03.10.09 - Nothing Like A Closet

Location: Ruingate, Venin House

Characters Involved: Harper, Darcy

It's morning, the very edge of dawn. Darcy is asleep on the little cot in Harper's closet-sized room, head on the pillow and her little form curled up underneath a thin blanket.

Meanwhile, Harper is sitting up at the end of the mattress, facing her and just. Keeping an eye on the doe.

Darcy is exhausted. She hasn't had much in the way of comfort or good rest since their arrival. One hand flexes a little. Maybe she's dreaming of her couch cushion.

This is perhaps why Harper's letting her sleep. Because he knows she's going back to something no-so-pleasant. His head rests back against the wall and his eyes briefly close.

Darcy's whiskers flutter and she releases a soft 'hh' sound, breathy, a little strained. It cuts off when she bites at her lower lip, curling up more. The blanket slips from around her shoulders.

Harper's ears perk and his eyes open. He looks at Darcy again, then goes to crawl forward. He pulls the blanket up, gently, covering her shoulders again. He leans forward, kissing the closest of the two.

Those shoulders hunch now. They're bonier than they used to be; she's getting thin. Darcy releases a low exhale and her eyes crack open.

"... Sh, go back t'sleep," and Harper starts to back up on the mattress to return to where he was.

Darcy blinks sluggishly, her curled position easing a little. "Wh' t'me 's 't?" she mumbles, voice scarcely audible.

Harper shakes his head. There are no windows - they're in the interior of the house. "Mornin' sometime. Last I glanced out it wasn't quite light out."

Darcy shuts her eyes again with a faint expression of upset. "D'mmit.." She's hoarse, mouth and throat dry.

Harper reaches out, resting his paw on her ankle. "... Darce. Sleep. When it's time it'll be time. I'll be here."

Darcy shakes her head as she lifts it, weight on one hand. "Nn. I'm .. done sleeping. I would've rathered just /not/.. sleeping. At all."

Harper smiles faintly. "It was good fer you, though."

Darcy smiles back, groggily. "/You're/ good for me. You trump sleep."

Harper gives her ankle a gentle squeeze. "You were good for me, too." It's kind of a sad statement.

Darcy closes her eyes, shifting along the little bed to rest closer to him. "Outlived my usefulness, then?"

Harper smirks. Shakes his head. "Never that."

"Make time go slower," the doe whispers. "Make it /stop/.."

The smirk fades. He comes forward again, going to sit next to her on the mattress. "... I would if I could, love. I would. Just... we've got a /plan/, now. Just hold onto that. Okay?"

Darcy shifts up and rests her head on Harper's thigh, angling her muzzle to look up at him. "I know. I'm just... being silly and heartsick and I don't want to leave you on your own..."

"If I promise to rein in the crazy, will that make you feel better?" Harper brushes his fingers through her short headfur, comfortingly.

Darcy moves her hand to brush those fingers against his forearm, eyes half-open. "I think the crazy is good for you. Like a survival instinct."

Harper chuckles softly. "... Well, good t'know you approve." Deep breath. "We're both going t'be okay."

"Doesn't change that you're an idiot..." Darcy quiets, then, and gives a small nod. "I know. I know we are."

"Then this is okay. Today's just temporary, Darce. Like a bad dream we'll wake up from." Harper rests his paw on her forehead.

Darcy's eyes shut all the way. She's silent for a while and when she finally speaks it's a whisper. "What do you dream about?"

"Home," Harper says firmly, whether it's the truth or not.

"That's it? ... doesn't sound very interesting," Darcy mumbles.

"What do you dream of, Darcy?" Harper looks curious, a little worried.

Darcy shrugs. "Things I love... you, the forest. Vodka." She smirks. ".. and. You know. Things that scare me. Places I want to go..."

"Do you know what I've dreamt about a lot lately?" Harper asks, then. He smiles slightly.

Darcy's eyes stay shut. "Hm?" She's smiling in a half-asleep kind of way.

"I keep having this dream that the library's going to burn down while I'm gone." He hehs, sounding a little sheepish. His smile is, too, not that she can see it. "The most horrifying moment is when I see the ashes swirling above the burning building. All those records." He rubs at the back of his neck, shaking his head.

Darcy lets out a slow sigh. "Oh Harper..." She sounds fond. Her eyes open and she reaches her hand up, brushing at his hair. Gettin' long. "That's it? That's your one great nightmare?"

Harper sobers. "No. It's not." His head ducks forward at the touch and he gives his headfur a gentle shake.

Darcy brushes those fingers along the side of Harper's face before dropping her hand. ".. what is?"

"Let's not talk about our worsts, Darce. Okay?" Harper lifts his head, to look at her.

Darcy directs a low 'rr' noise upward at him. "Well if we get the worsts out of the way, that just leaves room for the bests and second-bests, right..?"

"How about we talk about the worsts when our days don't so closely resemble them?" Harp puts his paw to hers, spreading their fingers out together. Hers is tiny next to his.

"Okay," Darcy murmurs, smiling wistfully, "so tell me your bests then."

Harper shakes his head. "You first."

Darcy pinches the buck's knee playfully. "Okay. Which 'best' first..?"

"I'd need to know them to answer that, wouldn't I?" Harper laughs.

"Well them come in.. categories. Or something," Darcy points out. "Best meal? Best work? Best morning, day, night? There are a lot of /bests/ to pick from. And ideals. For a cynic I have a lot of ideal /things/ floating around in my brain..."

"... That's a lot to pick from," Harper points out with a small smile.

"Well better for you to pick," Darcy retorts, "than for me to just list them off."

Darcy adds, quietly, "If /I/ have to pick, you'll get to hear all about my ideal wedding and first kiss and silly things. Just to squick you."

Harper chuckles. "... I don't know, Darce. Best..." And then he pauses at this addition. Smirks. "Ha. Well, what'd you imagine your first love being like?" Ha!

Darcy snorts. Her muzzle forms a little smirk and then a grin. "... tall, dark, handsome. I wasn't a very original child."

Harper smirks. "Ah. Well. Sorry t'disappoint."

"Hey." Darcy reaches up, fingers spread, and bonks him on the side of the muzzle. "... don't be humble. You're tallish, darkish, and... handsome enough to make up for the 'ish'. /And/ you're broody!"

"Haha. I didn't realize that was a positive." Harper rubs playfully at his muzzle where he was bonked.

"Well not while it's happening, maybe," she mutters, sitting up finally, and yawning as she does. Her arm curls around his shoulders, their muzzles close together. ".. but otherwise, it's something to tease you about. Have you /always/ been like that?"

"I hear I was a real sweet kid," Harper jokes.

Darcy bites his nose lightly. "You're so full of lies.."

Harper snorts. "What?" he asks innocently.

Darcy bites again, and tugs on his nose lightly with her teeth. Then she mutters, "What were you /actually/ like?"

"I was..." Harper looks upward. "I don't know. I was a kid. I was... what're most kids like? I was like that."

Darcy shrugs. "Tiny and full of ego?"

Harper snorts. "That'd be a fair description, yeah."

"Hey.. I'm /still/ like that," Darcy points out.

"But you pull it off so /well/," Harper teases.

Darcy slides her arms away to let her nestle in, leaned against the buck, knees tucked up. "Okay.. your turn."

"Okay. What do you want?" Harper replies. Turn about's fair play.

"Mm," comes out of the doe, a little musing sound. "Ideal... wedding. Or am I not allowed to ask?"

Harper gives Darcy a little look. Are you serious? "... Well. I never put much stock by weddings," Harper admits. "I don't know... definitely something small. Private."

Darcy catches that look, and her brow quirks. "What? It's a /question/. I'm curious." Her ears angle backward.

"Well like I said. Small. Private." Harper shrugs.

Darcy is frowning now. "You're doing it. The thing."

Harper's eyebrows go up. "Doing what? What thing?"

Darcy says, "The broody grumpy in-your-head thing."

Harper smiles slightly and shakes his head. "Honestly, Darce. Small and private is about as far as I'd care."

"You looked at me funny," she grumps at him, and kisses the buck's chin. "Rr. Ask something else."

Harper looks amused. Looked at her funny. Psht. "Best family moment."

"Best that /has/ happened? Or.." Darcy's expression on him is still a little skeptical.

Harper shrugs. "Best that has happened, I guess."

Darcy presses her lips together, staying quiet while she thinks. "Uhm. My mom? Was a 'tender at one of the pubs. She always took me along... but the first time she let me pour someone's drink." The doe smirks a little.

Harper is amused, clearly. "Ah. Well. I c'n see how that'd be a good one."

"Hey, I was /tiny/. I mean. Really tiny. A season, season and a half?" Darcy's muzzle drops. "She let me pour a guy's rum. And then a cup for her, and she let me taste it. One little drop off the tip of her finger..."

"So tiny you fit in her pocket?" Harper teases. But he's smiling.

"Rr, you," Darcy mutters. "Probably. She.. I don't know how tall she is, actually. I don't know if I'm taller or shorter 'cause I never stood next to her. Never had the chance. It's weird, right?"

Harper shakes his head. "It's not weird, love. I'm sorry you didn't, though."

Darcy shrugs. "I have everything I need from her. If you ever meet my dad you'll realize... I look nothing like him. I'd assume I'm just her replica." She sighs. "... okay. Sorry."

Harper's ears twitch. "... Sorry. For what?" He hugs his arms around her.

Darcy shakes her head, leaning in. "I don't know.. I went off someplace. This isn't supposed to be.. that kind of conversation." Her ears twitch. "What time is it?"

Harper still doesn't know. He shakes his head. Kisses the top of hers. "Don't think about the time."

Darcy stays quiet for a little while. Her fingers play with the front of his shirt. "You again, then. Uhm. Whaaat. Would your /name/ be. If you could completely pick it." Pause. "Alec?"

Harper's ears twitch back. "/No/," he mutters. "And... you ask odd questions. I don't know. What would /your/ name be if you could pick it?"

"I'm an odd doe. You tell me this frequently." Darcy shrugs, gazing thoughtfully at the edge of his shirt collar. "I guess... Jack. Maybe Jack."

Harper /snorts/. "Jack? Why Jack?"

Darcy shrugs. Again. "It's a good name. Easy to remember. Tack it on a little firebrand doe and it'd confuse the hell out of people."

"'Jack'." Harper looks amused. He shakes his head, shrugs. "Okay, then."

Darcy remarks, with a smile, "Sometimes you act like I'm a child. Tam, or something.."

"Give it a season or two," he guesstimates, "And you'll be /just/ about the same size."

Darcy snickers. "That's.. kind of frightening." Her fingers brush over his upper arm absently. "We can still go there.. after this is over. You can still see him."

"Mayhaps," Harper says, but it's noncommittal.

"I mean.. might as well just drag this happy little journey out as much as we can," Darcy mutters.

"I think... best to just get home. And stay for a while." Harper glances towards the door, wondering what time it actually /is/. "I'm going to duck my head out. Okay?"

"Yeah," Darcy agrees on a low note. "Just.. yeah." Then that question, and her hands catch on his shirt and she doesn't let go. "Nn."

Aheh. Harper glances back to Darcy at the shirt-grab. He stills. "... Or I could just. Stay." Heh.

Darcy mutters, "Do we really want to know that it's morning and we have hardly any time at all..?"

"I know it's morning. It could be hours after that, now! Mayhaps there's been a great war and they've all killed each other and we're free to go." Harper smiles at her, trying to lighten the mood a fraction.

An ear twitches at the tip. Darcy kisses his chin and then her hands ease, falling away. "Wouldn't that be convenient. I'm fairly sure the world wouldn't do that to us."

"No. I s'pose not. More likely they'll all miraculously doubled in size over night." Harper places a kiss to her forehead.

"And the festival thing coming up? Yeah. That's a hare-roasting festival," Darcy muses, stretching out, nudging Harper with her foot to get up and check. "Too bad I've got hardly any meat on me."

"Guess they'll just have t'make do with me." Harper gets up, then, then pulls the door open. He looks both ways before stepping out.

Darcy watches him go with her eyes half shut, then closes them completely. She rolls onto her stomach and tucks her muzzle against the pillow. Her fingertips knead the edge of it.

It's a few moments later when Harper finally returns, pulling the door open and slipping back inside. He closes the door behind him. "... Bad news first. They're not dead."

Darcy's face is still shoved against the pillow. She responds with a little wordless mutter.

"Good news is... okay, no, it's kind of all bad news." Harper hehs. "We've got about a half an hour."

"Nnh." That's a grumpy noise from the doe, yes it is.

Harper approaches the mattress and kneels on the edge of it, again. "Maybe I'll have to have a relapse so that Tobe will send for you again."

"Nn, no," Darcy mutters, hands against the mattress now, pushing herself upright. "No relapses. Just. Get better. And /stay/ better. I don't want to show up back home and have to explain why I let you get crippled."

"Not an /actual/ relapse..." Harper shakes his head. "Tobe won't know the difference."

Darcy shifts over to lean into Harper again. "Is he really that dumb? .. I thought you don't lie. Much."

"Is writhing around on the ground lying?" Harper tilts his head, thoughtfully. "I get the feeling he wants to ease along in life with as little resistance as possible." Harper shrugs.

Darcy mutters. She's very muttery right now. "Isn't that what we all want? A life that's easy.. pleasant. Comfortable."

Harper's shoulders roll in another shrug. "Not the same."

Darcy shrugs as well. "I don't know, Harp. I've always wanted to.. /do/ things."

"Do things?" Harp quirks a brow.

"You know.. /do/ things. Do.. things, Harp." Darcy scowls at her toes, sitting with her knees bent up. "Like.. this trip. Is more than I've ever /done/ before."

Harper's brow furrows. "You do things. You're a healer. You save lives, Darce."

Darcy smirks a little while shaking her head. "Guess things didn't turn out the way I expected, you know? With me. But it's okay. .. nothing like a closet to bring out the melancholy, right?"

Heh. Harper nods, glances around. "... I s'pose not."

Darcy says, "Sorry."

Harper says, "Don't be."

Darcy smirks. "Then I'm not."

Harper grins. "Good."

Darcy leans over until their noses touch. "Maybe I'll get sold off to a traveling caravan of witches and gypsies. Maybe you'll never see me again..."

Harper smirks faintly. "At least you'd have an adventurous life without me."

Harper says, "Better than being cloistered away in an Abbey, I imagine."

Darcy says, "You /are/ an adventure, Harper.."

Ha! Harper chuckles, kissing the tip of her nose. "Being unlucky and being an adventure are two very different things."

"Yes. They are. And maybe you're a bit of both.. but you're /my/ adventure," Darcy mumbles, peering at him through ginger lashes. "And I love you."

Harper touches her cheek. Kisses her. "I love you too," he murmurs.

Darcy tucks herself closer, muzzle rested against Harper's shoulder.

It's really just a waiting game at this point, really. Ah, well.

There's noise in the house now, the servants moving around and whatever else. Darcy takes a breath and lets it out. "It's just temporary," she murmurs, "it's.. just. A little longer."

Harper holds in his own sigh. He /tries/ to be reassuring. "Just a little longer, Darce. I promise."

Darcy murmurs, "Harp.." And then there's a low knock on the door.

Harper stiffens ever so slightly, but then he relaxes. Smiles wanly at Darcy. "The master, he calls," he jokes under his breath. He leans forward, giving Darcy a quick but firm kiss.

Darcy's hands cup the side of Harper's face, and she returns the kiss, giving a soft sound of affection as it's broken off. "... bye, I guess."

"No. See you soon," he corrects with one more kiss. Then rises, up and over to the door. He pulls it open.

Darcy exhales a slow breath, lingering for a moment. ".. Harp." His ribbon has been tied around her wrist for the last day. She unties it as she gets up.

Harper glances back. Sees the ribbon. With an inward sigh, he holds his paw out for it. "Just temporary."

Darcy bunches the ribbon up in her fingers, and presses it into Harper's hand. "Yes. Right. ... right."

Harper closes his fist around the ribbon. He ducks forward to kiss her cheek, then puts an arm around her waist to lead her out of the small room.

Darcy moves out into the hallway along with him, and from there to the parlor, where Tobias waits.

"Crow's waking up," Tobe says to Harper, with a nod of dismissal toward the stairs.

Harper looks from Darcy to Tobias to the stairs. He holds back the retort that wants to rise to his lips and instead just leans over, pecks Darcy gently on the cheek and... turns to leave. No sappy goodbyes in front of Tobe for him.

Darcy doesn't say anything, either. She tightens her hand briefly on Harper's arm, then lets go, and watches him leave. Tobe touches her arm lightly and goes toward the door. The doe follows with a brief look toward Harper as the buck moves up the stairs.