02-11-04
Characters involved: Ewan, Jezz, Rahier, & Taye.
Salamandastron: Niche
Ewan crouches upon the barren rock in his most favorite niche, knees pulled to his chest in an almost fetal position, though the buck is far from the innocence that usually arrvies hand-in-hand with the ideals that accompany, naturally. Poor Ewan, he has no idea what is to hit him soon, only cognizant of his location and company, who is none other than Rahier.
"Well, well, well. Ewan. Ah never thought Ah'd see you again." Jezz mutters from lips formed with nothing but a smirk upon that maw of hers, her arms akimbo at her sides, neglecting to hold the paw of the dibbun beside her. "Ah see you've run off t'Salamandastron. Joined th'Long Pahtrol? All this time, dirty louse."
Rahier sits upon the sand, resting slightly against the barren rock. Having had no conversation for awhile, the major's head has drooped to rest upon his knees, ears resting lazily forward. Ahh. No worries, and all that. ;p One ear flicks immediately upward as the doe's voice breaks the silence, and his head turns to meet this.. odd sight. The buck glances quizzically to Ewan, the question written upon his features.
Speaking of the neglected dibbun, little Taye nevertheless reaches out for his mother, attempting to hide behind her leg and hug himself close to it at the same time.. but to no avail; she simply shakes him off and sends him a warning look. Mrr. Cold little fingers rub uselessly at little pants, and Taye lowers his gaze to the snow-covered sand. Shuffle-shuffle.
Ewan ... blinks. His action is simple, but he manages to convey all of his current experienced emotions: confusion, confusion, and dread. Suddenly, with a heavy glance at the face of the doe before him, he begins to remember things. Some things he thought he'd never ponder again. "Is... he... mine?" Oh, dear Ancients, what a terrible question.
"Yeh. Where'd yah think Ah got'im, Ewan? Pulled 'im outta mah pocket, eh?" She speaks of the kid in a distant manner, as if he was a possession and not her own child. The woman shoves him over with her footpaw, her arms crossing in boredom across her chest.
Rahier's face is open astonishment. A very, 'what the hell?' moment. :P "Y'have a /kid?!/" Rahier's gaze flutters between the child, and Ewan. "When were y'gonna... an' who's she? Some floozy?" Rahier eyes Jezz, expression turning dubious.
Responding to the shove with predictable hesitancy, Taye stops short as soon as he can and looks back over his shoulder at Jezz whilst worrying at his lower lip. "... Mama?" But the look she gives him is deadpan, and as distant as ever. And boy if the kid isn't confused. He hesitates a moment longer, but then she makes a shooing gesture and he gets going, taking a few shy steps towards Ewan and Rahier.
Jezz scowls darkly, eyeing Rahier and taking his reaction into deep account. For a few moments she is quiet, and then, she announces the obvious in the ominous form of query. "Y'ave gone queer on yeself, Ewan? My god, y'bastard."
... Oh. My. "What?!" Ewan rises, quickly, fists clenched and face stoic. The shock of having a child has yet and is far from worn off, yet, she ... she knows? What? "Ah'm not... eh." He glances at the child, holding his tongue.
Rahier resents the implication, no matter how factual. The buck hops to his own footpaws, staring at Jezz. "Oh, an' what have y'come t'do? Dump th'kid off on Ewan, an' head back t'y'call house so y'can get busy on another?" Huff! XD
.. Not that Taye knows what queer means, anyway. The quiet little hare looks from one side to the other, from mother to strangers, and his ears dip noticeably at the tone to everyone's voices, and he turns away from Ewan and Rahier and holds out his paws to Jezz. "Mama... Wanna go Hallard. Wanna go home.." Sadeyes.
Jezz snorts and pushes him roughly forward onto his bum, and at the two of them. "Ah'm leavin'. Y'take him. I'm sea-bound, and he can't board ship."
Ewan scowls, darkly, and with much dislike for the doe before him. He stoops and picks up the kid, despite the unfamiliarity. Taye belongs to him, and the buck decides he might as well adjust himself to the idea of being a father.
Rahier is looking to protest, no matter how acclimated Ewan seems to be becoming to the idea. "What?! Y'can't jus'... leave him! S'not righ'!" Rahier still looks incredulous, and is still staring at Jezz. The one who's suddenly made things very complicated. :P
Awr. Taye doesn't know this buck who's just picked him up. So? He struggles, eyes widening even further as he reaches arms out frantically for Jezz. Becuase, well, she's a crappy mom... but she's still his mom. "Mama! Don' go!" Mrr! Don't leave cute lickle Taye like this. He's too.. cute. Rrr. Struggle-struggle.
Ewan clutches the boy tightly, refusing to allow him over to his mother, who is obviously void of conscience. "You've ruined this kid, Jezz."
Jezz scowls and turns on her heel, striding off down the beach in the direction of Halyard-- and her ship. "Goodbye, Ewan." She offers no farewell to her son; she's always been a cold beast, and she has little to no empathy or sympathy for others. Even her own blood.
Jezz scowls and turns on her heel, striding off down the beach in the direction of Halyard-- and her ship. "Goodbye, Ewan." She offers no farewell to her son; she's always been a cold beast, and she has little to no empathy or sympathy for others. Even her own blood.
Rahier watches the mother in question as she strides away, outwardly angry. Blast! Useless anger, anyway, so... the major turns to Ewan, and the kid. "Y'didn't know 'bout him?" The little dude -is- kinda cute. ;p "What's his name?" Peer.
Ewan has disconnected.
The "little dude" is currently too sad-eyed and droopy-eared to do anything other than just go limp in Ewan's arms, and after a moment, Ewan is introduced to what it feels like to have a dibbun bury its head in one's shoulder, because that's exactly what Taye proceeds to do, hot tears moistening Ewan's tunic. "Wan' Mama..." More than likely, the kid's just too unused to the fact of having someone hold him to care who it is he's clinging to.
Ewan glances at Rahier blankly. Uh... His paw alights on the dibbun's skull and supports it, patting and petting. "Hey. I'm your... Papa." The word is definately not one easy to grow acclimated to.
Rahier's lips purse into a thin line, as his features crease into a frown. Lost and found children aren't all that unusual to Rahier, hell, he's led in a decent number of 'em from off this very beach. But... this one is... Ewan's. The buck watches now, wordlessly.
"Want -mama-..." This is not nearly as emphasized as it appears, especially in Taye's sad little voice. The leveret nevertheless seems to have stilled his movements at Ewan's words, and after a long moment of silence, a thumb finds mouth and Taye says no more. Certainly, he's a bit old for thumb-sucking, but he's also a bit young for this situation, in general. Coping mechanisms are not his forte.
Ewan hefts the leveret farther up upon his chest, supporting the rear of the dibbum with his arm, and clutching him protectively. Yarr, fatherly instincts kicking in at the evident neglect on the part of the mother. "I'm your papa, yes." His voice is still quite doubtful, though, it's more confident than it was in the past. Protectnotleavingyus.
Rahier steps up to Ewan, placing his shoulder at Ewan's back. So he can get a closer look at the mini-Ewan, and show that, well... the support is there. ;p Even this early the implications make Rahier's head spin. A kid. Oy.
Cheek resting against Ewan's shoulder, Taye for the time being simply stares, as if seeking out his so-called mother still. Beyond that, he seems content with his thumb and silence.
