Rosy Thorns

[lynx]

Lionel was quite ashamed with himself.

It had begun earlier in the day, when he was showing a prospective Gardener about. The sun was high in the sky, making him at ease, and so he'd had no real qualms about showing the young Furre about. But one hour had quickly turned into two as the Garden swallowed them up, surrounding them with curving, twisting paths and lush vegetation. Lionel knew where they were - he'd memorized the Gardens by now - but it was a bit of a walk to get out. So he'd kept the prospective hire talking, asking questions, and observing. He was a bright one, always chattering and inquisitive. Lionel actually found himself enjoying their conversation, and so lost track of time. When the shadows got longer, the panic then started to set in.

Finally they reached the outside, and Lionel saw the young wolf off. Unfortunately the entrance they had come out of was on the side of the garden away from the house. Although the Garden made him as nervous as all get out, Lionel knew the fastest way back home was to just cut through a corner of the garden. Unfortunately that corner happened to be the one dominated by his grumpy brother's vicious meat eating plants. While passing through he'd neglected to watch out for the multiple thorny varieties, therefore running smack dab through them.

So it was that the lanky panther made his way through the doors of the hospital, his black pelt crisscrossed with angry looking cuts. His suit was ruined, to his dismay, but at least it was just a simple black one, a variety he had more of at the estate. Sighing, he sank into a chair after checking in. He hoped he could get fixed up without much trouble. Mentally he berated himself. Really. A fully grown panther afraid of some plants? Foolish Lionel, really stupid indeed.

[zizi]

Darcy had to admit, she was surprised.

It wasn't often you saw one of their patients in a suit, shredded or not. The fox wondered if he had gotten lost trying to reach the other hospital in West Lucent. The other nurses and doctors were discreetly pointing at him and giggling. She wondered if he realised the effect he was having. Probably not. Darcy hated people like that, who just ignored the 'lower' people that surrounded them. The other doctors would play to this , keeping their heads down and doing their job. Well, that wasn't Darcy's style.

She whipped the check-in forms attatched to a clipboard from the startled hands of the receptionist. Lionel Adino. Oh, sir, it's such an honor. Darcy could just hear the smarminess that would spew forth from the head matrons mouth. She silenced the blustering receptionist with a poisonous glare and fixed the panther in her sights. She stalked across the waiting room towards him and turned to flash the indignant doctors by the receptionist's desk a sharp smile. "Mr. Adino? Come with me please." Her tone was no nonsense, her polite smile a touch frosty.

This kind of thing would be easier to keep up if he wasn't so damn handsome.

[lynx]

Lionel tried to ignore the obvious looks towards him, keeping his eyes directed at the floor. Well, for the most part. Occasionally he would glance furtively upward, seeing if anyone was coming to help him out. But they all seemed busy. Busy talking about him. His ears flicked backwards, not wanting to hear whatever they were whispering. Yes yes, he was a panther in a suit. Yes, he was rather scratched up. Yes, he did look like he'd gotten in a fight with a feisty female of his kind. Little did they know that he avoided those types as much as he could. The last thing the passive panther needed was a snappy mate to drive him off the edge. Lionel was much happier by himself, or so he tried to convince himself.

Finally someone came to his aid. He looked up as someone brusquely snapped about, checking his charts and coming over to him. Finally, a doctor. He looked up and was surprised by a fluff of white. Well, mostly white. Some sort of fox? Whoever this doctor was, she looked like she meant business. He readily stood, brushing off his sleeve out of habit. Although she was much shorter than he, she was a little spark of energy. From the way she looked at him he could tell she wasn't going to waste any time.

"Certainly, doctor," he said mellowly, dipping his head and following in her trail.

[Adeline]

(Hope y'all don't mind me jumping in!)

Normally Hector would be the one to show prospective workers around the garden, but ever since Father's death, Lionel had begun to seem more interested in the future of the Adino Estate, something that surprised the younger brother. Earlier today, the two siblings had actually fought over the subject, when Lionel announced the existence of the potential employee. Hector had wanted to give the tour and interview. He was the gardener after all! What did Lionel know about plants? The answer? Barely anything. He was scared of everything, so timid...not fit to inherit the property. Lenore didn't care for the role at all, but the two brothers often went at it...well, Hector often went at it. True, he was always the one to get angry, and maybe it was accurate of Lionel to point out that he was too rash, but honestly. Hector could only ever see Lionel as a simpering weakling. He would sooner lose the inheritance than make anything out of it. He may have been good at math, but Hector would keep things alive. With Lionel in charge, the garden may as well die.

At any rate, Lionel had given the interview, and Hector had told him he would end up in the hospital for some reason or another. Hector had flat out told him that. The panther had also told his brother that when Lionel wound up in the hospital, he would be there to laugh at him. And so he was.

And now, walking briskly into the hospital, Hector couldn't help smirking. He was laughing gregariously on the inside, but couldn't risk walking around a hospital laughing like a maniac. He could get admitted. Even by smirking he was getting too many looks. Apparently it was a sin to be happy in a hospital. He was a little delayed getting here because he went to the West Lucent hospital first. High class panther like Lionel, Hector was surprised that he had elected to come to this hospital. Lionel hadn't called or anything, but Hector had seen the accident. Lionel had decided to take the quickest way back, knowingly putting himself in mortal danger. Hadn't the boy repeated warned his brother about how the plants sometimes didn't even listen to him?

Although seeing his brother almost eaten alive by plants was a rather disgusting sight, but still, Hector couldn't keep himself from laughing a little from the living room view. Of course, if it had been a beautiful maiden in distress, of course he would have harkened to the call immediately...and, as he looked around the waiting room, speaking of beautiful maidens, there was one right there...escorting his brother deeper into the hospital.

Swiftly, the panther ran up to the two of them, red velvet cloak billowing from the gust he created. "Excuse me, fine miss," he said quickly to the fox, giving her a head nod. Hopefully he seemed charming enough. He then turned his gaze to Lionel. "I wondered which hospital you ran off to! Lionel, I'm so glad they didn't eat you! I was worried for a moment there!"

Now that may have just seemed like mockery to Lionel, but Hector was a good enough actor to keep his smirk underway. It was hopefully enough to pull the girl enough to like him. My, she was pretty.