03.03.09 - Collared

Location: Ruingate, Venin House

Characters Involved: Tobias, Phoenix, Harper, Crow

"I'm not /joking/, he's obstinate as anything," Tobe is saying as he enters the house, a few steps ahead of the other military commander. He has a metal collar in his hand which he spins around two fingers. "I'd have been better off with the little girl-thing probably."

Harper iiiiis. Sitting near the window. Crow is bundled in his arms, his chest and a blanket serving as temporary nest. He doesn't look around when he hears their entrance or their voices. He's just looking out at the street.

The little boy seems half-asleep but comfortable in the hare's arms. He had been awake and more alert earlier, but still the sickness has taken its toll on Crow, who is curled heavily in his nanny-buck's arms. His fingers are curled in the fabric of his shirt and the blanket, connecting it all together.

"I doubt that." Phoenix states on a dull note, not exactly seeming amused by the thought of an obstinate slave - just something else to beat into submission and worry over. "I saw the doe today, she looked to be just as bad." As they enter the house he goes to unclip his cloak and then tug it all off of his shoulders, wrapping it around arm in a quick folding method. It's all dusty anyway.

"At least the doe would be something to ogle a bit, right?" Tobe glances down toward Harper as he sets down the collar, stripping off his jacket to hang it up. "Also, what kind of a name is 'Harper'? Isn't it a girl's name? Hey, buck." He heads toward the slave, brows up. "Did they mistake you for a girl when you were popped out, is that how it went?"

Harper is unmoved. He rubs absently at Crow's back and continues to stare out the window.

The toddler huffs a sigh in his sleep as he is petted. Phoenix says nothing to the jab given to the buck, just following behind the tabby quietly for the moment while he gives a thoughtful look over the newly acquired slave. Well he doesn't talk back at least, that is a good enough quality. "If her mouth didn't get in the way." He finally offers vaguely.

Tobias makes a gesture at the hare while he looks back at Phoenix. "See what I mean? You're not /deaf/, slave. You've got awful long ears too, ey?" He steps closer, reaching to tap at the side of Harper's muzzle. "Get up."

"He needs t'sleep," Harper says while turning his eyes upward to the cat. He arches an eyebrow. "Or should I wake 'im so you c'n ridicule me freely?"

Tobias's brows quirk. "I don't see how waking him is necessary for me to put a collar on you. Get. Up." There's a slight hiss in his tone.

For now Phoenix holds his tongue, though the expression on his features is darkening by the second with the impertinent manner that the buck talks back to his master. Still it is not his slave, so the fox doesn't reach across to get violent or anything like that. His stance has tensed ever so slightly however as he goes to settle his cape somewhere convenient where it'll be out of the way and easily retrievable later. The babe gives one ear flick within the hare's arms, aware of the speaking but perhaps not of the conflict?

Huh. Harper's eyes narrow eeeever so slightly. "Yer back broken? You can't bend over?" It's not like Harper's neck isn't just chilling out, there.

Tobias's teeth show briefly. "Put Crow down. And stand up," the big cat says gruffly.

Phoenix has bristled ever so slightly, but hey, the Slaughterthane is controlling his baser instincts. Which really one could guess from his title what those were. His tail flicks briefly with annoyance, then he glances in the other direction. Hm. Hm hm hm. Tobias can handle it. The toddler meanwhile cracks his eyes open and then glances up towards the buck that holds him before turning his attention to the other tabby instead. A questioning, tired sound is heard.

Harper breathes out an annoyed sound through his nose. He sits up a little bit, shifting the now-awake toddler - in his blanket nest - onto the chair beside him as he shifts himself out of it, rising to his full height. Still a few inches short of the larger cat.

Tobias's hand lifts, and he lashes out in a backhand at Harper's face. If he staggers at all, it will be away from Crow. "/Don't/. Talk back to me. Okay? /Okay/?"

Phoenix's ears lay back as he watches this spectacle, though he looks less than fascinated by the cat beating his slave. That is until the toddler is squirming out of his blanket nest. "No!" The sick babe cries out in protest, scrabbling off of his chair to hurry towards Harper - which is more than a few steps for one so small.

Harper is so bloody /tired/ of being /hit/ in the /head/. His head is rocked to the side, but he doesn't stagger. He hangs his head, touching his fingertips to his lip. They come away red. He grunts his displeasure - and then his eyes shift to the hurrying toddler. He crouches, extending an arm to the little guy. He smiles, a sunny little thing, considering. "It's okay, Crow. I'm okay."

Tobias's tail swats back and forth, bristled out. "Stand up," he says again, curbing the growl somewhat.

The Slaughterthane looks intrigued by this turn of events, both ears twisting into a perked position as the babe hurries into Harper's reach. Crow clings to the buck with little huffed breaths of upset and exhaustion. Maybe /he's/ tired of the other being hit in the head as well. The feline twists his little fingers into his nanny's sleeves. "No. Nono. Don'. Don' 'urt 'Ahpah." The tabby pouts out towards Tobias, before coughing out a little choked note and burying his face in the slave's shoulder.

Harper doesn't stand. He hooks one arm around Crow, a protective motion. "Ahpah's okay, Crow. I'm okay. Let go of Ahpah, now."

Tobias shoots Phoenix a look and makes a gesture at Harper, expression saying something like 'see?!' "Nnh," he says, "give him to me." His hands are extended, expectantly, to have his brother handed over.

The little boy whines out his protest to being told to let go, before sobbing unhappily into the buck's clothing. But something /bad/ might happen again! And then he might even /go away/ for some reason! Still, reluctantly, Crow begins to let go even as he gives Harper the big, innocent, sad eyes. Phoenix is amused, to say the least. An evil grin has spread across the fox's muzzle and he gives Tobias a look with his brows raising. Ah, fun fun. He shakes his head after a second. This is unraveling. He can see it now.

Harper's eyes shift up to Tobias, momentarily defiant. But then he rises, lifting Crow with him. And gently, gently, he transfers the kitten to Tobias. "... It's okay, Crow."

Tobias's arms slide around the kitten, who he lifts in against his chest. "Hey kid," he murmurs, and his voice is much gentler. He takes a step, turns away from Harper, but gives Phoenix a slight nod. "Will you get the collar on him?"

It seems like Crow has become attached to Harper. Then again he last saw Tobias when he was younger - even if he remembers him for a family member. He dangles by his armpits as he is gently lifted and passed across to his brother, pouting towards the buck, but then tucking against the redhead's chest. He can no longer see Harper for a second when the Galesabre turns away. Phoenix's hands are free for the task at hand too, which he takes up with a shrug after a glance of thoughtfulness to his friend. When the tall fox faces the slave, though, all amusement has drained from his features. "If you fight me, you'll regret it." Is all that he offers, a darker threat than anything graphic he might have made up at that moment.

Harper eyes the fox, silently. He doesn't move, but he doesn't say anything, either.

That's a good thing really. The fox doesn't want to hear anything. He moves forward to snap the collar shut on the hare's neck, where he can lock it into place. It's better for them not to be able to get it off themselves, after all. There'd be no purpose anyway. Phoenix has a straight, serious expression in place as he does this, not looking at Harper's face.

Tobias meanwhile keeps Crow cradled to his chest, one arm supportively under him, and rocks him back and forth with little swaying steps side to side. His fingers rub soothingly at the toddler's scruff.

The collar is cool and uncomfortable against Harper's neck. His ears and scut give an annoyed flick. He keeps a cool eye on the fox.

The fox makes sure that the collar fits tight and well to the hare's throat before backing up away from him again. Their interaction remains silent, even as a threat emerges in the tod's nearly grey gaze. Phoenix doesn't like the way that Harper looks at him. Crow meanwhile clings to his brother and tries to look over his shoulder as he is rocked about in the supposedly reassuring manner. A vermin near to his 'Ahpah' seems to never be a good thing, so he wants to keep an eye there.

Tobias lifts his hand, holding Crow under the rump as he leans upward, the other palm cupping the back of his head gently. "He's fine," he reassures Crow, tone low, muzzle turning to bump the side of Crow's face in a little smooch. "Let's get you to bed, yeah?"

The brunette boycat has his muzzle rested against his brother's shoulder while watching this silent interaction, taking the smooch with something of a pout, then sighing. Crow closes his eyes once more, sagging in against Tobias's front tiredly. At least they're not hitting Harper anymore, right?

Says the cat who split his lip. Harper's eyes flicker briefly away from Phoenix to look towards Crow. And then back to Phoenix. He quirks a brow, just waiting.

Phoenix's brow lifts on one side in an expression that says he isn't the one going to order Harper to do anything. The collar is on, his job is done. He goes to step away from the buck to recollect his cloak. "If there are no objections I'll be heading home then. You have the babe to take care of." The fox goes to clip this garment back in place.

"None at all," Tobe says distractedly. He rubs at Crow's back, nose tucked to the side of the kitten's head, not quite touching the inside of his ear. He gives a little strand of humming while going toward the stairs.