tlcwrites
Mama Doe
Oh, Arce...
I thought I was ready to write his and knew exactly what I was going to say. But now, I'm sitting here and the words don't want to flow. It's ridiculous. But I need to write this, I need to honour you and everything you were to me, and more importantly, to Tony. I'll try my best, but I don't think I can ever really truly do you justice. I'm not the one who knew you best, but I'm the one who "writes", and therefore supposedly have the skill and the vocabulary to do you justice. I'm sorry sweetheart, it won't be my best, but believe me when I say that my heart is going into this.
Arce became a Wayward Bun just over a year and a half ago. It was November, and we were in P@H for one of the very last times. She was there, with her "sister", Iris. 2 largish dwarf lops in one of their pathetically small adoption pens. Between the two of them, they barely had room to move. Although, Iris, of course, still managed to hump Arce at any given opportunity. She also made sure to make a good display of it no matter who or what was moving. They had only just arrived that day, for the same old tired excuse of "moving house". They were (allegedly) 4 and a half, and just cast aside like clutter in a house. I mean, so what your moving house? You make sure you take care of your pets, that's part of the deal of welcoming them into your life. But unfortunately, most people don't think like that apparently, and it means that we were lucky enough to have the joy of welcoming them into our family.
I couldn't take them home that day. But, I was allowed a cuddle with both Iris and Arce. Both girls snuggled their heads under my chin, like they knew I would love them. However, it was almost not meant to be. We arrived 2 days later, prompt, with our carrier lined with hay. Still too early to take them, because they were quarantined until 5pm. A mum and her young boys came in, one especially excited. He wanted "Twix and Wispa" as they were known back then. The boy was heartbroken to discover that somebody else had beaten them to them. I nearly cracked; I had lots of rabbits already at home, but in the end I didn't. The boy was sent off with a baby lionhead/lop cross with harlequin markings. Even though there was a gorgeous showy dutch there, and a beautiful blue otter female rex baby too. Still, although he had his new rabbit, I felt guilty for intervening.
Iris wasn't an easy bunny, though. We had to fight P@H tooth and nail to try and treat a chest infection she had whilst in quarantine. They didn't pick it up, and it cost her her life. After that, we swore never again would we step foot in P@H. We've shaken it off. We're done. Whilst Iris hogged our attention, Arce humoured everything in her sweet placid way. Her relationship with Iris wasn't the easiest in the world. Neutering hadn't exactly calmed Iris's dominance, and she was often relentless in her humping of Arce. She honked like a goose when doing so. The phrase, "Iris, stop humping your sister!" became commonplace. But Arce still loved her wholeheartedly and it always showed.
After Iris's death, Arce lived alone for 3 or so weeks as we waited for our chosen Honeybunny to be ready (Niji.) However, by the end of that, she was beginning to get a little low. Niji was meant to be ready and we headed up to Honeybunnies - but on our way, Niji had fallen unwell again. So, instead, we picked up a little (mostly) white rabbit, who we dubbed Yuki Winter. For Yuki, Arce was absolutely love at first sight. They were in the bonding crate and he just kept grooming and grooming her. No humping for dominance, just love.
Over this time, Arce's character began to show more. She enjoyed playing games, tossing sticks and plastic cups. It was over this that she particularly began to bond with Daddy. He was the only one worthy of giving her noserubs. She would actively push up her nose to push my hand out of the way. She would settle happily in his arms, but squirm in mine. He was the one who spoiled her, who gave her treats and played games with her. I was just the food dispenser.
When Niji was ready, 2 became 3. He was a little bit of an outsider, and Yuki would occasionally chase him for fun. (He still does.) But Arce loved being in charge of her two boys. From being the soft submissive one, she became the authority of the group and blossomed with confidence with it.
For a while Daddy had to move out, and Arce was furious with him. And I mean furious. When he was around, she'd only let him have short cuddles before kicking her heels and running off. Tony was scared that she would never forgive him for that transgression which absolutely wasn't his fault. But how do you explain family drama to a rabbit? It was also around that time when Morningstar and Elphie became part of the group. Whilst Yuki doted on Arce, Elphie was like the missing piece that had been gone since Iris left for the Bridge. Elphie and Arce bonded very closely and were often found together, taking comfort in one another. Elphie even started dead bunny flopping again! Part of me believes that Elphie saw something of Galinda in Arce, and Arce saw something of Iris in Elphie. As a consequence, they became sort of co-matriach of their little rabble of 5.
I thought I was ready to write his and knew exactly what I was going to say. But now, I'm sitting here and the words don't want to flow. It's ridiculous. But I need to write this, I need to honour you and everything you were to me, and more importantly, to Tony. I'll try my best, but I don't think I can ever really truly do you justice. I'm not the one who knew you best, but I'm the one who "writes", and therefore supposedly have the skill and the vocabulary to do you justice. I'm sorry sweetheart, it won't be my best, but believe me when I say that my heart is going into this.
Arce became a Wayward Bun just over a year and a half ago. It was November, and we were in P@H for one of the very last times. She was there, with her "sister", Iris. 2 largish dwarf lops in one of their pathetically small adoption pens. Between the two of them, they barely had room to move. Although, Iris, of course, still managed to hump Arce at any given opportunity. She also made sure to make a good display of it no matter who or what was moving. They had only just arrived that day, for the same old tired excuse of "moving house". They were (allegedly) 4 and a half, and just cast aside like clutter in a house. I mean, so what your moving house? You make sure you take care of your pets, that's part of the deal of welcoming them into your life. But unfortunately, most people don't think like that apparently, and it means that we were lucky enough to have the joy of welcoming them into our family.
I couldn't take them home that day. But, I was allowed a cuddle with both Iris and Arce. Both girls snuggled their heads under my chin, like they knew I would love them. However, it was almost not meant to be. We arrived 2 days later, prompt, with our carrier lined with hay. Still too early to take them, because they were quarantined until 5pm. A mum and her young boys came in, one especially excited. He wanted "Twix and Wispa" as they were known back then. The boy was heartbroken to discover that somebody else had beaten them to them. I nearly cracked; I had lots of rabbits already at home, but in the end I didn't. The boy was sent off with a baby lionhead/lop cross with harlequin markings. Even though there was a gorgeous showy dutch there, and a beautiful blue otter female rex baby too. Still, although he had his new rabbit, I felt guilty for intervening.
Iris wasn't an easy bunny, though. We had to fight P@H tooth and nail to try and treat a chest infection she had whilst in quarantine. They didn't pick it up, and it cost her her life. After that, we swore never again would we step foot in P@H. We've shaken it off. We're done. Whilst Iris hogged our attention, Arce humoured everything in her sweet placid way. Her relationship with Iris wasn't the easiest in the world. Neutering hadn't exactly calmed Iris's dominance, and she was often relentless in her humping of Arce. She honked like a goose when doing so. The phrase, "Iris, stop humping your sister!" became commonplace. But Arce still loved her wholeheartedly and it always showed.
After Iris's death, Arce lived alone for 3 or so weeks as we waited for our chosen Honeybunny to be ready (Niji.) However, by the end of that, she was beginning to get a little low. Niji was meant to be ready and we headed up to Honeybunnies - but on our way, Niji had fallen unwell again. So, instead, we picked up a little (mostly) white rabbit, who we dubbed Yuki Winter. For Yuki, Arce was absolutely love at first sight. They were in the bonding crate and he just kept grooming and grooming her. No humping for dominance, just love.
Over this time, Arce's character began to show more. She enjoyed playing games, tossing sticks and plastic cups. It was over this that she particularly began to bond with Daddy. He was the only one worthy of giving her noserubs. She would actively push up her nose to push my hand out of the way. She would settle happily in his arms, but squirm in mine. He was the one who spoiled her, who gave her treats and played games with her. I was just the food dispenser.
When Niji was ready, 2 became 3. He was a little bit of an outsider, and Yuki would occasionally chase him for fun. (He still does.) But Arce loved being in charge of her two boys. From being the soft submissive one, she became the authority of the group and blossomed with confidence with it.
For a while Daddy had to move out, and Arce was furious with him. And I mean furious. When he was around, she'd only let him have short cuddles before kicking her heels and running off. Tony was scared that she would never forgive him for that transgression which absolutely wasn't his fault. But how do you explain family drama to a rabbit? It was also around that time when Morningstar and Elphie became part of the group. Whilst Yuki doted on Arce, Elphie was like the missing piece that had been gone since Iris left for the Bridge. Elphie and Arce bonded very closely and were often found together, taking comfort in one another. Elphie even started dead bunny flopping again! Part of me believes that Elphie saw something of Galinda in Arce, and Arce saw something of Iris in Elphie. As a consequence, they became sort of co-matriach of their little rabble of 5.
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