No One Wept Except The Willow [closed]

[northerndragon]

Who: Jon Snow and Mat Cauthon
When: September
Where: Nott
What: Questing beasts!
Warnings: None. Maybe language, maybe some injury descriptions? They're visiting hospitalized people; this is bound to be pretty tame.

Comments

[a_better_man]

Jon is taking to it well. Mat thought he might.

"Perfect." Simple, very basic beat, and it encourages the wee ones to sing along. And it's easy to juggle to. That's a trick he's found with juggling, it's much easier if one is singing and keeping to a beat. The toss and catch just becomes part of that rhythm. No wonder so many gleeman sing while they juggle.

"Alright you lot, sing along the chorus with us, we'll go through once so you can hear it, and then you join in. And we speed up just a bit each time."

Until he intentionally goes faster than he can juggle, because it always makes the little ones laugh when he drops everything in a creatively controlled scramble. When it comes to children, it's not always about being good. It's about entertaining them, amusing them. Playing the buffoon sometimes.

He's very good at playing the buffoon.

[northerndragon]

Jon knows that Mat can juggle perfectly well -- that this is part of his act. It puts him in mind of Pyp a little, the way he would act the fool now and then to make his friends laugh. Pyp and Mat would have liked each other. Might be they'll have a chance to see one day.

So he shrugs and says to the children, "I can't juggle at all. Neither can my wolf, back at home. Give Mat a hand."

At the mention of the wolf, a few of the children look confused, but it's forgotten when they begin to applaud delightedly.

He leans over to Mat and mutters, "Time for the flutes?"

[a_better_man]

Mat's all grins as he gathers his clubs. The little ones are having a good time, and that's all he cares about. He's been a hurt child, and a child with not much to look forward to in a day. Little things can go a long way, and a bit of joy can carry well into the night. He thinks they've given them that. A bit of joy they can hold onto in the dark and quiet.

And now is the time. He turns to Jon with a resigned nod.

"Time for the flutes."

[northerndragon]

The cacaphony that arises once Jon has passed out the flutes and Mat has finished packing his things is truly impressive, and perhaps not the best thing for a place of rest... but at least the children are merry, now.

Thirty steps away from the place, they can still be heard.

[/end quest.]