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 Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:04 am
Abel had, indeed, been quiet after they had entered the bob's home, having sat down beside Sarah as he listened to the creature the tiny otters had led them to. He had grown used to the Cat and its golden eyes, and this creature was just as enigmatic, as if they were somehow related. Maybe they were.
But after listening to Sarah's worries and the Hazel's reply, he could no longer remain quiet. He looked to his mate, brushed the back of one paw across her cheek and returned his solemn gaze to the bobcat.
"Yes, we knew. I personally feel that in there lies the problem, though not that our traits make us incompatible, rather my origins," he paused there, looking to his mate once more, his eyes filled with the love he had for her, but also the sadness that he couldn't give her what she wished for.
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:03 am
Sarah had never once thought that Abel's wings and her Fangs or claws might make some difference. It made sense now though, oddly enough, she simply thought all sorts managed to get along somehow. Still now that she thought on it she didn't recall ever seeing a pairing like theirs.
Demons don't deserve Angels... She brushed the thought from her head and nuzzled her mate lovingly. She might not be perfect, but she loved Abel with all her heart, and she knew she was loved in return. Why should they be punished by nature for feeling for one another?
She looked at Abel and placed her paw against his, she knew that he was tampered with by human kind, but still she felt the fault lay within her. Sarah feared an inability to give life, after having taken so much. Finally she looked at Hazel and spoke in a shaky voice. "Is it even...possible?"
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Luminous Imp Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:54 am
"Oh pfaf." The old bob shook her head, the paused to scratch lazily at one balding ear. "Of course it is! Stranger things than that've happened in this parts, you can be sure. Just some things take more time and effort than others." She squinted up at one of the shelves, shrunken mouth drooping open a little. "Where is that book..."
After a moment, she shook her head again. "Louis? Louis you useless thing where are you?"
In response to her call, a little blue hummingbird fluttered down from the root-covered 'rafters' of the den. "Hmmmmm?"
"Don't hmmm at me, cheeky thing. You know the book I want."
The little bird sighed and came to land on a dusty old tome on the shelf. "This one, I believe?"
"Don't 'believe' me either," the old cat muttered irritably, reaching a paw out to drag the book off the shelf. "When I was your age we respected our elders."
The little bird gave a vaguely disdainful 'tsh' as he flew back to perch on the top of a lantern. "When you were my age, fire hadn't been invented yet," he grumbled softly. He set about preening his feathers while Hazel shuffled back to her table, book in her mouth, then dropping it on the table.
"Now then. Let's see here," she murmured, flipping through the book slowly. "What are you willing to do to get these pups, hmm?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:07 am
Abel frowned at the bob's question and turned to Sarah. A fool would have said anything, that there was nothing he wouldn't give to have a family. He had been many things in his life, a science experiment, a brother, a student, a murder, a teacher.
But he had never been a fool.
And so he chose his words carefully, thinking through just what he was willing to give up for his mate's happiness.
"Only what is in my power to give," he replied. It was a very open-ended response, but all things considered, that wasn't many things. Most of what he had belonged to either Sarah or the Lord. All he really had was his services, and any worldly possessions he had upon him. His glasses, perhaps, but he wasn't sure if that was what she was looking for.
He could only pray that Sarah would follow his lead.
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:12 am
Sarah's emotions were in such a tangle, her pain felt so deep. She had to hold her breath for fear she would blurt out a fatal word 'anything'. She almost said it, but she looked at Abel and contained it, perhaps had she been alone she would have said the foolish word. Instead she looked at the old bobcat and frowned.
"What would you 'ave of us?" She wondered what indeed this feline could want from two otters. There were some things she would not give up, and others that she might do so gladly.
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:35 am
The old cat was clever enough to recognize meaning behind the pairs' expressions and little glances. "I see I see. Well then..." She licked her dry lips and finally settled on a page. "Ah. Here we are then. This is the tonic." She tapped the page with a wrinkly paw. "You take this, and you'll be good as new. We'll need a few bits and pieces to make it work, though. Do either of you know your plants?"
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Luminous Imp Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:43 am
Abel allowed a small smile of relief to grow when she more or less told them they would have to make a tonic that would help them.
"I know... a bit, here and there. Are there any... adverse effects from this tonic?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. He wasn't so much suspicious anymore, more cautious than anything. Mixing plants could be dangerous.
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:15 pm
Plants? That sounded safe enough, Lovett used lots of the natural herbs and spices that grew around the oasis in her cooking. She had made herself sick on some and uncovered the delicious flavors of others. She nodded softly at Abel's question however, it was indeed possible that this tonic might have some adverse reaction.
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Luminous Imp Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:16 pm
"Adverse effects? Oh my no. Nothing you'll need to worry your heads about. You leave all that to old Hazel." The old bobcat seemed to be smirking a bit now, yellowed teeth showing through her wrinkled lips. Though at her age, maybe that was really supposed to be a kindly smile.
"You'll need four things, I think. Four I don't have preserved. I think. Louis? Do we have any jewelweed left from last summer?" She glanced around, trying to locate the little bird.
From his perch on the lantern, the hummingbird chirped, "No. All of that was gone last year on that pox the wolves caught, remember?"
"Oh, aye, that's true, isn't it?" Hazel nodded slowly, rheumy eyes closing briefly as she remembered. "By my Aunt Leeza's singed whiskers, that was a messy business." She shook her fuzzy head a bit and resumed looking at the book. "Right then, you'll need a good sized clump of jewelweed, ten executioner's hood mushrooms - nice, plump ones, mind, not those little shriveled things. And about a pint of berries from a yew bush; mind you don't eat those, loves, or they'll be the last things you eat. Lastly you'll need four fresh moon-blossoming lilies. Now then. None of that should be too hard, hmm?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:47 pm
Abel nodded his head as the bobcat read off the list.
"I know about the yew bush and... I get the lilies as a sort of offering on Easter, so I know where a few grow. I've heard of jewelweed, but I've never seen it and I've never heard of those mushrooms before," he paused there to look at Sarah again. "Do you, dearest?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:23 am
Sarah thought about the whole list and nodded softly, she frowned slightly towards the end. "I'm not sure about the mushrooms, I know there's all sorts about I'll bring a few and see which is which..." She looked at Abel her eyes bright with hope.
Still in her head she heard a soft warning, after all they couldnt get something for nothing right? Lovett's Pie Shop was proof of Sarah's belief in an otter oasis economy. "And with all these...you'll give us the tonic?" Her voice was tinged with worry, what if what the cat wanted in return was something they couldn't give?
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:07 pm
The old cat nodded, smiling a bit again and puckering her wrinkly cheeks. "I give my word, if you bring me those items, the tonic will be yours."
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Luminous Imp Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:35 am
socks meandered along the edge of the pond. he enjoyed chasing and swatting at moths, butterflies, or any little bugs he could find that flew low enough for him to reach. recently he discovered this path which often had enough flies and gnats to keep him occupied for hours on end. today was a particularly busy day, and as he found more and more insects he wandered distracted from his surroundings, traveling further along into the woods than he had ever been before. it took him until he had reached a swampy pit that he realized just how far he had traveled, and backed up under a small clearing of thorny scrub to analyze his situation.
the smallish bobcat looked cautiously around in surprise. where was he? he didn't recognize any familiar smells, and as he sniffed deeper he picked up the scents of many other creatures. mostly otters and one other bobcat like him, none of whom he had met before. no wait - he sniffed again - one did seem familiar but he couldn't place it.
his heart beating, he glanced every which way. as his eyes focused more on his surroundings, he noticed many smallish otters working on thorn bushes. they seemed busy with their work, and pretty much the same size as he was, so he decided that they didn't pose any real threat to him. that explained most of the unusual scents he picked up, but there were three that were unaccounted for; two otters and that bobcat from what he could tell.
he tentatively eased out of the thorns, and worked his way towards where the scents were coming from. as far as his nose could tell him, this was a grayish stump with...a door on the side? he sat back on his haunches, taking care to keep his stubby little tail up out of the muck on the ground as best he could, and peered curiously at it with his head cocked slightly to the side. he heard a faint voice on the other side of the door, one he didn't recognize. he then heard another voice, this one he placed straight away which also triggered why the scent was so familiar. it was the pie lady! he padded up to the door and nosed it open.
he spotted her right away next to another equally impressive otter, this one a male. they were sitting with what was a fellow bobcat as far as he could tell, but one much older and frankly a little terrifying. he had never seen any creature quite as old or scraggly as she was, and after glancing at her eyes a slight shiver went down his back. he stared at her for what was probably a bit more than what would be considered polite, then slowly edged his way over to the lady otter. he made sure to sit where she was in between him and the elder bobcat, then pawed at her dress.
"scuze me, miz pie lady? and....mr. pie man? where are we? and whut're you doing here?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:10 pm
Lovett nodded at the old bobcat trusting in her word and turning around at the pawing. Her eyes lit up a bit as she recognized the younger bobcat from her shop, he came by on occasion to have a little nibble from her selection of sweets. He was quite a charming little thing and always brought interesting things like flowers, ribbons, or sparkly trinkets as payment.
She gently ushered him out of the dead tree home to explain things. She nodded at Abel and sat down a little ways away. "We're in the deeper swamp it seems, and I'm 'ere because I let my curiosity get the best of me. But now that I am 'ere I'm 'oping to find a way to get these ingredients for that old cat you saw inside. I need them so that she'll give me a special...tonic...liked a medicine to 'elp me and Abel 'ere. We want it so we can start our family." She smiled at Socks.
"So now it seems we must find a clump of Jewelweed, ten executioner's hood mushrooms, a pint of yew berries, and four fresh moon blossoms."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:39 pm
Abel watched carefully as his mate left the den and he turned to the old bobcat, a soft look on his face.
"Thank you, for helping us. I don't think you know just how much this means to us..." he thanked her, bowing his head low in respect. He would wait for any reply before joining Sarah and the young bob that had wandered in.
He walked out just as Sarah was explaining what they needed to find. He smiled and nodded his head as she said so, though he wondered why. He hadn't asked whether they could have help or not, but he was sure they would need all the help they could get with the mushrooms. He had never even heard of them before. Hopefully someone he knew had...
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