username ;; s-smolbean
cottontail name ;;
" Niho "
↳ meaning " teeth "
in Maoricottontail sex ;; buck
cottontail gender ;;Bisexual
Final Word Count :
1,250 words
writing prompt ;;
For the writing prompt, I would like to choose my own central theme : Niho's origins, but I will also answer the prompts
Niho was met with a rough beginning.
Ever since he was but a kit, Niho's parents knew there was something different about him. For one, he had his eyes open within less than half of the time it took other kits to open theirs, and his had a glint in them; one that wasn't necessarily wicked, but one that put his parents at a great unease. His teeth were pointed, no sharper than a stone with a sharp edge, but nevertheless, much sharper than a rabbit's. He also had quite an amount of fur, one that no one would think newborn rabbits to have. And in the first week of his life, he grew, sizing up his litter mates so much so that when his size when compared with them, it was like having a potato next to a number of peas. His parents didn't want to name him and instead followed their instinct, leaving him behind and taking their other kits with them. They feared this monster of a coney and thought it best to leave his fate up to nature.
Fortunately, nature was kind to the young buck.
He was found by hunting dogs that mistook him as one of their own and decided not to bring him back as game to their master. Niho did not look like a rabbit, that was for sure, and the dogs did not think of him that way either. His new human owner was the one who gave him his name now, and he raised him alongside the pack of hunting dogs. Niho learned to be one with the pack as one of its members, although he wasn't allowed to go out " hunting " in the forest with the others, he would stay by his master's side and wait for the hunting dogs to bring back game. He felt like he was living his best life out here with the human and his dogs.
Though, of course, there is an end to everything.
The forest protection laws began, and because his master was a good, law-abiding man, he retired from hunting and settled down with his dogs and little Niho. But because he was quite an elderly man, and he didn't have hunting as a profession, he could no longer care for all of his companions, and had to send them away to find better homes. At first, Niho did not understand what was happening, to be brought into his master's truck without the rest of the pack, after not having gone out to hunt for a long time, and then driving away from the usual route that they took when they wandered off into the forest ? It confused him, but he didn't do anything. He couldn't. The vehicle eventually came to a stop. A hand was placed onto his head affectionately, and the man ruffled his fur, leaving it in a messier manner than it generally was. Usually, his master would regard Niho as if he were a dog himself. And because he'd spent much more time with the pack of hunting dogs, he took on some of their behaviours. He clicked his tongue and called Niho out of the car, and the little rabbit hopped out and ambled alongside his human.
Change, it seems, is the only permanent thing in this world.
Niho was caught sight of a vast meadow, similar to the forest he and his companions would visit, except there weren't nearly as many trees. His unusually glazed-over eyes gleamed at the sight of a few other rabbits bounding freely in the meadows. His ears swivelled from one side to the other, listening to their movements in the grass and watching them curiously, warily. It was the first time Niho had really seen others of his kind, and he hadn't even been aware that they were the same as he. One met his gaze and started to approach, and he glared and bared his fangs in a show of caution and a sign that clearly read ' back off ! ' Only to have the other rabbit, a small black and white doe rub her face and ears with her smaller paws. He dropped his show of aggression and noticed that his master had gone to greet another human. What happened next was all too fast for him. He was picked up by unfamiliar hands, giving him the instinct to snap and froth at the mouth, causing whoever held him to set him down quickly but gently onto the ground. His human companion apologized, and Niho scampered beside the man, looking up at whoever had handled him without warning. They apologized for it too and laughed, stating that they'd never seen such a dog-like little bunny before. Although Niho could not understand the exact words, he knew they were talking about him, as subtle glances from his human companion passed between him and the other human he'd been conversing with. He helped ease Niho into the other human's arms, giving him reassuring pats on the head as the other person stroked his fur gently, giving Niho a sense of calm. He trusted whoever his master trusted, but he was confused as to why the man he'd known for majority of his life up until now had begun to walk further and further away.
" We'll take great care of him, Sir ! He'll be at home here in no time ! "
Adapting is a challenge, but nonetheless can hold great reward.
The first week of Niho coming into the lives of the other coneys at Hollow Brook Hutch weren't the smoothest. He'd already encountered the dark bunny who referred to himself as ' Tim ' as well as two other bucks who wore little ribbons around their neck, which reminded him of his own little indigo collar. He knew there was much more to explore around the fields, and even a thicket somewhere further into the area. But at the moment, Niho had faith that his master would come back for him. Not having actually known or experienced losing his parents previously, he had faith that his human companion would return for him, and he might come with the rest of his pack to hunt out in the wilderness again. And yet, he never did come. Eventually, Niho started socializing with the other rabbits. If at first he would hiss and do his best to imitate the growling from his pack in the past, now he allowed the other residents of Hollow Brook Hutch to approach him and begin to get to know him. It started with the doe he'd first seen, who was brave enough to approach him with curiosity, and he'd let her. And from then, he'd gotten more will to familiarize himself with the area and his new " pack mates. " He came to terms with the fact that his human companion wouldn't be coming back, and that the past was past. Finally, Niho felt like he was somewhere he belonged. Somewhere he'd stay for a long time- perhaps the rest of his life. He's still the cautious and seemingly-aggressive type- foaming at the mouth and doing his best impression of a grumpy canine, as that had stuck with him through his younger seasons. But he's definitely gotten more comfortable living alongside the rest of the rabbits living in the sanctuary. He's thankful for the opportunities he had been given, and the experiences he went through to get him to where he is presently.
Niho knows that he is right where he belongs now.
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