Hello there! I'm back. :) Apologies for the long hiatus of more than a month— I'm not dead (and hopefully this story isn't too), I've just been drowning in homework, classes and mainly revision for the past few weeks. Then again, that's not to say my laziness didn't play a part. Hehe. Therefore, since it's Chinese New Year and I get two days off school, I decided to get down to it. I must say though, that I struggled through bouts of writer's block throughout this chapter, and it's not as interesting as the previous one due to a distinct lack of action, so sorry in advance. :\ So yeah…. Here it is. :)
Chapter 4~ Pitfalls of a Soft Heart
LILAC: Tooth's P.O.V
In all the millennia I have known him, I have never seen such a bewilderedly stunned expression cross his face like the one that was frozen on it now, probably encapsulating, "What the heck just happened?" My recent concern for Bunny evaporated, morphing into delight at the doggy kiss he'd just received, which manifested itself in an involuntary squeal that shattered the silence like icicles. Below me, North choked back a roar of laughter. Somehow the more-than-amusing sight of the seven foot tall rough-and-tough warrior who was 'unflappable' personified, astonished and pinned to the ground with a puppy on his chest, staring into his eyes as if an attempt to hypnotize him was in progress, was the last straw. Unfortunately, that seemed also to break the spell, for, with a positively scandalized yelp, the Pooka started, and shoved Lassie off, perhaps harder than intended, scrambling to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. I even thought I caught sight of a faint rosy tint flushing beneath the finger-deep fur. With the grace of one who has just been well and thoroughly humiliated and is fervently praying for mother earth to gape open and swallow him, (or in Bunny's case, dying to tap open a tunnel and disappear off the face of the earth for the next few decades or so), he bounded over to a confused Phil, putting a large furry barrier between himself and the object of mortification. Unoffended and in fact apparently encouraged, Lassie got to her feet and started to pick her elegant way between the strewn books over to Bunny, the latter's wary emerald gaze pinned on her so much so that any moment now it seemed her fur would go up in flames.
"Awww, Bunny, look, she likes you!" Jack chuckled, delighting, inwardly and out, in seeing Bunny perform a complete departure from his usual cool demeanor. For a single fleeting second, the Pooka almost relinquished his monitoring of Lassie's proximity to glare at the frost hellion, then decided against it at the last moment and instead regarded the greyhound with the unparalleled intensity usually reserved only for his moments of utter concentration when he wrought his magic with the precious Easter eggs. His foot, however, twitched and began drumming a soft, rhythmic tattoo on the ground with a life of its own, not high enough to open a tunnel, but the likelihood of doing so increasing in inverse proportion with Lassie's distance from him. Lowering myself to North's level, I noticed the ground near Bunny's foot tremble dangerously.
"No holes in ze floor, friend," North warned, cutting off the indignant protest at the tip of Bunny's tongue with a wagging finger. Then to be fair, as well as appease a harried, embarrassed boomerang-wielding Pooka warrior well versed in sixteen different forms of martial arts and currently held at bay (not a favourable combination), heaved a gusty long-suffering sigh and snapped his fingers at Lassie. "Sit, Lassie, dhere's a good girl." Annoyed at being denied her fun, Lassie shot him a reproachful look before obeying, radiating reluctance from every hair on her pelt. Her gaze lingered regretfully on the object of her desire.
"Dhere you go, Bunny!" North exclaimed brightly and beamed at the rangy buck rabbit with the brilliance of MiM, pleased with the ceasefire he felt he had brought about. "She can play dead too, if you want."
"No, no thank ya'."
"Good! Now stop being wimp and come here. Ve talk."
"Ah' ain't a wimp! And no!"
"Bunny…"
"No!"
I giggled at the amusing exchange, looking from a defiant Bunny, arms crossed, head tilted at a jaunty angle and green eyes flashing a half-serious, half-playful challenge at North, to North himself, stroking his beard and regarding the rabbit as if he was an enigmatic conundrum of a toy which refused to work, and severely in need of critical assessment and subsequently, intervention. The deadlock went on a few more rounds with Jack watching entertained from the top of his staff, before Sandy, ever the diplomat, stepped in.
A shimmer of aurelian sand erupted from the air above Sandy's palm, swirling, swelling and starbursting till it formed a lumpy but beautiful sphere the size of a…. watermelon? A disapproving frown clouded his face as he regarded the sandball sternly, and the ball abruptly shrunk to orange size to fit snugly in his palm with an almost abashed air. I watched, fascinated.
"So pretty!" I gave a happy chirp. I've always loved Sandy's sand creations, even if it was just ball, nothing compared to the plethora of other gorgeous creations like dolphins, dinosaurs, aeroplanes and the like. He turned to give me a cheerful wink of acknowledgement before turning back to Bunny kindly, sand-images flying: Don't worry, I got this.
Oh, not a threat, but a reassurance. Though I would have thought Bunny would have known better than to trust Sandy's aim.
Apparently, he did not, but watching the grey-furred warrior's mutinous expression falter and dissolve into one of weary resignation, I somehow suspected it had more to do with him not wanting to hurt a brother's feelings. Reaching up to tug nervously at a flexible ear, something he tended to do when nervous or stressed, he returned the golden little man an uncertain smile, then edged out from behind Phil and shuffled towards our little group with the tentative air of a young mouse venturing out of its hole. Yep, it was for Sandy's sake, all right. Bunny could look and sound all rough and tumble, complete with a wry and sometimes caustic sense of humour, but scale the walls, peek beneath the barriers, and really, he was all sweet and surprisingly sensitive inside, a big softie. The times he lowered his defenses were rare and few, though instances were occurring more frequently, but when he did, everyone saw it.
"A'righ', ya' nong," Bunny sidled past Lassie with considerable skill and produced a slim, ornately carved paintbrush from his sling pack, which he used to jab in North's face. "Ya' have thirty secun's to explain yer'self, befur' ah' finish painting this egg and turn ya' into an Eastah' one." Leaning against a pillar and carefully whipping out ("How is "carefully whipping out" even possible?" you may ask. Well, this is Bunny we're talking about here. 'Nuff said.) a blank egg in the same movement, he began to swipe swift, professional strokes down the sides, the very picture of studious blaséness.
"Ah, you vouldn't."
"Twen'y eight secun's."
"Touchy, touchy."
"Twen'y five secun's."
"Oh alright, alright. See, one of de kitchen yetis is finding poor Lassie here wandering around half-frozen and all alone in the snow yesterday, bednyaga, and I is taking her in and taking care of her. She is stumbling and shivering in the cold, and howling in helpless despair. Couldn't leave her out there to die, could I?" North raised and dropped his broad shoulders in an all-too-innocent shrug, skillfully putting on a sorrowful expression. "Prithee, thou couldn'st be thus heartless!" I winced. Laying on the ambrosia a bit thick there, North. It seemed to strike a chord with the intended target, though.
Looking momentarily lost for words (whether from North's words or his sudden switch to Elizabethan english it was hard to tell), Bunny looked up from his painting, eyes softening and a look of sympathy and concern, mingled with hooded pain and regret, flitting across his features quick as a shadow. The cold, destitution and loneliness were things he could empathize with, thanks to his terrible past.
"Go on."
"I would love to keep her here," A regretful sigh heaved. "But as you know, Christmas is coming along, and I simply don't have time to care for a puppy. All the toys and all; according to Phil, we're barely to meet quota this year. No, elves underboot is enough." Another sigh, and a rueful shake of the head. It dawned on me then (little belatedly, perhaps) what North was up to, and I glanced over at Jack and Sandy. The mischievous laughter dancing in Jack's eyes and the wide grin spread across Sandy's face confirmed my suspicions. I felt a smile grow onto my face, hands flying to my mouth to stifle it, somewhat unsuccessfully.
"Guardians, I would therefore like to humbly request your help," here, North, still in the spirit of his little performance, turned to the rest of us, palms spread in appeal, maya blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "To take in this pitiful little waif on my behalf, and watch over her." All eyes turned to Lassie, sitting there with a contented air, watching the proceedings with a happy doggy grin and not looking the least bit pitiful or waif-like.
"I can't. As you very well know, I live here with you, North-" Jack, eager to go along with the conspiracy, was the first to pipe up, barely after the words had left the Cossack's mouth. Second corner of the trap covered.
"Me neither! My palace is in the clouds, I bet Lassie would hate it so high up there." I interrupted, performing an expressive shudder, tail feathers quivering. Oh dear, that was a bit overkill. Third corner of the trap covered, though; Bunny continued painting the egg, blissfully unaware of the net closing in on him.
Sandy's turn to complete the square that would render Bunny trapped and helpless. Shimmering sand danced above Sandy's head in the usual game of charades. Sorry North, my sand airship is up in the air too. Dogs aren't made for flying- they like keeping all four feet firmly on the ground. And then as a hint, or a warning in a rush of altruism, to Bunny, he added as an afterthought: Or underground.
"Oh well, that is too bad, then. That leaves…." North forehead creased, as if he didn't know the last alternative. "Bunny!" he exclaimed, looking surprised. To his left, Jack shook his head slowly in admiration at North's brilliant scheming, then jumped out of his skin as a scandalized yell echoed through the room.
"NO! Absolutely not!" I dipped in the air and spun round to see an outraged Bunny, cradling the three-quarters-finished egg in a paw and staring, no, glaring at North like he'd grown three heads.
"Oh come on Bunny! Your Warren would be safe haven for Lassie, would it not? Think how happy she be! Just picture it! Frolicking in the lush green grass—" North threw an arm over the Pooka's shoulders, the other sweeping in front of the duo in a wide, all-including arc as if the beautiful vast, green expanse of the Warren lay spread out in front of them.
"Eating mah' beautiful eggs and goin' on a bloody rampage!"
"No, no, she will not. Anyway, it's only for three weeks, until Christmas over, and then I'll take her back."
"No! She'll chase me! Wasn' ta'day proof enough?"
"She was just playing! You overreacted, friend! In any case, she kissed and made up."
"Ohhoho, no, thankyouverymuch."
I think an anxious expression must have etched itself on my face, for North turned to grin at me, a combination of reassurance and the secrecy of a child with a secret to keep. Releasing a huffing Bunny, North squared his jaw, and dished out his ultimate tactic.
"I… I just thought, maybe she wouldn't have to suffer," Jack, still considerably new to the family and unfamiliar with North's little dramas (though the latter seemed determined to change all that right here, right now), watched, alarmed and incredulous, as North averted his eyes grievously and released an artful sniffle, an astonishing sound coming from such a large man.
"Mate, tha's enough."
"Hungry, cold, weak, alone…." North ignored Bunny (though if I knew him, under that thick white beard of his he'd be secretly rejoicing at Bunny's slightly guilty, awkward tone), a masterful sob catching in his throat. Very realistic. Behind the unsuspecting Bunny, Sandy silently applauded and thumbs-upped his approval.
"I guess…. This is it, then," North mounted a full assault, turning the full power of his huge blue Eyes of Wonder on the hapless Pooka who suddenly found himself on its receiving end. "Poor Lassie's got to go back out tomorrow, fending for herself in the biting blizzards and howling winds, against starvation and hypothermia and frostbite ("Hey!" Jack's indignant protest rang out.)…." The mountain of a man continued the doleful staring at Bunny, looking positively heartbroken and remarkably liable to break out in an opera-style monody any moment. There should have been violins. I rolled my eyes, an action that would have been shared by Bunny had he not been transfixed by the power of North's pleading gaze.
"Ah'… Ah' can't…" Bunny protested, paws attached to hips, but he didn't sound so sure now.
"It's alright, Bunny, I understand," North whimpered.
He let a pregnant pause hang uncomfortably in the air, before patting Lassie on the head and saying under his breath, (though I suspected it was more for the rabbit's benefit), "Oh, and many predators around here Lassie. Bears. Wolves. Lynxes. You take care."
He let that hang in the air, an virtual bait floating about in the air, waiting for a certain furry grey Pooka fish to swim up and nibble it. I observed my furry friend's face, the conflicting emotions flashing like he couldn't quite decide which one to portray. I, for one, knew the outcome already; Bunny was as good as caught. He was a known sucker for puppy eyes; even Jack knew that, what more North. More importantly, as the Guardian of Hope, he couldn't resist giving a fellow creature hope, couldn't resist giving chances. It was simply who he was, an ingrained part of him for as long as he lived. As if to confirm my thoughts, Bunny's compassionate, caring nature reared its inconvenient head, once again, and the much awaited huff of surrender and a subdued "Oh, fine." finally came, only to be drowned out a heartbeat later by our whoops and cheers of joy. Sweet success! A squeal of delight burst out of my mouth and I angled my body to dive-bomb Bunny again, colliding with a furry midsection. Encircling it with both arms, I laughed into the soft, slim column of fur, briefly feeling sand-textured robes and cool skin brush against my arms.
"You're just a biiiiig old softie inside, Roo, you know that?" Jack's snicker, more a statement than a question, interrupted the heartwarming moment with a manly punch to Bunny's chest. Whiskers quivering with indignation, our prisoner opened his mouth for a feisty retort, but his reply was lost forever in a splutter when North, a sucker for hugs if I ever knew one, wrapped his tatooed arms around all of us and squeezed, hard, lifting us clear of the ground. I felt Bunny's feet flail against mine, before the jolly old Cossack set us down again.
"A'right, a'right, tha's quite enough," Bunny, never one for prolonged emotional displays, ducked out from under the stifling embrace, fluffy cheeks once again flushed. "North, if tha' s all, ah'll run now. Got ta' check up on mah' googies." North chuckled at the Pooka's anxiety to get out-of-range and away from us before we managed to guilt-trip him into taking a whole myriad of other homeless creatures under his wing.
"Do svidaniya, then! I'll be teleporting some dog supplies over soon. Take care, friend." North beamed, evidently still jubilant over his little victory.
"Yeah, well, don't get used ta' it." Bunny mumbled. "Come on, pup," he called, tapping the floor with a foot and opening up one of his tunnels. I nodded in approval; "pup" was a tremendous improvement on "dingo". Like a well-trained champion, the greyhound immediately loped over to her new hero, exuding obedience, and heeled flawlessly, as if she had not chased him all over the place, harrying him all the way, barely ten minutes ago.
About to dive headfirst down the tunnel, Bunny paused and cocked a ear to consider North speculatively, then bounded up to the surprised man and with the same paintbrush he had, did that cool wrist thing he did with his boomerangs right in his face, paw spinning so fast all my eyes could make out was a grey blur. When he stepped back three seconds later to appraise the results, North's nose was a bright festive red, a parody of a Christmas bauble and an Easter egg, with intricate little details more commonplace on Bunny's eggs feathered over it.
"Merry Christmas. That was more than thirty secun's, mate." Bunny smirked into the latter's ear, then whirled round to throw the room in general a smart salute.
"Cheerios, ya' sneaky 'umbugs! 'A' for effort." He added in a consolating undertone, and with that, he and Lassie were gone, the only evidence of Bunny's ever being there a pretty yellow tulip in the floor.
A deafening, stunned silence descended on the room, everyone probably thinking the same thing: Was it possible that the Pooka had anticipated this, playing hard to get and even getting the last laugh?
I blinked. "Bunny…. He knew?"
And North's rueful grin gave me all the answer I needed.
"He knew."
Story notes:
'Bednyaga' is Russian for poor thing
'Do svidaniya' is Russian for farewell
I thought that, as an artist, it would be cool for Bunny to be able to "speed-paint", a kind of parody of how Bunny first manipulated his boomerangs in a display of skill in that dark alleyway when fetching Jack to the Pole. So I used North's nose as a demonstrative model. Sorry North. You don't mind, do you? No? Brilliant. :)
I would like to apologise again for Tooth, to Tooth. I don't think I quite got her personality right in this chapter which is supposed to be in her P.O.V. :\ Sigh. I tried.
Yep, so that was it. How did you guys find it? Besides boring. :) (Really, I just wanted a filler chapter to give Bunny Lassie so that it would be easier for me when I write future chapters on Bunny and Lassie bonding. Instead, I got this 2800+ word essay on the doggy transaction alone. Barely any progress in storyline at all. *facepalm* Sorry. *apologetic wince*) Also, I tried to reveal Bunny's soft side here, but I don't know how it will sound to you. Please give me feedback on this, or the chapter in general! It would make me really happy if I got more reviews or advice from fellow writers. Thanks so much to PrimeEmily135, lady of the wilds, Guest, Avatar Aang, Hey-a squirrel stole my glove, CheshireCatGrin3421, Goldenapples, TripleThreat123, rylanwaterbender, Buckrocks and Anony mouse101 for reviewing the previous chapter! :D Luv you people. :3 And to anyone who stumbles upon this, please review, that's all I ask. 谢谢你! ("Xie Xie Ni" is Chinese for thank you ^^)