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Philippe is a wolf. That, of course, means that he has a human body and the bushy ears and tail of a wolf. That is how wolves look, is it not? It is how they look in this forest. Of course, it is similar for all other animals as well.
There is however, one unusual and interesting fact about this wolf. That is… that his sister is a rabbit.
A rabbit, that means…a prey! Ah, but a prey and a predator getting along isn’t as strange as it might sound. If these are siblings that have always been together, then it’s only natural that they are like any other family.
Anyway, these siblings have been hit by tragedy. It wasn’t too long ago… that they lost their parents. The younger sister, the precious and sensitive bunny she is, she’s been stricken with a deep grief. And the older brother, as caring and protective as all older brothers should be, made a decision. The two of them left their home, the area of the forest they had always lived in, to restart somewhere else.
He was hoping this would help her move in. And, just as expected, he was right. Her smile, beautiful smile, has been brighter lately. Although she has her moments of sadness and loneliness, she is also excited to explore. Excited to smell the flowers that didn’t grow back home, to bathe in the lakes that are so similar to the ones they are familiar with, yet different still.
Philippe is happy, of course. Cristina is a curious lady and it is wonderful that she is having fun…
except…
lately, she insists on leaving on her own. Spending time out there on her own.
Right, right, it only makes sense for a lady to want her indepence…
BUT STILL!
How can Philippe be at ease, knowing she could fall prey to some predator or creep at any moment! That is simply not possible! She is too cute!
Ah, but if she refuses to let her go, she will be quite upset… she frowns at him and pouts and might even refuse to speak to him for the rest of the day. It saddens him, and so, he must allow her to do as she pleases.
But of course, he won’t stop protecting her! No, this wolf must follow behind, making sure she just won’t feel his gaze.
His tall height doesn't make blending in with the environment all that easy, but he is good at making his steps silent, at being patient and allowing some distance to be created… he can find her again by following the rabbit scent, anyway.
Cristina walks with joy, she pauses to sniff and try out fruits from different trees, taking little nibs to try the taste. She took a basket with her, perhaps to pick up the tastiest of berries and share them with her brother later… oh, how sweet she is.
There's an elegance in their movements even during the most mundane and adorable of actions. When juice drips down her chin she wipes it with her thumb right away, as a gorgeous young girl won't allow herself to be sloppy even when (believed to be) alone.
The bunny continues her exploring, the wolf continues his very justified stalking.
Truly, his sister is but a beautiful treasure, a golden creature that he's been insanely lucky to-
“Philippe.” The rabbit calls to him, staring at some bushes with frustration. Philippe of course is crouching, but seemingly that wasn't enough. “I told you, I don't need you watching over me all the time.” She sighs, as if scolding a puppy, holding a bunch of flowers she's been collecting.
“Forgive me.” Philippe replies.
“Predators don't come into this area often. I can't smell any scent that isn't clearly from a prey animal.” Her long long ears twitch, signaling she is about to say something she is not eager to say. “Philippe… if with a wolf around me all the time, how am I supposed to make friends with other rabbits?” Christina pouts. “No one will ever talk to me!”
Philippe is, actually, taken aback by this revelation, eyes widening as he hears it. He never thought of that. The bunny is precious to him, and he wants nothing more than to protect her and her purity, but he did not mean to isolate her from every other prey creature living in this new forest. Back home, where they grew up, Cristina was acquainted with others since she was a kitten… but here, they have to restart.
He is seen quite the amount of other rabbits frolicking and running around, it shouldn't be hard for a charming lady such as Christina to quickly make some friends. It shouldn't be…
“What do you think I'm picking these flowers for, Philippe?” She asks, pointing to all the pretty flowers in her basket. Guess Philippe’s assumption was incorrect.
“Eating.”
“I'm not that much of a glutton!” His dear younger sister shouts, looking offended, anger coming off as simply adorable on her delicate round face. Not to mention, her ears perked up very cutely. “I… I saw a rabbit herd living nearby. I was thinking… if I bring a gift…”
She stops and sighs before finishing her sentence, looking defeated.
“I'm being silly, right? Once they ask if I have a herd, and I tell them I live with my brother, the whole truth…” The rabbit's ears drop while she stares at the ground. Then she seems to realize how potentially hurtful her words are. “I-I don't mean that I'm not happy to have you, big brother! It's just…”
“I know.” Philippe gently smiles at her. It must be tough. While other wolves only find it strange to be family with a bunny, other bunnies are terrified by the idea of a wolf in the family. Philippe is happy to spend as much time as possible with her, help her with anything she needs… unfortunately, it seems he simply isn't enough.
“Worry not, Cristina. You are sweet and pleasant and absolutely lovable,” to say the least. His little sister would become embarrassed if he kept listing all her wonderful qualities. “They would be missing out if they avoided you. I'm sure you'll make friends.”
“I… I think you are exaggerating. But thank you for trying to help, Philippe.”
Exaggerating? Not at all. He steps closer, taking her hand which is much smaller than his own. “You should go. I promise, it will be alright.” But, he hopes it doesn't go too well. Thinking about it, she is way too cute, all the rabbits in the herd could fall for her.
Of course, that's a big no. Cristina can't date, because the two of them are meant to be together. They promised, back when they were but a puppy and a kitten. It might be silly to still hold onto that promise, but he takes seriously anything relating to his beloved sister.
Perhaps the concern (and jealousy) starts to show in his face, or perhaps the rabbit knows him too well, because her face suddenly turns red.
“It's not like that! Don't think weird things.”
“I wasn't…”
“You were!” She accuses, face redder by the second. “I don't want a date!”
“Of course you don't, you are too pu-”
“It's not that!” She stomps her foot, but surprisingly, continues to hold his hand, just with a little too much force. “It's because…”
She pauses. Philippe is quiet, too. He knows better than to push Cristina when she is already angry at him. The nearby river is about the only sound around for several seconds.
The rabbit plays with her brother's fingers, long and armed with big scary claws. Philippe can only watch her, and imagine how scary these are in the eyes of a prey. However, Philippe rarely hunts, and sees his predator strength as a method to protect his sister instead.
“If I wanted to go on a date, I'd have you take me on one.”
“I'll love to!” Philippe proclaims while his tail wags, as if they weren't talking in hypotheticals. “I'll take you anywhere you want, I'll make sure to prepare all your favorite snacks, and I-”
“Yes, yes, Philippe.” Cristina interrupts again. “I…” She sighs. “You get it, right? I already have you, so all I want is friends.”
Philippe's tail wags faster. “Shall I prepare for our date, Cristina? There are plenty of fresh vegetables at home, I'll make the most wonderful salad for you… ah, but I can't leave you all alone here…”
“You can. No one has attacked me so far, right?” The bunny is still blushing, but maybe because this is her chance to get Philippe to go away, she too pretends she actually agreed on this so-called date. “Just go already.”
“That's because I've been nearby the whole time!”
“Don't just admit to stalking me!” With a ‘hmph!’, she turns around, holding her basket and returning to picking the prettiest flowers. “Just go home already, Philippe. I'm not going on any dates if you don't leave me alone.”
So unfair, Cristina. And calling it stalking is too strong of a word!
He sighs. He doesn't want to believe he is being overprotective… it's not possible to be overprotective, in his opinion. The wolf stands in place, weighing his options… he knows it's more than what she is threatening, she won't to him for days…
“I'll return home soon. Promise.” The bunny adds, to calm his worries.
Philippe's fluffy ears perk up. “See you there, Cristina.”