10-07-08

Characters involved: Dittany, Gero, Harper, & Starlenia.

RW Abbey: Cavern Hole

Dittany considers this. "I don't think you would," she says after a moment. "He doesn't seem like the type to get angry at somebeast trying to help, unless real harm's done.."

Gero laughs. "That was A Joke" he smirks with a chuckle, before Straightening out his habit again

"Oh. I'm, I'm sorry," Dittany says, blushing a little. She fumbles in the basket for the next piece of mending. "So.. would you then?"

Gero nods. "Yeah. I'm Going to when I see him next" The mouse Replies.

Harper enters with a tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. Seeing the others, he opts to approach and take a seat. "... 'Llo," he greets.

Gero looks up, still sorting out his habit again. "Hello There" he Greets with a smile.

Dittany nods, apparently satisfied with that. "Well. I suppose that's all anybeast can do.." she muses, then lapses into silence. "Ah.. hello," the mousemaid smiles - a bit - at the newcomer. "It's getting a bit late, isn't it."

"... Um. What can anybeast do?" Harper queries hesitantly. He puts his feet up on a footrest. His dogs, they are a-barkin'.

Dittany looks a little surprised. "Oh. Well, we.. we were just talking about the poisonings lately," she responds, equally as hesitant if not more. The mousemaid watches Harper for his reaction.

"... Oh, that," is Harper's grim reply. "S'awful working in the infirmary lately, with all that."

"You work there?" Dittany asks. "I don't think I've met you. ..or that is, my cousin is there, so I'm up at least once a day.. erm."

"I, uh..." The inners of his ears reddening a bit, Harper looks at Dittany and then down at the ground. "... Mostly just at night. Sometimes early in the morning. Don't sleep much."

"Oh, well, I.. I don't really either," Dittany responds with a puzzled expression. "That's not really.. well, Ashford needs his sleep, so I see him and Antioc and Zoe in the afternoons, most days. Oh. My name is Dittany," she adds, as an afterthought.

It's Harper's turn to look perplexed. "... Who's Ashford?" And, as an afterthought, he adds, "Mine's Harper. Zoe's, uh. She's a relative of mine. My father's cousin. So..." His shoulders jerk in the tiniest of shrugs, "Not sure what relation that makes her."

Gero dozed off for a few moments before Waking. "oops" He mutters to himself before looking at the new Arrival. "Hello there" The Mouse smiles at Harper a bit before sitting up properly

"Cousin once removed," Dittany answers promptly, then fidgets. "Ah, Ashford is _my_ cousin. He.. he got himself injured on the way here," she explains.

Dittany says, "Oh. Gero, this is Harper. Harper, this is Gero." She gestures from one to the other. "We just became novices today."

Gero looks at harper and smiles. "pleased to meet you" he says with a smile.

Harper's lips part in a silent 'oh'. He then looks from one to the other at the introduction. "Yeah? Congratulations to both of ya."

Dittany dusts an invisible speck of something off the corner of the shift that.. well, she -was- mending it, murmuring a 'thank you.' "I.. well, I'm sure I'll be working with you at some point, so.. I'm looking forward to it," she smiles politely, then hesitates. "The healers.. um. Do you know.. anything they're saying? About what's going on." She gestures, vaguely, helplessly.

Gero smiles at harper and nods. "thank you" he replies before standing and walking about for a moment. "I'm a bit hungry. Would anyone like anything from the kitchens?" He asks

Dittany asks, "Is there anything ready this time of night? All the fires should have been banked long ago.."

Starlenia starts awake, blinking sleepy-eyed at the sudden crowd by the fire. If three's a crowd, is four a multitude?

Gero shrugs. "I'm Sure That there's something" He chuckles.

"Well, ya know... the Brothers and Sisters don't tell us much. Lots of conversations suddenly stop when you get to c lose, 'n' all." Harper shrugs apologetically, but adds, "All the same, seems like they're thinking it's definitely intentional. Leastways it's treatable." He shakes his head at Gero's offer.

Gero hms to Harper. "You sure?" he asks before slowly heading to the kitchens. "Star, dittany, anything?" He asks

Harper nods. "Yeah, m'sure. Thanks."

"Ah.. well, tea, I suppose..?" Dittany yields, then turns back to the conversation. "Oh.. even with novices." The mousemaid looks down at her paws for a moment. "That's a blessing, then. And.. none have died yet, have they?"

Gero nods and then looks to star. "Want anything?" he asks the squirrel.

Harper shakes his head, quick to reassure her. "Oh, no. No. Like I said... s'treatable. The main problem is that some of the older folk, it's just such a shock to their systems, ya know? Seems like they're havin' a hard time of it." His ears dip a little.

Dittany's mouth makes a tight little line, and she makes a tight little nod, ears drooping. "No idea what the poison is? Or any sort of.. well, a, a pattern to it?" she fishes. "There's some _reason_ - the note in the Great Hall says as much."

Gero vanishes into the Kitchens after no reply from the squirrel.

Starlenia shakes her head to Gero, and curls back up into her skrlball.

Harper shakes his head, though less quickly this time. "I'm sorry, I don't know. Like I said... I don't hear much. The healers seem to know what it is, anyway. They know 'xactly how to cure it, anyway." He looks at the mouse, choosing his words carefully. "All the same... I don't think there has to be a reason why folks do the things they do. Pain 'n' sufferings reason enough for 'em, lotta times."

Gero comes back with a rather large Tray with tea and a few plates of Scones incase anyone changes their mind. The mouse sets it down on the table before pouring the tea and handing it to Dittany before sitting down with a plate of scones.

Well, if there's tea... Harper ducks forward in his chair, pouring himself some tea before settling back. He nods his quiet thanks to Gero.

Gero smiles to Harper and Nods with a smile before taking a few bites of his scones. He watches the others and listens carefully to the quiet conversation.