Chanting Chase I think it's time we all come clean.

Her hesitancy only reeled him in further, truly curious as to what she could possibly need to ask him that might render her so uncertain. Though, he was beginning to assume that perhaps the girl was just nervous about everything in general. His ears pressed forward all the same, making it clear that she had his rapt attention.

If you're really Draven's dad... Oh boy. This was quickly becoming awkward for the man, and each word further proved it all to be a slippery slope far down. By the end of it, his ears had fallen beside his temple and his gaze was that of a deer caught in headlights. Draven had truly said that? Even after the meeting, the time that had passed, all that he had done to reach out to him? Draven had disowned him as well?

"Uh." His gaze shifted to the side momentarily, suddenly wishing that any other wolf would appear (though preferably @Raela, the wordsmith of their group) so that he could slink away from this cluster that had been set before him by such tiny paws. What should he say, when he didn't even understand what was happening himself? And how much of what he said to this child would be taken back to someone else to bite him later on? Yet, he had told her she could ask. He owed her something, lest he wanted to lose her trust.

"I'm not... Draven's biological dad. But I've been there since he was born, all the same," he told her at last, still unable to meet her gaze directly. He was looking at her russet shoulder, at the ground beside her paws, at the trees just beyond her crown. Anything but her face. What he was admitting to her was, in all honesty, a deep shame. The longer the children remained distant from him, the more he felt foolish for ever considering that they might be a real family together.

"I've always treated him like my own. Recently, though..." Hesitation; he didn't want to delete Draven's new friendship with pity. It was not his place to inform Rose about Minka's passing. "We've just been through a lot. Draven's had a rough time, and all of that isn't really something he needs to be worrying about right now. He just needs to have fun and focus on enjoying being a kid."

There it was, his opening to transition the conversation back toward something more comfortable. His ears lifted slightly as a wry smile brightened his features once more, and he lowered his mammoth skull closer to her height.

"I bet you're great at having fun, aren't you? You're just the friend he needs, I'm sure."

I'm so sorry! Real life keeps getting in the way of my hobbies D;. One more post each to wrap this up? :(

The man seemed hesitant to answer her question, that much was painfully obvious to the young Hervok. However, she couldn't understand why. Shouldn't the response have been simple? She wondered if he'd just shrug the question off all-together, after all she had suggested that she could ask Draven herself, and if it was really such a difficult topic to form words around, perhaps in the end they'd both be better off.

In the long run, the man finally ended up answering. Though it was a bit vague, Rose was still able to piece things together based on previous conversations she'd shared with Draven himself. "Rough time.. Because his momma isn't around no more right?" She frowned, wondering if that was really the appropriate response to give in this sort of scenario. "S-sorry, he told me 'bout that a little.." but that still didn't explain everything. If this man, Gent, wasn't his biological father.. Then where was the real deal? Perhaps these were just details she was never meant to find out about, or perhaps only time could tell.

Thankful that the stranger decided it right to change the topic, the fae quickly regained her smile. "Y-yeah! We have lots of fun together! I wanna be his friend forever!"

No worries!! (: Hope him walking her home is okay?? Let me know if not!

Gent's eyes softened as Rose spoke up, referencing Minka's death. So @Draven had told her. The man couldn't help but wonder after what exactly the child had said about the event, but of course was far from asking the girl such things. Gent simply nodded confirmation instead.

Thankfully, the russet child was eager to take the opportunity he laid out for changing tracks, and as she made her claims he couldn't help but let his own tail pick up in an easy wag as a smile pushed itself upon his lips once more. Forever, that was quite the hefty sentence, and he wondered fleetingly after whether or not that might prove true one day. Whatever the length of their friendship, he simply hoped she could help his son.

"Alright! Then you come back whenever you want, alright? You're welcome here anytime," he promised her with a grin and a wink. "For now, how about I take you home? Make sure nothin' keeps you from getting there in one piece."

That way, he could also do @Nina the courtesy of letting her know that the children would be safe if they wandered his way again.

Works for me! :)

"Okay!!" The auburn pup squealed back in response. "Gonna come back all the time y' know! Like.. Prolly even tomorrow!" with her tail officially wagging faster than the girl could ever recall it doing before, Rose gave the large raven colored male a big grin. The occasion hadn't gone nearly as bad as she'd expected, perhaps with any luck her father would give a similar reaction toward the friendship. Though if it could be avoided, that conversation would be saved for another day. Best not let news of the youngest Hervok travelling off all alone run wild whilst Nineva was still missing after all. 'Maybe Draven will help me look for her...'

"Thanks for not killin' me! I'm gon' tell Draven he's gotta real good daddy!" maintaining her happy expression, Rose allowed her new acquaintance to escort her back to Secret Woodlands whist thoughts of the next adventure she'd share with her new friend flooded her imagination.