Bad Singers and Reed Flutes
-I'm not dead, and here's a log to prove it! :D
Camp Willow, just past the entrance. Ink, Chud, William: otters. Kacy: bat.
Fall worked its way across mossflower, dropping the occasional rain storm and tempermental wind spell through the land. Despite the colder weather Camp Willow was subject to a hurried atmosphere as beasts worked to prepair themselves for winter. Supplies had to be picked up, goods had to be sold, and shops had to be prepaired for the winter.
And all this activity was good business for one particular batty bard.
Camp Willow had been good to Kacy, it was the reason she came back after about a season away. But Collinsel had been better. In the end the urge to travel had been too strong for Kacy, but not before city life had taken it's toll. ALl that good food, soft beds and great ale took it's toll on the young fox bat, leaving her rounded with flesh to the point she decided not to even make the effor to fly here, instead hitching a wagon to the camp. The very plump bat lept off the wagon with her new lute strapped to her back and waved the kind mouse off as he went about his business selling apples...well, prehaps a few less now, mused the bat as she patted her fleshy stomach.
( Chud is sitting on the main grounds, absorbing the sun's rays. He yawns and stretches, scratching the back of his neck--Wait...Is that a bat? He does a double-take. )
"Bloody 'ell," he mutter to himself. "Bats in the belfry, eh?" he chuckles a little at his own joke.
Indeed, Kacy is a bat! Probably two bats by the size of her paunch. And with a rather ornate appearance as well. Her chest is covered by a simple red tunic, cut down the sides for her wings and across the middle to let her midriff be exposed. A dark blue scarff hangs about her neck and her waist is covered by an almost tribal looking sash and loose fitting trousers. Her ears are pierced with several wooden hoop earings.
( Kacy unslings her lute on the corner of the side walk, between a general goods store and tavern. Tossing a tin down in front of her she begins to play. )
For a creature with such good hearing her tone is completely off. Making a rather high pitched wailing noise as she sings.
Ink's doing absolutely nothing today- and she's in high bad humour about it. She come's striding down the southern entrance path, rubbing her forehead. She stops as she hears the singing, and huffs. What on earth?!
Chud winces and clutches at his ears at the singing. "Bloody 'ell," he repeats, grimacing. "Oy! Some of us like to keep their hearing!" he yells over the singing.
Perhaps standing out more than the butterball bat is the weasel that hops off the next cart to enter town. An older beast with grey in his muzzle the weasel steps lightly off of the woodlanders cart and onto his wooden paw. Grabbing what appears to be a violin case the weasel waves his thanks to the driver before heading off to his own business. His dress is a bit more civilized than most vermin. A brown leather vest and dark yellow tunic underneath.
Despite this he is subject to many different stares by the mostly woodlander beasts of the village. Ignoring them Hersel moves with a purpose. Striding towards the General goods store and the bat who can't seem to hear the otter yelling at her over her own singing. The weasel cringes. Pausing at the door of the store he strides over to Kacy, taking the lute from her wing tips. She makes a startled gasp, "H-hey!"
Silencing her with his paw he turns to the lute, adjusts the strings a bit, and hands it back. "There, at least your lute will be in tune with your signing." He says with a curt smile, handing it back to the bat before heading back into the shop.
Insulted Kacy craddles her lute like one would a small child. Quietly she begins to start signing again, gaining tempo as she realizes that her lute actually is in tune with her for a change.
She still sounds awefull of course, but at least her tone doesn't threaten to break glass...
Ink winces at the obnoxious noises, her eyes warily on the weasel as he helps out with Kacy's lute. At least it sounds better now. A little better. The black otter shakes her head and keeps walking, slowing a bit as she sees Chud. Doesn't she know him from somewhere? Maybe she's seen him around before, she can't remember. She gives him a curt nod, rather than risk saying hello and then realizing she doesn't actually know him.
Chud nods as well, giving a little-half smile at the corner of his mouth, his whiskers twitching a little. He has a similar deja vu feeling, unsure if he know the older she-otter or not.
Ink's attention is momentarily grabbed by the sound of the slamming door as the bat disappears into the building the weasel went into. She heaves a sigh and walks over to the willow tree by the river bank, laying her weapon by her side as she sits down. It occurs to her to engage the other otter (like she's been encouraged to do more often), and she gives him a sideways glance before gruffly saying, "Good afternoon" politely .
Chud smiles a little, saying, "'ey," simply before gazing off into the sky, admiring the clouds.
Ink shrugs. Ah well, she tried. She looks away at the rushing river, listening to the happy shrieks of the kits playing downstream and their caretaker's warning shouts. The camp's pretty quiet today- there aren't actually a lot of otters here right now. Ink leans forward and pulls a reed out of the water with a loud -snap- that sounds across the quiet clearing.
Chud starts slightly at the noise, before relaxing again. The young otter watches the older one suspiciously.
Pulling a dagger out of her bag, Ink carves off bits of the reed. She's a good carver, but the reed's brittle. She frowns. "You busy, friend?" She calls hesitantly, not sure if she should be talking to him. And who on earth knows if he really is a friend.
"Nar, you?" Chud calls back after a moment. He takes a swig from his canteen and swallows it, sighing contentedly. Bloody pretty outside today.
Ink frowns at her fraying reed, and cuts herself another. "No, but I wish I was." She mutters. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about making reed flutes, would you?" Her rough voice is puzzled as she glares at the reed.
"I know a little about woodcarving, mebbe I can figure somethin' out," Chud replies, heading over to sit down next to Ink and inspecting the reed.
Ink waves the reed about in the air. "I can carve wood, too, but these reeds are something else. Harder than it looks. I was hoping I could make one by tonight. Here." She holds out the reed and her little carving knife.
Chud accepts the knife and reed carefully and examines them more closely. "Hrrmmm...Well, y'gotta have airflow, fer sure. Three openings, then more so it's not just a whistle..."
"Hm. Yes. And it doesn't have to be perfect. I'd just need to know the basic bits." Ink twitches her nose. "Thanks for your help, mate." She comes across as a little formal in her awkwardness, unused to reaching out to others as she is.
"Hm," Chud ponders again. "Gotta make sure the inside is dry and smooth. So you'd want to spend some time drying it out..." He looks up. "No problem, mate."
Ink sighs. "Suppose I'll have to start with that, then." She shakes her head, almost smiling. "Shoulda known it'd take awhile. Ah well, thanks again anyway. Perhaps when I've gotten a few dry ones to practice with I'll come back to you." She reaches over and pulls a few more reeds out of the riverbank with sharp tugs, shaking them free of water drips.
Chud smiles softly. "Good luck with that." He hands the knife back to Ink and sets the reed he was holding down "I'm gonna go refill my canteen, maybe get s'm food....so, see ya." He heads off.
( A quiet, withdrawn young otter wanders over, looking bored. He stops a little ways off, watching Ink silently. )
Ink takes her things back from Chud, huffily stuffing her knife into her bag, and carefully wrapping her reeds in cloth before tossing them into her bag, as well. She gives a curt nod to the newcomer before leaning back against the willow tree. She's still not in a good mood, and still doesn't have anything to do. She certainly doesn't recognize this other otter, and isn't about to interact with him, too, after just speaking with Chud.
William continues watching the other otter a few moments, before searching around a fallen log silently. He looks around and under it, then peers through the nearby weeds, looking dismayed.
Ink watches his actions silently, out of the corner of her eye. She rubs her face, grumbling unintelligibly She can pretty much hear in her head her friend telling her to engage this other creature. Fine. "Looking for something?" She asks flatly, without looking up from staring at the river.
William whirls around, startled at her voice. He looks at the other otter again, then nods emphatically, gesturing to the area around the log.
Ink wrinkles her nose. "It's a log, mate. Did you drop something?" She twists around to get a better look, one eyebrow raised.
William nods slowly, then frowns. He didn't drop something, exactly, he misplaced it. The young otter scowls in frustration, unable to say what he means.
Oh. It suddenly occurs to Ink that she's the only one talking. She assumes this other otter is mute, then. She stares at him impassively as she thinks about how to go about this. "If you are looking for something, are you sure it's over there by your log?" She asks.
William nods again. He last remembered having his all important satchel near the log... It had to still be nearby.
Ink stands, throwing her bag over her shoulder and picking up her javelin-pike. "Well then, I'm sure we can work with that." She gives a half smile (careful not to show her pointy teeth). She's a bit more comfortable now- talking to a mute creature is a bit like talking to an upset child, and she's had plenty of practice with that. "Was it a big thing?" She straightens her tunic and strides over, eying the log and the nearby forest debris.
Maybe at some point we'll finish (though I doubt it. XD XP) Hope you enjoyed!
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