03.08.10 - Naughty Concerning Berries

Location: Salamandastron Kitchens

Characters Involved: Nimue, Tyree, Lin

Good old helpful Tyree is being his good old helpful self by carting a large basket of raspberries down into the kitchens, presumably to be used at some point by the cooks for breakfast or whatever. His paws are very full and he seems to be in a precarious position with his heavy load, making absolutely certain that as he comes down the stairs that his large footpaws do, in fact, come down properly. Not a single berry must go amiss, or the mission will be an utter failure!

... well, one does unfortunately go amiss. Snagged up by Nimue's thumb and forefinger, and delivered to her mouth. She squishes it in her teeth and swallows. "Hey, Tyree."

Tyree reacts rather badly to the utter and complete failure of his objective to keep every berry in the basket. When he sees a small paw grab one and make it disappear, his eyes widen like he's been shot by an arrow. He makes a strange huffing noise that sounds kind of like "Wfft!" and jerks the basket away from Nimue. Which sends a few berries in the air. Making him lunge forward with the heavy basket to catch them, making more fall out... it's a vicious chain reaction, really, until Tyree finally steps on a few and he stops. Squelch. Sigh. "Hello, Nimue."

Nimue snatches one of the airborne berries, lightly, but not lightly enough to not get juice on her hand. Snerking at this, she pops the berry in her mouth, then licks at her thumb. At least the black fur hides berry stains. "Hey, uh. Let me help you with that?" she offers, reaching to set her hands on the basket, one at the side and the other against the bottom, steadying it. "... how's it going?"

Tyree takes a moment to check his footpaws. Berry juice staining them like the blood of the fallen. /Accusing/ him! Cooks won't be happy about more stuff to clean on the floor. There's still a boggling amount left in the basket, but each one fallen is a big berry shaped blemish on his record as far as he's concerned. "It /was/ goin' just fine," he notes, and one can see his ears twitching for how upset he is. He doesn't push away her help, though, and continues into the kitchen's bowels. "Well. Sort of."

Nimue walks with him, supporting some of the basket's weight. She steps on at least one berry that's already been squished under Tyree's foot. "Heh. Sort of? Don't worry, I'll help you clean it u--ff!" Spoke to soon, did we, little recruit? She slips on one of those berries and doesn't quite /fall/, but only avoids it by grabbing for a counter stool. And then the stool falls over, while she manages to remain standing. "... up," the doe concludes.

"Ahh! Ahh!" Tyree gasps, with far too much panic than warrants the situation as he lowers himself to keep the basket from tipping to counter Nim's sudden drop. There's /one/ berry just on the edge, tottering, but that's easily fixed when Tyree hefts the whole thing back up in a fit of strength, dropping it back to safety. What wonderful muscles you have, Tyree. All the better to cart berries with my dear! "/Perhaps,/" he enunciates, "I can take it from here. Provided no more thievery an' subterfuge is committed."

Nimue's ears drop back. "Hey, I was helping," she points out, hands slightly raised in surrender to his berry-carting will. ".. /you/ squished the one I stepped on. So how 'bout you ease up, grumpy?"

Tyree fortunately hasn't much farther to carry the blasted thing, though he shoots back over his shoulder, "I am /not/ bein' grumpy." He reaches a suitable table and, well, just drops it right there. Done. Stupid job over. "I was pointin' out facts. You took a berry, which initiated a cascade of unstoppable forces, leadin' ta' said berry on the floor. So... there." He waves a paw as if to say 'Ha! Finished.' "... Do they taste good?"

Nimue hooks her thumbs into her pockets, considering Tyree as she rocks on the balls of her feet. ".. I took a berry, but /you/ squeaked like a baby gull and wobbled the basket all over the place." Her eyes flicker to the basket, and she reaches to pluck one of the larger, plumper raspberries from the pile, then holds this out. "Guess you oughta try and see."

"Now /stop/ that," Tyree says, holding his paws up as though the berry was poisonous. "There's already been enough damage done. I will not violate the trust put in me an' devour a single bite." He crosses his arms as he drops onto the stool next to the basket. Almost daring Nimue to get him to eat one more. Though... raspberries /are/ among his favorite. But he will resist temptation.

A challenge! Nimue snorts out a little laugh and steps up in front of the buck - but not before gathering up a small handful to go along with that first berry. She holds them cupped in her palm in front of Tyree's muzzle. ".. what about more than a single bite?"

Lin makes her quiet way into the kitchen, seeking a little something to quell the grumbling emanating from the direction of her stomach. Ach, time for second dinner! But, what she comes upon is not the usual few people putting together a night-shift snack but rather a pair of hares fighting over a bowl of berries. "Just what are you two up to?" she says, with a faint smile.

"It's not gonna /work,/ Nim, I'm /tellin'/ you," Tyree says, remaining steadfast, though his eyes flicker between her and berries. Perhaps, were it not for the fact that he was just trying to prove a point, he might sneak one or two. But Nimue prodding him just makes him want to resist even more. But the thought of sweet raspberries has made his mouth water even since he picked the basket up. When he notices Lin, he gives her a short glance. "Nimue is tryin' ta' get me ta' be naughty. Concernin' berries."

Nimue glances curiously at the unfamiliar doe, and grins for a moment, before turning a more coercive smile at the buck. "Tyree. /Tyree/. Everyone has to be naughty concerning berries /sometime/. You really want to sit back and let all the juicy fresh berries be sacrificed to.. pies and tarts and jams?"

Lin is happily ignorant of such naughtiness, and walks on over to the pair. "Oh," she says, and reaches to take two of the berries and pop them into her mouth, chewing. Mmm, tart, tastes good. "What's t'be naughty about, then?"

It's too much. Pies, tarts, jams, it's all so good! But to eat the raspberry in its purest form is indeed quite heavenly. He purses his lips and turns his head, shaking it. The movement is almost childishly petulant. "I... will /not./ I am not that kind of buck, Nim, ta' feast on succulent... freshly picked... berries- AHH what're-you-doin'?!" He gapes open mouthed at Lin just snatching two more. Seeing them getting scarfed down, with absolutely no consequences, is quickly wearing down his willpower.

Lin raises a brow as Tyree outbursts all over the place. Better keep that under control, Ty. The doe finishes chewing on the juicy berries, then makes a thoughtful sound. "Sorry, that was rude. Here, have a piece." She plucks one from the bowl and holds it up just under Ty's nose.

Nimue shrugs, and tosses her head back, bringing the handful of berries to her mouth to munch them. "Way I figure it, there's plenty to spare."

Tyree glances down at the berries, and finally seems to decide enough is enough. "... Fine," he decides, and plucks the berry from Lin's paw. You thought he was just going to let her /feed/ him, did you? No. Tyree drops it in, cautiously, guilt-ridden... and immediately his face relaxes into something quite blissful. "Mmm... those... /are/ quite nice."

Whatev, so long as he eats it. Lin's paw drops when he takes the berry and then she looks back to the bowl- they are too inviting to pass up. So when she picks up the latest one and takes a nibble, ruining the berry's perfect surface, she looks to the other doe. "Nimue, huh?"

Nimue perches herself on a stool and scoops up another handful of berries. She tosses three of them into her mouth, one after another, then grins at Lin with her lips red from the juice. "Nimue, yeah. You..?"

Okay now they're just doing it to annoy him. Tyree's ears twitch as yet more berries disappear. It's not nice. He was told to carry berries, not eat them. But then he just drops another into his mouth again. Comfort eating, eating the things he wasn't supposed to. New low, Tyree. "A very nice healer," he tells Nimue.

Nimue glances at Tyree as her face lights up. "/Oh/. You two are..?" She gives Tyree an approving smirk, and noms another berry.

Lin only eats a few- that's enough to satisfy the second-dinner craving. "I would prefer some bread," she mumbles. "Too many berries and I'll have a sugar headache." The doe grins a little to the recruit. "Lin." She supplies the diminutive rather than her full name, as usual.

"Two are what?" Tyree looks between himself and Lin to try and spot similarities. He finds none. "... Hares?" On the matter of bread, he looks up and about. "Oh, there's always some loaves lyin' about somewhere..." Sneaks another berry.

"... together? Mates? A couple?" Nimue snerks. "I could probably come up with more synonyms... and. Nice to meet you, you can just call me Nim," she says to Lin.

Lin giggles at the question. It's a.. very rare giggle. "Ty is my best buddy," she says, by way of explanation, and pats the fighter on the back of his paw. Just briefly, as Ty likes best. The doe turns and steps over to the cutting board, where a loaf has already been savaged but a few slices remain- she takes on and spreads some jam on it.

Tyree, surprisingly, does not take offense to the paw pat. Mates, no, best buddies? He can deal with that. "Indeed," he says to Nimue by way of agreement, and then looks surprised, leaning back on the table with his elbows. "An'. Hold on... why are you even wantin' ta' know?"

Nimue tilts her head, and she looks momentarily disappointed. ".. I just assumed. I mean. You /practically/ were nibbling berries out of her hand." She finishes her own berries, and sucks a spot of juice off the pad of her thumb.

Tyree narrows his eyes. "I... I was?" He blinks. "No I wasn't." He looks at Lin. "Was I?"

Lin is spreading jam on a couple-three slices, putting two of them onto a plate and keeping one for herself. "No," she says, with a little laugh of good humor. "I don't think Ty is the eating-out-of-your-paw type." You know, his tics and all. The healerdoe turns and walks back over to them, offering them each a slice from the plate. "We are not attached," she says, still grinning.

".. I said 'practically'. Almost. You came /close/," Nim says with a snigger, and shrugs. "Well, okay. Hey um. You look a lot like.. one of the bucks in the infirmary?" she says to Lin, peering at her now. "... I kind of keep ending up in there. Heh."

"Aha, yes," Tyree agrees with Lin in a very confident, upbeat voice as he takes the offered slice. Because of course he would totally not eat out of Lin's paw ever except maybe if she asked nicely. "Well. She does have quite a few relatives," Tyree remarks on the look-a-like dilemma.

Lin laughs. "Close enough, I guess." The plate ends up pushed to Nimu, 'cause it's her slice, as Ty already has his. Nibbling hers, she grins. Ah, that /is/ a familiar grin, is it not? "My dad, doubtlessly," she replies. "I might as well be a female Him."

Nimue tilts her head further sideways as she picks up the piece of bread. "Oh. That major? You /do/ look just like him. ... yeah, I kind of make a habit of boxing bigger guys since I got here, keep ending up in the infirmary. Don't know his /name/ or anything."

"Yes, like with Cole, eh?" Tyree remembers. "Reminds me... I still need ta' face that boy in the ring." He stands up and dusts himself off, holding the bread in his jaws as he does so. "I should be off," he says simply, scarfing down the rest of the bread slice. "Thank you for the help with the berries," he says to Nimue, giving her an uncharacteristically friendly poke on the forehead as he goes by, and then looks over his shoulder at Lin. "Oh, ah... a... package is waitin' for you in the infirmary," he says. "Looked important. Thought you might like to know." He nods to them both and then takes off.

Nimue blinks at the poke. She gives Lin a glance, like - whahuh? Then abruptly the doe dissolves into laughter. "... heh, heheheh, bye Ty," she calls after him.

Lin also raises a brow at the poke. Ha, Ty is like.. thawing out, that's amusing. She nibbles her bread, held with both paws in front of her nose, but raises one to wave to Ty's retreating head-turn. "A.. package?" She manages to ask, but he's gone.