[5] 23 Days Until Easter

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[It's been a weird start of the month for Bunny. What with Holly Peaks, then getting not one, but TWO people from his home world, one of which he assumed was long gone. All in the space of a week. To make matters worse, the castle had decided to do this on the very month where Easter was held.

He could have sworn the place had done it on purpose.

As is normal for him, instead of facing any of the worry and heartache Katherine's arrival has brought him, he's thrown himself into his work. It needs to be done, anyway, and it means he doesn't have to deal with his own feelings on the matter. It's win-win, really.

And so, anyone out in the gardens today will find red tulip-like flowers sprouting everywhere, look closely enough and there's a slight glow to them. A few flowers are also blooming, revealing small white eggs on spindly legs within them. The googies, freshly brought into the world, are all heading over to where Bunnymund is sitting, pots of paint beside him as he goes through the labourous task of painting each googie, then sending them down inside the safety of his burrow. To await their big day.

Of course, to those who don't believe in the Easter Bunny, they don't see him. As he paints, his journal is open beside him, so he can listen to the casual chatter of the residents, a splatter of paint occasionally hitting the page and soaking into the paper as he works]

That whole dodgy Holly Peaks mess put me behind schedule. It's not like I can access my realm here, y'know. Everything has to be done by paw. But if it thought it could put me off, then that plan went down the gurgler.

[Another paint splatter, then a sigh. He can't keep his mind off things as much as he'd like to] Anyhow mates. Have any of you heard about Jack Frost? Mother Goose?

Comments

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[That, at least, seems to appease the pooka for now] Well, yeah. I suppose you've got yourself a point there.

No, that's why I never plan on doing it.

[storiestotell]

[ The sound of Katherine giggling was heard as her response, unable to help picturing it in her head. Perhaps she should come up with a story like that to bring laughter to other children.

With the final stroke of the brush, she held up her painted egg and studied it. The red paint was broken up by the little suns she painted all over it. While painting eggs wasn't the same as drawing pictures to go with her stories, it was still a lot of fun. ]

There, I think this one is done!

[ Satisfied, she set the egg down, waiting to let go only when it was standing steadily on its legs. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Her laughter is music to his ears. He hadn't realised quite how MUCH he's missed that.

He nods at her creation, smiling proudly]

It's a real beaut', Katherine.

[storiestotell]

You think so? [ Grinning at his praise she watched the decorated egg toddle away, following after all the other painted ones. ]

It's wonderful that you do this every year, Bunnymund. I know the other children back home always loved your eggs.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

'Course. I wouldn't have said it otherwise.

It brings the hope. And that matters a great deal. They need it.

[storiestotell]

Hope. [ She repeats the word, her voice taking on a soft tone. Hope is a powerful emotion. As long as one has hope, they can believe in anything and everything. It's certainly helped her time and time again. A driving motivation to protect all of her friends.

Holding out her hand to another egg she observed it pause in front her hand before hopping onto her palm. ] No one should be without hope.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He watches her for a moment, before exhaling softly]

They shouldn't. And that's why I'm around. I'll make sure they'll always have hope, even when they don't even believe in it any more. [Arya springs to mind]

It's the duty he entrusted me with, after all.

[storiestotell]

[ It took her a moment to realize who the pooka meant when he said "him" and when she did, another smile touches the corners of her mouth. ]

How is the Man in the Moon? Has he also changed in the last couple hundred years?

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Bunny chuckles ruefully]

I think his sense of humour has got worse.

[storiestotell]

[ Her paintbrush hovered over the pot that held silver paint and looked at Bunny curiously. ]

Am... Am I allowed to ask? Did something happen?

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

Let's just say his latest choice of Guardian could have gone a lot smoother.

You know. If he bothered to explain things.

[storiestotell]

Oh. [ Okay, definitely sounded like it was something she should leave alone. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Don't go there, Katherine, it is a bad place. Moon's started to act kind of a dick lately]

Anyhow, it's all worked out for the best.

[storiestotell]

[ She won't go there! It was a subject best left alone so that was exactly what she planned on doing. ]

Then that's all that matters. [ Going back to painting, it would be easy to notice that the one she was working on now had the same colors similar to that of Nightlight. She was trying to think of a different topic to bring up, thinking it best to change the subject. ] You know, I never thought I would ever see a library as big or impressive as Ombric's! The one here has so many books I'm not sure where to start.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He notices, but stealthily doesn't draw attention to it. He hasn't heard from Nightlight in a long, long time, either]

It really is something to look at, isn't it? I bet the old dog would have been drooling at the sight of the one here.

[storiestotell]

Both him and Mr. Qwerty I'd think. And it's the perfect place to pass the time too, especially on a rainy day and I can't go outside. [ Smiling to herself she keeps her eyes on the egg in hand. ] Maybe I can find the time to write a story as well.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[THAT brings a smile to his face]

I'm sure the kids around here would really appreciate one of your stories. There's nothing like them.

[storiestotell]

Then I'll need to start on one tonight! [ Her mind was already thinking about past adventures that she could share with the children in the castle. ] Maybe I should ask if there are any in particular they would like to hear. I wouldn't want to bore them with a story they might already know.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

Sounds like a ripper idea to me. There's from all kinds of worlds, so I'm sure they'd have stories to tell you, too.

[storiestotell]

That would be wonderful! I want to know all there is to know about these other worlds! Perhaps there could be a night where all the children can share stories around a campfire...

[ Whoops. Someone is super excited now and isn't paying attention to her task at hand. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Hey, if Katherine is happy, Bunny is happy. God knows she deserves some joy in her life]

You know, I think some of them might go for something like that.

[storiestotell]

We could meet together every week and tell all kinds of stories! And maybe bring some snacks too! [ And off she goes rambling about the idea only to be reminded that she's supposed to be painting when the egg taps a foot impatiently against her palm. ] --! S-sorry, little one!

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

That sounds like a great idea. You'd have all sorts of stories, from all sorts of worlds.

[He chuckles a little] You know they don't like being kept waiting.

[storiestotell]

[ With a sheepish smile she nods her head. The egg settles down once more when she resumes painting its shell, decorating a patch of white with more of the silver and pale blue she was using. ]

I'll ask the other children once Easter is over and I'm more used to living here. [ She pauses briefly to stifle a yawn. ] Living in a castle is very different from living in Big Root.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

It is, you really never know what to expect here.

[He casts her a concerned look] You look tuckered out.