(no subject)

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen brings an entire menagerie with her when she enters Milliways this time. Liranan is pacing at her right, a raven with red banding on its leg perched on his back. Pounce is trotting along at her left, and all three of them settle at a table to wait while the wingless two-legged member of their party heads to Bar to get a quill, some ink, and a great stack of blank parchment.

She's got a lot of letters to write, and the wording of each one needs to be meticulously crafted. Ysalwen almost fully takes her seat before she stops, rubbing at her face.

"No, no, I'll get you food first. And water. Don't steal the quill while I'm gone."

That last is directed equally to Pounce and the raven, though Liranan does sit up straight and bark. Once. He is on it, Ysa! He will keep your pen right where it is!

It is his duty!

[ooc: Feel free to hit the table when just the animals are there, and Ysa will show up, or catch her on her way back from the bar, or when they're all settled in!]

Comments

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye approaches Ysalwen's zoo just as the elven woman is returning from the bar with food. The uniformed Amestrian greets her with a quick smile and holds up her hands in an offer to help her carry some. "Hello, Ysalwen. Do you need help?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Oh, yes, please, Hawkeye," Ysalwen says, shifting her tray a little.

"If you wouldn't mind taking Pounce's smaller dish and the bag of seeds? Otherwise when I put down the deer haunch there'll be a rush, and I really don't want to fall over just now."

[deadeye_shot]

"Of course," Hawkeye says, picking the indicated items up from Ysalwen's grasp. The Amestrian falls into step behind the Fereldenian, waiting to be led to her table full of animals.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Thank you," Ysa says, smiling crookedly and heading -- with greater ease -- over to the table, crouching to set down the tray and the deer haunch on it right under Liranan's nose.

He looks up at Hawkeye and barks a cheerful greeting, then sets to with a will.

Ysa then gestures toward the orange tabby that has hopped up onto the corner of the table, waiting for his due.

"This is Pounce. Well, Ser Pounce-a-lot, but Pounce is easier to shout across a battlefield. If you want to set his dish next to him, I can take the seeds from you and get Chou settled."

At that she holds up one hand, shaking her head a little. "Her name is not my fault. Neither is Pounce's, to be fair. I'm bad at whimsical."

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye does as instructed, setting Pounce-a-lot's dish down and passing the seeds to Ysalwen. "I think the names are great. What does Chou mean?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Cabbage."

Her mouth twists at one corner, eyes dancing with suppressed mirth.

"It's an endearment in Orlais. My friend -- the one the bird belongs to -- is . . . incredibly Orlesian. Zev likes to tweak her about it when he can. And oh, he can."

Vive la fake France!

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye's lips twitch. "Understood," she says, and Ysalwen can probably hear Hawkeye's amusement under the flat tone of the word. If nothing else, she can see it shining in her eyes. "So why do you have all three with you today?"

[iprotectyou]

Pupper! And cat, and some sort of bird! Baze bounds up from the stairs, holding a hand out to Liranan after Ysalwen has settled in.

"Hoi, Ysalwen! May the Force of others be with you! What are you working on?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen looks up at Baze's first utterance, and smiles. It's a tired sort of smile, but it's present.

"Letters, mostly. How have you been?"

The raven hops and ruffles her feathers, then goes back to the small pile of seeds stacked in front of her.

Pounce ignores everything.

[iprotectyou]

Oh, no! She's tired. Well, that won't do. Baze flashes a grin and crouches down to pet Liranan.

"I've been great! I've finally finished my lightbow project. All that's left is testing the weapon. So, letters, huh?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"News travels slowly, where I am now," she says, shaking her head a little.

"So, yes. Letters. But you finished your lightbow! Have you eaten yet?"

You had better say yes, Baze.

[iprotectyou]

"Not yet. I still need to test the lightbow, and then I can eat everything in sight," Baze says, beaming sheepishly. He rubs the back of his neck before returning to Liranan.

"I've got a list of foods to try. Have you ever had a hot dog?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"I read that those are made with rat meat," Ysalwen says, straight-faced.

Nug meat would probably be better.

[childofrebellion]

(OOC: If you're up for another thread.)

Cassian's carefully carrying his dinner when he sees the table full of animals, he recognizes Liranan and says, "Now animals from your world are invading?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Hmm?"

Ysalwen looks up, blinking her eyes to tear herself away from working on letters and pull her back into the now.

"Oh, no. No, these I brought in with me. They'll go when I do."

Pounce hisses, reaching down from the edge of the table to take an idle swat at Liranan's ear.

[childofrebellion]

Ysalwen looks worn out and Cassian frowns, "Do you want some caf?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Caf? I -- oh, um, no, no, I don't think so. But I'd take some tea, if that's on offer? Strong tea?"

She's never quite developed a taste for coffee, alas.

"Are you all right?"

It's the frown, you see.

[childofrebellion]

"I can get some. Recovering from some injuries. Is there space for me to sit? How about you?" She doesn't look like she's been sleeping enough.

[freedom_is_grey]

Her eyes narrow.

"How many injuries is 'some'?"

She looks up at the table, then, and sighs. "Pounce, get over here and give the man some room."

Pounce seems happy enough to get tucked in on Ysa's lap, so there's that.

[nerves_of_ice]

It's the bark that gets his attention, just as he's coming through the door into Milliways. He glances after Ysalwen as she heads to the bar, and moves toward the table instead.

"I see you have some new friends," he tells Liranan.

[freedom_is_grey]

Liranan yips cheerfully, wriggling himself out from under the table and lifting up his head for scritches!

Only one of these friends is new! That is the bird!

Pounce yawns very convincingly, and the raven nervously hops from the back of one chair to another.

[nerves_of_ice]

He uses his right hand to scratch Liranan's ears, eyeing the raven's nervousness in the meantime.

"So, are you on bodyguard detail, or what?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Liranan's ears perk up. James understands!! His stubby tail wags back and forth with inordinate energy.

Pounce hisses, then flops over onto his back, belly bared to the sky.

[nerves_of_ice]

He switches his regard from the raven to the cat.

"Not sure if that's an invitation or a trap, kitty-cat."

The hiss seems like a warn-off, after all. Still, he sounds amused.

"What do you think, Liranan?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen, who has made her way back to the table with a tray laden with food for the animals, pauses to set it down on the edge of the table.

"It's a trap," she says. "For anyone but me and maybe Zev, on a good day."

She's just saying.

Liranan whines. They were about to play a joke, Ysa!