[Kodai]

The demi-goddess offered a small smile when Zeo wondered why she hadn't received a prayer for so long and thanked her for looking into what he thought was such a minor issue. She wasn't one of the main deities and had been missing from the realm of the living for years, so it wasn't particularly strange that people wouldn't offer nearly as many prayers to her as they would to the others. Having shown herself during the War of the Tear would surely help the matter in due time, but for now, she was perfectly willing to listen to a child's wish -- not that she wouldn't be otherwise! And frankly, Sa'ouna didn't think she was doing too much; she was simply lending an ear to both Lelouch and Zeo and offering her advice.

Thinking carefully over what the king had said, Sa'ouna came across something she found as somewhat odd: He'd said that Lelouch did his homework all alone. Perhaps it wasn't so strange to think that a parent would make his or her child do their homework by themselves -- Sa'ouna herself believed in guidance and not supplying answers outright -- but did Zeo mean that Lelouch was truly all alone during that time? Aside from being unable to see his father for most of the day, was Lelouch so intent on playing because there wasn't any other person to play with?

"King Zeo… May I ask about what sort of nurse or nanny Lelouch has, if he does have one? It is admirable that you have your son do his homework himself, but it is always beneficial to have someone to check your work -- as is having a partner to encourage you to keep to a schedule. If there was someone available to help him keep his room tidy -- not clean it for him, but help him with the process so that it does not take quite as long and does not feel like a chore -- perhaps it would not be such a hassle." Tilting her head thoughtfully, Sa'ouna softly added, "Could it be that he loves the company of his bunnies so much because he feels lonely at home?"

As for the question of human forms, the demi-goddess had a more definite answer… if only slightly. "Human forms? Well, that depends. Certainly, I have heard of humans and other beings from other worlds appearing in Evelon and suddenly finding themselves trapped in the forms of Evelonian creatures. But I have also heard of such beings arriving here and being fully capable of using their own natural forms, and sometimes even able to switch between their form and an Evelonian one at will. I suggest you make use of the libraries in Aldrect and Lamenolai; they ought to have books that explain how an individual without a human form can gain one." She gave him another smile, though there was a sense of sorrow behind it. A human form… Sa'ouna had lost hers, as well, though she doubted she could ever regain it.

[Shieba]

Zeo paused when Sa'ouna asked him if Lelouch felt lonely. He actually didn't really know the answer to that. "I do check his homework, of course, and help him in the evening if he made mistakes or hasn't understood anything, but during the afternoons, he is indeed alone. I had a babysitter when he was really small, but since he goes to school and has supervision there for quite some time, I stopped with that. Especially since Lelouch has the tendency to...try to get every woman he gets attached to to marry me. He really wants a mother." Zeo sighed. "Maybe...you are really right there. The mothers from his friends at school are all at home and help their children and Lelouch notices that there. He probably has no idea that a queen would have to work just as much as me. Not that ever want to marry some woman again..." He couldn't help but looking over to Dio and Lelouch for a second. Even if some miracle happened and Dio would love him back one day, Lelouch would still be alone in the afternoons like that. And he did always come to Evelon now as soon as he could, even if it meant becoming a Fellox. "I will need to ask Lelouch about that. The thought of someone being there for him is actually really nice. Though I suppose I won't escape the bunnies then for much longer..." He laughed lightly.

Zeo perked up at the mentioning of libraries that had such books. "There are spells like that actually written down here? I'll have to tell that Dio, I really understand nothing about magic. Though we still need to learn the letters of this world first, but Dio is already onto that, I think. We never left Whisper Forest much so far. This world is very foreign to us, after all." He also probably couldn't go on such a journey to the cities because he was needed in Pandovia, but Dio could teleport...and then he would worry about Dio. But it would be so nice if they would be able to be humans here. "Thank you so much for telling me, though maybe this knowledge is better meant for Dio. He's much smarter when it comes to these things than I will ever be."

Lelouch was really getting restless now since he saw his father glancing over every now and then. "They are talking about me! And bunnies! I wanna go there now! Can we go now, Dio?"

"Little Heart, we will go over when they have finished their talk", Dio gently reprimanded Lelouch. "Your new friend is a divine being and we should not disturb her while she talks to your father. It will probably be in your favour."

Lelouch looked at Dio with big eyes. "Do you think I'll get bunnies? I love bunnies! I know you love bunnies, too, Dio! Don't you want me to have bunnies at home, too? We can cuddle them together! I'll cuddle them after school and you can visit me and Daddy in the evening and pet them as well!"

"While that does sound very nice, Little Heart, it is up to your father to decide, not me. I am wondering that you are not satisfied with all the bunnies you have here, though." Dio looked at Lelouch. "And you have a few only you care for."

"But they're not at home, Dio! I wanna cuddle them better and all the time and as a human boy!" Lelouch insisted.

Dio sighed. "Ah, yes. I do apologize that I am still too powerless to figure out how to change our appearances." He paused. "Maybe the demigoddess has the knowledge about that and Mylord even asks..."

"Now you want to sneak over as well?" Lelouch looked at Dio with hopeful eyes. He didn't get all the big words Dio used, but if Dio wanted to talk to Sa'ouna, that was good.

"We...will wait. But let us hope they will call us over soon", Dio decided.

[Kodai]

Listening as Zeo worked through the idea, Sa'ouna gave a nod, believing that they'd uncovered something important. So perhaps that really was the problem, then! At least it was a problem that could easily be fixed. "It certainly would not hurt for him to have a nanny, I think, especially if he wishes to have a mother. Hiring someone to be there with him in the afternoons may very well be the answer to your troubles -- unless he recruits them in his mission to get you to let him have a pet bunny!" She chuckled. "But truly, I do believe you should ask him. It would not hurt matters, after all, and could very well make them better."

Pleased that she had been able to answer Zeo's human form question to his satisfaction, the demi-goddess smiled down at him. "Yes, there are such spells in written form. I am not entirely certain how common such books may be, as the ability to use a human form is usually an innate one for those creatures that possess it, but I do know that they exist. You should be able to find one, if you search for one." Glancing over at Lelouch and Dio, she added, "Or if your First Mage searches for one, I suppose? Shall we invite him over here so that I may tell him this information? You could speak with Lelouch in the meantime and ask him about the idea of hiring a nanny for him." Giving another glance to the other pair, Sa'ouna gave a little grin. "Besides, I am not certain how much longer his patience can hold out. I do believe he needs an update on the progress of his bunny wish."

[Shieba]

Zeo grimaced, but also smiled behind his mask. "Yeah, he's already trying to recruit everyone into an army to tell me to allow him to have a bunny. He just has too much energy to not not, I suppose. But I think you are right - I should ask him what he thinks about getting a nursemaid and I would be grateful if you would speak to Dio about those books." He looked over again to his son and chuckled. "You're right. Children hardly have any patience, so I suppose we should free Dio from the burden to hold him back and Lelouch from the uncertainty, even though I wonder how he will react." Zeo turned towards Dio and Lelouch. "Champ, Dio, we're done here for the moment, feel free to come over!"

"Yaaaaay!" Lelouch immediately started running until he stopped in front of his father, looking back and forth between Zeo and Sa'ouna. "Bunny? Bunny? Bunny, bunny, bunny?"

Zeo had to suppress a laugh at the sight of his overly eager son while Dio walked over at a far more graceful pace. "Champ, listen to me. Sa'ouna here told me that she knows how we can maybe learn to become humans here in Evelon as well. Will it be enough if you can care for all your bunnies here as a human?"

"Noooo! Never! I want a real bunny at home that I can cuddle when I come home from school!" Lelouch insisted. "I love all my bunnies here, but I always have to ask to go to Evelon first and it's a bit away and I have to be at home first for my homework anyway, so I want a bunny there!"

Zeo paused. Obviously, Sa'ouna had been right. "You want a bunny at home because you're alone in the afternoons?" he asked.

Lelouch got a bit more quiet at that and looked at bit unhappy. "It's always so silent at home", he finally admitted. "All my friends have their Mommies or silblings waiting for them after school, but no one waits for me and you always have to work and you never marry the girls I think would make good Mommies. So I would love a bunny who waits for me! One who likes to cuddle so I can pet it and talk to it about the things that happened at school and who runs around being adorable while I do my homework!"

"Little Heart, why did you never tell your father about that?" Dio, having arrived by now, looked at Lelouch quite upset. "You never should be sad like that!"

"But I'm all grown up already, Dio!" Lelouch protested. "I can stay alone!"

"Even if you can, that doesn't mean that you have to", Zeo gently corrected. "Maybe instead of a bunny, we should try to get you a nice nursemaid who actually understands the things you might want to talk about after school instead? That's different from a babysitter - it's a nice woman who can help you with your homework or even cook food for you in the afternoons. And if she helps you and I don't have to correct your homework in the evenings, we have more time for cuddles - and maybe she can also have an eye on your room so that it might just stay tidy enough one day that a bunny can live there. So no bunny yet, but maybe someone who stays with you so that you're not lonely, okay?" Zeo nudged his son, who seemed pretty torn between agreeing and still wanting a bunny. "But I won't marry her", he then quickly added.

"Oh." Lelouch, having obviously had that idea in mind already, thought about that. "I would like someone being there", he then said. "But she has to be nice and give me huggies and like bunnies and ice-cream. And she has to be able to cook better than you!"

Dio chuckled. "That should not be too difficult", he said. "A wonderful idea, I must say. I am sure, Little Heart, that we will find someone for you that you will like."

"But I still want a bunny", Lelouch insisted. "Can't I have both?"

Zeo shook his head. "Not yet, Champ. I am aware that you care well for the bunnies here, but since Haephnes helps you a lot, I don't think you're really ready for your very own bunnies yet. I'm sure that you'll get even better at it when you're a human here, though, and if I see that you are doing better with both your room at home and things like cleaning the pens here as well, we can talk about it in a few months or so."

"Okaaaay..." Lelouch still wasn't not totally happy, but seemed at least somewhat content with the solution found. He looked at Sa'ouna. "You really know how I can be a human boy here? I'd really like to touch bunnies better in Evelon! You know a lot! Do you also know how I can get a Mommy? Or why bunnies like grass but I get a stomach-ache when I eat it?"

"Enough, Champ", Zeo laughed. "Dio, I think the magic things are more something for you."

"Indeed, Mylord." Dio looked at Sa'ouna. "Your Ladyship, I would be really grateful if you have any information about gaining human forms. I am one of the most powerful mages of our kingdom, yet I have not found any spell that helps us to switch back to what we really are in this world. Yet the one who build the gate between this world and ours told me that others from our home had already managed to gain this power - I do not know who they are, though, and therefore have to admit that I feel very lost. Because of my duties and my work, I sadly do not have enough time to hunt down the rarest of books, especially since I can only barely read many of the letters and symbols of this world. Do you happen to know of a spell that lets us change forms or at least about a place where I can gain such knowledge? Whisper Forest is sadly so very secluded that information about these things hardly ever reaches us."

[Kodai]

Zeo agreed that they were done talking privately for now and called over the (im)patiently waiting duo. Lelouch naturally ran right over and began bombarding his father with the question of "Bunny?" until Zeo explained all that he and Sa'ouna had discussed. Apparently, Lelouch's real problem was indeed that he was lonely with no one at home in the afternoons, and with a bit of deal-making, the young prince agreed to wait on getting a bunny until they could see how well his bunny-caring skills (that is, his keeping-rooms-clean skills) improved with the help of a nursemaid. The demi-goddess, greatly pleased with how the situation had turned out and glad that Lelouch was mature enough to not simply throw a tantrum at her and scream "Make him give me bunnies NOW!", smiled down at all three Felloxes as they spoke and reached their conclusions.

Once that was finished, the conversation turned back to human forms. Sa'ouna had to chuckle again at Lelouch's insistent questioning, leaning down a little over her coils to look at him. "I do not know exactly how to grant you a human form, but I know that there are books out there that can help you -- and people, if it had to come to that. I could answer your other questions, too, but I believe that First Mage Dio needs to speak to me?" And indeed, Zeo handed the conversation over to Dio, the demi-goddess listening as he spoke. "Whisper Forest is truly a secluded place; you will not find much information there, except perhaps on natural magics. If you wish to discover how to regain the use of human form, you will have to travel to either the city of Aldrect -- which is not far from Whisper Forest, comparatively speaking -- or the city of Lamenolai, on the southern continent of Barakka. You should be able to find books on the subject of transformation; I do not think they would be too rare, but it may require a bit of searching before you find a book with the proper technique for you." She frowned slightly. "I am afraid that you will need to learn more about the local language before you can make use of any books, but I am certain that you will be able to pass this hurdle just fine." Smiling again, Sa'ouna looked over the three of them. "Is there anything else I may do for you?"

[Shieba]

Dio inclined his head. "Thank you very much. I was very unsure if it was a natural ability to shift forms or not since the one who opened the portal to our home is a Fellox without a human form - and yet does not come from Evelon, but from our world. I shall do my best then to try to find a spell that hopefully works on us." He looked at Lelouch. "Just a bit longer then, Little Heart. I shall visit the library and ask around. As soon as I have a book, I can start translating it. It will probably take some time, but I shall work diligently."

"Okay, Dio. And then we cuddle bunnies together!" Lelouch beamed first at Dio and then at Sa'ouna. "Do you want to come with us to the Chateau of the Mist? We can cuddle all the bunnies together! And you can cuddle with me some more! And meet Auntie Haephnes!" He thought about if there was something else Sa'ouna could do for him. "Do you know about any spells someone as small and cute as me can learn that make ice-cream? I love ice-cream, but Daddy never buys me enough!"

Zeo sighed. "Champ, you are really horrible. You're not getting more ice-cream - you can't even eat it in Fellox-form!" He looked at Sa'ouna. "We're very grateful for your help. There are quite possibly a million things I want to ask - it's not very often someone gets to talk with a divine creature - but then again, a lot of things that busy me are tied to my world and not this one."

"That is very true. We are allowed to go here because a divine being from our world decided to. It hardly seems fair to bother another one from this world as well", Dio agreed.

Lelouch, however, was still thinking up questions. "Why can I scratch my ear with my back paw in Fellox-form, but not with my leg in human form?" he mused.

Zeo sighed. "Champ, sometimes I really don't know what to do with you."

(Feel free to wrap this up if you want to. ^^ I can make an exit post after Sa'ouna leaves. Of course, we also could still continue if you want. It's funnnnn~)

[Kodai]

Sa'ouna laughed again as Lelouch tried asking a stream of questions, but before she could answer any of them, a different voice spoke up.

"I suppose you're unable to scratch your ear with your leg as a human because you haven't trained yourself to have that sort of flexibility," the male voice replied in a cheery tone. "I can't answer as to whether the Lady Sa'ouna has knowledge of ice-cream spells or if she would like to accompany you home, however. That's a bit of a personal matter."

And there, stepping forward towards the group between the trees, was a being that looked as if he came from the young prince's dreams (if the prince had ever had dreams about bunny butlers).

Positively overdressed for a walk in the woods, the being wore a black tuxedo and white gloves and jabot, though it was hardly his clothes that were the most unusual thing about him. That honor belonged to his head, which, although it was a completely normal white rabbit head, looked completely out of place on his human-shaped body. However, the being seemed to take no notice of whatever dumbfounded stares or confused looks his appearance was surely getting him, instead sweeping off his top hat and bowing low to the figures before him. "Do forgive me for having overheard your conversation, but as soon as I recognized the nature of your problem, I thought I might come and offer my assistance." Straightening up again, the rabbit man turned to Sa'ouna and gave a genuine grin, once again removing his hat. "Milady. A pleasure to finally have a chance to see you in person; I have read some about you and heard a little more."

"And who might you be?" she asked, curious. The goddess sensed no malice or ill-will from this figure, but all the same, there was an odd sort of aura about him.

"Well, who I am is a bit of a secret," he began, entirely serious, "but I take it you are looking for a name. That, I cannot give you, either – and I mean no disrespect by that, Milady – but I can give you what I am called: Baron. I am also known as the White Rabbit," he added shortly after, "but that tends to be more of an epithet and a mouthful."

"Why have you come here, then, Baron? You truly believe that you are capable of helping these people?" It did seem a little too convenient, but again, he didn't appear to mean any harm and she was generally good at picking up on malevolent intent.

"I do!" Smiling again, he gave a little wink. "I happen to know a little something about magic, and should that prove insufficient, I know of a bookstore where the owner ought to have something on shape-changing spells. I say 'ought', as I've never actually browsed his wares, but from what I understand he has quite the collection and I would be shocked if he was actually lacking." Turning back to the foreigners, Baron continued smiling and added, "I suppose I should wait on all that and see if my help is accepted in the first place, though, hm?"

((Ahaha Baron. He's awesome c: ))

[Shieba]

For a second, all three Felloxes, naturally, stared. Unsurprisingly, it was Lelouch who, though still with wide eyes, was the first one who reacted in any way. "Buuuuunny! Talking bunny! Taaaaalking bunny!" Immediately running up to the newcomer, he beamed up at the bunny. "You are so tall! And walking on two legs! Now I can't really see your nose moving up and down and up and down! Please come down here so that I can pet you!"

"Little Heart! Come back here!" Dio immediately stepped in front of his king to protect him from potential harm, but Lelouch had been too fast for the Dracon. "You know you are not supposed to trust strangers, Little Heart! Especially not those who listen in to other people's conversations!" The Dracon considered to simply teleport to get Lelouch away, but since Baron said he knew a bit about magic, he was wary of casting spells and let the situation potentially escalate. The fact that Sa'ouna seemed so relaxed and undisturbed calmed Dio a little, though who knew if gods maybe simply just didn't know about the maliciousness of some mortals? Dio, being so close to the royal family, had had his experiences with quite a few assassins and kidnappers and was naturally distrusting.

Zeo, on the other hand, was still quite frozen in shock. It had already been hard to believe that he had been talking to a goddess and now there was a walking, talking bunny knowing something about magic? He had obviously spent too much time around his son and now he had fallen asleep somewhere and dreamt all of this because this was just absurd.

Lelouch, of course, didn't even listen to Dio. "Baron! That's a cute name! Do you want to live with all my other bunnies at the Chateau? Or do you want to live with me at home in Pandovia?" Beaming, as he thought of something, he turned to his father. "Daddy, can I keep Baron? He can walk and talk! If I have a bunny who can help me to clean my room, it's okay, right?"

"Uuuh...Champ, there are a lot of people in this world who can change forms. He's probably...not a real rabbit." Zeo was slowly snapping out of his stupor. "Dio is right, please step away a bit. Not only because he is a stranger we don't know, but also because even if he's really just nice, you are probably bothering and insulting him."

"Noooo! He's an awesome bunny! Do we have carrots in our picnic basket?" Lelouch looked at Baron again. "Do you want a carrot? Or maybe nibble on the grass here? Please stay! The adults are just meanies!"

To Dio's relief, Lelouch quickly walked to the picnic basket to see if there was indeed something a rabbit might like in there. Relaxing a bit more, the Dracon made sure to step forward more to shield his prince as well if necessary. "Sir, I mean no disrespect. However, I can sense that your aura is unusual and I do not know you. And random strangers knowing exactly what we want to know rarely appear out of nowhere. Please understand that as someone who has been with the royal family of Pandovia for many years, I must protect my king and prince."

"But Dio, he's a bunny! All bunnies are cute and nice!" Lelouch had indeed found some salad with carrots belonging to Dio in the basket. "Baron! I found a salad with carrots!" Lelouch really wanted the bunny to stay and also to sit down so that he could pet him. Also, he hadn't forgotten what Baron had said, even though many of the big words had confused the little boy a bit. "Baron, you said someone knows about spells which make you change? Can I turn into a bunny with them? I want to be a bunny! Then I'd be even cuter and smaller and get more huggies! Do you want to hug me? Also, what kind of magic do you know? I want to know what magic bunnies can do! Maybe magic to make you even fluffier?"

"Champ, you are really rude." Zeo sighed. "Sir, I am sorry for my son and I am also sorry that Dio is behaving as he does, but he is right. As a king, I must be careful. If you can truly help us, we would be grateful, but please understand that this does seem a bit suspicious...if I'm not dreaming all of this anyway because I've been subjected to too much bunny-talk from my son."

"There is never enough bunny-talk!" Lelouch insisted. "Sa'ouna! Let's pet and cuddle Baron together! He's such a big bunny that even you could curl up with him! Cuddle, cuddle!" The little Fellox beamed at the demi-goddess and Baron. "Cuddles for everyone!"

(This reply sucks so much. I'm sorry! D8)