Story:A Beast Relents
A Beast Relents
Written by IllaRouge
Sven Tetreault, a bespectacled and squat brown bunny, landed in Biloxi the morning of June 2. It wasn't meant to be a surprise visit, but his wife's allergy to technology meant that it was unlikely that she had her personal phone on her at any given point. He wheeled his luggage behind him as he moved through the airport. He was not as spry as his spouse, but he made do.
Since he was here, he thought he might try connecting with someone that might actually answer their phone.
"What?" Hildegard answered in her usual tactful manner.
"[Hello, my beautiful daughter,]" Sven responded in German, his voice sweet with fatherly love.
"[Dad? This is a surprise. Is everything okay?]"
"[Just because I'm in my eighties doesn't mean I'm only going to call you when I'm dying, daughter.]"
"[But I assume you're calling for a reason.]"
"[Oh yes. I just landed in Louisiana!]"
"[Louisi--]" Hildegard audibly pieced together why, evidenced in her groans. "[Well, that's nice, I suppose.]"
"[Do not take it personally. You know how busy the bakeries keep me.]"
"[You should quit, dad.]"
Sven laughed. "[Only when I'm dead, sweetie.]" He entered a queue for taxis and ride shares. "[Have you spoken to your mother recently?]"
"[Cannot say I have.]"
"[Ah, so it will be a good scavenger hunt then,]" his tone always jovial. "[Come and visit your father, won't you? I'm going to try and find your mother.]"
"[We'll see. Good luck.]"
They said their goodbyes, and Sven hung up. Once it was his turn, he entered the next taxi. The driver asked him where he was going.
"Where are the basketball championships being held?"
The rabbit arrived at the stadium, but he was soon met with the realities of attempting to approach Biloxi's headquarters during the conference finals. The taxi brought him as close as they could before the traffic became unbearable. Thankfully, this was near the hotel he had booked, which was a happy accident for him. He figured he wouldn't be able to just walk up to the gate, but this complicated matters.
Sven spent the initial moments checking into his room. The front desk offered to take his bags up, so he made for the nearby hotel bar. He doubted his wife would be answering her phone now more than ever. But her assistant might. He opened up his phone and dialed up the tiny husky-corgi.
"Allo?"
"<Mademoiselle Modeste, hello.>" His French was, as expected, flawless.
"<Monsieur Tetreault, what a pleasure it is to speak with you. To what do I owe this honor?>"
Tagwizult's formality made him chuckle. "<No need to be so formal. I was wondering if my wife might be nearby.>"
"<She is, but she may not want to talk at the moment.>"
""
"<Of course, Monsieur.>"
"<Is there a possibility that I might be able to get into the stadium to see my wife this evening?>"
The corgi paused for a moment. "<You are in Biloxi?>"
"Oui."
Tagwizult laughed. She should have been used to the mischievous shenanigans of Mr. Tetreault by now, but he always found new ways to surprise both her and his wife.
"" He told her. ""
"<Thank you, Tagwizult. And don't trouble yourself if there are no seats.>"
"<Monsieur Tetreault, you are a guest of honor. I do not believe the seats in the executive skybox run out.>"
After a few hours, Sven found himself walking through the staff entrance of Crawdad Stadium. He thanked the driver, who had also brought him a special pass that would allow him to get through the checkpoints to see his partner, as well as to get into the executive skybox. He wasn't used to such treatment, as he didn't often accompany his wife or his daughter in their more famous exploits.
He would have some time to explore later, so he made for the player locker rooms. He had no intention of going inside, but he knew his wife would be down there by now. The lower areas were like a maze to him, but with the help of a few kind staffers, he eventually found the visiting team's locker rooms.
Lisa walked out of the locker room and took notice of the lost-looking rabbit. She skipped over to him and leaned forward with her hands behind her back. "Um, Sir?" Lisa called out to the rabbit. "Can I help you?" When the rabbit turned around, she noticed the VIP pass around his neck. More than that, she took notice of the name on that pass: Tetreault. Stunned at first, Lisa took a moment to adjust her approach. Her posture immediately straightened as though she were standing at attention. "Oh, uh bonjour monsieur Tetreault," she nervously spoke with a more direct tone. "Vous cherchez madame Tetreault?"
Sven perked up. "<Yes, do you happen to know where she is?>"
Lisa's eyes stared off as she thought. ""
He waved the request off. "No, no, that is okay. I will just wait for her out here."
"<If that is> Wait. you speak English?" Her posture laxed as realized he wasn't speaking French anymore.
He nodded. "Of course. Should this be a surprise?"
"Yeah. No. Like. You're speaking it! Is it not utterly repulsive to you?"
"Repulsive? Why would..." He snickered. "Oh, I think I understand. No, I'm perfectly fine speaking any of my family's languages."
"Well, that's nice," she sighed. "Takes me a moment to pull the French from the back of my head." She laughed in relief, her posture a lot more relaxed, as if her speaking in French was the sole reason for her militaristic responses. "You sure you're okay just waiting here?"
"It is nearly time for your next game, yes? She's sure to come by." He nodded. "I don't want to keep you from your teammates."
"Okay. It was nice to meet you." She smiled and started to skip back to the locker room. But this was odd. She had just had a normal conversation with the coach's husband, and in English no less. She walked more purposely towards the locker room and stopped with her hand on the door. "Hey, um. We still have a bit before the game," she said softly, looking back over her shoulder. "You should really meet the rest of the team. I'm sure they'd be excited to meet you."
The rabbit looked puzzled, but he slowly transitioned back to his usual, pleasant self. "Sure. I'd love to."
"Fantastic," she said with a huge grin on her face.
The mouse brought him into the locker room. This got the attention of everyone on the team. He introduced himself, and the curiosity bubbled up in them. Each approached to greet him in their own way, though a few abstained. Sven smiled. "Thank you. What a warm welcome."
Now the use of English caught everyone else's attention, eliciting a range of reactions.
Gary couldn't contain his laughter. "So Coach's husband doesn't hate English?!" This got the team laughing as well, though they were more informed about Henriette's choice by now.
Saphira approached the smaller bunny from behind, resting her head between his long ears. "You're telling me you can handle Madame Tall, Dark, and Angry?"
The rabbit didn't seem to mind Saphira's lack of boundaries. He just kept smiling. "We have been together for over half a century. I have had some practice." The players conversed amongst themselves but also with the unassuming man. Most were puzzled about such a disparity, but no one could deny the strangeness of their family with Hildegard's unlikely conception being the evidence.
With the other players chattering around him, he almost missed the arrival of the reason he was there. Henriette ducked through the doorway to enter the locker room. "<My sweet!>" he called.
The voice threw off the elder hyena. She scowled as she peered through her players. "<Sven?>" Baltimore then saw something they never thought they'd see: Henriette Tetreault smile. She nearly pushed her way through the players to approach him, but they stepped aside to let her through. She bent down and hugged her mate, then pulling him up off the ground. The rabbit chuckled at his wife's strength.
"<Henriette, my darling, it is so good to see you.>"
"<As it is good to see you, my cinnamon bun.>" Only the French-speaking players had the privilege of hearing something so antithetical to their mother of demons. "<Another one of your surprises, I see.>"
"" They laughed together. He looked around at the players. "My new friends, would it be possible to have a moment alone with my wife? I promise I will not keep her long."
With no objections to be had, the two old lovers left the locker room and walked down the hall. Once they were certain they were out of earshot, Sven patted her arm. "<I'm sorry I did not warn you, but your disdain for technology will win you out.>"
""
"<Please.>" He got on his tiptoes and kissed her cheek, which she gladly offered. "<But I must spoil these good feelings with a question, I'm afraid.>" Henriette raised an eyebrow at the mild turn. "<Why are you not speaking to your players in English?>"
The question immediately put a damper on her mood. She grunted and tapped her fist against the nearby wall. "<Pride, Sven.>"
The rabbit's nose twitched as he laughed. "<Yes, I thought as much. I knew you were bringing Tagwizult along, but I did not think it was in her full role as a translator.>"
"<Sven, must we talk about this? I do not need this stress.>"
Sven, smiling, seemed to be the only person that could ever get through the cold façade of the Spirits' coach. She groaned.
He squeezed her hand. "" They had both been through similar circumstances, given their shared age. "<But perhaps some humility might get you to your goals.>"
Henriette turned her head away from him, but he kept holding her hand. He knew it was best to give her the time to parse through her feelings, even when she often gave the air that she did not have them. "<These...players, they embarrassed me, made assumptions about my decisions.>"
"<And did you help them understand?>"
She sighed. "<Only after.>"
The rabbit nodded. "<Maybe the damage is done, but as they say, respect is not a one-way street. You are certainly share this with your daughter.>"
The Tetreault pride often seemed immovable. If anything, it seemed that Hildegard had a much better grasp on keeping her team together. "<What should I do, Sven?>"
"Compromise," he said in English. "<No one will mistake your choices for weakness, but if you must keep that pride, do it in a way that makes sense.>"
Henriette hated this, truly hated it. Her scowl seemed baked into her very soul, now more than ever. She bent down and kissed her husband, and she turned to head back to her team. As she neared the locker room, she saw that the hallway was empty. She slammed the door open, her players just inside. The noise got their attention. Tagwizult sat near Rex, and once her employer arrived, she hopped down from the bench and trotted toward her.
But Henriette put her hand up. Even Tagwizult looked surprised. Sven padded in after his wife. The hyena cleared her throat. She looked angrier than ever.
"Do you want this championship?" Each of them struggled in their own way not to say anything, stunned. "I said, do you want this championship?!" This got their energy up, whether through fear or pride, and they cheered. "Then win."
Featured Characters
Sven Tetreault Henriette Tetreault Hildegard Tetreault Lisa Belle Dupont Tagwizult Modeste Gary Elsinore Saphira Kelley