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 Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:58 pm
Aramis does not at all like Sumerki's scolding, and freezes in absolute astonishment, as if he has never in his short life experienced anything of the sort. Considering who his Chosen is, this may indeed be the case. An over-abundance of firmness will not, gladly, be a difficulty for Marie. Aramis stares first at Sumerki, then at Marie, as if to see whether or not she saw the disgraceful thing which was done to him.
" .. yes, dear," Marie tells him, leaning forward a little. "She is quite right; you ought to be nicer."
This occasions a miniature snort from Aramis, and one can almost hear him say bully that! before turning his back boldly on both Sumerki and Marie and going to sit just below Aranka's perch to peep insistently at her to try and get her to come down.
"I hope I shall find it," Marie says, still smiling over these antics. "I am having quite a time of it. I did always imagine myself as a strict mother, when I was a girl, but -- no matter what he does, he does it so cleverly, and he is such a darling, that I cannot bear to scold him as I ought to. I'm having a terrible time keeping him occupied, too, I must admit. Did your lovely lady have toys, when she was smaller?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:00 pm
Anna hummed quietly. "It is for his own good, really. Imagine if he behaves like this as a fully grown buck. It would be...difficult." Of course, she was hardly one to talk. It was a rare day indeed when she had to take a firm hand with any of her animals. Aranka was the touchiest of the group but for the most part she ignored strangers, so it never became an issue. The rook was perfectly sweet to Anna, of course. Still. "Such a handsome lad should grow up to be a gentleman."
Not one to allow such poor behavior stand, Sumerki followed the fawn to give him a proper scolding. It was just as well. Aranka, though presently ignoring the young Guardian, was liable to teach him a lesson if he continued to pester her. It was not liable to be a pleasant one.
"Toys?" mused Alexei. Had Sumerki ever had any toys? For the most part, she kept herself occupied, or let Alexei know the instant that she requited his attention. "She did have a teething ring," he recalled. A wooden thing for her to nibble on or toss around as she pleased. Of course, she had long since outgrown it, but it had served its purpose for a time. At the least, it had kept his books safe.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 2:20 pm
Marie cannot help but look pleased at Anna's comment, for all that it is meant to imply that Marie should be doing a better job. How could she complain, when Anna gives her that kind of reasoning, laced with flattery? Even knowing it is flattery doesn't stop her from being pleased. She is in fact in such a good mood that she smiles naturally at Anna, as if they really are as friendly as they pretend to be in front of Alexei. "You are right, of course," she says cheerfully, before looking back to see how Sumerki goes about dealing with Aramis.
Little Aramis, circling Aranka's perch, finds himself confronted with Sumerki again and gives a startled cry, his ears molding back against his delicate little head. He sits down abruptly, then stands again and goes to hold his head up high towards her, as if to make certain that she knows he is not afraid of her, even though she is so much bigger than him.
"I have heard of one who arranged all manner of toys for her little one, though I have not seen them; I have been stretching my imagination to think on what they might be. Truthfully, I cannot see myself being as indulgent with my dear one as she is with hers -- you have heard of the Lady Lisette? It is said that she arranges perfumed baths for her Guardian, in a little tub directly beside her own!"
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:23 pm
Anna smiled in return, but it was not nearly so heartfelt as Marie's expression. Though she was not adverse to consorting with the enemy in the name of a higher cause (and in her mind, the well-being of an animal - magical or otherwise - counted as a higher cause), that did not mean that she wanted to play best friends with said enemy. She doubted that Marie's warm feelings toward her were going to last. No point in getting familiar.
"Does she really?" Alexei wondered, amazed. Sumerki was a lady, to be sure, but even she did not wish for perfumed baths. Alexei knew this for a fact because the doe would have made her demands known most insistently. Of course, Lady Lisette was likely the driving force behind the baths, but that was hardly the point. Such behavior seemed rather over-the-top to him. "How very odd."
For her part, Anna did not comment on the fact that Aramis had clearly had a perfumed bath of his own.
Sumerki gave the fawn a no-nonsense look, gently nudged him away from Aranka, and proceeded to explain to him just how unacceptable his behavior was in whatever language Guardians used to communicate with each other.
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:08 pm
The conversation moves lightly apace after that, with Marie occasionally interjecting questions -- what to feed her Guardian as he grows older, how to distract him when she has to be away from him, what to do in the various little situations that crop up when one finds oneself the sole caretaker of a new and unfamiliar animal. Throughout the question she sprinkles heavy praise of Sumerki and Alexei, as has become her usual, and listens well to the both of them, remaining in high spirits through the rest of her visit.
Before the afternoon visit is over, she will have begged them to take a turn with her in the park in the coming week, that they might spend time in the sun with their Guardians amongst flowers and trees. By then Aramis will have gotten over the terrible shock of having been told 'no' by Sumerki and have fallen asleep half in and half out of his Chosen's lap. After all, it's terribly hard work, being so cute.
"It will be good for them, after all, to take a bit of sun and fresh air, especially as it has finally begun to grow warm." Marie's voice is rich with contentment now, her own fears and uncertainties very much abated by the presence of the drowsing Guardian fawn.
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:37 pm
"That sounds lovely," Anna said, and Alexei murmured an agreement. Though she adored winter, it would be nice to enjoy the warm spring air without being burdened without the heavy coats and wraps required to tolerate the weather of the frozen months. Besides, she was certain that Aranka and Sumerki would love the sun. If nothing else, at least she would be present to prevent any possibly resurgence of Marie's attempts at Alexei.
"Shall we see you to the door?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:29 pm
"Oh, no. Please don't trouble yourself! Why, you all seem so cozy here, it should be positively cruel to ask you to leave on my sake!" She bends to gather up the dozing Guardian fawn, departing as she had arrived in that respect -- with the little one curled in her arms, barely able to lift his head to blink a sleepy farewell. He is very young yet, after all, and like many young things does a great deal of sleeping.
"It has been so good to see you," Marie tells them finally, before giving them a light curtsy in farewell and departing with a swish of her skirts. There are no longing glances, no coy blushes, no charming smiles for Alexei this time .. but it remains to be seen how she will act the next they meet, when she has recovered from the shock of being Chosen.
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