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Post by Ferabird on Apr 27, 2009 14:26:41 GMT -5
It was stone- all of it. Raia had been so fond of stonework, after all. He saw her in every little useless decoration, in the marbling effect upon the walls, in the columns that lined the main hall... It was enough some days to prompt a light burning behind the deep emerald eyes of the lowland Jack. She would never risk being forgotten. Not when she had so deeply impacted the whim of her keeper. As it was now, she was gone. And that was the cold, hard truth of it. Rhodney kept his grieving to himself, though. It was during walks like these through the warren that he let his thoughts wander, let her face take shape in his mind. Through the great hall- off into a smaller hallway. Green-tipped toes leading the way, he meanders past the kitchens with the polished countertops.... past the numerous chambers that had been carved out long ago by some amazing craftsmen. Other Jacks might find the walls plain, but through Raia's kind eyes Rhodney found himself spying out the flow and 'grain' of the flat, polished stone. Finally it was at the sitting room he arrived, a sigh passing his lips and one notched ear sagging as a handful of claw-tipped fingers roused to pluck the hat from his short-maned brow. Here was the great hearth, where he and his family were able to spend so much time enjoying the warmth and each other's company. Here was the divan where so many times Raia had come to him, offering her body, her mind, her heart. There the lowlander sinks to a sit, setting his cap to one side and looking finally into the merry flames that burned rather consistently in the massive fireplace. This was a room where the Jack was always at peace, a tactical place to find him when any member of his warren wished to make a request of him. It wasn't as though he was stingy to start with- not in the least. But this room was 'home' to the Hisstor-blooded Jack, and so one could expect nothing less than a caring greeting and time at 'Roddy's side. |
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 27, 2009 20:13:36 GMT -5
Oftentimes, when all of her chores were finished, Clara was left feeling uncertain with herself. What should she do, next? Her father's Warren was a hustling-bustling-busy sort of a place these days, with the arrival of new Does with new needs. Sometimes, the Lowlander thought that she should busy herself by trying to get to know her father's new Does, test the proverbial waters. And she did, too. But some days, she wanted to stay as far away from them as possible. Those were the bad days, the days when her paranoia was almost unmanagable. Today was one of those days. She'd gotten everything prepped in the kitchens and they wouldn't require her attention for a while. There wasn't enough time to really get started on another project or tend to the Does, so she'd slunk into the old sitting room. She found the crackling of the fire soothing to the noise that went on in her head, the constant tick-tick of her worrysome thoughts. She was certain that the new Does didn't like her, with the dragging on of the sad no-ears Torque and the pretty shining fur of the Selkie. They must have hated it so when she'd offered to bathe or brush them, probably cringed away from her rotting skin and laughed over her bone-butt once she'd gone. Clara just couldn't bear the thought of not knowing what they'd said about her, so as she sat in front of the fire she'd considered how to best find out what they thought. She could get her lovely sister to tend to their needs one day and listen in from some secret corner, perhaps.. Or she could -- The sudden sound of heavy feet sent the Leveret scurrying out of sight, and it was there she hid until she saw that it was her Papa who'd entered the room. Inwardly, something that had been tightly wound, like a rusted spring, relaxed. The Jack had always had that sort of effect on her. And so, it was with a small smile that she bounded out of her hiding place, easily disguising the movement to look as if she'd just entered the room. " Hey there, papa,[/b]" she greeted in a warm tone, letting a smile creep on her face. Her little bone tail flick-clicked as she sat down beside the Jack's big chair, looking up at him. " How're things going? Everybody settlin' in alright?[/b]" Remembering her place in the Warren, she was quick to add, " An' can I get you somethin'? A drink or a snack? Dinner's cookin' now.[/b]" |
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Post by Ferabird on Apr 27, 2009 20:32:29 GMT -5
Never would Rhodney allow his precious daughters, his dearest treasures, to doubt themselves. He may have been the solid keystone that capped their warren and held it together, but at the same time he was a bastion of safety- placing his family as far to the fore as any Jack reasonably could.
"Ah, Clara." he sighed in relief, the hollowness fading from his eyes as the youth made a show of bounding in. His response was one that should help to dash away her fears of being unwanted, a raggedly torn stub and an ear notched by rot rousing to an attentive perk. He found the click of her tail endearing, and in his mind the clacks were synonymous with any other vocalization of joy. "Come, sit up here with me."
Should she show sign of complying, he'd even stoop down to scoop the girl up just as he might have when she was a babe!
"Ah- my sweet little Clara. You always find something to worry yourself over. The only drink I could use is a stiff one, and there's no need to fetch it so soon before dinner. You're the good girl for asking, though. Never miss a step, no matter what." With that he'd bump his goatee'd muzzle lightly to her brow, short curls bouncing so that a few strands obscured his eyes. Yep, he was being the daddy and nosing his little girl. Though as a note, he wouldn't hold her tightly in his arms or lap or anywhere in particular- she was free to shift about.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 27, 2009 20:52:06 GMT -5
Something about the air in the room and the familiar smell of her father soothed Clara's worn nerves, and when he offered a seat in his lap the Leveret was quick to accept it (as well as help given in getting there). Once up, she settled in under the crook of his arm, pressing her body against his and smiling to herself. Yes, Rhodney always knew how to make her feel better about the world and her own state of being, especially with te way that he didn't hide his rot around her. He made it something that just was rather than something that should be feared and hidden away, a dirty little secret.
"There's always somethin' ta be done, papa,[/b]" she replied with a quirky smile, leaning into his bump and tooth-purring. There was, too, even if it didn't always directly relate to the general upkeep of her father's Warren, but he didn't need to know about that, no no. She shifted one the affectionate gesture had been broken, letting her weight rest on her hinds so that she was sitting up, forepaws resting in her lap. When she sat like this, she was better able to look at the man. "After all, when you find a differen' Warren for me[/b]" -- perish the thought -- "I've gotta be set ta show those other girls how ta act like proper Levvies, right?[/b]"
With that, she giggled a little, covering her mouth with a paw and then nervously brushing back the curl of hair on the middle of her head. Her ears flopped forward, quivering for a moment before they relaxed once more. "Anyways, I'll be sure you get that drink before too lon'. Sissy an' I are makin' potato-leek soup for supper tonight. Boy, it smelled good when I left ta find you.[/b]"
Her expression lit up and a sly smile crept across her face. Cooking was the girl's biggest passion, and she loved watching her father taste a new recipe. His smiles were the greatest reward she could ask for.
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Post by Ferabird on Apr 27, 2009 21:10:56 GMT -5
It was just another of those things the sitting room was for! How could he be a proper father and tell his girls they were beautiful while hiding his own Rot-deformity? It was actually something he'd see to once he and she both were settled, wrestling a bit with the gentleman's scarf that made him look so distinguished so that he could get to the buttons of his shirt.
Now rest assured that the lowlander wasn't stripping, but it added to the casual feel to the room when he let his shirt sit a bit open. Perhaps a stranger would find his visible ribs unsightly- and moreso the organs that were eerily half-visible beyond them. But this was not a room for strangers- and anyone who invited themselves in did so at the risk of seeing the Jack in his natural state rather than his proper one.
"Aye, m'love." he agrees as a matter of course, emerald eyes sparkling. "Always something to be done- or someone who needs a prod in the right direction. And when I find that Jack that will know you for the treasure you are- you'll be directing a proper hive of levvies!" He might sound a bit like a bumpkin, but what was wrong with adopting a casual form of speech in a casual setting?
"Potato-leek soup, you say? What'll I ever do when you two are off living your own lives? You'll have to teach my other one a few things before you go. That one that looks like your mum. Otherwise I might pine away...." Dramatically he'd sag towards her, more meaning to make a playful pest of himself than risking actually toppling on her.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on May 7, 2009 21:04:05 GMT -5
Her father's action, however strange it might seem to an outside pair of eyes (which Clara was sure there weren't any at the current moment; after all, she was the only sneak the Warren needed), relaxed the young bun and she smiled. Her father's willingness to let her see what it was that linked them other than the brown fur and green markings made her feel more comfortable with her own shortcomings. As if in reply to her thoughts, her little bone tail flicked, the exposed joints clicking softly. His words also offered a calming presence - she knew he wouldn't just trade her off willy-nilly to the first Jack that offered, but hearing it from his own mouth settled her nervous spirits, and she thrummed happily.
"That does soun' good, doesn't it?[/b]" Clara replied with a fiesty grin, her ears moving so they stood tall. "Bringin' the family honor and all that. Even if I'm somewhere else, I'm looking forward ta doin' ya proud, Papa.[/b]" She was, too. She was also looking forward to bringing some semblance of honor to the Lowlands, but that was something she wasn't sure how to express.\
She just hated being looked down on for the markings of her coat and the rot on her rear.
The mention of her mother and the other Leveret that lived in their Warren made the young rabbit falter ever so slightly, but she covered the expression admirably with another smile. It was as if she'd never been anything but thrilled. "Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Papa. I'll make sure to show her how it's done.[/b]" And really, she'd be happy to do so. She did like to cook, and teaching someone else how to do it wouldn't be that bad.
Then, she tilted her head to the side, an inquisitive angle to her ears. "...How're those new Does settling in?[/b]" she asked, hoping to get a little more information about them. They seemed pretty enough, but she wondered how they would react to Rhodney's rot. She wouldn't be happy to find out that the Does said a single bad word about her father, not at all..
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Post by Ferabird on Jun 25, 2009 11:20:47 GMT -5
Oh- how Rhodney's daughters cooked! And he loved their love of doing so, to say the least. As seasons came and went, so grew more numerous and slim the ingredients available to the suddenly booming little Warren. He really would have to settle properly on trade for food now that he had a pair of does to provide for again...
Brought back to the here and now by the boney clicking of her tail, the fine father offers down a proud smile. The sound was one he associated with happiness- the sort of subconcious tie-in one developed over years. Sitting up properly again, he'll offer an affectionate pat to her side.
"You wouldn't be able to help but do me proud, m'love." he'll insist, tone jovial. "You're too proud of yourself and your work for that! You'll have everything in paw, just like you do here. Sometimes I think there's not a thing that happens in this warren that you don't know about... ears in your whiskers." A curl of finger 'tweaks' one of said whiskers playfully, likely a long-term tease. He didn't imagine how astute she truly was of course, but he couldn't help noticing that she always knew the right time to come in and chat with him or cheer him up. Much in the same way- she ran quite a tight ship seeing as she seemed to be there with a dustpan before a jostled vase so much as hit the floor!
"Ah- they seem to be settlin' in alright. Not too twitchy about the old ear, either!" He'll give his ear and a half a swivel to set them upright, thoughtlessly calling attention to what was normally his only visible patch of Rot. "I think they'll be fine with a lil time."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jul 7, 2009 21:47:44 GMT -5
When her Father-Jack moved to pat her side, Clara moved cheerfully into the touch, quite enjoying his affection. He was such a wonderful man, and his love for her helped soothe her mind's ramblings. To an extent. She couldn't help but wonder how long it'd be before he had other daughters, possibly even from the Sorgaire Lev who worked in the Warren if she should ever reach Doe. What would happen to her and Layla then? Would they be forgotten, the children of an extinguished flame?
Of course, Rhodney interrupted her nervous thoughts with some words of his own, words that brought a quiet and happy tooth-purr from the nervous bun. Such high praise, and from a Jack! It didn't really matter to her that he was her father, Jacks were the best of the best in Clara's book and she'd accept their words without questioning. In regards to this, at least. She was proud of her abilities to keep a Warren in order, and even more proud of her skills at observing and listening. At his comment about her whiskers she laughed and leaned towards him, twitching them at him as soon as he finished tweaking them and grinning broadly.
"Well, the way I see it, it's not so bad ta have someone knowin' what's going on with everybody. Makes it easier ta keep the Does and my Pap content and happy, doesn't it?[/b]" It also gave her restless mind something to do, but Rhodney didn't need to know about the things that kept Clara up at night. Really, no one did. They were private thoughts and worries. If she kept her father and his Does happy, perhaps he'd never feel the need to trade her away...
At the news that the Does were settling in well, the Leveret felt herself relax and nod. "Glad ta hear it! They look like a pair of pretty girls,[/b]" even the Torque without any ears at all was quite the lovely creature. Except for the lack of ears. She was fairly certain that was an insult on the part of the Jack Rhodney had traded with to obtain her.
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