bigapplesauce | A thousand points of copper light [open to multiple]

Daine wakes up with an unfamiliar weight on her chest and her mind ablaze with copper fire. For a moment, that's all she can see even after she opens her eyes, but a few blinks bring the world into focus… or they should. But her view has been obstructed by a mound of off-white fluff.

Daine, Daine, Daine! Sarge has, from the sound of things, been repeating her name for some time. Perhaps that's what woke her. Daine, they're everywhere! He doesn't sound upset, just excited, but it's still enough to wake her fully. In a moment, she realizes that the unfamiliar weight on her chest is, in fact, a rabbit. And that there's another rabbit on her desk, and three more huddled under the bed where Sarge can't reach them. Molly probably could, but the terrier is sitting over by the door.

I can smell more outside, she says.

"It's all right," Daine says automatically, mostly for the benefit of the rabbits beneath the bed. Sarge might not mean them any harm, but his enthusiasm can be daunting, especially for prey animals. Moving slowly so as not to spook the creature on top of her, she carefully lifts the rabbit off of her chest. "Odd's bobs," she mutters. This is far more fur than she thought a rabbit could have. Daine sits up and finally takes a proper look at the creature… and finds it impossible not to grin. If she couldn't tell it was a rabbit by the feel of its mind, she'd never believe it. It looks like a toy.

"Hullo," Daine says, brushing some of its fur aside until she uncovers one of its eyes. "What's your name?"

Puffbucket, the rabbit replies, quite seriously. I think I'm lost.

You're not the only one. That came from the auburn animal atop her desk. From beneath her bed, there's a timid chorus: Us, too.

"All right, let's get you all up on the bed. Don't worry about the dogs, they won't hurt you." She first sits on the floor to coax out the three beneath the bed, whose names turn out to be Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur; unaware of the reference, Daine accepts the names without blinking as she lifts them up to join Puffbucket. The rabbit on the desk introduces herself as Agent Scully, which does strike Daine as an odd choice (why call a rabbit 'Agent' anything?), but she merely shrugs and puts her with the others. "You'll be safe here. I'll go get you some food, all right?"

Broccoli? Puffbucket asks, lifting his head.

"I'll try," Daine promises. Truth be told, she mostly just wants an excuse to leave that won't upset them. They will be perfectly safe in her room - but the same can't necessarily be said for all the other rabbits in the base. And it feels like there might be an awful lot of them.

Instructing Sarge and Molly to stick close, Daine opens her door and peers out into the hallway. "Oh, my," she murmurs as she takes it all in. There are at least a dozen rabbits out in the hallway, some huddled together near the wall, and others lolloping along the stone floor like low, mobile clouds. "They really are everywhere."

[OOC: Consider this Daine's open rebel base post. If you'd like to have any of your characters bump into her here at some point during the day, have at it!]

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Daine shoots him a grateful smile. Truth be told, she'd rather be dashing about and getting the rabbits what they need than sitting here, but until they're all somewhat settled and reassured of their safety, her sitting here is what they need most. "Thank you. It shouldn't take too much longer to get them here - the ones that will come, anyway. I expect I'll have to fetch some of them myself, though."

I'll see about dishes, and then I'll help you round up the stragglers.

Giving Almondine the sign to stay put - he won't be long, and he'll move more quickly without her and her three shadows - Edgar heads for the kitchens. It seems he isn't the first to come looking for water and food bowls, but he's able to get a large box full just the same. He returns to find Daine in the same spot, and sets the box beside her so she can see its contents. Almondine sits up to poke her nose into the box, sniffing around curiously.

I'm not sure how many we're going to need, but this should at least get us started.

Daine gives him a little wave as he heads off, then gently strokes the ears of her lap-rabbits as she considers her next move. Now that so many rabbits are here, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for her to go and track down the ones who aren't so willing to come on their own steam. Any creatures still en route shouldn't have a difficult time finding the place, after all.

When Edgar returns, Daine gently shifts the rabbits off of her lap so she can better examine the box's contents. "It's a good start," she agrees, pulling out a few shallow tupperware dishes and looking for good spots to place them. Normally she'd put them alongside a wall, but it's probably best to have them out in the open so rabbits can approach from all sides. She stands, then carefully picks her way across the floor and sets the bowls down at intervals. A few of the rabbits give the plastic experimental nibbles until Daine scolds, "Stop that; you'll make yourselves sick. These are not food."

Glancing back at Edgar, she asks, "All we need is water, then. There should be some of that in the kitchens, too. Hang on, I'll come along." Water is a lot heavier than plastic, after all. It'll just take her minute to get back out of this sea of rabbits without treading on anyone.

While he waits on Daine to navigate her way through the fluffy sea, Edgar bends down to pet Almondine.

/Stay here,/ he signs to her. /We'll be right back, and you can keep an eye on all of them./

He points toward the room, and Almondine glances that way before looking back to him. She gives his hand a quick lick and wags her tail gently before lying back down beside the doorway. The three rabbits around her rearrange themselves at her movement, burrowing against her and staring up at Edgar with wide, solemn eyes.

"Odds bobs," she mutters as she finally clears the doorway, though there's an undercurrent of concern beneath the exasperation. At the moment, she's just focusing on the animals' immediate needs, but assuming the rift doesn't just take them back, food and water will only be the first of her concerns. What are they going to do with them all?

"How's it looking back in the base proper?" she asks Edgar, taking his hand. The gesture has an easy familiarity to it, now. "Are folk upset?"

I haven't explored too much, he responds, but most people I saw were amused by it. Or sort of resigned, for those who've been here longer. There was a little irritation and frustration, but that was mostly from the base staff. He gave Daine a small grin. Like the kitchen staff.

"Goddess, I can imagine," Daine mutters, though she can't quite hide a smile of her own. "Well, they did just get a lot more mouths to feed. I s'pose the rabbits are rifties, too." And maybe they can't contribute anything to the cause but fur and manure, but at least they don't eat much (on an individual basis, anyway; a few hundred rabbits will take some feeding, though).

We'll take care of it, Edgar says. Maybe we can adopt them out? he teases.

The smile fades from his face as he takes a moment to study Daine. Having so many rabbits crammed into the base can't be easy for her. He gives her hand a squeeze. How are you doing? With all the new residents?

A thousand points of copper light [open to multiple]

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