"Oooooooooooover the river ,and through the woods to the pickup truck we go. Cute Cat will know how to carry the slain-"*snap*
Ribald stopped his parody of the popular thanksgiving poem when he heard the approach of something fast. And big. It was the foot falls of an enemy he was all too familiar with. He dropped his quarry and dove into some threshes on the wayside. Thankfully the concoction masking his scent was still in effect as he slid into a ready position, his crossbow leveled in the direction of the disturbance. Should it stop to investigate his deerly beloved bounty (hah, puns) he'd unload a powerful tranquilizer round just above the heart to put it in a quick, if not immediate, comatose state. If it didn't go for the bait, he'd have to count his blessings and not risk a trailing shot, of which may not even result in a quiet apprehension. A good ol' fashion game of stalk the prey, would do him and Cat some good. Plus, getting to find out what it's such a rush to get to would be a nice bonus.
“Do you mind if I sit?""Uh-no, not at all." He lamely returned. Willard fidgeted a bit with his food as she made herself comfortable. He didn't really expect her to continue the conversation, being the person Willard was.
"So he got it fixed, huh? Well that's dandy," he combed through the classifieds in his newspaper when her yawn made him realize what she had said earlier.
"Wait, tutoring and work again? And you're still this tired?" He set down the paper, hoping to look more dignified in the following spiel.
"Now, pardon my nosiness, but believe it or not I was your age back when the dinosaurs roamed," he looked to lighten the tone with that joke.
"And I wouldn't have wanted to spend my days like that, and I don't think you should either." He placed a gentle fist in the table as he sighed,
"I know you're much more mature than your age lets on, and I commend you for your diligence, but there's a limit, girl. Sometimes it's okay to act a bit selfishly. I know I'm not the most credible source of advice, but just listen." He paused again to take a breath, his rant being a lot more ranty than he thought.
"You don't have to go around masquerading with the other kids doing whatever they do, but take a break, relax on a park bench or read a good book. Hell, that nice girl at the book store could probably recommend ya' something."Willard collapsed back into the booth, out of breath after his tirade, did he over step his bounds again? Bah, whatever, kids need to learn that being an adult ain't as good as it's chalked up to be. He sure as sin knew how quickly one can lose their happiness and youth. He donned a gentler tone,
"Look darlin', if you spend too much time acting 20 years your senior, you'll only regret it. Let the adults do their job once in a while, you know? If you're worried 'bout that cousin or uncle of yours, don't be afraid to ask for help, your family and friends are there, hell even I'd lend a hand." He chuckled at the last bit. Hopefully he got through to her, having given her no time to retort throughout the speech. He sighed again and stretched as the diner doors opened to the young bookish girl.
"Now I'm gonna beg my leave here, I've got quite a few things to think over myself" finished with the meal, he beckoned the bookstore attendant over to take his spot.
"Hopefully, Miss Thomas will be a much more pleasant conversationalist than me." He started to saunter out the diner doors.
@Arista@ViolentViolet