3-3-10 - Blake, Thad, Tyree, Cole, Nimue

Salamandastron: Crater

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

You are on the very top of the mountain of Salamandastron: a large, bowl-

shaped crater. The crater is not smooth, quite the contrary in fact.

Numerous boulders and large chunks of rock are strewn around randomly,

making the crater top just as craggy as any of the mountainside. The

crater provides an outstanding view of the surrounding country. The sea

sprawls off to the west as far as the eye can see, and north and south

along the endlessly rolling sand dunes. In the distant east, a tinge of

green is just visible from this height, marking the vegetation in the

foothills of the Western Mountains.

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

                 Visible Exits:

[N]ortheast [M]ountainside [Down] to Third Level

"You'ah righ', Tyree," Blake says as she stands up, dusting herself off. "Age doesn't mattah. 'm bloody six seasons, an' you know what? I know everythin' already." Grinning, she gives them both a bit of a wave and heads back inside. "Seeya guys."

"See you later, Blake." Thad gives a little wave with his picking paw before turning back to Tyree. "Just playing, Ty. I never thought I'd say this to somebeast /else,/ but maybe you need to lighten up sometimes."

"Yes... don't let us stop ya from enlightening the bally mountain," Tyree says after Blake, before turning back to Thad. "I hear that very often," he replies, returning to a straight, formal posture. "Though I do not quite know what 'tis meant by it. I used ta' bally well never even /speak/ ta' anyone, you know," he says.

"Yeah?" Thad sways a little with his own playing. "Then you've already made strides. You can at least lighten up around your friends. Be the stoic work-minded hare around everybeast else, but Ty, let me tell you..." He strums a few more chords, then sings, "You're taking yourself too seriouslyyyyyy..." Grin.

Tyree turns fully to the other buck, staring levelly at him. "All right, now you're just bein' silly," he says, but there's no hint of scorn behind it, and there's a very slight upward turn of the corner of his lip. A smirk.

"Heheh..." Thad stands up, leaning forward just a little as he supports and strums at his lute. "Tyree, Tyree, takes himself too seriously," his strums pick up, building a very oom-pah rhythm with them as he continues in a rather sing-song voice, "Always with sorrow, never with glee, he's just what a patroller should be...!"

Tyree sighs and crosses his arms as he leans back, apparently doing his best to look perturbed. If he had not already known Thad, he might truly have been. "Aye, an' proud of it, too," he adds, in a very plain, not-sing-songy-at-all voice.

"His major is so very proud, and his Colonel too..." Thad starts bouncing along with his strums, practically grinning as he continues his improvised ditty. "You'll know right away he's judging you -- you can tell when he's looking at youuuuu, oh, Tyree, Tyree..." And he goes back into what is now the chorus.

Well, it seems like someone's doing a bit of serenading out here? Cole's head pops up above the edge of the crater as he ascends from inside the mountain, his ears perked as he looks around. He glances back over his shoulder, muttering to someone. "Someone's... singin'?" He continues up and out.

"I'm judgin' this song is all satire an' no substance," Tyree mutters, though even he sounds somewhat amused at this point. He still refuses to actually *look* like it, though.

Nimue follows a few steps behind Cole. She may not be easy to see right away, because of the large buck in front of her, but her voice is audible in response to his. "Thought you said no one really comes up here..?"

"He rarely ever smiles, except when he's being smug..." Thad dances from one foot back to the other... "And if you ask, well I just think he needs a great, big, huuuuuuuuuuuuug!" Thad takes a big breath to go into the chorus, then ends up cackling uncontrollably, doubling over in laughter.

"... Well. Mostly they don't," Cole shrugs as he glances towards the pair. Huuuuuuh. Cole's head tilts to the side at a severe angle. His ears flop over a bit. As always he resembles a bit of a very big puppy.

Nimue steps around Cole as he stops to come up at his side, her brows quirked as she regards the two older bucks. "Only the loonies, I guess," she comments to the other recruit with her lips twitching in the start of a smile. Great big hug. Heheh.

Tyree shakes his head and looks away. "A hug. Right. Ha, ha. Like ta' see you /try,/" He rolls his eyes, which then fall on Cole and Nimue. Said eyes widen a tad, and then he begins to stand up. Uh oh. Someone heard that? "Cole?" he questions aloud. "Ah... hello. What brings you up here? An' with company...?" he wonders, eyeing Nimue closely.

Spinning around on a heel to see just who Tyree's talking to, Thad's ears pin. "...Hello," he begins, letting the body of his lute pendulum-swing down as he holds it by the neck. "...Ahhhhehm, hm."

Cole glances to the side at Nimue and then to Tyree as he's greeted. "Hi, Tyree." He lifts a paw in greeting, and then gestures to Nimue with a smile. "This is Nimue. She's a new recruit."

Nimue's lips curve up further. The way she considers the other two bucks seems a bit squinty-eyed, doesn't it? That's likely because one of her eyes is rather.. swollen. Eye and cheekbone. Recent shiner, which would be more obvious if her fur wasn't dark. One hand lifts and she moves her fingers in a little wave at Thad and Tyree. "'lo there."

Thad hehs. "Well, I was just going... Good seeing you," he says, generally, to all three of the other hares. Heh. He kneels down and picks up his diary and charcoal, standing up and carrying those, along with his lute, back inside. "See you all around..."

"Hello," Tyree says with a simple nod, staring at the bruise over Nimue's eye. "New recruit, eh? Welcome ta' the mountain. Just... come from a boxin' match?" he hazards. He nods to Thad. "Thanks for the, ah... musical tribute," he says with a tilt of his head.

Thad waves with his diary-carrying paw over his shoulder, and heads down.

Cole watches Thad go with a curious look. Hum. Singing buck! Intriguing. He glances back 'round at Tyree, then, and flushes a little at the question. "... I hit 'er." Pause. "/In/ a boxin' match," he elaborates.

Nimue lifts her hand and touches her fingertips to the swell of her eye, a bit self-consciously. "He's lying. He's a wifebeater, is all it is," she says with a fairly straight face - but a hint of laughter in her tone.

"... Ah," Tyree says, at the conflicting reports from the two of them. "An' a tour is a good way ta' make it up ta' a gel, eh?" he asks, only /slightly/ amused this time. He moves forward, extending his paw to Nimue. "Pleasure ta' meetcha. How long 'ave you been with us?"

Cole manages a small grin at Nimue's joking, though he still looks /rather/ guilty as his gaze lingers on her swollen eye. Aw. :\ He lets Nimue answer Tyree's questions, though, as he sinks his paws into his pockets and rocks back on his heels.

Nimue glances at Cole, and catches the guilty look. She's been dealing with it all day! "/Stop/ that," she mutters, grinning, and smacks her hand lightly into his arm, then responds to Tyree. "Aheh - this is day four. Ish."

"She's doin' great, though," Cole pipes up! He's a fan, clearly.

"I guess," Nimue responds, tilting her head up to smirk at Cole. "If getting whupped counts as 'doing great'."

Tyree drops his paw back to his side. "Four? Cole, you should really treat our guests better," he chides the buck with a slight glint in his eye. "Don't worry. You'll improve," he tells Nimue. "The mountain has a way of... temperin' good steel, if you catch my drift."

"You gave me a bruise on my chin," Cole points out helpfully! He lifts up his head, pointing under his chin for her to look. It's kind of a... little... puffy. Ish. He grins a little sheepishly at Tyree,

then. "Yessah, I know. I made sure I got 'er to the infirmary, though."

Nimue reaches up.. and prods Cole's chin with two fingers. She snerks, glancing at Tyree with a shrug. "Not like I've never boxed before. Just takes practice. And this place is just.. excellent for getting practice. Everyone seems willing to take a turn to hand your scut to you on a platter." Grin. XD

"In order ta' be the best, one must first find the ones who are better, an' beat them," Tyree says in a stoic, lecturing tone of voice, returning his paws behind his back and his ears to erectness. "Like I said. In time, you will give far more than mere bruises on chins. Speakin' of which, /I/ wouldn't mind takin' a spin in the ring with either of you. Always good ta' see what the newer hares can do."

Cole's ears perk at that, and Cole grins. "I'd really like that, sah." His grin shifts to Nimue, then. "You'd best watch out for this'un, though. She's fast."

"... bruised his ribs, too," Nim points out, glancing at Cole's rib-level, which is only a little down from her muzzle. XD "You know. You /should/ have a go, you two. I'll watch!" she decides.

Tyree raises an eyebrow at Nimue's suggestion. He glances at Cole, looking for his approval as well. He had hoped to get some whittling time in, get to know his soon-to-be sparring partner. "Truly? We will have to move back down to the boxing ring." He glances around at the rocks. "Wouldn't want us crackin' skulls up 'ere."

Uhhhh. Cole looks form Nimue to Tyree and... laughs. "Uh, well. It's a bit late, innit? Mayhaps... t'morrow?" His paw comes up to scruff at the back of his neck.

".. how about tomorrow?" Nimue encourages, her bright expression turning between the two. "'course, you'd have to tell me /when/. I want to watch."

"Tomorrow," Tyree says with a satisfied nod. He seems rather pleased that Cole has accepted. Even if he is trying to put it off. Tyree is never not ready for a good scuffle. "It'll be a sight, I'm sure."

Tomorrow. Cole grins, with a bit of rising enthusiasm. He too loves a good scuffle. "T'morrow evenin' aftah suppah, mayhaps?" he asks.

Nimue snorts. "You should know better than to box right after a meal.. What happens if you get punched in the gut?"

Cole gives Nimue an amused glance. "Aw, but mom, I promise t'sit for thirty minutes first," he teases.

"Disgustin' things," Tyree murmurs reflectively, glancing down at the ground for a moment. He's been around the block and knows such things, oh yes he does. "A good amount of time /after/ suppah, then," he agrees.

Nimue punches Cole in the arm. Gently! Kinda. "Past your bedtime, /sonny boy/," she retorts.

Cole rolls his eyes at the punch, grinning still. "Yeah, yeah. Say a coupla hours or sommat, yeah? We'll meet down in the boxin' chambah." He gives Nimue's shoulder a playful shove. "I gotta go find my sis. I told 'er I'd meet up with 'er for a bit of trainin' 'fore bed." He nods to Tyree, as well. "I'll see you t'morrow, sah." And he turns, heading off to duck back into the mountain. And away!