey, step away from there!" I growl at her, sounding gruffer than I intend. I know she threatened my child, the mother of my child. But she is a filly of the Falls and therefore under my protection as much as anyone else. "You don't know what could be in there." Of course, I haven't investigated to see that the den has been more or less abandoned. I'm just taking precautions. Damaris stands at the ready, waiting for my command to go investigate the den.

WC: 456
Tag: @[Shida] @[Vitani]

Rostislav

more than a drunken fool

I was right about the location of my daughter - that she is in the Deep Forest, that she is nearby. For she pops out of the darkness and into the clearing with the den just as soon as I have finished protectively scolding the filly who is so memorable, though I still do not know her name. The explosive one turns toward me, ready to spew forth whatever... substance.. is boiling up inside of her. She begins to protest like a petulant child, and I steel myself for the oncoming tantrum. Is this what being a parent is about? This isn't even my child and yet.... I don't know who her 'Da' is, but I think I should have a word with him. But it's too late to think about that, as my own child is stuffing her face into the hole that I'd rather not have any foal's face down. Damaris is ready to investigate, and to protect Vitani, but she doesn't get the chance. Vitani doesn't ask for the hellhound's help, the intention is clear, but NO. IT'S THE EXPLOSIVE CHILD. She charges forward and Damaris jumps out of the way to avoid being slammed by this insane bomb-like magic that the filly possesses. I see now that her intentions with Kiara may not have just been to pop the mare's belly with her horn, but with her magic, too. I stand out of the way, turning my head to shelter myself from the debris. Damaris yelps and ducks behind a nearby rock. I can only hope that my babe is as smart and avoids flying dirt, stone, and roots.

The lighter filly moves into the opened-up hole and is already investigating when I turn my head around. Foolhardy and clearly a rebel. I can't help but find myself liking her, despite her disrespect for her elders. My father would never have tolerated such insolence. He'd have beat me silly and left me begging for mercy in some dark corner. I am not Vladimir. What I see sitting there is definitely not a 'poop kid' as the filly suggests. I know exactly what it is, and Damaris does as well, barking loudly. "No, child, those are not 'poop kids.' THOSE are eggs" A soft, knowing smile spreads over my features as I take a few steps closer, eyeing the eggs covered in debris. "Be careful now, you don't want to hurt them."

WC: 404
Tag: @[Vitani]

Rostislav

more than a drunken fool