Gonna Need a Montage [FIN]

[The Jenn]

...oh crap. When Valeny raised her head from its submissive position after a few moments of tense silence, her curiosity getting the better of her common sense, she was caught in the Doe's gaze and slowly froze until nothing, not even a whisker, could twitch. The woman looked as though she wanted to eat her or something. What had she done? The phrasing of her words hadn't crossed her mind, merely the manners that went into them. She still had a lot to learn about getting along with Does she hadn't known from a young age.

When she could unfreeze her thoughts enough to think about obeying, her fur shivered down her spine and stood up a little. Then she hopped up onto the waiting chair as directed and sat, eyes flicking down again at the polished wooden surface of the table. She didn't dare say anything until the woman addressed her.

This was clearly a Doe who knew her own mind. Others would have laughed, had they heard that thought, but she wasn't aware of the irony behind it.

[Nako]

Then, just as quickly as the storm had brewed, it was over. Ashta's expression softened into a smile as she retrieved the abandoned kettle and finished pouring her drink, pouring the leveret's cup full and setting it in front of her. Humming softly to herself, she set all the things on the table in particular order, cheerfully going about serving scones to both their plates.

Goodness. The leveret looked rightly terrified. Some semblance of guilt went through Ashta's jaded little mind, running a paw over her torn ear reflexively. "Now now... don't fret, little leveret. All is well. It is best you -ask- if I want tea before serving. I may want to pour it myself. I do love to pour tea. Not always.. just sometimes. A lady should know how to pour tea, you know."

She paused between adding lumps of sugar to her tea, considering the leveret very, very carefully. "It is... a shame to have such a mane wasted on a leveret. It looks lovely, yes, but it just gets in the way on a working rabbit." It was as if.. she literally didn't think such a comment would cause offense. She just clucked her tongue as if it were such a shame, as if it were some issue. "What is your name?"

[The Jenn]

Valeny didn't dare move as the Doe went about finishing the task of setting up tea. She'd been told to sit, and sit she would, until her butt turned to stone and fell asleep if she had to.

When the woman spoke, she had to fight the reflex to lift her head, keeping it down in case she was receiving another Death Glare. She didn't want to get trapped in that again. This was more submissive anyway. Learn, girl, learn! "Of course, ma'am. It's obvious that you're quite the lady. I apologize for presuming. It won't happen again." If you couldn't agree, flatter? That's what Aleah has said? Hopefully the right answer in this case would be 'both'.

The comment on her mane dug a little at her pride and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from commenting for a moment until the woman was finished speaking. That was either something meant to provoke or a completely thoughtless statement. Either way, it wasn't her place to react, not as a Leveret. "My name is Valeny, Lady Ashta." After that whole 'lady' schpiel, she figured it would be a good idea to tack a title on there.

[Nako]

"Hm.. Valeny. You are female, yes? I would assume so. If you weren't, you'd tell me, yes? The Czar doesn't like liars." But there was no threat in her tone. No, it was like a concern.. if a Doe could be concerned for leverets, anyhow. Goodness. The girl's eyes were all but glued to the table. Was she truly so skittish? Was Ashta truly that scary? Nonsense. Ashta was a lady.

"Your tea is going to get cold, dear. Come now, I'm not going to wring your neck at the tea table!" Ashta declared with a light laugh. Oh yes, silly girl. Silly, silly girl. She was too delicate, too pretty to be a leveret. The Czar would be better off forcing her to make the Change and trading her off. "Come now, girl! A lady doesn't slouch and drop her eyes at the table. Only ladies are allowed at my table."

"How do you like the warren, Valeny?"

[The Jenn]

"Yes, Lady Ashta, I'm female. I've heard that the Czar doesn't like liars, and I wouldn't lie to you." Valeny's eyes finally flicked up. When they weren't greeted by a threatening glare, her head tilted up as well, chin having been practically touching her chest. This was a bit easier to manage, then, wasn't it?

What a quirky Doe. "Yes, of course, m'lady. I apologize." She sat up straighter and leaned forward, taking a sip of her tea. When the next question came, she paused and sat up straight once again. "It's a very nice warren. Larger than the one I came from, certainly. We didn't have a garden. Our Jack seems to take very good care of his Does." That was flattery, right? She looked well taken care of. Unless she had some secret complaint against the Czar, in which case that was a very stupid thing to say.

She sat there uneasily, belatedly taking another sip of her tea before waiting for the next question. There had to be more coming, she was sure of it. Letting the Doe lead the idle pleasantries was probably going to be safer.

[Nako]

Ashta 'hmm'ed with approval at Valeny's assurance that she wouldn't lie, a pleasant smile curling her lips as she spread jelly on a scone. She nearly tore into the sliced pastry at Valeny's other comment about the Czar, but she kept her smile most pleasant.

"Oh, yes. My Jack is very kind. He cares greatly for all who is beneath him, as do I. I'm the favorite, after all. I.. take care of things that he should not be bothered with. I like to handle the grievances of the Does and leverets, you know. Especially the Does. There is a bond between Does in a warren, you know. They are like sisters." Now Ashta was regarding the leveret very, very carefully, though her smile never wavered. She continued quite conversationally. "He has many Does.. but then again he is a powerful Jack. I do not put it past the Czar to want to add more to the warren."

Regarding her crumbled scone, she frowned softly before taking up a piece to nibble upon it. "You like the gardens, do you? When did you have a chance to see the gardens?" Suddenly she seemed to hold a renewed interest. A.. -hungry- interest. What was this leveret doing during her stay?

[The Jenn]

For all that she tried, Valeny couldn't stop a mildly horrified look from crossing her features before she got them under control and looked down again, staring into her raspberry tea. She was going to have to say something fast to that one, or it would look as though she insulted the Doe. Which she didn't. "Ah, well... as the Czar's favorite, you would know far more about such things than a lowly Leveret." Was there anything else she could say that would be polite? No, there really wasn't, besides reinforcing her rank.

Guh. She hadn't missed the pointed stare as Ashta lightly commented on the Czar potentially adding more Does to his warren. She wasn't stupid. The woman's meaning was clear. She just didn't know whether the head Doe approved of the idea or whether she didn't. That hadn't come to the surface. She, herself, most certainly did not approve.

The gardens were a much safer subject! For all that the Doe gave her a weirdly interested stare, she could let out a tiny breath of relief in discussing them. "Aleah once asked me to help him with the flowers, m'lady. I had never seen roses before. They're very beautiful." That seemed nice and harmless enough, didn't it?

[Nako]

"A- Aleah took you to the gardens? Oh! Oh good..." And with a shrill, odd laugh, it was as if the Doe melted back into her seat with an odd sense of contentment. At long as it wasn't the Czar romancing her in the gardens. Ashta most certainly did -not- approve of such things. She very much wished that the Czar at least forewarned her of new potential Does. She didn't like when members of her family were so randomly traded and added. It threw the balance in the warren off most terribly.

But then.. that smile... It didn't turn into anything bad.. but it turned to a most interesting, puzzled expression. "Aleah, you say?" The Hisstor Doe remarked, as if the first comment had never occurred. "Well, I'm glad he's found someone who is willing to work with him. I'm sure he gets so terribly lonely doing his chores. Roses... you say. Yes, roses are lovely. Aleah does so love the roses. You are kind to him, yes? I'm so partial to Aleah. He is a good boy. Tired.. tired boy, but a good one."

[The Jenn]

That laugh made Valeny's tail twitch behind her and her ears swivel uneasily before resuming a submissive position. She carefully took another sip of the tea, which had begun to cool to a more comfortable temperature. She didn't really like her drinks too hot. Warm to cold was always better for her.

She wondered what the woman had thought she'd meant... maybe she thought she'd been lazy and slacking on her work? No, certainly not. Aleah seemed a safe subject as well, especially since she seemed to favor her son. Which was... odd. Shouldn't a Doe prefer her daughters? Or was that just the Jacks? Huh.

"Yes, m'lady, I help him outside sometimes. He says it makes the work easier to have me helping and since he's my senior, I'm happy to do as he says." Did she dare a question? No, she didn't. However much she would have liked to ask a little more about the other Leveret's perpetual exhaustion, this was not the person to safely ask.

[Nako]

Ashta was in a much better mood now, resting her chin so delicately on her paw to listen to the leveret. She seemed disappointing that the leveret decided to stop speaking. Though it wasn't always good to have chatty servants, every now and again Ashta liked to hear the silly things they could say. Whenever she prattled on to them it felt sometimes like she was talking to a brick wall. They never seemed to have much input. Then again, what input they sometimes had, she had to shoot down. She really should be more understanding. After all, leverets were crudely imperfect creatures.

"I had -three- children, you know." Ashta said with a great sense of pride. "Not everyone can say that. Have you met Aisha? She's my Doe child. It didn't surprise me at all. I was born a Doe, after all. It's only fitting that I beget a naturally born one. Oh.. and my little leveret girl.. she's got a good deal of Hisstor in her. Did you have any siblings?"