WANNABE

Sunday, April 4. 2010

Rudy and Fiona just concluded their annual “special services” job for a certain species that shall remain nameless, which will provide some of their college funding after their graduation. As high school seniors that takes on a certain urgency for them. I was lucky in that I got an academic scholarship from BeigeU., and while Fiona’s stellar grades might qualify her for something similar, Rudy...well, not so much.
This year was unusual in that they encountered a child that wanted to take over the position they currently hold, by various underhanded means. Fiona and her extraordinary hearing quickly located the boy’s mother, who retrieved him. At that point Rudy and Fiona were waylaid by an enormous bear, hungry after waking from hibernation. The boy, named Wendell, saved their skins with a well-thrown baseball bat.
So now Rudy and Fiona are in debt to this youngster whose main attributes seem to be pushiness, persistence and an utter lack of ethical behavior. I’m guessing we haven’t seen the last of him.
I heard all about this when Rudy came in at dawn. He slept for a couple hours and then got up to watch the little ones try to find Easter eggs hidden by the “Easter Bunny.”
Rudy grumbles about his mysterious job, but he undeniably takes professional pride in it.
What Easter customs do humans have? (Some of our customs have nothing to do with the religious aspects of the holiday.)

Posted by Lindesfarne at 12:11 | Comments (25) | Trackbacks (0)

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We do have Easter Egg hunts. But the Easter Bunny is only a symble. The eggs are hidden in a safe area for the kids to search for them. Some still use hard boiled eggs. Some use plastic eggs with candy inside.

In the USA the White house has an Easter egg hunt. I think they have their own special eggs made just for them.

Will Wendell be come a regular. Only time will tell. I still thing he is related to Kevin in some way.

#1 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-04 14:41 (Reply)

Probably not a regular but likely another member of the deep backlog of characters, err, "people the Dewclaws hang out with." He'll probably join the list of recurring characters with Rhonda, Aby's likely nameless feline workers, Edgar, Leona, Rachel, Bruno, Corrie and all the others as a second-tier character.

He's kind of seems like what Rudy was at the start of the strip, err, "about a year after Kevin and Kell tied the knot." I guess that makes him "a Rudy to Rudy." snicker Rudy usually doesn't make much effort costume wise (scent matters more in world for this strip) but still interesting Wendell saw through Fiona's get-up so fast after she switched to that more convincing white fur get-up this year.

#1.1 Elwood on 2010-04-04 21:01 (Reply)

He never completely saw through either costume, just that they were not rabbits. I think he would be shocked to be so close to two preds, and still alive. He would be even more shocked to learn the complicated reasons why.

But Kevin is a member of the rabbit council. This behavior should be reported to him/them. I am still calling 'murderous intent' and/or Attempted murder on someone that attacks and does not care if the attacked person lives or not.

Seeing what Wendall did to that bear, it looks like he could take Rudy if he got surprise. And that bear! It looked more like construction equipment for size!

There seems to be almost a gravity well around that family such that most everyone is related to them much tighter than the 6 degrees of separation.

#1.1.1 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 13:24 (Reply)

Lindesfarne,
What does Coney and Rudy smell like?
They are hybrids. Coney: wolf and rabbit, Rudy: wolf and fox.
And do all hybrids follow a pattern?

We have no way of knowing this.
And if Wendall smelled something not fox, not wolf, that could explain his reaction.

its not like you have not smelled them, and anyone your age should know what non-hybrids/pure strain types smell like.

Now Coney is likely to have her smell changed by her non-rabbit style diet. (A quote from the Spirited Away movie: have her eat our food for 3 days and she will smell like us).

'Otter

#1.2 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 22:20 (Reply)

I'm always fascinated to read how much your world mirrors ours, Lindy, do you mind if I ask a few questions of my own?

You've explained before why predator children don't eat Santa Claus even though he's a prey species, what stops predators (child or not) from catching and eating the Easter Bunny if they see him?

And I don't think you've ever mentioned what species Jesus is in your world, although you have mentioned that Easter has some religious traditions (as it does here). How does the religious story of Easter go on your side of the portal? (That is, if you want to wade into the minefield that is discussing religion)

#2 David Kendall on 2010-04-04 15:16 (Reply)

According to our Bible, Christ appeared as whatever species is viewing him.
Nothing stops predators from eating the Easter Bunny; that's why for many years Dad accompanied the EB as a bodyguard. Now, with actual predators playing the part, that's not so much a factor...as long as they be careful, Rudy!

#3 Lindesfarne Dewclaw on 2010-04-04 16:48 (Reply)

We have something similar; shortly after the ascension of Christ the Apostles were given the ability to speak natively in whatever tongue the listener held as as a native language. (Humans speak any number of languages and that's difficult enough; how on Earth you work out your species-dependent sounds into a common language I'll never know.)

Imagine being able to speak in the master polygot of any person, and without any manipulation!

#3.1 Chistery on 2010-04-05 12:35 (Reply)

What this reminds me of even more is Paul's passage where he said that to the weavers, I am a weaver, to the (whatever) I am a (whatever). As you can see I do not have it solidly, but you might.

'Otter

#3.1.1 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 22:50 (Reply)

Chocolate bunnies (milk chocolate, to be specific)! Some people even make a game of eating the ears first!

How is chocolate viewed on your side? Any species have a particular preference for it, or for particular types of chocolate?

#4 ReFlex76 (Link) on 2010-04-04 18:14 (Reply)

IIRC, the White House Easter Egg Roll actually uses wooden eggs that are saved as mementos. Lousy pun alert: Eggrolls are not traditional Easter fare. Aside from that, as stated, it's either colored hard-boiled eggs or plastic ones filled with candy. Bluntly, much of the 'symbolism' we currently attach to Easter has nothing at all to do with Christ, but are more-or-less co-opted pagan symbols of the resurgence of Nature, such as the rabbit and chicken.

As for Wendell, you said that his "main attributes seem to be pushiness, persistence and an utter lack of ethical behavior." Think for a second, Lindesfarne: do those characteristics remind you of anyone? Like Kevin's first wife Angelique? I doubt it's the case: Angelique fits perfectly with RL... unless this kid was borne quietly and put up for adoption immediately. You may want to test Wendell's DNA (if Rudy or Fiona got anything you could use as a sample)...

#5 CharlieG on 2010-04-04 21:00 (Reply)

Right idea, wrong individual. There's another rabbit who would fit that description beside Angelique, and I believe that Stephen is correct about Wendell being related to Kevin, but not directly a.k.a Wendell is not Kevin's son.

#5.1 nucleon on 2010-04-05 00:42 (Reply)

I did not imlpy that Wendell was Kevins son. I only stated that because he showed a fearless aditude that he could be related to Kevin. Namely the son of one of his brothers or sisters.

#5.1.1 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-05 12:56 (Reply)

No one has noted Kevin's siblings. A cousin would be probable, and if Dorothy's attitudes skipped a generation to land on Wendall, that could happen.

It could also be that what ever forces produced Dorothy and Kevin are also active here. And given enough people, there will be population at the 5th sigma of the bell curve. Yes, he is way out there, but he is not alone.

The real problem is when the attitude goes beyond fearlessness and starts being murderous intent.

The same forces may have been part of the rabbits revenge phenomenon. It would seen that the frady-cat bunny populaton is not the only bunny population.

(I have found a list of the K&K folks and keep a bookmark near that. I still have misspelled, quite confidently, Dorothy's name. )

#5.1.2 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 13:09 (Reply)

The first time I saw Wendell, I thought he looked like George (is that his name?). Kevin's father?

#5.2 l'empress (Link) on 2010-04-05 09:52 (Reply)

No George is Fiona's father. Kevin's father is named Bentley Kindle.

#5.2.1 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-05 12:01 (Reply)

There is a faint resemblance to Bently.
But maybe it is just every bad bunny.
Or limits on our view-port into your world.

#5.2.1.1 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 13:16 (Reply)

Thanks for pointing this out.

Maybe we will see Wendall next year?
Whatever motivated him to take the EB may still motivate him. Someone elsewhere suggested vainglory, I am no longer dismissing that. But desperation or vainglory, it is still around next year, and he will be a year tougher.

And his mother seems clueless as to both the species identity of the EB and assistant as well as to her son's murderous inclinations.

Maybe an invitation to sponsor him as an honorary wolf might do the trick? complete with a pre-filled species registry application? "For murderous intent and high courage".
happily,
'Otter

#5.3 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 12:39 (Reply)

He's not Angelique's son in any way. She's sterile...which is why she and Kevin (mostly Kevin) adopted Lindesfarne.

Judging that he's white I'd also say Fran and her family are out of the running also, they are yellow. Of course that's even assuming he is related to anyone anyway, there's a good chance he's not (although with Dewclaw Assimilation there's also a good chance he is or will be). His mother doesn't look familiar.

#5.4 Elwood on 2010-04-05 15:29 (Reply)

Nick pick:
"He slept for a couple hours and then got up to watch the little ones try to find Easter egg"

Little ones?

Like Coney? and her daycare friends?

Or like the skunks?

'Otter

#6 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 13:40 (Reply)

"I cherish it forever"
Rudy certainly knows Wendall's type.
'Otter

#7 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 14:19 (Reply)

Many things.
Kid needs pred. scratch and sniff identification card. I would love to see his face when he gets one. "This fox id is broken" "Really" "Yes, it smells like the EB assisstant", "No its right" (shocked realization face?)

I expect that he could have smelled fox at least. Fiona was running, likely for a while, likely had some of her own sweat going. And both could have reacted and left some trace when that bear got them. See comment to Lindesfarne upstream about Rudy's scent, he might not smell like a wolf, though no one has commented on that. (But no one has commented on what Bruno now smells like, IIRC.)

On to other topics:
If Dorothy's tactics and attitude is survival positive for rabbits, there will be others either adopting these attitudes or coming up with the same solution independently. That could explain W.

And Wendall might not be a continuing character. Once I learn what motivates him to do what he did, he could be a sacrifice piece. He is not really a sympathetic character. He could be a one shot if someone could neutralize his motives.

And speaking of that, if you can destroy, you can co-opt. Frex, use Wendall as next years EB security. It will keep his bat off your head. Or give him what he wants: Jr EB position.

For Wendall:
There something strange... in the neighborhood
it smells like fox... which isn't good
But it didn't eat... my bunny but
So I can't tell... what is what.

Who am I gonna call?
(spoken: Not my clueless parent(s) )

'Otter

#8 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-05 22:38 (Reply)

OK Rudy & Fiona will be going to College soon. When they do unless they come home for Easter they will need a replacement EB. Wendell could be the new Easter Bunny. But only if he gets his act together.

#8.1 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-06 22:52 (Reply)

We only know one of Kevins silings. In the future how about a family reunion so we can get to know them.

#8.1.1 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-07 06:19 (Reply)

I had been thinking that they had to keep earning that scholarship thru their college years.

But maybe not

'Otter

#8.1.2 Old Prof. Otter on 2010-04-07 19:40 (Reply)

It depends where they go to college. If its close by they could make the return trip every year. If its far away it may not be possible. Of course they could always take over the job of hidding the Easter eggs in the area they are attending college in.

#9 STEVEN BRAMS on 2010-04-08 12:00 (Reply)

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