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Bunny Patrol



Time: A weekend
Where: A petshop
Who: LuLu, Josh, Tango and Anita
What: A chance meeting
Status: Complete
Post-note:



When they arrived to their home, Swift refused to be carried. The female rabbit was as independent as ever and was taking the concept of a fresh start to heart. Swift was now free from the oppression of the pet store and was ready to explore the world she had been absent from. As the back gate was opened, the brown bunny darted in front of the frei and launched her small body into the yard. Her furry limbs splayed every which way due to her excited fervor to discover. LuLu could only giggle at the sight; the rabbit was looking more like a dust cloud than her usual fuzzy self. Swift was much more daring then when the ravean had first explored the outdoors. Already, Swift was delving her nose into a potted plant only to resurface with a fine layer of soil on her face. The rabbit shook the debris off and looked back at her “sister” with a flop of her ears. She spoke earnestly, “This is the most amazing place ever.”

LuLu tutted the girl and pointed to a shaking bush ahead of them, “It only gets better.”

As if on cue, Nicholae emerged from the shrubbery skirting the yard. He hopped over to the girls with a few leaps, so graceful he left LuLu in awe. Stopping short of the two, he cocked his head to one side then the other as he sized up the newcomer. “Who is this short stuff?” Of course, he was referring to Swift.

The female rabbit spoke up before LuLu could retort, “Who are you calling short stuff! You… you old man!” The young, if not immature, rabbit felt sure in her come back. It was certainly a winner in her eyes. Nicholae could only guffaw, he was maybe only a year older than the female. He gave the girl props for being so bold. He was beginning to like her already!

The male rabbit closed the gap in between them and turned his attention to Lu. “Where did spitfire come from?”

Ever daring, Swift spoke up. “I came from Petland! But that place is long gone. Lu said this is my new home.” The frei could only shrug her shoulders in defeat and offer Nicholae a solemn nod. It was becoming apparent that no one was allowed to play envoy for the female rabbit. She was the type who needed speak their mind.

Nicholae hopped with surprise and a bit of agitation. “I am not playing babysitter Lu!”

LuLu was taken aback at his negative reaction but she shushed the male with a demanding flick of her wrist. “I trust you the most Nicholae. I know you will take care of her.”

Swift snorted, “I do not need some grandpa ordering me around.” She retort was followed by a daggered glare from LuLu.

The raevan chided her sister, “He is here to help you Swift whether you think you need it or not.”

The male spoke up, not happy that LuLu was putting words into his small mouth. “Who said I was going to do it!”

“I bet he is afraid I will leave his old bones in the dust. No one can keep up with me!” Swift released her pent up energy into a defiant hop.

Nicholae took the bait with a sneer, “I never said that either!” He answered Swift’s call with a few rebellious hops of his own. He looked to LuLu, “I will watch over her for a bit until she can fend on her own. But only because someone needs to put this girl in her place.” He returned his attention to Swift just in time to find her paw smacking into his face. It was a playful hit and the girl leapt out of his reach to avoid getting a counter strike from the larger male. Swift burst into a fit of giggles, she was ready to start a new game with her new playmate. Nicholae grumbled halfheartedly. Swift was frustrating, but she had a free spirit that he appreciated. He gave his new companion chase as they both trampled across the yard.

As Nicholae and Swift bounded off into the bushes, LuLu could not help but feel a pang of loneliness. Deep down she wanted to join them in their frolicking and cavorting. The glorious feeling of young leaves swiping across her face as she hopped through the dew soaked underbrush was now a long forgotten memory that she sorely missed when she was forced to watch scenes like these. However, loneliness was not the only bitter emotion frothing within the frei like a fetid stew. The green eyes of jealousy were also making their presence known.

LuLu plucked nervously at her bracer. She already felt like the third wheel of the group, an elephant in the room and a sizeable one at that. Swift had only just met the male rabbit and she had already taken so many steps that the frei had been unable to stride on her own. She undoubtedly loved Nicholae, but the rabbit frei’s nerves play against her whenever she tried to pursue something more. A wicked little voice in the back of her mind served as a needle p***k to deflate any confidence she had. She was always faced with the reality that Nicholae and herself were two different beings no matter how much she wanted them to be compatible, no matter how much she wanted Nicholae to be hers and hers alone.

“Stare any harder and you will burn a hole in me Lu.”

Nicholae’s voice startled her. LuLu wiped the glare from her face wondering when it had begun in the first place. She replaced it with a warm smile. “You both just seem so happy…. Together.” The last word almost caught in her throat like a large knot causing her to finish her sentence with a small cough. Nicholae would have quirked a brow if anatomy allowed it. However, he was left giving Lu a blank gaze.

He chuckled lightly, “Well, I am going to finish giving Swift a tour. It is going to get dark soon though. So you better get into that house before the boogeyman comes for you.” He gave his ears a flick towards the door leading back into LuLu’s home.

LuLu was about to shake her head in protest, but she knew how stubborn Nicholae could be once he had given an order. His bullheadedness nearly rivaled hers. Plus, he was just trying to protect her even if he would not admit it directly. The male rabbit understood darkness and what lurked in it better than LuLu ever could. He was her senior and he had lived in the wild every night of his life. That was a type of experience the frei could not beat with sheer willpower alone. To her dissatisfaction, LuLu’s signature pout also seemed to be losing influence on Nicholae. She would have to find a new method of leading him along, but that would be for another time. She gave both her rabbit companions a curtsy before she retired for the night. “Sweet dreams.”

Swift called after her retreating form, “Thanks so much Sister! You have done so much for me today.”

LuLu gave the female rabbit a gentle bob of her head in acknowledgment, “I hope you enjoy your knew home Sister.” The frei hoped dearly she would never regret the decision she had made today. She had given Swift a new life, but at what cost?

A Fair Affair



Time: A weekend
Where: A local county fair
Who: LuLu, Josh, and Xiu
What: A first meeting
Status: Complete
Post-note:



LuLu had an enchanting day playing princess and knight with her new companion Xiu. The two carrot cakes she scored from the fair were also delightful and slowly savored. The rabbit was even feeling generous enough to share a bite with her guardian. With a full belly and a full heart, the rabbit believed things might finally be taking a turn for the better.

The Sickness Sets In



Time: A weekday
Where: Josh's home
Who: LuLu
What: A cough develops
Status: Complete

Like most other sicknesses, it crept insidiously. It took its time consuming and growing stronger within its host, languidly waiting for the day it would erupt into something much more sinister. If an illness could show emotion, this one played coy. LuLu coughed daintily the first few days. They were small near hiccups that barely even phased the frei. Each one could be written off easily by a mention of the change in weather. It was simply a sore throat, right? A seasonal occurrence that would pass just as quickly as it arrived. The rabbit had much more important matters to attend to anyway. She was a busy girl with a busy schedule. Her noon tea party could not be stopped by a case of the chills. Additionally, a portion of her time was now exerted towards her new food source, ink. The substance was still as novel and intriguing as it was plentiful. The sustenance was different than her run of the mill creativity. While creativity could be described as a light snack, ink was as weighty and tangible as a steak dinner. Each flavor was crisp and defined unlike the way creativity could become wishy-washy. The only drawback was the occasional colored tongue, but that was a small problem that could duke it out with LuLu’s vanity. The frei’s new food also left fullness within her that she had never felt before. Filled so much, yet, she needed more. An unexplained heaviness grew within her, down to her rune. It was a disembodied feeling as though she were feeding something inside that did not belong.

The cough evolved within a week developing into a horse crackle that shook Lu’s shoulders and made her chest cave in with effort. The dry and unproductive noise was most certainly unpleasant, but still explained by a common cold. LuLu chose to sooth the scratchiness enveloping her vocal cords by placing the broken end of a pen in her mouth. When a cough would tickle the back of her throat, she would bite down on its ink cartridge to eject the sticky, wet contents. It served as a temporary fix. The ink lubricated her parched mouth and satisfied her cravings. However, it only worked for a short time.

This sickness, or was it a parasite, was not through with the raevan. LuLu grunted softly when her joints began to ache. She paused one day while braiding her hair as a sharp pain shot through her wrist and up her arm. She clenched feebly at Josh’s dresser waiting for the intensity of the pain, like a searing blade in her back, to subside. Soon enough, the burn faded into a strong tingle and then to numbness in her shoulder blades. The rabbit rubbed gingerly at the space between her wings as best she could. Her self-medication was then completed by a slurp from an inkwell she had purchased, like a chaser. Lu knitted her brows together. Maybe it was the flu?

The heaviness in her core weighed down on her more and more every day. A possible explanation was the sickness kicking her butt and draining her energy. The truth was unclear. LuLu knew once thing for certain though, it was not getting better. Not just the cold, or whatever it was, but her cravings for ink. The rabbit fed on her fourth inkwell that day. No matter how much her petite frame put away, there was always a nagging for more. That belligerent voice in the back of her mind told her to ignore the discomfort and keep going. Like a syphon, she consumed the ink and creativity around her. A frei turned into a bottomless pit. Indulging itself.

LuLu froze in place as she felt a cough developing in the back of her esophagus. Though all too quickly it became evident this was not going to be just a cough. Her small frame tensed as a series of watery gurgles ripped from her lungs mixed together with rough whoops. Her face contorted in agony and disgust as a foreign sensation crawled up her throat inch by inch. She held a hand to her mouth to barricade the orifice. Apparently, LuLu was not a bottomless pit. A mix of dingy colors oozed from behind her lips and between her clasped fingers as she wretched. The gummy stream crept down her wrists before she had the mind to grab a jumble of tissues to clean up the vomit. The frei eyed the mess contained in the Kleenex with disgust. She had purged, but the uncomfortable fullness remained along with that insistent voice. Her limbs felt like lead. She was too heavy. Some part of her knew this. Still, she wanted more. Her senses felt hazy. The rabbit’s vision narrowed and tunneled. Despite any effort, her attention could only hone in on one thing. LuLu’s tongue darted out and ghosted along the balled up wad of ruined paper held between her palms.

Was it even her who was in control anymore?

LuLu gasped, shocked at herself. The frei threw the tissue into the trash without a second thought. Whatever sickness had chosen to devour her, she would not give it the upper hand. At least, not today.

The Final Straw



Time: A weekend
Where: Josh's home
Who: LuLu, Christopher, and Josh
What: Family troubles
Status: Complete



Mornings for a princess should happen like a well-rehearsed concerto. They should begin softly with a warm lull that speaks of good things to come and guides you to roll along with the tune, right out from under the covers. The tone should then change to a bright, poppy melody that gets you to your feet and tousles you forward so you may begin to prepare for the day ahead. The performance should then end on a glorious finale with horns trumpeting, percussion booming, and winds chiming harmoniously. It should be a sound that signals one thing and one thing only. The princess had awoken!

However, the cacophonous crash and clatter coming from across the hall was everything a princess should not wake up to. LuLu’s eyes snapped open. At the same time, Josh awoke in his sleeping bag curled beneath her. A wretched howl of things splintering a breaking erupted again. The noise sounded like a dying animal and made LuLu’s skin crawl in way that forced her to throw the covers off of her body. Josh rose from his makeshift bed just in time to catch a face full of the raevan’s ribbon. She floated across the room in a sleepy fog hell bent on investigating the hideous racket that dared to interrupt her beauty sleep. The teenage boy made a snag for the tatters of her ribbon to stop her, but the door had already been flung open by the time he caught its end. Josh’s eyes went wide in horror.

LuLu stood before Josh’s father, Christopher.

It took the frei a moment for her morning blur to fade and the rabbit to register just what she had done. She had shown herself to the enemy. It almost seemed silly now that it had happened, perhaps unreal. LuLu almost felt as though she could retrace her steps back into her guardian’s bedroom and start this day all over again. She had been under wraps in Josh’s room and had lived in Chris’ shadow in a way that had almost become second nature to her. Always listening out for the click of the front door and the rumble of his car engine to signal he had left before she went outside. Always being alert when footsteps approached Josh’s door. Always being silent. Always leaving no trace. She had gone a little over a year with no mishaps until now.

She wilted a bit as the grin on Chris’s face grew wider. Of course the man had always been suspicious of Josh. He had always suspected that LuLu was still around, but he could never prove it. Now things had changed, Chris has all the evidence he needed. The raevan was hovering right in front of him like a big red target. Despite the hood obscuring her face he knew just who she was. After all, it was hard to mistake a floating half torso for anyone else. His voice was a venomous hiss, “I knew it.”

The man wasted no time in bounding across LuLu’s old room. He carelessly tossed her remaining possessions around. Anything that was in his way was bulldozed over with incredible force. In fact, LuLu could see the room was in total disarray. Most everything had been either removed already or left in pieces. It was now obvious where the sound had been coming from. Josh’s father had been busying himself with removing the last remains of LuLu from their home. Now only thing which remained was LuLu herself.

The wind was knocked out of her as the large man tackled her to the carpeted floor. She whipped around like a rag doll underneath his immense bulk. Her head ricocheted off the ground with a dizzying force. The blunt strike flared in the back of her head and spread in waves to her fingertips. LuLu gasped out a few weak breaths before she began to flounder against the man. The throbs of pain running up and down her body continued to grow more intense. The sensation of her skin crawling returned tenfold. However, it was now accompanied by an agony which felt something like needles poking just under her skin. It was as though something was trying to escape from within her.

The two thrashed around on the floor. LuLu was trying desperately to avoid falling completely into Chris’ viselike grip. Her arms managed to stay free for now. One hand tangled itself in his hair. The other was pushing his face away feebly. On the other hand, Josh was behind Chris. The teenager was already pounding his fists against his father’s back, but the blows seemed just as distracting as a mosquito bite to the large man.

LuLu was beginning to grow desperate now. Just like Josh’s struggle, her fight was seemingly futile. Lithe hands slid across Chris’s face to meet at its center. Nails balanced near the curve of his brow bone. She took in a sharp breath, her mind was made up. The frantic need to survive fueled her movements as LuLu’s fingers dug into his eyelids, sinking into the softer flesh there until she left something pop. Only the sensation was not Chris’s eyeballs exploding. On the contrary, it was her form bursting and giving way. Ink gushed from the frei’s nail beds into the larger man’s eyes. Chris bellowed out loud even though the only true injuries he sustained were a few deep scratches. Large hands pawed at his broad face to wipe away the stinging mixture of ink and his own blood. Though stunned herself, LuLu had now been given enough of a distraction to pry herself from the man’s hold. The pain in her limbs had begun to ebb. Now her nimble body made quick work of sliding away from Chris, her rabbit heritage would have been proud of her deft maneuvers.

Rising up she screamed at Josh, “Go! We are leaving NOW!” She stuffed her hands into her hoodie’s front pockets; the article of clothing never left her body now. The boy was flabbergasted at what had happened mostly because he did not fully understand it. All he knew was that his raevan had somehow reduced his father, a man he viewed as something akin to an unstoppable force of nature, into a roaring pile of muscle lying face first on the floor. Nevertheless, Josh did not want to be around when the man regained his sight and his bearings. The teenager wasted no time in gathering the utmost essentials: his keys, a wallet, and pants. He looked back to see that LuLu had already gotten a head start on him and was already out of the room. He followed after his frei.

Something donned on the frei as she crossed the threshold of the front door. A fleeting moment of realization sparked in her mind as synapses connected. Her face tightened. The expression was hidden in the dark confines of her hood. It was destined to be lost to everyone except herself. She was alone in her thoughts, alone in many ways as of recent. She had nearly forgotten what day it was. LuLu mumbled under her breath, “This is no way to spend your birthday.” She slammed the door to Josh’s car and signaled she was ready to go. Unlike Josh, she did not bring anything with her. The frei had very quickly concluded that anything worth taking along would have been broken. Plus, it would be unwise to return to the house with Chris still in it. The best thing for now would be to leave this mess and try to start things fresh.

Unfortunately, a change of atmosphere would not solve all of the rabbit’s problems. She could leave Josh’s old home behind along with Christopher, but she could not escape this sickness that was still altering her body against her will. The malaise and pain she felt daily was as much a part of her as her flesh and bone. LuLu could not part ways from the inky tendrils still unfurling just beneath her red hoodie or the peculiar powers she was slowly developing. The inky spray had left her fingers numb.

Her grip tightened on the cuffs of her sleeve as Josh quickly entered the truck and sat in the driver’s seat next to her. Already he had started the engine and was bolting from the driveway. He spared the raevan a few words once he felt they were a comfortable distance away from their old home. LuLu supposed his spiel was meant to be encouraging but LuLu could not be bothered with it. She was busying herself with pulling the stretched hems of her sleeves even further down her blackened knuckles. The ends just covered her blood and ink caked nails. She stuffed the both her hands into her pockets once again when Josh turned towards her.

Josh gave her a concerned look. He even offered his frei a delicate pat on the shoulder. “You are probably all shaken up right now, Lu. We can talk when you are ready.” The words replayed dully in her ears with a gurgling echo as though she were under water, like her guardian was miles away from her. LuLu curled deeper into her hoodie. Josh’s voice became even more muffled. Unlike what Josh or anyone else may think, the red hoodie she donned was not a shell meant to protect her. Instead, it was a wall meant to conceal her disfigurement and shame from everyone else. LuLu truly felt alone right now. Her only company was the illness threatening to change who she was.

Things That Lurk in the Deep



Time: Winter
Where: Near the beach
Who: LuLu, Josh, Sevilin and We'rika
What: Sev and Rika offer assistance to a out of luck Lu and Josh
Status: Complete
Post-note:



The ride back to We’rika’s apartment was a lesson in patience for LuLu. Tension was soaring high in the car and was practically tangible. Each time Josh shifted next to her, the frei was reminded of the awkwardness of the whole situation. They were now going to be LIVING with Sevilin and We'rika. She could not help it when an irritated sigh escaped her lips. The insistent tapping of Josh’s hand against his leg was not helping her clear away her muddled thoughts.

Not only was she being forced to house with her sworn enemy, she had also experienced feelings which were not meant to be directed at a sworn enemy. Desire. The only thing she should have desire for would be seeing her fist in Sevilin’s face. Yet, strewn out in a field overlooking the sea, she had felt a spark. It was not the same flicker of affection she had harbored for Nicholae. That had been puppy love and a one sided crush. That was an innocent kind of love. This entity was miles apart from that and the rabbit would not liken it in any way to love. The passion LuLu had experienced for a brief moment was more akin to the zeal she felt when she and Sevilin got into a heated argument. Only, this time, there was no argument happening when it occurred. That is what left LuLu unsettled. It arose with them fastening glances, an innocuous action. So why should she feel so energized over it?

LuLu let her eyes stray back over to Sevilin. The spark had faded like the embers of a fire. Yet, she wondered what had fueled it to begin with, if the precipitating flame was still roaring somewhere in the back of her mind. Here feelings were yo-yoing in ways that were foreign to the frei. She would not be surprised to find out that her brain had not short circuited. Never before had wanted to both kiss and strangle a person at the same time. Perhaps she could blame this on the sickness, too?

She jolted when Sevilin turned and their eyes locked. She did the first thing that came to her. She pushed her nose up with her thumb and stuck her tongue out at him. That had felt right to her just as right as seeing him resting beneath her. Passion could form between friends or enemies. Passion could precipitate from either love or hate. Passion could be misguided. It was a complicated thing to think about and LuLu preferred not to dwell on it too long. Instead, she focused her attention on more important matters: blowing a raspberry at Sev.

Rotten to the Core



Time: A weekday
Where: We'rika's apartment
Who: LuLu
What: Things take a turn for the worst
Status: Complete



LuLu was mending herself alone in the room Rika had given to her and Josh. She still felt sore from her fight with Sevilin, both physically and emotionally. She knew the other frei was every definition of the word brat. That is why she usually ignored everything that came from his mouth. He had called her a monster. LuLu nearly scoffed. Perhaps she could be a bit bullheaded and maybe selfish from time to time. He had called her a monster though.

She removed her winter gloves to look at her palms. Both were completely black as though rubbed in soot. It pained her to see them like this. They were alien as though they did not belong to her. This time, she could not help but feel a sting in Sevvie’s words because they held some truth to them. She pulled her hood down. LuLu approached the small mirror positioned on the dresser slowly. She already knew she would not like the image it would offer her. The frei’s brows knitted together when her eyes fell upon her reflection. The face she saw was not hers. From cheek to cheek and chin to forehead, every inch of her skin was a dead black tone. Having seen enough, LuLu flipped the mirror over.

Her vision was clouding. LuLu swiped at the moisture welling at the edges of her lids. Tears? As she drew her hand from her face, the frei’s breath caught in her throat. A viscous black fluid coated her fingers. The dark sheen of ink blended in perfectly with the dusky hue her skin had become over the months. Accompanied by an acrid tang, the liquid began to seep from behind her lips. The mix of phlegm and ink caught in the corners of her mouth before rolling down her small chin in patterns resembling strung obsidian beads. She was not crying at all. On the contrary, she was…. leaking.

LuLu swiped her hands across her mouth and began to scrub at the pout of her lips with a forearm. She spat the fluid out, but more puddled in its place like blood dripping from a freshly gouged wound. The rabbit let out a wet sob in frustration. It terrified her to say it, perhaps Sevilin had been more than a little right when he had called her a monster.

LuLu had been avoiding facing her problem head on for months. This “sickness” would not just vanish overnight like she had hoped; it had been staring her in the face day after day. However, LuLu had chosen to build a mental block against this reality. When a new symptom would appear, she would simply add a few more bricks to this imagined barrier. Illusionary blocks had been accumulating in a haphazard chaos. The pressure had been building and, in time, her fortification had begun crumbling in upon itself. She had avoided accepting the horrible truth of this illness with all her might but that had only slowed her gruesome transformation.

In fact, she may have been avoiding this truth her whole life. The raevan’s games of pretend where just that, a lie. She was not a chaste princess attending a tea party to discuss the joys of being noble and kind. LuLu was shallow and demanding. She was spoiled and indulgent. This thing consuming her was no sickness at all. She now looked on the outside the way she felt inside. In the end, LuLu could not stop something that was a part of her.

Inside and out she was a monster.

Something twisted inside the frei, in the core of her rune, which sent her into a spasm of hiccups. Doubling over, she braced herself onto her borrowed bed. Her head was planted against a pale purple blanket that must have been Sevilin’s at one time. Her hands twisted in the plush fabric as sensations LuLu had never felt before began to overtake her body. The full feeling that had once caused an uncomfortable weight in her extremities ballooned until it threatened to split her open as though she were an overstuffed toy. Her limbs thrashed. The covers clung to her skin. She had not even noticed when her flesh had become clammy and slick. There was no telling for sure if it was from sweat or the ink oozing out from her every pore. Her chest bobbed with obvious effort when she tried to draw in weak breaths. More and more fluid accumulated in her mouth, eyes, and now her nose. Sight was difficult. Air seemed like a distant memory. She was drowning. The frei she had known herself as was being washed away by a beast within her.

Some faceless monster had won the fight.

So why should she continue to struggle? LuLu hissed between clenched teeth. A spray of spittle left her mouth leaving an ugly stain on the bed’s covers. She sunk against the mattress limply. Her strength was gone. Yet, another power was lying just untapped and out of her reach. To uncover it all she had to do was give in. The frei croaked, “Please… make this stop. I give up.” The most difficult thing for LuLu was admitting her own weakness. This monster did have a face and it was her twisted façade. This power being forced upon the young raevan made it impossible for her to avoid embracing the wild force within and become a greedy creature.

She let it overtake her. Muscles which had been drained and lifeless began to fill with a strength that went beyond what she had known as a frei. The power she had given into was consuming her and LuLu could only describe it in one way. It was right. The rabbit released a bark of laughter as she rose from the bed. Her rune pulsed with a murky inkiness that mixed in with its natural purple glow. Her laughs grew more erratic, verging on hysterical as she watched ink pour from her skin in sticky looking ribbons. There was so much of it. Likewise, there was so much power within her. It was gushing out of her unable to be contained. Yet, like always, the raevan desired more. LuLu had surrendered herself over to her deepest instincts and they were now in control. With her essence at the reigns, there was only one thing left to do: INDULGE.

LuLu spoke in a singsong voice. Her usual high trill ended in a vicious growl, “Ink. I want ink. WHERE IS IT?” She scanned the room. Of course, there was none aside from the waves washing from her body in sheets. She flexed her fingers as though testing the tendons in them. Her eyes focused on the dusty planes of glass belonging to the only window in the room. It would be her exit. She floated across the room in quick and fluid movements appearing more like a liquid rather that an actual being. There was no reason for her to stay in this room or the apartment. She had more important things to attend to. LuLu wound her arm back. Rather than forming a fist, her hand was poised outstretched into claws. The frei smashed through the glass and wood as though it nothing more than a sheet of paper in the way of her favorite dessert. She stretched out her ink coated wings and threw herself out of the newly made opening in a blur of motion.