WingedKatt here. There is some fluff and spice in the middle of the chapter, so you've been warned. Now enjoy the story.
Inside the Hopps' clinic, Claire sat in her padded office chair with her feet up on the desk as she waited for her friend Aiden to pick up her MuzzleTime call. It had been too long since she last spoke to him and she couldn't wait to see him again.
As her friend's gray face with its orangey undertone came on the screen, Claire's smile brightened. It had been far too long since she last saw or spoke to Aiden. "Hi, Aiden," she said softly while letting her eyes drink in the sight of him. Aiden was a black-backed jackal who had attended medical school with her, and even stayed each summer to take summer classes with her so they could graduate early. If not for his patient help studying, Claire knew she probably would have flunked out the last two years of medical school as the many procedures, medical conditions, and drugs used to treat them left her mind feeling like she was floundering in the deep ocean. But Aiden came to her rescue and helped her learn and memorize everything she needed to pass the rigorous tests and assignments.
Seeing his dark, silvery-gray rabbit friend on the screen, Aiden's light green eyes were filled with shock as Claire was the last mammal he expected to call him. He had even dreamed about her last night, but hadn't expected to hear from her, at least, not with so many predators going savage in Zootopia. "Claire?" he asked in surprise. "Is that really you?"
With a warm laugh, Claire replied, "Of course, it's me, silly." With a twitch of her black nose, she asked in a teasing tone, "Or do you have some other rabbit doe who frequently calls you?"
"No!" Aiden immediately answered. "No," he repeated a little more calmly as he raked his orangey-tan and white clawed fingers through his head fur and down the back of his black and white neck. "Just you," he murmured as his amber gaze softened. "The only doe who calls me is you, Claire, just you." Letting his eyes rove over her beautiful face and stunning storm-gray eyes with a tint of violet, Aiden added, "You're the only rabbit doe I need in my contact list."
Claire beamed at his response, even as her heart fluttered with hope and love for the handsome jackal, but then her ears drooped and her eyes narrowed with worry. "Aiden, are you doing alright?" she asked. His fur was looking a bit lackluster and scraggly, his cheeks were a bit sunken in and his eyes were a little bloodshot. 'Was he not eating right? Was he stressing over something?' she wondered. "Are the prey in Zootopia harassing you?" she asked while thinking of the unrest and prey mobs roaming the city and targeting hapless predators.
With his eyes widening at her question, even as his heart squeezed at her concern for him, Aiden hastily said, "I'm fine, Claire. You don't need to worry about me."
Claire scowled at his answer as he clearly was not okay. "Don't you dare lie to me, Aiden Botswa. You are not okay. Your fur is limp and scraggly, you've lost weight, and your eyes are bloodshot. So don't you dare say you're fine when you clearly are not. I'm a doctor, too, remember? It's my job to worry when my friends are clearly suffering from malnutrition and lack of sleep." With her nose twitching in irritation and worry, she added, "Now what's wrong?"
Aiden was left momentarily stunned at Claire's angry retort, though he shouldn't be surprised. This was Claire he was talking to and she was always observant and worried about anyone who was obviously suffering. With his heart beating a little faster at her concern for him, Aiden sighed heavily, then said, "Just give me a minute."
Standing up, Aiden left the living room where he had been sitting and walked through the small laundry room and then outside. Walking across the short backyard, he stepped up to the wooden back fence that had faded to gray and turned around and slid down it. He wanted as much privacy as he could get without stepping out onto the busy street and sidewalk that the house was situated on.
Sitting on the ground and leaning against the fence, Aiden's mask crumbled. Since he was talking to Claire, pretending to be fine was futile and would only make her mad. Raking his claws through his head fur again as Claire patiently waited for him to talk, he finally said, "I never could lie to you, could I?"
Looking at the faint smile that touched her friend's tired face, Claire was firm as she stated, "No, you can't. Now tell me what happened."
With a heavy sigh, Aiden explained how the clinic he was working at had been attacked and vandalized by a prey mob and most of their supplies and medicines were stolen and the windows and doors broken. With no job left in Zootopia, he had fled to Podunk a month and a half ago and was staying at a friend's house. His friend didn't have a spare room, though, so he was sleeping on the couch which wasn't very conducive to him getting a goodnight's sleep. Besides the couch being old and lumpy, his friend's teenage kits (three of them) usually went to bed late while his friend and his wife always woke up early.
He was also paying some rent, but since so many other predators had fled to Podunk, jobs were scarce as the job market had been flooded with applicants. The doctor offices and clinics didn't need another predator doctor, either, which left Aiden over-qualified for most jobs. This meant no one would hire him. His savings were depleting much quicker than he expected and so he began skipping lunch, and sometimes dinner, in an effort to save money. His friend's wife had also began grumbling about the added expense and lack of privacy his being there was causing.
Covering his eyes with his paw, Aiden said in a hoarse whisper, "I'm scared, Claire. I'm really scared. I don't know what to do or where to go. I can't find a job and my savings won't last long at the rate I'm going. The next time you call, I'll probably be living on the streets."
Claire felt tears pooling at the corner of her eyes but refused to let them fall. "No, you won't be living on the street," she said confidently. As Aiden lifted his face to look at her, she added, "Do you know why?" Aiden shook his head in confusion, so Claire answered, "Because you're going to gather your things up, hop in that black sports car of yours, and then you're going to drive down here to Bunnyburrow where I'll be waiting to take you home with me."
Aiden's eyes widened. He had dreamed about staying with Claire for years, and especially the last two weeks, but he never actually believed it would happen. But he should have known that Claire would never leave him out on the street. She wasn't that type of person.
With a smile worming its way back onto his face, Aiden wanted to agree to her proposal, but first he needed to clarify something. "I don't have my car anymore," he confessed. "It was stolen six weeks ago, just before the clinic was broken into, and the insurance company only gave me about a third of what it was worth since there have been a string of car thefts in Zootopia the last two months, all of which were predator vehicles."
Claire's eyes widened and then she exclaimed, "They stole your Pontiac Firebird!? Your 2000 Pontiac Firebird your dad gave you!?" With her nose twitching in shock and irritation, she cried, "I loved that car!" The few times she visited him since their graduation, Aiden had driven her around town in it. It was amazing and she couldn't believe some worthless mammals—probably prey—had stolen it! His dad had owned it for several years and kept up on the maintenance, so the car ran like a charm. But then his dad had a stroke and so could no longer drive it, so when Aiden graduated medical school, his dad had given it to him as a graduation present.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders but didn't have anything to add. The theft of his dad's car had been a huge blow to him. The insurance company had skimped on the payment claiming the car's age had depreciated the vehicle's value, even though the car was still in mint condition. Aiden knew the string of car thefts meant the insurance companies had to pay out several fortunes already and now they were looking for any excuse to pay less than they should, and with all the chaos and confusion going on in Zootopia right now—they were getting away with it.
Seeing Aiden's silent stare, Claire shook her head and said, "Forget the car. What you're going to do instead is gather your things up and book a train ticket to Bunnyburrow, where I will be waiting at the station to pick you up." Tapping the screen, she added, "I'm no longer asking you to come, Aiden, this is an order from your best friend. Do you hear me?" She tapped the screen again.
Aiden's smile got bigger and his tail started wagging, but he still wasn't sure it was really okay for him to come. Although he was fairly certain Claire was living alone, she was still part of a huge rabbit family, many of whom were extremely specist against predators. Aiden could see a multitude of things going wrong with the picture of him showing up on Claire's doorstep. "Are you sure it's going to be alright, Claire?" He asked again. "I'm a preda—"
Claire interrupted him when she tapped the screen again, stating, "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Aiden. You know how I hate those stupid labels. We're all mammals who bleed the same blood which means those stupid labels used to segregate us should have been banned centuries ago. And when you're here, there will be no rabbit or jackal, no prey or predator—just you, Aiden," she pointed to him, "and me, Claire," she pointed to herself.
Aiden's tail was wagging faster now. "You still live by yourself, right?" he asked to be sure. She had told him she moved out of her family's burrow 2 years ago and had even sent him pictures of her new house, with its large yard surrounded by trees. The house was still on her family's property, though, so it was a little daunting to think of moving in with her, no matter how short or long the stay. Trying not to let her huge family intimidate him, he waited for her answer.
With a bright smile, Claire answered, "Of course. The main reason I moved out was so you could have a place to stay where you would be comfortable whenever you came for a visit."
Aiden was surprised by this reasoning (she originally told him it was because she got fed up with her niece), but it also warmed his heart. With an even bigger grin that showcased his sharp, white canines, Aiden finally agreed to come live with her (he wasn't sure for how long, but he wasn't about to start counting the days).
With his tail still wagging, Aiden ran his paw through his gray head fur again, though this time it was elation. "The next train to Bunnyburrow leaves at 8, so I won't arrive until 9:30," he said while imagining what it would be like to live with Claire. Back in medical school, they, along with some of their classmates, had shared a lot of study groups together. While staying up late to study for an upcoming test, they frequently fell asleep on the couches and recliners of whoever's apartment or dorm room they were studying at. But being able to live alone with Claire would be a fantastic dream come true and Aiden couldn't wait to experience it.
"That's fine," Claire said. "It doesn't matter how late the train comes in—I'll be there waiting for you." Knowing she was about to see Aiden again, that he was finally coming for a visit (hopefully a very long visit—preferably permanent), Claire was practically glowing with happiness. Giving Aiden her biggest, brightest smile, she said warmly, "Goodbye Aiden, I'll see you in a few hours."
"Bye, Claire, I can't wait." Waving at her through the phone, Aiden then cut the call as he had some packing to do…and a shower to take.
As Aiden ended their call, Claire sat back and giggled with joy and excitement. Aiden was going to be living with her! She could hardly believe it! And then remembering the hot, passionate kiss Judy and Nick had shared, Claire touched her own lips while wondering how long it would take to get Aiden to kiss her. She might have to make the first move.
Back at medical school, it seemed like Aiden was always overly careful around her (and other prey students) as he never showed his teeth, even when eating (she finally broke him of that habit when she stuck her paw in his mouth and grabbed one of his long canines), was conscious of flashing his claws around, and seemed almost afraid to touch her and the other prey students they shared classes with. She also broke Aiden of that fear when it came to his dealings with her by frequently asking him to give her shoulder and neck messages. He was hesitant at first, but she was patient and persistent, and he eventually stopped questioning her on whether it was really alright for him to be touching her.
So, when it came to kissing her, Aiden would probably think he wasn't allowed to, no matter how much he wanted to kiss her or how many obvious opportunities she gave him. While once more wondering what it would be like to kiss him, Claire dropped her feet back to the ground and turned on her computer so she could rearrange her schedule. If she was going to overcome Aiden's shyness around her as a bunny to the point where he'd feel comfortable kissing her, Claire didn't want to waste time on interruptions, so she planned to take a whole week off. She had covered quite a few shifts for her fellow doctors here at the burrow, so now it was time they paid her back.
-/-/-
On the other side of town at the newly built cabin, Daisy stepped away from Ryan and spun around as she took in her new home. Not only was it a new house to her, but the place had just been built and she and Ryan were its first occupants. She had never lived in a brand-new house before. All the places she lived in before had been old and run down. But not this house. And she would be living in it with Ryan!
Sprinting into the large kitchen and dining room to their right, she couldn't believe she now had brand-new appliances. Running her fingers over the new refrigerator and stove (both a glossy black), Ryan explained that since his dad and several of his uncles were into the house building industry (they had since retired), he had always planned to build his own house once he decided to settle down and get married. With this thought in mind, he started collecting things for his future home back in high school.
Of course, the stuff he collected back then were small items he usually found at yard sales, or he inherited from a grandparent who passed away. A couple of sturdy bookshelves, a set of tall, antique stools (the same ones sitting at the snack bar). But when he fell in love with Daisy, and knew she was the one for him, he started seriously looking into furniture and appliances needed for the house he hoped to one day build. The fridge and stove were both clearance items he got dirt cheap. The stove had a dent on the side that no one would see once it was installed between the cabinets, while the fridge was being discontinued so the store put it on sale in order to make room for the newer models.
Looking at the countertops, Daisy's eyes widened. Running fingers over the top, she exclaimed, "Is this stone!?" The countertop looked like blue granite with black, gold, and silver fracture lines and pockets with the blue appearing in several different shades.
Ryan chuckled. "It's looks like it, doesn't it?" At Daisy's questioning gaze, he explained, "It's a stone coat epoxy counter. It looks expensive but it's really cheap, fairly easy to do, and highly durable." With a wide grin, he added, "Plus it's lightweight and easy to move."
"Really?" Daisy asked as she continued running her paw over the hard, smooth surface. Like Ryan said, it looked like expensive stone. "How did you learn to do this?" she asked curiously. Ryan was always trying new things, so she wasn't surprised to see he did something like this, though that didn't lessen how impressed she was by it, but she was curious as to where he got the idea from.
"My cousin Kenny did this when he wanted to refinish his old laminate countertops," Ryan explained. "When I first saw them, I thought he'd bought new cupboards with expensive stone countertops, but then he explained how he resurfaced the countertops instead and saved a ton of money."
Daisy was certainly impressed and happy that Ryan was able to save money while creating something so beautiful. While she was admiring the countertops, Ryan grabbed her paw and led her over to the kitchen table to show her his other creation, saying, "You remember my sister-in-law, Clarissa, right? She's the one that made those impressive resin end-tables she had in the living room."
As Daisy nodded, she thought back over the stunning end-tables Clarissa had made by carving out the center, filling it with little pink and blue fabric mini-roses, cloth butterflies that looked real, glass stones, and gold flecks, then coating everything in resin. The effect was that everything looked like it had been immortalized in glass.
Nearing the table, Ryan continued, saying, "I picked up this oak table for fifteen dollars because the top was all scratched up. The table itself was still solid, it just needed a little sanding and a fresh coat of wood stain. But there was no help for the top, so I cut out the center in this neat design, put a temporary backing on it, then poured the bottom layer with this metallic titanium white, let it dry, added a second layer with transparent streaks and pools of blue and green. I let the colors meld together and dry, then I dropped in a few things. Clarissa helped me make the resin and showed me some of her techniques to get the different effects, then we covered everything in clear resin."
Stepping over to it, Ryan presented the table to her, then added proudly, "I think I did a great job, even if I do say myself." The effect of the titanium white on the bottom meant the transparent blue and green was easily seen through and really made the items pop.
Daisy covered her mouth with her paws as she looked over the stunning table. The 'things' he'd dropped in were white and blue fabric daisies, some green fabric daisy leaves, a few cloth butterflies, and then some different colored stones which she immediately recognized.
Whenever she and Ryan would go for walks, either out on the trail or by the river, she would pick up any cool colored rocks that caught her attention. After admiring them for a few moments, she always handed them to Ryan to look at. But she had assumed he threw the rocks away when he finished looking at them. Daisy never imagined Ryan had kept them all. Not only did he keep them, but he polished them before putting them in the table to add to its charm. It was simply stunning.
Before she could say anything, though, Ryan turned on the dining room light, and as Daisy looked up, she saw that the center of the oak table which Ryan had cut out, had been sanded down and refinished, polished, and more daisy blossoms and leaves were immortalized in resin with three LED lights built in and giving light to the room. The whole piece hung down from the vaulted ceiling several feet above the table and added more charm to the room. It, like the table it hung over, was simply stunning.
"Check this out," Ryan said as he turned the little knob that was the light switch and dimmed the lights. "These are dimmable lights so we can have bright light when we need it, or softer, more romantic light when we want it." Ryan's nose and tail were lightly twitching in happiness at finally being able to show Daisy all the things he had built for her.
At first, Daisy didn't know what to say. The amount of thought and time Ryan put into this table and light fixture was incredible. He had already built her a cabin, and yet he still went out of his way to build this little extra piece of furniture that reminded him of her, that represented the many hours and days spent just enjoying each other's company. Turning to Ryan, Daisy whispered, "You made this…for me?"
With a wide grin, Ryan slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, saying, "I remembered how you said you wanted a table like Clarissa's, so when I saw that table, I knew it would make the perfect table for you."
With her long black and white tail swaying gently behind her, Daisy slipped her paw up Ryan's chest and around his neck, saying, "I don't deserve you, Ryan. I really don't."
Ryan raised a brow as he pointed out, "I just gave you a house, and it's the table that makes you think you don't deserve me?"
Daisy giggled, then reached up and rubbed her black nose against his own. "I don't think I deserve you, but I'm going to try my hardest to become someone worthy of you."
Ryan's ears drooped. "Daisy, you don't need to prove anything or try to be someone you're not. I love you just the way you are, right now."
"I know," Daisy whispered against his lips. "I still feel like I should be doing more. You did all this for me, and it doesn't feel like I did anything for you in return."
"You're here, aren't you?" Meeting her steady gaze, Ryan added, "That's all that I ask. Just stay here with me and love me."
"I think I can do that," she murmured just before stealing a soft kiss from him. Rubbing her nose back across his, she then whispered, "Is this where you propose?"
Ryan's eyes widened, then he looked around the room. "Do you seriously want me to propose to you in the dining room?"
Realizing Ryan was serious, Daisy hurriedly stepped back and waved her paws in front of her, saying, "No! That was joke. I didn't mean…I…" Thinking of Ryan proposing to her caused a fiery blush to bloom under her black and white fur, even as she immediately got flustered.
With a laugh, Ryan grabbed her paw and led her into the great room, with its stone fireplace, large window, and rustic log furniture: a long couch, a love seat, and two recliners set around the fireplace. In the back of the room, there was also a large storage closet, a half bath, and the staircase leading downstairs. When she thought she had seen everything there was to see in here, Ryan pointed out the cloth projector screen that hung above the fireplace which could be pulled down to watch movies on.
"Remember my Uncle Derrick? We watched a movie outside at his place last year?" At Daisy's nod, he went on to say, "Well, Uncle Derrick bought a new HD projector to watch his movies on now, so I asked him for the old one since it was still in great shape. He didn't need it anymore, so he gave it to me. Didn't even charge me for it." Showing Daisy where the projector was, he added, "Now if we want to invite friends over for a movie or something, we can watch it up here on the big screen."
Daisy had tears glittering in her eyes again. She had always complained about the small box tv they had back at her place and how they could hardly watch anything on it. But now, she could watch movies on a big screen in a number of very comfortable seats. Wrapping her paws around Ryan's neck again, she gave him a very heated kiss. Ryan was tempted to carry Daisy over to the couch or maybe even the thick, plush rug in front of the fireplace, but they still had groceries in the truck, and he did want to show her the rest of the house before they got sidetracked.
With great effort, Ryan broke off the kiss, told Daisy to behave herself, then guided her out of the spacious great room with its vaulted ceiling, and into the study/reading room with its big bay window that had a padded bench-seat built into it and which looked out over the front yard. There was also a large window facing the side of the house, along with several bookcases lining the walls. They weren't floor to ceiling bookcases, but Daisy could still fit a fair number of books on them. With a wide smile on her face, she could picture herself reading in here, either at the bay window or one of the two padded reading chairs situated in here, while Ryan worked on the computer or did his bookkeeping.
Between his part-time vet business, working in his family's woodworking shop, and then helping his sister train and sell her King emus, Ryan had a lot of paperwork to keep track of. It was something Daisy hoped to be able to help him out with more now that they were living together. Thinking of living together, Daisy was glowing with happiness. This was her place and she was sharing it with Ryan! This was beyond a dream come true.
Seeing Daisy get lost in the moment again, Ryan kissed her on the cheek, then led her into her art room, with its matching bay window and side window, a drawing/drafting table, a large easel with an equally large pad of drawing paper resting on it (Daisy had always wanted a large easel and drawing pad, but never had a place to put it in her tiny, cramped bedroom), along with shelves and a counter to keep all her art supplies. As an artist, it was another dream come true.
There was even a comfortable seat that was a light pink with little bluebell flowers covering it. The seat was a little wider than a normal padded chair, but a bit smaller than a loveseat. Were they called a two-seater chair? Daisy wasn't sure, but she knew it was the perfect size for curling up on and drawing while lost in thought (curling up with Ryan would be nice, too). The bay window seat would be good for that, as well.
Turning around to find Ryan leaning against the doorframe while watching her with love and adoration, a tear slipped down her cheek, and then another one. "Ryan!?" she cried. "Why are you so good to me!?" Wiping at her eyes, she added, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"
Pushing off the doorframe, Ryan walked over to her as she stood in front of the window seat. Sliding his paws up her arms, he then cupped her face, saying, "Daisy, that's your mother's lies and insecurities talking. You are so worth it. With all the bad stuff that has happened to you in the past, I think you more than paid your dues and are now entitled to some happiness. A lifetime of happiness." Planting a soft kiss to her lips, he then added, "You deserve to be happy with me."
Daisy sniffled, then said, "But I have nothing to give you in return! I don't have any—" Daisy found her words cut off when she suddenly found Ryan's tongue in her mouth.
Pulling back from the deep kiss a moment later, Ryan took a deep breath, then murmured against her lips, "Love me, Daisy. Just love me."
Daisy stared into Ryan's light brown eyes, then sniffled again as a wide smile spread across her lips. "I can do that," she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Brushing her lips against his, she tilted her head to the side as she repeated, "I can do that," then she kissed him.
Ryan deepened the kiss as his paws slid down her sides and around to her back, then he pulled her flush against his body. With a groan, he broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, murmuring, "We should bring in the food and your stuff before checking out the downstairs." Ryan was afraid if they didn't bring in the food now, it would probably spoil before he remembered about it again. Daisy was way too distracting.
With a deep breath, Daisy nodded. Ryan grinned at her, then stole one more kiss before he grabbed her paw and led her back out to his truck. It didn't take long to put the food away, then they brought in Daisy's things. They put her art supplies in the art room and her books and small laptop in the study/reading room, then carried her clothes and miscellaneous things downstairs.
Stepping off the stairs, they rounded the stairwell and the space opened up into the family room on the right and one of the spare bedrooms on the left. There was also a couple of doors at the back of the family room, directly across from the bedroom door, which Daisy was curious to see where they led. Following Ryan down the hallway, they passed the second bedroom with the bathroom at the end of the hall. The master bedroom was to the right of the bathroom, with the third bedroom being on the left.
Opening the door to the master bedroom, Ryan flipped the light on and led Daisy inside, then watched the wonder on her face at seeing how much room it had. Coming from her small, cramped room (and equally cramped house), this room was truly spacious. Dropping her bags on the floor just inside the door, Daisy put her paws over her mouth as she walked to the center of the room and slowly spun around.
"Ryan," Daisy whispered in wonder, "there's so much room." Not only was there a large queen-sized bed, but there was a chest of drawers for Ryan and a dresser for her with a large mirror at the back with decorative wooden trim around the edge. There was another comfortable looking two-seater chair in the corner next to a small table with a reading lamp on it. There was a bedside table on either side of the bed with a lamp on each. There were also two more doors to the left-side of the room which Daisy assumed led to both the master bathroom and the closet. And where the upstairs had hardwood floors, here in the downstairs, the floors were covered in thick, lush carpet that felt amazing to stand on. No cold, hard, cement floors here.
Setting the bags he carried down on the floor next to Daisy's, Ryan stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. Nuzzling her ear, he answered, "Only the very best for my girl."
A warm smile curved up Daisy's lips, even as she reached behind her to caress his cheek. Tilting her head slightly, she grinned wider as Ryan began peppering kisses down from her ear and across her cheek. Turning around, Daisy slipped her paws around his neck and slid her sharp claws through his short fur at the back of his head, even as she captured his lips and kissed him.
With her tongue dancing with his for several moments, Daisy then pulled back briefly to breathe, then she kissed him again. And again. With each kiss getting a little hungrier than the last.
Sensing the change in Daisy's kisses, Ryan slid his paw down her sides and pulled her flush against his body once more, then slipped one paw up her back while he slipped the other into her thick, luxurious tail.
Daisy was thrilled to feel Ryan's touch and to taste his kisses. Seeing everything Ryan had done for her, and in return he only asked her to do all the things she already wanted to do to him and with him untied a knot in her heart. If all that he wanted was her heart and body, they were already his and had been for years.
As the kiss continued, Daisy slid her paws up and pulled Ryan's cowboy hat off his head and tossed it onto the chair behind him, then loosened his bolo tie. Breaking the kiss off long enough to pull it over his head, it soon joined his hat. Instead of stealing another kiss from him, Daisy kissed his chin and then nipped along his jawline as she made her way towards his throat.
Tipping his head back and exposing his neck to his predatory mate, Ryan asked, "Don't you want to explore the rest of the house? You haven't even seen our master bath or walk-in-closet, yet, and you hardly glanced at the extra bedrooms and the family room as we walked past them, nor I have shown you what's behind the two doors in the family room."
Daisy giggled as her paws found his shirt button. Feeling extremely happy at Ryan's complete trust in her, she answered, "I don't need to see the house in depth to know it's perfect—just like you."
One of Ryan's long ears flicked. "I have my faults," he muttered, even as his tail was flicking in happiness. Having Daisy here with him felt amazing. Knowing that she would remain here with him, that he no longer had to worry about her wellbeing when she was with her mother or when other males were staying at her house, Ryan was elated, especially as Daisy was no longer acting shy around him or wanting to run and hide.
With a soft laugh, Daisy replied, "Yes, well, I haven't found any."
With a smirk as his paws slid up and down Daisy's back, Ryan replied, "Just ask my brothers, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to point them all out."
Kissing his collarbone as she continued slipping his buttons free, she said, "I'll pass. Your brothers can keep that knowledge to themselves."
Smiling, Ryan figured he better stop Daisy now before she got too far into undressing him. As much as he wanted to, he wanted to do this right. Reaching up, Ryan grabbed her paws and brought them up so he could kiss her fingers. At Daisy's questioning gaze, he said, "Before you undress me, there's one thing I still want to give you and then there's something we need to do."
Tilting her head, Daisy took a deep breath while trying to calm her racing heart. Taking another deep breath, she murmured, "Okay." With her long, silky tail swaying restlessly behind her, Daisy asked, "So what do you want to give me?" She was starting to feel a little put out with all the interruptions Ryan was creating for her. Although seeing her new house was a good reason for an interruption, she had seen all she wanted to see at the moment and now she just wanted to run her claws through his fur while kissing him senseless.
With a wide grin, Ryan took a step back and released her paws as dropped to one knee while pulling the ring box from his pocket. Daisy gasped at seeing the box and quickly covered her mouth with her paws even as Ryan opened the box and showed her the sapphire and diamond engagement ring. "Daisy Belle Florae, I love you now and forever. Will you marry me?"
Tears were smarting in Daisy's eyes again. She knew it was coming. His sister had said Ryan would want to marry her and Ryan even admitted to already having a ring for her, but it was still shocking to actually see and experience it. This was one of her deepest, darkest wishes of her heart which her mother had convinced her would never happen and yet here Ryan was, fulfilling another dream of hers. Nodding her head, Daisy finally whispered, "Yes." Taking a deep breath while trying not to cry, she repeated in a louder voice, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Ryan. A thousand times, yes!"
Lifting the ring from the box, Ryan slipped it on her finger, then kissed her fingers again. Standing up, he let Daisy pull him into a tight hug, even as she alternated between laughing and crying in happiness. Running his paws up and down her back, Ryan then said, "There's one more thing we need to do."
"Okay," Daisy murmured, though she didn't immediately release him as she continued crying over his shoulder while admiring the stunning ring that now adorned her finger. It sparkled beautifully in the light and was absolutely breathtaking. She couldn't believe the ring actually belonged to her! Setting aside the cabin which she shared with Ryan, this was probably the most expensive thing she had ever owned in her life.
Still holding Daisy as he could sense she wasn't quite ready to let him go, Ryan explained, "This is something I was planning to do later but seeing as your mother just kicked you out of the house and we're now living together, I think it's imperative that we do it now."
Daisy paused in admiring her ring, then leaned back to meet Ryan's gaze as she rested her paws on his shoulders. "Do what?" she asked in confusion and curiosity.
With one arm still wrapped around her lower back, Ryan reached up and caressed her cheek with the other one. "Daisy Belle Florae, everything I am and everything I have I give to thee. You are the stars, the moon, and the sun that light my world. Without you, I am nothing. With you, I have everything. My heart and body belong to thee and thee alone. Will you have me as your mate?"
Daisy's eyes had widened the moment Ryan started talking as she recognized the words belonging to the ancient Hare Mate Bonding Ceremony. Ever since she knew she was in love with Ryan, she had gone to the library and studied up on Jackrabbit culture, and one of the things she came across was the ancient Bonding Ceremony that Jackrabbits and other hares used when they took a mate. It was more binding than marriage since you could divorce a spouse if you ever grew tired of them, but you can't divorce your mate.
The ceremony had largely fallen into disuse by a lot of hares who preferred marriage in case they made a mistake and wanted a divorce, but traditional hares still performed the ceremony and pledged their all to their mates.
Daisy knew Ryan's parents had performed the Mate Bonding Ceremony as Mayblossom had told her about it on several occasions (usually when her wedding anniversary was coming up and even repeated the vows for Daisy), and Daisy knew a few of Ryan's siblings had performed the Bonding Ceremony with their spouses, but there were also a lot of his married siblings who hadn't. The way Ryan always acted around females and treated them with respect, Daisy had assumed Ryan was a traditional jackrabbit like his parents, but she could never be sure. Now she was.
Taking a deep breath, Daisy quickly wiped at her eyes as tears started leaking from them again. With a sniffle while trying to regain her composure so she could answer him, Daisy took another deep breath, then repeated his words back to him, saying, "Ryan Timothy Leaps, everything I am and everything I have I give to thee. You are the stars, the moon, and the sun that light my world. Without you, I am nothing. With you, I have everything. My heart and body belong to thee and thee alone. Yes, I accept you as my mate. I, Daisy Belle Florae, am yours."
With these words, Ryan's smile couldn't get any bigger as he slipped his paw under Daisy's chin to hold it still as he proceeded to rub his chin over her snout, cheeks, and across her forehead as he ground his musk into her fur.
Daisy's grip on Ryan's shoulder tightened as his faint, jackrabbit scent exploded across her face in a thick, concentrated form that was uniquely 'Ryan'. If she had a hard time believing they were now engaged, having Ryan take her as his mate was even more of a shock. To a jackrabbit, taking a mate was akin to a spiritual experience. It's not something any of them did on a whim and it was binding for life. Leaving a mate once you had performed the Mate Bonding Ceremony could get you removed from your family registry and exiled from your hometown, it was that serious (and is why many hares today were choosing marriage over the bonding ceremony).
But Ryan never ceased to amaze and surprise her with his devotion to her. Still crying, then laughing when Ryan licked her tears, Daisy then rubbed her own woodsy scent into Ryan's facial fur and up each long ear before smearing it down his neck. Daisy was sure she was going overboard with the whole scent marking, but she was so happy she couldn't help herself! Most jackrabbits waited until their wedding night to perform the Mate Bonding Ceremony, but that was only because the couple usually moved in together on their wedding night. But as Ryan had pointed out, her mother made that impossible.
Knowing Ryan wanted their relationship to be official since they were already living together made her love the handsome buck all that much more. Ryan really was the only one for her and she vowed to spend the rest of her life showing him just how grateful she was that he hopped into her life and claimed her as his own. Ryan probably thought he was giving her the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when he gave her the house, but the real pot of gold was Ryan himself. She could be happy anywhere as long as she had him.
As Daisy finished scent marking him, Ryan pulled her mouth back up to his, even as his paws slid down to grab her dress and hike it up. With the vows and scent marking done, there was only one thing left to make the Bonding Ceremony complete. Something Ryan was very eager to get started. Daisy seemed to agree with him as she once more started unbuttoning his shirt and this time—he didn't stop her. Slipping his paws under her dress, he raked his blunt claws through the silky fur of her thighs, then across her back while combing through the longer, softer strands of fur and grazing her skin.
Daisy moaned at the sensual touch, even as she freed the last button of his shirt and pushed it off him. As his shirt hit the floor, Ryan broke their latest kiss off long enough to grab the hem of her dress and pull it up and over her head. As the dress hit the floor next to his shirt, he let his hungry gaze slide down her sculpted black and white body which had Daisy blushing deep red once more. As much as she always wanted Ryan to see her, and dreamed about it countless times in her sleep, having him—a guy—staring at her with so much of her fur showing was still a bit embarrassing and made her feel shy again. But then Ryan spoke and all her embarrassment melted away.
"You're beautiful, Daisy," Ryan murmured in awe. "Inside and out, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen." And she was. Ryan always felt that Daisy had the perfect blending of her striped skunk mother and her spotted skunk father. Whereas spotted skunks tended to be long and skinny, much like a beanpole, striped skunks tended to be more full-figured, and like rabbits, they often had a softer, rounder belly (not that he minded that).
Daisy, on the other paw, was somewhere in the middle. She had a soft hourglass figure that drew him in and kept him interested, with a modest chest that was the perfect size for holding—not too small nor too big. And he couldn't wait to get her bra off!
Dragging his gaze back up her body, and appreciating the unusual white stripes on her sides and neck, Ryan once more met her gaze. Reaching up to caress her cheek, he then pulled her back in for another hot kiss. As she melted against him with a groan, Ryan slipped his paws around her back and unsnapped her bra, then pulled it off her without breaking the kiss. Daisy groaned again as one of his paws gently cupped one of her soft mounds, while the other slipped down her back, under her panties and lightly squeezed her butt cheek.
Remembering Ryan still had his pants on, Daisy quickly slid her paws down his lean, muscular chest and across his belly, then unbuckled his belt and undid his pants before pushing them down, along with his underwear, while her tail swished excitedly behind her the whole time.
This time it was Ryan's turn to groan as his hardening cock was released from the confines of his jeans. Not giving Daisy a chance to tease him—not yet anyway—he broke their kiss off to nip her chin, then dropped down to suckle one tantalizing mound as he pushed her own underwear down. As they slid to the ground, he quickly picked Daisy up and carried her to their bed, with her moaning and gasping every step of the way as he continued tasting and teasing one treasure mound and then the other while Daisy nibbled on his ears and ran her sharp claws through the fur at the back of his head.
-/-/-
Back at the Hopps' burrow, while Nick walked beside Shaylee and Marty, with Melanie leading the way, he couldn't get over the warm fuzzies filling his heart at the complete acceptance Cotton and Sable had for him. While sitting on his shoulders, with one of their tiny paws gripping each of his pointer fingers while their other paws were lightly gripping the fur below his ears, the two little buns—ebony and ivory—were chattering at him non-stop. They told them about their favorite movie (Floatzen), their favorite game (hide and go seek), and their favorite activities (coloring with their crayons and riding their dodo's).
The two little bunnies looked to be no older than five or six, so it surprised Nick to hear they were already riding dodo birds (they were the family dodo's, not specifically theirs, but the girls still referred to them as their own). As surprising as it was, the little bunnies went on and on about all the fun places they got to ride their dodos (they never left the property, but the two little buns never realized it as the Hopps Farm covered so many acres).
As the black and white buns continued talking, Nick told them how Judy would be teaching him to ride the big king emu she bought with the big, fluffy white chest. The girls were super excited to hear about this. They had seen the large king emu and had immediately fallen in love with his white fluffy chest as it offset his black feathers—the king emu was black and white just like them.
After telling them that he should be a competent rider once he returned from the mountains with Judy next week, the girls made him promise to take them riding with him—as in riding on the king emu with him. Nick couldn't resist making the promise, and after the girls made him pinky-swear to it, Nick was bound and determined to get good enough in the saddle to take the girls riding with him.
As Nick could once more heard the loud cacophony of hundreds of bunny voices blending together as they neared the hallway that led to both the dining room and the great room, a young, smokey-gray bunny with charcoal-gray ears and a pale, silvery muzzle sprinted towards them from down an adjoining hallway and almost ran into them in her frantic hurry.
"Whoa!" Nick said as he took a step back to avoid the collision, even as Shaylee reached out to grab the young doe who looked to be about eight or nine.
"Slow down there, speedy," Shaylee said as she caught her niece. "Where's the fire?"
The young rabbit who had just turned 8 earlier this year, looked up at her aunt, but before she could say anything, two small voices spoke in unison from above her.
"Hi, Tasha," Cotton and Sable said together. "Look who we found?" Turning to Nick's ear, Sable whispered, "That's our older sister." As their older sister Tasha looked up to see the two small buns sitting on the shoulders of a large, red fox, the girls wrapped their small arms around his head (and coincidently covered his eyes) and rested their small heads, one black and one white, against his red fur in front of his dark, triangular ears.
Tasha's deep blue eyes couldn't get any bigger, even as her nose began twitching furiously to see her two younger sisters sitting so close to a fox's head. How could they be fine sitting there hugging a fox!?
"Uh, girls," Nick said as their small arms covered his eyes, "I can't see."
Cotton and Sable glanced down. "Oh," they said at the same time, then moved their small arms up higher on his forehead.
With her dark blue eyes turning almost black with worry for her younger sisters, Tasha asked, "Why are you two sitting on a…a fox!?" She had been looking for her younger sisters for nearly an hour, ever since they finished eating dinner they had disappeared, and Tasha was frantic with worry at being unable to find them (since she was their big sister, it was her job to keep track of them).
Cotton and Sable immediately tightened their small arms even tighter around Nick's head (not that he felt much of a difference with how small and weak the small bunnies were), even as Cotton stated, "He's not just any fox!"
"Yeah," Sable picked up, "he's Uncle Nick! Not fox!" Cotton then said, "He's bestest-best friends with Aunt Judy!" Then Sable finished with, "And he's Aunt Shaylee's friend and Aunt Melanie's friend and cousin Marty's friend." She pointed to each of the older bunnies with them. Then Cotton and Sable pointed to themselves and said in unison, "And he's my friend."
Nick was highly impressed with the two little bunnies and how easily they finished each other's thoughts and even spoke the same words at the same time. They truly were mirror images of each other. And the fact they defended him so vehemently—even to their own sister—warmed him clear through! They were the cutest little bunnies ever! He honestly wished he could take them home with him…if he still had a home to go home to. That was something he would need to discuss with Judy sometime to night—where were they going to live?
As Tasha stared at her sisters who were adamantly defending the fox, it threw her for a loop, and it took a minute to respond. Finally, she pointed up at Nick and asked, "Aren't you afraid of his teeth and claws!? He could seriously hurt you!"
Nick's ears flicked back, even as both Cotton and Sable's eyes grew big, then they tightened their small paws around the fox's head. "Uncle Nick not hurt us!" they exclaimed together. Rubbing her cheek against Nick's cheek, Cotton then said, "Uncle Nick is the bestest-best fox in the whole wide world!"
Nodding in agreement, Sable then bent down and tapped Nick's shoulder then pointed to his paw. As Nick raised his paw back up, Sable grabbed onto his fingers and brought them closer to her face. Rubbing her cheek against his rough paw-pad, Sable then held his fingers towards Tasha and showed her Nick's claws, saying, "Uncle Nick's claws are amazing! They the very bestest-best thing ever!" Then she put Nick's paw on top of her head.
Nick eyed the little black bunny on his shoulder, then rubbed the top of her head with his finger-pads as he asked, "Now, you aren't going to fall over again, are you? Because it's a long way down." Sable shook her head and Nick lightly scratched her head. As Sable closed her eyes and started thumping her foot in the air, Nick booped her nose with his other paw and said, "Breathe."
With a soft gasp, Sable took a deep breath and chirred into the light scratching which Nick found incredibly cute. He was so envious of the little girls' parents. He had never imagined having daughters of his own, but now that he had Judy, and with his short time spent with the two little black and white buns, Nick was now aching to have a set of little girls just like these two.
As Nick pulled his paw back, Cotton suddenly patted her head and said, "My turn! My turn!"
With a grin, Nick then reached over and lightly scratched her head, too, and also had to remind Cotton to breathe. With her chirring in utter bliss, Nick then pulled his paw back. Cotton immediately opened her eyes and grabbed Nick's paw before it could escape her, then rubbed her cheek against the back of his fingers, saying, "See. Uncle Nick not scary. His claws are nice." Turning her lilac gaze to her sister Tasha, Cotton held Nick's paw towards her and asked, "You want to try?"
Tasha's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. Cotton's ears drooped, as did Sable's, when they realized their older sister was still scared of Nick.
Seeing Tasha's fearfully twitching nose, Nick turned to Cotton and said, "If Tasha doesn't want to get close to me, she doesn't have to. But you should also consider this…" Lifting the finger of the paw Cotton still held in her small white paws, Nick explained, "If you go around telling everyone how good my claws feel, then all your other little cousins are going to want a turn too, and then it'll be forever before you get another turn. My paws might even start to cramp."
Although it would go a long way in overcoming their fear of him, Nick didn't want to be swamped with fifty little rabbits wanting to be scratched. He wanted to reserve that privilege to a special few: like Judy and the two little buns on his shoulders. He wouldn't mind scratching between Tasha's ears either, if she could overcome her fear of him. Furthermore, there were probably quite a few older rabbits who would go ballistic if they saw him putting his sharp claws on the little kits' heads.
A look of pure horror crossed Cotton's and Sable's faces as they considered the possibility of having to share Nick's scratches with all their cousins. Although they wanted others to know how good his claws felt, they didn't want to share Nick's claws with anyone else if it meant they wouldn't get another turn. That would be too horrible! Glancing at each other, Cotton and Sable nodded to each other, then each hugged one of Nick's paws tightly to their chests while stating in a really cute bunny growl, "Mine!"
Nick was stunned, as were the rabbits standing with him, especially the little buns' older sister. She was absolutely flabbergasted by her young sisters' possessive response to the fox and his claws. With a flick of his dark, triangular ear, Nick ignored the rabbits around him as he reached up with the fingers the little buns were holding and lightly rubbed their cheeks with the back of his fingers. As a warm smile curled up his muzzle, he asked, "Did you two seriously just growl?"
Nick had already been shocked, though extremely happy, when Judy got all possessive with him, but having two of her young nieces getting possessive on him, too, just blew his mind. With his tail wagging at their complete faith in him (he really wanted to take them home!), Nick continued rubbing their cheeks while waiting for their answer.
Nodding their little heads while leaning into his caresses, Cotton said, "Missing out on your scratches is just too horrible!" With her nose twitching on Nick's other side, Sable added, "Yeah, we don't want to share anymore."
With his tail wagging a little faster, Nick said, "You don't even want to share with your older sister? Isn't that being a little too selfish?"
Cotton and Sable glanced at each other, then Cotton said, "But she doesn't want your claws."
"Yeah," Sable spoke up. "Tasha is a scaredy-bunny."
"Sable!" Melanie and Shaylee both said in a disapproving tone of voice, even as Tasha's ears drooped at her sister's harsh words.
Nick's ears flicked back again. "Now, Sable, that isn't a very nice thing to say, is it? Especially to your sister."
Sable's ears drooped, but then she restated, "But she is. Tasha is scared of everything!"
Nick gave a slight shake of his head, saying, "Doesn't matter. It wasn't very nice, so you shouldn't say it." Freeing one of his paws, Nick tapped his chest while adding, "Take it from someone who has been called names his whole life. When others label you with hurtful words, mammals start treating you differently. You usually become isolated and bullied. You don't want your sister to become isolated and bullied, do you?" Sable shook her head so Nick then asked, "So what should you do?"
Sable looked down at her older sister and mumbled, "Sorry."
Nick lightly flicked her little black nose and said, "That's not an apology. I barely heard you."
With her nose twitching after Nick flicked it, Sable rubbed her nose, then took a deep breath. Meeting Tasha's deep blue eyes, she spoke up in a louder, more contrite voice, saying, "Tasha, I sorry I called you names. It not right. And…and I promise not to do it again."
With a slight nod, Nick said, "That's better." Glancing at Cotton on his other shoulder, he asked, "Cotton, do you have something you need to say to your sister Tasha?"
Sitting next to Nick's head, Cotton flicked her white, cottony tail as she thought about Nick's words. She didn't want her sister to be isolated or bullied, either. With a slight nod, Cotton met her older sister's gaze and said, "I sorry, too. I not call you names anymore, okay, Tasha?"
Tasha stared wide-eyed at her younger sisters. She had been in a terrible car wreck a few years ago and had been in a coma for three weeks, and after waking up, she was never the same. She had bad nightmares of the accident and was a lot more timid than she was before (life just seemed so much scarier after the near fatal accident), and Cotton and Sable picked up on it and started calling her scaredy-rabbit when she wouldn't let them do stuff she thought was too dangerous or scary. The adults had tried to get them to stop calling her names (especially since a lot of the other kits had started calling her names, too), but they never really listened—until today—when a fox told them it wasn't right.
Taking a deep breath and trying to hold back the tears that were starting to smart her eyes, Tasha then nodded towards her sisters. "Um, yeah, Cotton, Sable. Just…just don't call me names again, 'kay?"
With another nod, Cotton and Sable both said, "We sorry. We not do it again."
Sniffling a little, Tasha gave a slight laugh and said, "That'll make me really happy."
After giving them a moment of silence, Nick then clapped his paws, saying, "Great! Now that that's taken care of, the four of us need to eat and then we," he booped both Cotton and Sable's noses, "need to practice our songs for tonight."
"Yay!" Sable and Cotton both cried as they threw their paws up in the air.
Raising his paws again so the little buns could grab onto his fingers, they started back down the hallway, even as Tasha asked about the songs they were practicing. Cotton and Sable were happy to explain how they were Nick's backup singers for the Ugly Bug Ball tonight. Nick then asked Tasha if she wanted to sing with them, but she shyly declined saying she didn't want to be in the spotlight.
Nick didn't press her for it and soon they arrived at the noisy dining hall. With his jaw dropping, Nick stared at the mass of bunnies sitting at a wide range of tables. There were long bench tables in the middle of the huge room (they looked like massive picnic tables), then around the edges of the room were a bunch of round tables with chairs set around them. There were several eight-seater round tables and a few five-seater tables.
Seeing Nick stall at the entrance, Shaylee and Marty both grabbed one of his upraised arms and led him further into the room, even as Melanie and Tasha followed behind them. As they made their way through the dining room, silence spread through the room like an ocean wave. Although most of the rabbits had heard a fox would be joining them, with those from the rodeo grounds knowing who the fox was, no one expected to see him come in with Cotton and Sable sitting on his shoulders.
Although the black and white pair of bunnies were two of the most precocious kits in the burrow who seemed to get into more trouble than two young bunnies should (they were super curious and always performing disappearing acts that drove their sister and the adults crazy), they usually didn't have much to do with predators. So why was Cotton and Sable sitting on a fox's shoulder and smiling proudly like they owned the world?
FYI: Black-Backed Jackals are an ancient breed of canine found in Eastern and Southern Africa. They are a foxlike canid with a reddish brown to tan coat and a black saddle extending from its shoulders down to the base of its tail. Their size and weight are similar to larger red foxes, as they weigh 6-13 kg (13-29 lbs.)—red foxes weigh between 2.2-14 kg (5-31 lbs.) Black-backed jackals stand 38-48 cm (15-19 in) at the shoulder and are 67.3-81.2 cm (26.5-32 in) in length while the red fox stands 35-50 cm (14-20 in) at the shoulder and are 45-90 cm (18-35 in) in length. This means Aiden and Nick are about the same height and build in my story.
Black-Backed Jackals are a monogamous species with the young sometimes remaining with their parents to help raise the next generation before moving out on their own, which means the survival rate of pups is much higher than many other canines. They can thrive in a wide variety of environments, including deserts, as their kidneys are well adapted to water deprivation. Like foxes, they are also omnivores, though they eat fruits and berries only occasionally unlike red foxes who eat fruits and berries as a large percent of their diet when they are in season.
Black-Backed Jackals eat a wide variety of food, depending on the area and what's available. Invertebrates like beetles, grasshoppers, termites, millipedes, spiders, and scorpions make up a large part of their diet, but they also eat a lot of meat. They will hunt rodents, hares, young antelope, carrion, snakes, lizards, and birds. They have even been observed hunting kori bustards—the largest flight bird in Africa, and the black mamba (a highly venomous snake) by prolonged harassment and by crushing its skull. They will also hunt young warthogs and other smaller predators, such as polecats, mongooses, and wildcats. On the coast, they hunt marine birds (including Cape and White-breasted cormorants), marine mammals (such as Cape fur seals), and fish.
Epoxy Stone Countertops: There are several DYI (Do It Yourself) projects you can do to refinish old countertops, tables, desks, and even your shower stalls, vanities, or floors, and make them look like natural stone (you can make epoxy stone countertops from wood, too). It's really cool! You can find out about them on YouTube as there are several channels where you can learn about it, the techniques, and even the supplies to use. The one I looked up was Stone Coat Countertops. Their techniques are really neat and there are so many different types of projects you can do. There are several other groups, too, such as Leggari Products and Black Forest Wood Co.
Epoxy Resin Tables: Just like with the Epoxy Stone Countertops, you can use epoxy resin to inlay and decorate tables with rocks, flowers, wood, etcetera that have really cool effects. You can even do dioramas and jewelry with them. These DYI projects can be done at home and you can watch how it's done on YouTube with the many channels up that teach you the techniques. The idea I used for the kitchen table that Ryan made for Daisy was from watching 'Table with Epoxy Resin inlay and Matching Lamp' as shown on the channel: Onrust! It was to watch how it was done. There are several other channels with cool ideas, too, such as Positive Couple, HomeMade in Lviv, and How To.
Just a side Note: For the flowers Ryan used in Daisy's table, he used fabric flowers and pulled the flowers off the stems. The more expensive ones look real, and they last forever. You can, however, use real flower blossoms, but they need to be properly prepared. Artsy Madwoman on YouTube does a beautiful job preserving real flowers in resin and teaches you the steps to do it properly. For starters, the flowers have to be dried before encasing them in resin, otherwise the moisture in them will cause the flowers to rot really quickly within the resin. Leaving pockets of air around the petals when pouring the resin over them will also allow them to rot or fade. So be careful and learn the tips of the trade if you decide to preserve real flowers in resin.
WingedKatt again. A lot happened in this chapter, but it was the turning point for at least one person in each of the sections. The first two sections are pretty easy to see, but turning point for the mammal in Nick's section will be revealed more in the next chapter or so. Next time, Nick and gang will finally get a chance to eat. There will be laughter, fluff, and some tears in the next chapter as some heavy topics will be brought up during dinner.
Ch. 36: Fragile Mortality and Life Lessons, will post in 2 weeks.
If you have any thoughts or questions, let me know. Have a great weekend. Be safe.