08-18-08

Characters involved: Viscus & Zoe_lang.

RW Abbey: Kitchen

Afternoon begins to wane towards evenin', and the kitchen is silent, beasts having eaten an hour ago. Things are washed, and put back, and the stoves are silent for the night. Dim embers are the only lights in the room, and it seems Viscus has snagged a nap next to a kitchen table, his head resting in a bowl that was once greensap milk and honey, licked clean and dry by the hungry feline. His snores are soft, and his ears flick as he dozes in a comfy stupor. "Mmm, little...more apple tea, please....Hmmmm...."

Not all of the abbey's inhabitants ate when they were supposed to, it would seem, because a pair of ears appear in the doorway, and then a hare. She looks around, squinting in the low light. She notes the sleeping form, but doesn't look too closely as she goes about serving herself to some bread and a cheese spread. Mmm.

Over the past hour, the bowl under his head has moved slowly towards the end of the table and with a sudden 'thock', the bowl slips of the table, into his lap, and his head smacks into the table. "Gah! Ooowow. Every blasted day, something happens to fall on me, or I fall on it, or I bump certain anatomy parts," he grumbles fiercely, unaware that someone else is there. Moaning, he pokes the light bump on his head. "Ooh, if my mother saw me now..."

"She'd call you a bloody fool o' a cat, s'what she'd do," is the Colonel's muffled answer, issuing forth from the cabinet she's got her head stuck in. Searching for something or other. The cabinet door is between her and the cat, but no doubt he'll recognize that voice. And the snort of amusement.

Viscus blinks. Then blinks again. "Ah?" Then, recognition. With a smirk, he pushes away from the table, and laughs. "Yes, perhaps," he clips in desert accent, "But then again, she'd also nurse me to health every time." His chuckle sorta dies away after the statement, then he sighs. "Zoe_lang," he hums, leaning against the cabinet. "Ya ol' war'are!" he exclaims, mimicking the Mossflower brogue, "Quite a few seasons since I've seen you, you rogueish feminine thing." He glances at her, suddenly getting all concerned. "Uh, but what happened to you? Didn't you used to have an eye? And, where did that cane come from?"

"More'n a few," is Zoe's reply. She turns to look at the cat, smirking slightly. "And, y'know, I got bored o' the second eye, so I got rid o' it." She shrugs. "And the cane, well, the cane's just fer looks." Grin.

Viscus moves forward to give Zoe a stout sideways hug, grinning madly. "Ahhh, it's fine to see you. I have not clapped eyes on you or your mountain in nearly, what, four seasons now? Back when you were routing the beasts on the South-Western shores. You remember, don't you? My father and me where chasing them as well? We sort of met in the middle, if I remember correctly?" He steps back to give her a look over. "You're still not one to get a straight answer from, hm? Ach, quite a familiar thing, though, and I'm glad of it." The cat flicks his ears, amused.

"What would be the fun o' that? Straight answahs... Honestly." Zoe shakes her head, looking amused at the hug. She returns it with a pat. "So what brings ya around here? We're just visitin' - to pay our respects t' Keiran," she explains. She takes a bite out of her cheese sandwich, leaning back against a counter.

"Well," Visc shrugs, sighing and scratching at his ear. "You remember my father, right? Ben Hasadel? He's a right tought beast. A true warrior." Sighing, the cat leans against a still-warm chimney and crosses his arms. "Ah, also not one to forgive and forget. He thought it'd be best if I would be a traveler....for a good long while." He shrugs again, as if trying to get something off his shoulders. "And, uh, that's what I've been doing for the past 3 seasons. I enjoy it, however." The cat grins. "But there's naught like a good battle won on the tireless, shifting dunes of the South desert, you understand."

"Aye. I remembah him, sure," Zoe interjects. But then listens. She hms, brow raising. "Well. Parents c'n be a bit unforgivin' at times, I c'n attest t'that." She glances around briefly, notes the nearest stool, and drops down onto it. Take the weight off her gimp leg. "Sounds like an interestin' life, at least. 'Course, travelin' has its ups 'n' downs as anythin' else."

With a sudden smirk, he plumps down beside her, nibbling on a pastry he magiced from nowhere. "I've picked up some bad habits of yours. I can't forget your soldiers if I tried. Niveus, Zeraph, Taye, Darklett, Oxeye. Phwa. I hope they are well and still fighting scum." He licks at a bit of gravy trickling down his chin. "Mmf. Oh, aye, highly interesting. You'll notice my accent's much better now. I've visited everywhere I possibly could as fast as I could, and am now working my way back up North." He cocks his head at her. "Speaking of which, I've met your daughter, Keita out in Halyard. She's....missing a leg. You probably know, but just in case you don't..." he shrugs. "And, heard rumors about some renegade hare of yours running out in the dunes. Calls himself Marsuvees. Just in case your worried." With a sigh, he tips his head back, resting his elbows on the table behind him. "Traveling does have it's downs, yes. I've been accosted by idiots more than once."

Just a fountain of information, he is! Hehe. Zoe chuckles at his run-down of information, holding up a paw. "Aye. Keita's been missin' that leg for... oh, nigh ten seasons, now, just 'bout." As for Marsuvees, "Well, that's what we patrol the shores for. No worries, there." And, idiots? "And I'm sure you accosted 'em righ' back, eh?"

Viscus pokes at her arm softly. "Have you known me to never take revenge or to be pushed around? Hmm, I thought not," he answered for her, grinning. "Yes, well, there was this one beast in the Black Gull Tavern up North, who thought I owed him money. I've never owed anyone money in my life." He picks up another pastry, his long gone. "I had to drub him well, unfortunately. I didn't want to kill the beast, so he's still alive somewhere." Nibbling at the crust, he sighs. "So? Tell me what happened to you? You could have fought your way through a swarm of searats, and then eaten a few fox tails for breakfast, as I recall."

"What evah happens in the Patrol? Vermin like t'pick bits of us off from time t'time. One of 'em took an eye off me, s'all." The doe won't quite look at the cat as she says this. Not exactly a fond memory for Zoe. "The cane? I'm just old. Old 'n' gettin' oldah. Ya can't expect t'hold up forevah, y'know." She makes a point to relax her expression, setting the remainder of her sandwich down on a plate. "I ought t'retire. But I s'pose I'm just stubborn."

"Yes, very stubborn. When weren't you, anyhow?" The cat chuckles, dropping the eye subject. "It'd be nice if we could hold up forever, though. I dearly wish my youth never departs and continually enjoy what is left of it." Pursing his lips, he hums. "Perhaps your daughter would take your place or something. But then again, perhaps not. She seemed content where she was. Perhaps if a Badger Lord happens to walk by, you should snag him and drag him off to the mountain." Chuckling softly, even carefully, he picks up the sandwhich idly, sniffs it, shrugs, and sets it back. "But your not old, Zoe. No older than you ever were, in my opinion. Old relates to weak, and that's something I never thought of you." He nods resolutely, as if that's that.

At the thought of Zoe taking her place, Zoe literally barks out a laugh. She ducks her head, shaking it. "... There's more chance of us findin' a Badgah Lord than of Keita evah joinin' the patrol, m'friend." She smiles slightly. It used to be a contentious point, but Zoe's found her peace with it. His final words give her thoughtful pause. "... 'Tis nice t'have beasts who think s'much of you, even if they are damn fool cats." She reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. Chuckle.

Viscus lets the pat waggle him, and he mock grabs his shoulder in pain. "Guah, you and your massive strength," he teases, then shakes his head. "And what did I gain this 'fool' title from? Was it from the time I threw myself at that rat and nearly got impaled? That's it, isn't it." He blows a raspberry, waggling his paw. "I've gotten better since then. Oh, wait, mayhap you mean the time I got turned around in battle and nearly skewered that one hare. What was his name? Uh...ah, nevermind. I've grown up...I think." He smirks, to show he's joking. "You are as old as you say you are, you understand. Just keep telling your body that it's youthful, and it might believe you one day." Grin.

The cat amuses. As for the growing up, "I'll believe it when I see it." All this talk of age or lack thereof leaves her absently rubbing at her leg. Someone should tell /it/ she's not old. Boo. Zoe remembers her plate all of a sudden and picks up her sandwich, nibbling at it for a few silent seconds. "Well, I do always feel a bit youngah when I'm here, at least. 'Ell, when I lived here I was... a recruit's age." That's something to think about.

Viscus glances around at the stone walls, drinking in the leftover smells of baking and cooking, the gentle, smoky scent and feel of warmth from the stoves, the quiet of their world at the moment. For whole seconds, he doesn't speak, but watches as she picks up and eats the sandwhich. "You do know, if you hadn't picked it up, I'd've eaten it. Hehe." Then, silence again. "Yes, I like the Abbey. It's a quiet life. I've greatly enjoyed my time here, but...it's not for me, I don't think. Perhaps when I've aged a bit, I could settle here to teach, or to cook, or to sheperd bees, perhaps. Haha." He crinkles his snout, thinking. "But, you would blend in seamlessly here. You are a hero of the Western Shores. You are a well-respected beast." He stands, yawning. "I...am a no one from the South with odd habits, and a strange way of talking. And, I'm not a woodlander to boot. Ahhh, my problems multiply."

Viscus snags another pastry, staring at it for a few moments, before taking a decisive bite. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. It seems that I'm used to sleeping much more here. Twill ruin me for the road." Yawning a kitty yawn, he stretches and mosey's out. "Let's keep talking, all right? I've missed you greatly, Zoe." And with that, he's gone.