Hostage trade for taediosum

[allbedestroyed]

The island's largest collection of whiskey undoubtedly resides in Robert Muldoon's possession. This is a generally accepted fact. Others might have wine or tequila, but the whiskey was pretty much all Muldoon's. So when Arcade held his hat hostage, he only really had one thing of value to offer. It's no small mercy, however, that the vet turned down taking a whole bottle from his stash. A few drinks would do, and Muldoon never turned down an excuse to have a few glasses. Getting his hat back in return works out very nicely indeed.

He's still in his uniform when Arcade appears. A combination of always working late, and often being called out after hours means he long ago stopped bothering with changing after work. Like most department heads, he gets a nice (if compact) bungalow for his accommodation. Not that Muldoon spends much time in his. Beyond a few photographs, and a few books, he hasn't added any personal touches to his place. It's all very utilitarian.  

When he opens the door the first thing he does is look for the hat. Only once he spots it does he step aside and wave Arcade inside. "Come on in."

Comments

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon has to stop and think for a long moment. Eventually he looks at Arcade again with a simple, "Alright."

Standing, he refills his drink before offering Arcade a top-up. Only once they're both sorted does he sit back down again to tell the story.

"If we're talking about scars, the one I usually get asked about is the story of how I got the scars on my shoulder." He taps his right shoulder for reference. "They're more distinct than some of the others I have. You can't mistake them for anything other than a set of canines."

"They're from a long time ago. From before I was working at any animal parks. A friend and I were called out to a village to help with two lions. They were brothers, and known man-eaters. Cattle, goats, and people were all fair game to them." When he takes a sip of his drink it's partly to remind himself to stop before he shares too many unpleasant details in that regard, and to focus on giving a good story.

"The request was urgent, so we left right away and arrived late at night. We talked to the people there, the head of the village, the hunters, the people who had been attacked or seen an attack. Then we started to get our bearings. We'd only been apart a few minutes when I saw one of the lions stalking the perimeter. I didn't hesitate, I took aim to shoot, and that's when his brother pounced me. Sank his teeth right into my shoulder. If I'd been alone I wouldn't have survived it. Luckily, my friend was as good a shot as me. He saved my life that night and many others, and I returned the favour. We managed to get both the lions, so the village was safe. I was much more careful after that."

[taediosum]

Arcade isn't going to refuse another drink, as he settles in for what he's certain will be an at least passingly interesting anecdote. He probably shouldn't have underestimated it to such a degree, though. He forgets about the liquor quickly enough, as his imagination tries to fill in all the unimportant details Muldoon leaves out, leaning his elbows on the table while he listens.

"Sounds like a good friend." He pointedly doesn't ask where said friend is now, but Arcade figures if that's part of the story, he won't have to.

"I can only imagine the number of stitches it took to put you back together."

[allbedestroyed]

Muldoon snorts around his glass. It seems pretty stereotypical of the medical professional to be focused on what treatment might have been needed. "Not as many as I should have needed. I was able to use my gun to keep some space between the lion and I. It helped me wrestle with him until my friend could take the shot."

Though he does pause for a half-second, thoughtful, before answering the non-question Arcade posed. "He's the best friend. Took over Animal Kingdom from me when I moved here. He wanted something calmer now that he has a wife and kids." With a shrug and a sip of his drink he says, "A stable job was the least I owed him."