Pride and Prejudice - CW Style
Characters: Zinnia, Flicktail, Zephyr
It's a little bit after lunch time at Camp Willow and the area is buzzing with activity. The lunchtime cooks have finished cleaning up the dining hall and are headed towards the river for a bit of afternoon relaxation. There's a group of otters returning from collecting herbs in the surrounding woods and another group that is getting ready to head out. They cross paths and noisily greet each other. Acting Skipper Zephyr is coming from the willow tree followed by four small dibbuns who keep falling behind due to the otteress' huge strides. That and they're climbing on top of each other and knocking each other over. She's headed towards the tavern but keeps getting sidetracked by otters with questions and greetings.
Zinnia is sitting down quietly writting in he jornal, she looks upas the otters come by and talk to one another. She looks back to her ornal and finsihes what ever it is she was writing before she closes it.
"Go go go. Find your mothers! Go." Zephyr turns around and attempts to shoo the little otters away from her but they jump around and dodge her motions. "Fine. But you can't come into the tavern." She turns back around to enter the building in question and the dibbuns run around her legs, jumping over her tail as they go. "No! Go home!" Zephyr points towards the residential area but it is in vain. The tiny otters ignore her admonition and scamper off in the opposite direction.
Zinnia watches and smiles, she stands and walks over, "Hello there, someone once told me how my Uncle Oz must be really brave to handle all the abbey dibbuns like he does, and trust me its more than just 3-4 dibbuns."
Zephyr does not know who this 'Uncle Oz' is. "Huh." And she's also not quite sure who this badger is or why she's telling her about dibbuns. Zeph glances at the badger and then back towards the retreating dibbuns. "Oh good." One of the dibbuns has found its mother and she's collected the wayward crew. She turns back to Zinnia. "I suppose you're from that Redwall group, eh?"
Zinnia nods "Sister Zinnia, recorder of Redwall Abbey. My UncleOz didn't come, he is the dibbun caretaker of the abbey. Iam unsure how long the group will be here as there is a feast in the quarry in a couple days time and thats our last stop before we head home." She looks around as she smiles "Your camp is very nice and peaceful"
Arms akimbo, Zephyr nods and scans the busy square. "We try. It's not perfect but the system works pretty well. I hope you all are finding your accommodations acceptable?" They've been put up in some empty cabins in the northern residential area.
Zinnia nods "Yes,all has been going well.I have been trying to learn about Camp Willow, see I love to learn about places I have not been before and places taht are friends with the abbey are important to know of as well"
"Well have you checked out the library in the willow tree?" Zephyr points at the towering tree with the hollow trunk. "We've had recorders of our own over the years and they did a somewhat decent job of taking down our history. I mean..." She shrugs. "We /are/ otters. Sometimes it's hard to read but the parts that are legible are interesting."
Zinnia eyes light up at the mention of a library, "A library? You have your own library here? Thats amazeing!" She then cups a paw over her mouth, "Oh..sorry, I tend to get excited sometimes"
Zephyr grins. "It's not...huge. And it's not really organized either. In fact, I'm not sure anyone really knows what's in there. But I'll take you over there if you'd like to see it."
"It's just in the tree, past the office area. You really can't miss it. Books and all." Zephyr points at the willow. "If you get lost, just ask one of the other otters. Everyone knows where the willow is." She waves at Zinnio as the badger saunters off and then the otter turns her attention back to the tavern. "Finally. Lunch."
Flicktail walks along his cloak fluttering gently in the breeze as he looks up "Sister Zinnia? I have amessage from Zee fer ya.”
Zephyr sighs. "Zinnia just left towards the library. It's over there" she points at the gigantic tree "if you want to catch her."
Flicktail says, "thank you Skipper"
"O' course." Zephyr hops up the stairs towards the tavern. "Now if you don't mind me taking my leave, I haven't had lunch yet."
<---Move into the Tavern--->
The mood in the tavern is relaxed. Not too many otters are here yet as it's still early afternoon. The after lunch/before dinner lull has taken over and the various waters are cleaning up and prepping for the crowds that are sure to arrive later on in the evening. Zephyr takes a seat in the back corner of the tavern and asks one of the young waiters to bring her some cordial and a bowl of shrimp soup. A simple meal, but Zeph isn't very hungry.
Flicktail walks in following the Skipper Otter but not TOO cose..otter rudders can be DEADLy at close range
The food is brought and Zeph digs in. The soup is good and the cordial refreshing.
Flicktail goes over and quietly attemps to pay for the Skipers meal, ordering Ehtra hot hotroot soup for himself with shrimps
"Nah, theresa deal 'ere." Says the burly otter behind the counter as the fox attempts to pay. "Skip eats free, always. But yers..." He takes two coins from the pile on the counter and pushes the rest back to Flicktail. "'S jus' soup. Nothin' to drink wit' it?" He raises an eyebrow dubiously.
Flicktail says, "well" his ears blush some "Ale makes me....tipsey..have you any raspherry cordial? andmay I sit with Skipper?"
A full mug is plunked down in front of the fox. "You'll hafta ask 'er y'self." Then he goes back to wiping down the counter.
Flicktail moves with his mealto Skippa "Um..may I Join you Skippa? I be unarmed
As a general, life-saving habit, Zeph doesn't trust foxes. But despite her misgivings, this one /has/ arrived with the party from Redwall. And she's seen him before even though he doesn't seem to recognize her. "Can't really stop ya." She waves at the chair across the table from her.
Flicktail sits down and begins with the soup "I want to thank you for lettin me come ere wi my mate, I wanted to show her where I grew up...I know you judge a beast by their fur...and ..well yer just verra kind...I made a present for you..it's somethin I do...I am a Carpenter”
Zephyr rolls her eyes at the subtle dig. "You gonna pass insults and then offer a gift?" She finishes off her soup and leans backwards in her chair so that she's more comfortable. "Not sure what type you Redwallers are but at least here we aren't rude."
Flicktail says, "I did not mean to insult Marm, just repsect......I apologize if I were rude, I am notthe most EDUCATED beast in the abbey...forgive me please?"
"You don't get it, do you?" Zephyr wraps her paws around her mug and leans her elbows on the table so that she's closer to the fox. "You're accustomed to beasts just kowtowing to your every whim because you hold some giant sword that the abbey beasts revere. We don't do that here. Here, if you want respect, you /earn/ it and it has /nothing/ to do with your position. And you usually earned it because you had to fight for your life against beasts of /your/ species. You tell me you aren't the same, you tell me you're uneducated, you ask forgiveness, but you haven't been through what we've been through. You do whatever you want here, fox, but until you've earned it, we don't care who or what you are." She stares at him for several tense moments before finishing off her drink and standing up.
Flicktail says, "aye Thats tru Marm, I ave been thru a lot of different things.....I will earn your repsct that be fair but I ask you give me that opportunity..because I make mistakes doesn't mean I am trying to demand anything...no one revers me..I amjust a beast........won't you please sit and talk wi me?"
Zephyr eyes him for a moment then hooks her foot around the leg of the chair in order to pull it out further from the table. Now that she can face sideways to the fox, she's more comfortable. She shares a glance with the barkeep and someone brings her another mug. "Sure I'll talk to ya. But like a grown up. Stop simpering."
Flicktail says, "I am not simpering and it is not right to see the worst in everything a beast says....do not chastize me liek a dibbun and tell me wot I gotta do, I know all about respect and we feel the same...now may I give you this gift? it is of course up to you if you wish to accept it or not but I put a lot o work into it"
Zephyr takes a long drink from her mug. Mostly this is to buy time because she feels awkward about accepting a gift from a fox. She sets the mug down. "I will accept the gift for Camp Willow."
Flicktail nods and takes a backage about 8 inches tall from his back pack, wrapped in white cloth and slides it to her
Zephyr watches him place it on the table. "What is it?"
Flicktail smiles a genuine smile "open it for th surprise...it is not dangerous
Zephyr peels the layers of cloth back to reveal a...
Within is a wooden statuette of an otter. It looks hand (paw) carved and has a rich dark chocolate wood for the back, and the front has been carved out and a lightertan birch wood for under. The green cloak is carved and colored onto it's back and 2 pices of jade setthe eyes. A bit of buffing gave the statuette fawn colore breeches and at the base is carved "Zephyr Skipper of Camp Willow and Friend to Redwall Abbey
Zephyr gently touches the otter and then carefully wraps it back up. "Camp Willow thanks you." She says formally. "We will put it in the library with our other special things." The collection includes stuff from all over and is actually quite interesting to look at. "I hope your group is comfortable here?"
Flicktail says, "aye marm, maybe I can see your collection some time...is there anything we can do during our visit?"
"The collection is housed in the willow tree. Any beast is welcome to go look." Zeph finishes off her mug. "And thank you for the offer but we are fine here. We prefer to do things on our own."
Flicktail asks, "I know, did you know Kroova? orhis Son Kroova Jr? they helpped riase me here"
Zephyr shakes her head. "I did not grow up here, only arrived a few seasons ago after having been at the Abbey for awhile."
Flicktail nods "I was a shield otter here
Flicktail cocks his head
Zephyr has no idea what that is but she's had enough. In an effort to not lose her temper she stands up and carefully tucks her chair under the table. "You are not an otter, sir." She stares him in the eye. "And I take great offense to the fact that you continue to claim to be. Thank you for your gift. Have an enjoyable stay." And with that, Zephyr, acting Skipper of Camp Willow, turns her back on the Champion of Redwall Abbey and marches out the door of the tavern, back to the main square.
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