A bouncy introduction

[hanihunny]

It's sometime on New Year's Eve and a small blond boy comes dashing through the doorway to the main room of the Mansion. He has a pink toy rabbit in his arms and he looks very excited - so excited that he doesn't at first notice that he's in a different room to the one that he expected

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[sweariwontdie]

In the main room sometime later, a very formally dressed Frenchman can be found with his son sitting by the hearth. The man's legs are crossed as he sits with his back to the flames, just feet from the edge. The little boy sits in front of him and is playing with a live brown rabbit. He's enticing her to hop or stand on her back legs with chunks of carrot.

Armand notices Hunny, but since he seems to be another child, he doesn't seem to call up his protective attitude. Etienne doesn't notice him until his papa says, "Do you want to come meet Marigold?"

[hanihunny]

Hunny has noticed the real live bunny and is peering at Marigold intently when he's addressed. "Is that your bunny's name?" He's hugging his own toy close to his chest.

[sweariwontdie]

"It is," Armand says.

Etienne watches Hunny carefully. He's kind of jealously protective of Marigold. "She's not like your bunny. Don't hurt her."

[hanihunny]

Hunny puts on a sad, hurt face. "You think I would hurt your bunny...? I love bunnies! They're so cuuuute!" He laughs a little and crouches down to pet Marigold gently.

[sweariwontdie]

Armand shakes his head. "He'd say that to anyone. I'm always having to remind him to be gentle."

Etienne watches Hunny's hand, and when Marigold twitches her ears and moves her head to sniff Hunny's fingers, he relaxes. "I'm Etienne," he tells the other boy.

"And I'm Armand," his father adds, chuckling at having to be reminded of manners by a small child.

[hanihunny]

"I'm Hunny! Pleased to meet you!" Hunny beams and keeps petting the rabbit. "He's so soft!"

He's rather forgotten his own manners in the face of 'ooh, cute bunny!'.

[sweariwontdie]

"Are you new, Hunny?" Armand asks, while trying to keep from grinning a silly "isn't that a weird name" grin. And Marigold is the most spoiled bunny ever, so she deserves to be soft.

[OOC: Anyone else you want to see?]

[hanihunny]

Hunny stops patting to look up at Armand. "I guess I'm new. I ran through a door at school and suddenly I wasn't at school any more."

[sweariwontdie]

"Have you been shown around?" he asks.

[hanihunny]

He nods. "It's a big place. Almost as big as home."

[sweariwontdie]

"That it is," Armand agrees, still mostly cheerful and amused. "And growing nearly every day. Too bad you had to arrive in winter. The grounds are lovely as well."

[hanihunny]

"Do you own it?"

[sweariwontdie]

"Oh no," Armand says, shaking his head and coloring just a little. "I don't think anyone does."

[hanihunny]

"But it must be owned by some grand family or something," he reasons.

[sweariwontdie]

"It isn't. It was here when the first of us arrived several years ago." He hates to sound so blasé about it, but it's true.

[hanihunny]

Hunny blinks. "Have you been here for that long?"