sixthiterationlogs | with rabbit and dandelion and thistle

WHO: Kate Kelly
WHERE: The Inn & Pub
WHEN: 3rd August
OPEN TO: E V E R Y O N E
WARNINGS: N/A
STATUS: OTA

It's been a couple weeks since Kate woke up and nearly drowned in that cursed fountain. She hasn't slept much, truth be told, and she's no closer to feeling like she's wearing proper clothes so she's still wearing her overalls instead of the given trousers, under that flimsy red blouse. Her curly hair is being combed with a fork and fixed as best she can. However, she has been paying attention. To the group and to the food situation. The group isn't exactly a community, but Miss Jo and her curtains of maps and skills have given Kate an idea.

(That, and honestly? The quietness of the inn's kitchen and main room is driving her to distraction.)

It takes time and it takes effort, Kate's idea of a communal lunch. She walks around, knocking on doors, and she asks, begs, flirts, lures-with-promise-of-hot-food people to arrive at midday. The hunters get asked if bring their game nice and early, those more inclined to gather or cook get asked to do that, and others... Well, she'd just like it if people turned up.

After so long being sulky, being this social again makes her sparkle.

With the help of some volunteers in the kitchen, by midday, the meal is ready. Really truly nothing fancy: rabbit stew with dandelions (flowers and plant both) and thistle (stems, leaves, roots and the young flowers) and some other wild herbs to flavour.

But it is food, and it is hot.

[ooc: Party-style post! Post starters in under the subheadings or make your own, volunteer your character to cook or clean or neither, and have fun!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cougar doesn't know what retiring permanently would be like. Bolivia had been putting his head down so his nightmares didn't consume and destroy him. The doll factory hadn't been anyone's dream job, but it had suited him fine for the short while.

"Why?" is his only question, his only demand. "How did you stop?"

He understood Cougar's question, it was one he needed to sit the bowl down and think about a second. Crossing his arms he made a bit of a perplexed face. He knew why he had stopped, he knew he no longer wanted the blood on his hands either, not human blood anyway. Yet, how to express that without sounding like a coward.

Being a coward was shameful, yet it seemed the truth in this situation. A Norsemen sick of violence was one who would be jeered by his peers and his family shunned. So, he decided it best to say what he could in the best English he could.

"King sold me." He spoke the three words that held heavy pain and truth to them. "Not allowed to fight on farm, Thralls not allowed. Now free again." He motioned to himself, he was free even here. A slave no more. "No more to hurt people. Tired of it." In truth he was always tired anymore, but he does his best to push on.

Cougar understands that, a little more than he likes to think about. After all, he's been seeing nothing but death and blood on his hands, and he doesn't think that he could do it much more. Not after everything that happened and the guilt that's sitting on his shoulders. "And how does it feel?" he asks, because he wants to know if it's as freeing as he could imagine it would be.

"Bad." The one word was an answer as he shifted his brown eyes back towards Cougar after looking at the floor a moment. He leaned back on the counter or stove, whatever was closest. "Not good." It was honest and humble, things he had learned on the farm. He didn't need to hide behind a cold bravado anymore. Being hollowed out had been the best thing that happened to him. He had learned to live again.

"Not fighting, not killing, makes coward." He spoke, a hint of sadness at it. "Cowards shunned. Better sunned than killing." He lifted a hand to his chest. "I have no enemies." He had been practicing his father's old speech to him the more English he learned, the more he felt it was important to say. A pacifist Viking, he was an odd one, even without it.

"Cowards are people who do dishonorable things," he says, because his definition of coward is different. It's names like Max and Roque who were too weak and cowardly to take the right way out. It's the men who decided to follow dollars instead of principles and ended up taking lives for no good reason.

It's cowardice that sent twenty-five children to heaven while Cougar watched his decision burn up in front of him.

"No fighting here," he reassures. "No cowards. Only men."

"Dishonorable." He spoke making a face. "No honor, yes?" He knew honorable but he hadn't heard dishonorable, yet. He was still learning. Picking up all he could.

Thorfinn had done a lot of bad in his day, sometimes woman and children got killed in raids, but generally he had tried to warn woman away before the hordes would arrive. He had been eccentric even before he fell on bad days. He could never condone the death of so many young children. That was a type of cowardice that was very dishonorable.

He nodded some to the words of the other. It was easy enough to understand to follow. It was easier to talk to Cougar, the simple English was easier for him to follow. "Ja, I hope." He unfolded his arms and offered over a hand to shake. "Pleased to meet, Cougar."

Cougar gives a firm, emphatic nod of his head to confirm that they're dishonorable men and they don't deserve pity. They don't even deserve prayers, no matter how many years he might have spent with one of them. He reaches out to shake the man's hand, a tight grip as he shakes it. "You, as well, Thorfinn," he says, gesturing to the braid.

"Maybe I will come ask you to do this again." After all, it would keep it out of the way from hunting. "Where did you learn it?"

Edited 2016-08-12 00:51 (UTC)

He nodded in return, his mind drifting back to Askeladd's crew, the mutiny, how he slaughtered quiet a few of his old companions when they turned on Askeladd. He never felt a drop of guilt for it. They were dogs meant to be put down, offering to steal the prince away to save their own hides. He knew they couldn't be in Valhalla. He never could stand them anyway... Some of the deaths he cause he couldn't feel bad about, those were a few of them. "Dishonorable, they no go to Valhalla." He spoke with a firm nod, he didn't know the man's religion, but his own was important to him.

Thorfinn shook in return before taking his hand back, and scratching at his cheek a little, a sheepish almost shy move. "Okay." He responded before nodded, he could do so more, he could use the practice to get his own braiding better to. "Watched many over years, warriors braid." He tried to explain. "me not much, need improve."

Cougar thinks that he won't go to Valhalla either, but his own assessment of his personal sins isn't a topic of conversation he has with his best friends, let alone strangers he's just met. So he gives a grunt and a noise, thinking that he could use some absolution, himself.

"Warriors braid," he echoes, gesturing to himself. He feels oddly touched at the gift of such a thing and Cougar knows that it means more to him than he can say. "Shame you can't give Jake one," he says, gesturing to the man.

He hadn't exactly meant it the way his words expressed, his english was still barebones and he was never the best at turn of phrase. Still he have a clue his meaning was lost in translation he just offers a half smile and a nod.

"Who Jake?" He hadn't had his sit down with Jake yet, but a friend of this man's seemed like someone he'd not mind knowing.

Cougar leans a little more forward so he can point towards Jake, giving a nod of his head. "There," he guides. "Best friend," he says with a fond smile that he keeps out of Jake's sight, because the situation might be complicated, but the friendship rarely is. "Can eat plenty, so don't bring your food near him."

Thorfinn leans some to look the direction. Nodding. "Best friend." He repeats the words, he knows what both words mean separately, but together he wonders if they have a different meaning or if it is like a sworn brother. He doesn't question it though, he just nods.

"Yes. No food to Jake." He spoke his best, taking it as almost like a 'don't feed Jake' but, he wouldn't share with anyone anyway, food was one of those rare things he could be selfish with if he was given the chance. "Nice to meet Cougar." He looked back then half bowing his head, he was thinking it was time for him to wander away, he wasn't fond of heat and the kitchen was mighty warm.

with rabbit and dandelion and thistle

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