[pfsb] it's so FLUFFY

[acrookedpath]

In Wei Wuxian's defense, it isn't as if he forgot one should never eat free food unless it came from Madam Bar or the waitrats. It's simply that after nearly a year where he has -- only on occasion, mind you! -- accepted food and drink from strangers with no ill effects, he may have let his guard slip. Just a little.

Besides, he was so absorbed in his work that for all he knew, a waitrat had deposited the little bowl of animal-shaped desserts on his table. It wouldn't have been the first time he failed to notice one of them trying to get his attention.

So when he absently picked up a cracker to nibble on it as he worked through a particularly thorny set of talisman calculations --

Well.

The little black rabbit that now sits on the table, a red ribbon looped around one ear, just wants it emphatically known that this was not his fault.

Comments

[acrookedpath]

The rabbit instincts still sing home, home, home, but now a quiet uncertainty chimes in beneath them. He can smell other rabbits nearby; though he knows they are not unfamiliar rabbits -- obviously they aren't! -- he also knows very well this is not his warren. Will they welcome him, or chase him away?

Well, he won't find out by sitting around!

Hello? he calls, in the same language Lan Zhan could not understand.

[lightamidchaos]

How now, what’s this?

The voice is bright and cheerful and curious, filled with surprise and delight. Starlight gleams from the ears of the rabbit that hops up to the top of the stone ridge and looks down.

You’re new. And with one of our humans, I see. One ear twitches. Are you hoping to join us, little one? Usually I’m the one to extend that invitation.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian's whole face brightens in awestruck delight. He scrambles out of Lan Zhan's robes, but does not venture too far -- only half a hop beyond his folded legs.

Rabbit-zongzhu! I can understand you now! He's laughing as he stretches out his forelegs, dipping into a bow. I am not so new as I appear. I'm one of your humans as well -- only transformed, temporarily.

[lightamidchaos]

Transformed?! Rabscuttle! Do you hear this? He hops down from the ridge and fearlessly approaches Wei Ying. Oh, and tell the others this isn’t the Black Rabbit of Inle. As if I wouldn’t have known this time, he adds, a little miffed.

I do and I have and - did you do this, my prince? Rabscuttle hops out of the underbrush and gives as skeptical a look as is possible.

(Behind Wei Ying, Lan Wangji sits in quiet, patient stillness, watching.)

[acrookedpath]

Supposedly, says Wei Wuxian with dry amusement, an alligator is to blame. Named Loki. But it will pass! Who is the Black Rabbit of Inle?

[lightamidchaos]

Oh, that one. I see. Of course. He combs his paws over his ears, then sits back up tall as Rabscuttle heaves a sigh and ducks into one of the warren’s burrows.

You don’t know? I thought even humans might. Fascinating. I suppose next you’ll tell me you don’t know who I am, either.

[acrookedpath]

We have thought you might be Chang'e's rabbit. Wei Wuxian glances over his shoulder at Lan Zhan, flicking one ear cheerfully; he cannot exactly include Lan Zhan in the conversation, but he will try! Are you?

[lightamidchaos]

Lan Wangji blinks very slowly at Wei Ying. “It is all right,” he murmurs. “I am observing.”

The starlight-eared rabbit hops closer, cocking his head to one side as he looks at Wei Ying. No, but I can see how you’d think so. It’s the ears, isn’t it. The glow, like the moon. He shakes his head, causing his ears to flap.

My name is El-ahrairah. I am the Prince of the Rabbits.

[acrookedpath]

El-ahrairah, he repeats, and begins to laugh. We were close! Not a rabbit-zongzhu, but a rabbit-wangye. It is an honor!

He touches his nose to the grass.

I'm sure you have heard my companion name me before, but I am Wei Wuxian.

[lightamidchaos]

That’s not what he calls you, El-ahrairah notes, bright-eyed and interested. He calls you Wei Ying. It’s nice to meet you like this, whatever your name is.

Rabscuttle you’ve met already, and the others—-

Are patiently waiting to be told that they can come out, Rabscuttle interrupts. If it’s not too much of an inconvenience?

Oh very well. Let them come. They’ve brought quite a lot of food this time, enough for all.

[acrookedpath]

He is the only one who calls me Wei Ying, he explains. Even as a rabbit, his features soften with fondness. As I am the only one who calls him Lan Zhan.

But enough of that -- there are more friends to meet! Wei Wuxian's ears swivel forward as Rabscuttle emerges from the warren, several more rabbits on his heels. Hello!

[lightamidchaos]

Hello, Rabscuttle says, hopping to the side to let the others approach. Three come forth, including the cloud-furred rabbit from their very first visit, and behind Wei Ying Lan Wangji draws a soft, pleased breath. He starts to lay out the contents of the basket in front of him, as usual.

These are Cloudfoot, Saxifrage, and Bearberry.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian glances up at Lan Zhan, his heart so full he cannot help but wriggle with joy.

A pleasure to meet you all! I am Wei Wuxian -- I was much bigger the last time I saw a few of you, he laughs. But Lan Zhan can still carry our basket of food, at least.

[lightamidchaos]

That's an unusual name, Saxifrage remarks, coming forward to stretch out his neck and sniff at Wei Wuxian. Do all humans have such odd names?

[acrookedpath]

Many of us do!

He sniffs at Saxifrage in turn. It is so strange to assign emotions to scents, like "curious" and "friendly," but that is, indeed, what he smells. Wait until he tells Lan Zhan about this!

At the inn where I live, we have friends with names as short as Tom or as long as Harrowhark Nonagesimus -- and all manner of ones in between. Ingress, Ciri, Gideon, Gaeta, ah, I know I am forgetting many of them --

[lightamidchaos]

Interesting. That comes from El-ahrairah, who's settled down into a bunny loaf and is watching the proceedings with interest. Our names mean things. Do humans just like the sounds?

Bearberry jumps sideways, startled by wind through the grass, and ends up at Lan Wangji's side. He peers up at him, decides he's not a threat, and starts to nibble at the nearest set of greens.

[acrookedpath]

For his part, Wei Wuxian flops onto his side, stretching out all four legs in a long, shallow arc before settling in comfortably.

Sometimes it's only that they like the sounds, I think? I could not tell you what "Harrowhark" or "Gaeta" mean, though perhaps they could, if they're ever transformed as I am. A sliver of laughter underlines his words. But Wuxian means "to be free of envy and aspire to great heights." Wei is my family name.

He peeks up at El-ahrairah.

And what of yours, wangye? What does El-ahrairah mean?

[lightamidchaos]

Prince with a Thousand Enemies, he says, sounding amused. Of course you would not know our stories, either.

Rabscuttle makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a snort, only to have El-ahrairah leap from his rest and pounce upon him, tumbling him about in a playful tussle. You should want them told too! You're in most of them, after all.

The other three rabbits appear unfazed by any of this, as Cloudfoot comes to join Bearberry in grazing on the vegetables that are laid out before them. Saxifrage drags a leaf over by Wei Wuxian and crouches down to eat and talk, both.

The prince was named by Lord Frith himself at the creation of the world, he says. It was when Lord Frith blessed all the animals. He gave the blackbird her song, and the salmon its shining sides and high jumps, but he also gave those like the fox and the weasel and the cat sharp teeth and claws and the desire to hunt rabbits, for there were so many of us that he feared we would overcome the world. And when he came to bless the prince, he told him, "El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince With A Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed." And so we never have been, and never will be.

[acrookedpath]

He picks up his head, ears flicking to alertness, as Saxifrage begins the tale. Slowly, his attention shifts to where El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle tussle in the grass.

Be cunning and full of tricks, he echoes, and they will never catch you. Rabbit bodies are not built for the crooked smile, the laugh that is not quite a laugh. Ah, Saxifrage, perhaps I know the stories after all.

He shakes himself all over, as if scattering the brief melancholy into dust.

[lightamidchaos]

Saxifrage leaves off nibbling his leaf to nudge at Wei Wuxian's flank with his nose. (Lan Wangji watches to make sure it is a friendly gesture only, but on seeing that it is, returns his attention to observing all of the rabbits around him.)

I would like to hear human stories too. Do you think you can stay with us tonight? Or come back again, if you can't stay?

[acrookedpath]

He laughs, a little, and scoots closer to Saxifrage. Lan Zhan will worry too much if I stay here without him, he says. And I do not know for certain when this transformation will wear off. What if I changed back to a human inside your burrows? I would be too big to get out!

He noses the other rabbit's side.

But I will tell stories as long as I'm here. And -- can you understand us, when we speak as humans do? Because even if I cannot come back as a rabbit, I will keep visiting as a human.

(Truthfully, it would be great fun to eat an occasional animal cracker and dart into the forest, now that he knows what they do. But it will upset Lan Zhan far too much if Wei Wuxian takes to deliberately cursing himself while he's away.)

[lightamidchaos]

No, Saxifrage says, a little sadly. Only the prince and Rabscuttle can. Maybe I can learn from them.

[acrookedpath]

Ah. Wei Wuxian's ears droop, sadly, before he rallies. Well! I will just have to share as many stories as I can before we must leave, then!

He sits back on his haunches.

For a long time, Lan Zhan and I thought El-ahrairah might be Chang'e's rabbit, who lives with her in the moon. Shall I tell you about them? Or perhaps a smaller tale, he says, laughing again, like how Lan Zhan and I first met?

[lightamidchaos]

In the moon? Saxifrage exclaims, and --

New stories? Both Bearberry and Cloudfoot sit up abruptly and turn to look at Wei Wuxian. Even El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle stop their tussling and face him.

El-ahrairah stamps on the ground. Gather 'round, he orders. And listen. To Wei Wuxian, he orders, Tell of Chang'e. They will like that one.

Lan Wangji looks briefly alarmed at the way the rabbits form into a semi-circle, looking at Wei Ying, but settles again as they do, chewing on vegetables and curling up beside each other.

[acrookedpath]

Ah, Lan Zhan, it's all right! he says, gently butting his head against Lan Zhan's knee. You have nothing to worry about.

He sits up straighter, the literal center of the rabbits' attention. If he were still a human, he would be beaming.

This is how it was told to me, he begins, when I was very young. Chang'e was a beautiful young woman who worked in the palace of the Jade Emperor in heaven...

Gradually, he spins out the story: Chang'e's banishment to earth with a jade rabbit as her only companion; how she met the hunter Hou Yi, who shot down nine suns from the sky; their ascendancy to king and queen, and Hou Yi's slow corruption as he tasted power yet desired more.

She hated what her husband had become, he says. And when he decided to pursue the ultimate token of power, an elixir of immortality... she saw her chance to return to what she'd once been.