Move Along [Finished]

[Kari Muffin]

She seemed like an honest Doe. She was far different from the self centered and selfish Does he had the pleasure of taking care of, she wasn't crazy, and in all honesty he was partly reminded of Igni. Though she was far more shy, and sweet, there was something about Seena that was real like Igni was. Perhaps it was because she was treating him like a person rather than a play thing?

And that laugh. It certainly sounded real. He couldn't help but relax a bit as he shifted the back on his back. They were indeed supplies only for the warren. He had been pickpocketing cards for money on his trip. He still had quite a bit to travel on. But her offer was a very kind one... and she had said the Jack was busy? His toes curled in thought as he looked up at her.

She was nice. He couldn't pass this up.

"Thank you for the offer, something to drink would be nice. I suppose I can follow you since I wouldn't want you the walk all that way for me, ma'am." He gave her a small smile. Despite how small it was, it was an actual smile from the antlered rabbit. "And I assume since your Jack is busy he wouldn't notice someone like me quickly popping in. I am just a talking piece of furniture to most."

[Lucca]

Seena's ears perked forward a bit as he not only accepted the offer (something she'd been unsure he'd do, he seemed such a paranoid creature) but also volunteered to actually come back to the Warren. Well! She had indeed made a good choice in befriending him, or sorts. As much as a Doe could befriend a Leveret, at least. "That's very gracious of you, Heike," Seena said softly, smiling in return and leading the way back towards the Warren. Something in her tightened a bit, as she would be diving right back into that which she would have liked to escape, but there was no choice for now. Being outside was one of the few things she could never tire of, there was such a lovely view of the mountains. She could forget, for a while, the gilded cage she was forced to remain in all her life.

"Yes, we should be able to avoid notice," Seena agreed, though she was basing that on the hope they wouldn't run into anyone. Their Warren was so small right now, any stranger would be an object of curiosity. But she felt she commanded enough respect from the Leverets that they wouldn't question if she asked them to refrain from telling Rhodney about the visitor...well, as long as they didn't run into the scrawny, ugly one who seemed supsicious of anything and anyone who was not her Father-Jack. Reaching the entrance, which was concealed under a ledge of rock draped with lichen and mountain flowers, Seena led the way in, glancing back to make sure he was following.

"Well, Heike, let me welcome you formally to my--well, I suppose I should say Rhodney's--Warren." After a brief hallway with sides of carved rock, they would enter a homey sitting room, with a small fireplace.

[Kari Muffin]

The rabbit blushed slightly under his fur as the Doe smiled at him. She really was nice, and she really did seem to think that he was a person rather than an object to be used. He couldn't help but wonder how she had come to such a conclusion. Perhaps she had once been a leveret and still had a soft spot for them? Or perhaps she was simply well educated and came to her own conclusions?

He trailed a bit behind her. He wanted to keep a good enough distance between them just in case someone did manage to run into them he would have enough room to bolt. The more he thought about it, the more this seemed like a bad idea. His tail twitched with agitation at all the possibilities that could occur.

He bowed his head and thanked her for the formal welcome.

Nothing seemed to be going wrong. When they entered the sitting room the rabbit peered around. It was quite a homely place. He couldn't help but wonder how large this warren was, since it seemed so empty. "You and your Jack have quite a lovely warren," then again he hadn't set foot in many warrens. He had very few to compare this one to.

Heike suddenly had the urge to ask questions. He wanted to know more about her, but how exactly could he ask her things? She seemed far more free thinking than most Does, but he hardly wanted to push her hospitality. So he remained silent for now as he inspected the room.

[Lucca]

Seena had decided long ago that someone's intelligence and drive were far more important than their Rack. A smart Leveret was better company than a stupid Jack, at least in her opinion. This obviously wasn't something she would ever voice out loud, of course, at least not in the hearing of anyone it may offend. Her tail wiggled a bit in thought as he complimented her Warren. "Thank you. It's very...cozy here." Yes, that was one nice thing she could say about it. After all, the place itself was very nice.

"One moment, I'll bring you something. Do you like tea?" She hopped into an adjoining room, glad to find that there was a bit of tea still left from the afternoon meal, and still warm too. She brought this, along with water (in case he didn't care for tea) and a plate of some sort of pastry she found on the counter. Setting it down on the low coffee table, she gestured with a paw for Heike to sit.

"So have you come a long way, then?" she asked, figuring that since he trusted her enough to enter the Warren, he might be willing to answer a few more questions. She poured two cups of the tea, which she was pleased to find was peppermint.

[Kari Muffin]

Wait. She was getting the tea? He opened his mouth in protest until he realized that he had no idea where anything was and she had already left the room. It wasn't every day that a Doe got a Leveret something. The rabbit curled his toes as he waited for Seena to return.

This was a day to remember. He never honestly thought he would meet someone like this ever, so he might as well savor it while it lasted. Maybe if he ever managed to obtain that dream of safety for his sister...? It was a pipe dream though.

He jumped slightly when she returned. After years of managing his paranoia he was able to quickly regain his composure to a degree. He still looked flustered of course, but without missing a beat he gave the Doe a bright smile. "Tea is fantastic, I don't get a chance to drink it that often, thank you very much ma'am." He bowed his head before picking up his cup.

Peppermint tea. It was one of the teas that he actually put sugar in, but for this occasion he figured drinking it straight was fine. His attention shifted rather quickly back to the Doe to answer her question after he took a sip. "Yes, I've come from the Highlands. It's quite the trip... ah... do you mind if I ask you a question?"

[Lucca]

Seena thought nothing of getting tea for the other Rabbit. After all, he was her guest, and in her own Warren, Does had been taught a few basics of serving teas and playing hostess. Though the lessons were meant for serving things to visiting Jacks, but still. Making the tea was still a task for Leverets, though Seena had picked up that knowledge as well, in case she ever had need of it. Luckily, she didn't, as she wasn't sure how well tea she brewed would come out. It was one thing to know all about something, and another to actually do it.

"You're welcome, Heike," she said, sipping at her own cup. Another lesson: how to properly drink tea and hold the cup with your paws. There was sugar on the tray as well, though Seena had completely forgotten to mention or point it out to Heike. Conversely, peppermint tea was the one kind she generally drank without sugar, hence why it didn't occur to her to offer.

"The Highlands? That is quite a distance! You've got a lot of...dedication." This Morganberry Doe must be very special indeed. A mane of bright fire...wouldn't that be a bit unwieldy though? You'd always be accidentally setting things aflame. Poor girl. She raised an eyebrow at the tentative prod, but nodded. "Please, feel free." And now she was curious what he was going to ask her. There wasn't much about her life she'd need to keep hidden, not really. Some of her controversial or rebellious opinions wouldn't be smart to share with a Jack, but with a strange Leveret who would never be seeing her Jack, well...she was in no way ashamed of who she was or what she thought. She was just smart enough to know when to hold her tongue, though she would sometimes let her spirit overpower that common sense.

[Kari Muffin]

The rabbit shifted his weight as he took another sip of tea. Dedication was one way of putting it. Igni was someone who meant the world to him, and he would go anywhere for her. And at this rate he would have to go to every single warren in every single region if he didn't catch a real hint. But he would do it for her.

He watched the Doe carefully to see if she had any negative reaction to his initial question. Her response made him feel a bit more comfortable. "You seem far smarter than most... if not all the Doe I've met. So I imagine you're well read... so are you... happy? It's a really personal question that's why I hesitated to ask, but you just seem like you want more from life than just to be a pretty Doe."

Heike shifted awkwardly again. He really hoped that hadn't offended her. It was just a curious question. Was every Doe happy being just some pretty piece of property? That couldn't be possible could it?

[Lucca]

The question...surprised her, to say the least. It wasn't what she was expecting, and it threw her off for a moment. Not to mention she felt a slight blush creep up, terribly visible through her white fur, at the compliment. Yes, it was a feeling she harbored herself sometimes--that a lot of Does were silly airheads--but hearing it said aloud from a near stranger was something different. To save her composure a bit, she sipped a bit more tea, blue eyes darting down to the table and then to a space somewhere between Heike's antlers. By the White Rabbit, a simple question had no right to make her feel so awkward! But she had to say something, so he didn't think she was upset...

"Am I...happy," she repeated, giving the Leveret a slight smile. "Well, you're right. I am rather well read, and I do..." Her eyes flashed a bit, and her expression grew serious, voice getting a few tones quieter. "...I do want more from life than to be just a piece of property. I want to be appriciated. I want to be more than just a...a pretty face my Jack comes to when he has a Need. I want to be a companion, a confidante, a consultant on the way the Warren is run. I have ideas, I know things, and I don't want all that to go to waste."

She laughed again, a bit bitterly this time. "But that's not really something that's ever going to happen. Certainly not here. Oh, my Jack treats me well enough, and he humors me when I try to talk tactics or strategies, but I can tell he just doesn't -care-." She closed her eyes, glad that no one was around to hear that. Glad that Heike had asked and allowed her the freedom to say the bitter things that had been building up for the past few months. Hoping he would still respect her after that answer, not shun her as she knew most Jacks and Leverets and other Does would for her odd views. "No. No, I guess I'm not very happy," she added softly, slumping a bit.

[Kari Muffin]

Heike's ears perked to their fullest as he hung on every word. So it wasn't some sort of myth and there were Does who actually wanted more in life. Society wasn't about to change put... she did have very valid points most of the time. She was smart. Her Jack should listen to her advice. There had to be an open minded Jack out there who was willing to listen... right?

Probably not. He had never met a Jack who wasn't egocentric and stubborn. And he doubt one would ever exist. Of course the pipe dream thought did briefly occur to him, but he brushed it aside.

"Well, Madam Seena, I'm sure that one day he'll realize his folly. You seem far too spirited to let someone like that get you down for very long." He smiled, "You're a lot more passionate about knowledge than most rabbits I've met, but I'm sure there's someone out there who shares your passion. Thank you for being honest with me."

[Lucca]

The same thoughts had occurred to Seena before. That she was...unique, but to be unique in a society as constraining as this was to be ever alone, or worse! And she was now chained, chained to a Jack for the rest of her days. It didn't have to be this Jack, but was there really any others out there who were any more open-minded? Saying the things she was admitting to now to the wrong person could end with her being killed, or at the very least having an ear ripped off.

At least Heike accepted her. That was more than she could have asked for. She returned his smile, not caring anymore that he was just a Leveret. He was the first person in a long time to make her feel...accepted. "Thank you for listening, Heike, and for being understanding. At least...at least someone cares." She flashed a toothy grin at him. Too bad he's not a Jack...she caught herself thinking. But while it wasn't too odd for Leverets to move up to Does, it was so very rare for them to become Jacks...most never managed it. Still, she caught herself thinking what a handsome Jack Heike might make, with those antlers and his green and blue fur...hmm...