Juliette Coulombe (clearyourmind) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-01-14 10:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, juliette coulombe, lavitz fon amell |
Who: Lavitz & Juliette
What: Puppies!
Where: The fon Amell guesthouse
When: Yesterday evening
Rating: Disney
Status: Complete!
Of all the things that could stress Lavitz out to the point of pacing, a pregnant dog shouldn’t have ranked so high. But he’d been tense for days, wanting to keep Zelda company in the guesthouse so that she wouldn’t need to give birth all alone and worrying when he was away from her for any longer than half an hour. He felt like a nervous parent, and had the floors been made of anything but stone, he might’ve run holes directly into the foundation. One of the maids had been left to tend to her while he stood outside, anxiously awaiting the results, and when informed the birthing had gone well and he was to welcome five newborns, he nearly fainted. His first inclination was to contact someone, anyone, to help get him through the nervousness of facing brand new puppies, but in the interest of keeping in one sane piece, he settled down with his fluffy companion, tracing fingers along the back of her head and ears as he caught his breath. And when enough time had elapsed, he called for the only person who made sense: Juliette. Juliette, who had previously looked with confusion at those of her peers who seemed bodily attached to their network devices, had recently joined their numbers. After all, what if the puppies came? What if there was a problem? What if -- It wasn’t as though she could do anything, but she felt responsible for this situation (and absurdly guilty, even if Lord Amell was too kind to say anything). When the message came, therefore, she found herself dashing for the door (surely, her missing dinner would be tolerated in this circumstance) and a quarter hour later, down the broad avenue towards the fon Amell estate. The poker faced butler directed her that Lord Amell was waiting in the guesthouse, and, fortunately, led her into the appropriate room, announced, “Lady Coulombe,” and then retreated, leaving her alone with the rather bewildered host and the dog. Dogs, she amended, though she had never actually seen puppies quite this small. She was unspeakably relieved that she had been called only after the deed was done; watching the process would surely have been… no, certainly it was better this way. “I… came as quickly as I was able,” she said. “She -- they -- all of you -- are well?” In the time that Juliette had rushed to the estate, Lavitz had tried to gather his wits about him, and realized he hadn’t quite succeeded as her presence was announced and his usual polite countenance crumbled into a confused frown. He sucked in a breath, gaze moving from squire to -- sweet Faram, to the puppies. They were so tiny. So fragile. “We’re fine,” he confessed absently, his voice distant for only a moment, until he looked to her again. “I’m-- sorry it was such short notice. I thought you should be the first to see them.” “There are no apologies necessary, of course.” She barely held back her own apology -- that ground had been covered quite enough at this point. “May I?” she asked, uncertain if she was asking the man or the dog; approaching on tentative steps she knelt at a small distance, raising her hand for Zelda to sniff as she examined the puppies with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. “They are… very small.” Somehow, with Boris’ size, she had (perhaps irrationally) expected them to be bigger. Permission seemingly granted by Zelda’s continued relaxed demeanor, she scratched the new mother lightly between the ears. The fluffy dog was more than happy to welcome her closer, eyes falling shut both in contentment and exhaustion. Noting how tired his little lady was, Lavitz could only step in, crouching down to stroke along her back foot. “For now, but they should grow,” he assured, before breathing a soft exhale. “I’ve promised one to Alys, but their eyes and ears aren’t yet open.” How in Faram’s name was he supposed to care for such tiny, fragile things? Her sister had mentioned it, and Juliette couldn’t help a faint smile at the thought. “It will be some time before any of them can leave their mother, I expect.” Having found no better ideas, she had defaulted to books, which had given her a plethora of information. “About two months at best before they are weaned, I think?” she offered. She continued stroking Zelda’s ears. “Do you aim to keep one?” He fell quiet, not quite to consider her words. He already knew the answer. “My family wouldn’t approve,” came the eventual admission. “They were never fond of Zelda to begin with because I took her in from the streets, and they always saw her as something dirty and unfit for a noble.” Finally, he forced a weak smile. “The short answer is I would like to, but I can’t.” “Forgive my impudence but… that cannot be right,” Juliette said. Zelda was lovely, and a dog brightened up a home (or even a house that would never be quite a home -- this feeling, too, she knew very well). “Zelda is a good dog.” And dogs are so often better than humes. She looked up at him then and offered a faint smile. “I will assist you in ensuring they all go to welcoming homes. And if…” a pause, then the offer: “if you ever…” miss them “wish to see them… my sister and I will be glad to welcome you.” How lucky she was, she reflected, that her newfound family was so lenient in these things (this lenience which would eternally baffle her was the greatest gift Alys had given, even if her sister was far from realizing it). “Shall we let you sleep?” This was said to Zelda, who seemed utterly ready to fall into sleep despite her nursing litter. Lavitz stroked a hand along his pup’s back paw, focusing on the new puppies for only a moment before looking to her, and then the girl next to him. “Thank you, Juliette,” he offered, softly, genuinely. “You are welcome,” she told him gravely. She did not quite speak her mind, but she thought that through Zelda and Boris and these puppies, they were almost family now, of a sort (she could recognize the notion as fanciful and thus kept it to herself, but that did not mean she didn’t believe it). Instead she rose from the floor and said, “I should excuse myself, I think. Thank you for calling me.” A pause before she asked, “Is there anything she likes, particularly?” She would try to bring it by on her next visit... and perhaps a nice, soft blanket for the whole family. As if reading her mind, Lavitz laughed under his breath. “Anything that is soft. She took a liking to stuffed toys long ago,” he suggested, pushing himself to standing as well. “I’ll escort you back to the gate, since…” One last look was directed to his nursing pup. “I imagine she’d like some private time with them.” “I am certain you are right.” Though at this point Juliette probably knew more about canine newborns than hume, she imagined that a rest would do any new mother good. “I shall be glad for the company.” With quiet steps, they departed the guesthouse. |