04.23.09 - Nice Catch

Location: Salamandastron Training Room

Characters Involved: Zeraph, Charlie, Darcy, Thad

Lately Zeraph has been moving around more than he normally would, diving headlong into his work and then constantly keeping himself busy so that he won't have free time on his hands. The major has been thoroughly distracting himself until the point where thoughts of his best friend just don't linger much anymore. He is weight training at the moment, stretched out on his back and bench pressing some metal weights with some effort.

Meanwhile, Charlie is as she often is with a small gaggle of recruits - mostly does, but a couple bucks hanging on in the back. The group enters, heading for their various training equipment of choice. Charlie looks undecided, until! Well now. It looks like weight training is the order of the day, doesn't it? The petite doe murmurs a goodbye to a couple of her friends and heads over towards the major. She ducks down, picking up a small weight and idly fiddling with it. Should she /say/ something? Should she leave him alone? Ack! Okay just say something! "... Hi!" Okay. That works. Greeting, check. Sunny smile, double check!

The buck is quite aware of the girl's presence as she wanders in closer to him. Mostly he is wondering if she is actually going to do anything with that small weight more than if she'll talk to him though. Something of a glance goes from Zeraph to Charlie as he hefts the weight up off of his chest to set it heavily on the rack above his head before he gets too distracted. The officer rolls up into a sitting position with a huff. "..Hey." He smiles at the doe. "Next for the bench?" Yes, cause that's going to happen.

Charlotte smirks prettily at him. "Jerk," she teases at him. And no, it doesn't look like she's going to do much with that weight of hers. She is not, shall we say, a devoted recruit. Perhaps she'll be a cook. Or a librarian! A tiny one. "How've you been? Haven't seen you much...?" Not reproachful, just curious.

You wouldn't think it, but Zoe? She can really talk. Darcy's ears are bleeding (figuratively speaking) and she has a cozy little sated smile on her face. Very much appeased by the talk with her mentor, and on her way to heading back to Halyard, the doe stops by the training room. Just to glance in, really - but she sees Zeraph. And an unfamiliar doe. But, Zeraph. Her friend gets her attention and she heads toward him. "Hey, Major, don't you look macho." Charlie gets a friendly smile.

Thad's making his slow, careful way to the training room. He's not one hundred percent happy about it being occupied, but he's not surprised. He just heads over to where they keep the sparring weapons, minding his own business.

The officer lazily grins at the blonde with a scrunch of his nose at the teasing way she calls him a 'jerk'. It just makes that expression blossom further as he takes heaving breaths to regain it after the benching. Zeraph's muscles are tight through his torso, a fact that is visible due to his lack of shirt. ".. well I've been busy. I'm sorry, doll. You know.. what with being a major and all." He goes to catch the edge of her tunic hem in his fingers and drag at her somewhat before letting go a second later. This happens to coincide with Darcy's approach. His brows lift at the redhead. ".. I decided to put on my macho pants today."

Charlotte bites at her lower lip, smiling when her hem is snagged. She is tugged forward before he lets go and is about to say something, when! Darcy. The small doe glances to the side at the other... small doe! She smiles a greeting, though it's a little uncertain at the unfamiliar one. /Macho/ pants? "Hello," she greets. Friendly! So friendly. Aheh. Heh.

"As opposed to the frilly lacy ones you wear most days?" Darcy quips. Her gaze flicks from Zeraph to Charlie, muzzle widening into a grin. "You might just be /the/ prettiest thing I've ever seen. Friend of Zeraph's?" Her hands tuck into her pockets, a paper-boy style cap worn with the slight brim low, eyes darker in the shadow of it, and inquisitive.

Thad really does like it when he tries to mind his own business and other hares let him. He picks out a wooden sword and heads for a dummy!

Yes, that's right. Macho pants. His tone was so dry though, he couldn't have been serious. Zeraph suddenly isn't sure how to take being trapped between the two little does as they eye each other, however. He settles his hands in his lap and lifts his brows at Darcy before glancing to Charlie and offering a reassuring smile. "Yes. Charlie, this is Darcy." Then he nods to the blonde as he glances to the redhead. "And reverse that."

"It's... nice to meet you," is Charlie's somewhat careful answer. "And thank you." Because she complimented her! So. She looks back to Zeraph, returning the smile with a smaller one of her own. But then! She sees Thad. She knows Thad, doesn't she? "Thad! Hello!" Waaaave. Har. You're found out, little stinker.

Doh! Found. Thad looks over to Charlotte, lifting his paw high in a wave. "Hello." And he greets all present, 'cause wouldn't you know it he knows all of them. He throws up a salute to the major.

Zeraph is .. not at all in uniform. He just nods a subtle greeting at Thad when his attention is directed towards the other buck, not returning the salute. The girls more have his focus anyway.

Darcy tilts her head. That was like the most ineffective compliment ever. Darcy is maybe feeling a little off-kilter. The mountain is so full of... Patrollers. "... yeah. Nice to meet you too." A glance goes at Zeraph. Hey, it says, I tried.

Charlotte is just feeling threatened. She's a little thing. Don't mind her! She is waving Thad over now, though. "Why don't you come join us?" He's not close enough for comfortable chatter, clearly.

"Ah, I'm... Training..." It's not a good excuse, and Thad knows it. So he walks over to the other three, looking between them half-nervously.

And on his side of things the officer isn't sure if he feels better with the buck coming over to join them or not. Zeraph shrugs and smiles at Darcy anyway, before going to catch hold of the blonde's waving hand when it drops again. He smooches her knuckles casually before going to lay back down without another word. Back to pressing the weights he goes! Lifting the bar off of it's holder means his chest bunches and his biceps tense before he lowers it once more nearly to his collarbone. He's training too!

Now it's a little group! Charlie feels a little more comfortable. She looks from Zeraph to Darcy. "So how do you two know each other?" And to Thad, she holds out the small weight she's been fiddling with. Plops it into his paws. "Now you're training."

"Oh, just through the mountain..." Thad shrugs, pocketing his paws. "I know her from when I ran into her at Halyard," he speaks to Charlie, head tilting towards Darce. And he's holding a weight now, looking down at it.

Now it's a little group! Charlie feels a little more comfortable. Not to mention the kiss. Her lips curve upward in a fleeting but clearly /pleased/ smile. She glances to Darcy as the major resumes weight lifting. "So how do you two know each other?" And to Thad, she holds out the small weight she's been fiddling with. Plops it into his paws. "Now you're training."

"Back at Redwall," is Darcy's answer, "while some of the Patrol was there. I'm actually going to take off," she says with a glance at the others. "Got a walk back to Halyard and all."

"Oh, you're not-" Right. No uniform. Right. Charlie's ears tinge a little bit. "Well. It was nice to meet you. A friend of Raph's is a friend of mine." Says the crazy lady.

"Oh," Thad responds, looking down at the weight. "...Thanks," he tries, kind of... Idly lifting the weight? Cause he can. But he's kind of distracted. "Uh, excuse me. Just realized, I have to, uh..." And... He leans down, puts the weight away, and heads off without much of an explanation.

Maybe if he just continues to ignore them they'll all go away. Oh wait, it seems as if they are. Zeraph pauses to place the weight back on the bar, though, when he notes that the redheaded doe is leaving, sitting up once more. He's giving up on even trying to train now. ".. well I'll see you later then Darce." Thad just kind of ran off so he gets no farewell!

Darcy quirks a smile in Zeraph's direction. "I'll say hey to Keita for you." And a smile for Charlie, who is doubtlessly rejoicing that she's going away. "Nice catch, by the way." Who knows who that's directed at. She leaves.

And they're alone! Well, except for whoever else is training, right? Let's ignore them. Charlie looks back to Zeraph after watching the other pair leave. "Met her at the Abbey, hm?" She quirks a grin. Eyebrows arched. Hmmmm?

"Yes. Around the same time I met you, actually." Zeraph is now just focused on one girl, which is easier for him to do truthfully. The last thing that Darcy says just isn't acknowledged because he has no way of responding to the statement. "She lives there with her mate." Then the buck goes to stand up, snagging a towel and wiping the bench before dropping it around the back of his neck.

Nice 'mate' drop there, Raphy boy. Charlie's eyes flicker briefly to his face at the word. Score! "Oh. Well. She seems nice." She steps forward, catching hold of either end of the towel. Tugging his head down for a brief kiss to the cheek. Help her! She's short.

Ahahaha. Awww. But it's endearing. Having to lean down like this makes Raph grin like an amused schoolboy, ears fluttering into a full perk as the kiss is pressed to his cheek. ".. having some trouble there, little bit?" The officer is sure that this relationship might just end up giving him back problems.

"I would just climb you but everyone would stare," Charlie replies with a mischievous grin. "Or I could stand on the bench. Save your back." Yep.

Zeraph goes to bump his muzzle into the side of hers before leaning up again. He's used to generally being taller than everyone anyway. "That would be lovely of you." He teases before going to collect his tunic where it was tossed to the side. ".. well I'm done training."

Charlotte's muzzle twitches. "Oh, me too." Mm-hm. Lots of training for this one.

It's not as if the buck got much done anyway. Girls. So distracting. Zeraph tugs his tunic on with the towel still around his neck. ".. have you eaten yet?"

They do try. Charlie shakes her head, "Only just snagged something to drink before classes today." Nose wrinkle. Classes.

Zeraph feels old now. Whee, classes. The major smirks and nods. "Mm. Well, then would you like to join me for dinner?" This is stated casually and with the deep, buttery smoothness that the officer can get to his voice.

Aww. Dinner! She looks up at him with those EYES, all full of sweetness and whatnot. "I'd like that." Of course you would. You big dork. Her paw slips out, catching his and twining fingers.

When her hand catches hold of his it is like a child's in comparison and his thicker fingers curl with hers relatively gently - seeming as he could hurt her fairly easily. Zeraph nods his head approvingly and gives her a crooked smile. "Alright. Well.. I'll be needing a bath first.. but we can meet up afterward." Despite this statement he's already heading for the door, still holding her hand.

Her hand! He has it. Charlie continues along behind him, laughing. "... Okay then," she replies with an amused shake of her head.

Without even realizing it the buck is stroking his thumb along the back of her knuckles, ears sinking while he watches her expression fondly. "Then I guess I'll see you in a little bit.." As they leave into the hallway Zeraph finally goes to release her hand.

Charlotte's fingers curl, to extend the contact until their fingertips part. "I'll meet you downtairs," she says with a little smile. And backs away towards the stairs, finally turning when she reaches them to descend.

Likewise Zeraph backs up with a nod of acknowledgement. "Alright." Then the major turns around to move for the third level instead. And they part their ways for now.