30 Spring 514 AV
Temple Courtyard
Temple Courtyard
Misery and Company made themselves at home on the lump in the blankets that was Valdar Aretino. Misery, mostly black, was sprawled out on the man's messy-haired head, and Company, mostly white, slept curled up on his stomach like a lady. These moments with his cats were something Valdar would never admit he enjoyed, but he treasured them.
Reluctantly, the man scooped the cats up off him. First went Mis, who posed a threat to his sight if he was allowed to continue sleeping on his head. After setting the black cat down, he picked up Nee and gently set her back on his bed, giving him time to get up.
When Valdar finally stood up and stretched out with a yawn, catlike in appearance as he did so, he took his sweet time getting dressed in simple pants and a shirt. Boots were next, followed by a petting session with Mis and Nee. He still wasn't sure exactly when or how the nicknames had came up, but it was easier to call them Mis and Nee than it was to call them Misery and Company. Their names had come to him on a whim after hearing someone repeat the phrase 'misery loves company' to a moping man during a visit to the Temple one day, and it stuck with him.
Oh, shyke. The Temple!
Visiting the Temple to pray to Rhysol was a ritual for Valdar, a tradition started when he was very small that continued into his adolescence and beyond. Three times a season (on the 30th, 60th, and 90th days) he would visit the Temple of the Black Sun to show reverence to the god Rhysol. He'd almost forgotten this morning because he was sleepy, but now he needed to make haste to the inner city.
Pulling his nice black coat over his shoulders as he walked out the door-and, of course, giving Mis and Nee one last scratch-Valdar set off for the Temple.