12.18.08 - Josiah's Funeral

Location: Redwall Great Hall

Characters Involved: Beatrix, Gabriel, Nicodemus, Sivaine, Harper, Tameus, Latna, Demmer, Teela, Bottlebrush, Zen, Tundaheed

A smile plays over Bea's muzzle. "La, quite well, and I do thank you. And yourself? Injuries honorably won in service to the abbey, I do hear. Let them vex you not overmuch, good mistress."

Gabriel nods, a slight smile on his face. "Yes ma'am, tha's right," he says to Sivane quietly. "Please fo'give mah appearance...can't say I've had much change to dress the part o' a gentlebeast."

Nicodemus pats down his formal habit, obviously uncomfortable with being dressed up well. "I think I'd trade you, lad, were it feasible."

"Keep in mind, you're speaking to someone lacking a proper tunic," Sivaine murmurs wryly. "You /are/ the first of your kind I've seen to.. well, wear things, though. Mm?" She glances down at her splint and sling, then back to Beatrix. "Injuries honorably.. erm. They shouldn't; it'll be coming off soon. The splint, not the arm. But thank you."

Nicodemus chuckles. "If you could remove the arm and re-attach it as easily as that splint, it would be an amazing trick at a story-telling."

Sivaine snorts. "I think I did enough damage just swanning around in the dark telling the 'Singing Bones.' But I'll see if I can learn that one for next year."

Nicodemus smiles at the story-teller.

The stranger Latna hobbles his way over towards the fire. He lingers near the edge of the group of beasts and bobs his head. "Ho there, friends. I hope you wouldn't begrudge an old mouse a little of your heat now, aye? Tis' a biting cold today, indeed." He inclines his head in a touch of a bow as he speaks.

Harper isn't moving about with the other Order members. Instead, he is working with parchment and quill, eyes lifting every now and then from the page in order to keep an accurate record of the event. He looks at a somewhat familiar otter, his lips silently forming names. 'Robert?' 'Richard?' And then he shake his head, frowning a bit before looking back down to scribble a bit more.

Gabriel chuckles at Sivaine's comment. "Ma'am, this clothing is a lot better fo' trecking out this time o' year. I can' see myself walking 'round...well...naked." He sighs and pulls out a half-ear of corn, absentmindedly munching on it...

Nicodemus tilts his head. "One rarely see's themself when wandering around ... in any state of dress or undress."

With her typical quiet deference, Lady Beatrix moves to a spot off to the side of the proceedings.

Tameus trots down the steps, all decked out in a miniature Long Patrol uniform. He wears an eyepatch on the middle of his forehead because he's forgotten which eye it's supposed to cover. The leveret's boot laces are untied and threaten to trip him on the way into the hall.

Nicodemus looks at the leveret. "Wow, he looks quite handsome when decked out."

Demmer walks down the stairs, slow and somber. Glancing around the room, he walks towards a seat in the back.

Gabriel cawws. "Well, mebbe I can't /see/ m'self, but I can tell when the cold's biting at me just as well as anybody." He glances over at the leveret and chuckles. "Yeh gonna tell me that boy's got three eyes? Caww! That's the first creature I eveah seen like that!"

Harper's eyes shift about the room, taking account of those new arrivals - quite literally. He smiles slightly when he spies Tameus. He waves a paw.

Tameus aims toward where he sees Harper, but pauses near the abbot to beam at him. "H'lo abbot! Y'r lookin' ver' fine in y'r nice 'abit, sir!"

"Most found their feathers sufficient, I think, but.. oh." Sivaine looks where everyone's attention is, and her mouth curls in an amused smirk. "Well. I think he forgot which eye." She glances about, gaze passing briefly over Harper but not staying. She wrinkles her nose. "Mnh."

Nicodemus blushes, who'd think a kid would get to him. "Ah, thanks."

Demmer smiles gently to Sivaine and nods a greeting from across the room.

"Y'r welcome," the little buck responds, and heads past Nicodemus toward his father.

A light-furred mousemaid hurries in from Cavern Hole, golden curls flying as she tries for a balance of 'fast' and 'quiet.' "_There_ you are," she whispers, coming up behind Sivaine. "Ardice." "Have they started?" "Shh."

Nicodemus stands and walks to the front of the hall, and the order beasts quiet down as he passes.

Latna takes his place by the fire, trying to warm the stiffness out of his paws. He gazes at the gathering. Clearly he has picked a busy day to find his way back to Redwall. He observes quietly.

Nicodemus says, "Brothers, sisters, novices, friends ..."

Harper scooches to the side where he sits, making room for Tameus to sit. He keeps his quiet, though.

The hall quiets and Nic's voice is too small, so he takes a deeper breath and incrases his volume.

"Is-" Sivaine elbows Ardice with her good arm and gives her a look. They both assume quiet, attentie postures, though after a moment Ardice tugs at the other mousemaid's arm and they surreptitiously drift towards Beatrix.

Nicodemus looks about. "Today, we celebrate the life of a beast who was a fine Abbot, even if the time was not as long as we'd have liked. And of course, we mourn his passing."

Teela stands nearby the current Abbot, dressed in dark clothing. Her expression is stoic and silent, her eyes downcast.

Nicodemus says, "Abbot Josiah, as is now obvious, steppped down when the illness which he kept private overhwhelmed him. He leaves behind Teela, his wife, and of course, all of us, including those who didn't have the privilege to serve under him in the Order."

Gabriel blinks and stows away the corncob in his knapsack...there'll be time to eat later. Churrping softly, he flutters over towards the others and finds a place to sit.

Nicodemus says, "Obviously, we mourn his passing, and our sympathies go to Teela." he nods to the mouse. "But, this is also a time to celebrate his living."

Nicodemus gives way as many beasts, some old enough to remember the young Josiah, and others young enough to know him as Father Abbot, tell of their times and memories of him.

Beatrix's eyes were closed, relying on the echoes to see the room around her. As the Brennigs approach, her head lifts and they open. She nods slightly, so as not to interrupt the abbot.

The Abbey Elders speak last, the beasts who no longer actively perform roles but who remain in retirement for thier wisdom.

Nicodemus returns to the front and looks over the Hall.

Harper writes fiercely as each creature speaks their peace on the Departed, pausing only long enough to shake out his wrist. Oof.

Latna nods silently. It is easy to glean that Josiah meant a lot to many beasts.

Nicodemus sighs. "I simply haven't the skills to add to what's been spoken. It is with honor that I follow in his large footsteps."

Nicodemus raises his pws. "Everybeast, I thank you and I wish you well this evening. May Martin watch and guide us. Thank you for coming."

Sivaine nods to Beatrix, then looks forward again; Ardice offers a muted smile and does the same. Her paw sneaks over and grasps her sister's.

Nicodemus steps down, and speaks up, "Please enjoy the meal and cameraderie, everybeast."

Tameus leans up to murmur to Harper, "'s that mean 's o'er?"

As the service ends, Beatrix quietly makes her way towards the unfortunate widow, Teela...

Demmer watches somberly, then departs the room quietly.

Harper's ears twitch and, with a faint smile, he records Nicodemus' last words. He then flips back, having filled up multiple pages. He starts filling in some gaps in his shorthand. As for Tameus' question, he nods. "Aye - it means 'tis time to eat 'n' for folks t'reminisce - probably on some funny moments. Laughter's a great way t'remember a beast, Tammy."

Teela has moved to the side, accepting condolences from those who wish to give them.

Nicodemus goes to sit by the fire, mostly emptied out.

Gabriel sighs and flutters his wings a bit. All this talk of death...it made him shiver from head to claw. And what that creature said about "other crows"...were there others like him? Pappy never said anything about things like that...

Tameus says to Harper, cheerfully, "When y' die, 'll tell e'eryone 'ow much y' snore. That'll make 'um laugh."

Latna bobs his head to Nicodemus as the other mouse returns to the fire. "You spoke finely, sir Abbot. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to know your predecessor. He sounded like a good beast indeed."

"Lady Edenwood," begins Beatrix, a typical graceful curtsy accompanying. "The House of Lascaux mourns with you this day, m'lady. Abbot Josiah was a special friend, and his absence a grievous weal. I pray you-- hast ever need of one to speak to, my quarters are open even in the brightest day." And unusual sentiment, though perhaps not so much for a nocturnal bat.

"The meal!" Ardice exclaims in a hushed whisper. Sivaine gives her a little nudge. "Yes. Go. Go." As the younger Brennig scurries off, the elder draws her cloak around her and surveys the hall. What to do.

Nicodemus turns to Latna. "He was indeed. I wish he were still here wearing the Abbot's habit."

Teela nods politely to the bat, offering the smallest of smiles. "Thank you," she says softly. "I may need the company."

Gabriel smiles weakly and pats the Abbot with a wing. "Yeh...yeh did good, Mr. Abbot. But, I think I better go...all this sad talk is makin' me mighty up-set..."

Nicodemus looks up into the rafters. "I sure wish I could do that."

Tameus slides off the seat and goes to approach the elderly squirrel. "Mister abbot, I haft' talk t' y' 'bout some'n /ver'/ 'mportant, sir."

Sivaine glances upward. "Wishes have a funny way of coming true," she remarks. "Usually not how you'd hope."

Harper smiles at Tammy, snugging an arm around his shoulders. "You do tha', Tammy. Thanks." He's still writing, though, scratching some things out and filling others in. He glances up when Tammy slips off.

Nicodemus looks at Sivaine. "Oh, I've been airborne too." He rubs the gash on his head. "Long story, though, and this isn't the time or place for it."

"Though," Nicodemus adds to Sivaine, "I got off a lot more lightly than your journey."

Nicodemus turns to the leveret.

Latna smiles softly at Nicodemus earlier reply, "Aye, well, tis' a heavy robe to bear, I am sure. Though if the past is a bearing, the Abbey chooses its leaders well, and I am sure you are rightly picked." He muses at the fire.

Nicodemus asks, "Tam, lad, what can I do for you?"

Tameus points up toward the rafters, continuing to Nicodemus. "There's no way t' get up there for us wit'out wings. I think that needs t' be corrected, sir."

Tameus says, "I looked f' a way through th' attic but there 's none."

Nicodemus hms. "Actually, I can go up quite a ways, but not like our winged friends. And there's even higher, where the Sparra live. I am not sure they'd be overly comfortable with us entering their homes."

Nicodemus asks, "The attic? You've got more courage than many. Be careful if you head out onto the roof proper from there. It's a mighty long fall. Even my kin are careful up there."

"I mean th' beams up there," Tam corrects. "I wann' go up on th' beams but I can'. An' that's jus' not fair, sir."

Nicodemus ahs, and looks up, then looks at the leveret.

Sivaine eyes the leveret suspiciously. "Tam."

Latna chuckles at the leveret's argument. He makes a fair point.

Nicodemus turns briefly to Sivaine, "Hey, lass, what can I say? I loved climbing in the rafters. I loved climbing everything. I agree with him."

Nicodemus looks to the leveret. "Tam, no squirrel on the planet would challenge your point, believe me."

Tameus asks, "So's can y' have some'n make a way from th' attic t' th' beams, sir?"

"Mm? No, Father, I'm not criticzing." Sivaine chews thoughtfully on her lower lip, shakes her head, then moves off into the assembled crowd.

Harper seems content that he's got enough of the main details in that the rest can be filled in later, and so he sets his records aside. He smiles slightly. "Tammy, might be easier t'ask for a ride."

Nicodemus smiles. "Nope. See, it's not that someone is forbidding you, it's that you haven't managed it."

Tameus considers this. "So's .. 's there a way an' I jus' haven' figured 't ou'?"

Nicodemus says, "Right. You'd be breaking no rules or anything. I mean, we don't want you up there during events and such, obviously, because it's _rude_. And there's a very good chance you can get hurt, but I'm never going to suggest fear over courage in that. Most things can get beasts hurt."

"'ve been 'ttacked by an owl, sir," Tam says with a grin. "I can 'andle rafters, I think."

Nicodemus frowns. "Yeah, and Sivaine got savaged as well. I have faith in ye, lad. But, do keep in mind, getting hurt can become crippling or deadly. Clever, cocky, careless, dead."

Harper stands. "Would anyone like a drink?" He takes a few steps toward the food and drink, askance.

Tameus nods firmly. "Then I promise t' ne'er go pas' cocky."

Nicodemus laughs! "And I shall hold you to that; give it a few seasons and you'll wish you'd not said it."

"I may as well," Sivaine murmurs, materializing somewhere to Harper's left.

Tameus beams brightly up at the abbot. "I a'ready promised Taye I wouldn' die b'fore joinin' th' Lon' Patrol."

Nicodemus nods. "Then I guess you're covered. And in the Patrol, careless will not just get you dead but your other patrollers."

Tameus says, "In th' Patrol, bein' careless w'd mean 'm a bad Patroller. So's 'm /ne'er/ gonn' be careless, 'cause 'm gonn' be th' /bes'/ Patroller."

Beatrix slips off, headed away from the gathering.

Sufficiently warmed, Latna makes his way towards the tapestry of Martin. It seems only fitting to give a small tribute to the warrior on this day - Latna is certainly thankful that the Abbey stills stands, and he can't help feeling sobered for the Abbeydwellers loss. He whispers a quiet prayer before the tapestry.

Harper blinks, glancing to the side at Sivaine. "Oh hi," he laughs. He continues over, getting together a couple of plates and some drinks. He holds out a cup to Siv. "What'll you have?"

"Hi." There's the ghost of a smile; Sivaine shakes her head as if to clear it and takes the cup, fingers brushing over Harper's briefly. "I'll hazard a guess that he didn't even take it off to sleep," she remarks, then, "Nothing much. Anticipation's killed my appetite."

Tameus glances around, now aiming a question at Harper: "Da', 'ow'd Jove get 'urt las' nigh'?"

Bottlebrush slips into the great hall and looks around couriously.

Gabriel flutters in from the outside, now bereft of the clothing he had on for the funeral. In fact, he doesn't have anything except his knapsack and bow n'arrows...

Nicodemus nods to BB.

Bottlebrush smiles and dips his head to Nicodemus, "Father." He speaks in a quiet voice.

Nicodemus stands and stretches.

Harper grins at Sivaine. "Kind of got sidetracked last night, sorry." Hm. "Have some cordial," he suggests.

Nicodemus says, "It is time for me to return to the part of this job which is least desired."

Bottlebrush looks around a moment untill he spots Sivaine. The fox smiles and starts to make his way towards her, ears perked to make sure he is not walking towards a private conversation or anything. He looks towards Nicodemus and gives him a smile, "Have a good eve, Father Abbot?"

"Good night and merry part, everybeast." Nicodmus bows briefly to the tapestry.

Gabriel nods and finds a warm spot by the fire. "G'night, Mr. Abbot," he says with a smile, "sleep well."

Harper looks around. "Night, Father."

Latna bows his head to Nicodemus, "Good evetide, Abbot." He turns away from tapestry.

Nicodemus nods to the crow and the rest.

"What?" Sivaine glances at Harper. "The.. oh. No. It's fine. Good night, Father." The last is to Nicodemus as he departs, absently said. She eyes said cordial, and sets her cup down to lift the ladle. Cursed one-handed business.

Harper answers Tameus, also. "A cat attacked her, Tam."

Tameus looks startled at this response, and goes toward Harper. "A /cat/?"

Sivaine raises a brow, though she dosn't take her eyes off the business of cordial-pouring. The table does /not/ need a scented varnish. "Jove is.. oh." Her mouth quirks to the side. "Jove. Right."

Bottlebrush pauses near Sivaine and speaks in a soft voice, "Harper, Tameus, Sivaine.." He nods to all three of them as he names them and then looks at Sivaine, "Siv, you know the splint can some off tonight, if you would like."

"A cat," Harper says once more. He looks around, nodding to BB. He smiles in greeting. "Did you hear the service, Bottle? I didn't see you."

/That/ gets Sivaine's attention. Her head comes up swiftly to look at the masked healerfox, though she has enough presence of mind to set the cordial down before it overflows. "Yes, I would like," she says, keeping her voice low in deference to the occasion. "When you have time."

Tameus scowls a little. "See, /this/ is why I haft' know 'ow t' use th' sling," he says, going to latch onto Harper's arm. "So's I can keep /cats/ an' .. an' foxes an' ferrets an' all kinds'a vermin. Keep 'um from 'urtin' people."

Bottlebrush gives Harper a smile and nods, "I attended but stayed in the background, Harper. With how some beasts feel about me, I felt it better to stay unnoticed." He looks back at Sivaine and smiles again, "I am free when you are, Sivaine. I am always ready to help abbybeasts."

Said arm has a plate of food held in its paw! "That's yours, Tam. Thought you might be hungry."

Gabriel chrrups and draws his feathers around himself, wishing that the abbeybeasts wouldn't think he was so strange...

Tameus gives Harper a look like 'are you listening?' - but he lets go of his father and takes the plate, poking around its contents in search of something sweet. "So Sivaine," he redirects.

"I'm an abbeybeast now?" Sivaine murmurs to Bottlebrush, quirking a skeptical brow. She lets it pass without further comment. "When you're finished here, I think, Bottle." The mouse lifts her cordial cup and has a sip while she looks down to Tam. "Yes Colonel?"

Tameus lifts his eyebrows at her. "Y'r kinda tall f' a girl."

Bottlebrush chuckles at Sivaine, "You know what I mean, Sivaine, and I can take it off right here. I mean, I have changed your bandages in front of others since you have a shirt on. Unless that is rude..I did not learn about funerals or anything from my family." He then blinks at Tams words and starts chuckling more, the fox trying not to laugh.

Gabriel pokes little Zen and whispers, "C'mon lil' one...wake up, willya?" The mouse, however, seems determined to sleep through the night's events...

Sivaine has another sip, raising both brows. "So I'm told. What brought this up?" Then she blinks and winces slightly. "Erh. No. I.. think the infirmary would be better. This is a service, not a surgery."

Sivaine says, "In any case. Beasts are eating here."

Bottlebrush smiles, "Well, whenever you are ready, Sivaine. I will be up in the infirmary, making sure everything is nice and clean." He turns and heads off, his fluffy tail wagging. He always feels better when near the infirmary.

"I was jus' lookin' at y' an' y'r tall, 's all," the leveret says with a shrug. "'s jus' funny cause y'r a girl /an'/ a mouse."

Gabriel blinks his eyes and chrrups. "I coul' swear that fox's got a soft spot for yeh," he chuckles at Sivaine.

"Thanks," Sivaine calls over her shoulder after him. She has another sip of cordial, possibly to hide her expression. "Yes, I know. A girl and a mouse. Things don't always work the way you'd expect or like, I'm afraid." An ear flicks Gabriel's way. "For his sake, I hope not."

Tameus grunts. "I didn' say 'd /like/ y' t' be shorter. 'r not a mouse. Jus' sayin' 's what y' are an' 's odd."

Sivaine cants her head to the side. "No? You don't want me to be something else?"

"Maybe a guy," Tam amends with a smirk. "Or.." He pauses. And just smiles.

Blink. "A guy," Sivaine repeats flatly, then mutters, "Might make more sense. Or what?"

"A guy, yes," Tam reiterates, and nods.

"..mm-/hmm./" Sivaine holds the cup away from her, eyeing the liquid inside. "What's your reasoning for that one, then?"

"Well if y' were a guy," Tam says casually, turning from her to wander toward the food. He puts his plate down and leans up to find a big, gooey, gravy-covered pasty which he takes up in both hands. "... y' wouldn' like /other/ guys."

Another sip. This cordial is a handy prop. "You know. That," says Sivaine, "is not necessarily true." Her expression is that quiet, inscrutable one she sometimes wears.

Tameus takes a bite of the pasty. Gravy gets on his fingers and whiskers. He half-turns and looks at Sivaine, eyebrows raised questioningly while he chews.

Sivaine just looks back. "Things don't always work the way you'd expect or like," she repeats. "Plenty of stranger things in this world than me."

Harper has taken his plate over to his writings, which he is riffling through. He pauses every now and then as he reads to fork some boiled potato into his mouth. He is /kind/ of listening.

"Things 'appen th' way beasts /make/ 'um 'appen," Tameus responds, licking gravy from his upper lip. ".. an' I'm gonn' make things 'appen. An' y' can jus' watch." He heads back toward Harper.

Sivaine just.. watches. She's going all still and quiet again. Absently, she sets her cup down on the table, next to a plate of mixed nuts.

Sivaine says, "I always do."

Sivaine mmhs. "Harper."

Tameus reaches out with a gravy-covered hand to tap Harper's arm. "Can y' teach me 'ow t' use th' sling now?"

Harper's ears twitch and he glances towards the windows. Darkness. "Unfortunately not, Tam. It's too late... How 'bout in the morning?" He pauses, adds. "Besides, we all ought t'be here. I know you didn't know him, but Josiah was a good Abbot t'us - like Nicodemus." He looks past Tameus, to Sivaine. "Aye?" he queries.

"'m not tired," Tam mumbles. "'s not that dark out, an'way. Jus' f'r a lil' while, can't y'?"

Zen sits up, looking a little tired still... =.=

Sivaine just looks at him for a long moment. Then she grits her teeth, closes her eyes. "Nothing. I'll be in the infirmary."

Harper shakes his head. "I didn't say you were tired, bur there's no sense in goin' out with a sling when you can't see yer paw in front of yer face." His muzzle twitches - a small frown, as he looks to Sivaine. "You're not goin' t'stay?"

"Well s' not like 'm ne'er gonn' haft' use 't in th' dark, an'way," Tameus coaxes, with a perfect little smile. The gravy around his mouth is an interesting effect.

Harper doesn't say anything - he just looks at Tameus. Brow-quirk.

Tameus licks his lips as the smile drops to a straight line. "Why're y' lookin' at me like that."

Sivaine's ears angle back a fraction. She draws a breath. Lets it out. Her fingers twist in the fabric of her sling. "..I can't," she murmurs, low under the hushed hubbub of the service. "I can't. I." A long pause. "_No._" She turns, then, a little too sharply, picks up her cup, moves over to him. "No," she repeats. Quiet. There's moisture at the corners of her eyes; her jaw has a determined set. "I'll stay."

Zen's head bobs up and down, seemingly he's about ready to take a short nap again...

Sivaine says, "I'll stay. If you want me to stay."

Harper keeps his silence for a few seconds longer. "If you want to go in the mornin', we can go in the mornin'. That's my offer, Tammy." He's listening to Siv's inner - er, outer - turmoil throughout this. When she arrives at his side, his paw briefly touches to hers. Gives a squeeze. "I do."

Tundaheed trundles his way down the stairs, the wood creaking and groaning beneath him. The old hedgehog casts a scathing look at the timbers over his shoulder as he moves across the floor. He slows only when he reaches Zen, leaning over the mouse and giving him a gentle prod on the shoulder, "Good evening... what have thee learned?"

Zen eeks as his eyes snap open and peer at Tundaheed, "Oh... uhn... uh.... Hi!" He blushes softly, "Oh, uh.. I-I... was waiting to learn.. I guess.."

Tameus glances from Harper's face to their touching hands. "Mornin's good," he mutters, and bites into his pasty again. Scowly Colonel.

Tundaheed grunts, "Thee be off to a poor start for learning, youngling. Thee stayed awake all last night, I watched thee. Thee should have found rest when ye could have as I told ye. Now come, we'll start now, since thee seem refreshed."

Sivaine's shoulders relax; she looks down at Harpers paw, then up to his face. "Well. All right then." And she sounds calmer. She holds the cup out to him. "You were right. Cordial's good. Would you hold this a moment?"

Zen blushes red and erks... He then scratches his head, "Oh.. I-I... that's right! I should have listend.. but.. I-I'm not..." He stops in mid-sentence and nods his head, getting up. He scratches his head a little and then squeeks softly with a nod.

Harper would and does. He takes it with a nod and a grin, glad to see her a little more relaxed. "Good!" he says to Tam. "I'm lookin' forward to seein' how great you go."

Tundaheed nods, motioning towards the library, "Come, we'll start with the very basics."

Tameus's muzzle twists into more of a smile. "Y' wann' teach me somethin' else t'night?" he asks the older buck. "Somethin' 'nside?"

Is there? Yes. One of those small smiles, briefly obscured as Sivaine swipes at her eyes. But it's still there when she reaches over to take her drink back. "Thanks," she murmurs. "Really."

Harper glances down at Tam's laces. Grins a bit. "How about you tell me back the laces song I taught you?"

Tameus glances down, then up - looking at Harper and wiggling his nose side to side. "'ow 'bout /y'/.. tell 't t' me 'gain?"

Harper squeezes Siv's paw again, leaning briefly into her shoulder. "Welcome," he murmurs back with an irrepressible smile. "Your present's sittin' in the Gate house, by the way." Ahem.

Sivaine has an ear angled to Tam's voice, but her attention's elsewhere. "It's-" She makes a face at Harper. Then grins, ducks her head, and with a laugh that's more like an exhalation, leans back. "Hah. Well. You have to be there for that, then." Eartwitch.

Harper smirks at Tameus. Sneaky little bugger. "All right, but you'd /best/ sing along..." He clears his throat, kneeling down in front of Tameus. He catches hold of the laces and recites, in a slightly singsong voice. "I've tried and tried t'tie you, shoe. I've never done it yet. A loop that flip-flops on the fooor is s'close as I c'n get. I've practiced on spaghetti, I've practiced on the mop, I've practiced on a Sister, 'til she made me stop." And here he starts to tie, in time with what he says, "So here's the loop again, shoe. I'll hold it with m'thumb. I'll wrap the other end around... 'n' yank it into bows. It's done!" And yes, it is. He glances up, grinning at Siv. "Aye. I s'pose I do."

Tameus taps the toes of his boots together, head bobbing a bit. He mumbles along, speaking the pieces he remembers more loudly, grinning and watching as Harper performs the trick on his laces. "'s done!" he echoes, and reaches to curl his arms around Harper's neck while the Brother is still crouched. "Y' 'ave a nice singin' voice, da'. Y' need t' learn a lull'by."

Ack, Harper, she was leaning into you. Sivaine regains her balance without spilling her drink on anyone's head, though she looks a touch startled. Then she grins back. "Ought to copy that down sometime. There's probably regional variations." Blink. Erm. Another sip of cordial; she seems to loosen up some. "You do." Agreeing with Tam. "Could teach you mine."

Tameus continues, "An' /then/, mister. Then y' gotta sing 't t' me, whene'er I tell y' to!"

"Not.. mine, but the.. right." Siv briefly averts her gaze.

Harper grins a little bit, hooking his arms around Tameus' waist as he stands with him. "What, you mean t'tell me I ain't ever sung you a lullaby?" Child services, this man has been neglecting his child! He smiles at Siv. "I think I'd like t'hear that."

Harper says, "As I recall, you've got a pretty good voice yerself, Miss Siv."

"G'h." Sivaine blinks, reddening slightly. "What? When did you."

Harper smirks. "You're not s'quiet as you'd like t'think." Haaa.

Tameus shakes his head. "Not /once/," he growls playfully against the side of Harper's face. "Y' tuck me an' y' give me Taye an' y' tol' me a story once. But y' 'ave not /once/ sung me a lull'by, mister 'Arper."

"Blast," is Siv's automatic response; for a moment she looks, not to put too fine a point on it, mortified. She shuts her eyes briefly. "Right, so secret's out then."

Harper mms, nods. He looks just about as pleased as peaches. He then nuzzles Tam, grinning. "I've got one I'll sing for you later, then."

Tameus angles his muzzle to chew on the end of one of Harper's ears. "'s 't one y' sang t' y'r other kids? 'cause I don' wann' be sung one y' sung 'em." Gnaw.

Sivaine looks about the color of a peach. "Right. Wonderful. H'nh." She looks down briefly, burying her muzzle in her cup. "..I suppose no one else would hear in the gatehouse."

Harper shakes his head, though there's a brief few seconds of nothing first. "No. This is one my mum used t'sing to me." Aaaaand he glances at Siv. Grins. "Then mayhaps the three of us ought t'scurry out there for a few minutes so we c'n hear it." Because if she thinks he's WAITING, she's WRONG.

"Good," Tam grumbles at his dad, fingers cinched on the Brother's habit in the back. "'s gotta jus' be a lull'by f' /me/. Okay?"

"G'h," goes Sivaine again. Hard to imagine someone who makes a noise like that could carry a tune in a bucket. "Now?" She glances toward the doors, possibly contemplating escape. Or not. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Harper nods! "Now." Things have dwindled down, after all. He hefts Tam a little higher up in his arms, starting towards the door. A man with a mission! "And aye, Tammy. It'll just be for you."

"Mine," Tam emphasizes, and hangs on around the back of Harper's neck as the Brother goes toward the door.

"Errrrhh. Lllp. Right. I'll just. Er." Sivaine glances around distractedly and sets her cup down somewhere. She's done with it anyway. Then she twitches her hood over her ears and slips outside.