Housepets!

Welsh Halfwit wrote: Leslie encouraged Oreo up to dance with him...

Naa I'm good n' stiff enough..
besides, thar is only room enough for one to be movin about in here at a time.

"Eggplant - yeuch!" agrees Joan before turning back to Kilo.
"Do you think I should go talk to him? I saw his face when he left. It didn't look like just nerves to me..."

Kilo sighed and forced himself up. "No, dear Joan," he said, "I shall go first. Let you be the back up plan, hmm? Especially if he needs a hug". With that, he got into his elevator and commenced the downward journey. When he reached the floor, he headed over to his little car and drove it to the back door parking spot. He pushed open the screen slightly and wandered over to the box, making good use of his stick before using it to rap on the wood. "Flynn, m'boy?" he called.

Meanwhile , Nadia wandered of a little bit into the woods , having lost in her own thoughts . Sighing every few steps , the vixen wondered what was wrong with her , and the way Flynn reacted........
She didn't want him to feel that way.He wasn't why she was like that.....
"no!" she said , to seemingly no one , still with irritation , annoyance , anger and frustration in her voice
"I'm not in the mood for talking , so don't you even try , just leave me alone...."

Blick nods and head to the fridge. She pulls out two slices of ham, and three of cheese. She then takes four slices of bread out of the package, and sets it aside. Blick puts the ham and two slices of cheese on one, then starts to prepare her grilled cheese sandwich. She melts some butter in a pan, then places her sandwich on it. "Hey Elliot? Do you want your sandwich toasted?" the vixen shouts.

"Hm? Oh sure." Pyre said, holding out his cast for Piper to sign.

"Pen. I don't have a pen..." Piper searches about her in vain for a writing implement. She's too much tact to look in any drawers and she can tell that Joan needs some space to think.
"Oh well. I'll have to do it later. Does it still hurt?"

~~~~
Hearing the knock, Flynn raises his chin and looks to the door. He briefly considers pretending he's not there but he knows Kilo well enough that he knows the mouse wouldn't be fooled. Reluctantly he uncurls and hauls himself to his feet. Kicking a small amount of straw half-heartedly, he hesitates a moment longer before opening the door. Saying nothing, he allows his drooped ears to talk for him and waits for the mouse to say his piece.

Leslie took a seat so Oreo could dance.
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Kilo looked up and took in the sight. "What have you to be embarressed about," he asked with a touch of crossness to his tone as he entered the hutch and found himself face to face with straw that rose past his ears. "It is I who have to apologize, my boy. Imagine making a joke like that when you were close and nervous about Nadia, hmm? Most foolish of me and I apologise for that." He turned again to face Flynn. "Now," he added with a flourrish, "what do you think was going on with young Nadia, hmm?" He pointed the cane. "And DON'T say you don't care, my boy, as I am hardly likely to believe that, am I, yes?"

"No thanks Blick, I like my sandwich chewy." Elliot says, wagging his tail as he makes complicated shapes with his strings without looking.

Meanwhile, Faust pulls up some glasses and sets them on the table.

"It hurts a bit, but not as much as it did before." Pyre said, poking at his cast.

Ryze had stood up and was now stretching and yawning.

Now with a small pile of sandwiches stacked on his plate, Tesla sat himself down at the kitchen table and began to wolf his food down again, voracious after his day of exploration

"I'm not embarrassed. I'm... Upset." Realising the mouse is in danger of being lost in the straw, Flynn picks him up and sets him on a novel on a small shelf beside his lantern which is glowing dimly, its battery low after the morning's adventures. Shutting the door, Flynn sits in his corner again.
"I... I don't know what's going on... I guess I must have done or said something... You heard how she barked and growled at me... I thought she was different... After my attack... I was thinking that maybe, just maybe there might have been a few good foxes in the world. Maybe one could, y'know, protect me from the rest... But now what? If she's no different... How can I go out? How can I be safe here, if she's running around, especially if I've done something to offend her. I can't think what. But it must have been something... There was the tunnels too. She was already pushing me away then... So was it yesterday? Or earlier? And how long until... Until..." Flynn leaves the sentence unfinished and buries his face in his knees, arms curled around himself, trying to hide the tear rolling from his eye.

~~~~
"That's good. You're healing. You'll have that off in no time then. Wow. How many sandwiches IS that, Tesla? You must be famished! Who'd have thought a small dog would eat more than a full-sized jackal?"

"M'kay." Blick replies. She washes the lettuce and readies two plates. By the time she gets back to the counter, her sandwich is ready to be flipped. She flips it, but grills it less on the other side. She plops the food on the plates, and returns to the table.

Kilo sighed and sat on the book. "You may have made one of the classic mistakes, my boy," he admitted. "Mistaking one emotion for another. As I just did. But for Nadia, it is more serious. The mistake is seeing anger where there was only fear, sir. In the tunnels she was afraid of you being scared so tried to push you back, to stop you seeing her like that." He rested the cane across his lap and closed his eyes for a second, as though thinking on a great secret. "And the same existed in the kitchen, oh yes. But, there, it was complicated by Blick, even though our human raised Vixen could not have understood why - or even, I think, noticed - but you know what is supposed to happen when you put two adult vixens together, hmm? And yet, instead of what nature demands, Nadia ran from an easy fight. She did not do that for Blick or myself or Koa or Pyre or Ryze or Hutch, she did it for You and Joan. She was more afraid of how YOU would see her than she was of betraying her instincts, my boy." He pointed in time with the word 'you'. "That she'll never harm you? I can't say. That she'll never WANT to harm you? I think I can say that one, dear boy."

As Piper talked to Tesla, Pyre looked around the room and saw a butterfly outside. He watched it fly by the window a few times as he followed it.

Ryze had walked into the living room and curled up on the couch. A few moments later, she fell asleep.

"Thanks Blick!" Elliot says cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Faust set some glasses for his brother, himself and Blick. "Um... what drinks do the Porters have?"

Welsh Halfwit wrote:Leslie took a seat so Oreo could dance.

Oreo gets up and shuffles about, dangerously swinging an upraised tail about, if he hadn't been disarmed in that area.
bumping his hand into his neck brace, making him wince. As he tried to do disco moves.

Leslie clapped as only a half drunk kitten could - with his back paws. "We cud dew a show!"

Tesla sat down and put his plate onto the table, "Uh... Maybe..." He said to Piper, "Six? Seven probably."

Esper wrote:Tesla sat down and put his plate onto the table, "Uh... Maybe..." He said to Piper, "Six? Seven probably."

"I have an uncle who once ate nineteen of those," mused Lucky, "It was during an eating contests. he would have won too, if that safe hadn't fallen through the ceiling." He shook his head sadly, "Aunt Beth told them that the floor was weak."

Welsh Halfwit wrote:Leslie clapped as only a half drunk kitten could - with his back paws. "We cud dew a show!"

What kind of show?
Oreo says as he plops back down into the pillow..

"I don't know. I usually just have water, and I didn't really check when I was in the fridge." Blick quietly says to Faust. "I think I saw cola."

Keeshah wrote:

Welsh Halfwit wrote:Leslie clapped as only a half drunk kitten could - with his back paws. "We cud dew a show!"

What kind of show?
Oreo says as he plops back down into the pillow..

"A darnce one, of corse," Leslie laughed. "Is yore nek OK?"

Welsh Halfwit wrote: "A darnce one, of corse," Leslie laughed. "Is yore nek OK?"

A dance of the corgi's? is that a classical one?
Oreo tries to rub his neck through the foam collar..
It's still stiff n' sore.. But at least my head hasn't fallen off yet, so i don't think i have broken it off.

"Bettur not test it," Leslie said. "I herd heds come right off if yew do too much when hurted."

Welsh Halfwit wrote:"Bettur not test it," Leslie said. "I herd heds come right off if yew do too much when hurted."

I wasn't planning on playing Pop goes the skunkie today..

So what kind of dancing n' singing were you wanting us to do?

"Walz," Leslie thought with a grin as he put a fingertip to his lower lip, "Disko purrhaps?"

"Do you mean to imply then that... That her instincts might get the better of her and she might... might... Y'know... 'Cause I couldn't go though... that again... I just couldn't... And what about Blick? If it comes to a fight, what will her instincts make her do? And the others? They're all predators except Piper and Lucky. They're all perfectly capable of... Y'know... It's just lucky there's no greyhounds around. Although knowing my luck one'll move in next door... How do you do it, Kilo? How do you stay so calm and block out all the fears and memories?" The lantern sputters and dies, enveloping the hutch in darkness. Being a rabbit, Flynn doesn't mind the dark and he finds it somewhat calming. It doesn't occur to him in his distress that Kilo might like more light, however, so he makes no move to remedy the situation.

~~~~
"Oh yeah. I think you told me about that, Lucky. Was he okay, your uncle?

"Well, what drink would you like?" answers Joan. "We've cola, lemonade, chocolate, coffee, tea, and cordial that tastes like toffee, orange soda, water, fizzy, wine to drink until you're dizzy, strawberry, cherry (but just a bit), ginger beer that tastes like-" Here, Joan, carried away by here rhyme, accidentally swears before clapping her hands to her mouth.
"Ohmygosh! I'm so sorry! That just slipped out!"

Piper is surprised by Joan's slip up for a moment and then she bursts out laughing and applauds.
"I love it! Well done! You're quite the poet, Joan!"
Heh, thanks." Joan blushes. "Now, if only I could remember what I just said so I could write it down..."

"Oh," Kilo admitted, "it's never a thing you can forget, dear boy. Never forget anything. I have my own dark memories that are with me at all times but one thing I know is this. Instincts are based on fear, Flynn. Fear, not hope. Certainly they can keep us safe but you'll never change anything for the better through fear, hmm? It is why so many fight their instincts. The idea of standing close to Nadia must be terrifying to your instincts, I understand that. As terrifying, perhaps, as the idea of letting you closer as a good friend is to her instincts, hmm? You give strength to one another, my boy. If you fail, so will she and I know this. She does NOT want to harm you. I believe she would rather harm herself than harm you. Oh, why am I jabbing at you to make my point when you cannot possibly see me doing it? Heh. You have a future with that lady, I think? Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes, I do, indeed, think that. As for Miss Blick? She is a perceived threat to Nadia, not a real one. Help her to see it. And, consider this, is she not your empirical truth that not all vixens are hateful hunters? That some can be friends? I do not think that child has a hostile bone in her body nor a thought of such in her head."

Hlaoroo wrote:\
"Oh yeah. I think you told me about that, Lucky. Was he okay, your uncle?

"Well, what drink would you like?" answers Joan. "We've cola, lemonade, chocolate, coffee, tea, and cordial that tastes like toffee, orange soda, water, fizzy, wine to drink until you're dizzy, strawberry, cherry (but just a bit), ginger beer that tastes like-" Here, Joan, carried away by here rhyme, accidentally swears before clapping her hands to her mouth.
"Ohmygosh! I'm so sorry! That just slipped out!"

Piper is surprised by Joan's slip up for a moment and then she bursts out laughing and applauds.
"I love it! Well done! You're quite the poet, Joan!"
Heh, thanks." Joan blushes. "Now, if only I could remember what I just said so I could write it down..."

"That was a nice poem Joan," said Lucky. Smiling at Piper he said, "I did say I have an uncle."

I've never been much good at poetry," commented Ryyn, I just don't have the ingenuity."

Pyre, who was at the window trying to get to the butterfly on the other side, giggled when he heard Joan's rhyme, but kept his eyes on the butterfly, batting at the window whenever the butterfly landed on it.

"How? How do I fight the instincts? I'm a rabbit. I run, not fight. There's not a fighting bone in me! And how do I convince the foxes of anything when I'm not even sure I believe it myself? It's impossible!" A rustle followed by a muffled thud reveals Flynn punching the straw-covered floor in frustration and a hiss followed by a slight wet noise indicates that the rabbit is sucking his bruised knuckles.

~~~~
"Heh, thanks Lucky. And that's okay, Ryyn. I'm sure you have other talents." Joan giggles as she watches Pyre fruitlessly batting the window.
"Yeah, you did. I guess being lucky does run in your family, Mr Richardson the Third, Esquire."

Kilo chuckled. "Did I just hear you going against your instincts and proving you do have fighting bones, hmm? Our fight or flight instincts are important but MUST sometimes be fought if we are to have real progress, my boy. Look at the fictional Rabbit heroes. Look at Peter or Fiver or Brer. If they run into a problem do they run from it as instinct would demand or do they use their brains and work on ways to conquer that fear, hmm, yes? You have a prodigious brain - equal in many ways to mine and that is without the experience that is supposed to create intelligence - and you have such courage and such compassion that others can almost see it coming out of your ears, my boy. And you will never have to face fear alone, Dear Flynn. I'll be with you at all times and so will all your friends and family."

Pyre backed up as the butterfly landed on the window again. He crouched down and jumped towards the window, hitting his head on it. Pyre groaned as he fell backwards onto the ground. "Ow." he said.

hypernovatic wrote:Pyre backed up as the butterfly landed on the window again. He crouched down and jumped towards the window, hitting his head on it. Pyre groaned as he fell backwards onto the ground. "Ow." he said.

"You okay over there," asked Ryyn. He got up from his chair and walked over to the sprawled out Pyre. "What were you trying to do anyway?"

"I guess I'll go for lemonade."

"Ooh, I'll have a cola."

Faust nods, he walks on over to the fridge and picks up some of the drinks and brings them to the table.

Welsh Halfwit wrote:"Walz," Leslie thought with a grin as he put a fingertip to his lower lip, "Disko purrhaps?"

Oreo though about it for a while..
Then we will have to get dressed up in face paint like Kiss! to go out on stagefright1

Joan stifles a laugh as Pyre plows into the glass.
"Is the window okay?" she jokes, pouring herself another glass of lemon water from the jug on the bench.

"Er.. That looked like it hurt. You okay, Pyre?" Piper stays back and allows Ryyn to help the cat up.

~~~~
"But all those guys beat the foxes!" Flynn protests. "They made the foxes look silly or they made the fox suffer or made the fox attack someone else! I don't wanna do that! I can't do that! I want the foxes on my side and I don't want anyone hurt for my sake! I don't want to be fighting the foxes or to be scared of them. I... I'm tired, so tired of living in fear! But what alternative do I have? As soon as I overstep the mark I either have to run or get eaten. I appreciate what you said about my brain but I don't think I've ever shown courage and I don't know a thing about fighting. Even as he says it, something clicks in Flynn's mind.
"Fighting... Why am I talking about fighting? I don't know the first thing about fighting! I'm a rabbit, for goodness sake! I'm thinking about this all wrong! I don't have to fight anything! I just have to use what generations of rabbits have used to survive - cunning! That's what all those heroes did, only I have to do it differently... But my instincts..." Flynn feels the adrenalin surge as he contemplates the vixens' angry growls, vicious teeth and sharp claw- No! He can't think of those! He mustn't! And those two are different. They're not foxes - they're vixens. Not at all like the tod who attacked... attacked...
"Oh, what's the use???" Flynn almost yells, allowing his head to thump against the wall behind him. "You don't know the half of it, Kilo! It's not just my instincts! It's my past!" Suddenly Flynn finds himself baring his soul to Kilo. He tells of his unlikely friendship with a wild tod who'd strayed injured into his back yard at home, how he hadn't the heart to report him to the authorities who'd have baited or shot him on sight, how he'd "borrowed" some bandages from the first aid kit to dress the fox's wounds, how he'd even nicked a few pieces of meat from the neighbour's dog to feed the tod until he could hunt again (the poor mutt was still convinced he'd simply forgotten where in the yard he'd buried it and as far as Flynn knows he's still digging up the lawn hunting for it - Flynn has to giggle at the dog's stupidity). Then Flynn tells of how the tod had returned to the wild, how he'd betrayed him to another fox and been beguiled into believing Flynn had caused the injury in the first place. Finally, and with many pauses and even more tears, Flynn tells of the terrible attack, of how he'd been confronted and terrified by the fox he thought was a friend and another strange fox, of the sudden white-hot pain, the comforting darkness, the weeks spent in hospital and the excruciating recovery and how even now, the mental struggle is ongoing.
"And... And when... When Nadia growled... I thought... I thought it was all... All happening again, y'know..." Ashamed of his "weakness", Flynn hides his face in his paws and tries unsuccessfully to sniff away the tears, forgetting that Kilo can't see him in the darkness anyway.

Kilo sighed a deep, invisible sigh. "The day I first thought of changing the status quo," Kilo said heavily, "was the day after one of the very worst in my life. In fact it was a continuation. A young Feline had found a group of us and, before long, I had lost a son and three of my grandchildren. Scratch managed to trap the cat in a mantrap and I asked the cat why he'd done it. His answer? "Because I thought I was supposed to." What do you think to that, hmm? The simple truth is evil exists in this world, young Flynn, and it must be fought and conquered. Your Tod betrayed you, yes, but he was also betrayed, yes. Yes, he was. He fell into the grip of a seductive evil. Yes, I can call it evil because it IS. Evil as an act and Evil as an intention. An infection even! You have dealt with the physical Evil and got better but the intentive evil, the infection? That still remains in you, dear boy and you have to gather your courage to drive it out! Yes! Drive it out! Rid yourself of the fear that things have to always be as they are and ask yourself this. If your Tod had fallen fully into that trap, that infection, would you be here now, hmm? He could quite easily have killed you but. He. Did. Not. And I cannot imagine that the evil Fox would have willingly left you breathing if someone had not prevented it, hmm? There is evil and good in all of us, Flynn. All of us. The trick is not to let the evil part win, even if it is a struggle to the death." He drew in a huge breath. "I failed on that day with that young cat. Do not make my mistake, Flynn."
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Leslie chuckled, drawing an imaginary line under his eyes. "I cud get sum of my blak bits back!"

Welsh Halfwit wrote: Leslie chuckled, drawing an imaginary line under his eyes. "I cud get sum of my blak bits back!"

Oreo peers over at the kitten..
Did you lose your black bits?
Oars you just going for the footballer look?